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

[Alyce]

Ian stewart 'would sigh and tut' when asked questions by police

“We left, but later on there was another suggestion there was a sighting of Helen in Royston, and we returned to the house to speak with him about this. We phoned Stewart, told him we were on our way, and when we arrived he was much calmer.

“We asked him about a CCTV image of a woman in a station, and he said ‘I don’t even need to put my glasses on, I can tell you straight away it’s not her’.

“Then he said he was tired and needed to sleep. We asked if we could do a formal interview with him.

“He appeared so much calmer then. This was after the search officers had left. He reiterated that he already told police what he knew.

“He’d sigh and tut about the fact we were asking for all this, and said he would have to think about it and needed to get some sleep.

“The idea was we’d return at 4pm and take a formal account, he was OK with this.

“At 4.15pm on April 22 we attended and set up the recording equipment. When he came into the study and found the cameras all set up he was really not happy. “He said ‘I do not like this at all’ as he studied the equipment. Eventually he was prepared to do it.”


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

 

[Alyce]

Time for a lunch break

There will now be a break for lunch until 2pm. The first video interview with Stewart will then be played.

Jurors are being asked if they are prepared to stay at court a little later today.


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

 

[Alyce]

Was this an active system?

I would have though the house would be on the main town sewerage system

I have some experience with a 3 chamber biological system.

Given the age ( 1900 ) and the location of Hartwell Lodge, I dont believe it is on the main sewerage system

 

[ZaZara]

Was this an active system?

I would have though the house would be on the main town sewerage system

I have some experience with a 3 chamber biological system.

Could be connected to the main sewerage system via the tanks.

 

[mrjitty]

Could be connected to the main sewerage system via the tanks.

True.

I was just reacting to the fact that he said it had never been emptied.

I would have expected such a system to need to be emptied from time to time if it was the primary system.

As i mentioned we built a biological 3 chamber system in the countryside which is never emptied (at least so far)

But it relies on using nature to break everything down and has a final pond with special plants.

It's all gravity driven.

 

[Alyce]

True.

I was just reacting to the fact that he said it had never been emptied.

I would have expected such a system to need to be emptied from time to time if it was the primary system.

As i mentioned we built a biological 3 chamber system in the countryside which is never emptied (at least so far)

But it relies on using nature to break everything down and has a final pond with special plants.

It's all gravity driven.

Helen bought the house and moved in at end of July 2013. So at the time of her murder, they had been there less than 3 years. Would that seem a reasonable length of time for it not to have been serviced/emptied ?

 

[Tortoise]

I can't believe he said he didn't know about the tank system.

 

[mrjitty]

I can't believe he said he didn't know about the tank system.

If the house is not on the sewer mains they must have known about it.

 

[mrjitty]

Helen bought the house and moved in at end of July 2013. So at the time of her murder, they had been there less than 3 years. Would that seem a reasonable length of time for it not to have been serviced/emptied ?

Hard to say

But obviously a massive problem for his cunning plan is that sooner or later that pit had to be emptied.

 

[Interested Bystander]

I have been trying to find out whether mains services were attached to properties in Baldock Road. Not much success except for the following property which is 7 doors away from No. 45. It seems to be an Edwardian house and appears to have drainage to the rear of the property. Cannot be sure exactly what that means but maybe cesspit.

Why did IS not know the cess pits were there – another lie perhaps? They seemed to be in use although they did have a thick crust. Could he have broken the crust and pushed HB and Boris under the crust and the crust reformed in the 3 months she was there. Would they have dried up years ago if not in use? Anyone know? How could he not know what any drain on his property was associated with. Their existence must have been included in the Deeds to the property.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-45505004.html
Services
There are mains water, electricity and drainage services to 29 Baldock Road. The drainage is to the rear of the property.

 

[Alyce]

Kate Bradbrook ‏@katebradbrook 8m8 minutes ago

#helenbailey DC Hollie Daines says Ian Stewart not keen to do interview while Helen missing "said he couldn't be bothered, was quite blasé"

 

[Tortoise]

There is no way he didn't know about it (even leaving aside his disposal of Helen's body). What puzzles me is why he would say such a stupid thing and in doing so draw attention to himself (and the pit).

 

[Alyce]

during his multiple trips to the rubbish tip.

Apologies for quoting myself, but I meant to add my comment on this earlier.....why would a person recovering from surgery be making multiple trips to a rubbish tip...when there are other, fitter and younger, occupants at the house who could do that.

 

[mrjitty]

I have been trying to find out whether mains services were attached to properties in Baldock Road. Not much success except for the following property which is 7 doors away from No. 45. It seems to be an Edwardian house and appears to have drainage to the rear of the property. Cannot be sure exactly what that means but maybe cesspit.

Why did IS not know the cess pits were there – another lie perhaps? They seemed to be in use although they did have a thick crust. Could he have broken the crust and pushed HB and Boris under the crust and the crust reformed in the 3 months she was there. Would they have dried up years ago if not in use? Anyone know? How could he not know what any drain on his property was associated with. Their existence must have been included in the Deeds to the property.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-45505004.html
Services
There are mains water, electricity and drainage services to 29 Baldock Road. The drainage is to the rear of the property.

That's why i wonder if it was no longer the primary sewer system for the house, and hence why he used it - as it would never be emptied.

it might have still be associated with some grey water or perhaps an older toilet?

Not sure.

 

[Interested Bystander]

A little more about cess pits (have searched septic tanks yet)

http://www.gd-environmental.co.uk/blog/how-often-should-i-empty-my-cesspit-and-other-faqs/
How Often Should I Have My Cesspit Emptied?
We get asked this a lot! And it appears everyone seems to have differing opinions, ranging from your neighbour who thinks it never needs to be emptied as it’s self-cleaning, to the Environment Agency who recommends it being emptied once a year.
The frequency also depends on a number of factors; the size of your property, size of the tank, the number of occupants and the general usage, such as the amount of people bathing or showering every day.

How Do I Know it Needs Emptying?
You can usually determine if your tank needs emptying due to an unpleasant odour coming from your tank. GD Environmental suggests you follow The Environment Agency’s guidelines and arrange for your cesspit to be emptied on an annual basis to prevent any offensive odours and blockages.

What Maintenance Does My Cesspit Require?
Cesspits are relatively low maintenance, providing they are emptied regularly. This can be easily arranged by calling GD Environmental on 01633 277755.
We also advise that you don’t allow flammable liquids to enter the system and keep the service area around the cesspit (manhole) free from overgrown plants and weeds.
Regular maintenance also prevents your tank from overflowing or leaking. Should this happen, it needs to be dealt with quickly and efficiently to prevent it polluting nearby land and water.

 

[Alyce]

From last week's evidence ( I will have a scroll back for the post when I get a mo )

The Jurors asked 3 questions regarding the garage and manhole cover to the septic tank

1. Did the garage have a lock ?
Answer - yes it had to be locked manually with a key

2. Did the manhole cover have a lock ?
Answer No

3. What is the weight of the manhole cover ?
Answer 7.5 kilos

 

[Interested Bystander]

It seems septic tanks run along the same lines as cess pits and the information I posted earlier applied in exactly the same manner.

 

[Alyce]

I have been trying to find out whether mains services were attached to properties in Baldock Road. Not much success except for the following property which is 7 doors away from No. 45. It seems to be an Edwardian house and appears to have drainage to the rear of the property. Cannot be sure exactly what that means but maybe cesspit.

Why did IS not know the cess pits were there – another lie perhaps? They seemed to be in use although they did have a thick crust. Could he have broken the crust and pushed HB and Boris under the crust and the crust reformed in the 3 months she was there. Would they have dried up years ago if not in use? Anyone know? How could he not know what any drain on his property was associated with. Their existence must have been included in the Deeds to the property.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-45505004.html
Services
There are mains water, electricity and drainage services to 29 Baldock Road. The drainage is to the rear of the property.

a definite possibility imo

 

[icemaiden65]

Been thinking along similar lines and checking out details for Hartwell Lodge as far as possible. Old estate agents details can be found on line still but nothing about drainage. I did find full confirmation that the garage does have a dedicated door to the garden, as well as the up and over doors - but think that had already popped up in evidence anyhow? Looking at the property plans it seems as if he could have moved Helen from the main house via a rear door and over to the garage. This link shows floor plan and images from when the property was for sale in 2011:
http://www.dezrez.com/estate-agent-...d=002097827&Brochure=Particular&TemplateName=
Sorry if it doesn't add much to all you guys are doing and relaying.

 

[Alyce]

Many thanks for that link IceMaiden

So it would seem he could use the garden door of the garage, which would suggest a route from the house, out of the conservatory door and across the lawn, through the fence gate and round to garden door of the garage


Garage/Annexe Ground Floor
32'2 x 32'
(9.80m x 9.75m)
Windows to side and rear aspect
Two up and over doors set
in 14'5 openings
Three & single phase power
Alarm system
Door to:
Inner lobby
stairs to first floor
Door to garden