| Flowers in Gods Garden - Holly Wells
and Jessica Chapman - Documents |
20/11/03 - Soham Trial Transcript
Thursday, 20 November 2003
SKY News
Richard Latham is the chief prosecutor; his colleague
on the prosecution team is Karim Khalil QC.
Stephen Coward QC is Ian Huntley's defence barrrister.
Michael Hubbard QC is Maxine Carr's defence lawyer.
MR JUSTICE MOSES is the judge.
Other witnesses and lawyers are introduced as they appear.
Page 01 02
03 04
MR LATHAM
Inspector GEORGE BARR please, page 4044. I'm going to
start over the page, my Lord
(GEORGE
BARR sworn)
Examined by MR LATHAM
MR LATHAM
Your full name, please.
GEORGE BARR
GEORGE BARR, acting Chief Inspector, Cambridgeshire constabulary,
currently stationed at police headquarters, my Lord.
MR LATHAM
Mr Barr I think you along with other officers were in
Soham on the afternoon of Friday, 16th August of last
year, were you not?
GEORGE BARR
that's right yes.
MR LATHAM
I want to ask you about your duties there at around 3
o'clock. I think you went to 5 College Close, didn't you?
GEORGE BARR
I did sir, yes.
MR LATHAM
was there a car parked outside?
GEORGE
BARR
there was.
MR LATHAM
sort sort of car?
GEORGE BARR
it was a Ford Fiesta, a red one.
MR
LATHAM
a red Ford Fiesta. I think you knocked on the front door
of the house, did someone answer?
GEORGE
BARR
Maxine Carr answered the door.
MR LATHAM
and were you in - I take it you were in uniform, were
you?
GEORGE BARR
no , I wasn't, I was in----.
MR LATHAM
were there any uniformed officers with you or not?
GEORGE BARR
no, there weren't, sir.
MR LATHAM
did you have warrant card with you?
GEORGE
BARR
yes, I did.
MR LATHAM
and were you invited into the living room of the house?
GEORGE BARR
we were, yes.
MR LATHAM
was Ian Huntley there when you first went in?
GEORGE BARR
no, Mr Huntley wasn't at the house at the time, he was
working over at the college.
MR LATHAM
did one of your colleagues go over to the college, having
discovered that, to ask him to come back to number 5 ?
GEORGE BARR
yes.
MR LATHAM
I think you indicated that you wanted consent from Mr
Huntley for something to happen at the address, did you
not?
GEORGE BARR
that's correct, sir.
MR LATHAM
what was that?
GEORGE BARR
I was seeking his consent to search the property.
MR LATHAM
did he ask why?
GEORGE BARR
he did.
MR LATHAM
what was the reason that you gave for wanting to search
the address on the Friday, 16th?
GEORGE
BARR
as far as the police were concerned, Mr Huntley was the
last person to see Holly and Jessica. The level of suspicion
against Mr Huntley had increased essentially over the
duration of the inquiry, and it was our desire, from the
investigation point of view, to search the property and
to search his car.
MR LATHAM
did you explain that to him?
GEORGE
BARR
I explained that the level of suspicion had been raised
against him and also that as far as we were concerned
he was the last person to see Holly and Jessica.
MR LATHAM
having explained that to him, what was his attitude to
your searching the house?
GEORGE BARR
he was happy for us to search the house, my Lord.
MR LATHAM
I think nowadays, before a police officer searches a house,
you have to do some form filling , is that right?
GEORGE BARR
that's correct.
MR LATHAM
did you have a relevant form available?
GEORGE
BARR
I did.
MR LATHAM
if you are seeking the consent of a householder for such
an event to take place I think have you to proffer the
form to them and ask them if the will sign the consent
form?
GEORGE BARR
that's correct, yes.
MR LATHAM
Did he sign the consent form?
GEORGE
BARR
he did, yes.
MR LATHAM
I think you mentioned that you had also spoken about his
car as well as the house?
GEORGE BARR
yes.
MR LATHAM
did you explain to him that a trained police search team
would be involved in searching the house?
GEORGE
BARR
I did, yes.
MR LATHAM
I think it was you who in fact later on - yes, one other
thing before I come to that - I think it was your intention
to provide Mr Huntley with a hire vehicle if you were
using his car and he was not going to get it back straight
away?
GEORGE BARR
yes, he was provided with a hire vehicle, my Lord.
MR LATHAM
and it was also your intention to provide a hotel for
Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr for the night if the search
extended well into the evening?
GEORGE
BARR
He was provided with a hotel.
MR LATHAM
I think that was arranged, wasn't it?
GEORGE
BARR
yes.
MR LATHAM
I think you were the person who took possession of a fob
with six keys on it weren't you?
GEORGE
BARR
that's correct, yes.
MR LATHAM
My Lord, that's referred to in the admissions (inaudible)
fitted the Fiesta. thank you, will you wait there, please.
Cross-examined by
MR COWARD
.
MR COWARD
you say arrangements had been made for him to stay at
a hotel, rather than going back to the house. He was not
told that at number 5, was he?
GEORGE
BARR
No, he wasn't.
MR COWARD
it was much later in the day he was told that?
GEORGE BARR
it was later yes.
MR COWARD
did you ask him if he had got his car keys with him?
GEORGE BARR
he produced his car keys to me. I may well have asked
him if he had them on him.
MR COWARD
did you take, one of your officers take, possession of
the car keys?
GEORGE BARR
I took possession of the car keys, sir.
MR
COWARD
was the Ford Fiesta outside the house at the time you
spoke to Mr Huntley?
GEORGE BARR
it was.
MR COWARD
did the car keys fit the car?
GEORGE
BARR
I never tried the car keys to the vehicle.
MR
COWARD
how was entry gained to the car, in fact?
GEORGE
BARR
I never secured entry to the vehicle.
MR
COWARD
you can't help on that at all?
GEORGE
BARR
no.
MR COWARD
was he told that his car was going to be seized?
GEORGE BARR
yes.
MR COWARD
what sort of search do you say he was told was going to
take place?
GEORGE BARR
he was told trained search officers were going to search
his property.
MR COWARD
were those trained officers already in place ready to
move in?
GEORGE BARR
no.
MR COWARD
how soon after he moved out of the house did they move
in?
GEORGE BARR
sorry I don't know the answer to that question.
MR COWARD
how many moved in?
GEORGE BARR
I don't know the answer to that question.
MR
COWARD
what was your role in this inquiry, Mr Barr, what was
your position?
GEORGE BARR
I was the detective inspector responsible in part for
the inquiries conducted during the investigation.
MR COWARD
were you one of the senior investigating officers?
GEORGE BARR
I was one of the senior investigating officers, basically
responsible for the inquiry team.
MR
COWARD
thank you very much.
MR LATHAM
thank you very much, inspector.
(the
witness withdrew)
MR LATHAM
so the Jury understands, we will be calling some live
evidence from scenes of crimes officer and indeed a scientist
dealing with what was found in relation to the Fiesta
car, but we'll do that at a time we have covered the events
that occurred at the hangar and the search of the house,
because there is an overlap, and I'm not therefore going
to call those witnesses.
my Lord, one of those witnesses who I will be calling
for the purposes of reading this statement - I don't think
there will be any objection if I just refer to one particular
- we'll hear it from the witness on Monday; Susan Blackmore,
who was involved apart from anything else, in searching
5 College Close. for my Lord's reference, page 4052. from
the drawer immediately left of the cooker in the kitchen
she seized SLV 51, which was an Olympus camera.
my Lord, if we then go on to page 4145, a Detective Constable
Mark Picher took that camera and took a film from it to
Lloyds Pharmacy for the film to be processed. my Lord,
over the page at 4145 D, the middle of the page, this
is after the photographs have been processed, Members
of the Jury, I took possession of these exhibits. I have
viewed all the photographs, there are a total of 40 prints,
all of which display a date.
It is nearly a year before the events in August last year
- that's described as Maxine Carr sitting in a red Ford
Fiesta. my Lord we are about to see that photograph the
Jury has looked at it before. So that has come from a
camera taken from the kitchen of No. 5, processed on the
instructions of Detective Constable Picher.
MR COWARD
if my learned friend is going to another topic, I could
ask whether he would read - it relates to Inspector Barr's
evidence, the statements of Alan Gill, 4042 and including
and up to 4043 B.
MR LATHAM
my Lord, I will read the statement, 4042. "Detective
Constable Alan Gill, currently employed as Exhibits Officer
on Operation Fincham" - that is of course this inquiry.
"on Friday, 16th August, 2002 I was on duty in the
above capacity at the Soham Village College. while there
I became aware that a Ford Fiesta vehicle registration
number J12 YWR belonging to Ian Huntley was parked outside
number 5 College Close.
At 9.35 hours I confirmed with the superintendent, evidence
relating to the vehicle and the fact I was assisting in
a search for Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. I advised
him that to prevent loss of life I believed it necessary
to enter the Ford Fiesta by force, if necessary. I noted
at the time this was agreed at 20.15 hours, so at 1.15
in the evening we seized the Ford Fiesta, registration
number J112 YWR as my exhibit, from outside 5 College
Close Soham.
In the interim, arrangements had been made for the recovery
of the vehicle with L and G Motors. At 21.10 I forced
entry into the vehicle . I searched the interior of the
vehicle and pulled the rear seats forward and visually
checked the boot. within the boot I saw a pair of scissors
which were lying in an open position on the floor in the
boot. The vehicle was removed from the scene on the rear
of the recovery vehicle and covered. John Peterson was
the driver.
at 8.55 hours on Saturday 17th August, the next morning,
Detective Inspector Barr handed me six keys on a fob;
these were placed in the exhibit store as DI Barr's exhibit.
Those are the keys to which reference was made about 10
minutes ago, my Lord. on Monday, 19th August, I went to
L and G motors. I signed for the Ford Fiesta and escorted
the same to the forensic science service centre at Huntingdon.
my Lord finally, in this bundle, and that will then cover
the entirety of this section, the part of the evidence,
to be called on Monday. I read the evidence of Helen Linsouth
page 4167. "I am staff photographer of the Ely Standard.
I have been a professional photographer for 13 years.
at about 12.30 on Thursday, 8th August of 2002, Debbie
Davis and I went to Soham to distribute posters Ely Standard
had produced.
As I knew the area well, I delivered my posters to the
village shops. I was aware Debbie was delivering to the
houses in the vicinity of the Village College and sports
centre between 14.00 and 15.00 hours. The same day I returned
to the green area outside Soham and from my position had
a clear view of 5 College Close. I now know that was occupied
by Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr.
I was with a number of other photographers and reporters
which were used as a base. A colleague from the Press
Association Brian Farmer, a reporter, drew my attention
to 5 College Close and, as a result of what he told me,
I was able to take one photograph of a person I now know
to be Ian Huntley sitting in the driving seat of a red
Ford Fiesta J112 YWR. the driver's door was open and he
was sitting sideways with his legs out on the driveway.
I saw him look directly at me. then he leaned back out
of view behind the door pillar. I was unable to take any
further photographs of him . My Lord, that is the photograph
referred into that statement. My Lord, that is that file.
MR JUSTICE MOSES
yes, thank you.
MR LATHAM
my Lord, we move on to file 5 which relates to the hangar
- my Lord, not specifically relating in fact to the hangar
- I simply read a very short part of the statement of
Julie Knight at page 5003. she says at the beginning of
her statement she is employed by Soham Village College
as a teacher, "
... and my current position is deputy director of technology."
it is in the middle of page 5003, my Lord "I remember
a conversation I had with Ian Huntley during the period
of 24th June to 5th July 2002 in which I advised him on
how to properly sterilise floors as, in the view of staff,
the kitchen and food rooms were not being cleaned properly.
I told him that the best way to do it was to use bleach,
mixed with boiling water, so that it evaporated and did
not need wiping." Constable NEIL WINDSOR , please?
NEIL WINDSOR
1188 NEIL WINDSOR from Cambridgeshire Constabulary, working
at Parkside Police Station.
MR LATHAM
are you trained as a search officer in fact?
NEIL WINDSOR
yes, I am.
MR LATHAM
I think on Monday, 5th August you became aware of the
disappearance of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, didn't
you?
NEIL WINDSOR
That's correct, my Lord.
MR LATHAM
did you volunteer to assist on 6th August and go eventually
to Soham, to work as a search officer?
NEIL
WINDSOR
that's correct.
MR LATHAM
I think you started in the area of St Andrew's School
and moved on to the Village College, and you were directed
to the Lodeside area of the college, were you not?
NEIL WINDSOR
correct, yes.
MR LATHAM
who seemed to be in charge of that area when you got there
which I think was sometime during the course of the morning,
wasn't it.
NEIL WINDSOR
Yes, in the morning.
MR LATHAM
was there an officer obviously in charge of the searching
that you dealt with?
NEIL WINDSOR
Sergeant Barker I believe was in charge.
MR
LATHAM
right. do you remember a time when you first met the caretaker,
Mr Huntley?
NEIL WINDSOR
I believe that was over at the actual college itself.
MR LATHAM
well, when you say, "the actual college itself"?
NEIL WINDSOR
the hard standing area to the college in front.
MR LATHAM
did he have something with him, a large bunch of keys?
NEIL WINDSOR
yes, to the best of my recollection, my Lord, he had a
large bunch of keys with numerous keys, about 30, on a
large ring.
MR LATHAM
did you start searching the Lodeside gym at around half
past six that evening?
NEIL WINDSOR
I believe so, my Lord.
MR LATHAM
what happened within a relatively short period of you
starting the search?
NEIL WINDSOR
The sergeant took a phone ball on his mobile phone and
I believe we were recalled back to Ely Police station.
MR LATHAM
Where was Mr Huntley at that stage?
NEIL
WINDSOR
To the best of my recollection he met us just tside the
front of the gym when we spoke to the sergeant.
MR LATHAM
how long had you been searching for when you were recalled
to Ely?
NEIL WINDSOR
I can't recall but not very long.
MR
LATHAM
do you remember something being called?
NEIL
WINDSOR
I didn't engage him in conversation.
MR
LATHAM
did you hear him saying anything, what did you hear him
say?
NEIL WINDSOR
he asked why we were returning, calling off the search
so quickly.
MR LATHAM
you came back the Wednesday morning, I think, didn't you?
NEIL WINDSOR
correct.
MR LATHAM
Did you see Mr Huntley again on that morning, shortly
after arriving on the site?
NEIL WINDSOR
that's correct, my Lord .
MR LATHAM
were you interested in anywhere in particular fairly early
on in the searching on the Wednesday?
NEIL
WINDSOR
on the Wednesday we were looking at searching the (inaudible)
areas of the college.
MR LATHAM
was there any particular area you searched, however?
NEIL WINDSOR
towards the hangar.
MR LATHAM
right. did you have any conversation with Mr Huntley about
that building?
NEIL WINDSOR
myself, no, my Lord. I overheard a conversation with him.
MR LATHAM
what did you overhear said by Mr Huntley or a police officer
to Mr Huntley?
NEIL WINDSOR
a question over whether the hangar building was alarmed.
MR LATHAM
what the his was response?
NEIL WINDSOR
To the best of my recollection, my Lord, he hesitated
and said he believed it was alarmed.
MR
LATHAM
it was alarmed?
NEIL WINDSOR
it was alarmed, yes.
MR LATHAM
did you see just Mr Huntley as a caretaker or did you
see anyone else?
NEIL WINDSOR
Mr Gee, I believe name is, came and joined us as well.
MR LATHAM
did you understand that the hangar at this stage was in
fact locked or unlocked?
NEIL WINDSOR
at that stage I don't think the question was asked, certainly
didn't hear, my Lord.
MR LATHAM
what happened shortly after the conversation was directed
at the subject matter of the hangar?
NEIL
WINDSOR
myself and PC Tee went off and searched various areas
of the college and the hanger.
MR LATHAM
it is the hangar I am interested in, how did you get access
to the hangar?
NEIL WINDSOR
Mr Gee came with us and had some keys and I believe he
unlocked the Yale-style main lock to the hangar door and
the padlock was already unlocked and on the clasp, my
Lord.
MR LATHAM
did Mr Huntley say anything in relation to that process
while the hangar was being unlocked?
NEIL
WINDSOR
he wasn't with us at that time, my Lord.
MR
LATHAM
when you searched the hangar, what was, as it were, your
brief, what was the task?
NEIL WINDSOR
we were briefed to initially search the hangar to look
for the missing girls and to make a rapid search to see
if they were in there, if they were hidden, trapped in
y way, we would find them quickly. .
MR
LATHAM
we appreciate there was nothing to be seen?
NEIL WINDSOR
correct, my Lord.
MR LATHAM
do you recollect a conversation later on in the day when
Mr Huntley made an observation about something while he
was somewhere near the Beechurst site?
NEIL
WINDSOR
I believe that Mr Huntley spoke to us about the previous
caretaker who had worked at the college.
MR
LATHAM
what was he saying?
NEIL WINDSOR
it was initiated by Mr Huntley, and suggested the previous
caretaker had left under dubious circumstances after a
possible relationship with a pupil at the college.
MR LATHAM
indeed, I think you became involved at a later stage in
searches after Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr had been arrested,
didn't you?
NEIL WINDSOR
that's correct, my Lord, yes.
MR LATHAM
were you working at 5 College Close on a number of days
during September?
NEIL WINDSOR
that is correct, my Lord, yes.
MR LATHAM
one of many officers involved, I need not ask you about
the detail of that. thank you.
Cross-examined
by MR COWARD
MR COWARD
officer, on the 7th August, the Wednesday, you were asked,
in relation to that, whether there was a building on the
Soham site that you were particularly interested in or
words to that effect. there wasn't a particular building
on the site that you were interested in in particular
on the 7th August at all, was there?
NEIL
WINDSOR
we were interested in all of the buildings, including
the hangar building that was mentioned.
MR
COWARD
no one building was of any more significance to you when
you began the search than any other, was it?
NEIL WINDSOR
That's correct, my Lord.
MR COWARD
tell us where else you searched, where do you begin searching?
NEIL WINDSOR
from the initial - on the Wednesday of the searching.
MR COWARD
yes?
NEIL WINDSOR
on the Wednesday we searched throughout the entire rooms
of the college building, the main building itself, there
were literally----
MR COWARD
where did you start?
NEIL WINDSOR
we started at the gym; again, we went into the gym for
a second time, we had been called away previously prior
to finishing the search.
MR COWARD
didn't you start at St Andrew's School?
NEIL
WINDSOR
not on the Wednesday, no, we actually went into the main
college building area, my Lord.
MR COWARD
your memory is you went into, do you now know it to be
Lodeside or Beechurst?
NEIL WINDSOR
I'm afraid with the length of time that has passed, it
is difficult for me to remember the exact names of the
areas of the college, it was the main college building,
the actual large area in front of the tennis courts, my
Lord.
MR COWARD
and that search took sometime?
NEIL
WINDSOR
indeed, yes.
MR COWARD
Did you search both the big sites, Lodeside and Beechurst?
NEIL WINDSOR
I took part in searching various building, myself and
PC Tee were separated from the main groups of archers;
we went with Mr Gee and did a separate search. .
MR COWARD
Amongst all the places you did search was the building
you now know to be the hangar?
NEIL
WINDSOR
that's correct, yes.
MR COWARD
nothing happened in relation to the hangar that day that
made it any more significant than any other building you
had been in, was there?
NEIL WINDSOR
that's correct.
MR COWARD
I have a statement dated 29th October. Is that the first
time you were asked about the hangar?
NEIL
WINDSOR
my first recollection of the hangar was when a key was
discovered, my Lord.
MR COWARD
yes. you had earlier made a statement, hadn't you?
NEIL WINDSOR
that's correct,.
MR COWARD
Mr Windsor, on 30th August, about seeing a bunch of keys
with a green tag on at, 5 College Close?
NEIL
WINDSOR
that's correct, one or two keys along with a separate
one.
MR COWARD
on 30th August you are not asked anything about any search
of the hangar, are you?
NEIL WINDSOR
that's correct.
MR COWARD
That's not until 29th October?
NEIL
WINDSOR
that's correct, my Lord.
MR COWARD
of course by 29th October the hangar was a very significant
building, wasn't it?
NEIL WINDSOR
that's correct, my Lord.
MR COWARD
it had been on the 30th August when you spoke about finding
the keys or seeing the keys?
NEIL WINDSOR
that's correct, my Lord.
MR COWARD
you knew, by 30th August, those keys you had seen in number
5 were actually keys which fitted the lock to the PE side
of the hangar, didn't you?
NEIL WINDSOR
Yes, but I found the keys previously to that and made
a pocket notebook entry to that effect.
MR
COWARD
I am not doubting that you did, but by the time you made
that statement you knew the significance of what you had
found?
NEIL WINDSOR
at the time I made the statement, yes, I knew the significance.
MR COWARD
could I ask you to think again, officer, about the one
answer you have given to the Jury, the evidence you have
given so far is that when you got to the building that
turned out to be the hangar, Mr Huntley was with you?
NEIL WINDSOR
no, my Lord Mr Gee was with us when we initially searched
the hangar, myself and PC Tee. Mr Huntley was not present
at the hangar.
MR COWARD
had you spoken to Mr Huntley about security system of
the colleges before you got to the hangar?
NEIL
WINDSOR
spoken to, with reference to the alams in my presence
but I didn't personally speak to him.
MR
COWARD
where were you when you had a conversation about which
buildings were alarmed?
NEIL WINDSOR
it was on the tennis courts just adjacent to Mr Huntley's
house when we initially met him in the morning.
MR COWARD
what do you say Mr Huntley said to you about the status
of the hangar?
NEIL WINDSOR
it wasn't to myself directly. He said to the search team
leader when asked which buildings were alarmed and were
not alarmed. He made a visual movement with his hand along
the line of the college indicating various areas the had
may or may not have been alarmed. When the question was
raised as to the hangar to the best of my recollection
he hesitated then said "Yes, I believe it is alarmed."
.
MR COWARD
it is alarmed?
NEIL WINDSOR
"is alarmed", yes, my Lord.
MR
COWARD
so when you got to the hangar, who was given the job of
switching the alarms off?
NEIL WINDSOR
we approached the hangar and went in with the key.
MR COWARD
did the alarm go off.
NEIL WINDSOR
No, it did not.
MR COWARD
there was a simple reason for that, wasn't there, the
was not an alarm to go off was there?
NEIL
WINDSOR
I don't know, my Lord, I don't know the status of the
entire college. It may have been switched off some time
prior to us going to the hangar. I'm not aware of the
alarm status of the entire college.
MR
COWARD
I suggest to you, officer, and I put it very bluntly,
that Ian Huntley told anyone who was there as part of
the search team, which buildings were alarmed and which
weren't, and he knew that the hangar wasn't alarmed and
he told you it wasn't alarmed, simple as that?
NEIL WINDSOR
well I don't believe so. to the best of my recollection,
when I made the statement he said he believed the hangar
was alarmed.
MR COWARD
that the best of your recollection on 29th October?
NEIL WINDSOR
correct.
MR COWARD
my Lord, thank you.
MR LATHAM
I have no re-examination.
MR JUSTICE
MOSES
thank you very much
{the witness withdrew}.
MR
LATHAM
my Lord, police superintendent Simon Edens, page 5013
A, it is not on the chronology, but the Jury may like
to remind themselves where it fits in, it is page 11,
dealing with Wednesday, 7th.
MR COWARD
sorry to interrupt, could I ask at, my client's request,
for a very short break.
MR JUSTICE MOSES
do you want us all to stop?
MR COWARD
my client is happy simply to go below and us continue
then I am happy to do that.
MR LATHAM
my Lord, I was going to ask for a five minute break. {short
adjournment}.
MR JUSTICE MOSES
yes, MR LATHAM.
MR LATHAM
my Lord, I had just started to read the evidence of police
superintendent Simon William Eden, page 50. 13 A. "Wednesday
7th August last year I was on duty engaged on Operation
Fincham. At 4 p.m. that day, I held a press conference
at Soham Village College. The conference was held in the
school hall and I estimate there were around 50 journalists
and camera operators present.
Prior to this conference, I had discussed and agreed the
contents of the press release for the media office representatives
with a media office representative. the press conference
was primarily to thank the public for active support searching
for Holly and Jessica, and to ask the public to allow
trained officers and specialists to continue the searches.
During the press conference I said words to the following
effect 'In this vein we have brought in additional search
experts from other forces to supplement our own officers
expertise. Trained police dogs have been helping along
with specialist search teams, who have been checking the
water ways. Over 60 specialist search team officers have
been on site today and some of these officers have been
involved in other high profile inquiries which has given
us invaluable expert knowledge on such aspects.
The force helicopter has been used extensively over the
three days since the girls were reported missing. As part
of that, they made use of their thermal imaging equipment.
We have also enlisted the support of voluntary experts
within the search and rescue field. We know that local
people are still anxious to help us in the search for
Holly and gained entry to the house at 18.25 hours.
I went into the house and turned immediately left into
the front room, where I assisted in drawing the curtains
at the front window and the patio door windows. Other
officers went to other parts of the house to draw the
curtains and we then all assembled in the hallway."
my Lord, it is at that stage that the search began. at
the bottom of the page "my immediate response on
seeing the house was to think how clean it all was, there
was no dust, no dog hair the house looked like a show
house and sterile." he goes on to say, (I have now
gone back to 5016, the bottom of the page, my Lord,)
"The search was completed at 19.35 hours. We
then went to the college to help out with searching and
arrived there at about 20.40. To carry out these searches
we put on our protective white outersuits, gloves and
foot covers. we worked for a time during the evening and
he was working with a Police Constable Flatly and after
searching in the science block----", now two thirds
of the way down the page, "----I returned with Constable
Flatly to the community lounge, this would be 22.5 in
the evening. I then asked the officer in charge of the
search if the hangar had been searched.
The hangar was not shown on the map. I could not point
that location. I went and got the caretaker who had earlier
mentioned it." my Lord that, of course, was not Mr
Huntley. "At that stage the caretaker then pointed
it out on the map and its location drawn in situated at
the end of Lodeside block. I asked to be taken account
with this search.
I was allocated a set of keys, I believe four on a green
plastic fob, with a white paper insert marked "hangar."
I believe these keys were retained from 5 College Close.
Those of course are the keys we have seen before. At 2300
hours in company with Constable Flatly I went to the hangar.
The hangar is a steel framed building with metal sides
and a roof, approximately 60 feet long by 24 feet wide
and 26 feet high at its apex.
First we went to a single door facing the Lodeside block,
the largest key on the fob fitted, but couldn't be turned.
None of the other keys worked. We then went to a second
single door facing on to the playing field. To the left
of this door is also a roller door. The single door had
a Yale lock and a padlock on it. the key I had on the
fob unlocked them. I opened the door and turned the lights
on using the switches to the left of the door.
I could see this area was used to store sports equipment.
I could also see a partition wall approximately 13 feet
tall, separating the building in two and separating the
first door we tried from this entrance. I entered the
building and went to the left along the wall towards the
roller door, passing some black bags as I went. I followed
the line of the building to where a fridge stood on a
table over the fridge contained ice packs.
Doing the same route I had entered by passing Constable
Flatly who was searching the black bags. I then went to
the right of the right of the door, about six feet to
where there was a series of about five yellow bins. These
bins were approximately 3 feet tall and two feet in diameter.
I looked in the first bin as it had the least rubbish
in it.
I lifted the black bag out, checked it then put it back
in the same bin. I then transferred the rubbish from the
second bin into the first, checking it as I did so. I
then moved to the third bin, which had a bin bag containing
rubbish inside. I lifted a black bin bag out which was
knotted, checked it and placed it into the second bin.
I then checked the black bin bag that was lining the bin.
This was empty.
I removed it. I looked into this bin and could see something
in the bottom. I bent over into the bin I picked up something
that felt like cloth. I pulled it out holding it by the
corners. I could see it was the remains of a red T-shirt.
I could see black and white writing on the T-shirt. I
could see lettering and a number. it was obvious the letter
spelt Beckham and the number was 7.
I could smell a strong smell of smoke and it was obvious
the T-shirt had been scorched. I held this up for Constable
Flatly to see. I again looked into the bin and could see
further red material with similar writing and three small
white training shoes. From the information I had been
given as to clothing the two missing girls were wearing,
I was positive in my mind that this was their clothes.
I placed the T-shirt back into the bin.
I then walked to the door and waited just outside. Constable
Flatly went for assistance. The time finding these items
was 23.05. shortly after leaving, Constable flatly returned
with Sergeant Mark Harrison from Bedfordshire police and
one other. I was asked what I had seen, I then again lifted
the red T-shirt from the bin to show Sergeant Harrison.
I again replaced the item back into the bin and we all
left the building.
We then waited for exhibit officers to attend and my clothing
was taken from me. That's the gloves over boots, white
overalls. At this stage Constable Flatly was in possession
of the keys." over the page, my Lord, he gives slightly
more detail of the condition of the bin bags. 5021. I
will start at the beginning of the first paragraph, the
new paragraph on the page "I then moved to the bin
on my left, bin two here has already dealt with bin 1.
From this I removed a bin bag I believe was knotted I
did not open or inspect the inside of the contents but
felt the outside for significant shapes, specifically
body parts. I then placed this into bin 1 th the other
bin bag which was underneath. I also inspected the bottom
of bin 2 which again had nothing significant of note.
I then again moved to my left to search bin 3.
I saw that there was a black bin liner which appeared
a quarter full which was knotted at the top, a single
knot and was sitting on the top of the bin. such as it
had not been pushed down. so as to give the appearance
it was actually full. I lifted the bag out which was light
and again felt the outside for shapes, there was nothing
significant so I placed it in bin 2. I then looked into
the bin liner which was lining the metal bin within the
yellow shell.
The bin liner had been fitted correctly with the edges
lapping over the metal interior bin and had been opened
and spread inside the bin. the bag appeared empty. I then
pulled the liner up and to one side to examine underneath,
at this time there was a strong smell of smoke. As I looked
further I saw a mound of rags in the bottom." my
Lord, that takes us - no, there is one other statement
I need to read.
Valerie Fryer, page 1067, my Lord. I need not read it
all, this part of the statement of Valerie Fryer, an environmental
archaeologist. In September 2002, I was asked by Cambridgeshire
police service to use my skills in Operation Fincham.
I was asked to carry out flotation and sifting of deposits
collected from the deposition site of the two victims."
my Lord that of course the site the jury went to. "the
aim of this exercise is to retrieve any article that might
be pertinent to the investigation." She said in introduction
to her statement flotation and sifting are a routinely
used in archaeology for the extraction of small artifacts,
biological remains, and other items of interest from soil
and sediments.
The techniques are particularly useful for retrieving
objects from grave fills. "for this reason I was
asked to process deposits obtained by Cambridgeshire police
service from the deposition site in Operation Fincham."
My Lord, she then describes, and I do not intend to read
it out, unless I am asked, the methods which effectively
involve taking the samples removed by the police from
scenes of crimes officers from the deposition site, taking
those samples and washing them through water in a laboratory,
in order to collect the bits and pieces which are contained
within the soil.
my Lord, at the very end, during the course of her work,
looking at page 507, she recovered a number of textile
fragments, in particular VAF12 and 3, those textile fragments
which were referred to by scientists, who later examined
the clothing we have just heard reference to My Lord,
the witness I have to call next, who is one of the only
witnesses I want to call to give evidence before Helen
Davies. she is going to go through in detail all the items
found in the bin.
We have a series of admissions dealing with the clothing,
to which girl each item of clothing relates, but we will
need to look in some detail at that material using photographs
rather than the original items. it is going take a little
- I am ready to adduce the evidence.
MR
JUSTICE MOSES
but you would rather do it on Monday?
MR
LATHAM
it has been rather a long day.
MR JUSTICE
MOSES
let us do it on Monday. that is not going to interrupt
your timetable if you do it on Monday.
MR
LATHAM
my Lord, no. To assist the Jury, so they understand where
we are going, we are moving on very much to the scientists,
and they will be hearing from several over Monday and
Tuesday.
MR JUSTICE MOSES
very well, ladies and gentlemen, we'll stop now. you have
three days off. Don't worry that that will affect your
grasp of what is important; you will find that thinking
about other things will make it much fresher and easier
when you pick it up again on Monday. Remember the warning
I gave you. You have three days off now, try and forget
about this case and then you can come refreshed on Monday.
Thank you very much. Hearing adjourned - will resume on
Monday
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