Australia Australia - Marion Barter - Missing After Trip to UK - June 1997 #21

[Lord Peter Flimsy]

It's interesting he also was using the name Frederick when he was with Ghislaine.
He didn't seem to worry that the name was associated to his family back in Australia and that could be tracked back.

He was probably past caring by then?! He hadn’t been caught out in Donkeys years using various aliases and had become so confident that nobody was tracking him in Australia & Europe that he could even brazenly use his chosen family name. Just avoid being WW in Belgium.

 

[Dr Poirot]

Rules to attaining/maintaining a drivers licence on a disability pension are fairly stringent depending on your definition of disability. At least that’s the case in Victoria.

I do not know if AKA’s apparent health at the time didn’t allow him to physically drive (yet could flit around the world ad nauseam) or whether he/her were stating his licence had been revoked by medical professionals.

Or it was revoked and he drove anyway?

No idea.

His list of offences in Belgium in the 60’s are multiple and frequent traffic offences, road tax etc… so being legally on the road has never been a character trait!! Also sounds like he was a rubbish driver even then!
Apologies just realised this is already mentioned above!

 

[Bagpus]

Excellent point! Entirely possible. All this information would’ve been available to AC since they focused on the family vehicles at the time.

I wonder why they pushed that line of questioning if that was the case?

This is a man that many suspect of murder. At the very least fraud and theft. I do wonder if he would stick within the law in regards to not driving without a license anymore than the copious other laws he doesn't seem to mind breaking.

 

[Meligator]

I keep wondering why Byron Bay. From what has been said, it seems like a place that wasn't easily accessible by bus. It's probably safe to assume BB was chosen by AH. But why there? Why wouldn't he choose someplace easier to access without a car. There has to be some BB connection for him. Who did he know there? Whose house might he have been using?

 

[HinterlandObserver]

I keep wondering why Byron Bay. From what has been said, it seems like a place that wasn't easily accessible by bus. It's probably safe to assume BB was chosen by AH. But why there? Why wouldn't he choose someplace easier to access without a car. There has to be some BB connection for him. Who did he know there? Whose house might he have been using?

Wonder when the daughter began employment at trip-a-deal based in Byron bay?

 

[Kaypee3]

I keep wondering why Byron Bay. From what has been said, it seems like a place that wasn't easily accessible by bus. It's probably safe to assume BB was chosen by AH. But why there? Why wouldn't he choose someplace easier to access without a car. There has to be some BB connection for him. Who did he know there? Whose house might he have been using?

Didn’t DdeH’s sister live in BB?

 

[Podcast Tragic]

Can someone please explain what additional information Sally will have access to once the Coroner announces her findings? Will this also give police more information to follow up on???

 

[MrPickles]

Wonder when the daughter began employment at trip-a-deal based in Byron bay?

While it doesn’t answer your question, Trip a deal launched in 2011.

 

[Little Doggo]

Withdrawals of $5,000 and under only requires a withdrawal slip signature to match your invisible signature in your bank book that gets placed under ultra violet light. No photo ID. A lump sum withdrawal requires full identification.

Based on evidence we have someone travelling hours of driving in MB’s name.

13 days - between return to Brisbane to first withdrawal. ???? - 11 days - between returning and optometrist. Is MB suffering flu like symptoms and bedridden? Is someone else laying low? Why lay low? Is more identification not accessible? Another spanner in the works?

11/08 - AKA car purchase (why?) Sold/dumped 4 months later.

02/08-13/08 - Brisbane to Grafton - 3.5 hours
Or Brisbane to BB - 2 hours
Or BB to Grafton - 1.45 hours.
- during withdrawal period - BB to Burleigh Heads - 1 hour.

Did MB or whoever check in at the Novotel at all or go straight to BB area?

Why are some withdrawals made in Burleigh? 5 minutes from SL’s house. Was some of MB’s identification (bank books - bank account numbers, such as her Colonial State account etc left in storage on the Gold Coast? - she wouldn’t have needed them in Europe) Going to the Gold Coast was a massive risk of MB being recognised.

Why is there a big gap between the withdrawals from 15/08 to early September and the final transfer in mid October? Rough estimate of 5 weeks.

Do we know this definitely about bank withdrawals back then at the bank MB was withdrawing from? If yes this makes complete sense why an imposter would only withdraw under $5000

 

[HinterlandObserver]

While it doesn’t answer your question, Trip a deal launched in 2011.

So more likely related to Ds sister living in town to hazard a guess.

 

[MrPickles]

I keep wondering why Byron Bay. From what has been said, it seems like a place that wasn't easily accessible by bus. It's probably safe to assume BB was chosen by AH. But why there? Why wouldn't he choose someplace easier to access without a car. There has to be some BB connection for him. Who did he know there? Whose house might he have been using?

Yes, like Brisbane. With all your banking needs at your fingertips.

While SL has said she’s had to come to terms with the fact it was possibly her Mum withdrawing her life savings, I view BB as too much of a danger zone for him to be spotted with another woman. I’m not sure he’d take that risk having lived around that area for some years, even though with his other victims he had them withdrawing their money. I suspect he changed his M.O. after MB. It was too risky having someone else posing as the victim.

 

[mishy66]

Didn’t DdeH’s sister live in BB?

Yes she does. The whole family are there.
I can imagine though that AH and Diane IMO stayed at a hotel in the area and not at the sisters in 1997.

 

[MrPickles]

Do we know this definitely about bank withdrawals back then at the bank MB was withdrawing from? If yes this makes complete sense why an imposter would only withdraw under $5000

My friend is a CBA branch manager, having work there since the late 90’s. Back in the days of bank books still being the most used method of deposit and withdrawals than cards. $5,000 and under you could withdraw daily - anything over $5,000 you would have to give the bank notice to have the said amount on hand. Larger sums required further identification to withdraw. She cannot remember which year it changed - but the limit did drop to $3,000. She believes it was sometime in the early 2000’s.

She hadn’t heard of MB’s story - she said at her branch, it would’ve been a red flag if someone was continually withdrawing 5k amounts. She couldn’t believe it was allowed to go on for 3 and a half weeks without a sit down with the branch manager and questions asked.

 

[CuriousKat99]

Can someone please explain what additional information Sally will have access to once the Coroner announces her findings? Will this also give police more information to follow up on???

It was stated quite a long time ago on the podcast (I can’t recall which episode) that one of the main reasons for SL pushing so hard for an inquest was that once her mother was declared deceased, SL, as next of kin, would be able to request documents, such as arrival card into the UK etc. Without the conclusion of the inquest, MB would be considered to be still alive and due to privacy requirements, MB herself would need to consent to the release of any personal information.

 

[Kaypee3]

Yes she does. The whole family are there.
I can imagine though that AH and Diane IMO stayed at a hotel in the area and not at the sisters in 1997.

Thanks @mishy66. Your memory is phenomenal

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

Great stuff Mrs Peel. I suppose for thoroughness it should be added Marion mentioned Kent & Hampshire in addition to East Sussex, West Sussex & London on her postcards. Guildford in Surrey was also on the postmark. The gradual move west towards Southampton IMHO is perhaps significant.

Thanks! Will correct!

 

[MrsWattle]

Yes she does. The whole family are there.
I can imagine though that AH and Diane IMO stayed at a hotel in the area and not at the sisters in 1997.

Or house sitting in Byron Bay while sister was abroad?

 

[MrPickles]

Yes she does. The whole family are there.
I can imagine though that AH and Diane IMO stayed at a hotel in the area and not at the sisters in 1997.

What would be the purpose of spending a lot of money on accommodation in BB when they only lived a quick 30 minute drive from BB?

 

[centred]

What would be the purpose of spending a lot of money on accommodation in BB when they only lived a quick 30 minute drive from BB?

Yes i can drive to a lot of places on Northern rivers for a day trip ...so many varied places within reach even Nymbodia , although only if passing through to the tablelands or visiting friends in the great Australian bush, the beauty is in going through one way and coming back another with many different routes and options.
So yeah a hop skip and jump to BB

 

[Procrastinator]

I keep thinking about Wollongbar. If Police were called because of a disturbance there some time between August/September 1997, it would have been recorded but probs manually back then (idk), and filed away/lost? Are their note pads saved forever? I wonder if any of the existing neighbours from back then are still around, or been followed up if they have moved, … and interviewed by Police?