“The best man murderer” – Murder Documentary UK

A look at the story of Merseyside resident Christopher Strettle. In an attempt to avoid facing justice, Strettle spun a web of lies to the police after murdering his friend by shooting him in the chest

#britishcrimedocumentary #murderdocumentaryengland #murderdocumentaryuk

I you there are 8,999 calls made every day hello what’s the problem it’s the police he can have the police I you stole me money who’s stalling your money some are more serious than others you he’s not breathing okay blow the little boy flapped on his back for me

There on rare occasions the call is to report a death Emy Serv i’ run over on the wife been feeding the co and one of the co must people broke into [Applause] house but what if the caller she’s not mov right she’s not moving is in fact a killer someone being stab I think they did Prescot is a residential suburban area it’s positioned in Noley which is just outside the city center of Liverpool not much there to be honest just shops few shops everyone knows that from it’s like quite small in terms of crime we don’t get a lot of cases from Prescott at the Crown

Court um it’s a fairly sort of quiet place that was until the 13th of October 2011 he started abusing me and he’s drunk’s gone off and he’s got shot I liked his his wittiness dry sense of you made me laugh smile and he had the smile that could lift anybody’s

Day he was a nice guy he de Smiley dead happy he had time for everybody and anybody and if he could help you fix something he would Christopher on was very much sort of happy go-lucky guy lived in the moment didn’t worry about things just sort of took it as things came

Along just funny so we just laughed at everything usually at my expense lovely fell Chris would put his coat down in a puddle for you to for you to walk over it just show you was okay do you get what I mean he was so liked it was unbelievable Christopher honor was born

And bred in preset and met his wife Cat when they were both teenagers I loved going out on his bik with him that was his that was his obsession was bikes they like fixing them riding them there anything to do with bikes really or cars just like stuff like

That Chris was always the kid who you took among by you get fixed Chris could strip and build a motorbike in a day every n and bolt every n and bolt and you could drive that motor perfect do you get what I mean no matter what mtiv

It was he was really really good really really talented with his hands that should have been his Forte am I really you just stayed with bites whilst growing up in Prescot Christopher honor met Christopher strle they grown up together lived in the same area and had the Same Love of motorbikes

That was a big bond between them down the High Street the other day they just hung out together all around it was like fun to I I didn’t really like him at first sometimes as he was arrogant and cocky but I don’t know whether that’s

Just the way he come across it once you really knew him he wasn’t sort of like that he could be quite a nice person as honor and stratt grew up they remained great friends with Christopher stratt acting as best man at Christopher honor’s weddding ready to smart

Yeah lay theall down to me when the friends were in their early 30s Christopher honor had discovered that Christopher strle had had an affair with a member of his family think you better leave me get out and their friendship ended it wasn’t long before Christopher Honor’s world was turned up sight down

Mr Ron and his wife separated he was um somebody who had clearly fallen on Hard Times uh found it difficult to hold down a job in 2007 Christopher honor was arrested for being caught in possession of seven kilos of cannabis he was sentenced to 32 months in Walton prison

Chris come out to jail harder than he went in do you get what I mean it affects people in different ways Chris went in there timid right and grew up in there he grew up in there he come out like a man he’s on the fitness thing

Every day he’s on a regular diet do you get what I mean he look good in the J no ale do you know what I mean he was making a little bit of O every now and again but you can’t have a drink they like he could out here you know what I

Mean left at his own devices I was happy when he got out I I was at school so I went straight from school and met him and then we had a bit of a welcome home party yeah I was still the same happy happy person but he

Was like buzzing about it he was really happy to be Free shortly after his release from prison Christopher on received a Facebook message from Christopher strle Chris had messaged me dad to ask did he want to be his mechanic for the race team so that was all they got back in touch was over bikes yeah I was shocked cuz I never

Thought you’d speak to him ever again really I said don’t speak to him I don’t think it’s a good idea but obviously me Dad’s with Bikes all right like be S you know a lot had changed for Christopher strle whilst the pair had lost contact Christopher strle was involved in a very serious motorbike accident which left him very badly disabled he had use of his legs that he was an incomplete

Paraplegic he managed to be able to sue the garage that be maintaining his motor bike and came out of it U very nicely financially so he was man of means after this show any them he began buying properties uh business properties and Residential Properties he began open up a number of

Sort of local business type Ventures I got another earing su he was just an all I felt bit of a businessman buy and sell cars and couple of lannes and he out with his dogs hunting and so on do you know what I mean he was a bit of a gamesman

But um he was on the morphine when He and a morphine all the time constantly after he that the accident having given his friend a job as a mechanic stratt also let honor rent the flat above his wife’s hairdressing Salon he asked me to move in with him so I said yeah I would so I think he got

Lonely I said think I needed someone to keep him in check I was at college and he was usually with Chris I don’t know what he did all day but they were together all day every day I couldn’t believe when the ex-m told me that Chris was H around

With string I was like what are you playing up with him lad you know it’s going to end up in Te always Does Chris had inherited £7,000 from the state of his late Aunt so he was in a happy mood I’d gotone home so obviously to see my dad but then he was having a drink with his matat and I didn’t feel well so I said go and stay at my mom tonight and

Then he was like no it’s all right I’ll get rid of everyone and we’ll just like have a night in but I said no it’s all right you’re enjoying yourself so I went and stayed at your moms take care yeah he was at home with a new lady friend

Katherine Taylor I think she was somebody he know know previously and had uh recently started a relationship with and they were having a few drinks and just generally having a good time playing lots of music enjoying themselves after a night of partying Christopher honor and Kathy Taylor went to bed around 3:00

A.m. they woke the following morning around 8:00 a.m. feeling predictably hung over well I’ve seen you looking better and not in a very good statey you want to get a few more in why not let’s do it head of the dog at 10: to 9: in the morning one of

The employees in the hair salon turns up and finds lots of Bin bags outside which relate to the flat above and she can also hear some music so that’s obviously a problem she calls lesli strle who’s Christopher str’s wife about this who then comes down to the salon Tade made

Some representations to Christopher R to lower the music in the flat and I believe at first he did lower the music in the flat however after a period of time the music went back up again and it was louder than ever lots of thumping heavy rock music

So bad that the funeral directors who were further along the parade come along to the salon to complain about it so Leslie strle who’s gone home is then summoned back to the Sal Leslie took it upon herself to go up to the Flat and she obviously saw that it was in a mess and she wasn’t happy with the condition of the flat I told you about this before chis what the hell’s been going on in here she’ actually warned Christopher on previously about the upkeep of the flat and noise levels Etc

And how he was behaving it’s not good enough Leslie strle then left the flat straight away she Rings a husband and within minutes he’s driven over hey Chris where are you mate I need to talk to you I’ve had some complaints about the noise Christopher honor was effing and

Blinding at him and then suddenly Christopher honor produced a gun and came down the stairs towards him I’ve done everything for hey what you do you can’t come around here Cal down you can’t kick me out of my own house calm down I’ve got everything for you mate everything calm down Yet with a shot having been fired Christopher strle drove 3 miles to his home at which point he called 999 Poli emergency over three Park Avenue I’ve got a shop with a lodger above and he’s drunk I have gone to ask him to turn the music down he started abusing me and

Pulled a gun on me so I pulled the gun away and the gun’s gone off and he’s got shot Str as a victim he was in fear of his life was defending himself against al armed man on the 13th of October 2011 Christopher stratt arrived at the FL he

Rented out to his friend Christopher honor after reports that loud music was being played Christopher honor was effing and blinding at him then suddenly Christopher honor produced a gun and came down the stairs towards him after a struggle the gun accidentally discharged in a blind panic stratt fled

The scene drove home and called 999 started abusing me and pulled a gun on me so I pulled the gun away and the gun’s gone off and he’s got shot I was fighting I just got in the car didn’t know what I was doing it’s just a dream

He’s just defending himself he’s done nothing wrong it was a total accident within minutes of the 999 call being received the police were dispatched to the stratt home on Park Avenue as soon as a firearm was mentioned armed response officers would have been deployed to the scene and indications in the investigation was

That it could have been a fatal injury I was going past like on the bus it was just all cored off thought like something must have gone on at the shot and then like as it got further up the road someone got on the bus it was

Like someone’s being shot or stabbed and then I just kind of knew then like I don’t know I had a good feeling but something was wrong Katie rang me up saying um there’s old police and an ambulance outside the flat and I can’t get this to my dad were

You going re check he okay and as I got there asking the police what had happened and saying my daughter Liv there with her dad and he said well she’s not in there now and I said no I know she isn’t said but her dad I think her dad

Is and um they took me away in a in a police car he said he’d been shot but he was in Hospital whilst police tended to the scene officers were arriving at Christopher str’s home on Park Avenue when police first arrived at his home strle told the police the same thing that he said in his 999 call I went over to visit the FL he came downstairs with a gun tried to attack me

It just went off I just left the police noticed that he had some cuts to his hands during the initial 999 call he informed us that he’d had some sort of struggle with his dogs at the time I got between the dogs they were scrapping got caught with a couple of

Bites had to change my clothes as well I was cleaning up some dog mess and got someone clothes so I changed them so within that time before the police had got to the address he’d actually changed his clothing and was unable to provide us with the clothing that he was wearing

At the time of the shooting there was communication then from the officers to ourselves who were still at the scene of the shooting and a decision was made at that point to arrest Christopher strle on suspicion of section 18 wounding which is a serious assault and also possession of a firearm

Leslie strle was also located at the home address with Christopher strle we knew that she had been present at about the time of the shooting she also had been inside that flat decision was taken to arrest Leslie strle on suspicion of the wounding and also possession of the firearm After about an hour we taking me from the police station to the hospital and um I remember come over the police’s radio he said something to him he said I’ll take her back in so he took me back into the police station and then he said I was now deceased Um despite repeated attempts to resuscitate Christopher honor he suffered multiple heart failure and was pronounced dead at 12:51 p.m. just didn’t believe her at first as soon as I got there that’s when me Mom turned off like in the police fan and Katie was she just gets say she

Wanted to Dad she wanted to Dad she wouldn’t move on the spot so so she had to tell me thought he was dead I just tot total shock like who would shoot him or you know it was horrendous the two girls had to sort of try and be strong for them too

But was awful yeah Shortly after Christopher stratt and his wife were arrested the police’s major concern was to locate the potentially loaded firearm we’ executed an initial examination of the scene and no firearm had been identified or recovered Christopher stret intimated in his 999 call that he’ left it where is

The gun now I told no I just left it and obviously that wasn’t the case so we needed urgently to loc that firearm as the investigation progressed a bullet casing of being found at the bottom of the stairs inside the flat that also was a 9mm casing at the police station

Christopher strle was being interviewed by the police we got a call that the tenant was causing trouble upstairs been playing music really loud and uh I went in I was stood at the bottom of the stairs and he came down the stairs was effing and blinding like he was drunk like really aggressive

Like that’s further detail was asked of him in relation to this struggle and the course of events that led to the shooting so the positioning of Christopher ronne on the stairs the positioning of Christopher strle at the bottom of the stairs and whether he’d actually moved up the stairs

You point out where this altercation happened we were at the bottom of the stairs it happened here came at me like this I I knocked the gun out of his hand and it was there cuzz it was on the stairs he knocked the gun out of his hands that’s something that wasn’t

Mentioned in the initial 999 call so straight away really there was some discrepancies and some changes to his accounts that a that Jordan the first into inter you and uh I picked a gun up I wrapped my finger around the trigger I stumbled back and it had gone

Off I left got in the car there was no gun left at the scene it’s a bit of a blur you know I took the gun with me I didn’t know what I was doing I panicked and he drove off and he drove directly home but

At some point during his drive he just threw the firearm out of the window on the 13th of October 2011 Mery site police responded to a 999 call in Prescot I’ve got Shop with a lodger above and he’s drunk I had gone to ask him to turn the music down he

Started abusing me and pulled a gun on me investigating officers soon realized that there was more to the story than what Christopher stratt and his wife Leslie were telling them I took the gun with me it’s a bit of a blur I didn’t know what I was doing I panicked Mr

Strat was more involved in this instance than he tried to make out in his initial 999 call we had the potential in in the middle of the day in a busy residential area to have a loaded firearm lying at the side of the road train teams were searching along

The edges of the Pavements and the roads along the route that he’ taken and we never recovered fire with no sign of the gun police were convinced Christopher stratt was withholding the facts of what had actually happened in the flat during the investigation str’s wife Leslie had also

Been interviewed she was present in the hallway whilst Christopher strle was at the bottom of the stairs and confirmed her husband’s account that there’d be in a struggle I didn’t see anything I just heard a band and at that point she left the premises but she told us that the husband had had

Made a significant comment I saw my husband come out he said BL of shot him they got into different vehicles and Christopher strle drove home Leslie strle said that she followed him and as she got near to a home address she seen him at the side of the road so she

Pulled up behind him and she went to him and at that point she says he produced this handgun I took the gun from my husband where’s the gun now I drove to Taylor Park got out the car and I threw it in the L hey as the interviews progressed it

Became clear to me that the initial discrepancies that we identified in the investigation were becoming larger and there was more doubt in related to The credibility of the account that Christopher Str was given us there was extensive searches conducted at the lake Leslie stre was taken to the scene

And she pointed out to us where she said she threw that firearm into the lake the extensive search has never recovered it and if it was in that Lake it would have been recovered Christopher str’s account of the shooting was that he had wrestled the gun of Christopher honor which had

Then accidentally discharged Cal down yet but the strle conspiracy to conceal the weapon only heightened the police’s suspicions a full forensic and Ballistic examination of the scene was undertaken and what we found was there was some small amounts of blood splatter at the top of the stairs on the

Walls there was also a very small amount of Blood on the carpet at the top of the stairs uh there was some sort of blood marks which appeared to be coming down the stairs there was no evidence of blood at the bottom of the stairs the blood that we had on a

Forensic analysis was more consistent with Christopher on being shot whil he stood at the top of the stairs we uncovered some CCTV of Christopher str’s car arriving at the scene and you could see Christopher strle come out of the car and go towards the flat door you also seen him

Leaving we have an officer repeatedly View view that CCTV and on further analysis his movements when he got out of that vehicle became questionable you could see a key movement where he appeared to reach into the back of his waistband which would be typical of someone who’s carrying a Handgun with CCTV evidence suggesting it was in fact Christopher stratt who had brought the gun to the Flat Police increased the pressure on their Prime Suspect okay all right I did bring the gun I was bringing it back it wasn’t mine it was Chris’s so he was retaining this gun to

His friend after at the same time he was going around to deal with him for being a drunken lodger and causing his wife some sort of issues that morning I got the phone call telling me had been causing trouble I thought I’ve had enough of this I don’t want to keep this

Gun here any longer it was woring me sick I took the gun and I put it in the waistband of me pants meanwhile the police ballistic team at the scene had made a remarkable Discovery the forensics also found that the bullet had gone through the ceiling

They found a hole in the ceiling and it had gone through and landed in the brick work of the lot so the ballistic examination indicated that the bullet had traveled in a straight line up the staircase through the ceiling into the Loft we had the casing at the bottom of

The stairs and we had the blood splatter analysis which indicated that the victim had been at the top of the stairs and had moved down the stairs after undergoing some sort of injury what happened when you got to the fot I told Chris he had a week to clear

Out of the flat I took the gun out to give it him back I said yeah you can have this as well he said what have you brought that here for I don’t want it he went mad he came down the stairs effing and blinding I pulled the hammer back it was

A bad reaction I was scared I pulled the trigger I didn’t know it was loaded I thought it was aimed D than it was what we would have expected in the circumstances of a accidental discharge of firearm would be some sort of gunshot residue or burning effect potentially on

Clothing we didn’t have Christopher str’s clothing uh because he changed and we were unable to locate his clothing we did have Christopher On’s clothing and there was no indication of any gunshot res you or any burning or anything like that that you would potentially expect from a Firearms discharge at close range

The bullet trajectory and the lack of gunpowder residue told police a very different version of events the close proximity struggle described by Christopher strle was not in keeping with the evidence the more accounts that we got from Christopher strle and as the police activity around the investigation unfolded we presented bit more

Conflicting evidence a search was conducted of the strle home address and there were a number of items recovered which would have interest to us in the master bedroom in the bedside cabinet they found two magazines of live 9mm amunition which actually matched the shell casing found at the scene this led to further

Inconsistencies he told us now that he was returning the gun to Christopher Ron and he didn’t know that the gun was loaded so if he was retaining it for whatever reason why would he not also retain the bullets the magazines any other component parts of any Firearms if

As he made out it didn’t belong to him you belong to Christopher on as Christopher str’s Story started to crumble the police made the decision to charge him for the murder of his Friend on the 13th of October 2011 a 999 call was re received by merys side police I’ve got a shop with a luner above hey Chris where are you m time to talk to you and he’s drunk I had gone to ask him to turn the music down started

Abusing me and pulled a gun on me the gun’s gone off and he’s got shot but the evidence proved a very different story he said shot there was no gun left at the see I took the gun with me I took the gun from my husband and threw it in the leg

With the stratt changing their story and the forensic evidence mounting up the police made the decision to charge Christopher strle with the murder of his best friend Christopher honor 5 months after Christopher honor had died Christopher str’s murder trial began at Liverpool Crown Court Christopher strle was tried for the

Murder of Christopher honor however he still maintain that this was an accident and that was a case of manslaughter Chris Rona was a very popular man so he got a lot of friends and supporters there who wanted to know what had happened as the defense team started their case Christopher strle was called

To The Stand Christopher strle consistently attended Court in a wheelchair and there was significant play and I felt of his vulnerability and the fact that he needed a wheelchair and he want wanted himself to be seen again as a victim during the trial he maintained the account that he’d finally given us

That he’d gone round to the address to have a conversation with Christopher on I decided to take his gun back to him I didn’t want to keep it anymore was making me anxious hey Chris I need a word with you what’s up mate no I’ve had

Enough of this you need to get out of the flat the noise is too much here but this is my own mate and I’m not looking after this for you any longer all right I pulled the trigger I thought it was going to dry fire but it went off Christopher Anor was

Portrayed as being somebody who not not only drank but used drugs just became so aggressive and argumentative you only had to open your mouth and he would think he were going to have a go which all supported his defense that he was the sort of person who might possess

Firearms and of whom uh he would be in fear once the defense team had rested their case All Eyes turned to the prosecution the prosecution said that this was a case of murder it was perfectly clear that he’ taken the gun to the premises it was his weapon that

He discharged the weapon with deadly accuracy into the chest of his victim and anybody who shoots somebody in the chest must intend to kill him in addition to forensic evidence the prosecution had won further Ace card an eyewitness to the shooting Kathy Taylor was called To The Stand Katherine Taylor

Had spent the night at the flat after having parted the evening before with Christopher honor and was in the flat and the shooting occurred she said that he’d spoken to his landlord and that there was some dispute over money there were uh areas of rent money owing and

That Christopher honor was due to go to the bank that very morning in order to get money to pay Christopher strle she said at some point later on that morning an unknown female had entered the flat seen the two of them together and then left without saying anything she said

She’d got up to go to the bathroom and as she’s walked past the stair she’s looked down and she saw a male standing at the bottom of the stairs again then she describes this male as the la mode she then goes into the bathroom and uses the bathroom where’s the

Money call the bank now what do you mean mate I heard the shot and I saw ch honor collapse on the stairs and she fully expected that person to come up the stairs and potentially shoot her so as you can imagine she was in an extremely distressed State she then says that when

She opened the door she fully expected to see Christopher Honor on the floor at the top of the stairs but he was gone I think the most harrowing part was the uh CCTV footage after Christopher strle leaves the flat Christopher on actually follows him outside the flat and he’s seen on

CCTV to walk out of the flat door into the main parade of shops he’s actually seen on CCTV to open his arms out he was looking at his friend who was sitting in his car who was looking back at him and he had his arms open as if he’s saying

What have you done why have you done with a a spreading chest wound and the completely callous behavior of the defendant in his car looking towards him clearly seeing what sort of State he was in and leaving somebody who had been his friend whose best man he had been to die on the

Pavement I don’t think he had enough time to come up with a really plausible explanation he’s in a confused State he’s not thinking straight he’s trying his best to think through things he’s got a general understanding of a criminal investigation around the use of firearms he knows a key part of the investigation

Will be clothing the swabbing of hands so I think he’s just thought I have to do something with the hands I have to do something with the clothing but he’s not realizing that what he’s doing there raises suspicions he didn’t want to make the 999 call or perhaps putting it more

Accurately uh wasn’t going to he was persuaded to do so but having been persuaded to do so he gave a false account which must have been agreed with his wife beforehand they must have discussed it talked about it the police are coming I’ll tell him Chris came at

Me with a gun and I don’t know where it is I’ll stay here and call 999 they’ll come and I’ll be here to speak to him you need to go now where I don’t know where anywhere just get rid of it need to change me clothes for God sake Chris

Why why did you have to shoot him just get rid of it go okay his name is Christopher honor he’s just got out to prison I have tried to help him out give him a job when you die set the information that Christopher strle is giving at 999 cor it’s very

Interesting he was trying to all the way through come up with some sort of story or Narrative of his own I’ve got a cut to me fingers the dogs were fighting when I got in I had to separate some you would expect the reason for the 999 call

Would be to call for help for the victim but in fact Christopher strle is putting in lots of information about himself rather than what’s happened to the poor victim I’m disabled as well takes away the importance of what he’s actually done and he sort of downplays his involvement in it when essentially he’s

Just been involved in a fatal shooting of his best friend I was frightened I just got in the car didn’t know what I was doing it’s just a dream the reality is Christopher strle knew exactly what he had done and when he sat in his car he saw his friend come out blood

Beginning to show up from the chest wound and saw him collapse on the paven the prosecution questioned the ownership of the firearm used in the murder the defendant had an interest in Firearms he’d been the owner of a valid Firearms certificate until about a year before this happened stle has always

Been involved with guns it’s bit of a hunting life fell shooting shooting Vermin shooting rabbits that kind of thing this H has never ever hold a gun in his life never ever touched a gun in his life never ever 1 million per strle was a hunter he had the Killer Instinct

In him K on NE strle was the man with the rifle shooting rabbits in the field K was the one R the motorik jumping heels it was pretty obvious from the accuracy of the shot that he was expert in handling firearms of that kind early on in the investigation we

Struggled to understand why this incident had happened and why this friendship had turned but why would Christopher strle turn up at his friend’s address with a loaded firearm it was a friendship wasn’t a very equal relationship I think there was dependence by Christopher Honor on Christopher strle he did do a lot to

Help him at a time when he needed it most Christopher strle had by his actions um developed a hold over his friend which he found useful from time to time I think that Christopher stret felt disrespected by Christopher Ona for some period of time Chris you was just bit

For control didn’t really like it if he wasn’t with him if you know what I mean kind of always wanted be dad with him there was aminos between them all the lives he ARG you like brothers every day get mean Brothers you didn’t like each other where’s me money I’m going the

Bank now too late for that what do you mean mate the jury deliberated for nearly 6 hours it was awful horrendous so nerve rcking as well the jury returned with a verdict the defendant was convicted unanimously of murder on hearing the guilty verdict strle just gasped in the dock he was

Sentenced to 26 years imprisonment and he was given a concurrent sentence for approximately 8 years for the Firearms offenses lesle strle feed guilty to assisting an offender and handling a firearm and she was given 5 years in prisonment no he went out and celebrated I know still lost Chris but

There was some sort of Justice Chris strle just left him to die and that’s somebody he’s known all his lifetime horrible killed my mate In Cold Blood my Bei someone who’d make you smile for the rest of your life you know he had no right to take his life D

Didn’t take him off the girls obviously always feels like there’s something missing I feel sorry for the girls cuzz you like when they say I come the friends say I’ll just go and see my dad and ask my dad for this and they can’t do that he’s going to walk them down the

Aisle do you know s little girls dream isn’t it like I think your dad walk you down the aisle I just one girls want the dad don’t they Terrible