Man charged with murder following death of former police officer in Shildon

A man has been charged with murder following the death of a man in Shildon.

Officers were called shortly after 1pm on Tuesday (March 10) to reports that a man had been assaulted in Dent Street.

The victim, 55-year-old Jeff Blair, sustained serious injuries and was taken to James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough.

Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, he was sadly pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Jeff was a former Durham Constabulary police officer. He worked as a response PC across the south of the county for 22 years before retiring in 2017.

Robert Davies, of Dent Street, Shildon, was arrested by officers and taken into police custody.

The 49-year-old has since been charged with murder, possession of an offensive weapon, and affray. He has been remanded in custody ahead of an appearance at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (March 13).

Detective Chief Inspector Sharon Alderson, who is leading the investigation, said: “This has been a deeply upsetting incident which has caused a great deal of shock to the local community.

“Our thoughts are with Jeff’s family and all those who knew and loved him at this difficult time.

“We will continue to have a police presence at the scene, and I’d like to thank the public and nearby residents for their patience, understanding, and cooperation while we work to establish exactly what has happened.

“We are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has any information that could help the investigation and has not yet spoken to us.”

Anyone with any information should call Durham Constabulary on 101, quoting incident reference 209 of March 10.

Information can also be submitted anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org