GUILTY UK - Lucy McHugh, 13, murdered,, Southampton, 25 July 2018

  • #721
Am beginning to think they've all gone home
 
  • #722
4.35pm

The court is read an extract from the transcript of Nicholson's police interviews in which he said he was a drug dealer.

Mr Mousley asked him why he would not then tell them he had been dealing at Tanners Brook.

Nicholson said it would incriminate him more.

Mr Mousley asked: "You wanted Lucy silenced didn't you?"

Nicholson replied: "Why would I want to silence a little kid."

Mr Mousley added: "This was effectively an execution by you, wasn't it?"

Nicholson said: "I played no part in her death.






LIVE: Lucy McHugh trial - alleged killer to be cross-examined today
 
  • #723
4:42pm

Nicholson has now finished giving evidence, and that concludes the evidence for today.

There will be no evidence tomorrow, so the trial will resume on Monday morning.
 
  • #724
Mr Mousley said there was nothing in the footage to suggest he was ill.


Who hasn't had to go out, drive a car, ride a bike, when feeling ill ?

He may have felt bad and then felt better later that day and decided to go out.

Or, is this footage of SN when he has just left the care home ? in which case he would obviously be cycling to his friend's house as he was staying there.

Not defending SN in any way, but I find this particular statement odd

Actually the illness claim caught my eye yesterday, as it was said to be a "stomach bug". Now my personal experience of stomach bugs is that I really don't want to be more than 30 seconds sprint from a bathroom for the rest of the day (sorry for the imagery that may bring!), and certainly wouldn't be cycling here there and everywhere; once I'd reached home, I'd stay there.

Only reason I didn't comment then was I checked the dates and this was for the day before Lucy went missing anyway, so I'm not totally sure of the relevance; had he made that excuse for the 25th, then I'd have found that a red flag.
 
  • #725
skynews-stephen-nicholson-lucy-mchugh_4715687.jpg


Mr Mousley read a letter from Lucy found the day after she died, which said: "To Stephen, I have missed my period for almost two months. To be honest I think I am pregnant."

[...]

Nicholson replied he was "not interested" and went on to say: "I have never slept with anyone underage so I know I am not a paedophile."


Lucy McHugh: Alleged killer swore at girl and pushed her away, murder trial hears
 
  • #726
  • #727
10:32am

The trial of Stephen Nicholson, 25, of no fixed address, continues today (Monday, July 15).

He is accused of murdering Southampton schoolgirl Lucy McHugh, whose body was found in a wooded area of Southampton Sports Centre in July last year.

Nicholson denies murder.

He also denies three counts of rape against Lucy when she was 12 and denies sexual activity with a child in relation to another girl aged 14.

The jury has been told to return a verdict of not guilty for a charge of sexual activity with a child against Lucy on multiple occasions when she was aged 13.

10:34am

The court rises as the Honourable Mrs Justice May DBE walks into court. Nicholson is now in the dock.

10:35am

The day begins with some timetabling between the prosecution and defence.

10:40am

Mrs Justice May rises briefly to allow the prosecution and defence to make a few arrangements before the jury members are brought into the court.

10:43am

The jury is now being brought into the court.

10:45am

The defence, led by James Newton-Price QC, is to continue with its case this morning. They call a witness to the witness box.

LIVE: Lucy McHugh murder trial continues today
 
  • #728
10:48am

The witness gave evidence to police about a sighting on July 25. She tells the court she parked up near to The View Bar and walked down to the Pleasure Park, near to Southampton Sports Centre.

10:48am

She tells the court she was there around midday with her two sisters and her son.

10:49am

The witness tells the court she was at the Pleasure Park for around an hour, before leaving. She said she walked past the astroturf area and back towards The View Bar.

10:53am

The witness said when she was walking she saw two young girls, she believed the two girls were aged around 15.

10:55am

She said one of the girls was wearing a white vest top and "combat" leggings. She said the girl had mousey brown hair in a ponytail.

10:56am

She said the girl appeared "happy".

10:57am

The witness tells the court she later saw a picture of a girl, Lucy McHugh, on the news, after police confirmed her body had been found at Southampton Sports Centre. She said she did not recognise her at first.


10:59am

She tells the court she also saw CCTV on the news of Lucy walking past a Tesco. She said she recognised the girl. Mr Newton-Price asks what helped her recognise the girl. She replies: "The trousers."

11:00am

The witness is asked how sure she is that the girl she saw was the same person in the CCTV. She replies: "Pretty sure, yes."

LIVE: Lucy McHugh murder trial continues today
 
  • #729
11:02am

Prosecutor William Mousley QC will now cross-examine the witness. He asks how long the supposed sighting took place. She replies: "Not long at all."

Mr Mousely asks: "A few seconds?" She replies: "Yes."

11:07am

Mr Mousley now asks if the girl she saw was wearing or holding a jacket. She replies: "No."

11:08am

Mr Mousley asks if she remembers seeing a jacket around. She said: "Not that I can remember no."

11:10am

Mr Mousley tells the court that in the statement to the police the witness said she did not remember the "distinctive" trousers. She said she remembered them after.

11:12am

Mr Mousley asks how common the white top she saw the girl wearing was. She replies: "There was nothing particular about it."

11:15am

Mr Moulsey said: "I'm going to suggest that you were mistaken and the person you saw was someone else."

She replied: "I'm not too sure. I wasn't 100 per cent sure."

11:16am

Mr Newton-Price now rises again. He asks how sure the witness is that the girl she saw was Lucy.

She replies: "About 90 per cent."

11:16am

The witness has now finished giving evidence.

LIVE: Lucy McHugh murder trial continues today
 
  • #730
11:18am

Mr Newton-Price now reads a statement from a person who claims she saw Lucy on July 25 - the day she went missing. The witness cannot give evidence, as she is in hospital being treated for a mental health illness. She cannot be cross-examined and therefore the prosecution disputes the defence's evidence.

11:21am

In the statement, the witness said she was in a car travelling along Lordshill Way, near to Aldermoor Road, at around 2pm when she saw Lucy McHugh. She said she knew Lucy from school.

11:22am

She said she saw Lucy walking. She said she looked as if her head was down, as if she was deep in thought.

11:24am

The defence now calls the mother of the witness, who was in the car at the time. She tells the court that she heard Jessica say "there is my friend Lucy".

11:24am

The mother said she did not look up and did not see the girl.

LIVE: Lucy McHugh murder trial continues today
 
  • #731
11:27am

The defence now finishes their case. The prosecution briefly calls Detective Sergeant Bryan Carter, to speak about the police's contact with the previous defence witness.

11:34am

Mr Mousley about Mr Carter about the witness and her location on July 25. He tells the court that police had confirmed from experts that she was discharged from a psychiatric hospital in London around 2pm.

11:36am

Mr Carter said that in her initial statement to police, the witness said she last saw Lucy around noon on July 25 at Southampton General Hospital.

11:40am

Mr Carter said police had a coincidental meeting with the witness while searching for CCTV in the Shirley area. He said she gave another statement in which she said she saw Lucy at noon at the Sports Centre and then again around 4pm.

LIVE: Lucy McHugh murder trial continues today
 
  • #732
11:45am

That is the end of the evidence in this case.



The judge will now discuss matters of law with the prosecution and defence without the jury, before the jury is brought back into court. This is likely to take around 30 minutes.

LIVE: Lucy McHugh murder trial continues today
 
  • #733
11:49am

As the jury is not present, this part of the trial is not reportable.

11:55am

Once this stage is complete, the prosecution will be giving a closing speech, followed by the closing speech of the defence. The judge will then summarise the evidence. This is likely to take place tomorrow. Once complete, the jury will then be sent out to make a verdict.

LIVE: Lucy McHugh murder trial continues today
 
  • #734
Why didn't they ask the mother if she was in fact in London picking up her daughter from hospital that day?
 
  • #735
Thanks for the updates Tortoise, am just catching up now.

I do hope they asked a bit more than was reported. If the sighting of the 2 girls is accurate and it was Lucy, it would seem that the other girl has never advised anyone re this ?

I don't think we have ever heard a time of death for Lucy have we ?
 
  • #736
Thanks for the updates Tortoise, am just catching up now.

I do hope they asked a bit more than was reported. If the sighting of the 2 girls is accurate and it was Lucy, it would seem that the other girl has never advised anyone re this ?

I don't think we have ever heard a time of death for Lucy have we ?
No, we haven't heard a time of death. I don't think we've even heard anything about Lucy's phone, where it was found, and when she last used it.
 
  • #737
  • #738
  • #739
2:01pm


After these directions, prosecutor William Mousley QC will begin his closing speech.
 
  • #740
It all seems to be coming to a close v soon. There doesnt seem to be much depth to some of the evidence somehow - hopefully it just seems this way due to reporting restrictions.
 

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