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

[michelle230]

Sometimes people don`t need much of a motive to commit terrible crimes. What would seem trivial to an emotionally stable person, may cause overwhelming "injury" to someone who is disordered e.g. narcissistic injury. It could have been something as simple as "getting on his nerves", a feeling that she was slipping from his grasp, jealousy of her success and her career, rage that he was unable to compete with her dead husband in her affections etc and of course if there was previous history of such "behaviour," then the boundaries would have been already broken thus desensitizing the act.

 

[mrazda71]

Sometimes people don`t need much of a motive to commit terrible crimes. What would seem trivial to an emotionally stable person, may cause overwhelming "injury" to someone who is disordered e.g. narcissistic injury. It could have been something as simple as "getting on his nerves", a feeling that she was slipping from his grasp, jealousy of her success and her career, rage that he was unable to compete with her dead husband in her affections etc and of course if there was previous history of such "behaviour," then the boundaries would have been already broken thus desensitizing the act.

Great post, thanks

 

[CoverMeCagney]

I agree - the motive is the puzzling aspect for me in this case, I was looking at Helen's blog and it seems hard to believe she had been living for 3 years with someone who either was so controlling he'd commit the ultimate act of control, or someone who was such a psychopath that he was just acting a part and coldly using her. She seems to have had so much self awareness and insight into other's personalities and issues, it's very troubling that this could happen to her.

In North America, people are charged with either 1st, 2nd degree murder, which immediately gives insight into the motive that the prosecution will argue, but I gather that's not the case in the UK?

We have murder or manslaughter as a general rule. More info below from the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) website:

Murder:
*a person of sound mind and discretion (i.e. sane);
*unlawfully kills (i.e. not self-defence or other justified killing); any reasonable creature (human being);
*with intent to kill or cause grievous bodily harm (GBH).

Manslaughter:
*killing with the intent for murder but where a partial defence applies, namely loss of control, diminished responsibility or killing pursuant to a suicide pact.
*conduct that was grossly negligent given the risk of death, and did kill, is manslaughter
*conduct taking the form of an unlawful act involving a danger of some harm, that resulted in death, is manslaughter

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/h_to_k/homicide_murder_and_manslaughter/

 

[MillyM]

Will be interesting to see what the cause of death was. Whereas a ferocious hit and her falling and fatally hitting her head, may be seen to occur in a moment of blind fury, strangulation on the other hand takes prolonged and sustained force.

 

[Remi_Aventura]

>>>Whereas a ferocious hit and her falling and fatally hitting her head,<<<MillyM

And for all we know, he may had some prior experience with JUST such a scenario...then it would be a matter of disposing of evidence for a period of time he obviously thought was forever. I bet he will use an accident followed by his own panic attack excuse; if so, I hope the Crown shoots a million holes in his story. btw, I can't help but still think the car or a car was somehow involved in getting the body from the house to the entrance of the septic (under garbage?)...unless, unless he killed her elsewhere and brought her home to bury her. I bet that's what he did...killed her elsewhere, then drove right into the garage.

 

[Paulas88]

They were searching the garden areas for several days before the neighbor (God bless her) told them about the septic tank in the garage... did someone tip the LE off that Helen was buried somewhere on the grounds? Very curious.

 

[Alyce]

>>>Whereas a ferocious hit and her falling and fatally hitting her head,<<<MillyM

And for all we know, he may had some prior experience with JUST such a scenario...then it would be a matter of disposing of evidence for a period of time he obviously thought was forever. I bet he will use an accident followed by his own panic attack excuse; if so, I hope the Crown shoots a million holes in his story. btw, I can't help but still think the car or a car was somehow involved in getting the body from the house to the entrance of the septic (under garbage?)...unless, unless he killed her elsewhere and brought her home to bury her. I bet that's what he did...killed her elsewhere, then drove right into the garage.

If the timings are correct, he must have killed Helen shortly after she returned to the house on the Monday, following the sightings of her by the dog walkers. Otherwise there would be further evidence of Helen, emails, social media , even possibly phone calls she might make in the evening.
My thought, now, is that he was waiting for her when she returned and either attacked straight away or made some excuse to get her to go out to the garage. Of the two I am more inclined to think an attack in the home to avoid the risk of a neighbour just happening to see, and later remember seeing, Helen going to the garage on that afternoon.
Then, take the body out the front door, straight to the car, which he could park right up close to the house, and short drive round to the garage.
A murder away from the house gave him more risk of being sighted at some point with Helen.

 

[Alyce]

Will be interesting to see what the cause of death was. Whereas a ferocious hit and her falling and fatally hitting her head, may be seen to occur in a moment of blind fury, strangulation on the other hand takes prolonged and sustained force.

Am not hopeful that they will be able to determine a COD after 3 months in that awful place - just typing that gives me shudders.

And, sadly, he will then be able to tell any lies he wants about what happened.

 

[Alyce]

I wonder if IS met any other widows during his time on the bereavement site. His wife died in June 2010 so it is possible he was a member of the group for maybe a year or so before Helen joined

 

[Tortoise]

I was looking back through the timeline last night, to see when the police might have been given information or had information to suspect this was more than what they were being told by IS. Because I don't think searching the septic tank points to suspected suicide. I know they have to consider every angle, but this seemed to me to be acting on information.

April

Mon 11th - last sighting at 2:45pm, walking Boris.
Tues 12th - truck driver sees a woman walking that he thought may have been Helen, wearing a green barbour jacket.
Fri 15th - Helen reported missing. IS had taken to Facebook at some stage to ask friends if they had seen her.
Sun 17th - Helen's Facebook messenger account active. Sometime this weekend the family and friends tell police this is out of character, and more police are assigned to the case.

Mon 18th - Police search home and garden
Thurs 21st - Revealed in papers that police told neighbours they were about to get married. None of them knew of engagement. Also revealed green barbour jacket can't be found at her house.
Fri 22nd - Police get engineers in to drain and search septic tank, sniffer dogs used.

Tues 26th - Police reveal Helen may have had access to large amount of cash

May

6th - Police say IS is distraught and requesting no media approach him. Police reveal for 1st time that alleged note mentioned going to Broadstairs.
11th - IS issues written appeal and Helen's brother makes televised appeal. Police reveal the green barbour jacket was found at her home.

June

11th - ? IS goes on pre-booked holiday to Spain.

 

[Tortoise]

Am not hopeful that they will be able to determine a COD after 3 months in that awful place - just typing that gives me shudders.

And, sadly, he will then be able to tell any lies he wants about what happened.

We don't know if anything else was found in the septic tank, such as a weapon. A knife or something used like a heavy item or club. Also there could be evidence of a blow, skull trauma/fracture, that kind of thing.

 

[Tortoise]

I wonder if IS met any other widows during his time on the bereavement site. His wife died in June 2010 so it is possible he was a member of the group for maybe a year or so before Helen joined

Being an IT specialist no doubt he knows of ways to permanently erase traces of his activity online.

 

[Alyce]

Great timeline Tortoise, thanks.

I had not realised that the septic tank was checked during the end of their search. I wonder, was it just something they left til last, or was there a specific reason they perhaps went back and checked. One would have hoped an engineer might have known that there would also be a Well there, but clearly not.


Re the FB appeal. The first reports I remember said that Helen's friends had reported her missing.
Then later reports said that IS had checked, via FB, with Helen's friends to find out if anyone had seen her.
Then the final reports said that IS had reported her missing, on the Friday evening, following his visit to Broadstairs.

Knowing what we know now, I wonder if it was in fact friends contacting IS to ask where Helen was that pushed him into action. I suspect he may have tried to fob them off with the she's gone away for some space story but when they were insistent and talked about going to the police, he would then have realised he had to be seen to be doing something, to remove suspicion, so went to the cottage and then made the report to the police.

 

[Alyce]

Being an IT specialist no doubt he knows of ways to permanently erase traces of his activity online.

Ah but as my IT expert would say, nothing is ever lost in cyberspace.

talking of which

sykic.com is an interesting link.

Seems that his IT work was providing advice/assistance re website set up and domain registering.
Not a huge amount of money to be made there, unless a large client base can be acquired and I cant see much evidence of that.


ETA re the bereavement site and meeting others. I wasnt thinking so much of him chatting on line with other widows ( although that would be interesting ) but rather if he had actually met up with others, perhaps even formed, or tried to form, a relationship. And the other person or people involved might be able to offer some insights.

 

[MillyM]

A local journalist has just tweeted that IS's appearing at St Albans today may not now take place until tomorrow as there is no judge available. To be verified

 

[Alyce]

A local journalist has just tweeted that IS's appearing at St Albans today may not now take place until tomorrow as there is no judge available. To be verified

Thanks Milly. Looking definite for tomorrow now, ITV News have just said the same.

http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/upda...pearance-in-royston-author-murder-is-delayed/

 

[michelle230]

I was thinking the same!
Just come to St Albans court to be told it was too short notice, judge is on holiday today and should be listed for tomorrow. Oh well - Costa here I come!

 

[michelle230]

Ah - just saw posts above!!

 

[Tortoise]

I was thinking the same!
Just come to St Albans court to be told it was too short notice, judge is on holiday today and should be listed for tomorrow. Oh well - Costa here I come!

Ah you are so dedicated!

 

[Tortoise]

Ah but as my IT expert would say, nothing is ever lost in cyberspace.

talking of which

sykic.com is an interesting link.

Seems that his IT work was providing advice/assistance re website set up and domain registering.
Not a huge amount of money to be made there, unless a large client base can be acquired and I cant see much evidence of that.


ETA re the bereavement site and meeting others. I wasnt thinking so much of him chatting on line with other widows ( although that would be interesting ) but rather if he had actually met up with others, perhaps even formed, or tried to form, a relationship. And the other person or people involved might be able to offer some insights.

Look at this - it's the year his wife died, a couple of months after.

http://www.mgexp.com/member/Sykic