Westcliff: Tributes paid to man with a "heart of gold"

The family of a man, who sadly died following a serious assault in Westcliff last month have paid tribute to him.

An investigation was launched on Thursday, 18 July after two men were seriously assaulted on Hamlet Court Road in Westcliff at around 6pm.

53-year-old Gary Hindle sadly died at the scene.

His family have today paid tribute to him saying:

“We are all shocked and devastated by the loss of our much-loved son, dad, brother and partner.

“He has been taken from us in such a tragic way and it's something no family should ever have to go through.

“Gary was one of a kind and had a heart of gold.  He touched so many lives and will be greatly missed by the many people who loved him dearly.”

An investigation into Gary’s death remains ongoing within our Serious Crime Directorate. The second victim, who sustained serious facial injuries has since been discharged from hospital.

Barry Mooney, 55 of Crowstone Road, Westcliff has since been charged with murder, attempted murder and possession of a bladed or pointed article in connection with this investigation.

He will next appear at Basildon Crown Court on 30 August.

A man has been charged with murder following the fatal assault in Westcliff last week.

Officers were called to Hamlet Court Road shortly before 6pm on Thursday (18 July) following reports two people had been seriously assaulted.

Sadly, one man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The second man was taken to hospital with serious injuries which are believed to be life-changing but not life-threatening.

A 55 year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Barry Mooney, of Crowstone Road, Westcliff, has now been charged with murder, attempted murder, and possession of a bladed or pointed article.

He is due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court today (Saturday 20 July).

The scene at Hamlet Court Road has since been lifted. Our Community Policing officers have been carrying out patrols in the area today and spoken to many members of the public to address concerns.

Superintendent Leigh Norris said:

“Despite the investigation being in the early stages, we are confident that this was an isolated incident and there is no risk to the wider public.

“Our officers will remain in the area across the weekend which is expected to be busy. Please speak with our officers about any concerns you may have.”

Our Serious Crime Directorate are continuing to appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time, including those driving down London Road around the time of the assault to contact us with any information.

A Major Incident Public Portal has been created in order for the public to submit information.

You can also let us know by submitting a report on our website or by using our online Live Chat service which is available 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week.

It can be found at the bottom right of our homepage at www.essex.police.uk.

Visit our website to find out more about our website reporting services.

Please cite incident 1005 of 18 July.

A murder investigation has been launched following a serious incident in Westcliff this evening. 

Officers were called to Hamlet Court Road shortly before 6pm on 18 July following reports of two people being seriously assaulted.

One man was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. 

Another man has been taken to hospital with serious injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening.

A 55-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody. 

Detective Inspector Lisa Hurrell said: 

“We are at the really early stages of this investigation and officers are working quickly to establish the circumstances.
“A cordon will remain in place on Hamlet Court Road overnight and tomorrow, Friday 19 July.
“We are being supported by members of the public who witnessed the assault and we are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed something or have any dashcam footage to contact us.”

Anyone with information should contact us as soon as possible.

You can let us know by submitting a report online or by using our Live Chat service. 

Our Live Chat service is available on our website 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can send and receive real-time messages with an online operator.

To use the service, select the ‘Live Chat’ icon at the bottom right of your screen when you're on our website.

Or you can call us on 101.

Visit our 'Help Us Help You' page to find out more about different ways of reporting.

If you would like to make an anonymous report you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, by visiting their website or by calling 0800 555 111.

Please cite incident 1005 of 18 July when giving information to make sure it gets to the right people as quickly as possible,