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| Heartbreak over Halloween killing | |
| (17 minutes later) | |
| The girlfriend of a man beaten to death by a gang on Halloween in a row over a witch's hat has said she is "completely devastated". | The girlfriend of a man beaten to death by a gang on Halloween in a row over a witch's hat has said she is "completely devastated". |
| Ben Gardner, 30, died after being punched and kicked in Throwley Way, Sutton in south London, on Sunday. | Ben Gardner, 30, died after being punched and kicked in Throwley Way, Sutton in south London, on Sunday. |
| He was attacked as he confronted the gang when one man took Allanna Devine's witch's hat and spat in it. | |
| Miss Devine said: "It breaks my heart that I will never see his beautiful smile again." | |
| Metropolitan Police, who are treating the death as murder, arrested a ninth person - a 20-year-old man - on Tuesday morning over the attack. | Metropolitan Police, who are treating the death as murder, arrested a ninth person - a 20-year-old man - on Tuesday morning over the attack. |
| Of the eight arrested on Monday, two 20-year-old men, remain in police custody. | Of the eight arrested on Monday, two 20-year-old men, remain in police custody. |
| Two other men, aged 21 and 25, have been released on bail while four others were released with no further action. | Two other men, aged 21 and 25, have been released on bail while four others were released with no further action. |
| Mr Gardner, a bank worker, was taken to hospital but died on Sunday evening from head injuries. | |
| A light has gone out in their lives and his grandmother is, in one word, devastated Will Fearnley-Whittingstall, best friend | A light has gone out in their lives and his grandmother is, in one word, devastated Will Fearnley-Whittingstall, best friend |
| Miss Devine said: "He was the most wonderful, caring and considerate man I'd ever met. | |
| "It was a privilege to be his girlfriend and I loved him dearly. | "It was a privilege to be his girlfriend and I loved him dearly. |
| "It's completely devastating that he was taken away from us and it breaks my heart that I will never see his beautiful smile again." | "It's completely devastating that he was taken away from us and it breaks my heart that I will never see his beautiful smile again." |
| She was also punched and suffered minor injuries during the attack. | She was also punched and suffered minor injuries during the attack. |
| 'Caring man' | 'Caring man' |
| Mr Gardner's best friend since the age of six, Will Fearnley-Whittingstall, said the victim was the best man at his wedding just a few weeks ago. | Mr Gardner's best friend since the age of six, Will Fearnley-Whittingstall, said the victim was the best man at his wedding just a few weeks ago. |
| Mr Fearnley-Whittingstall, who is a cousin of TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, said: "The family, as you can imagine, they are not doing very well. A light has gone out in their lives and his grandmother is, in one word, devastated." | |
| He added: "Ben was a wonderful, caring, happy man. | He added: "Ben was a wonderful, caring, happy man. |
| "I've known Ben pretty much all my life. We were like brothers in many ways. | "I've known Ben pretty much all my life. We were like brothers in many ways. |
| "Ben was the first person to protect the people he cared about and that's all he was doing." | "Ben was the first person to protect the people he cared about and that's all he was doing." |
| Police described the incident as a "violent unprovoked attack on an innocent man". | Police described the incident as a "violent unprovoked attack on an innocent man". |