GUILTY UK - Helen Bailey, 51, Royston, 11 April 2016 #10

[jenspired]

This has probably been posted before on one of the threads, but thought it was worth posting again:

http://planetgrief.com/2016/07/16/goodbye/#comment-287272

[h=5]John Bailey[/h]August 10, 2016
My sister loved writing from an early age and this blog Planet Grief was her way of restarting that writing following the traumatic and tragic loss of her husband John. Written from the perspective of a widow, Planet Grief has been (and I hope will continue to be) a valuable resource to those who have lost their partner and seek support through dark days.
I have read every single one of the comments posted here and wish to thank each and every one of you for them. They are all much appreciated.

Helen’s writing style was very much a reflection of her persona. If you felt you knew her despite having not actually met, then let me assure you she was in life as she appeared in print. Helen was witty and intelligent and even in times of great distress her humour lifted both herself and others above the tears.

Helen was exceptionally unlucky to lose both John and her own life in different and tragic circumstances. However, despite those tragedies I think her mantra 'It will be alright in the end, I promise you' remains an enduring message from her to us all.

My best wishes,
John

We have to believe that where the jury are concerned, it will indeed be all right in the end :thinking::jail::HHJP::scale:

 

[LozDa]

This has probably been posted before on one of the threads, but thought it was worth posting again:

http://planetgrief.com/2016/07/16/goodbye/#comment-287272



We have to believe that where the jury are concerned, it will indeed be all right in the end :thinking::jail::HHJP::scale:

And here I am in tears again.

Justice must prevail.

 

[Alice253]

there is a pic of Helen and Boris I just love, to see her makes me giggle the sad thing is she is not alone in that photo so I decided to change that, so lets hope the upload worked.

View attachment 110598

That's great! I love this picture, too.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk

 

[Squamous]

In a perverse way, I really wish he was not guilty and that it was Nick and Joe - at least this way, Helen wouldn't have been deceived by someone she invested so much love in for so many years.
The whole thing is just upsetting me for so many reasons.

I felt like this for a long time until IS took the stand. I actually feel like the Ballad of Nick and Joe is a gift though really, because it takes all doubt away and shows who Stewart really is. It takes away the hope that he might be a genuine loving man trapped in a terrible situation but it does give the comfort that at last he can't twist something to his benefit, he has been thoroughly exposed for who he is. It is unutterably tragic that Helen's life was lost in his undoing but he has removed for himself any doubt or pity that those of us who hoped for the best from him might have felt otherwise.

I hope Helen can soon rest in peace. The cesspit was not the end for her, we heard the stories of the people who worked carefully for days and thought for hours about how to get her out as gently as possible, with as much dignity and privacy as they could. The doctor who did her post-mortem treated her like a person and referred to her by name. Professionals dealt with her body carefully to get it to give up IS's secrets about how he treated her. She was returned to her family and got a funeral given by those who loved her from her first days, and a beautiful tribute service that reflected her life and character for the many people who knew her in many ways. This man did not get away with it, he took her life but not her spirit. Whatever the jury decide, his lies have not won. He did not succeed in making the world believe that she disappeared without a word to her elderly mum, dear friends or beloved brother. He did not succeed in letting Helen be forgotten and he will never succeed.

 

[ZaZara]

there is a pic of Helen and Boris I just love, to see her makes me giggle the sad thing is she is not alone in that photo so I decided to change that, so lets hope the upload worked.

View attachment 110598

Another picture that is often used, shows Helen with IS on a lawn.

IMHO IS should be replaced with a tree or perhaps a pedestal with Boris on top.

Wish I knew how to photoshop.....!

 

[cottonweaver]

When Helen first went missing I had a dream about her, and I dreamt she was under water in a stream. I posted it up and said wtte I hoped it wasn't a premonition. Someone reported it and my post was zapped. I didn't know we weren't allowed to post about dreams. Or maybe it was viewed as being too pessimistic and people wanted to keep hope going. IDK.

I missed this post Tortoise but just saw Lozda's reply

wow re UL and tsk re BIB.
people are strange - it's not as if you were claiming to be a psychic and thus contravening TOS

BTW - on the Cambs live feed that I was following -at the top of page - the short sequence showing jS, JB, SRF etc all arriving at court this morning

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/incoming/live-helen-bailey-murder-trial-12633390

 

[LozDa]

Could someone who has carried out jury duty before explain what the jury will do now? Do they have anyone to guide them, or they rely only on the Judge's instructions?

How do they elect a foreman and how do they begin to discuss - will they ask outright if everyone knows which way they are voting at the outset, or will they discuss first?

I'm intrigued to know how this stage works exactly.

 

[ColourPurple]

I work in the NHS in the uk and find it very strange he managed to dose her with Zopliclone, as has been said before it's extremely foul tasting and they are also encased nowdays in film. You absolutely cannot crush them down (as they are) to make them soluble for injection or drinking etc . Also being dosed with a powdered version is dangerous as it's ingested far faster as a broken down powder than it is a tablet.

Also it can affect memory as if you've ever taken it leaves you with a hangover type feeling all the time. It's also hardly ever prescribed in the uk for more than a month a time due to its very addictive nature.

After 3 months Helen would have been addicted for sure. Interesting case and what a awful person to do this to her. Being drugged for the last weeks of your life is awful, especially when it's something like zopiclone.

Some of us suspect that he may have crushed them and put them in her herbal tablet capsules. You can buy tablet crushers for a couple of quid from places like Ebay or he may have improvised and used something else.

ETA you can also buy empty tablet capsules though I think he'd have just used the ones Helen was already familiar with .

 

[ColourPurple]

I felt like this for a long time until IS took the stand. I actually feel like the Ballad of Nick and Joe is a gift though really, because it takes all doubt away and shows who Stewart really is. It takes away the hope that he might be a genuine loving man trapped in a terrible situation but it does give the comfort that at last he can't twist something to his benefit, he has been thoroughly exposed for who he is. It is unutterably tragic that Helen's life was lost in his undoing but he has removed for himself any doubt or pity that those of us who hoped for the best from him might have felt otherwise..

I agree, I think he'd have been better off not taking the stand. All it did was highlight his ability to spin a yarn.

 

[Squamous]

I missed this post Tortoise but just saw Lozda's reply

wow re UL and tsk re BIB.
people are strange - it's not as if you were claiming to be a psychic and thus contravening TOS

BTW - on the Cambs live feed that I was following -at the top of page - the short sequence showing OS, JB, SRF etc all arriving at court this morning

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/incoming/live-helen-bailey-murder-trial-12633390

It's Jamie rather than Oliver but I really feel for him arriving alone! I wanted to go and put a jumper over his head for him or something. Those sons have been so dreadfully betrayed.

 

[janeh]

Some of us suspect that he may have crushed them and put them in her herbal tablet capsules. You can buy tablet crushers for a couple of quid from places like Ebay or he may have improvised and used something else.

Could they be cut in half and inserted into the two halved of the capsule form of paracetamol. They are a small tablet , so that would be possible, although HB would only take a paracetamol if she required pain relief and IS wouldn't be in full control of the frequency that they would be taken. Did someone on here mention doing something like this with HB's herbal medication.

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

 

[Alyce]

I felt like this for a long time until IS took the stand. I actually feel like the Ballad of Nick and Joe is a gift though really, because it takes all doubt away and shows who Stewart really is. It takes away the hope that he might be a genuine loving man trapped in a terrible situation but it does give the comfort that at last he can't twist something to his benefit, he has been thoroughly exposed for who he is. It is unutterably tragic that Helen's life was lost in his undoing but he has removed for himself any doubt or pity that those of us who hoped for the best from him might have felt otherwise.

I hope Helen can soon rest in peace. The cesspit was not the end for her, we heard the stories of the people who worked carefully for days and thought for hours about how to get her out as gently as possible, with as much dignity and privacy as they could. The doctor who did her post-mortem treated her like a person and referred to her by name. Professionals dealt with her body carefully to get it to give up IS's secrets about how he treated her. She was returned to her family and got a funeral given by those who loved her from her first days, and a beautiful tribute service that reflected her life and character for the many people who knew her in many ways. This man did not get away with it, he took her life but not her spirit. Whatever the jury decide, his lies have not won. He did not succeed in making the world believe that she disappeared without a word to her elderly mum, dear friends or beloved brother. He did not succeed in letting Helen be forgotten and he will never succeed.

Beautifully said Squamous x

 

[janeh]

Could they be cut in half and inserted into the two halved of the capsule form of paracetamol. They are a small tablet , so that would be possible, although HB would only take a paracetamol if she required pain relief and IS wouldn't be in full control of the frequency that they would be taken. Did someone on here mention doing something like this with HB's herbal medication.

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

I meant cutting in half rather than crushing, which would overcome the problem of detection.

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

 

[LozDa]

Another picture that is often used, shows Helen with IS on a lawn.

IMHO IS should be replaced with a tree or perhaps a pedestal with Boris on top.

Wish I knew how to photoshop.....!

I mean, it's a ridiculously crude photoshop, but still... I'm trying not to give my bosses too many reasons to sack me. :laughing:

 

[DollyDiamond]

I work in the NHS in the uk and find it very strange he managed to dose her with Zopliclone, as has been said before it's extremely foul tasting and they are also encased nowdays in film. You absolutely cannot crush them down (as they are) to make them soluble for injection or drinking etc . Also being dosed with a powdered version is dangerous as it's ingested far faster as a broken down powder than it is a tablet.

Also it can affect memory as if you've ever taken it leaves you with a hangover type feeling all the time. It's also hardly ever prescribed in the uk for more than a month a time due to its very addictive nature.

After 3 months Helen would have been addicted for sure. Interesting case and what a awful person to do this to her. Being drugged for the last weeks of your life is awful, especially when it's something like zopiclone.

I have some Zopiclone tablets and I did an experiment with them for Websleuths a few weeks ago, to test the theory as to whether IS could have drugged Helen's tea. They crushed to a fine powder very easily (with the back of a teaspoon) and I stirred the powder into a cup of tea with milk, as Helen drank. There was no evidence to the naked eye that the tea had been doctored. But just one tiny sip proved to me IS could not have adminstered it this way - the taste was so powerfully bitter, I felt sick and had to brush my teeth and tongue and have a fresh cup of tea with honey to get rid of the taste.

I will always be convinced IS doctored some of the vitamin/health capsule tablets Helen took regularly, (and maybe paracetamol capsules too, from time to time) with the Zopiclone. When crushed to a powder, the taste is just too powerful to be tolerated for a second. But unwittingly swallowed down, believing it was her regular tablet, she may not have particularly noticed the taste.

 

[cottonweaver]

It's Jamie rather than Oliver but I really feel for him arriving alone! I wanted to go and put a jumper over his head for him or something. Those sons have been so dreadfully betrayed.

yes have corrected it Squamous- was in a rush trying to whip eggs and type with one hand. As i was typing my thought was - where is OS ? so it became "OS" that i typed.

his younger brother would have been better going in with him - snap.

 

[ColourPurple]

Could they be cut in half and inserted into the two halved of the capsule form of paracetamol. They are a small tablet , so that would be possible, although HB would only take a paracetamol if she required pain relief and IS wouldn't be in full control of the frequency that they would be taken. Did someone on here mention doing something like this with HB's herbal medication.

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

Helen kept her herbal and vitamin suplements in little labelled bag/s apparently so it would be quite easy for IS to open a capsule, either add powdered zopiclone to it or tip out what was normally in it and put powdered zopiclone in. Then hand her her tablets to take with breakfast or a nice cup of tea. Maybe she used to put them out ready to take.Putting two halves in might affect how the tablet felt, a possible rattle when moving, so I think he'd be more likely to use powdered.

 

[Dizzie]

Not sure a tablet crusher would work. They are basically the same as tamper proof oxy tabs in the states where they are covered a strange microfilm that's sorta dissolved in stomach acids and not water. I have no doubt be some research it could be done. But I watched a programme on oxy in Pennsylvania and those tamper proof tabs are worth way less than their counterparts as it's a complete pain making them soluble for injection.

Zopiclone tabs are tiny anyway, like a quarter size of a paracetamol 500.

Tho I'm no expert. Do we have an eta for a verdict on this case?

 

[icemaiden65]

Could they be cut in half and inserted into the two halved of the capsule form of paracetamol. They are a small tablet , so that would be possible, although HB would only take a paracetamol if she required pain relief and IS wouldn't be in full control of the frequency that they would be taken. Did someone on here mention doing something like this with HB's herbal medication.

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

I suggested that the Zopiclone pills might have been inserted whole (or perhaps haved as you suggest) inside an emptied out capsule but wasn't sure how big the pills are (Dolly is our resident expert!). Even if they were too large to pop inside a paracetamol then they would very likely fit inside an emptied out herbal capsule - some of those perishers are like torpedoes! Having said that, traces of paracetamol were found in Helen's body.

ETA Crossed with other responses

 

[Tortoise]

Could someone who has carried out jury duty before explain what the jury will do now? Do they have anyone to guide them, or they rely only on the Judge's instructions?

How do they elect a foreman and how do they begin to discuss - will they ask outright if everyone knows which way they are voting at the outset, or will they discuss first?

I'm intrigued to know how this stage works exactly.

The jurors will have got to know each other by now, on tea breaks etc. I think it quickly becomes apparent in a group setting or at a party or dinner party, who doesn't mind speaking to the whole group and who does. It just seems to sort itself out and so it isn't a surprise when you get in the jury room when that person volunteers. If not, then it will take a bit of discussion and suggestion from the group of a good candidate.

The jury I was on, during coffee etc, we had a show of hands to see how people were leaning. Then it goes from there, those with questions on the evidence state them, and others say why they discount/count it.

If there is a question that no one can answer to everyone's satisfaction you can send a note to the judge, and you all have to reconvene in the court room, counsels and all parties, to get the answer.