20/12/95 - STATEMENT of FRANCIS GILLIAN THEOBALD

NAME: FRANCIS GILLIAN THEOBALD
AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 40 03071955

Who states:- This statement consisting of 003 pages, each signed by me, is true to the best of my knowledge and belief and I make it knowing that if it is tendered in evidence I shall be liable to prosecution if I have wilfully stated in it anything which I know to be false or do not believe to be true.

DATED: 201295
F G THEOBALD (SIGNED)

I live with my husband Peter and son Christopher at Whitehouse Farm Rettendon Essex. The farm is situated on the main A130, I would describe our farm layout as follows. We have two entrances directly off the main road. There is a concrete vehicle parking area which leads onto our two storey farm house, tea room, farm shop and outbuildings.

We are an arable farm but through the shop we sell eggs, hay, straw and general farm goods. We also raise turkeys and sell Christmas trees over the winter months. We also sub let some of our outbuildings to two people Mr Wayne JACKSON and Mr Alan HOWE.

The farm shop is open between the hours of 0900 hours to 1700 hours. I run the farm shop but sometimes I am assisted by a friend called Allan NEWTON who lives in Basildon. During the morning of Thursday 071200 I became aware of a shooting incident which occurred in Workhouse Lane.

This lane abuts our farm land. I am also aware of a Range Rover motor vehicle being involved in this incident. I have given this incident much thought and have been asked by police officers if I could remember anything unusual and I can provide the following information.

On Tuesday 050000 or Wednesday 061295 during the day I can recall seeing a white car pull onto our property. I thought nothing of this but this vehicle was followed by what I believe was a green Range Rover. I took notice of this vehicle for two reasons.

Firstly we had considered purchasing a vehicle of the same type and also the occupants of the Range Rover were large white males. I am aware that Mr JACKSON runs a business called Billericay Bayliff Services therefore because of the general demeanour of the occupants of the Range Rover I just assumed they were going to call at Mr JACKSON's outbuilding.

I saw the white vehicle of which I could not give any further detail drive in, it did not stop but continued along to the second exit. The Range Rover followed behind and I formed the opinion that these two vehicles were together. Neither vehicle stopped and drove out of the gate and back onto the road towards the Rettendon turnpike.

I remember thinking 'cheaky buggers'. I have tried to put a time to the incident it was daylight and it was not snowing. I believe that it could have been whilst Allan was helping my husband which caused me to be outside in the farm shop area.

If this is the case it would be Wednesday morning before 1030 hours. The Range Rover I saw was an 'F' suffix registration. There was at least two occupants the passenger in the front seat had a cream coloured sleeve. I have seen photographs in the newspaper of the victims of the shooting incident the people in the range rover were of a similar description to these.

The passenger in the Range Rover had light brown hair he also had a what I would call a jowly fat face aged under 40 yrs. As previously mentioned I cannot give any description of occupants or type of car described as the white vehicle.

F G THEOBALD SIGNED
STATEMENT TAKEN PLACE:
TIME:
DATE: 201295
WITNESS TO SIGNATURE:
OFFICERS SIGNATURE: DC HIGH