My Statement

This is a statement I made to my Solicitor. I didn't make one to the Police although I intend to scan all my taped interviews. One reason I didn't make a statement was although I went on 8 I.D. parades and wasn't picked out on any, remarks by Police Inspector colin langham-fitt,in the toilets soon after 1 of the parades informing me I would be getting charged with the murder regardless of the outcome of the parades suggested to me the Police even at that early stage in the investigation had already made up their minds.

I MICHAEL ANDREW TEAL state as follows:-

Until the night of the incident concerned I have worked as a doorman at the Cellar Club since about November last year. My regular nights of work was Friday night and Saturday. I would commence work about 8.30 pm and work through until closing time at 1 a.m. There are a number of other staff involved in connection with the club Mr. Neil Williamson is the manager of the club. There are a number of doormen being myself. Rod Moore who is also charged, lan Diggins. Myself Rod Moore and lan Diggins were on duty on the night in question. There are 3 other doormen namely Rory. I do not know Rory's second name. He was not working on the night in question but he arrived at the vicinity of the club premises shortly before closing time and just as I was leaving Mr. Kevin Oakes works as a doorman at the club. He was not on duty that night nor, so far as I am aware, was he present at the club. There is another doorman of the name of John. I do not know his second name. He has not worked on the door for a week or two. There are a number of other staff being mainly bar staff. Miss Donna Sizeland who is Neil Williamson's girlfriend works on the bar. On this night she arrived late I think about 11 ish. There is a person called Paul who is the bar manager. There are then two barmaids Emma and Mandy. As far as I am aware Donna, Paul Emma and Mandy were all present on the night in question. In addition there is a person called Joanne who sometimes helps out and a young man whose name I do not know but who is aged in his twenties. On the night in question there was also present the disc jockey Mr. Steve Burt (or Burke) and a friend of his. There may also have been someone collecting glasses. I arrived at work at approximately 8.30p.m. As is usual the club did not get busy until about 10.30 p.m. At some stage I cannot be precise when Mr Sewell (who until that time I had known as squirrel) told me that there had been some trouble between himself and others in the toilet area of the club. I remember this specifically as he was asking me whether he had a black eye. I know Mr. Sewell as he frequently attended the club. Likewise I know Tony German as being a regular visitor to the club. I would often chat to them. With the exception of Sewell mentioning to me that there had been an incident of some sort in the toilet area I was not aware of any particular trouble in the club that night until the various incidents at about closing time. For most of the evening I was in the club area itself and not actually on duty at the door. The bar to the premises shuts at about 1 am shortly prior to closing a television screen was broken. This incident involved Sewell but I understand it was an accident and there was no trouble caused. However shortly prior to closing time at around 1 a.m. while I was standing in the club area with Hayley Garrigan near the dee-jay's table I noticed Tony Gorman facing up to another. The other person had his back to me and at that time I did not know who it was. Since that time I have learned that the other person was Tony Crown. However I could see that Gorman was behaving aggressively. He was standing up to the other person with his arms straight and fists clenched and appeared to be in an aggressive mood and was perhaps shouting at the other. I immediately intervened as I feared there might be some sort of trouble. Although I had not been aware of Gorman being involved in any earlier trouble I had been told I think by Ian Diggins previously that both Gorman and Sewell had been playing up in some way or another. It was for that reason that I was worried about Gorman being aggressive. As far as I can remember the precise time must have been about 1.10. or thereabouts. The bar was shut and many people had left. There was some people still around in particular I recall being with Hayley Garrigan near the dee-jay who was also present. I believe Karl Somerton may also have been present. He certainly had been present with me earlier as I had spoken to him earlier. In any event upon seeing Gorman behaving aggressively I moved over to them. They were not far away standing near a pillar. I immediately put both my hands to his neck and pulled him out towards the door. I cannot remember who was nearby but I remember passing others as I took him out. As soon as we reached the outside I let go of him in the small yard area at the bottom of the stairs. At this stage he was shouting and abusive. As a result of his continued abuse and shouting and apparent temper I hit him once with the back of my right hand. So far as I can remember I would have hit him round about the mouth area. There was no blood nor did he fall down or appear stunned. I say that it was not a hard blow. After I had put him out I then shut the door and returned to the interior of the club. So far as I can remember I would say that Wayne Hammond may have seen Gorman being put out by me. I think he was hanging about outside perhaps with J Hammond. There were certainly others about in that general area outside. Upon my returning to the club I went back to continue speaking to Hayley who had remained near the dee-jay. I don't think either the dee-jay or Hayley would have been aware of what Gorman had done. Perhaps a couple of minutes later Karl Somerton approached me from the opposite end of the club (towards the doors). He indicated to me that there was some trouble with Gorman outside. I immediately walked over to the foyer area. So far as I know Karl followed behind. There was still a good few people around. I cannot remember in the foyer area whether there were other people in the foyer or not but I went straight through the foyer to the small yard area. I looked up to the stairway and noted that the area seemed to be fairly well packed with people. I cannot remember all their identities. I do remember however that Paul Fellowes was near the bottom of the stairs Gorman was also near the bottom of the stairs and was coming down quickly towards me. I gained the impression that he was being chased by others but I cannot remember by whom. Gorman came past me. I let him by. I don't know whether he went back into the foyer or just stayed near the door. I remember him talking however to Rod Moore. In the meantime I was telling people to leave. I mean I was telling the people on the stairs and loitering nearby to leave. The problem had been that some were trying apparently to get up the stairs to leave and some others seemed to be trying to get back down the stairs. My intervention seemed to quieten them down. At this stage I was very near the door with both Gorman and Rod Moore. It was at this stage that Sewell appeared again on the scene. I do not recall precisely from where. At this stage there was no mention of the incident on the stairs or any earlier incident. As far as Gorman was concerned I told him to go and ushered him out towards the stairs by putting my arm round him. I was in no way violent towards him at this stage but was simply showing him the door. I led him upstairs. Sewell was nearby I think behind me. I gained the impression that Sewell was worried that his friend might be about to be hit. I am not sure whether he was indicating that he was about to be hit by others or whether he was worried that I was to hit him. In any event I said to Sewell and Gorman that no-one was going to hit him. I had however thought that he meant that others at first but I presume now that he thought I was going to hit Gorman. Gorman then left and I next noticed Sewell near the top of the stairs. He was continuing to argue with me and we had an exchange of words about how I carried out my job. I felt that Sewell was being insulting and abusive. I grabbed him by the neck with both hands and shouted at him not to tell me how to do my job. I recall Rod Moore being nearby and telling me to let go I recall others being about at that time but I cannot recall their precise identities. I say that it was only at that stage that I was anything other than levelheaded. I admit however that I head butted Sewell at that stage and punched him. I only head butted him once and punched him only once. He did not hit me back. It is true to say that there was quite a lot of blood caused but I thought at the time that all that blood was my own. I do not know where Sewell went from then. As far as I was concerned I was bleeding profusely from a cut to my forehead and the blood was pouring down my face into my mouth and onto my shirt. I went downstairs with Rod Moore and we went back into the club area. Although I do not know where Sewell went he did not come back into the club. I went back into the bar area with Rod Moore. Hayley was still there and it is true to say that she was upset looking at the state of me. There were both Hayley and Rod in the bar area at that time and other people. Rod Moore got me a bottle of beer and I took a few sips from that beer. I also wiped my face to clear the blood although I cannot remember what I used to wipe the blood off my face. I also received my £30 payment from Rod. I do not know where he obtained the money from. I would guess that it was no more than 5 minutes before I then left the Club. I left the premises with Hayley. It is right to say that Rod Moore had wanted me to stay for a while. In retrospect I think that he had probably wanted me to calm down. At that stage I had no idea or intention of going after Sewell or anyone else. I certainly had no intention of going after Gorman as I had no reason to. As I went upstairs I left the club and walked along Page Stair Lane towards the market place. As I was leaving I saw the other doorman known as Rory walking towards the club area. We exchanged greetings but did not have a proper conversation. I believe that Rod Moore was following me a little way down the road and was speaking to me and indicating to me that I should not go after Sewell. It was perhaps at that stage that the thought of looking for Sewell crossed my mind. In any event I continued to walk with Hayley diagonally across the market place in the direction of Lloyds Bank. I was intending either to walk Hayley home, or find her a taxi or go in a taxi with her. She lives in the Tennyson Avenue area and this was a logical direction to walk in. At some stage I noticed someone called White who I knew to be another friend of Gorman and Sewell. At that stage he was in the vicinity of Lloyds Bank. I do not recall exactly when I first noticed him or whereabouts I was at that time. However I went over to him. He was still in the vicinity of Lloyds Bank at that time. I asked White where squirrel was. He said words to the effect that Squirrel had gone home. I asked him where squirrel's home was and he indicated Columbia Way. I therefore decided to see if I could catch up with squirrel before he reached home I had no thoughts at this stage of Gorman. I then decided to run down Surrey Street, turn left along Chapel Street towards the Lattice Barn thinking that this was the quickest way towards the Columbia Way direction and that I might be able to catch up squirrel. I cannot remember any particular words with Hayley but I believe she tried to discourage me from leaving. I was not aware at that stage of Rod Moore following me. As I turned the corner into Chapel Street I noticed a number of people in a crowd and a police officer standing near the Council Offices. I shortly became aware that someone was on the ground. As I approached nearer I was aware that it was Gorman as I recognized his colourful rugby style shirt. I did not stop or enquire about him nor did I know at that stage that he had been severely injured. I did not notice any blood. I had certainly not seen him until that time since ushering him out of the club. I remember exchanging word with I think the police officer saying that I was not interested in Gorman but was looking for Sewell and I ran off. Still at this stage I was not aware that Rod was running after me. I continued running along Chapel Street past the church in the direction of the Trimoco Garage. I remember a police car pulling up behind me and asking me to stop. I remember seeing Rod Moore sat in that police car. This was the first time I had actually noticed Rod's presence since walking down Paige Stair Lane. I ran off past the garage and in the direction of The Retreat public house. I was aware that at some stage I was being chased and at some stage a police car attempted to cut my escape off. I eventually hid in a garden but was puffing so badly that I gave myself up to a police officer. I did not at that stage know why the police wanted to speak to me. I was certainly not aware that it was anything to do with Gorman. I was not aware of any serious trouble. It was then that I was arrested and taken to the police station.
I make the following general comments with regard to certain matters of which I have been made aware. I do not recall seeing any incident with any girl on the stairway to the club being knocked unconscious or any incident like that. I say however that for much of the evening I was within the club premises itself. With regard to the incident with the television occurring with squirrel this occurred late on and shortly before the incident leading to Mr. Gorman being ejected from the club. I did not regard this as particular trouble however as it appeared to be an accident. It is true to say that there is a video monitor in the club which points towards the stairs. This is simply a monitor and is not I believe a tape. The toilet area is up some stairs but is not so far as I am aware shared with the snooker club upstairs. I am aware now that Karl was involved in some sort of argument at some stage about his girlfriend or former girlfriend. I am not sure of full details. As far as my dress is concerned I say that all my clothes (with the exception of my tie) have been taken by the police for forensic purposes. I was dressed in a white and lightly pinstriped shirt open at the neck. I was wearing black trousers. I was not wearing a jacket. I had previously been wearing a tie but I took this off early in the evening and placed it in my trouser pocket. I was wearing dark socks and lace up black brogues with a leather sole and steel quarter heel. There was no stick on or rubber sole or tread to those shoes. As far as Rod Moore is concerned I can only say that he was wearing a white shirt and dark trousers. As far as Karl is concerned I cannot recall exactly what he was wearing. I thought he was wearing something in red.