Michael Menson

b. 19th July 1966, London. d. 13th February 1997, London. After his success with Double Trouble in the mid/late 80s, Menson, the son of a Ghanaian diplomat, had suffered some psychiatric problems. On the 28 January 1997 in Edmonton, North London, he became the victim of a street robbery and racist attack in which he was set alight, later succumbing to his injuries in hospital. There was much outcry and campaigning following his murder due to the failure to properly investigate the crime by the police, who for some time treated the death as suicide despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. After a meeting with the family and the Home Secretary in November 1998, a new team of investigators was appointed. They eventually arrested and charged three suspects 51 days later. In December 1999 one man was found guilty of murder and another of manslaughter at the Old Bailey in London.