GUILTY UK - Helen Bailey, 51, Royston, 11 April 2016 #3

[mrjitty]

Re the "heavy" manhole cover - please don't be misled about this!

For example, I recently built a concrete soakaway 3m deep using concrete rings. It has a solid iron manhole cover like what you see in the street which is much heavier than 7.5kg

Yes the thing is heavy for me to lift - but actually even my relatively weak partner can open it with ease.

You use a simple short hook or section of rope, to crack the cover and then shift it sideways to open. It pivots very easily

Simple physics.

The point is that with these kind of access covers, you don't need to dead lift them.

You lever them or pivot them off.

Most of the weight is supported by the ground at all times, so I only need enough force to move it up 10cm or so, and then overcome friction to drag it sideways.

In the same way i was able to reposition the concrete rings themselves because the weight is supported by the ground - i only need to overcome friction.

Bottom line, even an injured man can open a 7.5kg cover.

He does not need to use his stomach muscles to lift.

He can pivot it off with his arm/shoulder alone - or knees.

 

[Moll]

I think that's the first time I've learned that IS helped Helen when she had problems with the sewers at her Highgate house, as Pips says. Interesting.

 

[BatFace]

Another thing about Helen's friends that occurs to me: wasn't it they who first raised the alarm, after she failed to show up for a long-standing and regular lunch engagement? It strikes me that she had a very loyal tribe of many years who loved her- a far cry from IS's claim that there was only one person in London she could call on.

 

[Tortoise]

Tara seems to have really had a bad Wednesday. She signed off saying case resumed on FRIDAY, but in fact it is listed for tomorrow.

Daily List for Thursday 26 January 2017 at BRICKET ROAD ST ALBANS

Court 1 - sitting at 10:00 AM

HIS HONOUR JUDGE BRIGHT QC
Trial (Part Heard)
T20167121
STEWART Ian

Sky news reporter also tweeted Friday.

"Jury sent home for the day. Will return to hear more evidence on Friday."

https://twitter.com/ashishskynews/with_replies

 

[cottonweaver]

As people had been cooking food for IS and dropping it off for him during the "missing phase" I do think it's part and parcel of kind-hearted people simply being taken-in by IS. That in itself is not very surprising considering the deceit and manipulations testified to so far.

"One of Helen’s close friends, who did not want to be named, yesterday told how people had been cooking food and dropping it off for Mr Stewart to make sure he was eating.

She added: “I feel completely traumatised, I think I’m in a daze.”"

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/police-dig-up-garden-search-8408857

 

[Moll]

I notice on the list for Court 1 on the Courtserve website there are a lot of odds and ends from other cases listed under that mention of this trial for today. Does that mean the reporters were right and in fact nothing requiring the jury is happening today?

 

[Squamous]

As people had been cooking food for IS and dropping it off for him during the "missing phase" I do think it's part and parcel of kind-hearted people simply being taken-in by IS. That in itself is not very surprising considering the deceit and manipulations testified to so far.



http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/police-dig-up-garden-search-8408857

But also, IS grew up in that area as far as I know, looks like his parents are v local and possibly all of his family in law from his marriage to Diane. He probably went to school there too so I should imagine he has a lot of connections and acquaintances who have never really thought about him critically.

ETA from a bit of a Facebook dig I think the family in law isn't local, but the rest still stands.

 

[MillyM]

But also, IS grew up in that area as far as I know, looks like his parents are v local and possibly all of his family in law from his marriage to Diane. He probably went to school there too so I should imagine he has a lot of connections and acquaintances who have never really thought about him critically.

ETA from a bit of a Facebook dig I think the family in law isn't local, but the rest still stands.

How do you know from Herts? His parents live in Luton, Beds. Not too far. Of course doesn't mean they have always lived there.

 

[MillyM]

I notice on the list for Court 1 on the Courtserve website there are a lot of odds and ends from other cases listed under that mention of this trial for today. Does that mean the reporters were right and in fact nothing requiring the jury is happening today?

Could be...

 

[Squamous]

How do you know from Herts? His parents live in Luton, Beds. Not too far. Of course doesn't mean they have always lived there.

His parents are in Bassingbourn but I am remembering now that IS was born in Letchworth. So not the same town but still Herts.

 

[cottonweaver]

But also, IS grew up in that area as far as I know, looks like his parents are v local and possibly all of his family in law from his marriage to Diane. He probably went to school there too so I should imagine he has a lot of connections and acquaintances who have never really thought about him critically.

ETA from a bit of a Facebook dig I think the family in law isn't local, but the rest still stands.

Bold- I agree that's likely as is the reality that many people have a public and private "face". Also he might have been a man who was quite hard to "know" well, by nature or by design. ( By the same token I'd expect even an author with a confessional/intimate style such as Helen will have had limits to access to their most private, current/unresolved thoughts.)

It's also possible that when he is convicted that the odd IS friend/astute acquaintance who had reservations about IS may come out with some public comment later on.( Whatever we say or don't say on here , his notoriety is now a given IMO. There will be the inevitable succession of programmes about this crime.)

I'm not sure his " family in law from his marriage" would speak out later as it's still painful and without any possibility of resolution now but yes, you never know....

I note the initial comment by his mother-in-law but my recollection is that the rest of the in laws have kept their views private so far. Nonetheless I guess that some of them are also paying very close attention to the trial proceedings, for others it might be too much?

 

[Squamous]

Yes, it must be dreadful for Diane's family, including her sons. I was thinking who would be helpful and kind to me/my husband if something similar happened to us and mostly it would be neighbours and other parents from the school gate etc, people we have neither charmed nor intimidated, just kind people who want to help. I think if IS had been in Royston/Bassingbourn for years then he'd have a lot of people with that kind of relationship.

 

[cottonweaver]

Just a couple of new things I hadn't seen in the tweets this week, or may have just missed -


DC Hollie Daines said the defendant had told police he “must be” a suspect. She told the trial: “I found his behaviour generally quite unexpected at times: he had already snapped at me a couple of times when I was asking him to do an interview. I found him rude, temperamental, uncooperative and dismissive of us.”
.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...s-mother-eileen-memory?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

On the back of that last post I made, just bumping up Tortoise's tweet.

So whilst Daines is naturally biased, this description gives us a glimpse into how IS's personality can be described whilst under duress.
And we have the previous comments wtte he was a lovely kind man......

 

[Duchy]

I can't stop thinking about all of this lately. Right up to hearing the 101 call and this week's evidence I had doubts simply because I couldn't believe he could have done something so horrific to Helen and Boris as put them down a sesspit. It's just unbelievable.

 

[Alyce]

Re the "heavy" manhole cover - please don't be misled about this!

For example, I recently built a concrete soakaway 3m deep using concrete rings. It has a solid iron manhole cover like what you see in the street which is much heavier than 7.5kg

Yes the thing is heavy for me to lift - but actually even my relatively weak partner can open it with ease.

You use a simple short hook or section of rope, to crack the cover and then shift it sideways to open. It pivots very easily

Simple physics.

The point is that with these kind of access covers, you don't need to dead lift them.

You lever them or pivot them off.

Most of the weight is supported by the ground at all times, so I only need enough force to move it up 10cm or so, and then overcome friction to drag it sideways.

In the same way i was able to reposition the concrete rings themselves because the weight is supported by the ground - i only need to overcome friction.

Bottom line, even an injured man can open a 7.5kg cover.

He does not need to use his stomach muscles to lift.

He can pivot it off with his arm/shoulder alone - or knees.

Thank you Mr Jitty for confirmation - exactly what some of us have been saying - all this talk ( in court I mean ) of lifting has been rather misleading and I hope the Pros will emphasise what you have said ( in their words of course ! )

 

[Alyce]

Copying over previous posts re the discussion of if IS owned any of the Royston property.



Originally Posted by Interested Bystander
This is what I remember but the wording is a little odd about the Royston house. Why would he have said “the value of the main Royston house” and not just the Royston House. Maybe this indicates it was her share. However, I need to remember these are the words of a reporter and not necessarily the Prosecutor.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news...trial-12427078

12:58
Author made a will in 2014, naming Stewart as the beneficiary
The prosecution state that on the event of her death, Stewart would benefit from £1.8million in addition to the value of the main Royston house and the second home in Broadstairs. Helen Bailey made a will in 2014 - she was apparently concerned that Stewart might be financially vulnerable if she died.



Alyce
Great find. I am scrolling through the evidence but have not found the remark so far. The only reason it stuck in my mind was that someone ( a RL friend ) said something to me about how much IS owned of the house and I remember thinking oh that's not the same as I read in the evidence.. will keep looking



From Thread One -Evidence from January 10
Stewart was set to 'benefit' £1.8m in event of author's death

The court heard when the couple bought a £1.5million home together in Royston, Herts., it was Helen who put in the majority of the money.
In the event of her death Stewart would ‘benefit’ to the sum of £1,800,000, the court was told.
That’s on top of the value of the house in Royston and a second home they shared in Broadstairs, Kent.



which sounds to me as though IS does have a share, we just don't know how much or how little.

 

[Moll]

I think the wording of 'the main Royston house' commented on by Interested Bystander, reposted by Alyce above, is only odd because it needs brackets or commas round either 'main' or 'Royston' - i.e. the house was both their main one and their Royston one.
Just shows that punctuation can be crucial!

 

[Matthewitt]

Hi I live in Royston and have been following this closely. I felt compelled today to come to court only to find out it's only paper work and no sitting until tomorrow. I will be going along tomorrow morning too to see what happens.

 

[Moll]

Thanks for letting us know. I'd come to that conclusion from the amount of other business scheduled but it's good to have confirmation from the court. It will be interesting to hear form you tomorrow!

 

[Matthewitt]

Time posting is wrong.... the time now is 11.44am as i post this