GUILTY UK - Mylee Billingham, 8, murdered, West Midlands, 20 Jan 2018

[jessie]

An interesting bit of Dr Joseph's testimony from yesterday

Mylee Billingham’s dad 'killed girl, 8, as revenge for ex's lesbian love'


"He was not suffering from a recognised mental condition - therefore the defence of diminished responsibility does not apply.

"There was nothing Mylee did or said which would have triggered some loss of control in Mr Billingham.

"I form the view that his claim of total amnesia is unlikely to be genuine.

"Amnesia is fairly short-lived. Within a few minutes of the incident is the kind of time scale you would expect.

"His amnesia is for the whole of that day, so that doesn't really make sense.

"In my view his claim of complete amnesia is really about the fact he doesn't want to talk about it."

 

[Alyce]

Live coverage today


Murder trial resumes
The case has now resumed.

Prior to the incident Billingahm had never had any contact with psychiatric services, psychiatrist Dr Joseph said.

The more severe a depressive illness the more likely you would be prescribed with medication, he said.

He was asked whether he had put a lot of emphasis on Billingham’s relationships with two previous partners. “I have certainly taken that into account,” he said.

Dr Joseph said he believed it was relevant to the defendant’s personality and functioning at the time he killed his daughter.


Mylee Billingham: Updates as Dad on trial accused of murder

 

[Alyce]

Problems due to relationships with women
The psychiatrist agreed there were “two sides to the story” although some of the allegations made by the women were accepted by Billinham and others were rejected.

Dr Joseph said he also agreed that the death of the defendant’s parents and suffering breathing difficulties were factors which could “trigger depression.”

“He was feeling stress rather than something like a depressive illness,” he said.

However, he accepted that “depression may be an issue.”

He added: “His problems it seems to be are entirely due to his relationships with women and how he deals with them when they go wrong.”


Mylee Billingham: Updates as Dad on trial accused of murder

 

[Alyce]

Anger transferred to Mylee'
Dr Joseph agreed it was not unheard of for some people to have memory loss for a considerable period of time.

He said he believed Dr Galappathie had “placed too much weight” on what Billingham had told him rather than evidence given by others about his functioning, leading up to the incident.

“Clearly I disagree with Dr Galappathie but he is entitled to his opinion,” he said.

The psychiatrist said he had not found and psychosis or alcohol or drug dependency or any history of harming himself.

“The key to understanding what happened is looking at his relationship with Tracey and how it affected him,” he said.

“The dominant emotion he was feeling was anger towards Tracey and that was transferred to Mylee.”


Mylee Billingham: Updates as Dad on trial accused of murder

 

[Alyce]

Defendant was 'in control'
Dr Joseph said it had been a “long standing problem” for Billingham in dealing with end of relationships.

“There was a repeated pattern of behaviour,” he said.

Dr Joseph said there was no indication the defendant was suffering from depression when he spoke with his GP.

He said if Billingham had really lost his memory for 24 hours there would have been a “bewilderment” which was not present.

“In Billingham’s case there was no loss of libido. He does no come any where near meeting the requirements of having suffered a depressive episode,” Dr Joseph said.

If the jury did conclude Billingham was suffering from a depressive illness they would be asking themselves whether there was evidence of impaired rational judgement.

Dr Joseph said he cold not see any evidence of that and that the defendant was “the one in control.”

The evidence in the case has now finished and there will be a break before we move on to speeches.

Mylee Billingham: Updates as Dad on trial accused of murder

 

[Alyce]

The evidence in the case has now finished and there will be a break before we move on to speeches.

 

[Legally Bland]

I think that's a pretty decent rebuttal from Dr Joseph. It just seems a lot more common sense.

 

[Alyce]

I think that's a pretty decent rebuttal from Dr Joseph. It just seems a lot more common sense.

Agree, I am liking Dr Joseph and he sounds far more credible than the defence doctor.

 

[Alyce]

Prosecution closing speech

'Clearly a brutal killing'
Karim Khalil QC, for the prosecution, is now presenting his closing speech.

He said: “Mylee Billingham was the defendant’s eight-year-old daughter.

“She was defenceless when he stabbed her to death by plunging a kitchen knife into her chest.

“She pleaded with him. It was clearly a brutal killing.

“When he did it he knew what he was doing.

“Before he stabbed his daughter he had threatened to kill Miss Taundry at the front door with the same knife.

“It was the defence case he was suffering from diminished responsibility but the prosecution’s case was that he was not.

“This was all about anger and revenge.”


Mylee Billingham: Updates as Dad on trial accused of murder

 

[Alyce]

Photo 'meant to intimidate'
Mr Khail said on December 12, the defendant had taken photos of him wearing Miss Taundry’s knickers and had sent them to her with a crude comment directed towards the mum and her female partner.

Billingham had also sent her a photo of a mobile phone with a sim card cut up which was “meant to intimidate.”

On his mobile phone he secretly recorded events and conversations.

“It is a sure sign he was becoming obsessed, possessive towards her,” he said.

“This defendant was using emotional manipulation towards Miss Taundry.”

Mylee Billingham: Updates as Dad on trial accused of murder

 

[Alyce]

He was 'not to be deterred'
When he went to Miss Taundry’s home “he was not to be deterred,” said the prosecutor.

“This is a man who was absolutely determined to have his own way,” said Mr Khalil.

“This is not a man who was showing signs of a depressive illness. Miss Taundry had tried to help him by giving him £20.

“A close and loving member of his family, his elder daughter, could see no indication of a depressive illness.

“The only signs of a low mood were in October and November 2017.

Mylee Billingham: Updates as Dad on trial accused of murder

 

[Alyce]

A violent jealous rage'
Mr Khalil said when he was at the Costcutters store with Mylee “there was no indication he was suffering in any way.”

Billingham had posted a picture on Facebook of Mylee eating a pizza on a bed.

“He was acting normally. This was the result of violent and jealous rage. The threat to the kill was not spur of the moment.

“He had armed himself with a knife and hid it so Tracey would not see it.

“He knew exactly what he was doing and he did not act immediately. He waited until they had turned to leave and then he made a mistake, dropped the knife.”

Mylee Billingham: Updates as Dad on trial accused of murder

 

[Alyce]

'He knew what he was doing'
The prosecutor said the defendant had grabbed Mylee by the hood, dragged her back inside and slammed the door.

“We know from the pathological, evidence he put a hand over her mouth. We know that the screams did stop. Still he could have helped her. He knew what he was doing.”

The police were asking him what happened.

“Rather than helping he kicked out,” he said. “This is the conduct of a man who was in control of himself.”

Mylee Billingham: Updates as Dad on trial accused of murder

 

[Alyce]

Loss of memory 'untrue'
Billingham’s claim of a loss of memory was “fundamentally untrue” said Mr Khalil.

”There is no evidence to suggest that this defendant was suffering from any sort of mental disorder,” he said.

Billingham was upset about the death of his parents and had been made redundant but he was a “can-do sort of guy and getting on with things.

“There was nothing to support the assertion of diminished responsibility,” he said.

He was not prescribed any medication and had told a doctor that he had not suffered from any mental health problems.

His behaviour is explained by his need to control, rage and jealousy, the prosecutor said.


Mylee Billingham: Updates as Dad on trial accused of murder

 

[Alyce]

Beyond doubt he intended to kill'
Mr Khalil said Dr Galappathie had “put the best possible gloss” on the defendant’s account.

Dr Joseph, he said, had “brought to bear his decades of experience to assist you.”

He fundamentally disagreed with Dr Galappathie and had concluded Billingham’s claim of loss of memory was not genuine.

“He (Billingham) has chosen not to speak about events,”Mr Khalil said.

Dr Joseph believed the killing was the result of the dad’s jealousy mixed with rage.

“It is clearly beyond doubt he intended to kill.”

 

[Alyce]

Defence closing speech


David Mason QC, representing Billingham, said that it was a “dreadful case” and that no-one could have anything other than heartfelt sympathies for those involved with that “beautiful little girl.”

He said Mylee was “defenceless” and her life had been taken away because of a “moment of madness” at the hands of her father.

“Mylee was someone he (Billingham) liked to spend more time with. She wanted to spend real time, quality time with her father and he was happy to oblige.

“Was that the attitude of a monster? So what on earth has made this doting father suddenly want to kill his baby girl and then try and kill himself?”


Mylee Billingham: Updates as Dad on trial accused of murder

 

[Alyce]

A 'terrible escalation'
Mr Mason said what happened on that Saturday was a “terrible escalation.”

“No one could predict what was going to happen. How could a parent do that to their own child? This is no set of ordinary circumstances.”

He added: “This case is rare. How could any sane person do that to their own daughter. Surely you must be mad?

“That is a perfectly and reasonable reaction.

“Just because a parent has killed a child and then tried to kill himself, it does not mean he is mentally ill.”

Mylee Billingham: Updates as Dad on trial accused of murder

 

[Alyce]

Just found this

A father accused of stabbing his eight-year-old daughter to death after her mother left him for a lesbian partner had previously threatened to jump off a balcony with another son, a court has heard.


Mylee Billingham murder trial: Father 'made similar threats before' | The Amed Post

 

[Alyce]

Defendant a 'doting father'
Billingham was behaving in a peculiar fashion towards Miss Taundry, said Mr Mason.

He said it was not normal to turn up at her house and have a bath or take a photo of him wearing her knickers.

“Where is it in his history to suggest he was anything other than a loving and doting father,” Mr Mason said.

“Have you heard a word about aggression om from Melissa or any of his other children?”

He said the allegations made by two previous partners had been in police witness statements.

“Their allegations are untested,” Mr Mason said. “They have not even made witness statements. Please treat what they say with the upmost care and caution.”


Mylee Billingham: Updates as Dad on trial accused of murder

 

[Alyce]

He said the allegations made by two previous partners had been in police witness statements.

“Their allegations are untested,” Mr Mason said. “They have not even made witness statements. Please treat what they say with the upmost care and caution.”


That bit doesnt make sense to me - the partners made witness statements, but the defence says they didnt make witness statements ?