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

[Tortoise]

I'd like to know when courts are able to bring in previous convictions and when they aren't. Remember Ben Butler had a string of violent assaults against his name but that wasn't mentioned until after conviction.

 

[Legally Bland]

I can't remember exactly what the guidelines are for whole life orders, but I really thought this would qualify. I just hope he dies in prison.

 

[Tortoise]

I can't remember exactly what the guidelines are for whole life orders, but I really thought this would qualify. I just hope he dies in prison.

He should have got a 36 year sentence for each of them. There is zero in mitigation.

 

[Legally Bland]

He should have got a 36 year sentence for each of them. There is zero in mitigation.

Yeah, I'm at a loss to think of any mitigation. Just realised, maybe was 20 not 21 in 1986 (born in '66).


Whole life orders:
_______________

Whole life is the starting point for the following types of murder case:
•
the murder of two or more persons where each murder involved a substantial degree of
premeditation, the abduction of the victim prior to the killing, or sexual or sadistic
conduct;
•
the murder of a child following abduction or involving sexual or sadistic motivation;
•
the murder of a police officer or prison officer in the course of his or her duty;
•
murder committed for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or
ideological cause; and
•
murder by an offender who has previously been convicted of murder.

Whole life starting points only apply to offenders who were aged 21 or over when they committed the offence.


ETA: Forgot link
http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN03626/SN03626.pdf

 

[Tortoise]

dob 9th Feb 1966. Yeah he would have been 20 and 8 months on 9th Oct 1986. Darn it!

 

[Kasmeer]

Disappointing to not be whole life but 36 years is effectively very likely whole life, especially considering he's been in 28 years for a minimum 14 year sentence already, so it seems the parole people are very much aware that he's still a danger to the public. Even if he lives that long I'd hope he never gets out! Thank goodness it wasn't 20 years or something silly like that; 36 at least feels substantial. Although I've never understood why sentences for more than one murder aren't consecutive instead of concurrent, that would feel a lot more like justice.

 

[Kasmeer]

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

What a brave and clever girl! Even as an adult I'd never have so much presence of mind, for a seven-year-old, wow. I do hope that now she can find some more peace and live her life feeling safe from him ever being released; these weeks must have been hard for her but hopefully the end result will help her.

 

[Alyce]

Just got in and catching up - thanks for all the updates - 36 years - double this would have been nice, but I guess he will now die in prison.....or if he makes it to 88, I doubt he would be released even then.

 

[Mrs Marple]

So glad to see some resolution for the family, what a pity it was so long coming.

Here's hoping he dies in jail.

 

[Alyce]

Monday January 7 at 9pm on bbc2 for UK folk....The Prosecutors..documentary following the police and forensics as they found the new evidence for the recent trial.

 

[Alyce]

Interesting programme to see some of what we heard from the recent trial - and so desperately sad listening to Karen's mother - I hope, in time, the justice now served will help both her and Nicola's parents.

 

[Tortoise]

Interesting programme to see some of what we heard from the recent trial - and so desperately sad listening to Karen's mother - I hope, in time, the justice now served will help both her and Nicola's parents.

It was worth watching.

Also learnt from it that prosecutors can raise prior convictions where there are similarities in the crimes. In this case his other victim being a young girl, the nature of the crime and the discarded clothing after the crime.

 

[Mrs Marple]

Aww l missed this will see if it's in catch up. Thanks!

 

[Alyce]

Aww l missed this will see if it's in catch up. Thanks!

BBC iPlayer - The Prosecutors - The Babes in the Wood Murders

 

[Legally Bland]

Looks like Bishop's solicitor at the original trial helped the families of Nicola and Karen.

Ralph Haeems, a celebrated criminal lawyer who defended not only Bishop but the Kray twins and the Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen, contacted Nigel after hearing him speak about the case on the radio.

Astonishingly, Haeems invited the brothers to his South London offices and allowed them to view previously unseen evidence.

‘The first thing we did was get it copied. It took two days. We were just drinking coffee and photocopying,’ Nigel remembers.

Ian is full of admiration for the way his brother got the papers, and said he ‘had a sense’ that Haeems was worried about Bishop. He asked the lawyer why he was helping them.

Ian says Haeems told him: ‘I believe there has been a travesty of justice. I didn’t like the way Bishop’s brothers celebrated on the steps outside court.’ ‘It had clearly got to him,’ Ian adds.

Conman uncle of Babes in the Wood victims used his 'dark arts' to get his hands on evidence | Daily Mail Online

 

[Legally Bland]

A former girlfriend of schoolgirls' killer Russell Bishop is to be charged with perverting the course of justice.

Jennifer Johnson, 54, of Brighton, has been summonsed over the failed 1987 prosecution of Bishop who was cleared of killing Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows.

The two nine-year-olds were found sexually assaulted and strangled in woodland in Brighton in October 1986.

Ms Johnson faces charges over her police statements and court evidence.

Ex-girlfriend of schoolgirls' killer to be charged

 

[Legally Bland]

The former girlfriend of Babes in the Wood murderer Russell Bishop has appeared in court charged with perjury and perverting the course of justice.

Jenny Johnson, 54, who had a child with Bishop and lived with him in Hollingdean, Brighton at the time of the murders, appeared before magistrates today.

Ex-girlfriend of 'Babes in the Wood' murderer appears in court | Daily Mail Online

 

[Alyce]

Prolific' lies told by the girlfriend of Babes in the Wood murderer Russell Bishop let him escape justice for killing two girls and later try to claim a third victim, a court heard today.

Jennifer Johnson, 55, is accused of telling 'lies that were important' in the tragic case, including about a crucial piece of evidence - a sweatshirt found near the scene.

Johnson was arrested last year and charged with perjury and perverting the course of justice.

Alison Morgan QC, prosecuting, said Johnson took a deliberate decision to lie 'deliberately and prolifically' to help Bishop.

She said Johnson knew the importance of the sweatshirt to the trial and told lies about it.

Miss Morgan said Johnson had ample opportunities to tell the truth about the ownership of the sweatshirt.

She said: 'Was she someone who was so terrified of Russell Bishop and his family that she simply had no choice but to lie on oath?

'Was there anything stopping her from telling the judge or the police officers or anyone else present in the courtroom that she was under that type of threat.'

The case, which is set to last around four weeks, continues




'Prolific' lies told by girlfriend of Babes in Wood murderer let him escape justice, court hears | Daily Mail Online

 

[Tortoise]

update from the trial - she is saying she lied under duress, but there are details of some love letters she sent him.

Girlfriend of Babes in the Wood killer Russell Bishop ADMITS she lied under oath to protect him | Daily Mail Online

 

[Becky53]

About time too...

PROLIFIC LIAR'
Babes in the Wood killer’s ex-girlfriend found guilty of perjury and perverting course of justice over his 1987 trial

Babes in Wood killer's ex guilty of perjury & perverting course of justice