London’s Old Bailey Central Criminal Court heard yesterday how Eastenders liquor and tobacco millionaire David West, 70, was killed by his son in a fit of rage last December.

West’s son, 45, who carries the same name as his father, has never made any secret that he killed his father with a knife, but denies murder while admitting manslaughter. He is also alleging provocation by his ‘drunken bully’ father and subsequent personal ‘lost control’ due to excessive alcohol consumption.

Entrepreneur David West senior was best known as the self-made multi millionaire who made his fortune from ‘booze cruises’ with his Calais-based Eastenders liquor and tobacco operation. This sold bulk orders directly to the public making the short road journey from the Calais ferry terminal to the warehouse in the same French town.

 

The prosecution is seeking a verdict of premeditated murder against David West’s son, after the court was told that after being sacked by his father, the son had deliberately gone to his £2.5m ($3.8m) Ormond Yard home with a kitchen knife and stabbed him twice while he was on the floor. After being apprehended, the younger West was formally charged and sent for trial by Westminster Magistrates back in December of last year.

The cash and carry warehouse business itself – which closed in 2010 – was famous for offering UK ferry passengers and white van owners aggressively discounted alcohol and tobacco prices, with the operation’s taxes paid at the much lower excise rate applicable in France – so creating big savings for UK buyers. The Eastenders operation also competed strongly with cross channel ferry duty free offers in the nineties.

 

Ten years ago, the total business combining all of the different liquor and tobacco warehouse operations in Calais was estimated to be worth around £4bn ($6.1bn) in lost revenues to the UK exchequer – with Eastenders one of the original founders of this trade as the biggest and one of the first operators. [TRBusiness interviewed David West in the nineties when his business was at the height of its success-Ed].

After closing his Eastenders business, David West subsequently invested in several London clubs and restaurants backed by a personal fortune which was estimated at the time to be around £100m ($153m).

During this time, West employed the services of barrister Cherie Blair in 2007 to try to fight the UK smoking ban in public places which was supported by her husband, Tony the [then] UK Prime Minister. The case continues.

 

[To read the original story reporting the murder of David West, click here: http://www.trbusiness.com/regional-news/europe/eastenders-boss-killed-by-son/60158].