GUILTY UK - Nicola Fellows, 10, Karen Hadaway, 9, Moulsecoomb, Brighton, 9 Oct 1986

[jessie]

From your link above Alyce :

Prosecutor Brian Altman QC slammed the defence case, saying: 'What you have seen unfolding before your eyes is the creation by the defendant of a smokescreen in the hope, quite literally, that he gets away with murder for the second time.'

He said the 'common theme throughout was an effort to smear Barrie Fellows', perhaps to bolster his ultimately unsuccessful claim for compensation years later.

Mr Altman accused the defence team of 'scraping the Barrie barrel' and dragging Mr fellows' name through the mud in a 'desperate' attempt at sidestepping the mountain of scientific evidence against him.

Mr Fellows was questioned by police following his daughter's death.

He told officers that instead of joining his wife, Susan, and Michelle Hadaway in the search for their daughters he had eaten his dinner at home. Officers found this explanation unconvincing.

After he was taken in for questioning, police did nothing to assuage residents suspicions and a hate campaign erupted on the Moulsecoomb estate.

Graffiti was daubed on a nearby house which said: 'Fellows out.'

At the first trial Ivan Lawrence QC - who was also a Conservative MP - sought to place doubt in the mind of the jury over Mr Fellows' innocence.

Mr Lawrence said Mr Fellows' alibi that he was at home having his dinner while his wife searched for their daughter was weak.

Mr Fellows responded by storming out of the public gallery saying: 'I've had enough of that

Mr Lawrence told the judge: 'I don't suggest for a moment that Barrie Fellows was the murderer and I'm sorry he left before he heard me say this. He can't be the murderer because of the times.'



Shocking that this was put forward in defence, an absolute travesty of justice imo - how do these people live with their conscience.
All these years ............. Thank goodness for the advance of forensic evidence.

 

[Tortoise]

This first bit is from the original trial

Under questioning Bishop denied that the sweatshirt belonged to him, but his common-law wife, Jenny Johnson, contradicted his story telling police it was his.

But when Johnson entered the witness box at Lewes Crown Court she changed her story, telling the jury she had never seen the top before.

Miss Johnson could now be investigated for perjury over allegations she lied during the original trial.

Detective Superintendent Jeff Riley of Sussex Police said they had not ruled out investigating Miss Johnson.

Nigel Pilkington, from the Crown Prosecution Service, suggested the result of the 1987 trial could have been "wholly different" if Miss Johnson had not changed her story.

More to read at link Babes in the Wood murders: after the police blunders and killer's deceit, how justice caught up with Russell Bishop, 32 years on

 

[Tortoise]

Just an extra snippet from the same article - I think I'm still within the 10% rule

Bishop was not in court for a few days of his nine-week trial and complained to the judge about feeling "suicidal" over his temporary stay at Belmarsh.

He told the court he wanted to go back to his more relaxed life at Frankland jail

 

[Tortoise]

Looking at those photos in the Telegraph article makes me feel ancient. I can't believe in 1986 police uniforms were so different, and the cars! I would have guessed those pics were taken in the 60s or 70s.

 

[Alyce]

Sentencing is at 2pm today - I hadnt realised that the Judge cannot force RB to attend - I think it should be mandatory.




Helena Lee‏Verified account @BBCHelenaLee 15h15 hours ago

Bishop will be sentenced at 2pm tomorrow. The Judge said he required the defendant to be in court but knew he couldn’t force him so Bishop will be asked to attend tomorrow.
The Judge also said he would sentence Bishop in his absence if he refused to attend.

 

[Tortoise]

I haven't read the article yet but this is apparently an interview with the parents of the child who survived his attack in 1990. I hadn't realised he never admitted that crime until this trial.

Four years after the 'Babes' murders, Bishop left another girl for dead.Today means she can move on | Daily Mail Online

 

[Legally Bland]

I'm really expecting a whole life order, nothing less.

 

[Legally Bland]

I haven't read the article yet but this is apparently an interview with the parents of the child who survived his attack in 1990. I hadn't realised he never admitted that crime until this trial.

Four years after the 'Babes' murders, Bishop left another girl for dead.Today means she can move on | Daily Mail Online

From that article.
_______________

'She was always alert. She has great awareness,' her mother says. 'When Daisy did the identity parade, she said afterwards: 'He looked different – he's changed his hair.' It wasn't until later in court that we learned that he wetted his hair, to make it look darker.'

Bishop was arrested but denied everything so little Daisy was forced to face cross-examination at Lewes Crown Court.

'The police wanted her to testify. We didn't want her to appear, even to give video evidence,' her mother says. 'She mulled it over in her mind for a few days. Her main question was – 'Will I see the horrible man? And will he see me?'

It was Daisy who made the decision to appear in the end – from behind a screen. She described being hunched up in Bishop's boot but studying everything so she could tell the police later: she had already decided she would survive.

With enormous prescience, and despite being in the dark, she made scratches on the inside of the boot and memorised their number, shape and position. This was to help police identify his car.

When she gave evidence you could hear a pin drop. Some were near tears as she described struggling to get off her roller skates because 'I knew if I could get my boots off, I could do a runner when he opened the boot'.

The defence tried to portray her as a little girl so traumatised she couldn't be believed, but the jury was convinced.

Four years after the 'Babes' murders, Bishop left another girl for dead.Today means she can move on | Daily Mail Online

 

[Tortoise]

Incredible for a 7 year old. Really incredible. I probably wouldn't even think of scratching the paintwork, she must have been thinking of how they could catch him.

 

[Alyce]

I haven't read the article yet but this is apparently an interview with the parents of the child who survived his attack in 1990. I hadn't realised he never admitted that crime until this trial.

Four years after the 'Babes' murders, Bishop left another girl for dead.Today means she can move on | Daily Mail Online

Me neither - I thought he had admitted it after he was found guilty.

Poor girl - having doubts herself over the years that she had accused the wrong man - another level of cruelty he inflicted upon her.

 

[Legally Bland]

At court 16 of the Old Bailey where Russell Bishop will be sentenced for the murders of Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows. He was found guilty of their murders yesterday.

Russell Bishop has chosen not to come to court to hear his sentence so the Judge will sentence him in his absence.

Prosecuting barrister Brian Altman QC is reading victim impact statements to the court. One from Michelle Hadaway, Karen Hadaway’s mother. In the statement she says this was the last chance to get justice for her little girl.

Mrs Hadaway goes on: “Bishop has been seen as the evil monster he really is”.

A statement is being read now by Brian Altman QC on behalf of Susan Fellows, Nicola’s mother. “Russell Bishop is a monster”. Any sentence given to him will not be enough for what he did”: she says. “No child is safe if he is free”.

Helena Lee‏Verified account @BBCHelenaLee 5m5 minutes ago

 

[Tortoise]

Babes in the Wood murderer Russell Bishop has chosen not to appear in court for sentencing, or dial in via video link. He’ll be sentenced imminently for the double murder in 1986....

Paul McNamara (@PGMcNamara) | Twitter

 

[Tortoise]

If it were me I'd turn the video link on without his agreement and let them all watch him cowering in his cell.

Plus I'd leave him never knowing how long he got.

 

[Tortoise]

The jury was told by the Judge yesterday that if they wished they could come back today for sentencing. But they didn’t have to. All 12 are here today.

Helena Lee (@BBCHelenaLee) | Twitter

 

[Legally Bland]

The jury was told by the Judge yesterday that if they wished they could come back today for sentencing. But they didn’t have to.

Now a statement by Barrie Fellows - Nicola’s father - being read by Brian Altman QC. On the impact of losing his daughter: It’s like your heart has been ripped from your chest over and over again.

Judge says he will pass sentence in Russell Bishop’s absence.

Mr Justice Sweeney: I have no doubt that you were a predatory paedophile. That having seen Karen and Nicola playing in the park ... you remained in the area to lure them.

Judge: You then lured them to a secluded den in the woods. Then entirely for your own pleasure ... you strangled and sexually assaulted each of them.

Judge: The terror the girls must have experienced in their final moments is unimaginable.

Judge: During this trial you again falsely pretended you were innocent. ... You have no remorse whatsoever for what you did.

Judge: The victim personal statements speak with great dignity and force of the extent of the loss suffered by each of their families. The court pays humble tribute to them for their fortitude.

Helena Lee on Twitter

 

[Tortoise]

Now a statement by Barrie Fellows - Nicola’s father - being read by Brian Altman QC. On the impact of losing his daughter: It’s like your heart has been ripped from your chest over and over again.

Mr Justice Sweeney: I have no doubt that you were a predatory paedophile. That having seen Karen and Nicola playing in the park ... you remained in the area to lure them.

Judge: You then lured them to a secluded den in the woods. Then entirely for your own pleasure ... you strangled and sexually assaulted each of them.

Judge: The terror the girls must have experienced in their final moments is unimaginable.

Judge: During this trial you again falsely pretended you were innocent. ... You have no remorse whatsoever for what you did.

Judge: The victim personal statements speak with great dignity and force of the extent of the loss suffered by each of their families. The court pays humble tribute to them for their fortitude.

Helena Lee (@BBCHelenaLee) | Twitter

apologies Legally - I thought you'd gone offline

 

[Tortoise]

They're all saying he got life but they all get a life sentence for murder. Haven't seen whole of life mentioned yet.

 

[Tortoise]

What?? 36 years? Why put an end on it.

 

[Tortoise]

Minimum term Russell Bishop will serve is 36 years

Paul McNamara (@PGMcNamara) | Twitter

 

[Tortoise]

Babes in the Wood murderer Russell Bishop jailed for life with a minimum term of 36 years. Bishop will be 88 before he can be considered for parole, but is likely never to be free again.

Tristan Kirk (@kirkkorner) | Twitter