Australia Australia - Marion Barter, 51, missing after trip to UK, June 1997 #8

[KiwiNZ]

do you think Monique piece together with the Real FR that the whole debacle with the doorstep incident was related to RB ?

Was it pure luck the TLV rang his ex-wife and involved her, see seemed on good terms with the RFM, they must have discussed the phone call to her because she ended up on the podcast. Do you think they reached the conclusion the only person she knew in Australia was RB.

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

Like you all, my mind is spinning. Who ever thought we'd be at this point where the story keeps unfolding with more and more twists and turns? I know my comments repeat those of others. Forgive me for not giving credit.

1. Was it possible Blum's idea was to commit crimes in Europe and then to keep Australia as his safe zone? Like a dog who won't pee near its bed. Then Marion changed everything. . . . (although I still want IK exhumed!)

2. As Blum spun his stories yesterday, he became more confident on the stand. I believe this is a tactic by Mr C. Letting Blum weave the rope to hang himself. Showing who he is and hoping he'll incriminate himself.

3. If DdH had a serious brain issue, learning disability or any known compromising condition, I can't believe they'd make her a witness. To easy to overturn her testimony.

 

[Pineconemind]

Like you all, my mind is spinning. Who ever thought we'd be at this point where the story keeps unfolding with more and more twists and turns? I know my comments repeat those of others. Forgive me for not giving credit.

1. Was it possible Blum's idea was to commit crimes in Europe and then to keep Australia as his safe zone? Like a dog who won't pee near its bed. Then Marion changed everything. . . . (although I still want IK exhumed!)

2. As Blum spun his stories yesterday, he became more confident on the stand. I believe this is a tactic by Mr C. Letting Blum weave the rope to hang himself. Showing who he is and hoping he'll incriminate himself.

3. If DdH had a serious brain issue, learning disability or any known compromising condition, I can't believe they'd make her a witness. To easy to overturn her testimony.

Fantastic points!

 

[caitlincurious]

Would everyone think I'm a monster if I'm lowkey chuckling at my desk thinking about him saying he was "pulverised" in "the swine forest"?

Hahaha I rolled my eyes FAR back into my skull when he said this. My boyfriend was sitting next to me and said "wait, what?"

 

[Deleted member 249471]

Do Aussies have the right to remain silent and not incriminate themselves? I'm from New York and it's mind boggling to me that he is incriminating himself under oath, solicitor or not. I'm glad he is, but I'm curious what would have happened if he had called a solicitor when police first approached him? Could they have told him to not speak to police? Would he even be here today at the inquest had he not made those police statements?

An inquest is for fact finding, it's not a trial with a prosecution and a defence. So 'no comment' is not a valid answer. I'm judging this based on UK law though, assuming that Aus law is similar.

Correct! An inquest is to determine the facts surrounding the missing person they suspect is deceased, and to make recommendations to improve process if there were things that failed the victim along the way.

The coroner will send police to summon you to provide evidence as a witness or expert. Before inquest, you need to put your evidence in a statement so they can use it in investigation, put into the brief of evidence and distribute to parties. If you refuse, the Coroner can issue a warrant for your arrest. Lol, so yeah, he had to make a statement and attend.

 

[Passingthru]

Correct! An inquest is to determine the facts surrounding the missing person they suspect is deceased, and to make recommendations to improve process if there were things that failed the victim along the way.

The coroner will send police to summon you to provide evidence as a witness or expert. Before inquest, you need to put you evidence in a statement so that it can investigated, put into the brief of evidence and distributed to parties. If you refuse, they Coroner can issue a warrant for your arrest.

Lol, so yeah, he had to comply.

Was his statement made in June or September?

 

[Deleted member 249471]

Was his statement made in June or September?

8 June 2021 – police first contact with RB
9 June 2021 – RB signed police statement (denied knowing Marion and FR QLD licence)
14 Sep 2021 – second police contact with RB
Oct/Nov 2021 – date RB claims police first made contact

 

[Bibno]

They both said the left Southhampton in jan 1970 arrived around march as they said it took 3 months.
However that was impossible for FDH back then he was WW and he flew out of Sydney on feb 15th back to Europe with Ilona - although that wasn’t said today but they did both travel that day.

so therefore he could not have been on a ship meeting his current wife..
It had to be after that date.. but it was not long after he went to jail for 3 years so.. the dates of meeting in 1970 are off it’s more like 1974 ish we think ..

Thank you, this is what I had understood. Mr Castleden seemed to be pushing this discrepancy, and I wasn’t sure whether new information about it came out, or whether he was just getting RB to confirm
contradictory information.

There was so much information/obfuscation today.

 

[Eyespywithmylittleeye]

Thank you, this is what I had understood. Mr Castleden seemed to be pushing this discrepancy, and I wasn’t sure whether new information about it came out, or whether he was just getting RB to confirm
contradictory information.

There was so much information/obfuscation today.

I’m really hoping if it comes up today they show some proof of him being there like a security camera just to shut him up on wasting time about this lol

 

[Deleted member 249471]

A boat keeps being mentioned. The only time I saw Casselden flustered was when RB tried to belittle him saying that Luxembourg is landlocked, how can he have a yacht? Casselden replied with, "did you own a boat anywhere?"

Point is, Luxembourg still has rivers with boats.
Clearly the boat struck a nerve. I smell something fishy about this boat. Pun intended.

 

[Bibno]

do you think Monique piece together with the Real FR that the whole debacle with the doorstep incident was related to RB ?

Was it pure luck the TLV rang his ex-wife and involved her, see seemed on good terms with the RFM, they must have discussed the phone call to her because she ended up on the podcast. Do you think they reached the conclusion the only person she knew in Australia was RB.

I had wondered about this too.

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

Interesting that Mother had pulverized legs and BLUM had pulverized legs and writer Ernest Hemingway always used "leg wounds" in his soldier characters as a way of intimating male impotence

 

[SamintheSak]

A boat keeps being mentioned. The only time I saw Casselden flustered was when RB tried to belittle him saying that Luxembourg is landlocked, how can he have a yacht? Casselden replied with, "did you own a boat anywhere?"

Point is, Luxembourg still has rivers with boats.

Clearly the boat struck a nerve. I smell something fishy about this boat. Pun intended.

Yes, the boat thing is interesting, especially with the repeated reference to MC's testemony about a "long sailing trip".

I've seen mention here that the police are still unaware of how he entered Australia in 1974. Perhaps he had a yacht in French Polynesia that he used to illegally enter by? Maybe called Chusan?

IMO

 

[Pineconemind]

If anyone wants a glimpse into what Burwash, UK looked like in the late 70's early 80's Detail 4053 – Screen Archive South East (brighton.ac.uk)

 

[LouLouSleuth]

RB can pretend all he wants that he didn’t make that statement to police at the station all he wants, the police just need to submit video surveillance of his being present at the station. What a pathological liar

Yea I thought this too, surely it’s not the first time some crim has denied similar and that we have technology to fix it? We’re not in the 1970s anymore Little Willy

 

[MrsWattle]

They got married by Ted Noffs at wayside chapel in Sydney.

 

[mishy66]

I’m curious did anyone else find it an interesting comment today from RDH about trying to find the other brother how he had written to a particular organisation to enquire if he was alive and had no reply..(can’t remember which brother he was referring to Freddy or the other) he then went on to say he had not been in contact for over 30 years.

Yet he travelled yearly to go and see the family (based DHD testimony ) which mainly consisted of Marie, step father and the two brothers/cousins/half brothers…

Yes I did! I thought she was being truthful until RB said this. It is fast becoming a tale of BS

 

[mishy66]

Can someone explain to me the situation regarding RB and D de H arriving together on the Chusan from Southampton.

I understood that there was conflicting information, and that during the time of that voyage RB was otherwise engaged with IK.

I thought Mr Castleden was trying to get to the bottom of this, but didn't understand whether RBs movements were clarified, and I just don't have the strength to go back and listen again.

They didnt arrive together because it didnt happen. SO many of us have searched through the manifests re Chusan and there is nothing but a few "Walkers" arriving at different time

 

[Belleandsebastian]

Was his statement made in June or September?

That’s the big question, lol
I think he’s just got confused about the initial time he was interviewed by police in June and gave a statement, and when he wrote his statement for the inquest.

 

[Belleandsebastian]

Yes, the boat thing is interesting, especially with the repeated reference to MC's testemony about a "long sailing trip".

I've seen mention here that the police are still unaware of how he entered Australia in 1974. Perhaps he had a yacht in French Polynesia that he used to illegally enter by? Maybe called Chusan?

IMO

Hmm, could be. Or maybe they were both on the ship under false names after meeting in Europe.