Found Deceased UK - Lindsay Birbeck, 47, Accrington, 12 Aug 2019 *Arrest* #2

[jamjim]

12:35
Lindsay died from 'severe neck injuries' - possibly by 'stamping, kicking or kneeling on the neck'
Home Office pathologist Dr Naomi Carter carried out a post-mortem examination on August 26.

Mr McLachlan said: “Her opinion was that the cause of death was due to neck injuries. There was a marked decomposition of the body.

“The state of the post-mortem degeneration was in keeping with Lindsay Birbeck having died shortly after the time she went missing i.e a post-mortem interval of 12 days.

“Despite the degeneration of the body the neck skin was intact although bruising on the skin surface could not be assessed. However, internally in the neck, the findings were of potentially great significance.

“The gross disruption of the neck cartilage is in Dr Carter’s opinion unusually severe for compression of the neck. The neck cartilages appeared to be crushed.

“This strongly suggest that there has been some form of severe compressive force directed at the neck: this could have been achieved through stamping or kicking or, for example, kneeling on the front of the neck.

“There was in Dr Carter’s opinion good evidence of significant ante-mortem injury to the neck and no natural disease contributed towards her death.

“In short Lindsay Birbeck died from neck injuries.”

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[jamjim]

12:37
CCTV image released to media
Jurors were told that a CCTV image was released to the media showing a male pulling a wheelie bin along Burnley Road in Accrington on August 17.

The defendant and his family attended at the police station.

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[jamjim]

12:41
Vegetation at 'makeshift' grave examined
On August 28, forensic botanist Dr Mark Spencer attended the clandestine grave in Accrington Cemetery.

Mr McLachlan told the jury that vegetation was recovered from under Lindsay Birbeck’s body.

He said: “The vegetation appeared to have been pulled by hand. There were no signs of the plant stems being cut. It is probable that the person doing this wore gloves to pull up the vegetation.

“The majority of the vegetation appeared to have originated from within the woodland in Accrington Cemetery.

“However, Dr Spencer said his conclusions should be viewed cautiously.”

The jury heard that vegetation from under Lindsay’s body had come from elsewhere.


Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[jamjim]

12:42
Lindsay's Sketchers found in skip
At 1..50pm on August 28, PC Fielden was tasked with searching two large skips that had come from Accrington Cemetery.

While searching the first skip PC Fielden picked up a blue plastic carrier bag which he opened and which contained a pair of Skechers trainers which had been cut along the sole so as to separate the upper from the sole..

A Crime Scene Investigator attended and took photographs of the Skechers shoes.

The Skechers shoes belonged to Lindsay Birbeck. They were submitted for DNA profiling. This revealed that the DNA matched the profile of Lindsay Birbeck.

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[jamjim]

12:44
Defendant's home searched
Mr McLachlan told the jury that the defendant’s phone was searched.

Clothing was recovered clothing and an iPhone box which contained a lock knife which was full of soil.

The prosecutor added: “Whilst searching the property a sample of clear plastic bags and a roll of plastic sheeting was recovered from the corner of an outhouse.

“Both the plastic bags and plastic sheeting were passed to and expert who compared them with the plastic bag and sheeting recovered from the body deposition site at Accrington Cemetery. She found that the plastic sheeting and plastic bag recovered from the cemetery were indistinguishable from that recovered from the defendants home.”

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[jamjim]

12:46
Gloves found containing defendant's and Lindsay Birbeck's DNA
On August 31, CSI Duffy went to the scene at Accrington Cemetery and found a pair of gloves.

Mr McLachlan told the jury that on the inner surfaces the defendant’s DNA was found and Lindsay Birbeck’s was found on the outer surface of the left hand glove.

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[jamjim]

12:50
Defendant arrested and interviewed
The jury said the defendant was interviewed on three separate occasions on August 29, 30 and 31..

He was with a solicitor, and appropriate adult and an intermediary.

On August 29 he answered ‘no comment’ to all questions put to him.

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[jamjim]

12:52KEY EVENT
'I did not murder Lindsay Birbeck' - defendant statement
In a prepared statement on August 30 signed by the defendant, he said:

“I did not murder Lindsay Birbeck. I was not involved in her death.

I was not present at the time or place of her death.

I did move a body from an area off Burnley Road Accrington in a wheelie bin.

At first I hid the body but later moved it again in a wheelie bin, taking it to the cemetery on Burnley Road where I buried it on my own.

A man came up to me when I was walking alone in that area off Burnley Road and he asked me to “get rid of a body” for him.

“He said that he would pay me a lot of money when everything was clear.

“He showed me where the body was and he went away straightaway leaving me to “get rid of the body”.

“I have not met this man before. I have not met him since nor have I had any contact with him.

“He has not paid me any money. He told me that he would leave the money for me near where the body had been at first once everything was clear.

I cannot describe the man other than to say he was white, male, spoke English. I could not see his face well as he was covering it with his hood.

I am not sure of his height, build or age.

Other than as above I do not wish to say anything further”.

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[jamjim]

12:55
Prosecutor summary to the jury
Summing up his opening to the jury, Mr McLachlan said: “On 12th August, Lindsay Birbeck went out for a walk by herself in the mid afternoon. It is likely that she was going to walk on The Coppice.

“She never made it back home. The reason why she never made it back home is because she had been killed on The Coppice.

“The prosecution case is that the killer sits in the dock.

“He took steps to hide what he had done by taking a blue wheelie bin to the area of The Coppice on August 12.

“For some reason he decided to move the body to the Cemetery across Burnley Road.

“On August 16 the defendant did a dry run. He went to the area of The Coppice and then made his way into the cemetery.

“On August 17 the defendant moved Lindsay Birbeck’s body from The Coppice to the Accrington Cemetery in a blue wheelie bin.

“In interview, the defendant provided a prepared statement during the course of the interviews saying that he did not kill Lindsay Birbeck but that he did move the body on August 17.

“The Prosecution now understand the issues to be as follows: The defendant now accepts that the person identified on the CCTV images.

“He admits that he moved Lindsay Birbeck’s body on August 17. He denies being involved at all in killing Lindsay Birbeck and states that he was asked to “get rid of the body” by a white male who spoke English who had his face covered with a hood.

“It is the Prosecution case that on August 12 Lindsay Birbeck was killed and the blue wheelie bin was taken towards the location of her body.”

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[jamjim]

12:56
Defendant went to 'exceptional lengths to move Lindsay's body'
Mr McLachlan continued: “The prosecution case is that Lindsay Birbeck’s killer is the young man in the dock.

“The young man who went to exceptional lengths to move her body and also did a very good job of hiding her body in a shallow grave in the cemetery.

“He did such a good job that the police or public did not find her body until 12 days after she had gone missing.”

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[jamjim]

13:00
Prosecution opening concluded
Mr McLachlan has now concluded his prosecution opening to the jury.

The jury have been sent away for lunch and the trial will resume at 2.15pm.

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[Kaykedi]

I feel absolutely floored by the detail that has been revealed in court today, it's far worse than I anticipated. God only knows how her loved ones are feeling

 

[Mommysleuth11]

I wonder if the local rumour about him being the fall guy came from his family circle as that seems to be his chosen defence.

 

[Sally4x]

Poor Lindsey. She went for a walk in the fields behind her house and was killed within 15 mins of leaving her house. I have fields behind my house that I walk the dog in and haven’t done since this case.

 

[Dcflag]

Thanks for the updates jimjam.

Could we be looking at a potential not guilty if they can't prove beyond reasonable doubt he murdered her? Even with the admittance of concealment? It's only a single murder charge.

 

[Mommysleuth11]

Thanks for the updates jimjam.

Could we be looking at a potential not guilty if they can't prove beyond reasonable doubt he murdered her? Even with the admittance of concealment? It's only a single murder charge.

Its theoretically possible but i dont personally see the Jury buying it. Interesting that the Jury has 11 women.

 

[Legally Bland]

There's another live article here:
Lindsay Birbeck murder trial day two - live updates from Preston Crown Court

I don't think it adds anything to @jamjim 's posts, but if there's anything confusing it may be worth looking to compare.

 

[SpursGyal]

Thanks for the updates jimjam.

Could we be looking at a potential not guilty if they can't prove beyond reasonable doubt he murdered her? Even with the admittance of concealment? It's only a single murder charge.

I'm hoping they have something else on him, because i think that is exactly what we are looking at. They have to prove he killed her. So far, they can prove he moved her thats it from what has been said today.

 

[Mommysleuth11]

There's another live article here:
Lindsay Birbeck murder trial day two - live updates from Preston Crown Court

I don't think it adds anything to @jamjim 's posts, but if there's anything confusing it may be worth looking to compare.

An interesting snippet i didnt see mentioned in the other link.

12:49pm

A few days later, a further search of the area to the rear of the Whitaker's Arms found two concrete plinths which had various marks on them.

These marks were found to have been produced by a blue coloured wheelie bin - and Mr McLauchlan told the jury that the blue wheelie bin must have passed the plinths at some point

 

[jamjim]

14:12
Case delayed briefly because of faulty dock lock
The trial is now resuming but 15 minutes later than scheduled.

The Judge has apologised to the jury and said there was a fault with the court dock and the defendant’s intermediary couldn’t not get in.

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates