Found Deceased UK - Nicola Bulley Last Seen Walking Dog Near River - St Michaels on Wyre (Lancashire) #10

[Mr X]

I was quite a big Strava user in the past and those squiggles do not occur if you were sitting or standing still. It's definite movement of the phone around the area.

Strava and GPS can place you in a slighly inaccurate location (e.g. your neighbour's house) but it will not produce squiggles and loops where there was no movement.

I am utterly convinced by the Strava data that NB regularly moved (paced or played) around the bench area.

IMO this brings up another theory. Presumably the LE have referenced this with the MP's phone bill.

A lot of people walk around when on their phones. Presumably there was a business phone and a private phone.
It is very common to remain in motion rather than sit down when talking on a phone. I see this a lot on towpaths beside the boat. Someone walking up and down chatting on their phone.

IMO if the MP was in a habit of using this area for engaging in a phone call is it possible that it was also an illicit meeting place? JMO there could be a non malicious 3rd party involvement here.

One assumes the LE will have examined any phone that she had available for use. Just because the work phone was on a meeting does not mean there was not another phone.

 

[Fishwick]

My partner and I both worked for US based corporations however me (as mum) and my mum always shared the childcare. Men generally (don’t slam me here) don’t pitch in to the level required. I’d say that’s normal and grandparents love having grandchildren over anyway.

Quite an old fashioned view. Most modern parents I know absolutely share things equally.

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

I am utterly convinced by the Strava data that NB regularly moved (paced or played) around the bench area.

If, as I suspect, the bench was usually the de facto end of the walk and where Willow's harness would normally be put back on, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Nicola usually stood around the area for a few minutes while she allowed Willow to continue running in the field. And depending on how boisterous Willow is, it's quite possible Nicola would have to chase after her a little bit to put the harness back on.

Which makes the idea of Nicola somehow falling in the river very plausible, even if nobody can figure out why she hasn't been found yet.

 

[IspyWithMyBigEye]

If I was p.a taking willow for a walk i would take it on the exact same route n.b took. Then sit on the bench. Go to river bed and then with right attire and medical team and lifeguard on standby get in the river where its 2 ft deep and splash around like hes struggling and see how willow reacts. Because i am 99 percent sure that dog would either get in the river or stand very close to river edge and make a lot of noise. I certainly dont think it would be around the bench/gate area running around

That wouldn’t prove anything really as dogs know when you’re acting/playing a game. Paul would have to go under the water and vanish to see Willow’s reaction and even then it would be different as there‘d be other people around - it’s a difficult scenario.

The river at that stretch goes up to 16ft deep which is why there’s warning signs about DEEP WATER. It is a tidal river so varies in speed flow and depth. The Faulner ? guy said it was 3ft deep at one part, but then it increases dramatically. Plus he doesn’t know the very exact spot where she could have fallen in.
But supposing they did do that, after Paul went under the water Willow would then start running around as that’s what dogs do. They can’t work out that you can pop up in the same spot so they run to and fro.

 

[pineapple23]

The Mirror quoted Faulding as saying:

"I spoke to Paul last night and asked him if she had any enemies, any stalkers, the normal questions you would ask."

Actually this strikes me as an extraordinary question for a man hired to search the river to be asking. Yet the media continue to hang on Faulding's every word as if he were Sherlock Holmes.

He definitely crossed the boundaries on a number of occasions imo. Would love to be a fly on the wall at Lancs Police headquarters.

 

[ImmyR]

It's genuinely heartbreaking to hear him mentioning them getting married when she returns and all of them holding out so much hope. The reality is after two weeks I can't help but conclude this was very likely a tragic accident and that the underwater divers have somehow missed her in the river. She would clearly never allow her family to go through this pain if she could help it. It is terrible that two young children are in the middle of all this and that the whole family is likely going to have to bear the loss of a much loved mother, wife and daughter.

And sister.

 

[IspyWithMyBigEye]

How do we know what time the phone was placed on the bench?

The police had the phone checked thoroughly by technical experts who are able to see every movement it makes.

 

[Woodburnbay]

If we look at where NB was last sighted it is within a stones throw of the mobile homes site and on Google there is an area that cars can access almost up to the field on this site..
So
If the body is not in the water then could NB have been abducted to the mobile homes site and bundled into a vehicle.
The vehicle could then exit the mobile home site and out onto the main road and today be anywhere.

Is there a connection between the shabby red van being searched for and the above theory. If there were two abductors, one could have placed phone and lead / harness at bench.

They would not want to take NB phone with them as that would have left a trail.

I believe that Police have set themselves up for criticism of naivety by insisting on river theory.

I believe that they have been duped. CCTV immobilised.

In the Claudia Lawrence case, the cctv at the rear car park of her local pub was not working either and there was a theory there that she may have been taken from her house out the back door and along to pub car park and bundled into a vehicle.

Police need to get onto interviewing every vehicle driver on main road and for quite some time after the last sighting otherwise she will never be found.

They have already lost time here.

 

[Bluesleuth66]

Very true like many I was made a home worker at the start of the pandemic and we have weekly meetings to which people are quite often late. However, it is very odd for someone to have no involvement in the meeting and even odder in this case as the night before she had just got a new client and this is exactly the sort of information the meeting should be for. In itself not very relevant, but as with a lot about this case it is unusual behaviour

Not sure of the relevance tbh but yes - I've thought precisely that. If it was a sales meeting and if she had just closed a deal she would want to talk about it I would have thought, so just to listen in is odd.

I'm not sure if thee police can confirm the phone was muted throughout the chat. Maybe she popped on and then off again. Possible, I guess.

 

[jk1874]

That wouldn’t prove anything really as dogs know when you’re acting/playing a game. Paul would have to go under the water and vanish to see Willow’s reaction and even then it would be different as there‘d be other people around - it’s a difficult scenario.

The river at that stretch goes up to 16ft deep which is why there’s warning signs about DEEP WATER. It is a tidal river so varies in speed flow and depth. The Faulner ? guy said it was 3ft deep at one part, but then it increases dramatically. Plus he doesn’t know the very exact spot where she could have fallen in.
But supposing they did do that, after Paul went under the water Willow would then start running around as that’s what dogs do. They can’t work out that you can pop up in the same spot so they run to and fro.

Also the dog may have a different relationship with PA and having lots of medical teams at hand would make it even less realistic.

 

[Mr X]

Another question is whose dog is it ?

I mean who originally chose to have a dog in the household?

This can make a big difference to someone's attitude towards a dog. Not everyone likes dogs. Some will just tolerate them.

My sister has a Spaniel which her ex husband decided to get for their daughter who lives with him. My sister dislikes dogs but as it is for the daughter she will tolerate caring for the dog now and then. She really does not like the dog though. It is a strong dislike. The dog knows this.

So in the case of the MP was she a dog lover or was she walking the dog out of duty for the family.

This could make a difference to the behaviour of the dog and the MP.

 

[MsBetsy]

Very true like many I was made a home worker at the start of the pandemic and we have weekly meetings to which people are quite often late. However, it is very odd for someone to have no involvement in the meeting and even odder in this case as the night before she had just got a new client and this is exactly the sort of information the meeting should be for. In itself not very relevant, but as with a lot about this case it is unusual behaviour

I thought participants of those meetings were commonly on mute and it was not unusual?

 

[cottonweaver]

TRANSCRIPTION OF INTERVIEW WITH NICOLA'S PARTNER, PAUL

10TH FEB.

Walker - Today is 2 weeks since Nikki went missing. This might be a stupid question to start with, but how are you doing? What's life been like for the last 2 weeks?

Paul - Hell. I am still here, obviously. My main focus is the children, always has been, so that's my focus that gets me through. But, I think, when you're going through something like this you can't put it into words, I can't say how I'm doing, I can't really explain it because it's not your average everyday thing. Nobody knows really anybody who's ever gone through anything like this, who knows anybody who knows anybody. So, it's just an impossible situation for everybody involved.

Walker - I think that's the thing, because it's hard to imagine what you're going through. Can you even put it into words for us, the sort of emotions that you're feeling at the moment?

Paul - Anger, utter frustration, confusion, disbelief, surrealism. Nothing feels real.

Walker - I was going to ask you that. Feels like you're living someone else's life? How's it feel?

Paul - It just doesn't feel real. Have you ever seen the Truman Show? Well, I feel like I'm in the Truman Show. Like, I honestly believe that I'm going to wake up at any moment. Yeah, just... I was just talking to L before, you know, Nikki's sister and we both just say the same thing everyday, just, 'how are we even in this'? you know, we're good people. We are good people. We try to live the best life that we can, do the right thing by everybody. We appreciate the small things, you know what I mean? Just this is the kind of thing that you see on the telly in dramas and stuff like that.

Walker - You said your main priority was the girls. Can I ask you how they are doing? because, you're missing the woman that you love but they're missing their mum and the questions they must be asking you are heart breaking at the moment.

Paul - Yeah it's impossible. Anyone, any parent knows that all you want to do is make everything better for your children, isn't it? Whenever they're worried or they're scared or anything like that, you just... you want to make it better for them and I can't. I can't do that. So all I can do is be as strong as I can so that they don't see the level of, like, worry on my face. Reassure them as much as I can with what we know, which isn't much. And I try and distract them so that their minds not focused on it. I find that's the best way of doing it.

Walker - They need hope.

Paul - Yeah.

Walker - And you've got to hold on to that as tightly as you can. Every time they ask you where mummy is, how does anybody even convey that to.. when you're going through it as well?

Paul - Again, it's just an impossible situation. The only thing that I can do is tell them that everybody is looking for mummy. The best people in the world are looking for mummy. Just to give them that, you know, that level of hope that they can understand that everything that can be done to find mummy is being done.

Walker - I think for the vast majority of people watching on, Nikki is a face on a poster at the moment? Tell us a bit about her, you know, what's she like?

Paul - She is fun. She is loving. She is... if you're friends with she is the most loyal friend that you could ever have. With Nikki, what you see is what you get, there's no hidden.. nothing's hidden. That's her and she is an exceptional mum and she absolutely adores our girls. Goes above and beyond. I was saying to Emma the other day, I don't think that she's been away from them for more than like, one or two nights, since we've had our eldest. She yeah, she's a pillar of strength to our family and without her the hole is bigger than you could possibly imagine

Walker - Can I ask you to take us back to 2 weeks today, that morning of Friday, 27th. January - Was it a normal morning, like any other?

Paul - Totally normal. Say, the only difference that morning was, you know, usually, you know, when you've got children, getting up on a school day, I mean, you probably know yourself, it's just mayhem isn't it?

Walker - Carnage yeah.

Paul - Yeah, absolute carnage. So the only difference on that morning, 2 weeks ago, was that there wasn't a lot of rushing. I came down and a lot of stuff was already done. It was... the girls we're having their breakfast and everything was pretty much ready to go. I came down and Nikki went upstairs to get ready. And then, the routine is basically, if Nikki's taking the girls and Willow, when I hear her come down I'll get them in the car, get them strapped in, get Willow in the boot and all that and Nikki comes out, give her the keys and off they go.

Walker - So it's a well oiled machine normally? And sometimes you walk the dog and take the kids to school and on that morning it was Nikki's job?

Paul - Yeah, then if it's my job usually the roles are reversed, yeah. So yeah, again, it was just nothing out of the ordinary. Everything was normal, because my working hours... because I work for a US firm so my hours are like 6 hours behind UK time. So I don't usually start work till a bit later in the morning. So when Nikki takes the girls to school I then know that I've got like an hour to myself on that morning when she takes them. So I always quite look forward to that, you know, cause I wave them off and then I go in the house and I put the kettle on, make a cup of tea and I think 'right I've got an hour'

Walker - Yeah, a bit of peace. So at what point are you thinking something's not right here? When did it feel - 'where's Nikki?' At what point did that kick in?

Paul - So she's usually back like quarter to 10 average, 10 o'clock at a push. So I'd gone up into the office at 10 thinking that she'd be back in a minute, so I logged on, I was just going through some e-mails and stuff, setting my day up and it got to, say, quarter past 10 and that's when I thought, she's later than usual, but I still wasn't like particularly worried because she has come back at quarter past, 20 past 10 sometimes. Like, she might just get talking to Emma or...

Walker - Friend on the dog walk?

Paul - Yeah, yeah, or anybody. So, it's not often but she has got back at about quarter past 10, 20 past 10. So, again, I wasn't like massively concerned or anything. Then it got to half-past 10 and that's when I thought, she's quite late now, more late than usual. So I tried ringing her phone and there was no answer. I tried ringing her on WhatsApp and, again, there was no answer. I tried the mobile again and no answer, so I couldn't get her and I started to get a bit panicky I think. So that's when I thought, right, I'm going to have to go down there and see if she's alright, you know, see if I can see the car or, see what's going on, but I still expected that I'd just get there and just 'Oh there she is'. So, I go to the gym on a Friday, Friday lunchtime. So I quickly got my gym stuff on because I just thought, basically I'm going to go out, find her, come home, do a bit of work.

Walker - Carry on?

Paul - Yeah, lunchtime, go to the gym. We're (or were?? were is typical of Yorkshire accent, not Lancashire), going to leave, and then the phone rang and it was the school, and it was the receptionist at school and she said 'Mr. Ansell, it's a bit of a weird one, but we've found Willow and Nikki's phone on the bench and the harness halfway down the embankment on the floor.

Walker - You're already worried at this point?

Paul - Yeah, because I'm just about to leave, so I've got my gym stuff on, I'm about to leave thinking I'm going to see her, you know, pass her and get there and find her. Then I get that call and in an instant it's like your whole.... because... I knew straight away that it wasn't normal, you know what I mean?, like, because, like I said, 'well where is she?' and they can't find her. So, I also know that she would never, in a million years, leave Willow. Willow is like our third child, so I know that she'd never... like the fact that Willow was just in a field on her own, off the lead, obviously, extremely concerning. So, obviously, I'm just in a mad panic then, because it's.... I got hit by that weird - It's like your world just drops out because you know something weird has happened. So I got in the car, drove down there, ran down the river to where the bench is. Somebody had Willow and obviously there was a few other dog walkers there and stuff like that. Handed me Willow, handed me Nikki's phone. I still expected, obviously, to just have a look around and 'there she is, or there she is', So we're all looking. I'm like walking off into the field that way like, looking around the corners, looking over the hedge, looking over the stile and...

Walker - Nothing?

Paul - Nothing, nothing. I'd rung 999 on the way because I obviously knew something was wrong so the police rang me then while I was at the bench and said 'look you've got to get home because the police are going to be coming to your house, we need somebody at your house. You get home the police are on their way there. So I've rung the police at like.. about 10:50 and they were there, they got there at 25 past. So they were there really, really quick. So I then, I'd gone home then, taken Willow back. Police officer had come to the house and although I was like, obviously, extremely worried and concerned, I still expected, at any second, she'd just go 'Oh we've found her, we've found her here' or whatever and yeah, I mean, that never happened the day just spiralled and end of the day came and no answers. Here we are 2 weeks later.

Walker - What do you think might have happened?

Paul - We've always tried to keep all options open because we don't want to shut down any avenue. We've always been very careful that we don't want to say 'we think it's that' and push that when it might not be. The most obvious thing, of course, has always been the river. It's always been my gut instinct and her sister's and family that that isn't the case. Extensive searching, as you're probably well aware has gone on in that river. I mean, they were in there... I have to categorically say, I cannot fault the police in any of this. They have been incredible and the relationship that we have working on this, is still very, very strong, it's very good. So this isn't any criticism of them at all, I just want to make that clear, but the fact that they were in.. the divers and underwater rescue team and all that were in that river on the day and, thankfully, found absolutely nothing in the part where you would, I guess, have to presume, is her last known location. If you take all those things into account, at the unlikeliness of it, you would have to sort of say that, really, that the river isn't what happened. And so we always felt that the mobile phone and the harness and everything, it could possibly be a decoy. Again, we don't have evidence...

Walker - No but these are things that you, naturally, would think about because the team's call was still active at the time, wasn't it? and Willow's harness is on the floor. Now I'm sure these are things that, constantly, you're thinking about?

Paul - Yeah, yeah of course it is, course it is, I mean like, the only thing we're bothered about is finding her, nothing else matters, that's the only thing that we're bothered about, is just finding her, so of course you're going to be thinking these things and so, the more searching of the river that went on, the more confident we were that it wasn't the river, you know, especially things like, again, you know, it's not nice talking about it, but, at the same time, we've taken hope from it, the fact that no item of clothing or anything has been found anywhere where you would've thought, something would have...

Walker - Something might have been found, yeah.

Paul - Yeah, yeah and absolutely nothing. So, for me personally and, again, this is just my opinion, I'm, personally, I'm 100% convinced it's not the river, that's my opinion.

Walker - And I suppose the question after that is - What then? and the difficulty is are you allowing your mind to think where she might be, what's happened to her, which is horrible as well, I imagine?

Paul - Yeah, it's horrendous because... people don't just vanish into thin air. It's absolutely impossible. So something has happened. Something has happened. Find out what it is. Find out what it is. There has to be a way to find out what happened. There has to be. You cannot, you cannot walk your dog down a river and just vanish into thin air. Something happened that day, something. Find out what it is and my plea now is, personally, I want every house, every garage, every outbuilding, the land, scrutinised. I want it all searched. I want it all scrutinised. Every piece of it. I'm not going to... you're not going to appease me with anything else, that is what I want to happen because for something to have happened there... you would only know that area by local pe... it's a local area. We've walked down there for years, and I mean, years. You see the same faces every single day and on the very odd occasion when you see somebody that you don't know, they stand out like a sore thumb.

Walker - And I think that's an important point to make because there might be some people watching this, thinking 'why are you doing this?' Why are you talking to us? and the reason you're doing that, I don't want to put words in your mouth, is because you feel that somebody out there knows something? That's the appeal that you're trying to make?

Paul - Yeah, definitely, definitely and I'm just pleading with them. Just please, anything, anything, no matter how tiny, just please, just come forward with it please, because that could be the key to finding her and as a family we're not bothered about anything else. Like there's nothing else. The only thing is we just have to find her.

Walker - You've told us a bit about who Nikki is. Was she ever the sort of person who might go away for a night or leave for a few days, you know what I mean?

Paul - That's about as far out of character you could get, I truly mean that. Even as a couple, on the odd occasion if we ever do have a night away from the girls... because the girls are our world. We go out for meals, the girls come with us.

Walker - You're a family.

Paul - Yeah, everything that we do is.. the girls are in it, they're involved in it and that feels right. We love it, we love our little family. We love our world.

Walker - And your gorgeous dog Willow's been spending a bit of time with us, as well, and it's also that thing - Willow may well have seen what happened to Nikki.

Paul - I know, I know and that's another layer of frustration and hell to it. It's a hellish situation with the layer of hell that not knowing what's happened, yet, and then also having Willow who probably does know what happened, but she can't tell is, can she? She's a very sensitive dog. I did take her back there first thing on the Saturday.

Walker - The next day?

Paul - The next day, yeah I took her back there first thing.

Walker - How did she react to that then?

Paul - Well obviously I was praying and hoping that once we got to the gate that she would do something different.

Walker - Take you somewhere?

Paul - Yeah, yeah, just give some sign of some kind, but she.. bless her, she just went through the gate like any other normal day and ran into the field and looked at me excited that she was there for a walk. I was saying to her 'where's mummy, where's mummy'. She was just looking at me like, you know, 'let's go for a walk'.

Walker - There's been a lot of publicity around Nikki's disappearance hasn't there? and I suppose you are one of those stories that is very much talked about on social media at the moment. I don't know whether you've read the stories and accusations, all the theories that are out there. Does that upset you or are you happy that people are talking about and trying to find a solution?

Paul - it would be upsetting, of course, if I let myself read it all. Don't get me wrong, I have seen some stuff. Most people have been amazing, you're always going to get that 2% of people that, for whatever reason, say and do not very nice things but I don't want to give any energy to that. My energy is just finding Nikki. I read one that said 'the police need to look at the partner' and I'm sort of like, well yeah, that's the first thing that they do, like, of course it is. I knew that that would happen on the first day.

Walker - You expect that don't you?

Paul - I expected that, I said to them 'do it' and get that out of the way and then focus on finding her and focus on the rest of it, so that's exactly what we did. That was done, ruled out, obviously, and then move on. So, whatever people want to say, if that's what they want to think that's their business, it's not mine.

Walker - But I know you've also been struck by the amazing response, locally and just being here for today, everybody's talking about it, everyone's asking how you are and the local community, whether they're standing out on the street corner or putting posters up or just asking questions, they are doing an amazing job.

Paul - Yeah. It's absolutely incredible. It's heart warming. It's given us an immense amount of strength and it's kept that hope so high that we can't thank them enough.

Walker - How are you keeping it.. is that the kids? Is that your natural positivity?

Paul - It's all of those things, of course it's the children, of course, but I am naturally a positive person and I believe that you get out of life what you put into life and that's how we are as a family and so, what we're going through now is unprecedented hell but that hope and that positivity in me is stronger than ever and I'm never ever going to let go. Nikki would never give up on us, ever, she wouldn't give up on anybody and we're not going to ever give up on her. We're going to find her.

Walker - We were talking earlier and you were saying that one of the plans you had was to get married during the pandemic, but, like many people, you had to abandon those plans. Is that something that you think... when she's back 'this is what we're doing?'

Paul - Yeah, I'm far too laid back sometimes for my own good, but also my attitude is 'Ahh, you know, we'll get round to it, it'll be fine' and so we have obviously spoken about marriage many times before and then we had the children. When your children are obviously little, it's all time consuming and then I'll say 'they're growing up' we always said whenever they're a bit older it'd be a nice time to do it and they could be a part of it, they can be the bridesmaids and everything so that was always, always the plan. And so, it's just now, it's now. It's something.. we would obviously have spoken about it and moved forward with it again, but.. and still will.

Walker - There is a chance isn't there, that somehow she might be out there even watching this? If you could say something to her what would you say to Nikki now?

Paul - Just how much I love her. How much us as a family love her and need her, how well thought of, how much her friend's love her and need her back and we're never going to be the same until she is back. Just come home.

Walker - Are you going to be okay?

Paul - I will, as long as she comes home, but yeah, I have to be okay for the children but obviously the hope inside me that she's going to come home, I can't let myself think of anything else. It isn't an option in my head. We deserve a happy ending to all of this. You can't have this level of support, this level of love and compassion and hope and prayers without getting the reward from that. In my mind that is impossible. When you think of all the hope and everything that is going out there it has to come back and that has to bring her home.

Walker - I really appreciate you talking to us. I know it's impossibly difficult, you've described your life at the minute as a living hell. I hope what you said makes a difference as well and I think everybody watching this will join me in saying that we all hope that Nikki comes home and that she is safe and well and you can be back together. Thank you.

Paul - Thank you.

just bumping this further up thread 10 so that people can read if they wish

 

[SleuthRob]

Could someone please clear up 2 things for me please.
A) Who actually found NB phone at 9:33, because there are various news reports, was it the owner (or owners wife) of the nearby caravan site or just a random dog walker passing by? Or, is the dog walker actually the owner or owners wife of the nearby caravan site?
B) Did they find NB phone on the floor and then place it on the bench or was it already on the bench and they just left it there? Again I've heard both these reported.

 

[IspyWithMyBigEye]

But she was slightly late to the call

MWT left the police, at the rank of detective constable , for a company specialising in removing chewing gum.

Self-promoting TV detective helped ruin the lives of innocent celebs

Sir Cliff Richard, Jim Davidson, Freddie Starr and Lord Brittan were all accused of abuse but never charged with an offence. 'Detective’ Mark Williams-Thomas publicised their names.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The team meeting started at 9am and she joined it at 9:01

One minute late?

 

[jk1874]

Yes - I've thought precisely that. If it was a sales meeting and if she had just closed a deal she would want to talk about it I would have thought, so just to listen in is odd.

I'm not sure if thee police can confirm the phone was muted throughout the chat. Maybe she popped on and then off again. Possible, I guess.

A lot of assumptions here. I attend lots of online calls where I have my camera off, muted and I'm never required to say a word. If it's more training based or a national conference then you wouldn't need to contribute automatically.

 

[msmarple99]

Another question is whose dog is it ?

I mean who originally chose to have a dog in the household?

This can make a big difference to someone's attitude towards a dog. Not everyone likes dogs. Some will just tolerate them.

My sister has a Spaniel which her ex husband decided to get for their daughter who lives with him. My sister dislikes dogs but as it is for the daughter she will tolerate caring for the dog now and then. She really does not like the dog though. It is a strong dislike. The dog knows this.

So in the case of the MP was she a dog lover or was she walking the dog out of duty for the family.

This could make a difference to the behaviour of the dog and the MP.

Pity that poor dog!
PA described willow as there 3rd child

 

[Bluesleuth66]

Very true like many I was made a home worker at the start of the pandemic and we have weekly meetings to which people are quite often late. However, it is very odd for someone to have no involvement in the meeting and even odder in this case as the night before she had just got a new client and this is exactly the sort of information the meeting should be for. In itself not very relevant, but as with a lot about this case it is unusual behaviour

Yes - I've thought precisely that. If it was a sales meeting and if she had just closed a deal she would want to talk about it I would have thought, so just to listen in is odd.

I'm not sure if thee police can confirm the phone was muted throughout the chat. Maybe she popped on and then off again. Possible, I guess.

 

[Coach]

I also feel that the most reasonable explanation is the river. I do however wonder what her state of mind was like and what things were like the evening before. The night before was not mentioned in the documentary.

 

[Just-a-random-girl]

IMO this brings up another theory. Presumably the LE have referenced this with the MP's phone bill.

A lot of people walk around when on their phones. Presumably there was a business phone and a private phone.
It is very common to remain in motion rather than sit down when talking on a phone. I see this a lot on towpaths beside the boat. Someone walking up and down chatting on their phone.

IMO if the MP was in a habit of using this area for engaging in a phone call is it possible that it was also an illicit meeting place? JMO there could be a non malicious 3rd party involvement here.

One assumes the LE will have examined any phone that she had available for use. Just because the work phone was on a meeting does not mean there was not another phone.

We may never know her purpose of moving around the area, there will be many different reasons and ones which varied day to day and week to week (e.g. phone calls, collecting thoughts, exercise/stretching, throwing sticks for dog, taking photos/selfies, admiring view) etc. But it appeared to be a normal part of her routine and perhaps, over time and with familiarity, she became less aware of the dangers of the river. She may well have had an accident while doing whatever it was she normally did.

While PF says he thinks it's impossible, freak accidents do happen.