GUILTY UK - Sadie Hartley, 60, murdered, Helmshore, Lancs, 14 Jan 2016 #1

[Legally Bland]

Most of this article is same as yesterday's links, but can't remember seeing this bit.

ALLEGED stun gun murderer Sarah Williams spoke of ‘getting rid’ of the wife of a fellow ski instructor she had an affair with, a jury has heard.

Friends of Williams said she believed she could be together with Somapat Sitiwitjana, 47, if his wife, Janet, 45, ‘wasn’t in the picture’.

Sounds familiar.

http://m.thelancasterandmorecambeci...ting_rid____of_wife_of_fellow_ski_instructor/

 

[jessie]

That is an interesting article Legally Bland thanks. c/p ing this bit from it for the record too:





Kerry Williams, a former workmate of the accused, said the defendant was ‘besotted’ with Mr Sitiwatjana, known in local martial arts circles as Master A.

She said: “There was a time when we were at my house and Sarah was talking about Master A. She said, ‘oh, I just need to get rid of her now’, referring to his wife. As I told Sarah quite often, I said, ‘you can’t do things like that’.”

She said Williams made several stabbing gestures to her head while making the ‘Psycho’ sound, made famous in the Alfred Hitchcock film.


http://m.thelancasterandmorecambecit...ki_instructor/

 

[JerricaBenton]

It seems a few women have had a lucky escape and Sadie was the unlucky one who actually got it

 

[Tortoise]

Sounds like this is from today - probably a police witness, or going through her police interview -


Sarah Williams, 35, claims she did not leave her home on the evening of January 14 when Sadie Hartley, 60, was paralysed with a stun gun as she opened the front door of her detached property in Helmshore, Lancashire, and was then stabbed to death.
The victim, a medical communications director, was found face down in a pool of blood by police the following night.
Williams, said to have been obsessed with Ms Hartley's partner, Ian Johnston, 57, was arrested in the early hours of January 17 and later interviewed.


When told by detectives that she had been arrested on suspicion of murder, Williams replied: "I would say that is a sentence I would never have expected anybody to say to me."
Asked if she was responsible for the death of Ms Hartley, she added: "No, definitely not. Definitely not."
The customer sales adviser explained she had been sent home ill from her job at Crystal Ski Holidays in Manchester's Chill Factore on the afternoon of January 14.
She rang her 75-year-old lover, David Hardwick, on her way home to Blacon, Chester, and he met up with her there, Preston Crown Court heard.
He made her cups of tea and walked her dog before he left her in bed, she told police.
After reading Game Of Thrones - "I'm into the second book at the minute", she said - she then fell asleep until her dog woke her up at about 9pm.
Williams then went back to sleep and Mr Hardwick came round "as usual" at 5am the next day before she later went back into work, she said.
The Crown says her account of her whereabouts on the night of January 14 is a lie and that she brutally murdered Ms Hartley just after 8pm.
Williams told police she first met Mr Johnston in 2011 at the Chill Factore indoor ski centre where he gave ski lessons.
She said he was "a nice guy" and there was "nice chemistry" but that "nothing came of it".
Facebook messages between the pair became "really flirtatious" as time went on and "one thing led to another", she said.
The pair started seeing other in September 2013, she said, until they had a "fall-out" in August 2014.
Williams said: "He basically felt I was a bit clingy, too needy. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. I would say I'm not.
"I think he thought I wanted a lot more than I did ... I think he thought I wanted to have 2.4 children and live happily ever after. But it was never suggested and I didn't obviously want kids with anyone.
"We ended up falling out anyway over it and I wrote Sadie a letter telling everything that happened."
Speaking of the letter, Williams said to detectives: "It was the most massively pointless exercise of all pointless exercises.
"She rang me up. Had a go at me, as you would expect. There was not much to say.
"So she said 'I'm going to take it up with Ian', blah di blah. She said 'I'm sure our paths will cross."
Williams said she had not spoken to Ms Hartley since.
She said Mr Johnston was "not at all happy" about the letter and that a "massive row" followed when she visited his home weeks later.
Williams said she had no communication with him again until May last year when they bumped into each other at Chill Factore.
Texting began again, she said, and they "got into flirting quite heavily".
Last December she said they talked about meeting up when he returned from Switzerland the following month.
Asked about her relationship with Mr Hardwick, she said she was aged 17 and still at school doing her A-levels and he was 57 when they started seeing other.
The pair met at riding stables in Neston, Cheshire, weeks before, the jury heard.
Williams said: "Some of it has been good, some of it has been bad.
"We have had a couple of rocky patches when you think 'this is on the way out'."
She said she knew Mr Hardwick was married.
"I was 17 and a bit half-baked." she told police. "I was not interested in buying houses and living together because you are too young for that sort of rubbish."
Williams said Mr Hardwick's wife found out about their affair within months but that the Hardwicks agreed to continue living together.
She said her relationship with her older lover - previously labelled in court as her "sugar daddy" - was "quite settled at the moment" but they had not had sex for two-and-a-half years.
She went on: "I had a bad bad start to life. I was attacked and assaulted when I was 13. He was my first boyfriend after that.
"It was a massive issue overcoming that. Sex-wise it's never been great."
She confirmed to detectives that the assault she spoke about was sexual.
Williams said the sex with Mr Hardwick "just petered out" and that she had her first affair with another ski instructor at Chill Factore, Thai boxer Somapat Sitiwatjana.
On Wednesday, the jury was told she struck up the relationship with the 47-year-old - known as Master A - in 2011 after he taught her to ski.
Williams told police: "It was the biggest cliche in the world. Learning to ski and this dead flashy Thai instructor, dead exotic.
"What a load of b******s that was. He wasn't great. He was just a d***h**d."
The trial continues on Thursday.

http://www.burnleyexpress.net/news/...me-in-bed-on-night-killing-occurred-1-8037498

 

[Tortoise]

Details:

- No Information To Display - Trial (Part Heard) - Witness Number 44 Sworn - 10:43 Trial (Part Heard) - Witness Number 44 Continues - 11:22 Trial (Part Heard) - Case adjourned until 12:05 - 11:53 Trial (Part Heard) - Resume - 12:10 Trial (Part Heard) - Resume - 14:03 Trial (Part Heard) - Witness Number 17 Sworn - 14:44 Trial (Part Heard) - Witness Number 17 Continues - 14:50 Trial (Part Heard) - Case adjourned until 15:20 - 15:19 Trial (Part Heard) - Case adjourned until 15:30 - 15:19 Trial (Part Heard) - Witness Number 17 Continues - 15:38 Trial (Part Heard) - Legal Submissions - 16:18 Trial (Part Heard) - Case adjourned until 10:30 - 16:22

 

[Alyce]

Thanks for the update Tortoise, does sound like it is Williams police statement that is being read to the Court.

Wonder if Williams will give evidence and how much she will change her story, as she has now heard the full prosecution evidence against her. Will also be interesting to see if Walsh gives evidence that goes against Williams story.

 

[Legally Bland]

So she doesn't think she's a bit clingy, hmmm...

 

[Tortoise]

Details:

Trial (Part Heard) - Witness Number 17 Continues - 10:34 Trial (Part Heard) - Case adjourned until 12:25 - 12:13 Trial (Part Heard) - Witness Number 17 Continues - 12:37 Trial (Part Heard) - Case adjourned until 14:05 - 13:05 Trial (Part Heard) - Witness Number 17 Continues - 14:17 Trial (Part Heard) - Witness Number 45 Sworn - 14:28 Trial (Part Heard) - Legal Submissions - 15:35 Trial (Part Heard) - Case adjourned until 10:30 - 15:38

 

[jessie]

Could anyone explain the numbering of witnesses please?

I notice they had Witness No. 44, then Witness 17, then Witness 45 sworn in.

In the absence of constant updates (and why?? this is such an interesting case it deserves daily reporting imo) is there anything to be read into this numbering, or are the numerical references quite random when the case is put to trial? tia.

 

[Alyce]

I wonder if it's forensics being called back to clarify something - witness 17 was called on July 15, so can't see why they are back two weeks later, unless it is forensics or police.

 

[Tortoise]

Questioned about her movements in the run up to the murder, Ms Williams told police seven days before while Mr Johnston was on a skiing holiday abroad, she drove to his old house and sat outside in her car "like a bloody saddo" as she had done a number of times previously.
But the same night Sadie Hartley received an unexpected delivery of flowers at her home, which "freaked her out".
The prosecution allege this was a dry run by the defendants, for the planned murder a week later.
In police interviews read to the jury, Det Con Bryony Midgley put it to Ms Williams that the delivery was a ruse to confirm the killers had the right address.
"No, you would have to be out of your bloody mind," Ms Williams told the officer.
Det Con Midgley continued: "People do strange things when they are in love."
Ms Williams replied: "That's true."


The officer said one strange thing would be driving for an hour from her home to sit outside the house of her ex.
Ms Williams replied: "Yes, it's sad. I appreciate it looks really bad."
Det Con Midgley added: "Sadie was stabbed numerous times. In excess of 50 injuries. Are you responsible for those injuries?"
"No. I just would not be capable of doing that to anybody at any time," was the reply.
The customer sales adviser said she was asleep at home when Ms Hartley was killed.
The court heard in further interviews, Ms Williams was asked about CCTV footage, tracking evidence, DNA evidence and the diaries kept by Ms Walsh, all allegedly linking her to the crime.
She replied: "No comment" to further questions, the jury heard.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-36917161

 

[Tortoise]

The customer sales adviser explained she had been sent home ill from her job at Crystal Ski Holidays in Manchester's Chill Factore on the day of the murder, January 14 - and was asleep in bed at home in Chester at the time Ms Hartley was killed.
But the next day, in a further interview, the officer told Williams police had gathered some 'extra information'.
Det Con Midgley told the suspect she now had information to 'share with you'.
She asked the suspect to explain why her mobile phone and that of her co-accused Walsh, had been traced close to Sadie's home on January 7 when the flowers were delivered.
Williams replied: 'You will have to ask her.'
The officer replied: 'We will do, because she is going to be arrested on suspicion of murder like you.'
Williams replied: 'Oh God.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...e-victim-s-home-like-saddo.html#ixzz4Fmmgl7TJ

 

[Legally Bland]

From Tortoise's Mail link.

Her and Walsh, both from Chester, both deny murder. The trial was adjourned until next Monday morning.

Looks like that's it till next week. Hopefully there'll be some reporters there.

 

[Alyce]

Yes I also hope there will be some live reporting next week - will be most interesting to see if Williams and Walsh will testify.

 

[Legally Bland]

I think they have to testify. I can't see how they can blame each other without taking the stand. Well, not very convincingly anyway.

The cross-ex from the opposing defence teams could be interesting.

But I'm fully expecting a car crash if they do take the stand.

 

[jessie]

Does anyone know if they are they in court today ? Thanks.

 

[Tortoise]

Details:Trial (Part Heard) - Resume - 10:32
Trial (Part Heard) - Witness Number 45 Continues - 10:41
Trial (Part Heard) - Case adjourned until 12:12 - 12:02
Trial (Part Heard) - Resume - 12:17
Trial (Part Heard) - Witness Number 45 Continues - 12:22
Trial (Part Heard) - Legal Submissions - 12:59
Trial (Part Heard) - Case adjourned until 14:00 - 13:01
Trial (Part Heard) - Witness Number 45 Continues - 14:05

 

[Alyce]

Wonder if this is Defence now, Witness 45 seems to be having a long time on the stand


Preston 5
T20167035
T20167037

katrina walsh
sarah williams

Details: Trial (Part Heard) - Resume - 10:34
Trial (Part Heard) - Witness Number 17 Sworn - 10:54
Trial (Part Heard) - Witness Number 45 Continues - 11:08
Trial (Part Heard) - No Event - 11:19
Trial (Part Heard) - Witness evidence concluded - 11:20

 

[Tortoise]

17 and 45 were on the stand last week too. Judging by the reporting last week they are police witnesses.

 

[Alyce]

Details:
Trial (Part Heard) - Case adjourned until 12:00 - 11:46
Trial (Part Heard) - Resume - 11:59
Trial (Part Heard) - No Event - 12:19
Trial (Part Heard) - Witness Number 32 Sworn - 12:22
Trial (Part Heard) - No Event - 12:37
Trial (Part Heard) - Witness evidence concluded - 12:46
Trial (Part Heard) - Legal Submissions - 13:18