Daniel Herbert

Dan was a Grandson, a Son, a Nephew, a Cousin and a friend to many. Anyone who had the pleasure of
meeting him loved him, it was hard not to. He had a smile that would light up a pitch black room and
a laugh you could hear a mile away. Dan absolutely loved life; he was definitely a ‘larger than
life’ character. He always managed to find a positive to every situation and had an answer for
everything. No one told a story like Dan!!There was never a dull moment when Dan was around; he was
always life and soul to any party. He loved Music more than anyone i’ve ever met; he ate, drank
and no doubt even dreamt about it. Dan wasn’t a hater/gangster he was a lover, a beautiful person
both inside and out. Dan never carried a knife or a gun and sadly the world he was strongly against
sadly took this wonderful person from us.

Southwark News 17th September 2009
In the week that another arrest has been made for the murder of Bermondsey lad Daniel Herbert, his
grieving mother has told the 'News' she had not realised how many people's lives her son had
touched. The 22-year-old suspect was arrested on Saturday and bailed to return in November, which
brings the total number of arrests to four, though one of the men, a 27-year-old, was released
without charge. Ann Herbert, 46, said: "My son touched so many people's lives, I didn't even
realise. Everyone knew him - even the coroner. He would be on the bus and he would chat to anyone.
"I don't know if you know, but he was my only child. You could hear a pin drop in here now. I can't
stand the silence.” She added: "I don't understand how someone can be so evil. Bermondsey was the
one place I wasn't worried about him, because everyone knew him. How ironic." A close-friend of
Daniel's has also told the 'News' of the heartache he has suffered since the boy he knew as his
'little brother' was beaten senseless and shot in the back of the head.
The 27-year-old was seen asking passing drivers for help as he was chased down Clement’s Road by
five men who attacked him, pulled him to his knees and executed him with a single bullet at around
2am on Monday, August 17. Martell O'Neill, 29, was keen to say that as far as he knew, his old
friend Daniel 'was no gangster.' "That's not really his lifestyle," he said. "You hear about these
young people getting killed, but now that it’s happened to someone I know it's different. At a
push you might have wanted to slap him. "He knew a lot of people around our area and moved away. He
probably never settled, so he was always coming back." Martell was about fourteen when he first met
Daniel on his estate, who had just moved into Sandwich House in Brunel Road, Rotherhithe. Martell
said: "He pretty much got on with everyone really, he didn't really have any enemies. We used to
hang out, ride our bikes, kids’ stuff you know, get up to mischief. He used to stay over quite a
lot because he lived two floors above. "My memories of him are all good. The worst thing they could
say about him is that he was a wind-up - he was just a laugh."

Southwark News 24th September 2009
The body of Bermondsey boy Daniel Herbert, beaten to within an inch of his life before being
executed with a bullet to the head, has finally been released to his grieving family, after more
than a month. Three men have so far been arrested on suspicion of murdering Daniel. Five men were
seen chasing him on the night of his death. Speaking to the ‘News’, Daniel's 46-year-old mum,
Anne, said as far as she knew her son was not a gangster, and she had 'no idea' who her son's
killers were or why they had decided to shoot him. "I don't care about the people who have been
arrested, because that is not going to bring my son back to me. I want them off the streets, but it
won't bring him back," she said. Anne also said she did not think his death was anything to do with
Daniel's work as a Leicester Square night club promoter, but that the reason could be much closer to
his old home in Bermondsey. "No, I don't think it's connected to the night club world," she said. "I
am totally baffled. I think people [in Bermondsey] are scared now, because of all people, Daniel got
killed, and if Daniel can get killed, anyone can." Anne added that the time before he was killed had
been 'really good' for her son, as he was decorating his new flat and preparing to move out of the
family home for the first time. The colours Daniel had chosen to paint his new Crystal Palace home -
white and yellow - will be the colours of the flowers at his funeral next week. On the night of his
death, the 27-year-old was seen asking passing drivers for help as he was chased to Clement's Road,
beaten senseless and then shot in the back of the head at around 2am on Monday, August 17. There is
now an impromptu shrine at the scene of Daniel's death at the junction with St James's Road, for
flowers and messages to be left - as despite moving to Orpington he still had many friends in the
area.

Southwark News 2nd October 2009
Bermondsey boy Daniel Herbert was savagely beaten and executed with a single bullet to the head
because he would not give up the names of his friends, police have said. But detectives have now
told the 'News' the culture of "people not being a grass" is holding up the investigation, and that
the community is protecting his killers. Buried next to his grandmother in Kent yesterday, the
27-year-old nightclub promoter had moved out to Orpington
from Bermondsey, but was still well known in the area. DCI Cliff Lyons said Daniel had been targeted
to get at someone else, and that those people were now not returning the loyalty he showed them in
the face of death. "I find that upsetting," he said. "Out of the four or five [suspects] there will
be some more involved than others, and out of the four or five, perhaps one or two didn't realise it
was going to go that far." "I'm not suggesting [Daniel] was a random victim. He was targeted and
there was a reason for targeting him. "Daniel was associated with people of some criminality. "He
was simply in the area at the wrong time. They took the opportunity to target Daniel. I tried to
comprehend why he was beaten so badly and then shot. From the witness accounts, they tried to beat
information out of him - there were words used that add weight to the theory.” He added that
Daniel would not give up any names, so the men killed him. On the night of his death, the
27-year-old was seen asking passing drivers for help as he was chased to Clement's Road, beaten and
then shot in the back of the head at around 2am on Monday, August 17.

Southwark News 8th October 2009
The mother of murdered man Daniel Herbert has called on friends in Bermondsey to stop protecting her
son's killers and reveal their secrets. Five men chased Ann Herbert's only child through the streets
he once called home and brutally beat him for information about a friend, before executing him with
a bullet to the head. So far three men have been arrested and linked to the case, but last week the
'News' revealed the police investigation is now being held up by the culture of "not grassing". Ann
- who only buried her son last week - scolded many of the people he had known in Bermondsey for not
doing everything they can to help. She said: "I could only invite a handful of people from
Bermondsey, because none of his friends there have helped him. "Their friend died in a really brutal
way - I don't understand that those who are meant to be his real friends - they've done nothing.
They haven't even rung me or my family - they haven't done anything for Daniel. "That funeral should
have been treble the size, but I didn't want a lot of those people there because I know that them
lot didn't help Dan. They're ringing round asking people where he's buried. I don't want them near
his grave."
She added: "Talk is cheap, it's what you do that counts. Bermondsey has done nothing for Daniel."
Daniel was buried at a secret location on Wednesday last week and, even though only a few invites
were sent to Bermondsey, there were too many mourners to fit into the church, leaving many straining
to hear outside. On the night of his death, the 27-year-old was seen asking passing drivers for help
as he was chased to Clement's Road, beaten and then shot in the back of the head at around 2am on
Monday, August 17.

Police are still appealing for witnesses and are keen to hear from anyone who saw the incident
develop from Dockley Road, Lucey Road and Lucey Way. Anyone who can help should call the incident
room on 020 8721 4961; or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.