In December 2006, we first covered the so-called “death flat party,” where Mark Blanco died after “falling” from a balcony while partying with Pete Doherty and pals. Naturally, we found it odd that Doherty would later return to the scene [a flat owned by Paul Roundhill] and film a tasteless video for a freshly-penned song called “The Art Of Murder.” And what of the confession from Johnny “Headlock” Jeannevol? Not to mention the CCTV footage of Doherty running past Blanco’s almost lifeless body. This footage proves a rather suspicious timeline, in which Blanco left the party and returned, only to fall almost immediately from that 2nd floor balcony. Further, Blanco did not fall as one would after either accidentally falling or purposely jumping, that is, with the flailing of limbs. Instead, he fell as one would after being punched unconscious. Footage shows that Blanco remained on the street for a full 22 minutes before Doherty and Jeannevol fled the scene to avoid police and paramedics, who arrived shortly thereafter.
Despite all these mysterious circumstances, for over 2 1/2 years, all lingering questions surrounding the death of Blanco have been readily dismissed by London’s Metropolitan Police, who stand by their theory that Blanco “accidentally killed himself trying to jump onto a lamp-post.” In October 2007, Coroner Dr Andrew Reid labelled this theory as mere “speculation” and ordered the Met to reopen the investigation, but that has yet to occur, but It isn’t over by a long shot:
The mother of an actor who plunged to his death after a late-night row with Pete Doherty today called for the musician to face fresh questioning. Sheila Blanco appealed to police to quiz the singer on the eve of a benefit gig to raise funds for a private investigation.
. . . .
Mrs Blanco said: “The police have effectively closed the case, but they should have treated Doherty, Roundhill and Headlock as suspects, not witnesses. Doherty was not even at the inquest. They know what happened.
She insisted it was “nothing personal”, but said: “I want the truth to come out. These three should be cross-examined.” Mrs Blanco has so far spent £s;25,000 on the case. Dame Judi Dench is understood to have already contributed to the fund.
Bloody hell, I do believe that Pete Doherty has, in an odd twist of fate, finally met his match here. Sheila Blanco isn’t going away, and with supporters like Judi Dench, this case may actually get the attention it deserves.
On a semi-related note, Doherty has recently launched an attack upon agents of the media for their intrusion into his private life (of which he regularly posts videos on youtube, btw) and compared all photographers and reporters to “the people who were like shovelling bodies into gas chambers” in Nazi concentration camps. Further, while contemplating the media’s treatment of poor crackhead Amy Winehouse, the declaration, “[It] was murder,” was uttered, in all seriousness, by Pete fucking Doherty.
