UK UK - Sarah Everard, 33, London - Clapham Common area, 3 March 2021 *Arrests* #6

[SofKat]

What hit me at first with this case was Sarah being close to my age and probably having a fairly similar situation and aspirations.

Then EC was detained and I remembered young Ukrainian women I have met when travelling there who shared some of their dreams and musings with me.

Finally there's the whole lockdown perspective where we have restrictions, altered expectation and behaviours and a domination of the news by coronavirus linked stories.

This terrible and currently puzzling event is going to linger in our memories.

 

[Lincoln34]

Look up Natalie Connelly. Violently murdered and her killer claimed it was a sex game gone wrong and only got sentenced to 3 years 8 months.

There are plans afoot to ban the ‘50 Shades of Grey’ defence in the new Domestic Abuse Bill. See link below ( btw Legal Cheek is a very good site despite the cheesy name and, as a legal academic, I look at it for updates and have been to conferences organised by them (zoom)
'Rough sex' defence ban: A step in the right direction - Legal Cheek

 

[Joolz1975]

I don't think he is talking, if he had admitted anything there would be charges by now?
I think the police must have linked him another way, not just by the cctv. My theory is that the bus cam footage emerged Tuesday (showing an interaction on Poynders road) hence the forensics etc quickly arriving there. If WC was already being watched then something else must have linked him and the cam footage was the final part needed for the arrests ?
I keep thinking back to the common. WC had some time unaccounted for after work so I definitely think it possible he could have seen Sarah there on her way home . The police have seemed very interested in the common too.
JMO

They will be granted up to I think 96 hours so cant see them being in any rush. As far as I am aware once charged they cant question him further? I could be really wrong on that though but seem to remember it from other cases.

I think they will want to squeeze every bit of information first.

 

[Jimmy Pats]

Using this website is like time travelling back to 2004. They need an upgrade!

 

[Finders_Keepers]

I think you are correct. By the time he was identified and surveillance set up they may have observed disposal related activities. But we are talking a week really between the crime and now...it’s a short time in real life but a long time in terms of criminal activity. Most very young women, for eg, who are victims of sexual murder crimes in USA are dead within 3hrs of abduction. The MO between similarly profiled individuals doesn’t tend to vary wildly. Abduction for long term abuse is a distinctly different act. Generally speaking the greater the penalty for the sexual crime, the quicker the murder occurs afterwards.

I agree I think it would be very unlikely based on offender behaviour that they would believe she was alive.

It’s more operationally that as he was living with a co accused, which brings in the possibility of the home location being a potential abduction site, or if they saw him visiting the deralict family garage, the operational pressures of even a 1% chance she could be being held alive would be too much for them not to act.

So I think it was genuinely they found evidence on the Monday or Tuesday and moved immediately to apprehend then. That also fits with the possibility it was a bus cam that would take longer to review then CCTV and why they maybe went down a rabbit hole over the weekend searching Clapham Common. I doubt they would have still been focussing there if they suspected a man who had driven back to Kent that evening.

 

[LeopardLeotard]

Doubt it, rental is still very high priced in London, just as much as a mortgage. I think someone said Poynders Court were being rented for £925, that's a lot on top of a mortgage for a lower ranked PO. Maybe CD could afford it but not WC.

I think unlikely too, however looking at property deets it was bought in ja 2001 for a little under £60.000,its now valued at £235.000,thats big increase in price, there may have been money available to rent somewhere imo x

 

[jk1874]

The family have told the press she didn't know him though.

They wouldn't know for sure if she knew him or not. Similar to Claudia Lawrence's family not knowing her life, but I doubt it in this case, because it was clear that she was just on a walk home, unlikely to be meeting someone, especially on the phone to her BF.

 

[LeopardLeotard]

Using this website is like time travelling back to 2004. They need an upgrade!

Absolutely, it would be so much easier

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Hi, I'm new but wanted to post as I've been following this thread from the start. I haven't actually been able to do any work for the last few days and promised myself I wouldn't start reading today!

My thoughts are that his hire car was picked up by the bus dashcam, traced due to whatever was seen, linked to WC via the hire company and then noted that he hadn't confirmed he had been in the area at the time.

I personally believe he stopped, showed her his card and claimed she was under arrest or something similar. I'm older than SE, live in South London and have never been in any trouble with the police. There are plenty of unmarked police cars I see driving around (only aware when the sirens start up) and if I was shown a police card, I would either be too anxious to object to get into the car or probably quite panicked by the whole situation and just abide by whatever they say. If a police officer is telling you you're being arrested (even if it is for a spurious reason), not many people will question it. You could then be charged with resisting arrest.

I am a lawyer but not a criminal one. I have seen people talking about the presumption of innocence and whether CD's statement yesterday would prejudice a case against WC. There is a presumption of innocence in law but the police have obviously obtained sufficient information to suspect his guilt. When / if this goes to court, there will still be a presumption of innocence and it will be for the prosecution to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that he killed SE. A jury will still be expected to be persuaded by the evidence only.

Murder only requires "intent" it doesn't need premeditation. An intent to kill in that particular moment. Manslaughter appears in cases where someone may have intended to hurt somebody else but they die as a consequence. Hope some of this is helpful

Your expertise gives us great insight. I encourage you to complete the verification process for verified professional posters. Once accepted, your statements will stand as posted without a link of documentation. Attorneys, social workers, psychologists, law enforcement, etc. are included as respected members of our community we rely on to educate us. Thank you for joining and participating in WS. You all help us grow and learn.
Verification Process for Professional or Insider Posters

 

[Audiohoney]

There was a case here on WS where the female partner aided in the burning and disposing of the body (under cement). Hope someone remembers the case: the murderer took his own life, just before the arrest.

Are you thinking of the Jennifer Dulos case? Fotis Dulos committed suicide prior to his court appearance and his gf Michelle Traconis has been charged but poor Jennifer’s body has not yet been found.

 

[jk1874]

I think unlikely too, however looking at property deets it was bought in ja 2001 for a little under £60.000,its now valued at £235.000,thats big increase in price, there may have been money available to rent somewhere imo x

True, is Poynders Court still of interest to the Police, are they still searching flats there?

 

[Vera_dci]

This interesting, Thank you. I did wonder about Leah yesterday.

Ive been thinking of Leah too. I wonder if the pressleuths can do a new story on Leahs disappearance? Two years her poor family gave been waiting for answers. Hopefully the police will check his whereabouts at the time she disappeared.

 

[juniper6]

Are you thinking of the Jennifer Dulos case? Fotis Dulos committed suicide prior to his court appearance and his gf Michelle Traconis has been charged but poor Jennifer’s body has not yet been found.

Ironically I am originally from the town next door to JD in Connecticut. We had mutual friends.

 

[tmar]

Good morning all. Yesterday was crazy, wasn’t it? So much information swiftly flying to the newspapers and tabloids. Trying to absorb and sort out credible explosive breaking details coming instantaneously was a tough task. I’m trying to begin anew and reread posts from the threads to comprehend what this tragedy has done to the sense of peace and safety for all women in the area. I’m so sorry for all of you. I can’t imagine the shattering grief felt by Sarah’s family and friends. I hope they are surrounded by warm love from close loved ones. There is little one can say to truly comfort. Just their silent presence with a hand held may be all one can do right now.

I’ve never seen so many new members at one time. The outpouring of your opening words meant so much. I’m so sorry this traumatic event is the prompt for your membership. This forum is most welcoming to new members. Yesterday, there was such an intense flowing of posts, we weren’t able to quickly acknowledge you. We learn so much from you. You have already increased our knowledge of areas new to us. You are each invaluable. Thank you so much.

Thanks, @imstilla.grandma, my lovely friend.
You always have a kind word.
I agree, so many first time posters here.
Your thankful post will be so powerful for them, as these folk are hurting.

 

[LeopardLeotard]

True, is Poynders Court still of interest to the Police, are they still searching flats there?

I don't know apologies, I meant the house they live at, I do not know if there is still interest in flat x

 

[caravanserai]

Do not believe everything you read about British press standards

If the Met Police puts a story under embargo the press obey - it is less about press standards and more about the law and avoiding massive fines. Press must follow embargos otherwise next time they won't get the story.

 

[SofKat]

I don't think she knew him, but it can't be ruled out. Many people her sort of age are at least in touch (and often meeting) others they keep secret from their families. So I think on balance he was a stranger to her, but finding otherwise would explain how she vanished so easily.

 

[L White]

Speculation on Facebook.

DBM

 

[sundaaaay]

What really saddens me with this case (apart from the outcome obviously), is that SE was probably acting in good faith before she got in the car because he is a policeman. Authority is a powerful thing and to resist arrest is an offence. He probably told a story that was somewhat convincing at the time, in a moment of confusion, such as saying he would bring her to a local police station for questioning… But can you imagine that feeling, of driving further and further outside the built up areas, past several police stations, onto the motorway…at some point you realise you’ve been deceived. He stops being friendly, your phone has been confiscated, you’re handcuffed, he’s probably blaring music to cover the noise of your screams, the windows are probably tinted. You see only the odd person on the street anyway because everyone is indoors because of covid. Can you imagine how scary this must have been. This man is seriously dangerous. I feel so sorry for her to have to go through this, I wish I was at that corner at the time and somehow stopped it all.

 

[Armchair_Defective]

They wouldn't know for sure if she knew him or not. Similar to Claudia Lawrence's family not knowing her life, but I doubt it in this case, because it was clear that she was just on a walk home, unlikely to be meeting someone, especially on the phone to her BF.

Yes that's true but I'm struggling to think how her boyfriend and family wouldn't know and where she would know a policeman 15 years older who worked such long shifts. So far she doesn't have the rumours about her personal life that Claudia Lawrence had. Nor the sort of things that came out about Corrie McKeague and his girlfriend having an open relationship.

As you say, she appears to just have been walking home.