PERTINENT INFO & PICS FROM VISITING THE SCENES TODAY
I visited the known route today, and a few related spots. Some pertinent points:
- Activity around Leathwaite Road goes on as what I assume is normal. There are a lot of workmen, vans, the odd heavy truck. There is the largest saturation of yoga pants I've seen anywhere in London (and I live in Holland Park). Many women out running with headphones, this seems to be the norm.
- It's heart-warming and yet saddening to see Sarah signs everywhere.
- The area around those streets is quiet even by day, I imagine it's moreso at night.
- Observing the rear gates of the Leathwaite Road houses that 'back on to the Common' as reported, it's very obvious that those gates and gardens are easily overlooked by some north-west parts of Clapham Common, namely the Changing Rooms, pitches and those areas.
- I noticed a handful of vagrants in those spots today, and at least one derelict/boarded-up building in direct line-of-sight to the backs of Leathwaite Road homes.
- Moving on to the A205 route, I can tell you that there is only paving on one side (the park side). It's a safe assumption (JMO) that Sarah would have walked on that side. (pic attached)
- Adjacent to the pavement is an unlit 'track' that is still in the park, covered by trees. JMO but I felt this would be a good way of following somebody who might be walking on the pavement. Alternatively, if the person was also walking on the same track ahead of me, I could confidently follow that person without being seen, IMO.
- I timed the route section A (leaving the back of Leathwaite until reaching the A24-A205 junction near Clapham South tube) twice, and it took around 10-12 minutes. Sarah waited 12 minutes from leaving her friend's house to call her boyfriend.
- JMO, I judge this delay could have been from deciding that it's unwise to be on a phone in such a secluded place. Alternatively if she was being harassed on that first stage she would have been delayed in calling boyfriend. You might ask if she'd not have just told boyfriend if she was being harassed? Not necessarily; by the junction she may have felt she was past the worst of any prospective harassment, or maybe if the relationship is new she wouldn't want to bring this up.
- The final corner of Clapham Common adjacent to the A24-A205 junction is a corner of shrubbery/trees where I easily spotted what looked like things that had been stolen from muggings etc. I'm talking old credit cards, season tickets, etc. Nothing to do with Sarah necessarily, but setting the scene. There were many used condoms, vagrant-related rubbish, etc. This would be a good spot from which to observe someone.
- Walking on to Poynders Road, the atmosphere changes. No more Range Rovers and yoga pants. In fact it quickly becomes menacing. I grew up on the very rough Somerleyton Road estate in Brixton in the 90s, some corners of Poynders remind me of that. If my girlfriend or daughter told me they were planning to walk there at night I'd be very concerned.
- I could only spot one single Ring doorbell on Poynders Road. There are a number of sizeable derelict buildings (pic attached). Because of the way the route works earlier on with the pavement, and because you can only cross the A24-A205 as a pedestrian on the northerly side, it is a safe assumption that Sarah walked on the north pavement of Poynders Road (JMO).
- There are deep excavation works on the corner of Poynders and Kings Avenue, just behind the first block there. Again, a lot of workmen. I make this point because there appears to be incredibly deep digging happening there, but I don't draw any conclusions.
- The last Sarah missing sign is around this spot.
- Moving on to Brixton Hill/Lambert Road, where CCTV has been censored. The only conclusion I could reach standing here was that the censorship happened to obscure Sarah's (maybe another key figure's) daily movements, as it's close enough to Craster Road to be relevant to her movements.
- Moving on to Craster Road and the surrounding area. Craster Road itself is a very quiet picturesque street. Not like the Brixton I know. I would say between 1/3 and 1/2 of front doors have Ring doorbells. There are huge yellow signs on entering the area that "traffic cameras are recording live". If Sarah had come home, she would have been recorded, anyone who walks down the street would be absolutely sure of that, but it's JMO.
- Standing on Craster, considering things, I felt sadness but also the sun started shining very strong. I'm not being wacky here, I just mean to say I think this woman's life is full of beauty, even the street she lives on (we believe she lives on?). I hope she is okay.
- The Sarah missing signs are visible once again in this area.
- Also standing on Craster it is immediately clear that the large - and notorious - Tulse Hill estate backs right on to this idyll. Sarah was obviously used to going through a rough estate to go running. Brixton - as gentrified as it is - is still an unconvential choice for a Durham-educated attractive young white woman to move to. Sarah was obviously at ease with the mix, and used to going through Tulse Hill estate regularly.
- This ease may have been why she was comfortable walking through Poynders Road and surroundings.
- Having followed this intensely for days, I had my theories. Having now seen much of the 'scene' for myself I have changed my theories. I don't believe she has been harmed/abducted by someone known to her. I don't believe her boyfriend has anything to do with this. I believe she was accosted on the first part of her journey on the edge of Clapham Common, and the same persons intercepted her around Poynders Road. I do not believe she made it home (or if she did, the police know this already and are manipulating information for an operational reason).
- London is still not a completely safe place. A man in Sarah's shoes would still have been a target in the same circumstances, albeit for different ends. However this is an issue for women to consider. I have two teenage daughters and a fiance in her 20s. That someone like Sarah could vanish like this is scary, we must all take precautions.
- If Sarah was intercepted by a vagrant from the park at knife-point, most likely she would have complied. If it was a workman with a van/truck, it would have been quite and dark enough to make off. Alice Gross comes to mind, in a way.
I will write more as this unfolds.