Wednesday, July 3, 2013 4:21am ET by  
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Reggae star Smiley Culture stabbed himself to death during police raid

An inquest jury has ruled that reggae star Smiley Culture died in 2011 as a result of killing himself with a knife during a police raid.

The 48-year-old singer, whose real name was David Emmanuel, died in Surrey in March 2011 as the Metropolitan Police searched his home.

The inquest heard that he stabbed himself with a knife when the police came into his house as part of a drugs investigation.

Officers were carrying out a search warrant on Emmanuel's home over allegations that the singer was conspiring to import class A drugs.

Scotland Yard said in a statement: "The inquest heard how a seemingly calm situation unexpectedly escalated into an incident which was to have the most tragic of consequences.

"As the jury have stated, this escalation was unforeseeable. The response of the officers involved was immediate, with an ambulance called while emergency first aid was administered in a concerted attempt to save Mr Emmanuel's life."

The singer's cousin Merlin Emmanuel meanwhile commented: "We have lost an integral part of our family. He had a lot of hope and he had a lot to live for. Why he should have wanted to end his life in that way I do not know, but I do not think he should have been in a position to do that."

 

 

 

Listen to Smiley Culture's 'Cockney Translation' below: