Found Deceased UK - Lindsay Birbeck, 47, Accrington, 12 Aug 2019 *Arrest* #3

[jamjim]

11:39
Nobody else seen on the Coppice
Zoe Braithwaite said she did not see anybody else on the Coppice apart from the male.

When asked by the prosecutor about her pace during the latter part of the walk, she said ‘really fast’.

The evidence from the witness and cross-examination has now ended.

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[jamjim]

11:40
20 minute break
The jury are now being given a 20-minute break before the next witness is called.

We will resume the live blog around 12pm.

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[SpursGyal]

Mark Fenhall's questioning suggests she didn't try hard enough at finding a police officer at the search and implies that "filling in a web form" makes it all sound less urgent to him.

She may have clicked "don't know" because she was rushing or because she thought it may ask more questions. Whatever the reason for that answer, if you felt as uneasy as she said she did the answer would be always be YES on a form or not.

I guess that depends on your interpretation of the form. - It says Do, not Did, so its not ongoing, he didn't follow her home, so i would probably tick that i didn't feel vulnerable too. I would put how uneasy i felt at the time in the comments.

 

[Smccat]

I guess that depends on your interpretation of the form. - It says Do, not Did, so its not ongoing, he didn't follow her home, so i would probably tick that i didn't feel vulnerable too. I would put how uneasy i felt at the time in the comments.

Yes very true that. Thanks for that angle.

 

[Mommysleuth11]

Im wondering if there are any more female witnesses. Would 1 more similar sighting be a coincidence too far?

 

[Rosegold68]

i run alone through woods. I often feel uneasy about certain people i meet on the way but would only report to police if there was a crime in the news !!

didnt try hard enough to find a police officer?? maybe because her inner voice was saying 'it was probably not connected' who knows? filling in a web form sounds less urgent?? welcome to the world of cutbacks....maybe step out into the real world

 

[Sally4x]

Im wondering if there are any more female witnesses. Would 1 more similar sighting be a coincidence too far?

Early on I’m sure it was said he had tried to attack another woman earlier, but maybe that was local rumour.

 

[Doris777]

I feel sorry for her. Not everyone remembers every detail from a day. I know if I'm out walking in the same as I'll let a person walk past me or I'll stop and make sure I can see them. Especially if it's a man about. I don't like people walking behind me anyway so I'd more at stop and let them past. If I was her on that day of of been the same to be honest. I'd not let the lad out of my sight. I'd of eyes fixed on him at all times. It's scary tbh as it could easily of been her that was killed.

She's seen that Lindsay was missing and obviously thought I better tell the police about it. It's sad it's not been delt with right away and she's been made to feel rubbish in court because she's had to fill a form in online. It won't sound urgent if it's in writing.

 

[LancashireLad]

Tbf to the witness he creeped her out that much she tried multiple times, albeit somewhat unsuccessfully, to report it. Then when someone has gone missing she’s tried to find an officer.
Plenty of people have creeped me out but not to an extent where I’ve thought it necessary to report it. Considering what occurred later she got away lightly IMO

 

[MusicalMonkey]

If that was the defendant he is a lot taller than I imagined so makes me understand more how he was able to harm Lindsay without her fighting back.

You can see he's quite tall from the CCTV bin footage - at least to make some kind of 'guesstimate'.

The wheelie bin is 1 m7 tall (3ft 6). Though the bin is of course being pulled at an angle.

 

[Rosegold68]

witnesses have referred to the defendant as being quite slight......struggling with the bin etc

looking at the photos from the time the police released the appeal I cant see anyone describing him as 6ft2 20-25 years

 

[Doris777]

Tbf to the witness he creeped her out that much she tried multiple times, albeit somewhat unsuccessfully, to report it. Then when someone has gone missing she’s tried to find an officer.
Plenty of people have creeped me out but not to an extent where I’ve thought it necessary to report it. Considering what occurred later she got away lightly IMO

Exactly! She's put the 2 together and realised there connected. I do hope there are more witnesses and someone can actually say it's him.

 

[jamjim]

12:05
Trial resuming
After a short break, the trial is now resuming.

The next prosecution witness is Lauren Henson.

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[Doris777]

witnesses have referred to the defendant as being quite slight......struggling with the bin etc

looking at the photos from the time the police released the appeal I cant see anyone describing him as 6ft2 20-25 years

The lad looks tall in the video and in all honesty kids these days look alot older than there are. I've seen many a people and thought there in there 20s where there only a teenager

 

[MusicalMonkey]

By understanding of the witness (ZB) is that the defence has put doubt on her credibility:

Poor eyesight, unable to say if she had her glasses, description off, and also contradictory information in statement and online reporting regarding her 'vulnerability'.

Not sure about the 'V' on the trainers . . . if they are not the defendants then it seemingly wasn't him.

 

[jamjim]

12:07
Gym membership questions
Lauren Henson is being asked about her membership of a gym in Accrington.

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[Alyce]

I feel sorry for her. Not everyone remembers every detail from a day. I know if I'm out walking in the same as I'll let a person walk past me or I'll stop and make sure I can see them. Especially if it's a man about. I don't like people walking behind me anyway so I'd more at stop and let them past. If I was her on that day of of been the same to be honest. I'd not let the lad out of my sight. I'd of eyes fixed on him at all times. It's scary tbh as it could easily of been her that was killed.

She's seen that Lindsay was missing and obviously thought I better tell the police about it. It's sad it's not been delt with right away and she's been made to feel rubbish in court because she's had to fill a form in online. It won't sound urgent if it's in writing.

I agree Doris - I am the same if out walking alone, always checking who is around me, particularly if I'm in a park or common area with trees, bushes, places where someone could hide.
Also I don't have an issue with her age guess - from the little I have seen of the defendant in those bin pics I would put him older than 16. And I have the benefit of a pic that I can look at again and again to assess his age, she only had a few glimpses, some of them side on.
Same with the height. If she was feeling a bit wary and apprehensive, she is not going to be accurately working out exactly how tall he is.
I think her evidence about him pulling up as though he had been running is quite significant. To me, that says he was running to get closer to her, but stopped when he realised she was aware of him.

None of the above means it was definitely the defendant of course but I think her evidence is fairly good, despite the Defence QC attempt to discredit it ( which he has done very well ).

 

[Smccat]

i run alone through woods. I often feel uneasy about certain people i meet on the way but would only report to police if there was a crime in the news !!

didnt try hard enough to find a police officer?? maybe because her inner voice was saying 'it was probably not connected' who knows? filling in a web form sounds less urgent?? welcome to the world of cutbacks....maybe step out into the real world

I was merely saying how he was trying to make it out - as in doing his job. I feel sorry for her. I think your comments about the "real world" are a bit uncalled for but I'll leave that there. We are all learning new things through what we do here.

 

[MusicalMonkey]

Im sure it was him stalking about up there looking for a victim but this defence barrister is good and has just ripped her a new one. Feel sorry for her

Legal Aid?

I suspect he's top dollar.

 

[Alyce]

By understanding of the witness (ZB) is that the defence has put doubt on her credibilityoor eyesight, unable to say if she had her glasses, description off, and also contradictory information in statement and online reporting regarding her 'vulnerability'.
Not sure about the 'V' on the trainers . . . if they are not the defendants then it seemingly wasn't him.

I would be astonished if he did not have more than one pair of trainers - that's always assuming that the person ZB saw was actually the defendant.