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

[Alyce]

Author had to be helped off beach in March

There was an incident, on March 13, 2016, where Helen was on the beach at Broadstairs and suddenly found that when she tried to get off the beach, she really struggled.

“It was as if she was forcing herself against a wind which didn’t exist. She had left the dog behind. Ian went to her aid.” That is the end of Mr Bailey’s evidence.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/helen-bailey-murder-trial-day-12441178

 

[Interested Bystander]

Picking parts that are standing out:

“Looking for hope at this stage, Ian’s text telling me some of Helen’s clothes were missing gave me the impression that Helen may have been at the Broadstairs house.”

I think this might fit with what I was saying earlier about IS trying to create a narrative of Helen having been at Broadstairs. It seems incredible to me, but it seems like they may be trying to imply she had been there... (also by bringing up the identification at the station by her brother) - maybe I'm reading too much into that?



“She liked wine and sherry, she would have tea but it would be very weak or decaf tea. She didn’t like coffee.”


Interesting, as I'd presumed the Zopiclone was masked by coffee. Presumably that's what is being angled at - if she liked quite bland food, disguising Zopiclone would be difficult.


...


They're going to try and suggest it was suicide, aren't they? :tears:

I don't think so as IS has already stated that two men were responsible for her murder and disposal.

 

[jessie]

Had part of intestines removed, possibility it was cancer but turned out not to be I believe.

Seems important in this whole story imo. Getting Helen's support, attention, concern etc. Perhaps he exaggerated his condition (some people have a tendency to do this after all) and it may have been a way of manipulating her ? jmo

 

[Alyce]

Picking parts that are standing out:

“Looking for hope at this stage, Ian’s text telling me some of Helen’s clothes were missing gave me the impression that Helen may have been at the Broadstairs house.”

I think this might fit with what I was saying earlier about IS trying to create a narrative of Helen having been at Broadstairs. It seems incredible to me, but it seems like they may be trying to imply she had been there... (also by bringing up the identification at the station by her brother) - maybe I'm reading too much into that?



“She liked wine and sherry, she would have tea but it would be very weak or decaf tea. She didn’t like coffee.”


Interesting, as I'd presumed the Zopiclone was masked by coffee. Presumably that's what is being angled at - if she liked quite bland food, disguising Zopiclone would be difficult.


...


They're going to try and suggest it was suicide, aren't they? :tears:

I would say they have no chance with the suicide angle. The septic tank - far as I understand - had a heavy manhole cover on it. Not just something you could flip up in an instant.

Plus, Helen had a huge fear of water and drowning - due to her husband's tragic death - so the last place she would choose to end her days would be in water.


eta or did you mean that the defence would try to suggest that Helen overdosed on the tablets and then some unknown person ( Joe and Nick ) put her into the septic tank ...

 

[Alyce]

Helen's friend of 15 years is called as the next witness

Tracey Stratton, Helen’s friend, is the next witness to give evidence.

Tracey said she had known Helen for 15 years and met Helen through her business. She said that Helen and her husband, John Sinfield, had run a company called Patrick Sinfield Ltd. John Sinfield had been a silent partner in the business, which was a licensing agency.

“We would talk on the phone, email and text each other. I used to meet her in town, do shopping, eat and catch up.

“When I first got to know her Helen had been running another business called White Line Publishing.

“That partnership had been resolved before Helen’s husband passed away.

“I was close to Helen. After her husband died, I went and more or less, moved in with her for a while.

“I was the second person she told about her husband’s death. I went to stay with her at Highgate in London.

“I stayed for four or five nights a week initially and as time moved on that dwindled to one or two nights a week, until it was every so often.”

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/helen-bailey-murder-trial-day-12441178

 

[Alyce]

Author 'was on the internet all the time'

Tracey said after Helen met Stewart, she stayed at the house far less frequently.

“Helen was on the internet all the time, she used it for research for her writing, work purposes, social media, all sorts.

“She was really active. After her husband died she was given a bereavement package with websites that helped widowed people.

“She became quite active on those websites. It was through that that she met Stewart.”

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/helen-bailey-murder-trial-day-12441178

 

[Alyce]

Author moved to Royston and agreed to marry Stewart

Tracey said Helen then moved in with Stewart and got a house in Royston.

She said: “She missed London a lot, she’d been there most of her adult life.

“She was happy in Royston, it was just an adjustment.

“She confided in me that she might get married to Ian, he had given her a ring as a token, but it was not an engagement ring.

“In January 2016, we were out and she said we had some news. She said her and Ian were getting married, but they were keeping this to themselves.”

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/helen-bailey-murder-trial-day-12441178

 

[Alyce]

Author 'was excited about going forward'

Tracey said she would discuss the wedding venues, dresses etc with Helen online. She said after finding out Ian needed an operation, things were put on hold in that respect. She said after Ian was given the all clear the wedding came back on the agenda, and wedding discussions continued.

Tracey said the last time she saw Helen face to face was January 28, 2016.
She had no reason to think there was any problem in her and Ian’s relationship.

“She was really excited about going forward, and I had met Ian.

“I stayed in touch with Helen after seeing her face to face. Helen was always an anxious person, but she was very witty, funny, and very caring.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/helen-bailey-murder-trial-day-12441178

 

[LozDa]

I would say they have no chance with the suicide angle. The septic tank - far as I understand - had a heavy manhole cover on it. Not just something you could flip up in an instant.

Plus, Helen had a huge fear of water and drowning - due to her husband's tragic death - so the last place she would choose to end her days would be in water.

Yes, you're right. Plus there's Joe and and Nick, as Interested Bystander pointed out. I'm getting emotional and forgetting the evidence :laughing:


I always forget how horrible it is to hear the defence's line of questioning. It's absolutely a necessity, obviously! But it's just so tough when you *just* want the truth, not what could be the truth if you take into account the legal technicalities.

I'll calm down and listen now, I promise

 

[Alyce]

Friend exchanged emails with Helen on alleged date of her murder

Tracey said Helen ‘always responded’ to missed calls and texts. On April 11, 2016 [the alleged date of Helen’s murder] Tracey exchanged emails with Helen about wedding dresses and the venue. “There was nothing then to make me think there was anything wrong, she was excited about the future.”

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/helen-bailey-murder-trial-day-12441178

 

[Alyce]

Yes, you're right. Plus there's Joe and and Nick, as Interested Bystander pointed out. I'm getting emotional and forgetting the evidence :laughing:


I always forget how horrible it is to hear the defence's line of questioning. It's absolutely a necessity, obviously! But it's just so tough when you *just* want the truth, not what could be the truth if you take into account the legal technicalities.

I'll calm down and listen now, I promise

I know exactly what you mean...they are just doing their job but sometimes I want to shout at them when they try to suggest stuff which clearly is not true !

 

[Alyce]

Friend was 'immediately worried' when she called Helen and there was no answer

At 12.10pm on April 11 Tracey called Helen on her mobile, but got no answer. Tracey sent her a text message afterwards, but Helen didn’t reply to that either.

“This was unusual, she would be straight on the phone to me”, she said.

“I tried to call her throughout the day but it went to voicemail every time. This was very unusual.

“I was immediately quite worried. I knew Ian had had an operation and Helen’s father had been unwell, I thought something had happened between one of those two.

“I realised actually those things probably wouldn’t stop her from speaking to me. Things just weren’t right.”

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/helen-bailey-murder-trial-day-12441178

 

[Interested Bystander]

Yes, you're right. Plus there's Joe and and Nick, as Interested Bystander pointed out. I'm getting emotional and forgetting the evidence :laughing:


I always forget how horrible it is to hear the defence's line of questioning. It's absolutely a necessity, obviously! But it's just so tough when you *just* want the truth, not what could be the truth if you take into account the legal technicalities.

I'll calm down and listen now, I promise

I know exactly how you feel. I had to switch off for a while last night after reading in the Telegraph that it was possible Helen could have been placed in the tank before death. I found that so disturbing.

 

[Alyce]

Friend contact's brother John Bailey

The next morning Tracey continued to try and get in touch with Helen, to no response. By Wednesday, April 13, she contacted the partner of John Bailey, Helen’s brother, to say she hadn’t heard from her.

She told the court: “I then got a call from John Bailey, I explained why I was concerned and didn’t think it was right.

“He said that he had spoken to Ian and he said that Helen had gone to Broadstairs. He said Stewart seemed surprised that Helen hadn’t answered my phone calls.

“I knew John planned to go to Broadstairs to look for Helen.”


http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/helen-bailey-murder-trial-day-12441178

 

[Alyce]

I wonder why Tracey didnt just call IS ?

 

[jessie]

Yes, you're right. Plus there's Joe and and Nick, as Interested Bystander pointed out. I'm getting emotional and forgetting the evidence :laughing:


I always forget how horrible it is to hear the defence's line of questioning. It's absolutely a necessity, obviously! But it's just so tough when you *just* want the truth, not what could be the truth if you take into account the legal technicalities.

I'll calm down and listen now, I promise

I think we all do it. We get emotionally involved in these cases - hard not to of course. I sit on my hands as much as I can when reading the updates. :grouphug:

 

[Alyce]

Friend calls hotel in search for missing author

Tracey said she even rang a hotel she knew Helen liked, which accepted pets and was one possible wedding venue for the couple, in her bid to find out where Helen had gone, the court was told.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/helen-bailey-murder-trial-day-12441178

 

[Alyce]

Stewart also told friend it was possible Helen's clothes were missing from Broadstairs home

Texts between Stewart and Tracey are now being read to jurors, as Stewart went to Broadstairs to look for Helen.

Stewart also told Tracey that “maybe, just maybe, some of Helen’s clothes were missing”.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/helen-bailey-murder-trial-day-12441178

 

[Cherwell]

I know exactly how you feel. I had to switch off for a while last night after reading in the Telegraph that it was possible Helen could have been placed in the tank before death. I found that so disturbing.

I think that's unlikely, but even more upsetting is my thought that the poor little dog was almost certainly thrown in there alive.

 

[Interested Bystander]

Sounds as though IS was already setting up the missing clothes story to add credence to his story that she had chosen to leave and that she had taken a change of clothes etc. I wonder if any were missing and, if so, did he dump them at the time he dumped the duvet. Interesting that he was seen on camera the following day to check that the duvet had gone. He disposed of boxes too. No way he would go to the police before the duvet had disappeared from the tip - way too risky.