Found Deceased UK - Lindsay Birbeck, 47, Accrington, 12 Aug 2019 *Arrest* #4

[SpursGyal]

15:48
'Wheelie bin completely empty'
Simon Driver is now reading a statement from dog walker Jason Forshaw.

He said the witness had just finished his night shift as a carer and took his dog for a walk at Accrington Cemetery on the morning of August 19.

Mr Forshaw said he sighted the wheelie bin ‘in the shrubbery’ and that it ‘wasn’t hidden but quite secluded’.

The jury heard that he looked inside the bin and it was ‘completely empty’.

The next time he visited the cemetery the bin was no longer there.

In another walk to the cemetery on August 26 he advised police at the scene about the sighting.

 

[SpursGyal]

15:50
Off-road biker also finds wheelie bin at cemetery
The jury are now being read a statement from Daniel Westell who attended an organised search for LIndsay Birbeck using his off road bike on August 19.

He said he noticed the blue wheelie bin ‘inside the bushes’ at the cemetery at around 8pm.

Mr Westell said he opened the lid and it was clean inside.

15:53
CCTV of defendant on August 20, 2019
The jury are now being show CCTV of the defendant’s movements on August 20, 2019.

Det Sgt Bowler said he walks into the cemetery and over to the grassed area towards where Lindsay Birbeck’s body was found.

 

[SpursGyal]

Why did he keep returning after he had clearly buried her body?

 

[SpursGyal]

15:57
Police dog handler statement
Another statement has been read to the jury from police dog handler PC John Cuthbertson.

He was sent to Accrington Cemetery at 9.30am on August 20, 2019 to assist in the search for Lindsay Birbeck.

He was tasked to search the ‘bottom quarter’ of the perimeter grounds near to the railway line. The jury heard there was thick vegetation in the area.

PC Cutherbertson said his dog Danny stopped short of the thick shrubbery and they spotted a blue wheelie bin ‘which looked out of place’.

The jury were told that when he opened the lid and looked inside it was ‘completely empty and relatively clean’.

Danny then searched the immediate area of the bin ‘without indication’.

The officer then tasked Danny to search the more overgrown areas and there was ‘no trace’.

 

[Kaykedi]

Why did he keep returning after he had clearly buried her body?

To check she hadn't been disturbed?

 

[Thelastleg]

Why did he keep returning after he had clearly buried her body?

Am I missing something? Why do they have lots of CCTV of him in the cemetery but none of him actually burying Lindsay's body.
Great commentary by the way. Thanks

 

[SpursGyal]

16:02
Wheelie bin reported to police but 'left in situ'
The jury are now being told about Gemma Hudson, Leanne Singleton and Sarah Thistlethwaite who were searching the cemetery at around 9pm on August 20, 2019.

They noticed the blue wheelie bin and said it was ‘empty inside and looked clean’.

However they said there was a ‘dark stain on the outside’ and they thought it ‘maybe blood’.

The jury were told that Ms Thistlethwaite took a photograph of the bin and Ms Singleton contacted police.

PC Birchall attended and used a ‘wet tissue to touch the smear’.

The officer said it was ‘brown with small granules like sand or grit’ and believed it to be mud.

PC Birchall said there was ‘no evidence at the time’ to link the bin with Lindsay Birbeck’s disappearance and it was ‘left in situ’.

 

[SpursGyal]

To check she hadn't been disturbed?

Maybe, but you'd think that once she was buried, he would stay away so as not to be seen their so many times.

Am I missing something? Why do they have lots of CCTV of him in the cemetery but none of him actually burying Lindsay's body.
Great commentary by the way. Thanks

I don't think CCTV reaches to that part of the cemetery. She was buried in the undergrowth.

 

[SpursGyal]

16:08
Dog found with dry blood on paw
Next is a statement from dog walker Jonathan Kell who was helping with the search for Lindsay Birbeck on August 20, 2019.

The court heard that he attended Accrington Cemetery and came to a ‘large opening’ before continuing along the tree line.

The jury heard that he then saw the blue wheelie bin and ‘became inquisitive’.

Mr Kell said he ‘peered into it’ and it was ‘really clean’ and thought it looked ‘unused and new’. The ground around the bin was ‘all flattened’.

He later noticed that his dog Oscar had ‘dry’ blood on this right front paw. He couldn’t see any cut or injury and thought it was ‘strange’.

Mr Kell said there also were small speckles of blood on his under carriage..

Mr Kell said Oscar had been let off his lead in the open air close to where the bin was located.

 

[SpursGyal]

16:09
Trial adjourned to tomorrow
The evidence has now concluded for today and the retrial will resume again at 10.30am tomorrow.

 

[Skigh]

Thanks so much for the updates,SpursGyal.

 

[RobinCAL]

Amazing updates @SpursGyal . Thanks for keeping us informed

 

[JosieJo]

All of the evidence...lots of wheelie bin evidence! ...considering he has admitted it was him that moved her ???? Why is this not just presented as agreed facts?

 

[Alyce]

Just catching up properly now - many thanks for the updates @SpursGyal, much appreciated.

 

[Alyce]

Interesting stuff so far, quite a few more witnesses who saw him pulling the bin than I expected! I'm still wondering whether we'll find out why the soles of the shoes were cut away from the upper part of the shoe. That's always baffled me

I think he left the shoes on LBs body until he got to the cemetery so that it would be easier to move her out of the bin ( something to grasp hold of )
After burial, he may then have struggled to remove the shoes from her feet, so he cut the soles to make it easier.
It would also explain why the shoes were found in the cemetery.

 

[Legally Bland]

Thanks SpursGyal.

 

[SpursGyal]

While IMO i have no doubt he is the killer, I still think they need more to convince the jury.

 

[Alyce]

While IMO i have no doubt he is the killer, I still think they need more to convince the jury.

I agree.
I think the prosecution case is being presented in a much clearer, more efficient way this time - but whilst they have plenty of evidence to show the defendant is a callous individual , with little regard for human life and certainly with more intelligence than is being claimed, I don’t see anything that is strong enough to say it could only have been him, on his own, with no assistance.
If the Jury do feel ZBs evidence is strong enough to indicate pre meditation then perhaps that will be the tipping point for them.

 

[SpursGyal]

With 9 women on the jury it may well be, especially when she said she looked for something on the ground to defend herself with. She clearly felt threatened by his behaviour.

 

[Rosegold68]

He’s not going to tell who it was but there has got to be someone. He’s covering for them big time

I’ve not seen it mentioned yet but I’m sure the last trial said she had been partially dismembered

think it was her leg he tried to cut off