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

[Satchie]

I think he's still maintaining the innocent facade for the sake of family and friends, he's played the part for 3 months, he must be very determined not to let shame or a conscience get to him.

In thinking about the last disasterous 5 years for Helen, I wish her husband had known about how to react to riptides. People drown because the instinct is to swim against it, but that's not possible and you quickly become exhausted, and also panic and swallow water. If you allow the current to carry you out and keep calm, and just swim as best you can parallel to shore, keeping your face out of the water, you'll get out of the current and be washed back to shore by waves. The current won't take you far out, it will dissipate. There should be instructions about this in hotel rooms in places like Barbados, too many people drown there.

 

[mrazda71]

I think he's still maintaining the innocent facade for the sake of family and friends, he's played the part for 3 months, he must be very determined not to let shame or a conscience get to him.

In thinking about the last disasterous 5 years for Helen, I wish her husband had known about how to react to riptides. People drown because the instinct is to swim against it, but that's not possible and you quickly become exhausted, and also panic and swallow water. If you allow the current to carry you out and keep calm, and just swim as best you can parallel to shore, keeping your face out of the water, you'll get out of the current and be washed back to shore by waves. The current won't take you far out, it will dissipate. There should be instructions about this in hotel rooms in places like Barbados, too many people drown there.

What vital and brilliant advice and you're right, it should be on huge signs in every language anywhere that rip tides can occur ...

I have to disagree on 1 point thought, they haven't been 5 disastrous years. For all we've heard from Helen herself thus far, they were, on the whole, great years and as much as she may have pined for the streets of London, it doesn't necessarily mean that she wasn't very happy in Royston.

 

[Ironside]

Her husband was actually warned about the strong current but he went in anyway.

 

[Paulas88]

Unless Helen had confided in someone, then it will always remain a mystery. When I read that extract that said she didn't want to tell anyone she was in a relationship with Ian because if it was a mistake she wanted to make that mistake in private, I thought oh no.

Yet I do get the feeling she had confided in a close friend and that person has kept a respectful silence, although has probably spoken in confidence to the police.

My best guess is Helen realised this life with Ian wasn't for her, she waited until his health issues were resolved before saying anything. There was a sense from all the material I've read written by her, that all was not well and changes were afoot.

As for the day of this atrocity I think there was either a row, and Helen did say she was off to Broadstairs for a breather, and that is why she was walking Boris before the long journey, or Helen had gently broached the subject of their future that weekend and IS made plans from that point to carry out his wicked deed. I think unfortunately, given the speed with which he dispatched Helen and Boris, it was malice aforethought. Whether it was his aim all along I have no idea yet, I will wait to see if there is any re-opening of the investigation as regards his late wife.

We known they had a planned vacation coming up, right? So, maybe Helen found something nefarious going on with IS? spending her money, another relationship, he was gay, child *advertiser censored*.... could be anything.

 

[Tortoise]

An obituary

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/07/19/helen-bailey-childrens-writer--obituary/

 

[BatFace]

We known they had a planned vacation coming up, right? So, maybe Helen found something nefarious going on with IS? spending her money, another relationship, he was gay, child *advertiser censored*.... could be anything.

Far-fetched, I think. It did seem to be more of a creeping realisation that she missed London too much to give it all up for a man who seemed a bit self-centred and demanding.

 

[michelle230]

Lol Tortoise - maybe these people think the more they shake their head, the more we`ll be convinced of their innocence. I think JG must have been into the heavy metal scene in her youth :banghead:

 

[mrazda71]

Lol Tortoise - maybe these people think the more they shake their head, the more we`ll be convinced of their innocence. I think JG must have been into the heavy metal scene in her youth :banghead:

Sorry to ask but, JG?

 

[michelle230]

Sorry to ask but, JG?

JG - Jennie Gray, the mother of Ellie Butler and partner of Ben Butler. They were in the dock together - he was sentenced to 23 years for murdering Ellie and she got around 4 years for child cruelty and perverting the course of justice. I met Tortoise on this case.

 

[michelle230]

Have you noticed that even in today`s reports, there are some which state COD of his wife was an aneuryism and others an epileptic fit. I know the press often get facts wrong....but still....

 

[BatFace]

Have you noticed that even in today`s reports, there are some which state COD of his wife was an aneuryism and others an epileptic fit. I know the press often get facts wrong....but still....

Unruptured cerebral aneurysms can cause complex partial seizures, so if the reporters have had access to the full findings of the coroner, this might explain the confusion.

 

[BatFace]

Incidentally, a traumatic brain injury causing an unruptured aneurysm can be created without a direct blow to the head, ie by whiplash from being shaken in a domestic violence situation.

If violence was unsuspected, and if the deceased had other risk factors like high blood pressure etc, it is entirely possible (though rare) that a person could die from an epileptic seizure following a brain aneurysm WITHOUT it being identified as a consequence of violence.

It might be categorised as manslaughter rather than murder, but I don't think we can rule out the possibility that a post-mortem missed foul play in the death of Diane Stewart.

 

[BatFace]

Of course, we are unlikely to ever know, as Ian Stewart wouldn't admit to it, because it would open up a whole new can of worms for him in terms of his sentencing. A shaking injury would probably produce other signs like burst blood vessels in the eyes, which a pathologist would spot, but if those had healed, and the fatal "unusual epileptic seizure" pursuant to the unruptured aneurysm had occurred a week or more later, nobody (not even Ian Stewart) would necessarily connect it to previous domestic violence.

 

[MillyM]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JkrrfYn2ohk

 

[Alyce]

Incidentally, a traumatic brain injury causing an unruptured aneurysm can be created without a direct blow to the head, ie by whiplash from being shaken in a domestic violence situation.

If violence was unsuspected, and if the deceased had other risk factors like high blood pressure etc, it is entirely possible (though rare) that a person could die from an epileptic seizure following a brain aneurysm WITHOUT it being identified as a consequence of violence.

It might be categorised as manslaughter rather than murder, but I don't think we can rule out the possibility that a post-mortem missed foul play in the death of Diane Stewart.

I read the check list of things that epileptic people should be aware of, in order to minimise the risk of seizures.
As well as making sure to take medication regularly ( possibly this would have been found in an autopsy ? ) there are also warnings re alcohol consumption and avoidance of stress. Two things that could be utilised by someone without there being any visible signs at death.

 

[Tortoise]

So, back to the enquiry about rehoming Boris. Can anyone recall if this was a person who actually spoke to Helen, or could it have been an electronic enquiry? Why was the FB post that mentioned this taken down?

If it was anyone other than Helen making the enquiry it could be relevant. Was it a couple of weeks before 11th April?

Was it to set up a false trail of Helen deciding/planning to disappear? I can't remember who the poster was who knew about this, and I'm being lazy not re-reading the thread.

 

[mbmc]

So, back to the enquiry about rehoming Boris. Can anyone recall if this was a person who actually spoke to Helen, or could it have been an electronic enquiry? Why was the FB post that mentioned this taken down?

If it was anyone other than Helen making the enquiry it could be relevant. Was it a couple of weeks before 11th April?

Was it to set up a false trail of Helen deciding/planning to disappear? I can't remember who the poster was who knew about this, and I'm being lazy not re-reading the thread.

I have been thinking about this too, the only thing that I could think of was that perhaps Helen had been enquiring with the dog rescue centre if there were any dog watchers that they knew of. We know that she had booked a dog watching service for the holiday that had been booked, however given the post on FB I am not sure, it was not said why Helen had contacted them.

 

[Alyce]

So, back to the enquiry about rehoming Boris. Can anyone recall if this was a person who actually spoke to Helen, or could it have been an electronic enquiry? Why was the FB post that mentioned this taken down?

If it was anyone other than Helen making the enquiry it could be relevant. Was it a couple of weeks before 11th April?

Was it to set up a false trail of Helen deciding/planning to disappear? I can't remember who the poster was who knew about this, and I'm being lazy not re-reading the thread.

From memory, it was an actual person who spoke with Helen ( or someone who was meant to be Helen ? )

I am wondering if this was just to get advice and recommendations for a person/company who offered dog sitting services for Boris whilst they went on holiday.
The Animal Aunt was booked for June 11, so perhaps the boarding kennels passed on this number. If Helen and he had not been away together since the move to Royston, she might not have had any contacts for dog minding.

If on the other hand it was meant to set up a false trail, I think that would have been questioned by Helen's family and real friends. They all knew how close she was to Boris and if she had wanted to disappear she would have chosen somewhere that she could keep Boris with her.


ETA sorry, just seen your post mbmc with the same idea

 

[Alyce]

https://www.animalaunts.co.uk/

 

[mrazda71]

I read the check list of things that epileptic people should be aware of, in order to minimise the risk of seizures.
As well as making sure to take medication regularly ( possibly this would have been found in an autopsy ? ) there are also warnings re alcohol consumption and avoidance of stress. Two things that could be utilised by someone without there being any visible signs at death.

You think he slipped her double vodkas in her orange juice at breakfast? Or just nagged her into a seizure?