Three arrested in manslaughter investigation
Family of man who suffered fatal heart attack issue heartfelt tribute
The family of a man who suffered a fatal heart attack following a disturbance in his home have said he will be “missed by all”.
An investigation is ongoing following an incident at an address on Hertburn Gardens in Concord at about 11pm on Friday (September 24).
For reasons to be established, a number of offenders – who had their faces covered - attended and left the victim’s home on the night in question.
When the caller who alerted police went into the address to investigate they found Billy Jackson, 71, suffering a heart attack.
Emergency services attended and Billy was taken to hospital, where he sadly died.
Today (Wednesday), as enquiries continue into his death, Billy’s family have issued a heartfelt tribute to him.
They said: “Billy was a lovely man and wouldn’t hurt a fly. He would help anyone who needed it and will be missed by all his family and friends.”
Two men, aged 34 and 19, and a 39-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and remain in police custody at this time.
A fourth suspect – a 33-year-old woman - was previously arrested on suspicion of burglary and has since been released on police bail.
Enquiries are ongoing into the nature of the incident and the events that preceded Billy’s suspected heart attack.
After leaving Billy’s address, the suspects were believed to be in possession of stolen items including tobacco.
Police are continuing to appeal for witnesses to come forward – and have also asked for the wider community in Concord and Washington to get in touch if they have been approached by anybody door-to-door selling tobacco in the area.
Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Dodds, of Northumbria Police, said: “Our thoughts go out to Billy’s family and friends at this time and we are committed to getting them the answers they deserve.
“We are continuing to carry out a range of enquiries to piece together a clearer picture of what exactly happened in Billy’s home immediately before he suffered a heart attack.
“We believe that the individuals stole a number of items from Billy’s home, including tobacco, which we suspect they may have tried to sell in the Washington area door-to-door on Saturday and Sunday.
“We would again ask anybody out there who has any information that can assist this investigation, and help bring some kind of closure for Billy’s family, to get in touch.
“We believe the key to this investigation lies within the local community, so please get in touch if you know anything that can aid our enquiries.”
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of our website or by calling 101 quoting log NP-20210924-1288.