An Ashtead football coach cleared of a former public schoolboy’s murder has broken his silence one year on from his dramatic acquittal to ask police to re-open the case.

Michael Jordan, 26, from Ashtead, was found not guilty of 25-year-old Matthew Demko’s murder, after a four-week trial which ended last February.

FEB 2009: Michael Jordan found not guilty of Matthew Demko murder

FEB 2009: Two families linked by Matthew Demko's death

Mr Demko, a landscape gardener and former pupil at the exclusive Pangbourne College, was bludgeoned to death with a metal barbell and strangled with wire in the Jordan family’s garage, on Links Road, in April 2008.

In a statement released exclusively to the Epsom Guardian, Mr Jordan also lamented the death of his father, Stephen, who was hit by a train near Ashtead station in September 2008, while his son was in custody awaiting trial.

The statement read: “It seems that the only chance of finding justice for Matt is for the case to be re-opened and I hope this will be possible. There are so many unanswered questions and so I urge anyone with information to come forward.

“Nothing can bring back Matt or my dad but surely the police have an unavoidable duty to find the person - or persons - responsible for devastating the lives of two families.”

Matthew Demko’s family have renewed an appeal and are offering a £10,000 reward for information that may lead to the conviction of Mr Demko’s murderer.

Mr Demko’s father, Nick, said: “It is now 20 months and two days since our son, Matt, was so brutally taken from us and almost one year to the day when Michael Jordan was charged with Matt’s murder and found not guilty.

“Our life as we knew it stopped the day Matthew was murdered. [We are] struggling to stay sane and intact. If we are lucky then some days we might for just a few moments not think of Matt, but those times are few.

“We think of what Matt would be doing now, what his future would have been, our grief is unforgiving and the journey we now have to travel alone is painful in ways others can only imagine.”

The garage where Mr Demko was killed has since been pulled down, and a house has been built on the site.

Police have denied rumours the case is to be re-opened but said officers would investigate any new information that came to light.

A Surrey Police spokeswoman said: “Following a thorough and detailed review by Surrey Police of the investigation into the murder of 25-year-old Matthew Demko, a decision has been made not to re-open the inquiry.

“This case has not been re-opened, but officers are always keen to obtain new information about any case. If new information is received this will be thoroughly investigated as it would be in any inquiry.”

Anyone who has any information relating to Mr Demko’s murder, on April 4, 2008, which has not been brought to the attention of police before, should contact Surrey Police on 0845 1252222 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.