GUILTY UK - Kempsey, found in a septic tank, Jul'19, missing in 1982 - Brenda Venables *husband arrested*

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13:20JANE TYLER

Trial is underway​

The jury has been sworn in and the trial is underway.
Venables is accused of murdering his wife Brenda Venables at some point between May 2 - 5 in 1982. He has pleaded not guilty to this charge.
The judge overseeing the trial is a High Court one, The Honourable Mrs Justice Tipples.
There is currently a break for lunch, with the trial set to start again around 2.15pm.

14:26JANE TYLER

Prosecution opens the case​

The prosecuting barrister, Michael Burrows QC, has begun opening the case.
He is telling the jury how Venables walked into Worcester Police Station on May 4, 1982, and reported that his wife, Brenda, was missing.
He said he woke up that day and found his wife wasn't in their bed or in their house. He told police that his wife had been depressed and he suspected she may have committed suicide.

14:30JANE TYLER

David Venables sold the farm in 2014​

The jury is now hearing how Mr and Mrs Venables sold their farm to Mr Venables' nephew in 2014.
In 2019 when the sceptic tank was opened skeletal remains were found. At first it was thought they were that of animals, as previously the bones of dogs had been found.
But a closer examination of the bones found they included a skull and were found to be human.
A DNA analysis later revealed they were that of Brenda Venables.

14:37JANE TYLER

David Venables had a long-standing affair​

Mr Burrows is now telling the jury how Venables had been having a long term affair, which his wife knew about.

14:44JANE TYLER

Defendant had been having a long term affair​

The jury is hearing more details of the affair. It was with Lorraine Stiles, the carer for David Venables elderly mother.
It was still going on when Brenda Venables went missing in May 1982.

14:48JANE TYLER

Defendant hadn't had sex with his wife for over 12 years​

In the months leading up to her disappearance, Brenda Venables had been treated for depression. She told her pyschiatrist how she had an unhappy marriage.
She told the doctor how her husband, David, had had several affairs and that they hadn't had sex since 1969 and hadn't slept in the same bed for three years.
Brenda also told the doctor how she had rung the Samaritans as she had considered committed suicide.

14:54JANE TYLER

Farm was in a very remote location​

Mr Burrows is giving more details of where the Venables lived. It was at Quaking House Farm in Kempsey, near Worcester, was a "very remote" location.
The septic tank was in the grounds and also very remote, with not even frequent visitors and people who worked at the farm being "entirely sure" where it was.
It was covered by a very heavy cast iron lid. Mr Burrows said: "It's preposterous to think that Brenda Venables walked out of the house, climbed into the tank and pulled the heavy lid back over her.
"It's the prosecution's case that she was unlawfully killed."

14:58JANE TYLER

Defendant 'killed his wife so he could be with his mistress'​

The prosecution is alleging that Venables killed his wife so he could be with Lorraine Stiles, his long term lover.
Mr Burrows said: "The septic tank was the perfect hiding place - the body was hidden from public view and for nearly 40 years he had got away with murder."
He said only two people - one of them being Venables - ever emptied or opened the septic tank. The other man, a farm worker, said every time he opened it there was always at least six inches of slurry on the top of it.

15:00JANE TYLER

Defendant said his wife was depressed because she couldn't have children​

The jury is hearing how during police interviews, Venables told detectives that the reason his wife was depressed was because they were unable to have children.

15:05JANE TYLER

Defendant's mistress tried to kill herself​

More details have been given about Venables affair with Lorraine Stiles.
Ms Stiles was married when the affair began in 1967 and shortly afterwards left her husband and set up home with her children in a caravan, to which Venables was a frequent visitor.
When she got divorced she started to ask Venables when he would divorce Brenda, and he just kept replying "We'll see what can be done".
Then, she noticed lipstick and make-up stains on his collar and questioned him about it. Around the same time she began receiving poison pen letters, warning her to stay away from Venables.
Venables told her he would "deal with it". But the pressure got too much and she took an overdose with the intention of killing herself, but survived.

15:08JANE TYLER

Mistress met the wife to "chat" about the affair​

In the 1970s Lorraine Stiles decided to pay Brenda Venables a visit to discuss "the situation". The jury heard how during the visit it was very civilised and cordial and "no voices were raised".
Mr Burrows said: "Brenda Venables told Ms Stiles that David Venables would never leave her or divorce her and had had other women, besides Ms Stiles.
"She was very sympathetic towards Ms Stiles. Later during the meeting Mr Venables walked in on them."

15:11JANE TYLER

Affair still going on in 1981​

Mr Burrows is telling the jury how the affair was still going on in 1981.
By now, Lorraine Stiles had remarried again, but the marriage had ended after just a few months and she continued to see Venables who, she said, had "begged" to resume it.

15:19JANE TYLER

Trial ends for the day​

The trial has now finished for the day.
It will resume tomorrow at 11am when the prosecution will continue outlining details of the case for the jury.

www.birminghammail.co.uk

Live updates: David Venables on trial for 'septic tank murder'

Live updates: David Venables on trial for septic tank murder 40 years ago
www.birminghammail.co.uk www.birminghammail.co.uk
 
Legally Bland said:
The articles at the 2 links from yesterday have disappeared, maybe reporting restrictions?


www.birminghammail.co.uk

Live updates: David Venables on trial for 'septic tank murder'

Live updates: David Venables on trial for septic tank murder 40 years ago
www.birminghammail.co.uk www.birminghammail.co.uk
Click to expand...

how strange. I‘ve had a look on court serve but no mention of anything.
 
Legally Bland said:
The articles at the 2 links from yesterday have disappeared, maybe reporting restrictions?


www.birminghammail.co.uk

Live updates: David Venables on trial for 'septic tank murder'

Live updates: David Venables on trial for septic tank murder 40 years ago
www.birminghammail.co.uk www.birminghammail.co.uk
Click to expand...

That is strange indeed. When I read the report that you thankfully posted, my first reaction was disbelief. So many twists and turns. Lorraine visiting Brenda .... you can't make this up and I hope no one did.

I can imagine that someone would not be happy to be named in the press as a married lover of a suspected murderer. Could her identity be protected by naming her witness X for instance?

The news from yesterday seems to have disappeared everywhere, links from various outlets on twiiter no longer work either.

Found this:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1534857498808786945

Tom Edwards

@tomedwardsbbchw

Back in court for this trial today - David Venables, who’s 89, is accused of murdering his wife in Kempsey 40 years ago. We’ll have all the latest updates through the day on @bbchw

BBM


Nothing to be found, no updates from yesterday either.
 
Still nothing. You would think there would at least be an explanation why reporting has been stopped.
I wonder if Lorraine is a witness, and if not, where the prosecution got their information.
Some of the evidence is surely hearsay unless it came from DV himself. Intriguing.
 
10/06/2022​



Warning - There may be cases within the court list with reporting restrictions. Please check with the court.
Any breach of reporting restrictions is punishable by sanctions up to and including imprisonment.
Search:


​
LOCATION​
COURT​
CASE N0.​
DEFENDANT/S​
details_close.gif
3​
T20217099​
david venables​
Details:Trial (Part Heard) - Resume - 14:21
Trial (Part Heard) - Case adjourned until 11:00 - 14:45


Case is ongoing. With reporting restrictions IMO.
 
I just think that having said that they would "have all the latest updates", the press should have reported that they were unable to continue due to reporting restrictions. Instead of just leaving it hanging in mid-air.
 
I am reading 'Reporting Restrictions in the Criminal Courts'. Interesting reading but it does not really clarify what might be happening here given that AFAIK we are not dealing with juveniles.

Section 2.1 Trials in private: all criminal courts

The court has an inherent power to regulate its own proceedings, however, and may hear a trial
or part of a trial in private in exceptional circumstances. The only exception to the open justice
principle at common law justifying hearings in private is where the hearing of the case in public
would frustrate or render impractical the administration of justice.11 The test is one of necessity. The
fact, for example, that hearing evidence in open court will cause embarrassment to witnesses does
not meet the test for necessity.12 Neither is it a sufficient basis for a hearing in private that allegations will be aired which will be damaging to the reputation of individuals.13 The interests of justice could never justify excluding the media and public if the consequence would be that a trial was unfair.14

(...)

Circumstances which may justify hearing a case in private include situations where the nature
of the evidence, if made public, would cause harm to national security e.g. by disclosing sensitive
operational techniques or identifying a person whose identity for strong public interest reasons
should be protected e.g. an undercover police officer. The application to proceed in private should be
supported by relevant evidence and the test to be applied in all cases is whether proceeding in private
is necessary to avoid the administration of justice from being frustrated or rendered impractical.
Disorder in court may also justify an order that the public gallery be cleared. Again the exceptional
measure should be no greater than necessary. Representatives of the media (who are unlikely to have
participated in the disorder) should normally be allowed to remain.


BBM


From the same guide I learned that the defendant can request a hearing in private, but this should be done before the trial begins and the same standards for open justice apply.
 
The timings seem very odd.

Wednesday was fairly normal. Pick the Jury and open with the Prosecution Speech.

Thursday morning was 25 minutes, then a break, 30 minutes then a break.

Today was 24 minutes then ended until Monday.

I wonder if there is some issue with DVs health / ability to sit through the trial ? which is causing the very short timings.
 
ZaZara said:
Trial begins of husband accused of killing wife and putting body in septic tank

THE trial of David Venables, accused of murdering his wife Brenda, is due to get underway this morning.

The case is in courtroom three, being heard in front of Mrs Justice Amanda Tipples.
It is listed to last around six weeks.

Venables was charged in 2021.

The pensioner’s bail was subject to a condition of residence and instructions not to apply for a passport or to contact prosecution witnesses.

BBM


Six weeks! :oops: As in six full weeks and full days each day?
Click to expand...

How old is he? Will he last that long? Time has been ticking for so long now. JMO MOO
 
Officer Dibble said:
How old is he? Will he last that long? Time has been ticking for so long now. JMO MOO
Click to expand...

He is 89.

The good news is that he wasn't a juvenile at the time of the facts:

How sentencing of historic offenders works – Sentencing

The basic position when an offender is sentenced is that it should be according to the law at the time the offence was committed, not the law at the time when they are sentenced. This has been reinforced by Article 7 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

In some cases, in particular if there has been a long period between the offence taking place and a conviction and sentence, the offender may be quite elderly. Judges are not obliged to take that into account when sentencing but may do so, depending on the circumstances, for example if they are very ill or frail.

BBM
 
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Man accused of killing wife found in septic tank - trial starts

THE trial of David Venables who is alleged to have murdered his wife, Brenda, is set to get underway this morning.

The case is in courtroom three of Worcester Crown Court, being heard in front of Mrs Justice Amanda Tipples.

It has been listed to last around six weeks.

Venables was charged in 2021. The pensioner’s bail was subject to a condition of residence and instructions not to apply for a passport or to contact prosecution witnesses.


BBM


I'd swear this is the same report that was posted last week, but the tweets and this report are from this morning and the links are working. The case is on the court calender too, opening statements of the prosecution. IMO looks like they are starting over? or would this be another Groundhog Day?
 
Ha! Birmingham Mail has a live update, and that is eerily similar too, without any explanation as to why they are starting over.

Husband on trial for 'septic tank' murder 40 years ago - updates

11:38 Good morning​

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage from Worcester Crown Court.
Today the murder trial of David Venebles is expected to get underway. A jury in the case is to be selected before the prosecution open the case against Venebles.
The trial is expected to last around six weeks.

Prosecution team​

The prosecution is being led by Michael Burrows QC and Venables is being represented by Timothy Hannam QC and his junior barrister.

Jury sworn​

The jury has now been sworn in. They have been told how Venables is charged with murdering his wife, Brenda Venables, some time between May 2, 1982 and May 5, 1982

Short Break​

There is now a short break before the prosecution will open the case to the jury.

Judge Addresses Jury​

We’re back in court again and the judge, The Honourable Mrs Justice Tipples, is addressing the jury about what they should expect over the next six weeks.

Wife reported missing​

The prosecution barrister, Mr Venables, [ Burrows! ] is now telling the jury about the case. He said David and Brenda Venables lived together at Quaking House Farm, Kempsey, near Worcester.
At around midday on Tuesday 4th May 1982 Venables went to Worcester Police Station and reported his wife missing. He said he had awoken that morning and that his wife was not in bed nor in the house. He also said she had been depressed.
Police investigated the matter but did not find Mrs Venables or her body.
It was thought that because she had been depressed she had committed suicide.

Remains found​

Mrs Venables’ remains were eventually found on July 12 in 2019. This was because Venables had sold Quaking House Farm to his nephew in 2014 and in 2019 the new owners decided to empty the septic tank.
They made the grisly discovery of the skeletal remains of Brenda Venables inside the tank.
Mr Burrows said it was “beyond belief” to suppose that Mrs Venables took her own life by climbing into the septic tank and somehow shifted the heavy lid and put it back in place above her so that there was no sign of any disturbance there.
Mr Burrows said: “You can be sure she was unlawfully killed.”

'He wanted her out of the way'​

The proecution allege Venables killed his wife because he wanted to resume his long-standing affair with a local woman.
Mr Burrows said: “He wanted her out of the way”.
He said the septic tank was the “perect hiding place” as it was secluded and meant he didn’t have to travel to risk being seen disposing of his wife’s body.
“For nearly 40 years, it was the perfect place and he got away with murder,” Mr Burrows said.

Marriage​

The jury is now hearing about the Venables and their marriage. When she died Mrs Venables was 48 and described by people who knew her as “very prim and proper, and very pleasant and always polite”
Venables was 49 at the time his wife disappeared, he is now 89.
They got married in June 1960 and didn’t have any children.
In his police interviews Venables said his wife was “very disappointed” not to have had children and that was the reason why she was depressed.

Septic tank 'secluded'​

More details are now being given about the septic tank.
It was in a very secluded area and very few people knew of its existence.
Only two people emptied it: David Venables and a farm worker, David Wiggins, who told police he never looked inside it when emptying it.
It was never completely emptied and there was always around six inches of slurry in the tank, even when it had been drained.

Affair​

Mr Burrows is now telling the court about Venables’ mistress - Lorraine Styles.
They met in 1967 when she was working as a care assistant to Venables’ mother.
Their affair began and she got a divorce from her husband, as Venables led her to believe that he would also get divorced.
Once, Mrs Styles even went to see Brenda Venables to tell her about the affair. She said the two women discussed the situation “quite rationally” and “there were no raised voices”.
Mrs Venables told Mrs Styles how David Venables “had no intention” of leaving her and that she knew he had other affairs.
During this conversation Venables walked in on the two women and, although annoyed, there were “no cross words” and he even gave Mrs Styles a lift home.

On-off relationship​

Over the years Venables and Mrs Styles continued their affair in an on-off fashion. Mrs Styles even remarried another man, but that lasted just a few months and she got divorced.
Just before Christmas 1981 Venables contacted her again and their affair resumed.
He told Mrs Styles that he would see a solicitor about divorcing Brenda and they discussed living together in her house in Warndon.
He spoke of helping her buy the house, and said it would take time because of his business matters.
 
Live blog, continued

14:15 Court resumes​

The court, returning after lunch, is being told about Brenda Venables’ state of mind in the weeks leading up to her disappearance.
She started seeing a consultant psychiatrist in February 1982 - three months before she disappeared - and told him she was unhappy.
She said she did not have a happy marriage and that she and her husband had not had sexual intercourse since 1969.
Mrs Venables also told the doctor that her husband had had two affairs and that they had not slept together for three years.
She also told him that in March 1982 she had phoned the Samaritans as she had felt suicidal.
The psychiatrist concluded that Mrs Venables was very depressed and prescribed her medication.


Venables urged to report wife missing​

We are now hearing about what happened in the days when Brenda Venables went missing.
A friend called at Quaking House intending to take Brenda out for lunch to cheer her up.
But when she got there, she was met by David Venables who told her that his wife “wasn’t there”.
The friend, Vicky Jennings, went inside the house and saw that in the kitchen was a cake tin lined with grease-proof paper.
“It was as though Brenda had been in the process of making a cake,” Mr Burrows said. “Brenda was a good cook and often made cakes. Vicky Jennings does not ever remember David Venables making a cake.”
Mrs Jennings urged Venables to call the police and report his wife missing.


'No evidence of murder'​

David Venables officially reported his wife missing on Tuesday May 4 in 1982, saying he’d woken that morning and realised she’d gone.
One of the officers who was present when Venables completed a missing person form said Venables “did not seem anxious in any way and was quite calm”.
Another officer said how he found David Venables “cold and showed no emotion and did not seem worried in any way”.
Although extensive searches were made in the months following her disappearance, the septic tank in the Venables’ garden was never searched.
There was, at this stage, no evidence that Venables had murdered his wife, so the case was treated as a missing person’s enquiry.

'Normal marriage'​

In police interviews in 1983, Venables said his relationship with his wife was “perfectly normal” and had been so throughout their marriage.
He said he and his wife had slept apart for a period of a few weeks when he had an injury to his back, but that otherwise they slept together - which differs from what Mrs Venables told her psychiatrist.
In 1984 Venables was interviewed again and at that point admitted his affair with Lorraine Styles and also another woman. He claimed his wife was aware of his infidelity.

Discovery​

Mr Burrows is now telling the jury about the discovery of Brenda’s body.
In July 2019 the new owners of Quaking Hill Farm - the Venables’ nephew and niece Andrew and Jessamy Venables - had the septic tank emptied.
The contractors found a blockage and a large clump of hair and some “quite large” bones. They were too big to be dog bones and it was then he found a human skull.
The contractor told police: “I had never been in this situation before and I didn’t really know what to do, so I left it with the owner to sort out. He called the police and a short while later a couple of uniformed police officers arrived”.
Over the next few weeks police and firefighters were involved in recovering the skeletal remains of Brenda.
 
Last edited:
Live blog, continued

15:18 Cause of death not ascertained

The bones were examined by experts and they were found to be those of Brenda Venables. This was confirmed conclusively by comparing samples of DNA from one of the thigh bones with samples taken from Brenda Venables’ two sisters.
This confirmed that the remains were of a full sibling of theirs.
Due to the extensive decomposition, the cause of death could be ascertained.

Arrest​

The jury is now hearing about what happened to Venables after this grim discovery.
In July 2019 police went to Venables’ home and told him remains had been found in the septic tank at Quaking House Farm.
He said that was strange as the tank had been emptied several times.
He said that around the same time he knew another woman who had gone missing and she said she had been picked up by Fred West and managed to get out of his car.
Venables also suggested that the remains “could have been put there last week”.
Mr Burrows said: “The prosecution say the idea that someone removed Brenda Venables’ remains from where they had been hidden for years to the septic tank outside her home days before they were found is nonsense. They had been there all the time from her death in May 1982.”
Venables was arrested over the death on July 30, 2019 and was now a suspect.

Police interviews​

The court is now hearing a summary of the police interviews in July 2019.
Mr Burrows said that during these interviews Venables “lied” about the affair with Lorraine Styles and downplayed its significance, saying it only went on for “maybe a year” and was sexual only on a couple of occasions.
He kept changing his account of whether his wife knew about the relationship.

Property maps​

The jury is now being shown maps, drawings and photographs of Quaking House Farm, in Bestmans Lane, Kempsey.
Mr Burrows said they would also hear how Venables denies having anything to do with his wife’s disappearance and death.
The trial has now adjourned for the day and will resume tomorrow.
 
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