Emotions run high after killing

9:06am Thursday 3rd July 2008

The teenage sister and two brothers of stab victim Barry Cooper were arrested on Monday as emotions ran high in the wake of their brother's death.

Melissa Cooper, 18, of Forty Acres Road, Devizes, appeared before Chippenham magistrates with her two brothers Jason, 23, of Spitalcroft, and Kevin, 27, of Awdrey Road, on breach of the peace charges.

Four other men from Devizes - Mark Hiscock, 35, of Roseland Avenue, Paul Scarff, 41, of Cromwell Road, Christopher Pike, 25, of Mayenne Place, and his brother Matthew Pike, 24, of Waiblingen Way - also appeared on breach of the peace charges.

Prosecutor Charles Murphy told magistrates each of the group were close friends or members of the Cooper family and the killing happened in an extremely tight community.

Police arrested the group in and around Devizes after a member of the public reported a disturbance at 7pm.

Melissa Cooper was arrested at The Pelican Pub in Devizes after shouting at a member of the public that they were concealing information on the killing. Hiscock was arrested at the scene of Barry Cooper's murder but in court denied any potential disturbance. He said: " I wanted to go up to Victoria Road and see if there were any flowers.

"This was a dreadful incident and I am sorry if I offended anyone."

Hiscock, all three Coopers and Scarff were issued with 12 month binding over orders in the sum of £500.

Both Pike brothers denied breaching the peace and will reappear at Chippenham magistrates on July 14. Tempers had started to flare as early as Friday evening when one tenant of the flats in Victoria Road was arrested by police when he tried into cross the cordone off area but he was released when he calmed down.