AN OUT-of-county man was arrested after a drugs stop just yards from where a community meeting was being held in the wake of Peter Crowley’s alleged murder.

Supt Bruce Riddell, the policing commander for Oxford, said he was in Barton earlier this month to talk to councillors and residents following 50-year-old Mr Crowley’s death on April 24.

READ MORE: Inquest opens into death of Barton 'murder' victim Peter Crowley

“As we were there [in Barton] an offender turned up and went to the [Underhill Circus] shops,” the senior officer said.

“The PCSO spotted him, as he’s on our daily briefing and of interest to us. He was detained by the neighbourhood sergeant and we found quite a lot of drugs and cash on him.

“He felt confident enough to walk past two or three police officers and go to a local shop.

“He’s not from Oxford, he’s from Berkshire. We arrested him and we’ve got really good evidence on him.”

Detectives are continuing to investigate the death of Mr Crowley. Officers from Thames Valley Police’s major crimes team believe that he was assaulted outside the Underhill Circus shops the evening before he was found dead in his flat in Brome Place, Barton, on Sunday, April 24.

Two teenagers, a 17-year-old boy and 16-year-old girl, have been arrested on suspicion of his murder. A further two adults have been arrested and bailed on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and assisting an offender.

READ MORE: Public asked for their help by detectives investigating Barton 'murder'

Earlier this month, senior investigating officer DI Mike Roddy asked for any further witnesses to come forward: “We know there were a number of individuals around Underhill Circus shops during that evening.

“Again, I would just appeal to people, if there is any information and they haven’t already come forward then we are ready to listen.”

Supt Riddell told the Oxford Mail that he had stepped up patrols of the area by both uniformed and plain-clothes, or ‘covert’, officers following the alleged murder.

However, he added: “It’s not just the responsibility of the police. We can’t do it on our own. We need the community to help us.”

That included working with schools and with the council. He suggested that that could involve redesigning the area around Underhill Circus.

“It’s a lovely place to sit in the summer because it gets sun on it. However, it does attract certain people out there to drink. It doesn’t make it the most welcoming place.”

Oxford Mail:

Ultimately, though, preventing knife crime relied on people not carrying knives. “It only needs one individual. We [can] give them all the support, if they still make that decision that’s their decision.

“We can do everything we can to try and disrupt them, to try and stop that from happening, but it’s the individual who will want to carry a knife.”

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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward