Deceased/Not Found UK - Leah Louise Ware (still missing) and Alexandra Morgan, May/Nov 2021 *Guilty*

[MsMiniSleuth]

11:47

The time after Alex's death​

After putting the body in the sleeping bag, Brown says he left the body in the “main section” of the shipping container. He then tried to clean up the blood, calling his partner, Lisa, after running out of cleaning liquids - making several calls to her in the process.
Brown says Lisa dropped off the bleach to him and that she did not get out of the car in her 20 minute stay, before leaving at 1.14pm.
Asked by the judge if Lisa suspected his use of escorts, Brown replies: “She expected me to sleep with everyone half the time.”
That day, Brown sent messages relating to a Vito van he had planned to buy. At 1.54pm, he also deleted and reinstalled Whatsapp to remove any trace of Alex, before texting a friend about a trailer he had also been interested in.
Brown says Alex would have been in the shipping container throughout this time.
Brown adds that he has previously seen the dead body of his father and two road accidents, stating that “you can generally tell when they’re dead".
“Urban legend” is one reason Brown gives for burning the body, whilst also adding that he did not want to dump it as it wouldn’t be nice for somebody to come across.

Mark Brown guilty of two murders - live updates

The trial has focused on the disappearances of Alex Morgan and Leah Ware

www.sussexlive.co.uk

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

12:02

'Did you go to the house to see if there might be anything there that would incriminate you?'​

Shortly after midnight Brown leaves Little Bridge Farm and tells the jury he went to Alex Morgan’s home to find her handbag which had some wraps of cocaine.
Brown says he took various items out of her car. These items included a hair dryer, hair straighteners, deodorant, and various toiletries.
Mr Atkinson asks whether these items were in fact items Alex had with her when she went into the container - Brown denies this and insists they were taken from her home.
Brown confirms he wanted to make it seem as though she had gone away, which is why he took the handbag.
“Did you go to the house to see if there might be anything there that would incriminate you?” Mr Atkinson asks.
Brown denies this and says he was simply making it seem as though she had gone away and that he wanted to take the cocaine so Alex’s reputation was not affected.

Mark Brown guilty of two murders - live updates

The trial has focused on the disappearances of Alex Morgan and Leah Ware

www.sussexlive.co.uk

 

[Honeybirdette]

He went all the way to Alex’s house to remove cocaine so “not affect her reputation”

Come off it. This is ridiculous

 

[MadeleineMaxwell]

Why did his barrister allow him to testify? It's legal suicide in this case.

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

12:36

'You’d have got blood all over you wouldn’t you?'​

Mr Atkinson goes back in the timeline to the morning of November 14. Brown confirms he had come from his security job and would be wearing black trousers, a white shirt, a skinny tactical vest and a white shirt. The defendant says he took off the white shirt when clearing up the blood and wore a t-shirt.
“You’d have got blood all over you wouldn’t you?,” suggests Mr Atkinson.
“I got blood on my hands," Brown replies.
Brown adds that he doesn’t recall getting blood on his clothes, with Mr Atkinson asking whether nothing had in fact happened in the barn and instead took place in the container, Brown denies this.
One witness had said Brown asked the owner of the Sevenoaks site whether he could put something in the skip. Brown says this was three or four weeks earlier and involved a washing machine and cooker he had in his yard.

12:54

The days after November 14​

Mr Atkinson asks about the days following November 14 in which Brown returned to the farm and relit the fire. He admits to relighting it on November 15 and 16.
On Wednesday November 17, Brown went to the farm before work to pick up the barrel. Brown had intended to dump it in a tipper truck on the A21 but, due to a lot of traffic, instead put it in the skip on the Sevenoaks worksite. Brown tells the jury he did not know that the skip would soon be collected with Mr Atkinson suggesting this would have been a good time to get rid of Alex, Brown denies this.
The defendant admits he changed the plates on Alex Morgan’s car and asked Darren Ripley whether he could borrow his trade plates. He adds that he decided to leave it at Holmhurst Lane as it would not be found, but says he then planned to leave it at Etchingham Railway Station which would make it seem like she had disappeared by train.
“I hadn't planned to leave it at Holmhurst at all but just wanted to move it to get it away from me,” Brown adds.
Asked when he planned to move it to Etchingham, Brown replies: “I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”
Brown also tells the jury that he didn’t ask Mr RIpley to help him move the car to Etchingham as: “You can’t get him to leave Hastings. The furthest I’ve ever got him to take me was Camber Sands.”

Mark Brown guilty of two murders - live updates

The trial has focused on the disappearances of Alex Morgan and Leah Ware

www.sussexlive.co.uk

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

12:59

More on Alex Morgan's car​

On Monday, November 22, Brown drove past Alex Morgan’s Mini on his way to Mr Ripley’s. He says he did not plan to move it that day but was checking to see that it was still there - he went for a cup of tea with Mr Ripley.
On November 23, Brown was spoken to by police. Asked if he thought this would be a good time to move the car, Brown replies: “I didn’t really get a lot of opportunity did I, but yes.”
“But you did decide to get rid of the key, didn't you?”
The following day, Brown gave the key to Bradley Nicholson at work and asked him to throw it out the window on his way home. Brown put the key in a packet of crisps and it was left in a digger on site.

13:08

'You killed her in the container with the door shut'​

Brown says he feared he would be caught and that the police would find blood in his workshop adding: “I knew I cleaned it up but I didn’t think I did that good a job.”
“You killed her in the container with the door shut,” Mr Atkinson says.
“No,” replies Brown.

13:08

Court breaks for lunch​

Court has now stopped for lunch, with things getting back under way in around an hour.

Mark Brown guilty of two murders - live updates

The trial has focused on the disappearances of Alex Morgan and Leah Ware

www.sussexlive.co.uk

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

15:04 KEY EVENT

Cross-examination of Mark Brown has finished - recap of the past hour​

Apologies for the slow updates this afternoon. The court has heard the last of the cross-examination of Mark Brown and is currently on a break. Below is what has happened in the past hour:
The defendant is asked about the exchange he had with Alan Downs a short while after November. Brown admits that he said he would be arrested for murder but denies having ever said “double murder".
Mr Atkinson says that the police didn’t know about Leah at that time, but that Brown did, to which the defendant replies: “I didn’t say double, I don’t know where that came from.”
Mr Atkinson asks why Brown replied: “I’d rather not say at this time” in his conversation with Mr Downs when asked who he had allegedly murdered and suggests that he should have said “no one” when asked who he had killed. Brown insists that he expected police to find blood at his yard.
Mr Atkinson reads out what was said in the exchange, according to Mr Downs: “double. I’ll be going away for 25 years to life. I’m going to have to go down for this one, 25 years to life.'
“I've got to take this one, I’ve got to go down for this one, well it depends what they find at my yard."
Brown says he expected them to find the blood in his workshop.
After both Leah and Alex disappeared, Brown purchased just over six litres of fuel. He says he frequently required fuel.
“You had used fuel to burn Alex’s body. And you had used fuel to burn Leah’s body hadn’t you,” Mr Atkinson says.
Brown replies with: “No.”
The text sent to Elizabeth Howard in which Brown refers to using diesel to dispose of something in a barrel, and being a “psychopath with a conscience,” is read to the jury again.
Mr Atkinson says: “In an unguarded moment in the middle of the night, talking with someone you thought you could trust, you gave the game away didn’t you.”
The text sent to Elizabeth Howard in which Brown refers to using diesel to dispose of something in a barrel, and being a “psychopath with a conscience,” is read to the jury again.
Mr Atkinson says: “In an unguarded moment in the middle of the night, talking with someone you thought you could trust, you gave the game away didn’t you.”
“For whatever reason, you had murdered Leah," says the prosecutor.
Brown answers: “No.”
“And then disposed of the body in a barrel," says Mr Atkinson.
“No," Brown says again.
“And then six months later," Mr Atkinson adds.
“No," Brown replies for a third time.
“Murder," says Mr Atkinson.
“No," from Brown again.
“Double," finishes Mr Atkinson.
“No," Brown says once more.
Mr Atkinson finishes his cross examination.

Mark Brown guilty of two murders - live updates

The trial has focused on the disappearances of Alex Morgan and Leah Ware

www.sussexlive.co.uk

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

15:59

Defence case has now concluded​

The court is taken through some agreed facts by the defence team.
Mr Henderson KC then concludes the defence's case.

16:29

FULL STORY | Today's court round up​

Today's full round up from court can be read here

Mark Brown guilty of two murders - live updates

The trial has focused on the disappearances of Alex Morgan and Leah Ware

www.sussexlive.co.uk

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

Hasn't been very on the ball today with reporting.

Back tomorrow from 10am. Will that be for summing up?

 

[Cherwell]

Thanks for the updates, you've been doing a sterling job.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Mark Brown trial: Murder-accused predicted his arrest, court hears

Jurors heard that Mark Brown, who denies killing two women, told his boss he was "going down".

www.bbc.com

 

[LammyTheRobot]

12:59

More on Alex Morgan's car​

On Monday, November 22, Brown drove past Alex Morgan’s Mini on his way to Mr Ripley’s. He says he did not plan to move it that day but was checking to see that it was still there - he went for a cup of tea with Mr Ripley.
On November 23, Brown was spoken to by police. Asked if he thought this would be a good time to move the car, Brown replies: “I didn’t really get a lot of opportunity did I, but yes.”
“But you did decide to get rid of the key, didn't you?”
The following day, Brown gave the key to Bradley Nicholson at work and asked him to throw it out the window on his way home. Brown put the key in a packet of crisps and it was left in a digger on site.

13:08

'You killed her in the container with the door shut'​

Brown says he feared he would be caught and that the police would find blood in his workshop adding: “I knew I cleaned it up but I didn’t think I did that good a job.”
“You killed her in the container with the door shut,” Mr Atkinson says.
“No,” replies Brown.

13:08

Court breaks for lunch​

Court has now stopped for lunch, with things getting back under way in around an hour.

Mark Brown guilty of two murders - live updates

The trial has focused on the disappearances of Alex Morgan and Leah Ware

www.sussexlive.co.uk

"I didn’t really get a lot of opportunity did I" - DIDDUMS, horrid vile man. He's getting agitated because police didn't give him "enough time" to move AM's car?!?! What is this man on??

 

[crespo29]

I think that on Friday 18 November there will be a lot of legal issues to discuss. I think the the final barrister arguments will start on Friday afternoon. I have been told that the case will not continue on the Monday as a jury member has an appointment. so I would expect that the closing statements will continue on Tuesday 22 Nov. I would expect the judge to start his summing up on Wednesday 23 November, and sometimes this can take well over a day taking us to Thursday 24 November when the Jury will be out to decide, which I would not expect to be more than a few hours, so probably we will know the result by Friday 25 November. This is my estimation and anything could happen to throw this out. A jury member being tested for covid? Is that still a thing? Anyhow I am expecting a verdict by the end of next week.

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

He went all the way to Alex’s house to remove cocaine so “not affect her reputation”

Come off it. This is ridiculous

He's a very caring man...

 

[Honeybirdette]

if he’s convinced of both murders. What sentence would he be looking at? Could be it be a whole life order or something like 40+ ?

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

Murder-accused denies telling boss he was 'going down for double'

A man accused of killing two woman and burning them in oil barrels has denied he told his boss he was 'going down' for 'double murder'.

www.kentonline.co.uk

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

Anyone know what's happening with the trial today? Looks like SussexLive have given up the ghost as no word last night about continuing today - although listed.

I wonder if @crespo29 can enlighten us?

 

[HongKongPhooey]

Anyone know what's happening with the trial today? Looks like SussexLive have given up the ghost as no word last night about continuing today - although listed.

I wonder if @crespo29 can enlighten us?

I have no idea - but I have wondered if his bottle is going, seeing what’s happened in the Katie Kenyon murder trial. I half expected a late guilty plea from this (IMO) joker too.

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

15:34

Good afternoon and welcome back​

Good afternoon and welcome back to our live blog. With the case nearing its conclusion there have been no live updates from the courtroom today.
In the morning session, the Mr Justice Nicholas Hilliard led the jury through the legal process and explained the possible verdicts they can reach. After that, prosecution barrister, Duncan Atkinson KC, began his closing statement which was expected to continue into the afternoon session.
There will be no court proceedings on Monday (November 21) with the trial resuming on Tuesday.

Mark Brown guilty of two murders - live updates

The trial has focused on the disappearances of Alex Morgan and Leah Ware

www.sussexlive.co.uk

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

No further reporting from SussexLive. I think now the main part of the trial is finished they may not do more until a verdict.