UK UK - Suzy Lamplugh, 25, Fulham, 28 Jul 1986 #8

[Officer Dibble]

On the Saturday night, she told someone at the party that she was working on a joint deal with someone (as per AS). So it was on her mind and she was proud enough of it to turn it into party small talk. She said she hoped to clinch a sale on her flat "soon". No one could remember details of which property or which clients etc. Maybe that was because she was sketchy on those details.

Who was the estate agents flat sale, or was she doing it herself? Did she have a buyer lined up? handling her

So, she gets a lift back to her flat while AL drives back separately (he doesn't drive her back - why not?). Takes her surfboard home. AS says she is feeling tired and maybe this detail came from AL and the "tired" excuse was linked to why she didn't want him to drive her home! AS says that AL was delayed returning from Worthing - why?

She then drives her Fiesta to her parents where she tells DL she can't come to a birthday lunch on Wednesday because Sturgis are strict (I reckon she had other potential plans and this was another excuse she fed DL). She leaves there at 9PM and then it's not clear what she does. AS said she had an arrangement with AL that he'd come over to her flat if they were back before 8PM but that sounds really dodgy - she'd been at her parents' place until 9PM, no mobile phones so she had no idea where AL was.

AS claims that AL told detectives he and SL had spoken later that evening on the phone and discussed the party they were planning to attend at the Park Lane flat of AL's mate that SL was quite obviously sleeping with already. Either AL is very naive and trusting, or he didn't care she was two timing him, or this is all covering up for a row. Maybe it is a partial truth - they DID discuss the party but the context was AL being concerned/or pi***d off that SL was "involved" with the host, his mate.

At no point in this timeline does AS mention that SL had lost her stuff on the Friday, as surely this would have been what she wanted to talk to AL about.

Did SL go to use the pub phone to call AL so that she could avoid having a row with him on the phone while her lodger was there?

AS says the phone call with AL was about 10:15 PM that day. The only source we could have for that would be AL himself. You'd assume he would call her. I wonder if his caginess about this detail is because there were tensions between them.

BBM. Well you would imagine to save fees you would use Sturgis as you work there. So if that were the case, that leads me to ask: Were her flat keys available in the office to everyone, like all the other properties?

 

[Lady Stoddart-West]

BBM. Well you would imagine to save fees you would use Sturgis as you work there. So if that were the case, that leads me to ask: Were her flat keys available in the office to everyone, like all the other properties?

AS says that her flat keys, the fiesta keys and office keys all on ‘one ring’..,

 

[Officer Dibble]

Possibly waiting to use the phone, or if after seeing her parents perhaps, a lift. Yes, bench/table close to phone box.

Or waiting for someone to call her at that phone box, which you could do back then.

 

[Officer Dibble]

AS says that her flat keys, the fiesta keys and office keys all on ‘one ring’..,

No, sorry, I'm talking about all the houses for sale at Sturgis had keys either on a board or in a filing cabinet (I can't remember which) so any of the staff could do a sudden viewing at any time. So if her flat was for sale with her own work at Sturgis then potentially a spare set of keys to her flat were on a board or in a filing cabinet at Sturgis? JMO MOO

 

[Lady Stoddart-West]

BTW I did not mean odd in terms of NB had any implication, more so that how you could forget something so high profile , the person you lived with 35 years later when you talked to DV. Surely this would be imprinted on your brain forever.

There is also the consideration of how many people had been in the flat viewing it as reported. Could be nothing, could be something. No evidence to support how any of these people were eliminated (AFAIK) other than the couple who actually purchased it in November (who had looked at it previously)

Why NB has never put this or the Valentines day card etc ref into DVs interview who knows. Maybe it was all cleared for all we know.

As we know some ‘boyfriends’ were asked to sign NDAs at some stage - might this have extended to NB? There is a big sensitivity about Sunday night…I am inclined to think not but DL/PL were terribly upset by what they found out & intent on preserving SL’s reputation at all costs.

 

[Officer Dibble]

I've been asking myself the same question! I can't find anything at all useful in the AS book. DV goes to some trouble to track him down but I get the impression that his answers are evasive (perhaps understandably so). If he himself (NB that is) was not in during that Sunday evening, or out until quite late, there's no reason for Sjl to go to a phone box for privacy as she had a phone at home. I get the impression (and it's only an impression) that he did see Sjl, but much later in the evening.

We know she left her parents" at 9, and we know she returned to the flat earlier in the evening with her surfboard, but I don't think NBs whereabouts can be established.

But that would not work if it was the other way around - SL waiting for a phone call to that phone box (which people could still do back then). Someone could have said I will call you at the phone box at (whatever time). JMO MOO

 

[Lady Stoddart-West]

No, sorry, I'm talking about all the houses for sale at Sturgis had keys either on a board or in a filing cabinet (I can't remember which) so any of the staff could do a sudden viewing at any time. So if her flat was for sale with her own work at Sturgis then potentially a spare set of keys to her flat were on a board or in a filing cabinet at Sturgis? JMO MOO

Possibly yes & was there a separate Putney branch too (would need to check notes). Anyone moving her car or using her car had access to her flat keys too. Assuming this is accurate information re: all on one ring.

 

[Officer Dibble]

SL vanished in fulham. no clues just gone. SB abducted by JC who left behind loads of evidence. why would he commit the perfect crime, then 1 year later the total opposite of a perfect crime. because it was not him. he is not mr kipper.

Because he had time to work out a better plan - to improve himself? JMO MOO

 

[Officer Dibble]

Regarding NB the interview with him dated 6.8.86 London Standard has him saying they stayed up chatting after she got home late in the evening. ( i posted this upthread a bit i think)

DV pg 92 has NB claiming he had no recollection of seeing her (which DV goes on to refer to article) . DV then says DL had a bee in her bonnet about the article because she thought it implied they went to bed together.

Its a little odd.


View attachment 649721

Thank you for sharing this.

This confirms and reminds me that SL flat was for sale through Sturgis and again makes me question if a copy of her keys were available at the office for any sudden viewings. If SL were out meeting clients then other staff at Sturgis would surely be doing the viewings and have access to her spare keys, surely? JMO MOO

The final paragraph about them just being flatmates and nothing else was a bit stand out for me, but of course the journalist could have asked that, and not printed the question they asked. JMO MOO

 

[Officer Dibble]

Possibly yes & was there a separate Putney branch too (would need to check notes). Anyone moving her car or using her car had access to her flat keys too. Assuming this is accurate information re: all on one ring.

Do we know how many white fiestas Sturgis used?

 

[Officer Dibble]

I'd trust this account by NB of what happened shortly after the events rather than DV's reporting. He doesn't say what time he saw her on the Sunday night but it seems he's someone who liked to go out and stay up late (like many 25 year olds).

It's interesting that he thinks Kipper might have said he was interested in buying her flat. So again the joint property deal raises it's head. Plus SL going on a date with someone who just sent her a card, when she already had a boyfriend suggests again she was open to meeting men and wasn't worried about her personal safety.

And the fact that the valentine's card was described as HUGE as the report of a large champagne bottle with ribbon by a witness would fit this over the top 'gift' situation. JMO MOO

 

[Officer Dibble]

Possibly yes & was there a separate Putney branch too (would need to check notes). Anyone moving her car or using her car had access to her flat keys too. Assuming this is accurate information re: all on one ring.

I would love to know if it was a different branch who had spare copy of her flat keys

 

[Lady Stoddart-West]

On DL controlling narrative & recollections varying. Only sanitised events could feature & approved, known, established boyfriends. This is why we have AL & possibly NB giving differing accounts etc. This is why we might have the Sun to Friday switch becoming ‘factually’ entrenched over time. Then you throw NDAs into the mix. Because all had understandable sympathy some things were tweaked -@Klclevi

 

[kes1972]

But then at what point was the straw hat put on the back shelf of the car? Or was that a copy? If someone knew her well or had been following her they would have known/seen her habits re the straw hat. It could be easy for friends or family to say "yes that is her straw hat" when in fact it could be a close copy, in my opinion. JMO

Edited to ask again, do we know if the white fiesta VIN was checked?

Also edited to ask, were the office cars all white fiestas? Therefore did someone change the numberplates over? JMO MOO

Yes they did have at least one other white fiesta at that office in use, i wonder if that was ever checked?

 

[kes1972]

I would love to know if it was a different branch who had spare copy of her flat keys

Strange thing to have a set of her flat keys?
And good point on someone being able to have access to her home

 

[Kasparthecat1]

But that would not work if it was the other way around - SL waiting for a phone call to that phone box (which people could still do back then). Someone could have said I will call you at the phone box at (whatever time). JMO MOO

Absolutely, yes! Or she could have simply stopped at the box to make a call on her way home, as has been pointed out.

The point is though I think that seemingly small details feed into a narrative of that evening which on closer inspection doesn't quite stack up. This narrative is being created by people who are supposedly reliable and close to sjl.

Trying to nail down the real events of what happened subsequent to Sjl's return from Worthing that Sunday should be straightforward, but isn't.

 

[kes1972]

On DL controlling narrative & recollections varying. Only sanitised events could feature & approved, known, established boyfriends. This is why we have AL & possibly NB giving differing accounts etc. This is why we might have the Sun to Friday switch becoming ‘factually’ entrenched over time. Then you throw NDAs into the mix. Because all had understandable sympathy some things were tweaked -@Klclevi

Well personally i would side with the person closest to her as they would have her best interests at heart.

 

[kes1972]

Absolutely, yes! Or she could have simply stopped at the box to make a call on her way home, as has been pointed out.

The point is though I think that seemingly small details feed into a narrative of that evening which on closer inspection doesn't quite stack up. This narrative is being created by people who are supposedly reliable and close to sjl.

Trying to nail down the real events of what happened subsequent to Sjl's return from Worthing that Sunday should be straightforward, but isn't.

Yes it seems no one is being honest and they all seem to have something to hide, i have to question why the police allowed the discrepancies

 

[Lady Stoddart-West]

Well personally i would side with the person closest to her as they would have her best interests at heart.

Yes, but as the police confirmed, the confusion then is we are not dealing with accurate facts on timeline, events etc.

That’s the issue. It’s all in the interest of preserving SL’s reputation, which is a decent thing to do, but it means things then unclear & not accurate.

 

[Lady Stoddart-West]

Absolutely, yes! Or she could have simply stopped at the box to make a call on her way home, as has been pointed out.

The point is though I think that seemingly small details feed into a narrative of that evening which on closer inspection doesn't quite stack up. This narrative is being created by people who are supposedly reliable and close to sjl.

Trying to nail down the real events of what happened subsequent to Sjl's return from Worthing that Sunday should be straightforward, but isn't.

It was thought, IMO, Sunday events, who she saw & what SL may have lost, were irrelevant to Monday’s abduction.