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

[ColourPurple]

Reading all this, I just can't believe what an utter dummy this man is.

I know.. so much suspicious activity from him right after she "disappears" . Activity that could be easily traced, like trying to get the money from the house sale, going to the dump, changing the standing order amount. Does make me wonder if after months of planning he had to take action suddenly, before he'd had time to get everything in order. Something more than just the pills running out, as he could easily get more pills. maybe Helen found out that he was up to something and confronted him, or maybe he found out she was contacting the other widower online and thought she was going to leave him.

 

[Alyce]

Mrs Cotter received 'desperate' sounding voicemail from Stewart

“On Monday, April 18, I got a call from Stewart who left a message on my voicemail. He’d said he had driven from Royston to Leatherhead (Surrey) to see Tony Hurley.

“He sounded desperate, upset, said he just didn’t know what he was doing. He said he wanted to speak to Tony.

“I told Stewart to speak to Tony that evening. Tony had looked after Helen’s investments.

“Stewart had not indicated what he wanted to speak to Tony about.

“Stewart left another voicemail on April 20. He wanted to know if Helen was able to access the money from her account and if she was able to, had she.

“He wanted to know if the police had contacted us. I wasn’t prepared to answer any of the questions until I spoke to our CEO to ascertain if it was OK to give this information to him.”


http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/live-helen-bailey-murder-trial-12464906


my addition - so he doesn't contact her family or friends, doesn't contact the cleaner at Broadstairs...but is very keen to speak to her investment adviser

 

[Cherwell]

Mrs Cotter received 'desperate' sounding voicemail from Stewart

“On Monday, April 18, I got a call from Stewart who left a message on my voicemail. He’d said he had driven from Royston to Leatherhead (Surrey) to see Tony Hurley.

“He sounded desperate, upset, said he just didn’t know what he was doing. He said he wanted to speak to Tony.

“I told Stewart to speak to Tony that evening. Tony had looked after Helen’s investments.

“Stewart had not indicated what he wanted to speak to Tony about.

“Stewart left another voicemail on April 20. He wanted to know if Helen was able to access the money from her account and if she was able to, had she.

“He wanted to know if the police had contacted us. I wasn’t prepared to answer any of the questions until I spoke to our CEO to ascertain if it was OK to give this information to him.”


http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/live-helen-bailey-murder-trial-12464906


my addition - so he doesn't contact her family or friends, doesn't contact the cleaner at Broadstairs...but is very keen to speak to her investment adviser

This is a week after he killed her though. My take is that this is him putting on an act of trying to show that he thinks she's still alive somewhere.

Oh wait, I see what you mean. He'd already spoken to the adviser before then, presumably.

 

[Alyce]

I know.. so much suspicious activity from him right after she "disappears" . Activity that could be easily traced, like trying to get the money from the house sale, going to the dump, changing the standing order amount. Does make me wonder if after months of planning he had to take action suddenly, before he'd had time to get everything in order. Something more than just the pills running out, as he could easily get more pills. maybe Helen found out that he was up to something and confronted him, or maybe he found out she was contacting the other widower online and thought she was going to leave him.

I had thought it was the pills running out that was the trigger, but as you say, he could have bought more. It would leave a trail but that wouldnt matter, because he was never expecting Helen's body to be found and a PM to take place and secondly , if he had to account for them, he could say they were for self use.
Also the Gateshead sale might have been fully completed by then, so the money would be safely in Helen's account and dripping over into his at regular intervals.

So maybe - as Mr Jitty said earlier - this was only a trial run. After all, if he had waited another 10 days or so, the house would have been much quieter ( OS and gf gone to Australia ) and potentially given him a wider time frame - day and probably some of the nights as well - when he could have carried out the murder.

Re the other widower - he was about to get married to his fiancee ( who was also friends with Helen ) so was contacting Helen as he needed her address to send her a wedding invite.

 

[Alyce]

More calls to Mrs Cotter

“I told Stewart Helen could access the money in her investment management accounts, but that she hadn’t accessed them.

“He asked me to contact him if Helen attended a planned function on April 22.

“On April 27 he phoned me again. I heard from him again on May 4, I received a missed call and another voicemail at 11.36am.

“That was all a bit odd, it [the call] was all muffled. It sounded like a call you’d make when you left your phone in your pocket.

“At the time he sounded desperate and generally upset.”

Mrs Cotter is now being cross examined by the defence. She admitted that she didn’t know Stewart particularly well. She said her boss Mr Hurley was someone who knew Helen for more than 30 years.

“They were also very good friends. Mr Hurley had known Helen’s previous husband very well”, she told jurors. She said Stewart couldn’t understand why police had not contacted her [Mrs Cotter] or the firm she worked for, as he had provided police with her phone details. That’s the end of Mrs Cotter’s evidence.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/live-helen-bailey-murder-trial-12464906

 

[Alyce]

This is a week after he killed her though. My take is that this is him putting on an act of trying to show that he thinks she's still alive somewhere.

Oh wait, I see what you mean. He'd already spoken to the adviser before then, presumably.

I agree, it would look good for him, to be concerned re Helen taking money and therefore being alive somewhere.
But it didnt really make sense ( to me ) as to why he would expect Helen to ask her financial adviser to release cash to her via her investments, when she presumably had a good cash flow in her bank accounts.
The only reason I can see for IS wanting to speak to the financial adviser would be to find out how easy it would be for him to get access to these funds.

Plus - another journey for the man who is so unwell.

 

[Alyce]

New witness: Joanna Norcross, friend of Stewart's first wife

A statement from Joanna Norcross is now being read to the court. Joanna said she knew Stewart for roughly 20 years and knew his previous wife, Diane Stewart.



http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/live-helen-bailey-murder-trial-12464906

 

[Alyce]

14.55 hrs


Court takes a short break

There is going to be a short break now, until 3.10pm.

 

[Tortoise]

I agree, it would look good for him, to be concerned re Helen taking money and therefore being alive somewhere.
But it didnt really make sense ( to me ) as to why he would expect Helen to ask her financial adviser to release cash to her via her investments, when she presumably had a good cash flow in her bank accounts.
The only reason I can see for IS wanting to speak to the financial adviser would be to find out how easy it would be for him to get access to these funds.

Plus - another journey for the man who is so unwell.

Or to find out that the investments were all still there, with old paperwork.

 

[Tortoise]

[FONT=&quot]15:14[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][h=3]Court back in session[/h]The case is now being called back in and we are continuing with the statement from Joanna Norcross.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/new...iley-murder-trial-12464906?service=responsive

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[Alyce]

Just posting up a few snippets from this article by the local Royston reporter.


When asked if she had indicated when she would return, Mr Stewart, who is originally from Letchworth, said: “No, ‘cos it’s never happened before, no. And her phone is dead, well I say dead, it doesn’t ring, it goes straight to answer machine.”

I dont know why a technically minded person would describe the phone as dead ? if it is going to ansafone.




He was asked if she is ever likely to have been a victim of any sort of abuse, to which Mr Stewart said: “No, I know she’s a very strong person. It would be very hard to abuse Helen, she’d come back at you very strongly.”


trying too hard to get a point across there perhaps ?





He also had to look up her phone number and date of birth while on the call, and said he didn’t know the address of their Broadstairs cottage.

That's a lot of rather basic info that he doesnt seem to know





http://www.royston-crow.co.uk/news/...orting_partner_helen_bailey_missing_1_4852537

 

[Tortoise]

[FONT=&quot]15:19[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][h=3]Witness was 'totally in shock' at Stewart's arrest[/h]In the statement, Joanna said Stewart’s previous wife Diane died in June 2010.
“Later I met Helen and got on very well with her. She was a funny and outgoing person. I read a post on Facebook made by Stewart, that Helen was missing. The message seemed to be an appeal-type letter to her, saying ‘where-ever are you?’
I messaged Stewart on Facebook messenger.
On April 17 I said if there was anything I could do to help, he should just say.
“I later told him we were all thinking of him, he said: ‘Thank you’.
“On May 4 I said I was thinking of Stewart every day and hoping he has some news soon.
“On June 25 I said to Stewart that I couldn’t believe there had been no news for him.
“On July 12, I told him we were thinking of him and the boys.”
Mrs Norcross said she attended a dog walk on May 22, and had conversation with Stewart about how he was holding up. There were leaflets and fliers being handed out about Helen, she said.
She said she later heard Stewart had been arrested in July and was “totally in shock” at this.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/new...iley-murder-trial-12464906?service=responsive

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[mrjitty]

I know.. so much suspicious activity from him right after she "disappears" . Activity that could be easily traced, like trying to get the money from the house sale, going to the dump, changing the standing order amount. Does make me wonder if after months of planning he had to take action suddenly, before he'd had time to get everything in order. Something more than just the pills running out, as he could easily get more pills. maybe Helen found out that he was up to something and confronted him, or maybe he found out she was contacting the other widower online and thought she was going to leave him.

Or he's just not nearly as clever as he thinks.

I know a sociopath who on the one hand is so dedicated to their schemes, but on the other hand is frequently very stupid.

Sociopaths also frequently take big risks.

 

[Tortoise]

[FONT=&quot]15:23[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][h=3]Statement from Sharon Judd, member of widowed group[/h]There’s now a statement from Sharon Judd, who was a member of a widowed group.
She became a member in 2010 and said the groups are for people to offer support to one another.
“I spoke with Helen online and this led to her calling me in March 2011. I never met her but spoke to her on social media. I do not believe she had met Ian at this stage.
“I also made contact with Stewart in 2011. Ian and I met up in August 2011, we went to the park and he bought me lunch.
“He took me back to my car. I did not see him again after this. I later found out that Helen and Ian had begun a relationship, this was announced on Facebook.”

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/new...iley-murder-trial-12464906?service=responsive

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[Tortoise]

[FONT=&amp]15:19[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Witness was 'totally in shock' at Stewart's arrest

In the statement, Joanna said Stewart’s previous wife Diane died in June 2010.
“Later I met Helen and got on very well with her. She was a funny and outgoing person. I read a post on Facebook made by Stewart, that Helen was missing. The message seemed to be an appeal-type letter to her, saying ‘where-ever are you?’
I messaged Stewart on Facebook messenger.
On April 17 I said if there was anything I could do to help, he should just say.
“I later told him we were all thinking of him, he said: ‘Thank you’.
“On May 4 I said I was thinking of Stewart every day and hoping he has some news soon.
“On June 25 I said to Stewart that I couldn’t believe there had been no news for him.
“On July 12, I told him we were thinking of him and the boys.”
Mrs Norcross said she attended a dog walk on May 22, and had conversation with Stewart about how he was holding up. There were leaflets and fliers being handed out about Helen, she said.
She said she later heard Stewart had been arrested in July and was “totally in shock” at this.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/new...iley-murder-trial-12464906?service=responsive

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How was that witness of any value to the prosecution whatsoever?

 

[Tortoise]

[FONT=&quot]15:25[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][h=3]'I called Ian and felt he rushed me off the phone'[/h]“On April 2016 I saw a message from a friend saying Helen had gone missing on April 11.
“I thought about calling Ian to see if he was alright. On April 16 at 11.45pm I called him and he answered.
“His voice sounded different to what I remember. I asked him how he was. He said the police said he needed to keep the line free, and this made me feel guilty for calling.
“I felt he rushed me off the phone. After that I had not spoken with him, and I later discovered he had been charged with Helen’s murder.”
That’s the end of her evidence.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/new...iley-murder-trial-12464906?service=responsive

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[mrazda71]

As the sleeping meds were prescribed FOR Ian, I wonder if a sample of his hair will have been analysed to see if he was taking the meds himself. If it showed up in Helens hair sample then it would surely show up in his IF he claims he'd been taking it as prescribed. Or will he say that he had the meds dispensed but never actually took them or in that case notice that they were disappearing from their packet IF he will claim that Helen was taking them himself.

 

[Tortoise]

[FONT=&amp]15:28[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Statement from Fraser Dyer, the partner of Helen's brother

He said: “I’ve been with John for the last 14 years and I’ve known Helen for the entire period.
“Since Helen moved to Royston with her new partner Ian we only see them once or twice a year. “The last time I saw her in person was the summer/autumn in 2015. There seemed to be no issues and she was her usual self.
“Helen is energetic, funny, creative and talkative. She was a little bit self-absorbed and was prone to being anxious. She could be a little neurotic at times when being driven by her feelings.
“My relationship with her was warm and affectionate. I’m not aware of her having any problems with Ian, I had never seen them argue but I would say Helen was the dominant one in their relationship.”
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]“On April 13 I received a phone call from Tracey Stratton, a friend of Helen.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Mr Dyer is a clergyman, the court is told.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“Tracey told me she had been trying to get hold of Helen for the past two days with no success. I said I’d contact John and tell him what she told me.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“John spoke to Ian, and then to Tracey. It’s not out of character for Helen to go to Broadstairs, but it’s out of character for her not to be on any form of communication.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/new...iley-murder-trial-12464906?service=responsive

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[Cherwell]

He also had to look up her phone number and date of birth while on the call, and said he didn’t know the address of their Broadstairs cottage.

That's a lot of rather basic info that he doesnt seem to know

It does seem a lot, but I can relate to not remembering things like that! I can remember some birthdays easily, but not others, and while I might know a birthday I might not be sure of year of birth. (This commonly happens on death certificates - the informant getting the year wrong).

Mobile phone numbers I always have to look up, although I tend not to have trouble with landline numbers because the area codes are consistent.

I also couldn't tell you the house numbers of various people I know. As he said, I just "go there". I don't need to know the number unless I want to post something to them.

Oh, and I can never tell you what colour anyone's eyes are! My own aren't a consistent colour, they seem to change with the light levels, so I don't even know my own!

 

[Tortoise]

It does seem a lot, but I can relate to not remembering things like that! I can remember some birthdays easily, but not others, and while I might know a birthday I might not be sure of year of birth. (This commonly happens on death certificates - the informant getting the year wrong).

Mobile phone numbers I always have to look up, although I tend not to have trouble with landline numbers because the area codes are consistent.

I also couldn't tell you the house numbers of various people I know. As he said, I just "go there". I don't need to know the number unless I want to post something to them.

Oh, and I can never tell you what colour anyone's eyes are! My own aren't a consistent colour, they seem to change with the light levels, so I don't even know my own!

Hey, aren't you supposed to be in the dock right now? .