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

[cottonweaver]

Many thanks. I wonder if he had a hand in organising her finances/will/POA or whether it was all her idea. It does seem a bit odd that so much was entered into and they were not at that time engaged or married.

I'm even starting to wonder if he targeted her - was looking for a wealthy widow on those bereavement sites!

michelle - wow, I didn't know you were going. Thanks so much for the feedback.

 

[Tortoise]

You must be exhausted Michelle. A twitcher OMG. Well done, and great to hear your opinions, as always! xx

 

[Alyce]

Thanks for the POA info Tortoise. I'm sure you've already posted that today, I should have read back a few pages. Sorry for being lazy.

Does anyone have experience of a joint POA and how that could be awkward for IS (or not)?

Yes, everything has to be agreed between the two or more parties. It can be a total headache !

 

[Alyce]

I'm even starting to wonder if he targeted her - was looking for a wealthy widow on those bereavement sites!

michelle - wow, I didn't know you were going. Thanks so much for the feedback.

Although I am prepared to believe he joined the website simply because he was a widower, I do also believe that he would only have been interested in * getting to know * females who had money.

 

[cottonweaver]

Yes, that's my concern, how could she, in particular, have gotten so involved, for so long and apparently happily, with a true psychopath.

.

RSBM. There's evidence to support her being in love with him

Again, he could obviously be very very charming. Charm means to magnetise someone, in the true sense of the word.
Remember the flowery language - might it appeal to the romantic and the writer in Helen?

I just looked at some of my posts from last year.

eg. appeal quotes

“Days have become weeks and
weeks have become months –
Helen please don’t let
months become years.

he thinks it's a sonnet ^

and

“We miss you and Boris so much. We are shattered in so many ways. You not only mended my heart five years ago but made it bigger, stronger and kinder.
“Together we learnt to live with our grief and move forward with our lives but never forgetting. Now it feels like my heart doesn't even exist. Our plans are nowhere near complete and without you there is no point.
“We promised each other 30 years. Please keep that promise and come home.

plus the obvious vulnerability in Helen, as a grieving woman.

 

[Interested Bystander]

This is interesting.

Long doc and I have not read it in detail, but it seems that there is some kind of system in place ( or being proposed ) that would allow someone to become guardian of the property and affairs of a missing person.
That would certainly help the cash flow, if IS had been able to obtain this role. He could claim all sorts of money from Helen's estate, on the basis of maintaining her estate for her.

Here's a snippet,

Guardianship would be a fiduciary role akin to trusteeship.
• The guardian would be required to act only in the best interests of the missing person.
• Actions taken by the guardian should have the same effect as if they had been taken by the missing person.
• The guardian should generally be able to access information relating to the missing person and do anything in relation to the property and affairs of the missing person (except make a will) that the missing person would have been able to do in person.
• Anyone should be able to apply for appointment as guardian provided he or she had a sufficient interest and expertise, and did not have interests which conflicted with those of the missing person.
• The appointment should be made by a court.
• The appointment should only be capable of being made if a person had been missing for 90 days or more and it seemed likely that a decision would need to be made regarding the property and affairs of the missing person.
• The appointment should be for a period of up to four years with the possibility of applying for an extension for up to another four years.
• The appointment could be general or limited and could be made on condition that an adequate security bond was provided.
• The guardian would be supervised by the Office of the Public Guardian and would be required to file accounts.


http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN04890

That was really interesting. Thank you. As far as I can tell (I have no legal experience) it is not law yet and is awaiting parliamentary time. It seems the 2013 Presumption of Death Bill is still the legal standard. If that is the case, it is still 7 years. I cannot help thinking when the new bill becomes law it might create more problems than it solves. Sounds admirable as long as it is not abused but when we have people like IS around one can see how easy it would have been for him to benefit until such time as the 7 years expired.

 

[cottonweaver]

found this one earlier.

he charmed his ex mother in law too. see BIB

"Yesterday Mr Stewart’s former mother-in-law, Noreen Lem, said she was stunned by his arrest.
She added: ‘Ian was married to my daughter for over 20 years and he was a very kind man who was loving to my daughter and their sons James and Oliver.
‘I couldn’t imagine him doing something as horrible as this. I can’t begin to imagine what the boys are going through right now.’"

 

[Tortoise]

found this one earlier.

he charmed his ex mother in law too. see BIB

They're always charmers. Otherwise they would have no one to prey on. Helen seemed so sweet, too trusting.

 

[michelle230]

I thought about that too.
I think that he was an opportunist, subconsciously on the lookout, then Helen came along and from his perspective was "very interesting" - wealthy yes, but also had no children (to keep an eye and be around, ask questions, notice things etc and of course inherit from their mother), I think also that she didn`t have family living close by? (very important), was vulnerable...and then when he heard about the hidden septic tank...well..bingo
And I don`t think he was a beginner..

I'm even starting to wonder if he targeted her - was looking for a wealthy widow on those bereavement sites!

michelle - wow, I didn't know you were going. Thanks so much for the feedback.

 

[Alyce]

I thought about that too.
I think that he was an opportunist, subconsciously on the lookout, then Helen came along and from his perspective was "very interesting" - wealthy yes, but also had no children (to keep an eye and be around, ask questions, notice things etc and of course inherit from their mother), I think also that she didn`t have family living close by? (very important), was vulnerable...and then when he heard about the hidden septic tank...well..bingo
And I don`t think he was a beginner..

Yes, very good point. No nearby family and no immediate family.
There is a part, in either Helen's blog,or her book, cant remember which, where she talks about Christmas in Royston, and feeling like the outsider in her own home, with it being only IS and all of his family there...

 

[Tortoise]

Michelle, I don't know where I get this vibe from, but I think of him as like an overgrown spoilt child. A boy who was doted on by his mum, couldn't do anything wrong. He has been enabled in other words. Feels entitled.

 

[Tortoise]

he thinks it's a sonnet ^

:giggle:

probably took him days to write that.

 

[MillyM]

I wonder if he was going to try to move her body at a later date, so it would be found, say in woodland, to prove her death and claim under her will.

Or, by the administering of sleeping tablets to try and claim she had been self-administering which led to an overdose? I wonder what happened on the morning of 11th April. Did she become aware of something and confront him and he then realised he had no choice but to act? Or was she knocked out after she had made last email communications and he then took his opportunity?

 

[Tortoise]

I think I'd know if I had been drugged. I've read about a metallic after taste from this drug too. How did he get away with drugging her for so long?

 

[MillyM]

Michelle, how would you describe his demeanor today. Did he appear nervous, anxious or rather cocky and assured?

In those early pix with HB he does look like a cuddly, jovial middle aged gent and possibly a charming one. But remember the earlier pix with other family? In those there was a detectable harder glint to the eye I felt.*

As I said in earlier post, more about his character will probably be revealed after the end of the trial snd sentencing. May well then hear from one or two other women he may have tried to get close to.*

It makes it all the more harder in this case finding out today as we did that it was seemingly a long premeditated crime - though of course we still have a long way to go and the defence. Somehow, although still terrible, a sudden spurt of anger in an argument and his killing her accidentally and then panicking, might have allowed a mere smidgen of leeway, but to learn this was a long thought out plan, while he still went about daily life acting normally, is the mark of a cold psychopath.

 

[michelle230]

Michelle, I don't know where I get this vibe from, but I think of him as like an overgrown spoilt child. A boy who was doted on by his mum, couldn't do anything wrong. He has been enabled in other words. Feels entitled.

Very possibly. A narcissist definitely, and entitlement is one of the main characteristics of narcissism.
Certainly not an unattractive man. He looks much slimmer than in pictures last year but probably lost weight since being in remand. However you know what they say....those who fall from a greater height fall much further, and he looked haunted and hopeless and pathetic - like a collapsed balloon. I get the strong feeling that he had such an over inflated view of himself that nothing could possibly go wrong. That he was infallible. (I wonder why he was so confident??)
Not feeling (or looking) quite so.... "cool"/ of the walk. Quite the opposite.
I still can`t get over how wonderfully the case has been investigated and pieced together...mainly on small or tiny fragments..
Michelle x

 

[michelle230]

Me too. She did know that something was wrong because her internet history showed searches e.g. "why am I so tired?", "why am I falling asleep in the afternoon" etc and she spoke to her mother about this and about being forgetful - she was very upset because she "left" Boris on the beach one day and suddenly remembered and had to go back for him.
But how could you begin to consider that your partner/man you love is drugging you?

 

[Tortoise]

Very possibly. A narcissist definitely, and entitlement is one of the main characteristics of narcissism.
Certainly not an unattractive man. He looks much slimmer than in pictures last year but probably lost weight since being in remand. However you know what they say....those who fall from a greater height fall much further, and he looked haunted and hopeless and pathetic - like a collapsed balloon. I get the strong feeling that he had such an over inflated view of himself that nothing could possibly go wrong. That he was infallible. (I wonder why he was so confident??)
Not feeling (or looking) quite so.... "cool"/ of the walk. Quite the opposite.
I still can`t get over how wonderfully the case has been investigated and pieced together...mainly on small or tiny fragments..
Michelle x

What do you think of the prosecutor? Sounds as if you're impressed?

 

[Interested Bystander]

Very possibly. A narcissist definitely, and entitlement is one of the main characteristics of narcissism.
Certainly not an unattractive man. He looks much slimmer than in pictures last year but probably lost weight since being in remand. However you know what they say....those who fall from a greater height fall much further, and he looked haunted and hopeless and pathetic - like a collapsed balloon. I get the strong feeling that he had such an over inflated view of himself that nothing could possibly go wrong. That he was infallible. (I wonder why he was so confident??)
Not feeling (or looking) quite so.... "cool"/ of the walk. Quite the opposite.
I still can`t get over how wonderfully the case has been investigated and pieced together...mainly on small or tiny fragments..
Michelle x

What do you think the chances are that he won't take the stand? We know that can be held against him but you seem to be describing very well someone who no longer has an air of confidence and I imagine with all the evidence against him he might choose not to face cross examination. Maybe he will even throw in the towel.

 

[Nellie Nelson]

Fantastic you were able to attend court, Michelle. It's always so much better to have a websleuther in attendance.