UK - (Christopher Halliwell) Rebecca Godden-Edwards, 21, Swindon, 27 Dec 2002

[Alyce]

Pros: you cruised until you spotted Sian. A lone female, drunk, alone. You thought she was a prostitute didn't you? CH: no I didn't.


Andrew Plant ‏@BeebJournalist 26s27 seconds ago

Becky's mum and stepdad are on back row of public gallery. Her dad is on front row. Sian O'Callaghan's mum on second row back.

 

[Alyce]

Andrew Plant ‏@BeebJournalist 1m1 minute ago

Pros: you thought here was another victim that would disappear and noone would notice. You thought you could take her and she would
. Just disappear. Just like Rebecca Godden did. CH: no.

Pros: how did you get her in the car then? CH: she hailed me. Was sitting on a doorstep. Fumbling for a lighter. Told her she couldn't ...
. Smoke in the taxi. I supported her. She asked me to go to Covingham. An area of Swindon.

 

[Alyce]

Andrew Plant ‏@BeebJournalist 8s9 seconds ago

Pros: when did you decide to murder her? CH: I didn't decide to murder her. Pros: of course you did!

 

[Alyce]

Andrew Plant ‏@BeebJournalist 44s44 seconds ago

Pros: you strangled her. You put your hands round her neck. You get a kick from strangling women don't you? And then you stabbed her In the head twice.
You decided to kill that young woman.

CH: I didn't decide to. I lost my temper.

CH: on Marlborough rd between coate water roundabout, I asked for address. She was passed out. I tried to wake her.
My decision then is One of three.

Drag her out. I'd never do that. Not safe.

Second, take her to police.

Third, take her to hospital. Police station too far

Hospital closer, so that's where I took her.

Judge: why did you lose your temper?
CH: because we were driving at 50mph.

Sian came ..Through the gap between the seats, shooting, screaming. I thought she was trying to grab the steering wheel.
I pushed her back into .. The rear area of the car. She came back, I half turned and pushed her neck.

It wasn't a conscious decision to strangle her, merely An attempt to hold her back.

Pros: that is a pack of lies. You didn't throttle her by accident. You put your hands round her neck.

 

[Alyce]

Andrew Plant ‏@BeebJournalist 44s44 seconds ago

Pros: where does the knife come into it?

CH: I pushed her down onto centre console. Car slowing up. I thought I punched her twice .. By this point I was livid.
When I tried to remove my fist, I realised I couldn't move my hand.
Couldn't work out why hand fixed to Top of Sian's head.
That's when I realised I'd stabbed her.

Pros: so all an accident was it? You throttle her, stab her twice ... And she dies in the car? And now you have a body to get rid of?

CH: yes then I panicked.

Pros: you abducted Sian because you had a sexual interest in her. What you said is a pack of lies isn't it?

CH: no

Pros: you took her to a copse in Ramsbury where there's a pond. You stripped her boots off.

CH: they fell off.

Pros: all part of the Sexual motive isn't it?

CH: there was no sexual motive.

Pros: so they just fell off by themselves, did they?

 

[Alyce]

Andrew Plant ‏@BeebJournalist 19s20 seconds ago

Pros: you were disturbed by a gamekeeper on a quad bike weren't you? What were you doing to Sian?

CH: I was trying to remove her clothes To hide the forensics. She was laid in the open in a field.

Pros: so you leave, but you go back again, don't you? You had to ..... Feeling nervous were you, as you drove back to where you left her?

CH: scared silly.

Pros: so you go back and you collect her when?

CH: Monday night. Moved her to Uffington. It was still dark. Parked on shallow bend, lights on. Took her out of back. Fell down drop. 8ft.... We both fell down.

Pros: how did you leave her body dressed?

CH: partially dressed. I'd tried to cut top off and leggings off. I Panicked. It certainly looks like sexual assault. It wasn't. I accept that.

Pros: her upper clothing was pulled up. Her lower clothing... Was pulled down. Her knickers round her left ankle. Her middle section naked. A section cut from her knickers.
Yes? Why would you cut . The buttock area out of her knickers?

CH: I was trying to cut her clothing off.

Pros: DNA that matched yours found on her breast. You handled her breast didn't you?

CH: no I was trying to cut her clothes off.

 

[Alyce]

Andrew Plant ‏@BeebJournalist 2m2 minutes ago

Pros: were you going to go back to Becky like you went back to Sian?

CH: I didn't know Becky was there. How could I?

Pros: were you going to bury Sian? Go back and bury her?

CH: I imagine I was thinking about it. That week was mixed up. Can't say exactly What I was thinking. I was thinking about removing her clothing.

Judge: so you intended to go back a 3rd time?

CH: I did go back a 3rd time but I was aware I was under surveillance so I drove past. I did not stop.

 

[Alyce]

Andrew Plant ‏@BeebJournalist 13m13 minutes ago

CH: I was sure DNA from my hands, forensics from my car would be on her body.

Judge: what happened to Sian's bra?

CH: on Saturday .I removed the seat covers from my car. Would've had blood on them. Put in wheelie bin at car wash. With seat covers Sian's bra with them.

CH: I set fire to the seat covers near Wanborough (sp).

Pros: what's a bra doing with the seat covers?

CH: I was trying to destroy clothing

Pros: how come the bra was separated from upper outer clothing?

CH: I believe I grabbed clothing. Hacking. Panicking, it wasn't thought out.

CH asks for clarification on whether Sian's upper clothing had been cut.

CH: like I say, it was a frenzied attack. Not attack. Attempt.

Pros: this was a sexual attack wasn't it?

CH: no.

Pros: it's how it looks, and it's how it was.

CH: no, never.

 

[Alyce]

Andrew Plant ‏@BeebJournalist 9m9 minutes ago

Halliwell standing in witness box. One hand in pocket. Frequently looks to the ceiling.

Pros: officers saw you disposing of headrests in wheelie bin didn't they?

CH: no removing them, not disposing of them

Pros: those items had Sian's DNA on them didn't they?

CH: yes they did.

Pros: you were arrested Thursday 24.3.11. You mentioned yesterday Barbury Castle. That's where you first met DI Fulcher isn't it?

CH: yes.

Correction: Detective Superintendent Fulcher

Pros: You really loathe Mr Fulcher, don't you?

CH: oh absolutely.

Pros; you blame him for your confessions don't you?

CH: I didn't confess to anything. It was an account. It wasn't a true account.

CH: I knew he was seeing me as another trophy in his cabinet.

 

[Alyce]

Andrew Plant ‏@BeebJournalist 49s49 seconds ago

Pros reading out interview transcript after CH arrest: tell us where Sian is, asked police. CH replied, I don't know.

Pros: you weren't helping to recover Sian's body. It wasn't your priority. You weren't helping in any way. You knew your right to silence .....
You knew your right to a solicitor. You knew your rights.

 

[Alyce]

Andrew Plant ‏@BeebJournalist 1m1 minute ago

Now referring to map. Police initially suspected Sian hidden at Barbary Castle. In fact, Halliwell had taken her to Ramsbury.

Pros: can you tell us why you hate Fulcher so much?

CH: he threatened my children.

Pros: well, what was this threat?

CH: I'm not saying.

Pros: well, why on earth not? Surely it's of paramount importance?

CH: I'm not going to tell you what the threat was.

Judge: you said it was one of your children specifically?

CH: yes although if he carried it out it would certainly affect other two.

CH: would be very embarrassing for one if my children and she is trying to forget what happened to her. I said I would tell the truth.

 

[Alyce]

Andrew Plant ‏@BeebJournalist 20s20 seconds ago

Pros: but you have done anything but! Now, although you knew you'd murdered Sian, you first pleaded not guilty on 31.5.12? CH: yes.

Pros: so you put her family through the trauma of a not guilty plea for months didn't you?

CH: yes what they went through was terrible.

Pros: so you tell us it was so important to you to find Sian for her family, but you couldn't have cared less!

CH: I'm a father myself. What I've put that family through ...

Pros: indeed. And then pleaded not guilty.

CH: I pleaded guilty.

Pros: you Pleaded guilty because the evidence against you was overwhelming.


(BREAK TILL 12)

 

[Alyce]

Really impressed with Andrew's tweets - very comprehensive.

 

[bos]

Hmm, I think he's guilty as hell but not sure if enough legally to prove beyond reasonable doubt. I know a "smoking gun" isn't always required but not sure if there's enough to show CH as an out & out liar and therefore that his "truth" is improbable.

 

[bos]

Agreed, most detail. I know the soil specialist and forensic bone specialist evidence was probably quite technical/dry but there was really nothing tweeted about their input.

 

[Alyce]

Andrew Plant ‏@BeebJournalist 1m1 minute ago

Halliwell trial resumes.

 

[Alyce]

Andrew Plant ‏@BeebJournalist 3m3 minutes ago

Pros: you initiated the conversation with Mr Fulcher didn't you?

CH: yes. It was very close to where Sian was.

Pros: you told him you were a sick ****er didn't you? And said, there's another one. Don't know if you want to go for another.

CH: yes

Pros: you said it was similar circumstances. Out in the open. You said 03-05, you had taken a prostitute from Manchester Rd in Swindon

CH: yes. That's what I believed happened.

Pros: No, YOU had taken the prostitute. YOU.

CH: that's what I found out later happened.

Pros: no, no, no. You know very well what I'm putting to you. You took the prostitute. You abducted her.

CH: no.

Pros: you said I know you're not a psychiatrist but what the **** is wrong with me.

CH: yes

Pros: he asked you was it a similar sort of thing and you said yes, she was a prostitute.

CH: yes from what I was told that was the case.

 

[Alyce]

Andrew Plant ‏@BeebJournalist 3m3 minutes ago

Pros: you said, I'm aware now (that Sian was not a prostitute). Do you accept that?

CH how can I accept it when it's crap? I never said it

Pros: you then drive to Oxo Bottom Field. You giving directions. You climb over wall with Fulcher and Sgt Strange.

CH: yes

Pros: Mr Fulcher says you then identified a spot using a dip in the wall for reference and paced a distance. Yes?

CH: it wasn't taken from a dip in the wall. It was taken from where I remember seeing those two individuals standing in the field

Judge: so you didn't use a dip in the wall as a reference point. You just went to where you remember the two men standing?

CH: yes

 

[Alyce]

Andrew Plant ‏@BeebJournalist 50s50 seconds ago

Judge: did you pace it out heel to toe?

CH: I didn't pace it out. I walked to where I believed Rebecca was.

Pros: you identified the orientation of the body. Running parallel to the road. Yes?

CH: I'm not sure. I probably did (say that).

CH: I didn't bury her.

Pros: well why did you say it?

CH: why would I say she was 5ft down?

Pros: because you got confused. You buried her in the middle of the night. It's a 40-acre field. It's right next door in relative terms.

Pros: did you tell Mr Fulcher that you had had sex with that girl?

CH: I believe so.

Pros: did you say you'd left her naked body in bushes at edge of field?

CH: probably.

Pros: then returned and buried her. And revisited about 5 years ago. Did you say that?

CH: yes.

Pros: why would you say those things if you gang taken a girl from the streets, had sex with her, strangled her and then buried her body?

CH: because I knew I was already up to my neck. I knew with Sian I'd already get a life sentence.

Pros: Sorry Mr Halliwell I'm completely lost. Why did you confess to a murder you hadn t committed?

CH: because I should have been cautioned by Fulcher. I knew it was dropping him in it.

Judge: so you made false admissions in order to get Mr Fulcher in trouble because he didn't give you a caution?

CH: I don't care about that. It's because he threatened my kids.

Pros: I still don't understand. Why confess to a murder you didn't commit?

CH: my hatred of him is so intense ...

Pros: no Mr Halliwell. Why admit to a murder? How did you know she'd been buried naked?

CH: I didn't.

 

[Alyce]

Just copying over a few tweets from Sky news - a very relevant snip re why Fulcher did what he did



Prosecution saying Halliwell told jury his priority was to tell police where Sian's body was

Prosecution pointing out when police asked Halliwell if Sian was safe Halliwell replied: "no comment".

Prosecution pointing out that police didn't know if Sian was still alive & could "save her life". Pros: "you didn't help them".

Prosecution accepting that some guidelines weren't followed by Fulcher but "he wanted to know if she was alive or dead or where she was".

Prosecution: "you lied again and again and again". Halliwell gave directions & Sian's body was "eventually" recovered.

Prosecution says despite Halliwell showing police where Sian's body was he at first pleaded not guilty to her murder.

Halliwell says he pleaded guilty "when I found out Fulcher was deeply in the mire".

Prosecution: "but he wasn't, you see".

Prosecution says Fulcher resigned & an investigation found he'd "acted in good faith throughout" with the intention of finding Sian's body.




http://news.sky.com/story/live-updates-becky-godden-murder-trial-10578597