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Nightclub Where Footballer Was Killed Closed Down -7 Arrested
Nightclub Where Footballer Cody Fisher Was Killed Will Close After Licence Suspended
7 Arrested on Suspicion of Murder
Representatives for the Crane Club in Birmingham earlier said an application to have the venue's licence suspended would not be challenged
BBC News 31 DEC 2022
The club where Cody Fisher was fatally stabbed on Boxing Day will close, as a murder investigation into the 23-year-old's death continues. Police outside Crane nightclub following the fatal stabbing
Representatives for the Crane Club in Birmingham UK earlier said an application to have the venue's licence suspended would not be challenged.
But the venue still faces permanent closure under a review that will be carried out by Birmingham City Council.
Today a meeting of the council’s licensing sub-committee suspended its licence after West Midlands Police said there had been “serious management failings” during the incident at the club in Digbeth.
Emergency services found the footballer on the dancefloor of Crane with a stab wound on Boxing Day.
Earlier today Free Radio News reported representatives for the club saying an application to have the venue's licence suspended will not be challenged.
"The usually public hearing is now going into a private meeting - so as not to prejudice the live murder investigation into Cody's death," the local news outlet said.
The news comes after a police officer who attended the scene of Cody Fisher's fatal stabbing on Thursday claimed that security staff at the nightclub tried to clear up evidence of drugs as the young man died.
Ahead of the hearing, Superintendent Sally Simpson described chaotic scenes surrounding Cody's death with attending officers noting evidence of drug taking at the venue.
'Hundreds' of small bags and empty nitrous oxide canisters were littered around the floor, she said.
She claimed Cody was fatally stabbed after a fight broke out on the dancefloor, Birmingham Live reports.
In her statement, Supt Simpson said: "On entry to the premises officers were asked by security to help with crowd control, which they said no, and ran in to commence CPR and assist the paramedics on the scene.
"On body-worn cameras, you will see staff wandering around all over the place like they're oblivious to what is happening.
"Further to this, they have started to clean the dancefloor further down from where the deceased was. Officers shouted at them to stop.
The nightclub is, and will remain, closed
"Whilst officers are doing CPR, you can see people just wandering around in the scene freely. As soon as we had more officers at the scene they were removed and the whole dancefloor was cordoned off and the area was made sterile.
"There were hundreds of small drug bags and nitrous oxide canisters all over the floor. These included the small and very large nitrous oxide canisters with balloons."
Supt Simpson added how the force is "concerned" over "how a knife was able to get inside the premises".
On why the venue's licence should be reviewed, she said: "Any control measures the premises may have had were found ineffective.
"This is compounded by the fact officers have seen evidence of drug use within the venue, which was openly on the dance floor.
"Also, the chaos noted by officers, with staff seemingly having no idea how to manage the situation or preserve the scene, again pointing towards lack or poor control measures and training."
Licensing officers will be asking for immediate measures to be put in place to 'ensure public safety', police said. The hearing over the Digbeth nightclub will be heard tomorrow (December 30).
The hearing comes as police on Thursday said a 22-year-old man has been detained following Cody's death, having been arrested in London at around 3am that morning.
He was the third person to be arrested on suspicion of murder, while four others have been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
The Adderley Street venue has already cancelled its New Year's Eve event following Cody's tragic death on Boxing Day.
A post-mortem yesterday confirmed that the 23-year-old died of a stab wound. Three people have been arrested on suspicion of murder, while four others were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
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