Found Deceased UK - Nicola Bulley Last Seen Walking Dog Near River - St Michaels on Wyre (Lancashire) #15

[ayrshireguy]

This Sky News witness account raised a couple of points for me:

Penny phoned the man's wife after finding Willow
Penny fastened the dog
The man went back to phone and they (who was he with?) looked at the wallpaper?

Interesting IMO

Phone his wife. Very interesting.

 

[JennieM]

So LP shot from the hip with this one rather than - over the past three weeks - consulting with people who know on these matters to ensure that the release of information was legal and morally right?

A "vulnerable person due to depression or mental health" would have been much better imo.

Unfortunately, every move seems to make things messier.

 

[onthecounter]

The Old House opposite is not "abandoned" and has apparently been searched by police with the authority of the owner. It might look abandoned but someone will be keeping an eye on it..

Not my type of paper at all but I believe this is MSM..

Mystery 'abandoned' house searched by cops who have warned amateur detectives

A HOUSE close to where missing mum-of-two Nicola Bulley vanished almost two weeks ago has been searched by police, friends say. The 45-year-old was last seen walking her dog Willow along the river …

www.thesun.co.uk

Inverted commas. Can get away with writing anything.

 

[MsBetsy]

I am aware of those facts. They were literally sauntering, walking very slowly whilst stopping and chatting too.

Yes, but unless they knew her exact movements, I think it's impossible to conclude that her walking more slowly has any significance or has anything to do with her disappearance.

 

[cottonweaver]

Unfortunately, every move seems to make things messier.

somebody or something clearly over-rode the SIO and possibly even the Assistant CC?
Presser started around 12 noon. The U-turn, the release of the nature of the vulnerabilities came through from LP at 6pm

SIO Smith, around lunchtime:
'In terms of the vulnerabilities - I feel we've said as much as we can about that. It is personal, private information, known to the investigation, but foremost in our thoughts, in addition to the integrity of the investigation, is the privacy of Nicola's family. So, we've said as much as we can with that.
I thank you for your attention today.'

Link - from the transcript of press conference I just attached UK - UK - Nicola Bulley Last Seen Walking Dog Near River - St Michaels on Wyre (Lancashire) #15

 

[Davieson]

As per transcript of yesterday's presser Rebecca Smith was made SIO on Monday 30th January .
From the horses's mouth.

If i understood correctly the debate is about when she was appointed SIO.

I don't think LP would put a Detective Superintendent, leading a host of detectives, in charge of a missing person's inquiry unless they were taking the 'at risk' classification very seriously from the beginning.

 

[JennieM]

A friend of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley has criticised Lancashire Police's decision to reveal intimate details about her personal life and health, claiming they made the 'unfair' decision to distract from their lack of progress.

The family friend said last night they believe police released the private information to shift the focus from scrutiny they are facing over the case.

They told The Mirror: 'I feel angry for Nikki. She's a beautiful, kind, loving person. One of the best kind of friends you could wish for.

'This has painted her in an unfair light. I think the police have done this to shift the focus on to this rather than on them and their lack of progress.'

They added: 'Whatever is written will be out there in the public domain. Her daughters will read all of this one day.'

They joined other family friends in appealing for the focus to remain on finding Ms Bulley, saying the police 'want people to buy into their theory that she went into the river'.

The force's decision has been met with widespread criticism from government, MPs and women's rights activists, as well as Ms Bulley's own circle.

Police 'shared private details about Nicola Bulley to shift focus'

Detectives handling the investigation into Nicola Bulley 's disappearance released a statement on Wednesday which included highly personal details about the 45-year-old.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Mr X]

Yes, but unless they knew her exact movements, I think it's impossible to conclude that her walking more slowly has any significance or has anything to do with her disappearance.

Someone drinking would tend to walk more slowly.

 

[Agatha3]

I think the media would have found out about the alcohol/menopause issues and the welfare check either way and would have reported it as "Breaking News." At that point LE likely would have had to release a statement anyway.

I think it was better coming from police since tabloids tend to sensationalize and speculate, whereas police give only the facts.

It is the speculation that causes the harassment of innocent people on sm. This is what police are concerned about, imo.

I think it would have been irresponsible for them to reveal any mental health issues from the beginning without gathering more information from the family. We also don't know how when they investigated her medical history and if they even had access to that in the beginning.

UK newspapers do not report on medical issues without permission. See my previous answer if interested on why. This is from the IPSO Press code of conduct and covers medical information.

Clause 2 (Privacy)*​

i) Everyone is entitled to respect for their private and family life, home, physical and mental health, and correspondence, including digital communications.
ii) Editors will be expected to justify intrusions into any individual's private life without consent. In considering an individual's reasonable expectation of privacy, account will be taken of the complainant's own public disclosures of information and the extent to which the material complained about is already in the public domain or will become so.
iii) It is unacceptable to photograph individuals, without their consent, in public or private places where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.

 

[onthecounter]

9:33 witness Penny rang the blokes wife??? Why was his wife trying to ring him? What things were happening?? They looked at the phone wallpaper and knew who it belonged too? Did they both stay there until Paul arrived? Or just him? Or neither? Who contacted the school?

Maybe he's just very unreliable which is why LP haven't mentioned him at all.

Maybe his wife is more social and more likely to know their identities, and maybe they wanted to share the scenario with her as it was odd. I get the looking at wallpaper, I’ve reunited a phone with its owner by doing this.

 

[BDL1960]

I believe (or nobody) expected this case to gain so much publicity, guess their main focus was on finding NB.
They could have done better in the initial press conferences/press releases

Agreed. So easy to be wise after the event but their initial press conference was light on detail and therefore prompted many unanswered questions which kickstarted the national speculation.
If from the start they had said "as a result of the unusual circumstances of Nicola's disappearance, we categorised her as a high risk missing person"... or words to that effect they may have been able to avoid the unnecessary detail about her drinking habits and peri- menopause. If challenged about what they meant by 'unusual circumstances', they could say "Fit and healthy women do not normally just go missing in broad daylight and leave their dog and phone behind". Inevitably this would have given rise to speculation about a potential abduction, but this happened any way.

 

[pineapple23]

Mark Williams Thomas the ex detective claims to have contacted the police saying he had information about the previous police attendance at NB's home and that it was this that prompted them to go public about her vulnerability. Sorry if already posted.

Investigator says cops in Nicola Bulley probe committed 'failings'

In a scathing attack Mark Williams-Thomas rounded on Lancashire Police's handling of the probe into the mystery of what happened to the young mother while out walking her dog three weeks ago.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Cluella DeVille]

I believe (or nobody) expected this case to gain so much publicity, guess their main focus was on finding NB.
They could have done better in the initial press conferences/press releases

Possibly a reflection on the lack of experience in handling high profile cases? Whilst the verbal presentations in front of the camera and itemising the behind the scenes work undertaken have been pretty good, the actual content outside of that has been arguably poor

 

[MsBetsy]

Wee guy’s zooming right through there haha, did no one tell him he was on tv today

I wondered if he gave them permission to film him after I saw them block him twice when he tried to walk past. They wouldn't let him walk past the first time and then blocked him again as he tried to leave.

 

[ayrshireguy]

It was a set up interview - there is no way they'd just happen to bump into one of the witnesses and in fact the male reporter actually states that they'd had a conversation previously.

Anyway the BBM bits are now raising my confusion levels.

9:33 witness Penny rang the blokes wife??? Why was his wife trying to ring him? What things were happening?? They looked at the phone wallpaper and knew who it belonged too? Did they both stay there until Paul arrived? Or just him? Or neither? Who contacted the school?

Maybe he's just very unreliable which is why LP haven't mentioned him at all.

Sky News knew who he was and sought him out for some reason. Why did Penny phone his wife, why didn't he phone his wife back? Was he away looking for the owner? Why did Penny phone his wife to say she had tied up a dog?

 

[cottonweaver]

A friend of missing mother-of-two Nicola Bulley has criticised Lancashire Police's decision to reveal intimate details about her personal life and health, claiming they made the 'unfair' decision to distract from their lack of progress.

The family friend said last night they believe police released the private information to shift the focus from scrutiny they are facing over the case.

They told The Mirror: 'I feel angry for Nikki. She's a beautiful, kind, loving person. One of the best kind of friends you could wish for.

'This has painted her in an unfair light. I think the police have done this to shift the focus on to this rather than on them and their lack of progress.'

They added: 'Whatever is written will be out there in the public domain. Her daughters will read all of this one day.'

They joined other family friends in appealing for the focus to remain on finding Ms Bulley, saying the police 'want people to buy into their theory that she went into the river'.

The force's decision has been met with widespread criticism from government, MPs and women's rights activists, as well as Ms Bulley's own circle.

Police 'shared private details about Nicola Bulley to shift focus'

Detectives handling the investigation into Nicola Bulley 's disappearance released a statement on Wednesday which included highly personal details about the 45-year-old.

www.dailymail.co.uk

is that from Emma White? ( Long time friend of Dan Walker C5?)

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

This Sky News witness account raised a couple of points for me:

Penny phoned the man's wife after finding Willow
Penny fastened the dog
The man went back to phone and they (who was he with?) looked at the wallpaper?

Interesting IMO

This is why interviews with witnesses aren't always clear and things can easily be misconstrued. The gentleman this morning was obviously taken by surprise, stammering, uncomfortable, and what he was saying was more a stream of consciousness than a thought out response. The reporters never should have accosted him like that.

I *think* what he was trying to say was that Penny, the caravan park owner, found Willow and the belongings. The gentleman then came through the gate after her and saw what was happening. They looked at the phone and he recognised NB and PA. He continued on with his walk whilst Penny tied up the dog and phoned people, including the man's wife, to tell them what was going on. The man's wife then called him.

That's my take on it, but of course I could be wrong.

 

[Mycroft42]

Maybe his wife is more social and more likely to know their identities, and maybe they wanted to share the scenario with her as it was odd. I get the looking at wallpaper, I’ve reunited a phone with its owner by doing this.

I get that but what the bloke says runs counter to everything LP have said about this time period. And how long did this chap and/or Penny stay by the bench. Did one of them stay until Paul turned up?

 

[Beginnersleuth]

Phone his wife. Very interesting.

Poor Nicola’s case is so odd, nearly every interaction with anyone involved seems a bit odd. JMO
Maybe it’s like a region behavioural thing, like accents, that I just don’t get.
Is all so odd.
Feels like you can make excuses for all the oddness but there’s just loads of it. I don’t know what’s going on!

 

[JennieM]

somebody or something clearly over-rode the SIO and possibly even the Assistant CC?
Presser started around 12 noon. The release of the nature of the vulnerabilities came through from LP at 6pm

SIO Smith:
'In terms of the vulnerabilities - I feel we've said as much as we can about that. It is personal, private information, known to the investigation, but foremost in our thoughts, in addition to the integrity of the investigation, is the privacy of Nicola's family. So, we've said as much as we can with that.
I thank you for your attention today.'

Link - from the transcript of press conference I just attached UK - UK - Nicola Bulley Last Seen Walking Dog Near River - St Michaels on Wyre (Lancashire) #15

Even if they did consult the family at a later stage that day and got their approval, this is a family in utter turmoil.

The family cannot be expected to make the correct decisions in terms of investigation process / publicity / outcomes.

So perhaps it was in the family's wishes that this information was released but Nicola's family is putting their blind faith and following advice.