11:31JONATHAN HUMPHRIES
Peers: 'Witham never told me about search warrant'
Mr Wright says there is then an attempted booking for the Village Hotel in Whiston
PW: “At 10.02, Mr Witham attempted to book a double room at the Village Hotel in Whiston. That booking, that was made in James Witham’s name, had the contact number of your phone.”
Peers replies: “We stayed in the Mercure the first time. He paid me to book a room. We were only going for a swim and sauna and ended up staying there. I can’t say why.”
PW: “The charge for the room was using a Visa card, the payment was declined and the booking was cancelled. He didn’t attempt to rebook the room and didn’t attend. That was in the morning, in the afternoon there appears to be travel south from Scotland. This is in an Audi Q7. Is that an Audi you're familiar with?”
JP: “That’s me uncle’s car. That’s the lift back home I was on about before.”
PW: “Did you and Mr Witham travel together back to Merseyside?”
JP: “We did yeah.”
PW: “How did that come about?”
JP: “When we got there, he said he was only gonna be a day. He needs to fly about and pick some money up. I stayed with my uncle. The next day, he made contact with me after he’d been to do what he was doing. We come home the next day, or the day after.”
PW: “Your uncle was driving?”
JP: “Yeah.”
PW: “We know on the later occasion, your uncle’s Audi was stopped on the motorway and you were arrested. This is on September 13. You were the front passenger seat. “
JP: “That’s right yeah.”
PW: “Mr Witham was in the rear of the vehicle. I’m going to ask you about the journey on August 26, the earlier occasion. When you travelled back down to Merseyside with Mr Witham in your uncle’s car, would you have been seated in the front seat or the back with Mr Witham?”
JP: “I’d have been in the front.”
PW; “Let us turn to events that appear to have taken place during the course of that journey. We can see a number of cell sites being used by the phone as they go south. Just as that Audi with you both in it was arriving back in the Merseyside area, we know that at 17.15 there was a search warrant executed at 68 Ashbury Road in Huyton, an address linked to Mr Witham. Then there are telephone calls at 17.19, then a message. Were you aware of any messages being received by mr w or him being in communication with Julie Witham, his sister?
JP: “No. I was unaware.”
PW: “Were you aware of any search warrant being executed at 68 Ashbury Road?”
JP: “No and even if they was one I doubt he would have told me anyway. He probably would have kept it to himself.”
Mr Wright says there are then a number of attempted phone calls from Witham to his sister and his dad.
PW: “Your phone is used twice to contact your mum’s number.”
JP: “I’m going to be half an hour away. To let her know I’d be half an hour away. If I go somewhere, I always call my mum when I’m on me way home. I must have only got through once.”
Mr Wright says: “You got back to Merseyside. It doesn’t appear you stayed that evening at your family home in Woodlands?”
JP: “No.”
PW: “At 19.47, there’s another booking being made. Again at the Mercure in St Helens. That’s for two rooms. The bookings being made in your name, using your details”
JP: “Yeah.”
PW: “Why was there a booking being made again at the Mercure?”
JP: “When we first stayed in the hotel from the 1st to the 23rd, I was originally making plans to stay with the girl I was seeing at the time in the hotel. I ended up staying with Witham instead of making that reservation with her. When I’ve been to Scotland and come back down, I asked did she want to stay in a hotel. I thought I was going to be alone this time. Witham asked me can he use my phone to book a hotel, so I did.”
PW: “You booked two rooms for that single night. We see that, having returned to the Merseyside area in your uncle’s Audi Q7, by 21.34 you’re arriving at the Mercure. It appears to be in a vehicle, the white Transit. That’s your father’s vehicle.”
JP: “Yeah.
PW: “Can you remember what happened after you got back to Merseyside and how you are now in your father’s Transit going to the Mercure?”
JP: “I asked my dad, will he give me a lift. I don’t drive. He dropped me off in St Helens at the hotel. I asked him for a lift and he give me one.
Mr Wright says there are then a series of calls from Phoebe Birch, the woman he was seeing at the time, to Peers before she arrives at the hotel.
PW: “Did she and you stay that night at the hotel?”
JP: “We did yeah.”
PW: “The following morning, do we see you checking out?”
JP: “Yeah.”
PW: “The three of you. And then leaving in a taxi?”
JP: “Yeah. We got one taxi back to the Huyton area. I dropped Phoebe off. I dropped Witham off on Pilch Lane and carried on home meself.”
Mr Wright says the booking was in Peers’ name, and the taxi went to Woodfield Road.
PW: “Any attempt by you to conceal your identity or movements at this time?”
JP: “No, there isn’t.”
11:42JONATHAN HUMPHRIES
Peers 'withdraws £650'
Mr Wright asks: “We then see Mr Witham’s phone making a reverse trip to Scotland. But you or your phone in not. After you got back to your home address, did you stay there?”
Peers replies: “Yeah I stayed at home. The first time I went up with Witham, originally he said ‘come lad. I’m only going to pick money up’. Basically I got him a lift to go up there. I had no other reason to go back up to Scotland. I got him a lift, we come back. He’s gone back up again in me uncle’s car. I can’t say why.”
PW: “When your uncle, Tony, has given you the lift south to your home address what had he then done?”
JP: “Probably would have a pint back home, got a proper chippy. He hates the chippies in scotland.”
PW: “Did he stay any length of time at your mum’s address?”
JP: “No. I think he went straight back up the road.”
PW: “It appears that his vehicle transports Mr Witham back to Scotland. You had come back down to Merseyside with your uncle and Witham.”
JP: “That’s right.”
PW: “Having got back to Merseyside you and Witham went in a van, your father’s van, later that evening to St Helens and stayed at the Mercure. Do you know where your uncle stayed that night?”
JP: “I couldn’t say. If he comes down he’d probably stay in his mate’s around the corner or in me mum’s.”
Peers says his uncle was at his mum’s house when he went home the following day.
PW: “Did you accompany them or stay in Merseyside?”
JP: “I stayed in Merseyside.”
Mr Wright says there was then a search warrant executed at Zeisz’s home at 10pm.
He was not present at the time.
PW: “The following day, Sunday the 28th, there are a series of attempts to contact you from Kallum Radford. Were you aware of any police interest in Sean Zeisz at this time?”
JP: “No.”
PW: “Were you given any notification there’d been any search of his home by police officers. The execution of a search warrant looking for him?”
JP: “No.”
PW: “Were you aware the police were looking for (Witham)?”
JP: “No. Otherwise I wouldn’t have went up the road.”
PW: “Were you aware the police were looking for you?”
JP: “I wasn’t.”
PW: “Was there any reason for the police to be looking for you?”
JP: “No, not that I know of.”
Mr Wright turns to events after Peers’ return from Scotland and the Mercure.
PW: “Where did you stay? Did you stay at home or go anywhere else?”
JP: “I probably stayed at home.”
PW: “Were you aware Kallum Radford was seeking to contact you?”
JP: “I was.”
PW: “There is a connection between the Kallum Radford phone and you. What was that about?”
JP: “When the car first got dropped off at Kallum’s, obviously Witham paid him to keep it there for a week. We’d gone Scotland there and back. We stayed in a hotel. He’s gone back up to Scotland. During this time, we’ve got a car that’s parked on Kallum’s path. It’s been moved to Abbie’s. I’m stuck in a position here. Witham changed his number and went back up the road. It’s not my car. It’s been left there for more than the agreed time i paid him for. He wanted it moving. I’d have to physically travel up to Scotland to get in contact with him.”
Mr Wright turns to August 29.
PW: “That afternoon, two things happen. The first is your phone is again in contact with the Radford phone. What was the purpose of the call?”
JP: “Probably to say what’s going on with this car.”
PW: “Then, that evening, you are in the Post Office on Childwall Lane. You appear to be using Witham’s bank card.”
JP: “Yeah he left his bank card when he went up the road. He was gonna pay me for getting a lift and booking the hotels. I booked them in my own name, my own card. There was no arrangement.”
PW: “Who paid the hotel bills?”
JP: “I did, obviously.”
PW: “In total, there’s 650 pounds being withdrawn.”
JP: “Yeah.”
PW: “That’s the reason for those payments.”
JP: “Yeah, and for the lift.”
11:49JONATHAN HUMPHRIES
Peers 'made no effort to lie low or hide from police'
Mr Wright says: “Let’s go to the next event, there’s a search warrant executed at the flat [267 Pilch Lane] Were you aware of the police executing a warrant at that arrest?”
Peers replies: “I was aware yeah, I live in Pilch Lane. You could see the shops taped off for weeks.”
PW: “Did you have anything to fear?”
JP: “No I never.”
PW: “This takes place on August 29, the same day you’re withdrawing the cash at the Post Office. That evening, where do you stay? Did you stay at home?”
JP: “I stayed in me mum’s.”
PW: “Had you any reason to lie low or go into hiding?”
JP: “No.”
PW: “We’re not into the following Tuesday, the 30th. You again are making a booking. This time, the Mercure Hotel in Aberdeen. You’re using your own name.”
JP: “Me on name yeah. Me own number.”
PW: “There appear to be two rooms being booked.”
JP: “Where does it say two rooms on that?”
PW: “Forgive me, it’s a single room for three nights being booked. Number of persons, two adults.”
Mr Wright says Peers checked in 12.54
PW: “You’re in Merseyside at this time?”
JP: “Yeah.”
PW: “Who was in checking in at 12.54?”
JP: “It was James.”
PW: “How is it that your booking a room, a single room for him, at the Mercure in Aberdeen?”
JP: “He asked me to book him a room while he was up the road. I didn’t know what he was going back up to Scotland for. I know he stays in hotels. If you look at the 29th to the 31st, that’s one of the hotels he’s paid me for to book in me own name.”
PW: “The £263 charge was paid in cash. The room was checked out just before midday on the 2nd. That’s Witham staying in Aberdeen. We see Sean Zeisz is arrested as he attends the custody office with his solicitor. Were you aware the police wanted to speak to Sean Zeisz?”
JP: “No I wasn’t aware no.”
PW: “That evening, there are further calls. You to the Radford number. The cell siting of your phone is in L14. You are in the Liverpool area at that time.”
JP: “Yeah.”
PW: “We see at 15.04, the last recorded event for your phone and the first recorded event for a new number. There’s a change of phone number by you. Can you help us with that change in phone number?”
JP: “I updated the handset and me number as the phone needed updating.”
PW: “Did you make any attempt to conceal your identity as far as acquiring that phone was concerned?”
JP: “No.”
Peers confirms that his Apple ID and email address were connected to the new phone.
PW: “Had the police been to your address at all by this time?” The answer is no. Mr Wright asks: “Was there anything provoking you into changing your phone number at that time?”
JP: “No there wasn’t.”
PW: “Were you making any attempt to conceal your identity, whereabouts or movement over all this period of time?”
JP: “No.”
Justice Goose calls for a break, with the jury asked to return at 12.20pm.
12:33JONATHAN HUMPHRIES
'Person of interest'
Mr Wright rises and continues questioning Joseph Peers.
PW: “We had reached the 4th to the 5th of September. That day, on the 4th, there are calls of varying lengths. All of them relatively short. But, between your mobile and the Kallum Radford number. What were they about?”
JP: “Erm. Basically just about the car and normal conversation. That’s all.”
PW: “Then we see, that day, the 4th, there is a Kia Sportage registered to a Scott Lunan travelling from Liverpool to Scotland.”
Peers’ phone is seen cell siting alongside the vehicle.
PW: “Can you help us what was happening there?”
JP: “Shannon Lunan is a close family friend to me. She was down in Liverpool with our Tony already going back up the road. Shannon popped into my mum’s. She happened to take me back up the road. Me, her and the baby.”
PW: “Why were you travelling to Scotland again?”
JP: “As you can see, the phone calls to Kallum Radford. He was under stress. He’s got a car parked on his friend’s path that’s nothing to do with him. It’s a domino effect. That’s led me to go back up to Scotland.
PW: “What is the purpose of going back to Scotland?”
JP: “To speak to the owner of the car basically and get it all resolved.”
PW: “You arrive in the early hours.”
JP: “Yeah.”
PW: “Where did you stay?”
JP: “I stayed with Shannon and the baby.”
PW: “Later that day we see there was a search warrant executed at your home address?”
JP: “That was the day after weren’t it”
PW: “That was during the day that follows.”
Mr Wright refers to an agreed fact which states: “The police have not carried out any search of 28 Woodlands Road in the course of this investigation, save for on the 5th of September when they were only lawfully permitted to search for Joseph Peers.”
PW: “That event takes place on September 5. The next events appear to be those on September 12 and 13. What happened in the intervening period, in between times. First, were you aware the police had been looking for you?”
JP: “No. I wasn’t aware.”
PW: “Had anyone told you the police were looking for you?”
JP: “No.”
PW: “Did you stay in Scotland during the period from the 5th of September?”
JP: “I did. I stayed in Scotland until the day I was arrested.”
PW: “During that period of time, where were you staying?”
JP: “Between Shannon’s and my uncle Tony’s.”
PW: “We’re now to the 12th and 13th of September and the events that take place at that time. During the time you were in scotland, what was your purpose of being in Scotland?”
JP: “From the phone calls to Kallum and going up to see my uncle, I’d been up there. I’d come back down then Witham’s gone back up. I’m getting stress off Kallum about the car. Witham had changed his number. It was between sorting the car out and seeing my uncle.”
PW: “You may be asked as to any motive for being in Scotland and not in Merseyside. Was there any underlying reason you may go to Scotland at this time?”
JP: “No no there’s no reason. Obviously i’ve left on the 4th. Police never knocked at my house on the 5th. They knocked as a person of interest. They never searched it. They never seized anything.”
12:38JONATHAN HUMPHRIES
Peers "knew nothing of Witham's involvement" until arrest
Mr Wright moves onto September 12.
PW: “Further calls on the 12th. One of them two minutes, one of them 34 seconds. Involving you contacting Kallum Radford. What was the purpose?”
Peers replies: “I’m coming home, I’ll see you when I’m back.”
PW: “Had you decided to come home?”
JP: “Yeah.”
PW: “You were travelling south in your uncle’s Audi when you were stopped by the police and arrested. You were with James Witham. Can you help us how it came to be you were together?”
JP: “Witham asked me for a lift back home. My uncle was the driver. He’s come home with us.”
PW: “When the police came to speak to you, we’ve viewed the video. You gave your correct details.”
JP: “Yes.”
PW: “You had your phone with you?”
JP: “I did.”
PW; “And you at that stage were arrested. When told you were being arrested on suspicion of murder had you any reason to suspect what this was about?”
JP: “Erm. no. I never.”
PW: “Had Witham ever said anything to you about what he’s done?”
JP: “That’s the most baffling part of it.”
PW: “Had he said anything?”
JP: “Hadn’t said nothing. He’s let me book hotels in my own name. He’s let me store the car for him. I’ve got all these Kallum phone calls I’m having to sort out on his behalf.”
PW: “He’d given you no indication of his being involved at all?”
JP: “No he give me no indication.”
Mr Wright asks about James Witham giving false details to a police officer when he was arrested.
JP: “That was when I had me suspicions. I’ve seen it in the light. He’s give a false name. I’ve booked all hotels in me own name. I’ve been with him after this. I just thought, why are you doing that?”
PW: “The police found 500 pounds in your trouser pocket.”
JP: “That was off Witham.”
PW: “Was that in respect of monies you had previously drawn out?”
JP: “It was.”
12:38JONATHAN HUMPHRIES
Peers "knew nothing of Witham's involvement" until arrest
Mr Wright moves onto September 12.
PW: “Further calls on the 12th. One of them two minutes, one of them 34 seconds. Involving you contacting Kallum Radford. What was the purpose?”
Peers replies: “I’m coming home, I’ll see you when I’m back.”
PW: “Had you decided to come home?”
JP: “Yeah.”
PW: “You were travelling south in your uncle’s Audi when you were stopped by the police and arrested. You were with James Witham. Can you help us how it came to be you were together?”
JP: “Witham asked me for a lift back home. My uncle was the driver. He’s come home with us.”
PW: “When the police came to speak to you, we’ve viewed the video. You gave your correct details.”
JP: “Yes.”
PW: “You had your phone with you?”
JP: “I did.”
PW; “And you at that stage were arrested. When told you were being arrested on suspicion of murder had you any reason to suspect what this was about?”
JP: “Erm. no. I never.”
PW: “Had Witham ever said anything to you about what he’s done?”
JP: “That’s the most baffling part of it.”
PW: “Had he said anything?”
JP: “Hadn’t said nothing. He’s let me book hotels in my own name. He’s let me store the car for him. I’ve got all these Kallum phone calls I’m having to sort out on his behalf.”
PW: “He’d given you no indication of his being involved at all?”
JP: “No he give me no indication.”
Mr Wright asks about James Witham giving false details to a police officer when he was arrested.
JP: “That was when I had me suspicions. I’ve seen it in the light. He’s give a false name. I’ve booked all hotels in me own name. I’ve been with him after this. I just thought, why are you doing that?”
PW: “The police found 500 pounds in your trouser pocket.”
JP: “That was off Witham.”
PW: “Was that in respect of monies you had previously drawn out?”
JP: “It was.”
The 28-year-old was shot dead at her home on Leinster Road in Old Swan
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