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

[Bampot]

11:13am
She added: "He was very different to all the other pupils.

"He was very much just a pupil who would say no if he didn't want to do something and that would be it.

"You wouldn't get much of a reaction from him with anything.

"He would either do things or he would not."

11:08am
She says: "He was very very quiet, and he never really had a conversation with you.

"You always had to speak to him, and you would get one or two word answers from him.

"You would perhaps get more out of him if it was something he was interested in, like practical work."

11:03am
The witness is explaining to the jury that she taught the defendant until her role changed within the school

10:59am
Mr McLachlan is asking the witness if she called the police at that time.

She tells the jury her colleagues had contacted the police.

10:57am
She is telling the jury that the footage showed a man pulling a wheelie bin.

She says she was 90 percent sure the man in the footage was the defendant

10:55am
The witness, a teacher, is telling the jury she received some footage from a colleague on August 28

10:53am
The witness has now taken the stand

10:53am
David McLachlan QC has called his first witness of the day

Live from court as the Lindsay Birbeck murder trial enters day six

 

[Alyce]

Maybe I've picked it up wrong but was the closest she was to him 50 metres? Pretty hard to judge someone's age from that distance IMO! And in any case 16 to 20 only 4 years out, id say she was pretty close.

Sorry Bampot, I keep getting interrupted today ! Found it all now. This is ZBs evidence


Zoe Braithwaite told the jury that as the paths got closer together she had a clearer view of the male.

The jury heard that she could see him at a distance of 15m through the trees.

Zoe Braithwaite told the jury that at one point the male was about 120m away.

She said he then joined her path and was about 50m away and ‘pulled up as if he had been running’.





Agree with you re the age - even from his cctv stills I would have put him older than 16

 

[sunflower22]

Public gallery was full due to reserved seating for family.

 

[jamjim]

11:27
Headteacher never seen defendant exploited
When asked by prosecutor David McLachlan QC if the headteacher had ever seen the defendant be exploited, the headteacher answered ‘no’.

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[Bampot]

11:27am
Cross examining the witness, Mark Fenhalls QC asked the witness about her statement given to the police.

She said in her statement: "He has never caused us any issue which is why it all came as a shock.

"My concerns were with his vulnerabilities and being open to exploitation.

"He would be asked to do something and sometimes would do it without question.

"He might not question what he is being asked to do.

"He has never caused me any bother whatsoever.

"He would just get on with his work, or if he didn't want to do it, he would sit there quietly.

"I never had any cause for concern with him.

"I never experienced any typical symptoms of his ADHD."

11:18am
Mr McLachlan asks the witness, who cannot be named due to reporting restrictions, if it took time to build a relationship with the defendant.

She said: "I tailored his lessons around his interests and tried to develop a relationship with him this way.

"Over time I think he felt comfortable around me, but he was not the sort of person to be chatty and had difficulty building relationships, so I wouldn't say I had a relationship with him."





Live from court as the Lindsay Birbeck murder trial enters day six

 

[Rosegold68]

It's very naive to think a 16 year old wouldn't rape an older woman.

well i know it happens! but in this scenario its hard to see the motive just being to rape someone.

 

[jamjim]

11:30
Agreed facts
The headteacher’s evidence has now concluded and the jury are now being taken through ‘agreed facts’ between the prosecution and defence.

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[Bampot]

11:32am
The jury heard the witness say the only issues with the defendant were with his body language and his emotions - she said he was very rigid and emotionless and his body language was fixed and not relaxed, and therefore it was difficult to communicate with him.

She said she had never heard him raise his voice but that his level of communication was very different to others.

She told the jury his language abilities were limited and he was unable to communicate properly.
Live from court as the Lindsay Birbeck murder trial enters day six

 

[Bampot]

11:34am
Mr Fennalls asked the witness: "Did he understand the value of getting paid for a job?"

The witness said: "From my experience he doesn't value money.

"Everything he wanted was provided for him."

He then asked: "Would you say that people who had worked with him over a number of years had never had a proper conversation with him"

She replied: "Yes"



Live from court as the Lindsay Birbeck murder trial enters day six

 

[Rosegold68]

so his learning difficulties are ADHD

i dont know much about ADHD. not sure if they are in any way relevant to his case

 

[jamjim]

11:38
Yellow handled saw
The jury are being shown pictures of where a ‘yellow handled saw’ and gloves were found in relation to Lindsay Birbeck’s grave at Accrington Cemetery.

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[Bampot]

11:44am
Mr Fennalls asks the witness if it would be correct to say the defendant's brain was wired differently and he found it hard to process things and relate to things.

The witness said: "I would agree to that, yes."

11:42am
It was heard that whether the defendant spoke much or not, if he was given an instruction he wouldn't always respond, he would just get on and do it.

The witness tells the jury the defendant had trouble understanding emotions and had a low sense of danger.

She said: "If he was asked to do something he wouldn't question who that person was or why he was asked to do something.

"He would either do it or he wouldn't."
Live from court as the Lindsay Birbeck murder trial enters day six

 

[jamjim]

11:47
Items recovered from defendant's home
The jury are now being taken through a list of items recovered from the defendant’s home.

A warrant was executed at his home on August 28, 2019.

Among the items found were a dark coloured hooded top, dark coloured bottoms..

On August 29 a dark grey hooded tracksuit top and bottoms were found.

Clear plastic bags and a roll of plastic sheeting were also found in another search on August 30.

BBM!

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[Bampot]

11:46am
Mr Fennalls asks the witness: "In broader terms he was better at practical things and less good with maths and language."

The witness confirms this


Live from court as the Lindsay Birbeck murder trial enters day six

 

[jamjim]

11:49
Decision being made on trial progress today
The jury have been asked to step out of court for 5 minutes while a decision is made about what further progress can be made on the trial today.

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[Bampot]

11:51am
Re-examining the witness, Mr McLachlan asks her whether she had ever seen a situation where the defendant had been exploited.

She said: "No I never saw a situation where he was exploited."

11:49am
The witness has been asked if she had ever been in a situation where the defendant had to be asked if he knew right from wrong.

She said no.

11:48am
The witness tells the jury she felt it important to hand the police the defendant's school records straight away as they needed to be aware of the type of person he was.


Live from court as the Lindsay Birbeck murder trial enters day six

 

[jamjim]

11:52
Court building closing
Her Honour Mrs Justice Yip has passed a message to the jury telling them that the court is being closed because of water problems.

She has told the jury to return for 10.30am tomorrow.

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

 

[Bampot]

a better day for the prosecution today i reckon.

 

[SpursGyal]

11:47
Items recovered from defendant's home
The jury are now being taken through a list of items recovered from the defendant’s home.

A warrant was executed at his home on August 28, 2019.

Among the items found were a dark coloured hooded top, dark coloured bottoms..

On August 29 a dark grey hooded tracksuit top and bottoms were found.

Clear plastic bags and a roll of plastic sheeting were also found in another search on August 30.

BBM!

Lindsay Birbeck murder trial at Preston Crown Court - updates

Grey Hoodie at Trousers. That ties well with the other witness, i have no doubt that it was him in the coppice following her.

 

[Bampot]

11:57am
Due to an issue with the court building, the trial has now been adjourned until 10.30am on Thursday.

The jury has left the courtroom, the defendant has left the dock and the judge has also left the courtroom.

11:56am
They are told two different tracksuits were found and some plastic sheeting.

11:55am
The jury are now being told agreed facts about searches carried out at the defendant's home address on August 28, 29 and 30.

11:55am
The jury have been shown a location on the map where a pair of gloves were found



11:52am
The jury has been shown a map, and on the map a location has been pointed out of where a yellow handled saw was found. This location was close to where Lindsay Birbeck's body was found.

11:51am
The jury is now having some agreed facts explained to them

Live from court as the Lindsay Birbeck murder trial enters day six