GUILTY UK - Helen Bailey, 51, Royston, 11 April 2016 #1

[Alyce]

Helen Bailey's body is recovered

“We were able to confirm at this point that there was a full body [in the cesspit] and that it was intact.

“I made the arrangements to deal with the recovery of the body.”

Sergeant Oliphant is now being cross-examined by the defence.

He confirms that before Helen’s body was found, all cars were searched by police, including the boot of the BMW.

He admitted that a pair of officers tried to jimmy the lid of the cesspit off on July 12.

That’s the end of Sergeant Oliphant’s evidence.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/incoming/helen-bailey-murder-trial-case-12475974

 

[pinklilies]

Crikey, can you imagine seeing that. (Her arm I mean) Poor Helen and Boris.


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[Alyce]

A break in proceedings

There will now be a break for jurors of 20 minutes, until 12 noon.

The court will next hear about officers that had oversight of the missing person’s inquiry and contact with Stewart.

Two recordings, each two hours long, are due to be played after the break.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/incoming/helen-bailey-murder-trial-case-12475974

 

[Alyce]

Crikey, can you imagine finding that. Poor Helen and Boris.


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Awful and so very sad

 

[Interested Bystander]

How on earth did IS open the cess pit cover if it took two policemen to do it?

 

[Alyce]

Kate Bradbrook ‏@katebradbrook 11m11 minutes ago

#helenbailey case Serg Oliphant tells court cesspit under garage had crust 6-9 inches thick. As crust broken body emerged

Kate Bradbrook ‏@katebradbrook 9m9 minutes ago

#helenbailey case Serg Oliphant says Helen's body found 15th July after specialists brought in to drain cesspit at hse

 

[pinklilies]

I wonder if they'll release any of the recordings?

ETA: I'll just have to wait and see...

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[Alyce]

Kate Bradbrook ‏@katebradbrook 7m7 minutes ago

#helenbailey prosecutor puts to witness that Ian Stewart became "tetchy" because number of items broken during search





my edit - I would have expected that to be a defence question

 

[Cherwell]

How on earth did IS open the cess pit cover if it took two policemen to do it?

The defence are going to make a big deal out of that.

Makes you wonder if he had help.

 

[Tortoise]

How on earth did IS open the cess pit cover if it took two policemen to do it?

I wondered if he might have put some kind of sealant around the cover afterwards, to make it stick.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

How on earth did IS open the cess pit cover if it took two policemen to do it?

I was about to ask the same thing...have we seen a pic of it? Could it have been tied to a vehicle and pulled?

 

[Tortoise]

Did he add something to make this 'crust' over the top? Otherwise how did Helen's body end up underneath it?

 

[Alyce]

How on earth did IS open the cess pit cover if it took two policemen to do it?

I am wondering if this is police speak for the dreaded health and safety rules - couldnt attempt to do something outside of their normal search parameters - had to wait until they had the necessary equipment ( it says they did make an attempt, but perhaps were told to leave it until the necessary tool was brought to open it )

alternatively ( although this has not been said ) could IS have sealed it over in some way to make it difficult to open
and/or to be doubly sure that there was no chance of any type of odour escaping ( I realise it was a slim chance, but still, better to be safe from his perspective )

 

[Alyce]

Did he add something to make this 'crust' over the top? Otherwise how did Helen's body end up underneath it?

Yes, possibly. Seems a rather large crust for 3 months - although I'n no expert on the life of cess pits !

Fortunately, he clearly doesn't read any detective fiction or writer websites - otherwise a large dose of lye into the pit and there would have been nothing to find

 

[Katharine]

He then saw us pull Helen’s passport out and look at it - his whole demeanour changed, his colour on his face was shocked.

“He said ‘where did you find that?’ As if he’d looked for it and couldn’t find it.


I think I would have said - well, that's good, at least she hasn't left the country !

Alyce thank you for the chuckle. Of course isn't that the truth. Wonder if IS planned on having passport disappear too.

 

[Alyce]

I was about to ask the same thing...have we seen a pic of it? Could it have been tied to a vehicle and pulled?

Cags, and anyone else who might not have seen them - here's the link to all the pics re the cess pit and garage


http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/helen-bailey-murder-pictures-released-12448812

 

[Interested Bystander]

I wondered if he might have put some kind of sealant around the cover afterwards, to make it stick.

Hopefully the police would have tested for this and we haven't heard yet. There is a product that seals concrete so that it can be swept without creating dust. We have used it and it is very sticky when wet but dries colourless and matt. I think it is a PVA product. He could have used something like that. No doubt his excuse would be that it leaked into the seating of the drain cover when the concrete floor was sealed? Only a wild guess.

 

[Alyce]

Alyce thank you for the chuckle. Of course isn't that the truth. Wonder if IS planned on having passport disappear too.

It made me laugh too..... I can just imagine the sheer horror of it for him...although he doesn't seem that smart if he couldn't even have done a basic check of Helen's office

 

[ZaZara]

Yes, possibly. Seems a rather large crust for 3 months - although I'n no expert on the life of cess pits !

Fortunately, he clearly doesn't read any detective fiction or writer websites - otherwise a large dose of lye into the pit and there would have been nothing to find

From someone who has had a problematic cesspit for years:

Hard to imagine that there was a crust of sorts, because water would flow into the cesspit near the top and leave at a lower point.
I never saw anything crust-like in my pit, nothing that remotely looked or felt (beneath my spade, not my hands!) like a hard surface.

 

[Alyce]

I wonder if they'll release any of the recordings?

ETA: I'll just have to wait and see...

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Possibly at the end of the trial