Death of man with serious head injury in Kettering no longer being treated as murder, say police
Detectives investigating the death of man after he was found with a serious head injury is no longer being treated as murder.
Officers from East Midlands Special Operations Unit had been investigating the death of a 50-year-old Jeffrey Burton in Kettering.
Mr Burton, originally from Cambridgeshire, died at Kettering General Hospital on Sunday, August 31, four days after being found in the town’s London Road.
Due to the nature of the injury sustained a murder investigation was launched, led by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit Major Crime Team.
Detective Chief Inspector Torie Harrison said: “This has been a complex investigation, and our thoughts remain with Mr Burton’s family at what has been a very difficult time for them.
“It is only right that an incident such as this is treated with the utmost seriousness, to make sure we have done all we can to understand what has happened, and to get the answers those left behind need and want.
“In Mr Burton’s case I can confirm the evidence we have examined did not support his death as a homicide, which has now been further confirmed by all the forensic post-mortem and medical results.
“Our findings and decision have been explained to Mr Burton’s family and a file is now being prepared to hand over to the coroner’s office.”
The preliminary forensic post-mortem found that Mr Burton died from a head injury, but further medical test results have concluded that his death was not linked to an assault.
Following the findings of the Home Office pathologist and a review of the evidential material, the murder inquiry has now been stood down and nine people arrested in connection with the incident have been released with no further action.
In September, Mr Burton’s grieving family issued a statement paying tribute to him describing him as a ‘cheeky chap’ who was ‘close to his mum’.
Those arrested on on suspicion of murder were a 34-year-old Kettering man and a 32-year-old man from Corby.
Three women aged 45, 40 and 23 and three men aged 60, 55, and 31 – all from Kettering – were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder along with a 34-year-old man from Corby.