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Devizes stab victim fighting for his life

11:32am Saturday 28th June 2008

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By Jill Crooks »

Stabbing victim Barry Cooper is fighting for his life in hospital today.

Mr Cooper, who is in his late twenties, was airlifted to the Great Western Hospital in Swindon where today a spokesman described his condition as "critical."

Mr Cooper was found with serious injuries in a stairwell in a block of flats at the far end of Victoria Road, Devizes, at about 4.46pm yesterday.

Police and paramedics rushed to the scene and at 5.05pm the Wiltshire Air Ambulance was scrambled from police headquarters in London Road.

It landed a few minutes later in a play area at the back of Victoria Road and at 5.30pm it airlifted Mr Cooper to the Great Western Hospital.

Police officers maintained a presence in Victoria Road overnight and this morning were continuing house to house enquiries.

Two local men have been arrested in connection with the serious assault on Mr Cooper and they are being held in separate custody units in Wiltshire.

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Your Say YourGazette

phillip, sunderland says...
11:56am Sat 28 Jun 08

I lived in davizes in the 1980s and never remember anything like this sine of the times phil Sunderland

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gcm18, devizes says...
2:15pm Sat 28 Jun 08

I hope he ok and survives noone deserves that

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spooks, calne says...
2:27pm Sat 28 Jun 08

It just gos to show how important the air ambulance is.
hope he recovers.

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candygirl, devizes says...
2:34pm Sat 28 Jun 08

This is a classic example of petty crime being allowed to get out of hand in Devizes. This group of people for years have been the cause of most of the crime here and because they have been handled with kid gloves by the authorities, their crimes have escalated into the ranks of the violent and serious. Anyone who lives in the same area as this bunch of people will of predicted something like this happening. I also hope that he survives as like someone else said no one deserves that. I also hope that the police start to take action and stamp out the drug dealing and petty crime in Devizes, before this happens again. Children as young as 14 have been buying drugs from this gang right under the noses of the police it is blatent if only they were available to patrol and make arrests perhaps this could of been prevented.

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gcm18, devizes says...
2:49pm Sat 28 Jun 08

perhaps if you have no morals you should think about his friends and family no matter what people close to us do we always love them and maybe you should show some respect

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gcm18, devizes says...
3:28pm Sat 28 Jun 08

i just think we should have some thought for his family and friends

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mish, devizes says...
3:57pm Sat 28 Jun 08

r.i.p barry much love to family

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miss nash, devizes says...
4:26pm Sat 28 Jun 08

All my love too barrys family! please anybody with any harsh comments keep them 2 urselves! He is a father son brother uncle grandson! he was a person who had feelins despite anything he did wrong! no one is perfect and certainly didnt deserve this! Please have respect 4 who he has left behind! R.I.P Barry ****

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Taya666, Devizes says...
4:27pm Sat 28 Jun 08

R.I.P Barry, you may have been a little imp but you didnt deserve this! Love to Linda and family my thoughts are with you. ****

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SN10, Devizes says...
4:44pm Sat 28 Jun 08

Latest from scene. 16 45, 28 June. 2 CSIO vehicles at front of flats, large tent erected over front door area and a large amount of technical equipment being prepared. I presume from the comments above that this has turned into a murder enquiry. so sorry to hear that.

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bob, dev says...
5:33pm Sat 28 Jun 08

A shame another life has to be lost in such a violent way! if the police did there jobs properly then this would have ever happened, he would still be alive just in prison which is better than the fate dealt! no one deserves this, its a cowardly way to hurt someone, as the family will suffer more! i wonder what revenge will follow now!

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gs83, Devizes says...
6:21pm Sat 28 Jun 08

Barry is my cousin and some of the comments on here are disgraceful, yes he done things wrong in his life but no one deserves to be stabbed/have there life taken.

He will be missed by the family.

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devizes unknown, devizes says...
6:27pm Sat 28 Jun 08

no matt dint deserve it either but it happened (let everyone ask why it happened) we all know the answer dont we............

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gs83, Devizes says...
6:33pm Sat 28 Jun 08

i & the family knew matt aswell but as i said.. no one deserves it and the police needs to do something about it before it happens again.

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morleybird, southampton says...
8:35pm Sat 28 Jun 08

My cousin too, i send my love to all the family, my thoughts are with you. People seem to be so quick to put him down well we dont need to hear it we knew he was not perfect but who of us are??? People should respect his family at this time and keep your unwanted thought to yourself. Put the shoe on the other foot!! what if it was your child??? would you want to read nasty comments?? Have some RESPECT!!

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morleybird, southampton says...
8:39pm Sat 28 Jun 08

A BIG thankyou to those who have left there wishes on here, and as for the others seems u need to back off!!! Linda i send my love to you and the family. God Bless Barry xx

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nobblybobbly, devizes says...
10:54pm Sat 28 Jun 08

going out stealing and breaking into peoples homes are out of order and the police never did anything about it and now because of this people are taking the law into there own hands and dealing with things there way perhaps if the police did there jobs properly and get people who do real crime instead of getting people for petty little things like not turning up for court then none of this would have happened or will ever happen. unless the police do something about it then its just going to happen again and again. r.i.p barry sorry to all those who were close and new him well. x

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Nico, Wilts says...
4:19am Sun 29 Jun 08

oh so it's now the fault of the police that this happened. Where were all of Barry's so called friends to try and keep him out of trouble then, rather than watching him steal from people and **** people off. He was a great guy, and didnt deserve this but the family hate the police and are always hiding from them so what chance do they have of dealing with them if they cant find them. However, my thoughts do go out to the family and I hope the courts deal with the scum that did this.

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walter, wilshur says...
7:20am Sun 29 Jun 08

Taya666 wrote:
R.I.P Barry, you may have been a little imp but you didnt deserve this! Love to Linda and family my thoughts are with you. ****
From what friends of mine in Devizes tell me, he wasn't a little imp, he was an most unpleasant and nasty character who deserves no tears shed for him.

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devizes unknown, devizes says...
10:14am Sun 29 Jun 08

I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD LAY OFF OF THE POLICE THEY ACTUALLY TRY THEIR BEST TO SORT THE COOPERS OUT AND EACH TIME THEY PUNISHED THEY COME OUT AND CAUSE MORE GREIF SO WHY DOESNT EVERY ONE PLEASE WAKE UP YEAH ITS NOT NICE FOR HIS FAMILY BUT APART FROM HIS MUM AND HIS NAN MOST OF THE OTHERS ARE JUST LIKE HIM. IM SORRY FOR THEIR HURT BUT PEOPLE NEED TO WAKE UP A LITTLE THIS IS THE REAL WORLD AFTER ALL. AND YOU NEVER KNOW THE CRIME RATING IN DEVIZES MAY GO DOWN A BIT NOW AND HOPEFULLY HIS BROTHERS MITE REALISE AND STOP WAT THEIR DOIN AND CHANGE THEIR LIVES AROUND.

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nobblybobbly, devizes says...
10:14am Sun 29 Jun 08

nico yes i do believe its there fault as its already happened to 1person in devizes and they could have dun something about it but now look whats happened im sure the police will wake up and smell the coffee now and start to think they will have to do something to stop all this happening or maybe they wont we will just have to c wont we my thoughts go out to linda and all the family and i really do hope that the pr**k that dun this will get life in prison. i say they should bring back hanging it might just make people think twice aabout what they do. sorry to linda and family for there terrible loss x

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Nico, Wilts says...
3:51pm Sun 29 Jun 08

nobblybobbly........
what do you suggest that the police do then....are you that confident that the police in Devizes are able to protect people 24/7. We are talking about people that steal, break into houses and shoplift to fund their drug habit and avoid police contact at all costs. This is a tragedy but the police cannot protect those that dont want to be helped....but i'm sure that they try to!!

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nobblybobbly, devizes says...
4:23pm Sun 29 Jun 08

ok im not getting into an argument with u, u have yoour opinions and i have mine so lets just keep it that way i understand what your saying i just cant get over that this is such a quite town and just knowing the fact that people just arent safe walking the streets anymore i just really do hope it dont happen again. x

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morleybird, southampton says...
4:33pm Sun 29 Jun 08

I can assure you not all of the family are the same and i am disgusted that so many people put us in the same catagory!!! Maybe instaed of locking them up all the time WHERE THEY LEARN SO MUCH MORE!!! that they should be helped to improve their situations.

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morleybird, southampton says...
4:34pm Sun 29 Jun 08

I can assure you not all of the family are the same and i am disgusted that so many people put us in the same catagory!!! Maybe instaed of locking them up all the time WHERE THEY LEARN SO MUCH MORE!!! that they should be helped to improve their situations.

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Nico, Wilts says...
5:04pm Sun 29 Jun 08

morleybird........i dont mean to offend the whole family and i'm sorry if you have been upset by my comments, but the coopers that I know have had AMPLE opportunity to change their ways after being locked up and have not changed at all. sorry, but that's the people i know!

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nobblybobbly, devizes says...
6:04pm Sun 29 Jun 08

now i was saying something needs to be done before it happenes again and wat a suprise somebody has been attacked not moments after barry if crime prevention and drug prevention was cracked down on then things like this wouldnt happen as much especially removing drug dealers from the area forcing addicts to move away or dry up and sort there lives out because this town is getting worse and worse.

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sp80, Devizes says...
4:47pm Tue 1 Jul 08

walter wrote:
Taya666 wrote:
R.I.P Barry, you may have been a little imp but you didnt deserve this! Love to Linda and family my thoughts are with you. ****
From what friends of mine in Devizes tell me, he wasn't a little imp, he was an most unpleasant and nasty character who deserves no tears shed for him.
what u have been told,u didnt know him,yeah he may have done things he shouldnt have. R.I.P Barry, will miss you x

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Stab victim Barry Cooper is loaded on to the air ambulance yesterday Stab victim Barry Cooper is loaded on to the air ambulance yesterday

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