| Flowers in Gods Garden - Holly Wells
and Jessica Chapman - Documents |
25/11/03 - Soham Trial Transcript
Tuesday, 25 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
MR JUSTICE MOSES
yes, Mr Latham?
MR LATHAM
my Lord, despite the discussion at the end of yesterday
afternoon , I would like to read three or four statements;
not the whole of them, just what may well be relevant.
my Lord, I was about to start last night with the statement
of Brian Rutterford at page 6005 " I am the proprietor
of B J Rutterford, This is my farming company and I farm
numerous sites around the Lakenheath area.
One of these areas is a Common Drove at Wangford near
to Lakenheath." My Lord, I move on to further statements
he made which deal with the background before reverting
to his first statement "in 1998 I commenced to rent
the land" - at 600 C, my Lord - "I commenced
to rent the land surrounding and including Common Drove,
Lakenheath, at that time, the top surface of the drove
was just earth and therefore quite boggy and wet. The
top of the drove was also level with the fields.
The surface was also quite rutted. In order to improve
the surface of the drove, and raise its height above that
of the fields, we initially accepted loads of rubble and
other similar material to be dumped on the drove by builders
and other construction workers. After it had been delivered,
I would cause it to be levelled by one of my employees.
sometimes these loads would be comprised of sand and/or
gravel, and if I had one of this type of load to make
use of I would level it out over the top of the rubble
or whatever had been laid at that stage.
These loads were delivered from local sources. They were
free to me and I cannot specifically state where they
came from. But most of it did come off the Lakenheath
base." My Lord, I return to the first page of the
statement, 6005 "at the beginning of this year, 2002,
I arranged to have Common Drove resurfaced. This meant
that a quantity of concrete was laid along the drove."
This was supplied by Mr Chapman, as the witness I read
yesterday afternoon. "this was delivered by Mr Chapman,
or employees of his, and was tipped on to the drove and
it was then laid along the road by myself, my son Sean,
and I believe that Mr Chapman may also have helped. after
this had been done the drove was better to drive on, although
it was still not ideal.
A couple of days after the concrete had been laid, I then
put some chalk on top of it so it would be a smoother
surface. this chalk was laid by myself, my son, Sean,
and some other farm workers. This chalk had been removed
from a ditch some time previously and left to dry out.
This was done last winter and it was left for two or three
months to dry. This came from a ditch which is located
just off the causeway track, which runs away from Lakenheath
towards Undely.
This is the opposite side of Lakenheath to RAF Lakenheath;
he produced a plan so others could later go to that place,
my Lord, to see where the chalk had come from. 6007 Sean
Rutterford, his son, "I work----" - page 6007
"----I work for my father at his farming company
known as BJ and FE Rutterford. We have about 400 acres
of agricultural land near Lakenheath. This particular
land surrounds Common Drove, which is in Wangford.
The fields either side of Common Drove are farmed by us
for growing various crops. This land (inaudible) from
Eldon Estates. Part of my job entails me to maintain the
correct water levels in these fields, in order that crops
grow and can be harvested correctly. This is done by using
the drainage ditches that run across this land. All the
drainage ditches in this area are linked together and
are controlled by one sluice gate.
This sluice gate is manually controlled. This is done
by physically removing wooden boards from the gate. This
enables water to flow from the drainage ditches which
run in between the fields into a single ditch, which carries
water away from the fields and towards the river which
is located near to the B1112 at Lakenheath----" that
of course, my Lord, is the sluice gate the Jury saw on
the view and they have photographs of the sluice gate
as well.
"----I regularly add or remove
boards from the sluice gate depending upon the weather
and the particular crops we are growing----" my Lord,
over the page. "----On Tuesday, 13th August 2002,
I went to Common Drove. I then removed two or three boards
from the sluice gate. This was because the water level
was at its highest in the main ditch and I needed to lower
it so that the crops could be harvested.
I believe that I would have lowered the water level by
between one and two feet. in my opinion, if the main drainage
ditch was at its highest level, the ditch marked between
points C and D would have just had a few inches of water
in them." my Lord, that is the area where the bodies
were found, the area he is talking about which is, in
his opinion, the main drainage ditch, was at its highest
level.
That area would have had a few inches of water in it.
"after lowering the water level on 13th August it
was my intention to return the following weekend to remove
some further boards from the sluice gate to lower the
water level again. This has to be done in stages; that
is the boards are difficult to remove when the water is
too deep." my Lord, page 6009 J, statement of Detective
Sergeant Nicholas Waller "at three o'clock in the
afternoon of Tuesday, 6th May of this year, 2003, I attended
Common Drove, Wangford.
As I drove along Common Drove near the junction with Wangford
Road, I noticed that the water in the ditch running alongside
the drove was nearly level with the surface of the surrounding
fields. I therefore checked the height of the boards which
were in place in the sluice gate. I saw that it appeared
that all of the boards were in position in the sluice
gate. Certainly no boards were lying on the bank of the
ditch where they had been placed in 2002, when they were
not in use.
In the sluice gate at the deposition site further down
Common Drove, I saw that there were quite a few inches
of water in the ditch. I also checked the whole length
of the ditch back towards Wangford Road, along the length
which has previously been described as a dry ditch. I
saw that there was a constant level of water up to and
past the deposition site. There was no dam effect downsteam
of the deposition site which of course puddles of water
either large or small. from Monday I made telephone calls
and caused photographs to be taken with the water in the
ditch.
I emphasised this a year later (in May of this year) when
he happened to be at the scene." My Lord, I can remind
the Jury that is the area around the deposition in May
of 2003, and that is the photograph taken as a result
of the request made by Sergeant Waller.
MR
JUSTICE MOSES
what does all this add up to; if this water is higher
than another ditch at right angles to this ditch, if the
water is blocked up by the sluice gate, water will seep
into that ditch as well?
MR LATHAM
my Lord, yes, that ditch which runs all the way along
the side of Common Drove if all the sluice boards are
in place and the weather conditions are right that ditch
fills up to a point where even at the deposition site
you get water.
MR JUSTICE MOSES
yes.
MR LATHAM
my Lord, 6028, the statement of Keith Prior "I am
a married man and live in the town of Brandon in Suffolk.
I have lived in the town for 33 years with my wife Barbara
and I have two children. I am well known around the town
and most people call me by my nickname, your Lordship.
I am a trained painter and decorator, I also have a keen
interest game keeping and have been involved in vermin
control and bee keeping for the past 35 years.
In 1983 I began helping out on the Wangford Estate near
Lakenheath Airfield in Suffolk. After ten years I left
and went to work on the Eldon Estate in Eldon, Suffolk
where I assisted the game keeper with the upkeep of the
estate. Four years ago I was asked to return to work on
the Wangford Fen Estate as a game keeper and running a
pheasant shoot."
The farm land around the Wangford Fen is leased by Brian
Rutterford----" the witnesses I have just read, "----Mr
Rutterford and his son, who farm the land in the area.
my role involves the rearing of baby pheasants, for the
release out on to the estate prior to pheasant shoots.
I have raised 600 pheasants this year. They are kept in
four separate pens on the Wangford Fen, each pen being
approximately 110 meters in diameter.
I have to visit each pens twice a day everyday to feed
and water the pheasants. I usually visit them between
five and nine in the morning and between five and eight
in the evening. I have done this everyday for the past
12 weeks." his statement is dated the date of the
discovery of the bodies, 17th August. I always used my
4 wheel drive vehicle, a dark blue, Isuzu trooper. I have
owned this vehicle for the past 8 months.
When I visit the pen before in the car, I go via two routes.
The first route is along Wangford New Road and turn left
down Common Drove to the bottom----", so that's the
Main Road you came on in the coach, coming from the other
direction and turning left on to the park. "----The
second route is along Wangford New Road, then turn left
through a gateway into a private hay field which leads
down to a spot where pen 1 is.
I then follow the track road over two concrete bridges."
They are up near the airfield where we walked at the end
of the track which brings you down to the bottom of Common
Drove near to pen 4. "the second route its not suitable
for normal road cars and is not a recognised route for
members of the public. The Common Drove and the car track
are not areas which are visited by a lot of people. they
don't attract many passers by, joggers or dog walkers
are the only people who tend to use the Common Drove.
In the car are the people who have business to be there.
During the past eight weeks I have seen none at all in
the wooded area at the Car at the bottom of Common Drove.
There is a middle-aged couple in their 50s who walk their
Collie dog along Common Drove on the odd occasion. These
people are local ramblers who walk along the track to
keep the public access. I have seen a man I know as Ivor
working in the field along the Common Drove. He does weeding
on the sugar beet field.
I have seen him down the past two weeks. One morning last
week about 6.30 I am I saw Sean Rutterford, the son of
Brian, on Common Drove, he was in his Mitsubishi big pick-up
truck, adjusting the dams in the drain in the sugar beet
field." over the page, my Lord, first ring binder,
about three days ago, I was driving down Common Drove
in the company with my wife Barbara. This time the windows
were down on the truck.
I recall smelling an awful smell as I approached pen four.
I knew that the farmers had been tipping manure and I
assumed it was that. The next day I was down there alone
when I again noticed the smell. I walked up from pen four
along the irrigation drain which runs parallel to the
drove on the left-hand side as you drive down. I walked
up for about 20 yards. I looked into the drain and saw
it had about a foot of water in it.
The smell was very strong but I couldn't identify the
source. The only other thing I have noticed out of the
ordinary is that about five days ago a pile of engineering
brick cut-offs had been dumped in the middle of the drove
just in the area where the trees begin." That of
course was Mr Chapman, whose statement I read last night,
his last delivery. His statement goes on that he, "made
arrangements on the Saturday morning to meet a friend,
Adrian Lawrence. Adrian was driving in his car, travelling
from Lakenheath.
We made arrangements to meet at Wangford near to pen one
as he had some dog food for me and some jogging bottoms
for my wife. I approached pen one via the second route
I previously described, and arrived at about 11.50 a.m.
Adrian was already there and he was in company with his
common-law-wife, Helen. We all had a chat and I paid Adrian
for my dog food and trousers. Adrian stated he had driven
in via the drove and he mentioned there was a horrendous
smell as he approached pen four.
I told him I noticed it a few days ago and I was going
to check it out now. Adrian and Helen said they would
come. We all drove down from pen four going from the airfield
site so coming back down towards the road from the very
top near the fence of the airfield. We parked the vehicles
and I went into the corn field, which runs parallel to
the Drove and Adrian and Helen walked along the left of
the irrigation drain which runs parallel to the drove.
We were walking up either side of the drain, attempting
to identify the source of the smell. after having walked
for about 40 to 50 yards, I heard Adrian say 'Don't come
any further, Helen, go back to the van'. He then shouted
to me and asked me to go over and verify what he had seen.
I backtracked and crossed over the drain via a rubble
bridge and went to where Adrian was standing. as I approached
I noticed the smell of rotting flesh. I joined Adrian
on the raised bank of the drain and looked in.
The drain is about six feet wide at the top, narrowing
to three feet wide at the bottom with a depth of about
four feet. I was not prepared for what I saw, there was
what appeared to be two very badly decomposed human bodies
lying side by side. I immediately thought of the two missing
girls from Soham and Adrian rang the police on his mobile
phone my Lord, that is timed at 12.13, that telephone
call."
MR JUSTICE MOSES
did you want to read the first full sentence at the top
of 603?
MR LATHAM
my Lord, it is confirmation. "I do not recall describing
the two bodies. I don't recall seeing any clothing on
the bodies." he ends by saying "I can say I
don't know anybody called Huntley or Carr. I have worked
in Soham about four years ago, but I have not been there
for 18 months". My Lord, 6034 B he gives details
of where he and his friend Adrian Lawrence were standing
by the ditch
"Adrian was standing on the
bank of the ditch about two or three feet from the edge
of it. He was standing immediately in front of the bodies
and I joined him at that location. I stood beside him
but did not go any closer to the edge of the ditch or
the bodies." I ought to include this, down at the
bottom of that page, my Lord, he refers back to the first
time he noticed the smell and the first time he tried
to find it, which was on the 15th August.
"I
walked about six feet from the edge of the ditch and would
have passed directly by where the bodies were lying on
that occasion. On neither occasion did I actually enter
the ditch, at the location where the bodies were found."
my Lord I am asked to read 6034 A, another statement of
Keith Prior "I now wish to add the following information
in relation to the water level in the ditch in which the
bodies were found , I can say that on the Thursday prior
to the bodies being found I walked along Common Drove.
This was from the pens towards the Wangford Road, so back
down, away from the pens. At a point between 10 and 15
yards past the spot where the bodies were later found
I looked into the ditch. I can say that at that time,
being 15th August, I saw approximately 10 to 12 inches
of water in this ditch. The place where I saw this was
between the spot where the bodies were later found at
the end of this drainage ditch towards Wangford Road.
This drainage ditch fills with water from the Wangford
Road end being fed from the other drainage ditches. this
ditch is usually dry albeit does become boggy at the bottom.
That is because the general water level of the surrounding
land varies." My Lord, I read a very short part of
the other person who actually found the bodies, Adrian
Lawrence, at page 6020 at the bottom of that page
"I suggested to Keith that he should go into
the field and walk along besides the dyke that runs beside
the drove. I remained on the drove side of the dyke. as
Keith had crossed the dyke, I was about eight to ten yards
in front of him. We were walking in the direction of Wangford
Road. Helen was 20 or 30 yards back near the vehicles.
The dyke is surrounded in undergrowth with trees, bushes
and nettles all around.
In places you can get very close to the dyke, close enough
to see in, but in other places you can't get within four
or five feet. The dyke was about 4 or 5 feet deep, so
you would have to get fairly close to the edge to see
in. I was between 40 and 50 yards from where I parked
my van, I had managed to look in a couple of times, may
be three, as the smell was now really strong and I knew
from past experience it was decomposing flesh of some
description.
I walked to the edge of the dyke and looked over the edge,
it was then I saw the source of the smell on the bottom
of the dyke I saw two bodies. Roughly the dyke, was 4
or 5 feet deep." Again, a short part of the statement
of Police Sergeant Adrian Bentham at 6039, my Lord. He
was with two detective officers and he arrived at Common
Drove as a result of the 999 call at 12.45.
As he got there, located within the entrance to the drove
was the witness Adrian Lawrence and his van which was
parked facing into the drove. We spoke to the witness
Adrian Lawrence who was explaining he had found two bodies
in a ditch, which was located further along the drove
track and he would lead us to that location. My Lord,
at the bottom of that page, further down the track, I
could see two further witnesses, Keith Prior and Helen
Sawyer who was standing directly in front of a Suzuki
jeep.
I shouted to the two witnesses "Please - can you
stand still and not move!" to which they acknowledged.
We continued single file on the right hand side whereupon
Mr Lawrence indicated we had reached the area he had been
referring to and he pointed to the opposite verge as being
where the bodies lay. On examining the relevant verge
adjacent to a ditch, which ran parallel to the track,
I could see a small area of nettles-type vegetation, which
appeared trodden or disturbed."
my Lord, there is then a sentence at the second ring binder
on that page "Detective Constable Smith and myself
commenced to tape the scene and create a sterile corridor".
My Lord, Detective Chief Inspector Russell Waite, 6055
is an officer, Cambridgeshire officer engaged as the crime
manager for central division. "at one o'clock on
Saturday, 17th August, last year, I received a call from
acting deputy Police Constable Keith Oddy informing me
two bodies had been found in the area and asking me to
the senior duty officer of that scene on behalf of Cambridgeshire
constabulary. at 5 p.m. I attended Wangford Road, Lakenheath.
Wangford Road had road blocks in position at the Brandon
Road junction and the junction of the town of Lakenheath.
I was satisfied this road block was successfully in place
and would allow no traffic into the road, other than those
clearly designated to attend the scene. At the junction
of Common Drove and the Wangford Road , I saw in place
a cordon with an officer manning.
This cordon was in place with a police 'Don't Enter' tape.
I was briefed at the scene by an officer from Suffolk
constabulary, who indicated to me a common approach path
which extended to the left-hand side of the Common Drove,
leading towards an area known as the Car. An inner cordon
was in place at the top of this common approach path staffed
by two officers who also completed a log. Approximately
25 meters from then in a ditch also to the left-hand side
of Common Drove were the two bodies.
I made a decision in conjunction with Mr Lewis that only
the scenes of crime officers would approach the bodies,
one taking photographs, and the other doing a video of
the scene." my Lord I can get Dr Carey to deal with
the other scene management. my Lord, again, very small
bits from the evidence of Kenneth Lewis, a senior scenes
of crime officer, 6059.
"I am currently
the senior scenes of crime officer for central division----"
and he went to the scene. the bottom of page 6060 "the
ditch where the bodies lay was approximately 6 to 8 feet
wide and approximately 4 to 5 feet deep, the bottom of
the ditch appears to be boggy but not water logged. The
two bodies were lying face up in the bottom of the ditch."
MR COWARD
could I ask that my client have leave to leave the dock?
MR JUSTICE MOSES
yes.
MR LATHAM
My Lord, on Sunday 18th August, so the next day, page
6063, at 18.50 hours, so 6.50 in the evening of the Sunday,
"I tasked Mr Jamie White to carry out a fingertip
search of what is described as the offender route into
the ditch on the track, that's the route down over the
edge of the ditch. At that time Dr Pat Wiltshire"
- my Lord, we are about to call her to give evidence -
"recovered her samples from the area and from the
slope of the bank down into the ditch.
At the top of the bank on the offender route, I noted
what appeared to be head hair snagged on the end of a
broken branch." Members of the Jury, you will remember
that branch was still there at the scene this year. my
Lord, there is no dispute that they are head hairs linked
to Jessica Chapman. He goes on at 6064 "On Monday,
19th August, I attended Mildenhall Police Station with
Detective Superintendent Waite and Mr Jamie White, and
I discussed further examination of the deposition site
at Lakenheath. It was agreed a fingertip search of the
area where the bodies had been lain would be carried out.
The area to be searched would be divided up and a sketch
made showing the grid.
Following the fingertip search the top layer of soil and
debris from each grid was to be recovered. Once this was
completed, a further spit of soil was recovered from each
grid, so down a further depth. At 1.07 in the afternoon
I entered the inner cordon of the scene at Lakenheath;
further discussions then took place with Detective Superintendent
Waite, regarding the scene examination. in addition to
the strategy agreed earlier at Mildenhall police station
it was decided to also include in the fingertip search
the area of the sloping bank at the far side of the ditch
and the sloping bank to the near-side of the ditch including
the soft soil. the top layer of soil and debris would
be recovered as each row of squares within the grid was
searched.
On completion of the search of the ditch area the bank
between the track and the ditch was to be fingertip searched
from an area leading from the common approach path to
two meters beyond the far side of the offender's route
to the ditch. over the page at 6065, the second ring binder
"during the search and recovery of exhibits and samples
from grid F 3 I smelt a possible accelerant similar to
petrol within the soil and debris. Then much later on,
on Thursday, 10th October----", my Lord this is 6068,
"----I attended Common Drove, Wangford Road, Lakenheath
to take controlled soil samples from the Drove. there
I met Doctor Peter Hall----", he is a geologist,
Members of the Jury, "----and other police officers.
Following assessment and discussions with Dr Hall it was
decided to take controlled samples from sites along the
whole of Common Drove, from its junction with Wangford
Road to the turning into the pheasant pens at the far
side of the bodies' deposition site. It was decided to
take three samples from each site. The location on the
track the samples were recovered from were logged by myself
on a map."
My Lord, the Jury will not need to be troubled by the
detail, I simply want them to understand the nature of
the areas searched and the soil taken both on the Drove
and in the area where the bodies were found. My Lord,
in all, he exhibits 112 soil and debris samples. the Jury
will be relieved to hear we are not going to need to analyse
those in any detail.
MR HUBBARD
may Miss Carr leave the dock, my Lord? she is not feeling
well.
MR JUSTICE MOSES
I am going to have a discussion with counsel. Members
of the Jury, do you mind going to your room?
Transcript edited by Sky News Transcript suspended
during legal argument - will resume shortly
MR LATHAM
my Lord, I will read part of the statement of James Walker
Howarth, 6098. Mr Howarth is a forensic scientist and
a chartered chemist and member of the Royal Society of
Chemistry. on 19th August of last year, he attended the
scene of a fire at Common Drove, Wangford, at the request
of Cambridgeshire Constabulary. I have been asked to investigate
the cause and development of the fire and provide any
additional information regarding the circumstances of
the fire.
The scene of the fire was reached by a farm track leading
off the Wangford New Road. A dry ditch ran along the track
which led to a wooded area. An area of burning was apparent
in the ditch where I understand two bodies were found;
these had been removed prior to my arrival. The ditch
was approximately 1.5 meters deep and 4 meters wide with
slow, sloping sides. The bottom of the ditch was about
1 meter wide.
A fallen tree trunk straddled the ditch and a hawthorn
bush grew from near this trunk to a height of about two
meters. Approximately over where the bodies had been a
branch of a tree also grew from this area at a height
of about 3 meters. No vegetation was apparent at the bottom
of the ditch in this area, however. Adjacent areas were
covered in dead leaves, fallen twigs and low level vegetation
such as ivy.
From information provided by the Cambridgeshire Constabulary,
and my colleague Mr Lamb, I understand that the bodies
were found lying side by side diagonally across the bottom
of the ditch. The feet of one body were approximately
half a meter from the fallen tree trunk; the other body
was a little further away. I have been informed that the
back of the girls and the ground underneath had not been
burnt but light to moderate burning had occurred to the
rest of their bodies.
No clothing was found on the bodies. Investigation of
the fire was very localised with low level burning extending
from the area of the bodies at about 1 meter from the
the heads in one direction and to just beyond the fallen
trunk in the other. The fire had not spread far up the
sides of the ditch. the fallen trunk was slightly burnt
in one area, but was generally just sooty.
This area appeared to have been where the fire had penetrated
loose bark and smouldered for a short time. The woody
parts of the hawthorn bush were slightly charred at ground
level but were a otherwise sooty rather than burned. the
soot was preferentially deposited upon the side facing
the bodies. The leaves had burnt away up to 1.5 meters
from the ground and were scorched from 1.5 to two meters.
The leaves from the tree branch above the hawthorn was
scorched at about 3 meters high. There was no sign of
an accidental cause of fire which indicates that it had
been deliberately started. at the bottom of the page "the
pattern and extent of fire damage as it is, a flammable
liquid had been used to accelerate the growth of the fire
which had flared briefly but then died down.
The following ...smouldering fire in the undergrowth clearly
did not sustain itself and self extinguished. It was not
possible to determine when the fire took place. Conclusion:
in my opinion the fire had been deliberately started and
involved the use of a flammable liquid. From information
I have received it appears that the two bodies had been
in place before the fire started".
MR
KHALIL
my Lord, before I call Patricia Wiltshire, I'm going to
hand out a series of admissions and invite the jury to
(inaudible) just the first five which I will deal with
now. We can put these at the front of the green folder
with the others. My Lord in due course we'll deal with
all 21 items in this document but perhaps for now we can
just deal with the first five as an introduction to calling
Patricia Wiltshire.
number 1, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman went into 5
College Close shortly after 6.30 p.m. on Sunday, 4th August
2002. 2, the mobile telephone belonging to Jessica Chapman
had explicitly detached from a mobile network at 6.46
p.m. on Sunday, 4th August 2002. This was the last recorded
event on the telephone. 3, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman
died in 5 College Close on Sunday, 4th August 2002.
4, the only other person in 5 College Close at the time
of their deaths was Ian Huntley. 5, Ian Huntley removed
their dead bodies from 5 College Close and transported
them in the Fiesta car, J112, YWR to the place where the
bodies were found. At that stage please, I call Patricia
Wiltshire. my Lord I start at page 6306.
(Patricia
Wiltshire, sworn)
Examined by Mr KHALIL
MR KHALIL
are you Patricia Wiltshire?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
I am.
MR KHALIL
and are you by occupation a palynologist
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes, I am.
MR KHALIL
I want to ask you a little bit about that in due course,
but I just want to deal with the background qualifications,
please. are you a bachelor of science with a degree in
botany?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
A graduate of London University Kings' College?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
from which you have a Merchant Taylor's Company Scholarship?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
have you had a commercial career in industry?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
since then, in academia been awarded a series of prizes,
particularly in respect of botanical expertise?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, I have.
MR KHALIL
have you engaged in research in both microbiology, ecology
and palynology at Kings' College in London?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
Yes.
MR KHALIL
have you lectured in those subjects?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
and have you taken an appointment at senior research fellow
at the University College, University of London for a
decade?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, I have.
MR KHALIL
since then have you been an honorary lecturer and senior
consultant research fellow at University College, London?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
have you been a part-time lecturer in ecology and conservation
at the Department of Extramural Studies at the London
University Birbeck College?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
and acted as an examiner on many occasions?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
Do you train police officers at police training schools
for the Metropolitan Police and other forces?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
do you run a series of courses and lectures with regard
to your expertise?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
have you presented papers on forensic palynology for officers,
for senior homicide investigators and other forensic science
conferences?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
Yes, I have.
MR KHALIL
engaged in forensic palynology?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
and are you acting as a consultant in environmental profiling
palynology for a number of police forces?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes, I am.
MR KHALIL
have you conducted analyses involving many different forms
of criminal allegations as an expert in your field of
expertise?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
have you had published a report of peer review in a number
of scientific publications?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes, I have.
MR KHALIL
are you a member of different learned societies?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
Do you also inevitably subscribe to a number of professional
journals and the like?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
Yes.
MR KHALIL
In this case, do you bring your formal qualifications
and your years of expertise to the work and the conclusions
that you have presented to the Jury?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
Yes.
MR KHALIL
I want to ask you please why it was you were brought into
this case; was it in respect of examining whether items
known to be linked to either Ian Huntley or his property
could also be linked to the deposition site?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, I was.
MR KHALIL
We are not dealing, please, with theoretical or academic
study, we are dealing with the practical analysis of real
items, is that right?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
I want to ask you about palynology and what that is. In
broad terms, are you studying facts which influence whether
items such as pollen, spores, and other microscopic entities
are found at places and at times?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
in the course of your evidence, is the word assemblage
one which is of importance for you?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
exceedingly important, yes.
MR KHALIL
in very short compass if one takes a given named plant
will that give off different small items?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
and I have described pollen spores and other microscopic
entities, is that the sort of thing we are talking about?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
do you study those items?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, I do.
MR KHALIL
and you can distinguish between one and the other?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, I do.
MR KHALIL
Are you able to distinguish between the items that will
come off one named plant from those that come off another?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
within limits, yes.
MR KHALIL
what sort of size of items are you often dealing with,
can you assist us?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
you can't see them with the naked eye. We have to magnify
them 100 times, 400 times or even a thousand times to
see them properly.
MR KHALIL
right. in this particular case, my Lord 6270, did you
go to the scene where the two bodies were discovered?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, I did.
MR KHALIL
and whilst there did you conduct observations and sampling
tests?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes I did.
MR KHALIL
in terms of observations, were you with a colleague?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
who was that?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
Mr Peter Murphy.
MR KHALIL
and what is his expertise?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
he is a botanist and an archeologist.
MR
KHALIL
did you between you literally look around the area where
the bodies were discovered?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes we did.
MR KHALIL
and note the different plants, types of plant that were
there?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes. We named as many as we could see within a reasonable
time.
MR KHALIL
what sort of distance away from the immediate finding
of the bodies did you look?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
initially approximately about 100 meters or so, but we
did go to other places as well.
MR KHALIL
all right. I just want to deal with that facility first.
Literally you noted that which you could see?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
in terms of the area where the bodies were found were
samples also taken?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
we have heard read already this morning that many samples
were taken from the soil in the broad vicinity of the
ditch and the surrounding environments. Did you give any
direction to where any of those samples should be taken
from?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, we planned it out quite carefully where we should
take the samples and we took a very great number, but
the main thing was to target the sampling into places
where we thought the person who had committed the crime
had stood and in fact, we could see in some instances
where that person had probably stood because there were
foot marks.
MR KHALIL
were samples taken then from that particular area?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
having obtained samples of soil, do they subsequently
have to be refined?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, they have to be subjected to very complex chemical
processing to remove the background matrix of the soil
so that the pollen spores and so on are left behind.
MR KHALIL
and you worked with a colleague to assist you with that?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, the senior technician to University College.
MR KHALIL
who was that, please?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
It was Sandra Bond.
MR KHALIL
between you did you reduce the soil samples in which you
had an interest to the material that you could then use
for your expertise?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, I did.
MR KHALIL
having done that, do you then begin to analyse that which
you have, effectively I think on slides?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes, the spores and pollen grains are mounted in a jelly
and stained and then we examine them under the microscope.
MR KHALIL
I just want to show you an example, not directly from
this case, but is that the sort of carefully arranged
on the side, items you will then be studying under the
microscope?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, some of those I saw in this case, of course those
are in perfect condition and orientated from the photograph
obviously.
MR KHALIL
we can see the concludes above and below the photograph.
Pollen grains and spores and then pollen grains contain
sperm cells as well?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
in terms of the size of item on the screen, how does that
compare with what you would be actually looking at under
the microscope?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
that's actually bigger than I would be looking at under
the microscope, those have been much enlarged.
MR KHALIL
many magnifications have been applied?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes if you took the one on the very top left, that in
many many many many hundreds of times enlarged.
MR KHALIL
all right. initially once you have got the slides prepared,
what is the first test that is done just in simple terms?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
well, I usually have a great number of samples to work
with so I scan them quite rapidly. It is reasonably easy
to do, scan from top to bottom of the slide at least five
to ten times, usually ten times each slide and from that
you note all the major pollen types that are there and
this is not a definitive analysis, it is simply scanning
to give you an idea of those samples that might be relevant
and those that are obviously not.
MR
KHALIL
right. you have used the word pollen as a narrow term,
I of course use a wider selection of words earlier. can
we use pollen as a convenient term?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
does that include the other features?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes, it would include spores and other microscopic entities
as well for the purposes of this.
MR
KHALIL
so you conducted the initial screening or scanning?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
before you come to final scientific conclusions, do you
go on in due course and conduct a more precise analysis
of the slide material?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, the slides are analysed in detail and every pollen
grain that is encountered has to be, some attempt anyway
has to be made to identify it and it is then tallied -
it is counted and we end up with totals of all the different
sorts of pollen types. Some of them can't be identified
and then they go in a category unidentified.
MR KHALIL
so it is literally looking and counting?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
looking and counting yes.
MR KHALIL
more specific identifying as well?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes, wherever possible one identifies.
MR
KHALIL
I think you went to three particular different areas.
you went to the site where the bodies were found?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
in due course did you also go to the area of 5 College
Close and Soham Village College?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes I did.
MR KHALIL
and did you also go to the gardens of the homes of Holly
Wells and Jessica Chapman?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
I did.
MR KHALIL
at the two later sites, 5 College Close and two gardens,
did you also take soil samples or just simply look at
surrounding vegetation?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
simply looked at the vegetation but some soil samples
were taken later.
MR KHALIL
I think in due course one of your colleagues revisited
one or other of those sites as well?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
Yes.
MR KHALIL
I want to take us, please, if I may, to the place where
the bodies were found and ask you a little more about
that. I want to ask if we can put up a photograph. You
see there, the Jury have already seen this, a view along
the length of the the track by the side of the ditch where
the bodies were found. do you understand?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
this is the area which you say you visited, is that right?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes I did.
MR KHALIL
we can see the vegetation in the photograph. how does
that compare firstly with how it was when you first visited?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
when I first visited they were very tall healthy strands
of stinging nettles and it is very difficult for me to
see from this, but this looks as though it has been cut
down and spoilt, it was originally ----.
MR
KHALIL
whilst you were there, were you ----.
MR
JUSTICE MOSES
sorry you went when?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
I visited that site the day the bodies were taken.
MR JUSTICE MOSES
that's 17th August.
MR KHALIL
18th is when I think this witness was asked to attend.
The bodies were still there then.
MR
JUSTICE MOSES
this photograph was taken when.
MR KHALIL
this year, I'm just going to get the date.
MR
JUSTICE MOSES
sorry?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
about a year later , I believe.
MR KHALIL
were you asked initially to look for something in particular?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, the police couldn't understand how anyone had accessed
the ditch so I was asked if I could find any path ways
through the standard vegetation into the ditch.
MR KHALIL
did you then start looking?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes I did.
MR KHALIL
did you find one or more means that identified into that
ditch?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
I found what I considered to be two parts.
MR
KHALIL
as far as you recall, did you indicate the presence of
both paths to officers present or not?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes I did.
MR KHALIL
at the time you were there did either path appear to be
more important than the other?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes, the one which is labelled B was relatively faint,
the one labelled A was, to my eye, quite marked. I couldn't
understand how they had not recognised it.
MR
KHALIL
before we go further, what was it about the area of A
and B which allowed you to say at the time you believe
those to be pathways into the ditch?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
the vegetation was pressed down very faintly in the case
of B, but I could see that the vegetation wasn't in its
original stand, it had actually been depressed.
MR KHALIL
as to A?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
that was much more marked and there were three species
in particular that were trampled down, grasses, hedgewort
and stinging nettles.
MR KHALIL
so far as route A is concerned, at the time you were there
did you form any professional judgment as to roughly how
long before your attendance, the vegetation had been pressed
down?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
well, it is not so much professional as personal experience.
I keep stinging nettles in my garden for butterflies and
they get trodden on. I looked at these particular plants
in my personal experience in the last- about a fortnight's
worth of growth also the grasses and anyone with any experience
of a lawn would see there was at least two weeks worth
of growth on them, the covered grass so I thought approximately
a fortnight at that time.
MR KHALIL
did you then try to ascertain by sight whether that approximation
was right or wrong?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, I felt that that wasn't good enough and it was impossible
to do any experimentation at the scene so I had to find
standing nettles moderately comparable.
MR
KHALIL
pausing there, my Lord 6294. were a number of nettles
studied by you?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
tell us how it came about in short form?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
you mean the scene or elsewhere.
MR
KHALIL
by way of laboratory test?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
it wasn't a laboratory test as such. I simply walked very
heavily several times in a line, the area was cordoned
off, the plants were photographed after one week and then
they were photographed after 13 and a half days simply
because that was convenient and then they were harvested
and pressed and I looked at the amount of growth on the
side shoots.
MR KHALIL
where did you do that test?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
I did it in Surrey near Dorking.
MR
KHALIL
at any time between pressing those nettles and subsequently
examining them at the end of the time period, were they
looked at or not?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
From the pressing, no they weren't touched. They were
pressed and very shortly afterwards I looked at them.
MR KHALIL
what did you find at the end of that process, please,
after the 13 and a half days?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
well, the amount of growth on the side shoots there were
two nodes, which means two places where leaves had developed
and come off, there were two nodes developed on the so
called experimental plant and that was in accordance with
what I found in the nettle plants at Wangford Drove.
MR KHALIL
what did that say to you?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
well, it was simply an indication that there was a similar
response in the so-called experimental nettles, I wouldn't
call it a definitive experiment by any means, it is an
indication, but indicated to me that there was a similar,
within a fortnight there was a similar response of the
trampled nettles, the ones I had trampled.
MR
KHALIL
I want to move on to another thing please, the Fiesta
motor car. you were aware the police seized a red Fiesta
motor car in this case?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
did you on the 13th September, my Lord 6290 and 6315,
did you ask that that therefore be raised on a mechanical
ramp for examination?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes I did.
MR KHALIL
did you attend at that examination?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes I did.
MR KHALIL
did you pay particular attention to the front near side
suspension arm?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
was a colleague with you?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, Dr Peter Bull of Oxford University.
MR
KHALIL
what did you find when you looked at that?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
I found quite a substantial amount of what appeared to
be a chalky deposit and it had alder leaves embedded in
the matrix of the chalk.
MR KHALIL
so far as the alder leaf in the chalk was concerned, did
that raise concerns on your part - from what you had already
examined?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
only the path at Wangford Road was chalky and dominated
by alder trees.
MR KHALIL
did you ask that samples be taken?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes I did.
MR KHALIL
and was that done?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
I believe so.
MR KHALIL
all right. Between you and your colleague were you able
to subsequently analyse those samples?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes I did.
MR KHALIL
I want please you now to have - I think you have a copy
with you - the schedule which the Jury have in their green
folder at tab 4. it is headed "Taxon growing at the
deposition site" - do you have that?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
as far as taxa is concerned, does that generally cover
what we are talking about as pollen incorporating all
the other bits?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes. They are the name of the pollen types had were found
really.
MR KHALIL
if we go to the left-hand column where a number appears
we see a total, if you run down to the foot of that page,
of 66 numbered items?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
and then alongside that headed "Common name",
the common name that relates to each of those numbered
items?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
I think you have separately provided for those defending
the Latin terminology to assist them if need be?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
for our purposes we'll just deal with the common names.
can we firstly divide up, as we have on the chart, the
different types of material found. the first 19 numbered
items are headed woody taxa?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
we see common names against those what in broad terms
are we talking about her the?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
trees and shrubs and a climber ivy, it has a woody stem.
MR KHALIL
then 20, a dwarf shrub?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
that's a shrub but very small in comparison to the others
and it is woody between 21 and 47,
MR
KHALIL
Do they speak tor themselves,?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
it means they probably die down in winter or died altogether
and then grow up a seed the following year.
MR KHALIL
plants of wet soil 48 to 52, what does that category mean?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
those plants are herbs again, but one that favour damp
soils or even standing water.
MR KHALIL
spore formers, 53 to 58?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, those are plants that don't produce pollen grains,
they produce spores and most of those are flowers, except
spagnum moss, which of course is a moss.
MR
KHALIL
there are a series of times, 513 to 6 which were either
seen at the deposition site or found at the controls taken
from there but did not appear on the exhibits you examined,
is that right?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
could you repeat that please.
MR KHALIL
yes, these items, 59 to 66?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes, yes.
MR KHALIL
found at the scene or in the samples but not then found
on any exhibit?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
that's right.
MR KHALIL
I am not going to trouble with those, it may be others
will ask you. I'm going to go from 1 to 58. in your examination
in relation to this Ford Fiesta, did you receive samples
taken from within and outside the vehicle?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes I did.
MR KHALIL
as we go along that top row then please, we see front
wells is the first column?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
that relates to two samples, SLB 86 add 87 from front
footwells is that right?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
that's right.
MR KHALIL
have you separately provided information splitting those
two wells in their separate components?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes they were individually itemised.
MR
KHALIL
we here join the two together for ease of reference. moving
along, rear mats, again two slides were shown, have you
separately provided information in relation to the separate
rear mats?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, they were separately analysed.
MR
KHALIL
again we have combined them for this purpose?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
pedals - can you tell us what we are dealing with there
please?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
we are dealing with the clutch and accelerator pedal.
It might have been the brake pedal, I can't remember,
one or the other, I think it was the clutch and brake
I think. .
MR KHALIL
again you separately provided information splitting your
analysis of those two pedals?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
Suspension - is that the suspension I was talking to you
about earlier?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, there were two samples taken from that deposit and
I analysed both and that's amalgamated in the chart.
MR KHALIL
The bumper of the vehicle; two samples again and we have
amalgamated the result, is that right?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
you provided separate (inaudible) the while, DP 30, that
was the spare wheel in a cage under the car.
MR KHALIL
then a column headed "Fiesta". is that the amalgamation
of all that we have to the left of that column; in other
words, every single item from front wheels up to the wheel
that has been joined together into a single column headed
"Fiesta"?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, that's right.
MR KHALIL
all right.
MR KHALIL
I just want to deal with the motor car on its own initially
if I may. as we go to the front foot wheels, the first
column, and we can take the rest I hope fairly briefly,
front wheels number 1 sycamore maple, there is simply
a dot in that box?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
I want to ask you what lies behind the dot in the box
so we know what we are talking about. you have done your
screening, is that right?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
Yes.
MR KHALIL
then you have done your counting?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
if there is nothing relating to sycamore or maple in the
front foot well, do I take it you have a blank?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
We would have a blank.
MR KHALIL
if you have found and counted material relating to sycamore
or maple do we have a dot?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes you have.
MR KHALIL
can you if required provide numbers and/or percentages
of pollen spore taxa - call it what you will - behind
each of these dots?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
a dot is a positive finding?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes, it is.
MR KHALIL
as we go down the front wheels column is it right that
wherever we see a dot against a taxa that means that you
have found from the front foot wells taxa relating to
that named item?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes I have.
MR KHALIL
then the rear mats - this same position holds true?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
And so the entire chart is explained from left to right
in that way?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
that's right.
MR KHALIL
dealing with the motor vehicle, can I just ask you about
how material, pollen and such material gets on to - if
one, for example, walks into a woody area, where might
pollen taxa be found on you?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
if you walked into any area like that that had soil and
leaf litter would you inevitably pick up parts of that
place of that ground on your feet inevitably, and they
would probably be quite loose too, they would probably
be quite a reasonable amount of material. when you got
in the car and rubbed your foot on the carpet and the
pedals, a number of pollen grains and spores would be
transferred from your feet onto pedals and onto the carpet
.
MR KHALIL
pause there, we heard yesterday from Mr Peter Lamb the
forensic scientist, who dealt with fibres, talked of primary
transfer and secondary transfer and so on. is that the
same sort of transfer you are dealing with here?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes it is.
MR KHALIL
all right. so when we look at the front wells of the motor
vehicle, how in your experience, may these different types
of taxa have found their way into the front wells of this
Ford Fiesta?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
well, someone has walked in a place to pick up those taxa,
got into the car and they have been transferred into the
footwells.
MR KHALIL
right. rear mats, is it a similar scenario?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
it is possible although even objects were covered in pollen
grains, is what could have been put on those mats and
they could have been transferred.
MR
KHALIL
pedals?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, from footwear.
MR KHALIL
suspension - is that a different category? Well, it would
be because that's really outside the car and that would
be picking up material directly from the outside, that's
a direct transfer, that would be primary transfer?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
that would be primary transfer, in my opinion, yes.
MR KHALIL
would that be the same for the bumper and wheel?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, it would be.
MR KHALIL
I spoke earlier of the term assemblage, we have a number
of different items relating to the Fiesta that culminates
in the red column?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
how does that example apply to this part of the schedule
if at all?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
well if you look at the number of taxa in the left-hand
column, where the names of all those were found at the
site in the control samples or growing there, and they
form an assemblage, a sort of community, and it just so
happens that very similar assemblage has been found in
the car.
MR KHALIL
in are your experience what conclusion, if any, do you
draw from the finding of that assemblage material on or
in the vehicle?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
Of course there are many places that (inaudible) can be
picked up from but it is rather a coincidence that so
many at the site are present on the car and I would have
said that in my opinion the car had been to Wangford Drove
or some place that had exactly the same vegetation and
assemblage.
MR KHALIL
before you were told to give evidence I read admissions
to the Jury to the effect that the vehicle was taken to
that site would that accord with your findings or not?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes it would.
MR KHALIL
I now want to move, please, to the----
MR
JUSTICE MOSES
of course this evidence was obtained long before the admissions
emerged.
MR KHALIL
long before that - so far as the items to the right hand
side of the Fiesta column, can I ask you about those now
please? were you also provided with a pair of training
shoes?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
I think, my Lord, the Jury and you have SRB 25 and I think
26. 26 should be deleted, the pair is SLB 25. a pair of
boots which were seized from Mr Huntley, DMX 5 and 6,
and a red petrol can?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
were you also provided with another pair by way of items
of footwear?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, a pair of brown suede boots.
MR
KHALIL
I so far as boots or shoes are concerned in order for
the items to be deposited on them are we talking primary,
secondary, tertiary transfer, where in the scale?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
mostly primary but of course there could be a certain
amount of secondary transfer, but it is not quite so common.
MR KHALIL
let me deal with the training shoes which you are provided
with please, the purple column; we can see there the number
of items in common with the extreme left-hand margin?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
given that assemblage on the training shoes, what was
your conclusion in relation to them, please?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
well there is in my opinion a high degree of similarity
between those samples, between the what is found at the
car and what is found at the scene and in my opinion those
shoes again have been to either Wangford Drove or a place
that has the same vegetation, the same assemblage.
MR KHALIL
let's move to the boots. slightly different assemblage
there, shown on the chart. What, if anything, can you
say about the material found on them and your conclusions
please?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
well, the evidence for them having been to Wangford drove
is not as compelling as for the trainers, but there is
a high degree of similarity really when you consider shoes
and foot wear, with the trainers and the assemblage at
the scene and, again, I would say that it is possible
at least that those shoes have been at Wangford Drove
or a place with the same vegetation.
MR
KHALIL
another pair of boots that you were asked to look at.
Not on this chart?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
Did you obtain any results from the other pair of boots,
the brown suede boots?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, they were scanned initially and I decided that they
weren't worth pursuing because they had so few pollen
grains and spores on them that they, I don't believe they
could have been to that site. In fact, I don't think they
had been worn on soil very much or on vegetation very
much, mainly on metal surfaces I would have thought.
MR KHALIL
from that examination were you able to discard them in
your opinion as being connected with this site?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
my Lord we'll deal with those, they come from 5 College
Close well. The red petrol can, which we know was found
in the boot of the red Fiesta. We can see the assemblage
of material on the petrol can?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes. It was only partial assemblage and I was quite surprised
to find quite so many pollen grains on a seemingly clean
plastic container. when you consider there are a large
number of taxa there, in actual fact and they are in common
with the plants found in the scene, I thought that there
was a reasonable possibility, if not probability, that
that petrol can had been put on the verge at Wangford
Drove. Possibly not even on the soil but in the vegetation
probably.
MR KHALIL
you spoke of the footwell? It was then placed on the ground?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
The petrol can you speak of being placed on the ground,
if it is merely held in the air and not put down, would
you expect to find this sort of assemblage upon it or
not?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
in my experience, no just possibly the occasional one
grain, but not an assemblage like that and there were
substantial amounts of pollen on it.
MR
KHALIL
when you undertook your examination at the scene, an examination
of items from the Fiesta, examination of various items
of footwear and the petrol can, were you then aware whether
the presence of any of those items at the scene was accepted
or not?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
I didn't know.
MR KHALIL
have you provided your working notes and results to those
connected with this case so that they could be separately
considered and analysed if need be?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
they have all been made available.
MR
KHALIL
did you return to the scene more recently?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes I did.
MR KHALIL
can you recall when that was, please?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
it was a few months ago, with one of the police officers
from Cambridge constabulary, I think it was, I'm not absolutely
sure of the dates I have not got my notes in front of
me now, I think it was August.
MR KHALIL
August of this year?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
August, yes.
MR KHALIL
were you, at that time August of this year, still able
to observe the two routes in or not?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes, I just- I remembered the one at the far end quite
well and the other one was still quite obvious.
MR KHALIL
we know of course a twig, and strands of hair was found
in the area of the first route, is that right?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR KHALIL
is that the one upon which most focus was made?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, I think this is why attention was not paid to the
other one because I found the hair on the twigs, as soon
as I found the way in and people focused on that.
MR KHALIL
if you wait there, there may be some other questions,
thank you very much indeed.
Cross-examined
by MR COWARD.
MR COWARD
Dr Wiltshire, can I deal with the second alleged route
you have recently been dealing with. this photograph,
I think I think it is common ground was taken in the summer
of 2003, we may be able to get an exact date for it?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR COWARD
the reason it was taken was that in June of 2003 you went
back to the site, didn't you?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
no, I didn't.
MR COWARD
when did you go back in 2003?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
it was in August, I think.
MR COWARD
in August?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR COWARD
my Lord, for reference purposes, 634 G, of your Lordship's
papers, the statement of the 29th August and it refers
to a visit that you made which you referred to today.
MR JUSTICE MOSES
yes.
MR COWARD
thank you. you say that you spotted in the August 2002?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes I did.
MR COWARD
do you have any notes of your visit to the site in August
2002?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes I do but I didn't make notes on that particular night.
MR COWARD
you do have notes about route A in your notes?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
only in relation to the stinging nettles.
MR
COWARD
but you made a note that there appeared to be some trampling
on route A?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes I did.
MR COWARD
but you made no note of B?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
no I didn't.
MR COWARD
why?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
because of the time, as soon as I found the hair at route
A the whole inquiry became concentrated on that route
and the- basically the other one was ignored.
MR COWARD
could you say which police officers do you say you have
told about route B in August 2002?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
I can't remember but I did tell Mr Peter Murphy about
it, but there were so many police officers there I couldn't
possibly remember.
MR COWARD
as we will discover, on a site of this importance a log
is kept of everyone present and you would be logged in?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR COWARD
and you would be logged out?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR COWARD
so between the time you were logged in and the time you
were logged out, you say you told another of the officers
who would be logged in and logged out about that route.
I did mention it, I did mention that route, that I found
that route, to police officers, but I can't remember who
they were.
MR COWARD
Why didn't you make a note about it?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
because it was considered it wasn't important. my role
at that scene was to find a route that could have been
taken by the offender to put the victims in the ditch
and I was asked to find a route. I found two routes. I
did not know the significance of it, I don't think anyone
realised the significance of it, because it was so obvious
that route A had been used, and we found the hair on the
twig.
MR COWARD
would you accept, Miss Wiltshire, that until the summer
of 2003, in the numerous statements you have made to the
police, there is nowhere any indication that there was
a second route. Do you accept that?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
yes I do.
MR COWARD
how has that come about?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
it had never been brought up.
MR COWARD
well, people, other people, can only bring it up if you
tell them about it and I suggest you told not one single
police officer about that route?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
I beg your pardon?
MR COWARD
I suggest you told not one single police officer about
route B?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
your suggestion is wrong. I did tell a police officer.
MR COWARD
can you describe him at all?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
I think - it sounds silly - I think it was a young man
with an earring, I believe he was a scenes-of-crimes officer
but I can't remember. you must remember the activity at
the scene at the time was frantic on the day, and that
activity and me finding the other route ----
MR COWARD
Mrs Wiltshire, you don't mean frantic, do you?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
people did feel frantic to some extent, I'm sure.
MR COWARD
this was a carefully controlled attempt to get as much
information from the site as possible, wasn't it?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes.
MR COWARD
each expert had his job to do; we heard from some of the
other experts how carefully they went about their work.
You smile, why do you smile?
PATRICIA
WILTSHIRE
because I think I was careful in what I was asked to do.
MR COWARD
I had not got to suggesting yet that you were not. I am
telling you because you were there; you know it, what
other people were doing and how carefully they were approaching
their task where does the word "frantic" come
from?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
there was a great deal of activity.
MR
COWARD
and you, as a vastly experienced scientist/palynologist
and expert, know it is important to record at the time
everything which is obviously significant and anything
which, by its nature, may become significant. do you agree?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
yes, I do. it was not obviously significant at the time.
It was a faint path and the other path was much stronger
and was obviously a path taken by the offender to carry
the victims into the ditch, and most people concentrated
on that. I did mention this faint path at the other end
and it has not been recorded. .
MR COWARD
I see. Where did the path run to? We know where it ran
from, from point B. Did you follow its track?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
only by eye, I didn't go into the track. I just noted
that there was a faint track, a bleak track leading from
the path.
MR COWARD
heading where?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
towards the ditch.
MR COWARD
how far did it run?
PATRICIA WILTSHIRE
towards the edge of the ditch, a number of meters, but
didn't measure it.
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