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

[Legally Bland]

I think that buying the knife will move any doubters on the jury towards a guilty verdict for Walsh. I don't think she'll be able to explain it away even if she takes the stand.

 

[jessie]

I've brought this over from Tortoise's post No. 24, right at the beginning of the trial in fact, as this will be the basis for her verdict I suppose.

K Walsh wasn't there but she seems to have had constant involvement.
What influences me above all else is the cleaning and dumping of the car used (with SW) and the disposing, burning, burying of the evidence.
That shows knowledge, involvement and acceptance of the murder to me above everything else.

Still be very interested to see her take the stand. Difficult to get a handle on the sort of person she is yet, certainly an enigma.

Mr McDermott said Katrina Walsh ‘not only was persuaded to help Sarah Williams to achieve her murderous aim, but keep a diary of the plot as it developed’
He said she ‘lent a very significant hand in planning and carrying out the murder, although we accept she was not present on the night’.
Mr McDermott said: ‘It is now clear from her diaries, a compelling record, that Sarah Williams thought about her crime for a long time’.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co....-live-11567704

 

[Tortoise]

I wonder what led the police to SW. I don't think I've read that during the trial. And I also wonder what led them to KW, because it wasn't until after they arrested KW that they got the diary.

 

[Cherwell]

I think it was a combination of CCTV and number plate recognition.

 

[Alyce]

I wonder what led the police to SW. I don't think I've read that during the trial. And I also wonder what led them to KW, because it wasn't until after they arrested KW that they got the diary.

I had a scroll back through early news items and couldnt find anything. I had thought it was IJ who had brought her name up, but from something else I read earlier ( which I now cant find ) I dont believe it was.
The police did not immediately connect the car to Williams because she was using the Clio ( bought by Walsh ). In fact the early reports all mention them wanting to speak to the driver of an old Clio. Likewise the CCTV does not show Williams face as far as I am aware, just shows a female who resembles her in size and similar length hair.

So I do also wonder who pointed them in the right direction to enable them to make such a quick arrest.

It would be no surprise to me if Williams mentioned Walsh to the police and ensured her arrest.

 

[Tortoise]

I had a scroll back through early news items and couldnt find anything. I had thought it was IJ who had brought her name up, but from something else I read earlier ( which I now cant find ) I dont believe it was.
The police did not immediately connect the car to Williams because she was using the Clio ( bought by Walsh ). In fact the early reports all mention them wanting to speak to the driver of an old Clio. Likewise the CCTV does not show Williams face as far as I am aware, just shows a female who resembles her in size and similar length hair.

So I do also wonder who pointed them in the right direction to enable them to make such a quick arrest.

It would be no surprise to me if Williams mentioned Walsh to the police and ensured her arrest.

The thing with the Clio is they had changed the registration with tape, I think they made a 3 into an 8 or vice versa. So I think they probably looked further back to when the flowers were delivered and saw SW's Volvo. Perhaps Sadie's friend told police about the strange flower delivery and they were looking for that night in particular on the cctv.

But then they would have seen stocky Kit, with her cap - not the tall athletic looking lady with long hair. So perhaps they just traced the owner of the Volvo and knew SW was involved somehow because her car was used, and she then fitted the description of the person seen by the neighbour on the night of the murder.

When they had SW in custody they may have asked IJ if he knew her, and the relationship would give police a motive.

Perhaps they then moved to the purchase of the flowers at a nearby Tesco or was it a petrol stop, and saw them together on cctv.

 

[Tortoise]

A ink for today http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...news/sadie-hartley-murder-trial-live-11718177

 

[Alyce]

Trial continues

We’re back at Preston Crown where Sarah Williams, one of the two women accused of plotting then killing businesswoman Ms Hartley at her home in Helmshore, Rossendale in January, is giving evidence for the fourth day.
Wearing a grey trouser suit with a white top underneath she was brought from the dock to the witness box and is stood facing the jury.
She is being cross examined by prosecutor John McDermott QC.


http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...news/sadie-hartley-murder-trial-live-11718177

 

[Alyce]

Miss Williams says she is good at organising things

Prosecutor: “You’re brilliantly creative and creatively brilliant. That’s how you see yourself?”

Sarah Williams: “No. I’m good at organising things but I wouldn’t say I’m brilliantly creative.”

Miss Williams denies organising the murder of Sadie Hartley.


http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...news/sadie-hartley-murder-trial-live-11718177

 

[Tortoise]

Prosecutor: "There are two Sarah Williams, there's one who's cool, calm and collected in this court....
.."and then there's the ferrel Sarah. You have an explosive temper don't you?" SW: "No".
Prosecutor: "You're a very devious woman aren't you?"Sarah Williams: "No"

​https://twitter.com/mrdaveguest

 

[Alyce]

Some tweets as well

love the feral spelling !


sorry Tortoise we crossed there ......... will delete mine

 

[Tortoise]

Have just found another tweeter from last week which I missed, so these are tweets from Thursday 4th August - evidence in chief

Court hearing about CCTV footage showing "car similar to a Volvo" driving up and down Sunnybank Road where Ms Hartley lived on Dec 16&17.
When asked whether it was Williams' car- she replies no.
Williams says she had visited Helmshore area a "handful of times" between Dec. and Jan. "Potentially to see Ian and to see if he had gone"
Williams also added, it's not something she has said from the beginning but admits some evidence points towards some involvement of Walsh.
On the tracker device, which Williams claims Walsh had bought, Williams says she didn't know if she'd asked Walsh who she wanted to track.
Court is hearing how a text message read "see if you can get the evil one to eat one of my biscuits" - regarding a party in December.
Williams replied "just a silly thing to say" - added, "it's an expression to use it doesn't mean anything" in response to "evil one"



https://twitter.com/AnastasiaKBates

 

[Tortoise]

Asked why her car was caught on CCTV four times in five days in the Helmshore area, Sarah Williams says she was seeking property to rent.

The prosecution claim she was trying to find out where her former boyfriend Ian Johnston was living.

​https://twitter.com/mrdaveguest

 

[Tortoise]

with binoculars no doubt!

 

[Alyce]

Miss Williams sent text to Kit Walsh

Mr McDermott says on January 4 Williams sent Kit Walsh a text telling her ‘suddenly it’s time to crack on with [your] shopping.’

The prosecutor says the next day Kit Walsh went out and bought the knife that was used to murder Sadie Hartley.

Williams claims the text referred to the pair booking a trip to the French Alps five months later in June.


http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...news/sadie-hartley-murder-trial-live-11718177

 

[Tortoise]

Sarah Williams has just agreed she was in Helmshore on January 5th - having previously denied being there on that date.


https://twitter.com/mrdaveguest

 

[Alyce]

Miss Williams looked up Mr Johnston's mum's house

John McDermott QC said on November 26 Miss Williams had looked up Ian Johnston’s terminally ill mother’s house up on 192.com and Right Move.

Williams claims she was looking at properties in the area.

Mr McDermott said: “What an earth has Betty Johnston living nearby got to do with anything?”

Williams tells the court ‘she was being nosy’.


http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...news/sadie-hartley-murder-trial-live-11718177

 

[Tortoise]

Sarah Williams is shown a picture said to show her removing a tracker device from Ian Johnston's car. She says its not her.
Prosector asks her to explain how the tracker then found its way into her car minutes later. She says she can't explain it.....
....."It's not for me to come up with explanations" says Sarah Williams.
Sarah Williams has also said she doesn't know how the tracker came to put on charge at her home.





https://twitter.com/mrdaveguest

 

[JerricaBenton]

Miss Williams sent text to Kit Walsh

Mr McDermott says on January 4 Williams sent Kit Walsh a text telling her ‘suddenly it’s time to crack on with [your] shopping.’

The prosecutor says the next day Kit Walsh went out and bought the knife that was used to murder Sadie Hartley.

Williams claims the text referred to the pair booking a trip to the French Alps five months later in June.


http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...news/sadie-hartley-murder-trial-live-11718177

Do they really think anyone would believe this?? "suddenly it's time" to shop for a holiday 5 months away?

 

[Tortoise]

She's taking the jurors for fools.