Carole Malone has launched a blistering attack on the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), following the announcement that Sergeant Martyn Blake - the officer cleared of murdering Chris Kaba - is now facing a gross misconduct hearing.
Speaking in a video exclusively for GB News members, Malone did not hold back in her criticism. “So the appalling news today,” she began, “is that Sergeant Martyn Blake, who was cleared of murdering violent gangster Chris Kaba, is now to face a disciplinary misconduct hearing. In fact, it’s a gross misconduct hearing - which is even more serious.”
Blake, who shot Kaba in September 2022 during a police operation in Streatham, South London, was found not guilty by a unanimous jury in under three hours.
The court accepted that Blake believed his colleagues were in immediate danger when he opened fire. But now, despite the criminal acquittal, the IOPC is pursuing disciplinary action that could see Blake sacked from the Metropolitan Police.
“This is appalling beyond belief,” Malone said, adding: “This man was doing his job.”
'They want blood!' Carole Malone blasts 'vindictive hounding' of armed officer who shot dead Chris Kaba
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She continued: “The IOPC - and let’s not forget, they’re the ones who recommended the CPS charge Blake with murder in the first place - have decided to hound this man some more. It’s vindictive. It’s senseless.”
Malone defended the conduct of firearms officers like Blake, pushing back hard on public narratives that paint them as overly aggressive. “Every time there’s a shooting, they’re portrayed somehow as trigger-happy gangsters,” she said, adding: “They’re not. These are highly trained men who don’t want to shoot people - but sometimes, they have to.”
Blake’s life has changed drastically since the shooting.
Malone revealed the extent of the toll it has taken on him and his family, telling GB News: “His career as a police officer is gone. He’s been forced into a backroom job. There’s a £10,000 bounty on his head by gangsters who want him dead. His family has been devastated. And yet the IOPC want to torment him further.”
The political commentator questioned how much more the officer was expected to endure.
“He’s been through a criminal trial. A jury cleared him. That should be the end of it. But this organisation wants blood. It’s time we asked: what exactly is the IOPC for?”
Malone concluded with a call to action: “Surely it’s time to disband this nonsensical organisation. It’s not delivering justice. It’s targeting the very people who protect us.”
The Metropolitan Police Federation echoed similar concerns this week, calling the IOPC’s move “frankly nonsensical” and warning it would have a chilling effect on armed officers across the country.
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