Pete Doherty, Who Killed My Son?: Inside death of Mark Blanco as he partied with star that has cops baffled for 17 years
POLICE probing a man’s death at a party attended by rocker Pete Doherty say a new film on the case has yielded no new information.
Mark Blanco died in 2006 amid suspicious circumstances after plunging 30ft from a first floor balcony in East London.
The actor was taken to ICU where his family were told he had “non-survivable head injuries”.
He died the following morning on December 3 aged just 30.
CCTV later revealed how Libertines singer Pete Doherty, then dating Kate Moss, discovered Mark in the street before jumping over his body and fleeing the scene with others.
Police treated the tragedy as an accident and say there is no evidence to suggest the death was suspicious.
They recorded an open verdict and no one has ever been charged in connection with his death.
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Now a new Channel 4 documentary Pete Doherty, Who Killed My Son? has raised questions as to what unfolded that night in Whitechapel.
The show, which aired in September, features Mark’s mum Sheila Blanco who has fought tirelessly for answers over her son’s passing.
She believes the Met Police bungled the initial investigation and missed key evidence pointing to how Mark died.
This includes allegations by forensic experts who after analysing CCTV footage, suggest Mark may have been “thrown from” the balcony of Fieldgate Mansions onto Romford Street.
Party-goer Jonathan Jeannevol, aka ‘Johnny Headlock’, who worked as Doherty’s minder and roadie, admitted to getting into a confrontation with Blanco at the party.
He initially confessed to pushing him over the balcony but retracted the claim, insisting he was on “heavy coke” when he said it.
Despite an appeal for fresh information, The Met say the documentary has yielded no new leads.
A force spokesperson told The Sun: “We’re not aware of any significant developments as a result of the Channel 4 programme.”
Cambridge Philosophy grad Mark arrived at the flat hoping to persuade the Libertines singer to attend a performance of his play Accidental Death of an Anarchist.
‘DRUG PARTY’
The party was at publisher Paul Roundhill’s squalid home dubbed the “Hotel of the Sky” but known locally as “a crack den”.
Roundhill admitted punching Mark three times and even set fire to his hat at the gathering of three men and three women.
Headlock admitted in an interview that hard drugs were taken at the flat and he had been on cocaine as Roundhill smoked crack that night.
Speaking on the documentary, party-goer Naomi Stirk said Mark ”was on a different wavelength” when he arrived following a dress rehearsal for his new play.
She added: “Peter [Doherty] ended up being pinned up almost against the fireplace and Mark was inches away from Peter, waving the poster of the play.
”Peter was motioning with his eyes to Johnny [Jeannevol] and Paul in a way they would understand to say ‘help me out here’.
“They physically escorted Mark out of the flat. The atmosphere was sinister.”
Shortly afterwards, another guest left and discovered “kind” Mark on the pavement before ringing the flat.
They physically escorted Mark out of the flat. The atmosphere was sinister
Naomi Stirk, party-goer
It was at this point where Doherty and others are seen on CCTV.
Heartbroken Sheila – a teacher from Guildford, Surrey – says footage shows “callous” Doherty and ‘Headlock’ “stepping over” Mark and running from the scene.
In hospital, Sheila said her son’s right eye was “black”, adding: “As though he’d been attacked, although I know that can be caused by brain injuries.
”We asked the police to investigate but they didn’t come.”
Five years after Mark’s death, Doherty, Roundhill and Jeannevol were questioned and released without charge.
In a 2012 interview with NME, the singer revealed the police apologised to him for the arrest.
‘SORRY FOR MRS BLANCO’S LOSS’
He told the music magazine: “The pressure they put on me was completely minimal.
“They said off-tape ‘Pete, we’re sorry about this, but the family are convinced that their son was murdered’.
“I can understand it and it does look dodgy.”
In a statement to the documentary Doherty, now 44, said: “I am sorry for Mrs Blanco’s loss and I welcome any assistance people can give her to come to terms with what happened.”
It comes as the Babyshambles singer released his new documentary Stranger In My Own Skin on Thursday, it charts his struggles with drink and drug addiction.
A Met spokesperson told The Sun: “Our sympathies remain with the family of Mark Blanco following his death in Whitechapel in 2006.
“Police conducted an investigation of all the evidence available following Mr Blanco’s death.
“The investigation into the death of Mark Blanco remains ongoing and any new evidence or information will be assessed by detectives.”