GUILTY UK - Louise Smith, 16, Havant, Hampshire, 8 May 2020 *Arrest*

[Harchmare]

12:16JAMIE PHILLIPS
'I knew it was going to turn into an argument'
Shane Mays tells the court of the how the conversation turned into an argument in the Havant Thicket clearing.

I was standing. I knew it was going to turn into an argument. Stood up as soon as she started talking about weed. I was going to try and walk away, but that would have meant living her in the woods on her own.

The jury is then shown an image of where Louise's body was found just the other side of the logs. Louise's body is blacked out of the image.

Louise Smith murder trial updates as accused continues to give evidence

 

[Sooty]

DBM

 

[Harchmare]

12:21KEY EVENT
Shane Mays punched Louise 'because I was angry', court hears
The court is again hearing about the moment an altercation is said to have broken out between Louise and Shane Mays.

He says:

She started talking about drugs and after a while I said you do not want to end up like your mother and she picked up a big stick and hit me on the side with it. She hit me with with it on the side of the ribs. It hurt.

I snatched the stick off her and then I punched her.

Asked why, he responds he did so "because I was angry". Asked why he aimed for Louise's face, Mays responds: "Because I did."

Louise Smith murder trial updates as accused continues to give evidence

 

[Alyce]

When I first saw the photos of where Louise's body had been found, I thought that it was an area of heavy undergrowth which had been cut back when the police searched the Thicket.
But from the evidence it is now clear that this was an open area within the trees.
I am in no way criticising the search, but I am surprised that it took so long to find Louise, with her body lying in an open space.

 

[Sooty]

I think he could have spun her a story about going to the Thicket to get some kind of drugs and Louise would be happy to go along, on the promise of being given something. He could then say the meet had to be inside the Thicket, out of sight of the main pathway.
If he was going to his mother's house, he would have gone in the opposite direction, 20 minute walk rather than one hour.

he has admitted to being drawn into drugs himself and that CJ didn’t like it, so he would have a reason to be out of sights and away from the flat, if buying or taking drugs or being caught up in drug taking in any way.

edited to say: I don’t think that is what actually happened, I think it’s a ruse to get her there and it would have appeal to her.

 

[Harchmare]

When I first saw the photos of where Louise's body had been found, I thought that it was an area of heavy undergrowth which had been cut back when the police searched the Thicket.
But from the evidence it is now clear that this was an open area within the trees.
I am in no way criticising the search, but I am surprised that it took so long to find Louise, with her body lying in an open space.

Her body was somewhat hidden behind a log and there were branches on top of her. But yes, it's still strange that she wasn't found before. I guess they didn't know where to search because of what SM had said. MOO

 

[Harchmare]

12:27JAMIE PHILLIPS
Defendant questioned on why he repeatedly punched Louise Smith
Asked why he punched her, Mays says:

Because she wound me up and the night before that as well. It got to me.

Mr Newton-Price QC then enquires about what had happened the night before.

She went missing and caused loads of trouble and made my wife angry.

12:30JAMIE PHILLIPS
Mays was unsure if Louise was conscious as he punched her, court hears
Shane Mays says he is "not sure" if Louise was conscious when he was punching her, but adds that he stopped when he heard her "moaning".

"You had punched her hard enough to possibly knock her out, is that right?", Mr Newton-Price QC asks. "And then you punched her again, is that right? Then she was on the floor and you continued?"

Mays agrees with each question.

Louise Smith murder trial updates as accused continues to give evidence

 

[Harchmare]

Wouldn't he have blood on his face and t-shirt if he bent over her and punched her?

 

[Harchmare]

2 minutes ago
Mays took Louise’s phone after attack, claims prosecution
After telling the court he has no memory of what happened after the attack, the prosecution questioned Mays on where Louise’s phone was.

The phone and phone case were found around 210m away from her body, further down the track out of Havant Thicket. Mr Newton-Price QC asked the defendant if he was carrying anything in his hand - to which he replied ‘I can’t remember’ but insisted he didn’t have Louise’s phone.

The prosecutor asked: ‘You’re telling us you have no memory - so can you remember then, that you didn’t have Louise’s phone?'

‘Yes,’ Mays replied.

Mr Newton-Price QC said: ‘You chucked her phone case into the woods and then chycked her phone as well. You knew very well what you were doing when you did that.’

Louise Smith murder trial: Live updates as Shane Mays set to give evidence

 

[Alyce]

Snipped from above......

Because she wound me up and the night before that as well. It got to me.
Mr Newton-Price QC then enquires about what had happened the night before.
She went missing and caused loads of trouble and made my wife angry


He is so hopeless at hiding things isn't he. Louise was back home late afternoon on the 7th - he went to Tescos with her that evening, before they had their quiet drinks at home. Whatever it was that wound him up it was not Louise being out of touch during that day.

 

[Harchmare]

Court 1 T20207045
SHANE LEE MAYS
Trial (Part Heard) - Legal Submissions - 12:19

More legal submissions... Does anyone have an idea what that might be about?

I found this info:
Legal Submissions Legal technicalities are under discussion either within the court (where the jury may have to be removed) or the chambers. The Prosecution and/or the Defence Counsel may be addressing the judge. Under some circumstances the public may be denied access to the court until the submissions are complete.
XHIBIT: Court list

But it doesn't really say anything.

 

[Harchmare]

12:36JAMIE PHILLIPS
Defendant punched Louise 'many times' after he 'lost control', court hears
Asked by Mr Newton-Price QC if he continued to punch her, Mays responds by saying he did so "many times" and that he "lost control".

He agrees with Mr Newton-Price that he punched Louise "so many times that you lost count" and that each was aimed at her head.

Louise Smith murder trial updates as accused continues to give evidence

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Giving evidence for the first time during his trial for the 16-year-old’s murder, Shane Mays yesterday said he left the 5ft tall youngster “moaning” on the ground after she had hit him with a “big stick”. Mays, who is 6ft tall and weighs 17 stone, initially insisted “he did not kill Louise”, but told the court he had lied to police investigators. The 30-year-old, whose wife is Louise’s aunt, admitted he would “sometimes get angry” with the teenager when she refused to do chores and smoked cannabis in the house. Her “terribly” defiled body was found burned in woodland near Mays’s home in Leigh Park, Hants, last May a jury at Winchester Crown Court has been told.
Louise Smith's killer admits punching her repeatedly in the face


Giving evidence, the defendant said he was pleased when the teenager invited him out of their shared home on the false pretext of meeting a friend.

He said: "She wanted me to be on my own so she could bond with me. I was happy because she could finally open up to me."

Mays said he did not like Louise, who was his wife's niece.

Jurors have been told Louise was initially happy living with Mays and her aunt but arguments had started between them over chores and about her smoking cannabis with her boyfriend.

Previously the defendant, of Ringwood House, Leigh Park, said he lost his temper and punched her repeatedly after she hit him with a stick during an argument about her drug use.

He said he then forgot about what he had done until a few days after his murder arrest more than a week later.

In previous evidence, he said he had not killed Louise or defiled or burned her body.

The victim suffered "heavy blows to the head" but pathologists were unable to determine the cause of death, the court previously heard.

The trial continues.
Louise Smith death: Shane Mays claims teen 'wanted to bond'

*I’m so sorry Louise. So very sorry my dear. RIP

 

[Harchmare]

12:45JAMIE PHILLIPS
Defendant stopped punching Louise when she 'made a moaning noise', court hears

Shane Mays said he stopped punching Louise when "she made a moaning noise".

He admits she did have blood on her face and that he had been standing over Louise, punching her in the head with "both firsts". He also admits he "heard cracks" when punching her.

Asked if he noticed if Louise's jaw was "in the wrong place", Mays disagrees and also denies thinking 'I must have killed her' when questioned by prosecutor Mr Newton-Price.

Louise Smith murder trial updates as accused continues to give evidence

 

[Alyce]

Court 1 T20207045
SHANE LEE MAYS
Trial (Part Heard) - Legal Submissions - 12:19

More legal submissions... Does anyone have an idea what that might be about?

I found this info:
Legal Submissions Legal technicalities are under discussion either within the court (where the jury may have to be removed) or the chambers. The Prosecution and/or the Defence Counsel may be addressing the judge. Under some circumstances the public may be denied access to the court until the submissions are complete.
XHIBIT: Court list

But it doesn't really say anything.

Sometimes it will be either Prosecution or Defence arguing to introduce a piece of evidence which the other side objects to. Or arguing to have something struck from the record.

 

[Harchmare]

12:55JAMIE PHILLIPS
'I just walked away', defendant tells court
Mr Newton-Price continues to question Shane Mays, asking: "Her face is bleeding and you have heard cracks, correct?"

Mays agrees and then admits that he "just walked away" from the scene.

Asked if he was aware he had "done a terrible thing, Mays replies:

No, I wasn't in the right mind. I was still angry.

Louise Smith murder trial updates as accused continues to give evidence

 

[Scorpiette]

12:21KEY EVENT
Shane Mays punched Louise 'because I was angry', court hears
The court is again hearing about the moment an altercation is said to have broken out between Louise and Shane Mays.

He says:

She started talking about drugs and after a while I said you do not want to end up like your mother and she picked up a big stick and hit me on the side with it. She hit me with with it on the side of the ribs. It hurt.

I snatched the stick off her and then I punched her.

Asked why, he responds he did so "because I was angry". Asked why he aimed for Louise's face, Mays responds: "Because I did."

Louise Smith murder trial updates as accused continues to give evidence

Are the prosecution trying to imply that SM deliberately punched her repeatedly so hard in the face to render her unrecognisable so she couldn't be identified?

 

[Harchmare]

12:58JAMIE PHILLIPS
'You have quite literally smashed her face in', prosecutor tells defendant
Continuing to question Mays, Mr Newton-Price QC asks:

What did you think was going oto happen when you, a 17-stone man, punch a 16-year-old girl? You have quite literally smashed her face in, do you understand that? And you have kill her.

Mays agrees to the first question, but he denies having killed Louise.

Louise Smith murder trial updates as accused continues to give evidence

 

[Sooty]

12:45JAMIE PHILLIPS
Defendant stopped punching Louise when she 'made a moaning noise', court hears

Shane Mays said he stopped punching Louise when "she made a moaning noise".

He admits she did have blood on her face and that he had been standing over Louise, punching her in the head with "both firsts". He also admits he "heard cracks" when punching her.

Asked if he noticed if Louise's jaw was "in the wrong place", Mays disagrees and also denies thinking 'I must have killed her' when questioned by prosecutor Mr Newton-Price.

Louise Smith murder trial updates as accused continues to give evidence

Surely it would be difficult for a 6 feet tall man of some bulk to be standing over a body (bent over from the waist one assumes) and being able to punch with enough force repeatedly, over and over, the head and face, to cause these catastrophic injuries. And avoid blood on hands, clothing etc.

 

[polerina]

Sometimes it will be either Prosecution or Defence arguing to introduce a piece of evidence which the other side objects to. Or arguing to have something struck from the record.

Yeah that sounds sensible.

I might be wrong, but I think they can remove the jury while they introduce evidence that was collected using highly covert policing techniques to protect their sources / methodology. I think this may include information sourced from a CHIS (covert human intelligence source) to protect their identity and integrity of policing tactics.

 

[Harchmare]

Are the prosecution trying to imply that SM deliberately punched her repeatedly so hard in the face to render her unrecognisable so she couldn't be identified?

That he kept punching her to kill her or that he would have known she would die if he continued, I think. MOO

 

[Sooty]

12:45JAMIE PHILLIPS
Defendant stopped punching Louise when she 'made a moaning noise', court hears

Shane Mays said he stopped punching Louise when "she made a moaning noise".

He admits she did have blood on her face and that he had been standing over Louise, punching her in the head with "both firsts". He also admits he "heard cracks" when punching her.

Asked if he noticed if Louise's jaw was "in the wrong place", Mays disagrees and also denies thinking 'I must have killed her' when questioned by prosecutor Mr Newton-Price.

Louise Smith murder trial updates as accused continues to give evidence

Surely it would be difficult for a 6 feet tall man of some bulk to be standing over a body (bent over from the waist one assumes) and being able to punch with both fists, with enough force repeatedly, over and over, the head and face, to cause these catastrophic injuries. And avoid blood on hands, clothing etc.

 

[polerina]

Sometimes it will be either Prosecution or Defence arguing to introduce a piece of evidence which the other side objects to. Or arguing to have something struck from the record.

Yeah that sounds sensible.

I might be wrong, but I think they can remove the jury while they introduce evidence that was collected using highly covert policing techniques to protect their sources / methodology. I think this may include information sourced from a CHIS (covert human intelligence source) to protect their identity and integrity of policing tactics.