GUILTY UK - Helen Bailey, 51, Royston, 11 April 2016 #1

[Alyce]

Stewart back in the dock

Stewart is sat in the dock, wearing a pale blue/grey colour shirt.


http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/incoming/helen-bailey-murder-trial-case-12475974

 

[Annad]

Mornin all

Rather strange re the Zopiclone and ISs condition. Perhaps, after the first time he took them ( 2005 ) his subsequent GP or GPs didnt check records and just prescribed on the basis that he said he had had them before and was ok with them ?

And maybe he did not have myasthenia gravis. My husband's idiot cousin thinks she has had melanoma and breast cancer when in fact she just has had a breast biopsy and a funny mole cut off. Some people can take the doctor's "well it could be" and milk it for all that it is worth.

On the other hand he might have had the 'diagnosis' after 2005 and he went to a new doctor for the second script - not that he was planning to take them himself!

 

[Alyce]

Police arrive at Ms Bailey's house

The first witness today is police sergeant Nicole Goodyear.

Sergeant Goodyear said she was on duty on April 15 with two other colleagues. She went to Baldock Road to search an address looking for a missing person - known to be Ms Bailey.

“I spoke to Stewart. He was very interested in what we were doing, he wanted to follow us everywhere. He was inquisitive as to why we were doing a thorough search, everything we did was questioned. He was there watching our every single move. He was almost right on top of me shoulder-length away”, she told jurors.

“He was sat opposite us in Helen’s study and we were going through her paperwork. He then saw us pull Helen’s passport out and look at it - his whole demeanour changed, his colour on his face was shocked.

“He said ‘where did you find that?’ As if he’d looked for it and couldn’t find it. He was very shocked.

“Stewart said Helen left a note on a scrap of paper but said he may have picked the note up during his multiple trips to the rubbish tip.

“We’d spoken to him about Helen and what was going through her mind. The conversation went to their potential marriage, he’d mentioned that Helen was quite stressed because a number of venues had fallen through or cancelled in quite a short amount of time.

“We spoke about how Helen was before she disappeared, things she was interested in, and how she’d been. He’d made mention previously she had been upset and stressed but said this was probably due to the wedding.

“He said Helen wasn’t on medication - and if she could avoid having medication she would.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/incoming/helen-bailey-murder-trial-case-12475974

 

[Alyce]

He then saw us pull Helen’s passport out and look at it - his whole demeanour changed, his colour on his face was shocked.

“He said ‘where did you find that?’ As if he’d looked for it and couldn’t find it.


I think I would have said - well, that's good, at least she hasn't left the country !

 

[Alyce]

Kate Bradbrook ‏@katebradbrook 5m5 minutes ago

#helenbailey Sergeant Goodyear says Ian Stewart was "very interested & inquisitive" watching our every single move



Kate Bradbrook ‏@katebradbrook 4m4 minutes ago

#helenbailey Serg Goodyear says when she found Helen's passport at house Ian Stewart appeared "very shocked

 

[Alyce]

during his multiple trips to the rubbish tip.

 

[Alyce]

Sgt Goodyear sees the Jeep

Sergeant Goodyear said at one point she was outside near to the garage.

She said one of the garage doors was open and officers were there. “They’d already done the search of the garage when I got there, all I could see was the vehicles and other officers talking to Stewart.”

Ms Bailey’s body was eventually found in a cesspit beneath the garage. Her Jeep had been parked over the manhole entrance.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/incoming/helen-bailey-murder-trial-case-12475974


eta for context Sunset on this day would have been 7.55pm

 

[Alyce]

Sgt Goodyear admits a mistake

Sergeant Goodyear is now being cross-examined by the defence.

She admitted that she got the date of the day she visited the house in Royston wrong in her notebook - she had written Friday April 14.

The actual date she visited the house was Friday, April 15.

She said she got to the Royston house at 7.40pm.

She has now finished giving her evidence.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/incoming/helen-bailey-murder-trial-case-12475974

 

[Alyce]

Kate Bradbrook ‏@katebradbrook 2m2 minutes ago

Police sergeant giving evidence #helenbailey case appears to have fainted. Jury taken out of courtroom


Kate Bradbrook ‏@katebradbrook 1m1 minute ago

#helenbailey trial jury back in. Witness seems ok. Next up is Sgt Stephen Oliphant who also searched house

 

[Alyce]

Police return to the garage

The next witness is police Sergeant Stephen Oliphant, who was one of the officers tasked with searching Helen and Stewart’s Royston house.

At 9.30am on April 19 Sergeant Oliphant said he went to the Royston house.

He said: “I saw a BMW in the driveway. I explained to Stewart what we wanted to do - he invited us in and asked why we were there.

“We explained - Stewart asked if our presence was necessary, because police had already conducted a search of the house.

“Stewart was asked to show us round the house and identify any existing damage to the house before we started the search.

“He took us to the side door of the garage, which he unlocked to let us in. We saw a staircase to the loft area.

“There were vehicles present and he told us who used the vehicles - then he showed us to the upstairs of the garage.

“Upstairs there were various boxes.”

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/incoming/helen-bailey-murder-trial-case-12475974

 

[Alyce]

He took us to the side door of the garage, which he unlocked to let us in. We saw a staircase to the loft area.




so, the side door must be to the left as you look at this pic

therefore, IS did not need to open the main doors to enter the garage

 

[Alyce]

Stewart could be 'dismissive' of police search

Sergeant Oliphant said a full search of the house took place with licensed officers. Officers were split into pairs and tasked to search each area.

The conservatory was deemed a search control point.

“Stewart remained present during the search. He was very accommodating to begin with. Then he would come back and ask where the search was progressing.

“Sometimes he would take an interest and at other times he became dismissive of us, throw his hands up and walk away as if to say ‘Oh I’ve had enough of this’.

“I noticed he was holding his right hand to his side, we were aware he had surgery. He complained to us that he was in an amount of pain.”

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/incoming/helen-bailey-murder-trial-case-12475974

 

[Alyce]

Kate Bradbrook ‏@katebradbrook 1m1 minute ago

#helenbailey case Serg Oliphant tells court during house search Ian Stewart accommodating to begin with but became dismissive

 

[Cherwell]

Sgt Goodyear admits a mistake
Sergeant Goodyear is now being cross-examined by the defence.
She admitted that she got the date of the day she visited the house in Royston wrong in her notebook - she had written Friday April 14.
The actual date she visited the house was Friday, April 15.

Defence scores a point of total insignificance!

 

[Alyce]

More about Helen Bailey's cars

Stewart showed the police maps and routes around Royston as to where Helen would normally take Boris for a walk, Sergeant Oliphant told jurors.

He was also asked about where the cars were parked in the garage.

He tells jurors: “Whilst the garage and vehicles were searched I went to check the progress of the searches. I walked from the front of the house and the garage was directly in front of me.

“The cars in the garage - the white jeep which I was told was Helen’s was parked on the right hand side of the garage, it was the only vehicle of the right hand side and it was parked near to the front.

“On the left hand side was a black Seat Ibiza, to the right hand side of this was a white Fiat 500. In front of both of those vehicles was an old sports car under some blankets.”

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/incoming/helen-bailey-murder-trial-case-12475974

 

[Alyce]

Vehicles 'were not moved during initial search'

Sergeant Oliphant admits the vehicles in the garage were not moved in order for the search to take place.

He said Stewart did not enter the garage whilst he was present.

He said on April 19 there were no dogs involved in the search.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/incoming/helen-bailey-murder-trial-case-12475974

 

[Alyce]

Kate Bradbrook ‏@katebradbrook 1m1 minute ago

#helenbailey case Serg Oliphant says during search 19 April Ian Stewart appeared to be in pain & held his hand against his side

 

[Alyce]

Police discover the hidden cesspit

He is now being asked about another police search on July 11.

A police briefing took place and it was explained there was going to be a search of a different variety - a search authorised by a court of law, as Stewart had been arrested.

Sergeant Oliphant said: “A search of the house started. We went round the house and nothing obvious had changed. The cars were parked in the same position.

“During the course of this search the vehicles were moved from the garage, to assist dog handlers to do their job.

“There was conversation about the hatchway to the cesspit. On that day the officers in the garage said they were unable to lift the hatch [to open the cesspit].”

He said the police dogs did not indicate anything around that area. Because of this, and because the lid of the cesspit had not been lifted, this was marked as something to be re-tasked.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/incoming/helen-bailey-murder-trial-case-12475974

 

[Alyce]

A warning...

The court is now hearing about the precise circumstances of how the cesspit was opened and Ms Bailey’s body discovered- some of these next updates could be disturbing.


http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/incoming/helen-bailey-murder-trial-case-12475974

 

[Alyce]

Into the cesspit

On July 12 the search continues, with more officers.

Sergeant Oliphant said: “By this stage, I had a full licensed search officer team with me and we had the lifting gear to lift the hatch of the cesspit.

“One of the pairs present was able to lift the hatch on that occasion.

“I wasn’t there when this took place. I then looked at it - it smelt of human excrement. When you first put your head over the cesspit it made you stand back because of the fumes, but it wasn’t a particularly nasty smell that would make you vomit.

“The lid was then put back down again.”

This was re-tasked, because if the cesspit was to be full searched it had to be emptied. Police did not have breathing apparatus or the skills to do this at the time.

Sergeant Oliphant said: “We made contact with a firm that emptied cesspits. The firm had previously been to the cesspit in the garden on Friday.

We asked them to come back and help deal with what we’d just found.

“On July 15 a man from the company went down the driveway. I showed him the hatch that led to the cesspit under the garage, he explained he’d been there previously. When we removed the hatch again he looked to see what equipment he needed and he went back to his vehicle.

“He picked up a big suction tube. He put the hose of the tube down to the cesspit and he said there was a crust on top of the cesspit, this was a hard surface and he wasn’t able to break it.

“He went away and came back with a garden hoe, he asked me to use this to break the crust. I started prodding and poking the crust - there was a crack formed.

“A short time later I was prodding with this garden hoe and realised I was hitting a different object to the crust. It felt softer and spongier. I moved the crust away from the object. I pushed the object into the water and realised at this point in time that it was an arm to a body.

“At this point my activity stopped. The crust was six to nine inches thick.”

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/incoming/helen-bailey-murder-trial-case-12475974