Suspect in police stand-off murder dies in hospital

A 29-year-old man suspected of shooting dead a 36-year-old woman during a stand-off with police has died in hospital.

Armed officers and a trained negotiator were called to a terraced house in Priory Road, Dartford, on Saturday after reports of a disturbance.

The woman, Hayley Burke, died on Monday evening after being taken to a London hospital, Kent Police said.

Her death is being treated as murder, the force added.

The suspected gunman, Jacob Cloke, who was also taken to hospital with “critical injuries caused by a firearm”, died on Thursday evening, a police spokesman said.

No police weapons were fired during the stand-off.

The force spokesman added: “An investigation into both deaths will now be led by the coroner.

“Officers from the Kent and Essex serious crime directorate will assist the coronial process.”

After being called to the home at 12.40pm, police cordoned off Priory Road and told people to stay inside their homes before officers broke through the terraced home’s front door, witnesses said.

After an hour-long stand-off, “pandemonium” broke out and neighbours heard what sounded like two rounds of gunshots.

One woman, who did not want to be named, described events as “chilling”.

Kent Police made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) because police were at the scene at the time of the injuries.

An IOPC spokesman said it was assessing the referral from Kent Police to determine whether any further action is needed by the watchdog.