GUILTY UK - Louise Smith, 16, Havant, Hampshire, 8 May 2020 *Arrest*

[chimpface]

Cheers for the updates LB.

 

[Alyce]

Adding the maps back as a location reminder

Ringwood House, Somborne Drive is where SM and CjM lived with Louise
walking route from here to Havant Thicket, just under 2 miles


خرائط ‪Google‬‏‏

 

[Legally Bland]

I wonder if Cjay will take the stand?

I think she has to really, unless her statement is "agreed facts".

Actually, spousal privilege may apply as Louise was 16:

The prosecution can only compel a spouse or civil partner to give evidence for the prosecution in cases which involve:

• An allegation of an assault on, or injury or a threat of injury to the spouse or civil partner;
• An allegation of an assault on, or injury or a threat of injury to a person who was at the material time under the age of sixteen years;
• An alleged sexual offence against a victim who was at the material time under the age of sixteen years; or
• Attempting, conspiring or aiding and abetting, counselling and procuring to commit the offences in the categories above.

Competence and Compellability | The Crown Prosecution Service

 

[Alyce]

This map shows Havant Thicket to Swanmore Road ( Stratfield Gardens ) where he was sighted on cctv

However, SM would have walked across the Thicket, not gone via the road

خرائط ‪Google‬‏‏

 

[Alyce]

Agree Legally - I would expect her to testify, even if it is only a submitted statement.

Cjay tried to contact Louise 51 times on that day ? Louise was 16 ( almost 17 ) and had gone out for the day with a friend. Why so much concern ? Was Cjay worried about what Louise might be saying to other people ?

 

[Legally Bland]

12:27ALEX BOYD
Proceedings back under way
Mrs Justice May DBE has reentered the court room and proceedings are now back under way with Mr Newton-Price QC continuing.

The judge also explained to the jury that Shane Mays has an intermediary in the dock with him, to help him understand what is being said.

Live updates from court as Louise Smith murder trial begins

 

[Legally Bland]

Ben Fishwick

@ben_fishwick

The judge, Mrs Justice May, has just told jurors that Shane Mays has an intermediary with him in the dock to help him understand proceedings as he 'suffers from learning disabilities'

 

[chimpface]

12:27ALEX BOYD
Proceedings back under way
Mrs Justice May DBE has reentered the court room and proceedings are now back under way with Mr Newton-Price QC continuing.

The judge also explained to the jury that Shane Mays has an intermediary in the dock with him, to help him understand what is being said.

Live updates from court as Louise Smith murder trial begins

BBM.

Completely unsurprised.

I'm guessing the defence will go for they had a fight, he panicked and he's of low IQ/has learning difficulties etc.

 

[chimpface]

Shades of the Lyndsey Birbeck case.

 

[Legally Bland]

12:33ALEX BOYD
Louise still tried to make plans to stay elsewhere
After returning to Ringwood House, social media records show Louise talking to friends.

Mr Newton-Price QC said that Louise was "trying to get a friend to be with her that night".

That would involve either her staying somewhere else, or someone coming to her.

The prosecutor notes that this was during the early parts of the national lockdown due to coronavirus, which made that difficult to organise.

Live updates from court as Louise Smith murder trial begins

 

[elliefant]

خرائط ‪Google‬‏‏

I recall this thicket to the north of Swanmore Road being heavily featured in the search, have I misremembered?

eta Sorry I can’t seem to link to it properly. It is just to the north of Swanmore Road and has a path and big clearing in the middle of it


Dropped pin
Near Havant
Google Maps

 

[Legally Bland]

1 minute ago
Louise ‘had enough’ of the way Mays spoke to her
Newton-Price says that although Louise had made up with CJ, she’d had enough of the way Shane Mays spoke to her.

He said: ‘Louise had spoken to a friend about Shane flirting with her, how he would tickle her and pin her down. But Mays said he felt like Louise was flirting with him too.'

 

[Legally Bland]

Eventually, her boyfriend, Bradley, went to the flat and interacted with Louise, CJ and Shane.

He arranged to meet Louise the next day, May 8, and then left.

Live updates from court as Louise Smith murder trial begins

 

[Legally Bland]

12:42ALEX BOYD
Last known sightings of Louise alive
Jurors are now being shown footage of the last known sightings of Louise alive.

Live updates from court as Louise Smith murder trial begins

 

[Legally Bland]

3 minutes ago
Louise ‘had been drinking’ on May 7
The jury has been played video footage of Louise Smith’s ‘last known sighting’. Shane Mays is with her in the footage as they walk up Somborne Drive towards Ringwood House.

Newton-Price says she seemed ‘unsettled’ and was drinking alcohol that night.

 

[Legally Bland]

12:46ALEX BOYD
Louise was 'unsettled' on night of May 7 and early hours of May 8
Mr Newton-Price QC said that Louise appeared "unsettled" late on May 7 and into the early hours of May 8.

She messaged friends saying she had been drinking and was so drunk that she had "just passed out".

The teenager also contacted a mental health helpline in the early hours of May 8, telling it that she could not cope and had started self-harming again.

She was active on her phone until around 3am on May 8, and was active again at around 9am.

Live updates from court as Louise Smith murder trial begins

 

[Legally Bland]

12:53ALEX BOYD
The morning of May 8
Shane Mays was seen on CCTV heading towards a shopping precinct close to Ringwood House at around 11.25am on May 8.

He is seen entering the McColl's newsagents and then a Premier store.

On that morning, Louise sent a selfie on Snapchat with the caption "worst hangover going".

She was also active on her phone at 12.26pm and was still in the area of the flat making plans for the day.

Later on, Shane Mays spoke to an occupant of a grey Renault outside Ringwood House, and appeared to then walk back into the property holding something.

12:56ALEX BOYD
Last message sent by Louise was at 12.49pm on May 8
After being very active on her phone, Louise sent her last message at 12.49pm on May 8.

Her Snapchat geo-location at that time placed her in the vicinity of Ringwood House.

Live updates from court as Louise Smith murder trial begins

 

[Legally Bland]

10 minutes ago
Louse active on social media in the morning of May 8
Newton-Price, prosecuting, tells the court that Louise Smith had been messaging friends on the morning of the day she went missing.

She told friends that she had the ‘worst hangover going’ and got ‘what she needed’ - presumed to be cannabis.

The last message she sent before she died was at 12.49pm on May 8.

 

[Legally Bland]

13:02ALEX BOYD
Phone picked up at 1pm at a different phone mast
Mr Newton-Price QC said that Louise's phone was picked up at around 1pm by a different phone mast.

There was no CCTV at all of the teenager on May 8 - the last known sighting of her alive was on May 7 near a shopping area.

The prosecutor said that it is possible to leave Ringwood House another way and go across country using a cut through, away from CCTV.

He said it was "very unusual" for Louise not to use her phone, but that he submits the teenager was moving north towards Havant Thicket after 12.49pm.

Her phone was picked up at another phone mast at 1pm - this mast would not pick up the phone if she was still at Ringwood House, the prosecutor said.

Live updates as Shane Mays goes on trial accused of murdering Louise Smith

 

[Legally Bland]

13:07ALEX BOYD
More about Louise's movements after 12.49pm on May 8
Mr Newton-Price QC said:

We suggest that Louise went to Havant Thicket with Shane Mays, or she met him at some point after 1pm and they walked there together.

Shane Mays knew Havant Thicket well, there must have been some reason or some inducement for her to walk up there with him, but we cannot say what that is.

Shane Mays did not carry a mobile phone so we cannot track his movements in that time.​

The prosecutor said that CJ Mays' phone remained in the Ringwood House area all day.

Live updates from court as Louise Smith murder trial begins