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

[jessie]

Mostly what has been reported, but I don't recall the BBBM

Sadie Hartley: Murder suspect says 'macabre test run' was idea of co-accused

A woman accused of murdering a love rival took flowers to her adversary's home in a "macabre test run", a court heard.
Sarah Williams, 35, claims delivering flowers to Sadie Hartley, who was murdered a week later, was the idea of her co-defendant Katrina Walsh, 56.
The Crown says it was a dry run by both women as reconnaissance for the murder.

But Ms Williams claims she was in bed ill at the time of the murder and that the evidence points to Ms Walsh as the perpetrator.
On January 7, the two women visited a Tesco store in Haslingden where Ms Williams bought a £3 bunch of chrysanthemums, Preston Crown Court heard.
The aim of the night-time delivery was perhaps to see if Ms Hartley opened her front door, how she might be dressed or to make sure it was her address, the prosecution said.

Giving evidence, ski travel firm worker Ms Williams said they went into Tesco to use the toilet and that she bought the flowers at Ms Walsh's request.
"I paid for the flowers and we walked out and I asked who are these for. There was a little giggle and she said 'I have got an idea'", Ms Williams told the court.
"She said Sadie was renting a house in Helmshore near Ian. I asked her how she knew and she laughed, and in an expression she uses she said 'I have my ways'.
"There was more giggling and she said she wanted to know what she looked like. At the time it was a bit silly."
Ms Walsh delivered the flowers with Ms Williams nearby out of sight - but not hiding, she said.
The following day, Ms Hartley emailed her business partner to say the episode was a "bit creepy" and "needless to say had a bad sleep last night as a result!"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-37014654

 

[Tortoise]

Mostly what has been reported, but I don't recall the BBBM

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-37014654

Yes, do you remember, I think it was yesterday, that whole bit about SW saying it was because Kit wanted to see what Sadie looked like, and they were giggling. The prosecutor summed it up by saying it was a ridiculous story.

 

[Tortoise]

Sorry jessie, I've just read the rest of your quote and what I've said is all in there.

 

[jessie]

Sorry jessie, I've just read the rest of your quote and what I've said is all in there.

No apologies needed Tortoise. I just didn't appreciate how SW was putting so much on to Kit. How did I miss that when I've followed every link ?

It makes Kit not taking the stand so much more incredible to me.

 

[Alyce]

This one wasn't married obviously. A defence witness -

[h=1]"Sadie Hartley accused: Third affair with ski instructor"[/h]
"Alleged stun gun killer Sarah Williams had an affair with a third ski instructor while still in a relationship with her 75-year-old long-term lover, a jury has been told.

...

Her murder trial at Preston Crown Court has already heard that Williams embarked on an "intense, passionate" affair from June 2011 to April 2012 with married Thai martial arts gym owner, Somapat Sitiwatjana, 47.
They first met when he taught her to ski on the indoor slopes of Manchester's Chill Factore complex.
Williams's affair with ex-fireman Ian Johnston began in September 2013 and eventually led, the prosecution say, to the defendant stabbing to death his partner, Ms Hartley, after he refused to leave her and she wanted Mr Johnston to herself.

...


On Tuesday, the jury was read a statement by another ski instructor, Andy Poole, who confirmed he had a year-long relationship with Williams starting in 2012 - months after they met at the French ski resort of Tignes in January that year.
The delivery driver said he stayed in the same ski lodge as Williams and Mr Hardwick, and that he swapped text messages and phone calls with Williams on his return to the UK.
It developed into a sexual relationship after they met up several times, he said.
In the statement given in January this year, he said: "I did have feelings for Sarah but was aware she was still with David who was her long-term partner.
"My relationship with Sarah lasted 12 months and eventually broke down because Sarah would not leave David and I wanted a proper relationship."
He said they stopped seeing each other by "mutual agreement and with no hard feelings".
They had stayed in touch and had no reason to fall out with Williams who he always got on well with, he added."


http://www.itv.com/news/granada/2016-08-09/sadie-hartley-accused-third-affair-with-ski-instructor/

Ah that explains why I read something last week which said a third ski instructor and I thought at the time there had only been two.

 

[Alyce]

Am out til later this afternoon. Will catch up with you all when back. Do hope we get some live feed today, I want to hear what the Prosecution has to say.

 

[JerricaBenton]

Haven't found any news or live feeds today.

 

[Alyce]

Gggrrr...how annoying. I really wanted to hear the closings.

this is all I can see on the Law Pages


Preston 5
T20167035
T20167037

katrina walsh
sarah williams

Details: Trial (Part Heard) - Resume - 12:34
Trial (Part Heard) - Case adjourned until 14:00 - 12:56
Trial (Part Heard) - Prosecution Closing Speech - 14:06
Trial (Part Heard) - Case adjourned until 15:00 - 14:51
Trial (Part Heard) - Resume - 15:06
Trial (Part Heard) - Prosecution Closing Speech - 15:12

 

[Alyce]

Court finished at 15.56 and due back tomorrow at 10.30 am

 

[Tortoise]

[h=1]The prosecution has delivered its closing statements in the case of a murdered Lancashire business woman.[/h]
[FONT=&quot]The jury has heard all the evidence believed to have led to 60-year-old Sadie Hartley’s murder at her home in Helmshore on 14th January 2015. She was found stabbed to death in a pool of blood in her hallway; two women have been on trial accused of killing her for the last six weeks.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The defendants; 35-year-old Sarah Williams, of Treborth Road, Chester, and 56-year-old Katrina Walsh, of Hare Lane, Chester, both deny murder.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Mr John McDermott QC, prosecuting the case, alleges that the two women “hunted down Sadie Hartley, as you might stalk a deer, before going in for the kill.”

<modsnip>

http://www.2br.co.uk/news/local-new...rial-prosecution-delivers-closing-statements/[/FONT]

 

[Alyce]

Much the same news as Tortoise posted last night - one interesting little comment from McDermott, talking about Walsh

Mr McDermott said the idea she thought she was in a game was "absurd" as discussions of the murder plot appeared in her diary before the programme was broadcast.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-37037527

 

[Alyce]

The Daily Mail report


McDermott talking about Williams


He asked them to recall the evidence of a witness who told them that Williams went 'feral' and acted like 'a wild thing' during a row on a ski trip.

Mr McDermott said: 'Imagine what it is like when she really hates somebody, as she did. The savagery inflicted on Sadie Hartley takes a special kind of mindset to deliver.'




Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ictim-stalk-deer-jury-told.html#ixzz4H17CIChp
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[Alyce]

These are the listings for Court today


Preston 5

T20167035
T20167037

katrina walsh
sarah williams
Details: - No Information To Display -


then there is a second one

Preston 5
T20167035
sarah williams
Details: Trial (Part Heard) - SARAH WILLIAMS; Defence Closing Speech - 10:39


I wonder if Walsh has not turned up ?

 

[Tortoise]

The court records show she is there

Katrina Walsh, Preston Room: 5 at 09:50


https://twitter.com/icpreston?lang=en-gb

 

[Tortoise]

Details:

- No Information To Display - Trial (Part Heard) - Resume - 11:55 Trial (Part Heard) - Case adjourned until 14:00 - 12:55 Trial (Part Heard) - Resume - 14:02

 

[cottonweaver]

I do like McDermott's turn of phrase

"The co-accused, Katrina Walsh, chose not to give evidence in her defence but the prosecution has asked the court not to be fooled by her &#8220;bowed figure&#8221; and the suggestion that she may be &#8220;a brick short of a load&#8221;. "

and the other day when SW was explaining something with a non-credible answer, he has the dead-pan come-back here:
"&#8220;It was silly, it was ridiculous,&#8221; adds Williams of that night.
&#8220;This story is ridiculous,&#8221; says prosecutor Mr McDermott"


Shame the reporters didn't deliver much of the closings either. This could have been a fascinating trial.

Interesting about the 3rd ex-boyfriend Poole and the unproblematic end of their relationship. I suppose like Hardwick and his wife, SW didn't get flustered about affairs where she still had sufficient control of the situation/or just wasn't "into" the bloke that much. ( All I can say is, having seen IJ's photo, he must have been very "charismatic.")

Also on the dating of the SW & IJ reln. It seems that they were still in reciprocal phone contact, very close to the time Sadie was murdered:

&#8220;On Christmas Day you sent Ian a text.&#8221;
Williams sent Mr Johnston an explicit photo on December 25 wishing him a Happy Christmas and asked him &#8216;am I allowed to ring you?&#8217;

I thought IJ said it was completely over by this point, when he testified at the outset of this trial.

However I don't recall him ever saying that he had resorted to blocking her number.....maybe I missed that.

 

[Alyce]

I think IJ had lots of forgetful moments where Williams was concerned. His one moment of madness comment was being rather economical with the truth.

 

[cottonweaver]

Yes it's funny isn't it Alyce, as at the outset I disbelieved her comments to others about the relationship going forward after his Swiss holiday.

I thought she was still deluded.
I'm not criticising him re. anything he could have done to stop/anticipate this murderous duo of course.

Just feel sorry for Sadie, this successful businesswoman , making sacrifices for a rather non-committal guy who .......I'll self-censor the rest!
Poor Sadie, it's a pity she didn't confide in that best-friend work colleague about the letter and his infidelity . Someone who could poss have convinced her it's better to be single and lonely than stick with it.

Lots of "IF ONLY"s , I know it's very easy in hindsight...

 

[Alice253]

Re: 3rd ex of SW - I once had a friend who would only get interested in a guy if he was married, then she would obsess over him. If a single guy was interested in her she wanted nothing to do with him. I finally decided it came down to commitment issues. If they were married, she didn't have to worry about commitment.

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[Alyce]

Just seen that court ended today at 15 05 and they are back tomorrow at 10am

My guess would be that today was all for Williams defence barrister and Walsh's will be tomorrow morning.