Steven Burke Statement

NAME: STEVEN JOHN BURKE
ADDRESS:
AGE / DATE OF BIRTH 18 02061972
OCCUPATION: TRIM WORKER
Who states: - This statement consisting of 12 pages, each signed by me, is true to the best of my knowledge and belief and I make it knowing that if it is tendered in evidence I shall be liable to prosecution if I have wilfully stated in it anything which I know to be false or do not believe to be true. DATED: 020391 S BURKE (SIGNED)
I am Steven John BURKE and I am 18 years of age. I live at the address overleaf with my parents Michael and Sheila BURKE. At present I am employed by Robinsons which is a VW and Audi Garage in Norwich. My role within the firm is that of a trim worker. Due to the work being in Norwich I live away from home during the working week and come home to my parents address on Friday nights. I usually stay the weekend with my parents and then return to Norwich during Sunday evenings. Since about the age of 14 years I have worked as a Disc Jockey (DJ) in my spare time. This is an occupation I enjoy and although the pay isn't good I do get enough to cover my expenses. I have not got my own equipment so as and when I have the work I hire the equipment from Paul WILLIAMS. For about the last 2 weeks me and my brother Michael BURKE aged 26 years have been contracted to The Cellar Bar to do entertainment for them. By entertainment I mean to act as their Disc Jockey (DJ). The Cellar Bar is situated in Page Stair Lane Kings Lynn. It is actually under the Maltings Snooker Club which is opposite Patrick and Thompson’s wood yard. The Manager of the Cellar Bar is a man I know as Paul. I’ve known Paul for quite a while as he uses the pubs and clubs that I use. Before Paul worked for the Cellar Bar he was the bar Manager at Chicago's Rock Cafe in Norfolk Street, King's Lynn. Me and my brother Michael got hired as DJs after Paul had approached first my brother then me. We must have been approached about 3 weeks ago just before we actually started working at the Cellar Bar. Michael and I are hired to work there Thursday nights Friday nights, Saturday nights and sometimes Sunday nights if there's a private function on. Usually we do alternate nights at the Cellar Bar but Michael always does Thursday nights because I'm always in Norwich during the week. Prior to working at the Cellar bar I didn't go in there very often. On the occasions that I did go in a man by the name of Micky TEAL was always in there. He was working there as a bouncer. I've known Micky TEAL for about 3 to 4 years. He's always been working as bouncers in the pubs and clubs I used to go in. Although Micky and me have never been best friends I've always got on well and have a laugh and a joke together. I've seen him do his job as a bouncer well in that anyone causing hassle gets escorted out of the premises by him until last night I've never seen him get physically violent towards anyone. I would describe Micky as easy going until you rub him up the wrong way and then he's not a very nice bloke to know. Other than that he's alright. Micky is a big bloke about 6'2" to 6-3" and he is a stocky build. He's got fairish blonde short hair and a strong bold face. I obviously know Micky well but find it hard to describe him as I've not really taken too much notice. I would say that Micky's size is quite imposing and he obviously takes care of his body and keeps physically fit. As I've already said I started working as a DJ at the Cellar Bar about 3 weeks ago. Micky TEAL was still acting as one of the bouncers at the bar. Usually they only have two bouncers on the doors but on the busy nights they usually have 4 to 5 bouncers on the doors Friday nights are the busiest nights. Up until last night during the time I've spent working at the Cellar Bar I had not seen Micky or any other bouncer causing any hassle or getting into any fights. The layout of the Cellar Bar is as follows. You enter the Bar by going down some steps until you get to the bottom where the entrance doors are. Once in through the door you get into an enclosed foyer type area. In the foyer is a desk and when the bar is open to the public a till is placed on the desk and anybody who wants to come into the bar has to pay one pound. Usually the bouncers hover around this area watching the punters coming in. Once in the foyer you then go through another door into the actual bar. Once through, immediately on your left is a TV monitor and to the left of that is two tables adjacent to the wall with seating in between. To your right once you get through the doors is a cigarette machine which is set right up against the right hand side well. In the centre of the bar area is a creamy white coloured pillar which goes from floor to ceiling. This pillar is quite large being about a metre wide. Around the circumference of it is a brown coloured ledge which is used to put drinks on. Usually a couple of high stools are placed near the pillar for people to sit on. Surrounding this pillar is about 5 smaller ones. These also go from floor to ceiling but they are not so wide. They are black, and made of metal. The best way to describe them would be to say they look like drain pipes. Although all these pillars are quite decorative they are there as a support for the ceiling. To the right of the premises near the cigarette machine is the actual drinks bar. The length of the bar is about 3 metres. Beyond the bar is the enclosed kitchen which is off limits to the public and beyond the kitchen is the drinks cellar. To the left of the premises after the two tables and seating there is a gap and then there is the console. The console is slightly curved and one end is fixed to the left hand side wall. The console is made of wood and the records and hi fi equipment are kept on ledges affixed to but behind the console. Beyond the console is one more table with seats either side and to the right of that is another TV monitor. The TV monitor is opposite the door to the kitchen area and between the two is another door which leads to the toilets. The TV monitors are used as entertainment. They show any television or they can be used with a camera to do close ups of people dancing. Once inside the Cellar bar the only way to get out are through the entrance door or through the door that leads up to the toilet and there is a fire exit. This fire exit is shared with the Melting’s. Punters who come into the Cellar Bar do not have to leave it to do anything. By that I mean it is self contained in one area. The toilets being the only thing you have to leave the area for. On Friday 1st March 1991 I left Norwich and got home to my parents house between 6 and 6.30pm. I got changed had a cup of coffee and an Ambrosia rice and then left my house. Before leaving I rang my friend Simon FOX to see if he was coming out but he wasn't there. I then decided to go round for my friend Paul RODWELL (known as Roddy) because I wanted some help to take my records down to the Cellar Bar as I was D-Jaying there that night. I cannot remember Roddys actual address but it is somewhere in North Lynn Kings Lynn. I left my house and got into my car which is a red coloured Skoda with a black vinyl roof. The index number of my car is written down somewhere but I can't remember what it is. I do know that it is 'X' registrated. I got to Ronny’s house and while there he quickly got changed and -then came out with me. I drove to the Cellar Bar and I arrived there at about 7.45pm on the same day and date. I parked my car outside the iron gates which front the steps that lead down to the Cellar Bar. Roddy helped me unload my records from my car and take them into the Cellar Bar and leave them near the DJ console. After we'd done this I then parked my car a bit further on down Page Stair Lane, King’s Lynn near the railings. I got back to the bar having done all this at about 7.55pm. On the same day upon my arrival the only people present were me and Roddy and the manager Paul. I started putting my records on the ledge then started mucking about mixing a few of them. Shortly after this between about 8.oopm and 8.30pm about 15 people had arrived out of these 15 4 or 5 of them were bar staff. Between 8.30pm to 9.15pm people started coming into the bar in dribs and drabs. I was playing music and the evening looked like it was going to go well. After about 9.15pm on the same day and date the Bar started getting fuller and groups of people were coming in and staying put. Again everything was going well. The place was getting full but everyone was in high spirits nothing happened that caused me any concern. At about 10.30pm on the same day I noticed that Micky TEAL had arrived. Micky was wearing a dark possibly black suit. He was wearing a white shirt but I don't know if he was wearing a tie. Prior to seeing Micky I had seen some other bouncers but I honestly can't remember how many I saw because they keep popping in all the time and it's impossible to keep a constant eye on them. My focus was on the crowd and my aim was to get then enjoying themselves. The evening carried on in the same way with people enjoying themselves and having a good time. I occasionally saw Micky was chatting to different people and there seemed to be no problems. Suddenly at about midnight I heard a thud and clashing sound coming from behind me. I immediately turned round and saw the TV monitor that had been between the kitchen and the seating and tables behind me was missing from its stand, Where the TV monitor had previously been standing a crowd of people had gathered I cannot say I knew anyone in that crowd. Micky TEAL then came rushing over and he started asking people what happened. I couldn’t really hear what was exactly said and I couldn’t see too much because so many people had gathered round. I continued playing music and tried to draw people's attention from what had happened near the TV monitor to the music I was playing. Micky TEAL stayed over near where the crowd was and I could see that he was mainly talking to a man who was about 6' tall, of a podgy build with black short spikey hair. He was wearing a red coloured rugby top which had another colour on it. I had not noticed this bloke prior to the incident and I do not know who he is. Micky and the man looked like they were having a quarrel although I couldn't hear what was said. I kept concentrating on my music but did keep having quick glances as to what was going on behind me. Micky and the man appeared to be arguing still and this must have continued for about 5 to 10 minutes. For about the next. 10 minutes after this I didn't look behind me as I was trying to keep the people’s attention on the music and not on the scene. When I did look round again I saw Micky dragging a blonde hair boy through the crowd towards the main entrance door. I would describe this boy as being in his early 20's with blonde thinning short hair. He was also wearing a rugby shirt but this was yellow in colour. This was the first time I'd seen this boy I do not know who he is. Micky and this boy appeared to be pushing and shoving each other so it was slow progress that was being made towards the door. All of a sudden Micky grabbed the boy with both hands by the throat and pushed him up against the middle pillar in the Cellar Bar. Micky obviously lifted the boy off the ground by the throat because I saw the boy rise quite high. The boy’s back was against the pillar. I then saw Micky throw his head back then forward and he head butted the boy straight in the face. This was a hard head butt because I saw the boys head fly back and hit against the pillar he was being held against. I couldn’t hear what was being said through all of this. After being head butted the boy looked shocked. I did not see any blood on either Mickys or the boys face. A crowd of people had formed and I couldn't see much of what happened next. I did see Micky drag the boy from the pillar towards the door. I couldn't see too much as people and the pillars were blocking my vision I think Micky was half dragging and half carrying the boy by his clothes. I tried to carry on as normal and by this it was about 12.45am on the morning of Saturday the 2nd March 1991. The crowd didn't really respond to the music and some started wandering off. At about 12.55am on the same day and date I slowed the music down in anticipation of the Bar shutting at 1am. A few people started having a slow dance. Paul the manager then came up to me and told me to stop the music and end the evening. I did that and thanked everyone for coming. After I'd stopped the music someone switched on the lights so the Bar was more illuminated than it had been. A few people were standing around finishing their drinks. I then heard a scuffle coming from the area of the entrance door. I looked but couldn't see what was going on because again a crowd had formed. I stayed where I was at the DJ console packed my things up and switched the hi-fi system off. People then started drifting off out through the front entrance doors so the scuffle was obviously over. After about 10 minutes the place was almost empty. By this time it was about 1.15an a couple of people remained in the Bar because they were talking to one of the bar staff. I then saw Micky TEAL come into the bar. He was wearing just his shirt and trousers. His shirt was undone a bit. I could see that blood was all over the front of his white shirt and down the sleeves of his shirt. I could see he was hyped up. He went straight to the bar after talking to a bouncer at the entrance door. When he got to the bar he said "Give me a fuckin drink". I heard the barmaid say "No”. I began talking to Simon F0X who'd arrived earlier in the evening and then I went to the toilet so didn't see what happened. When I got back from the toilet I saw that Micky TEAL had gone. Me Simon FOX, Roddy, Paul the Manager and another barmaid and Jason the glass collector all sat down and tried to sort out what had gone on. I forgot to say a barman called lan was also present. We were all pissed off because the night had been ruined. After about 20 minutes at about 1.45am I saw that a policeman had arrived. Paul, the manager had gone to talk to him. Paul then came back and told us no one was allowed to leave. After a little while the same group which had been talking, including me went upstairs to the Maltings and it was then we were told someone had been killed. We remained in the premises and after a short while the police arrived and interviewed each one of us. During the course of the evening of Friday 1st March 1991 and the morning of Saturday the 2nd March 1991 I had about 3 to 4 pints of lager to drink. I was not drunk and my recollection of the incident is clear. At the time of the incident when Micky head butted the boy as I described the Cellar Bar was crowded and the only lights that were on were flashing disco lights. Despite this my view was clear and I did see Micky deliberately head butt the blonde hair boy he had against the pillar. This is the first time I've ever seen Micky being physically violent towards anyone. He looked hyped up and in a rage. This did not unduly worry me as I've seen other bouncers doing similar things and they only do it when they have to and people are causing then problems. I am willing to attend court if necessary.

S BURKE SIGNED