| The Dream Solution
- Documents |
??/??/?? - Brief for police interview
perverting the course of justice
REFERENCE THE MURDER OF ALISON SHAUGHNESSY.
Despite the passage of time, I feel I have to make a full
statement regarding my involvement in matters surrounding
the events, which followed ALISON SHAUGHNESSYS murder. My
motives for doing so at this late stage will become apparent
during this statement. I have always had an interest in crime/punishment
and the judicial system.
Having been an offender myself from a relatively early age,
it was somehow inevitable that an interest would be formed.
In the summer of 1992 I became aware of two Sisters, LISA
and MICHELLE TAYLOR. I learned of them through Press reports
concerning their trial for the murder of ALISON SHAUGHNESSY.
Having read the Prosecutions case via the media, I decided
I would write to MICHELLE at Holloway Prison offering her
support and advice, as I believed far too much emphasis had
been put on her personal life, which was deflecting from the
facts surrounding the actual murder. Now that I have got to
know MICHELLE, I can fully understand why her personality
and obsessive behaviour was of paramount importance, but obviously
I was not aware of this at the time.
MICHELLE replied to my letter and we began to correspond on
a regular basis. On the final day of the trial I attended
the Old Bailey where I met the other members of the TAYLOR
family and a few of their friends. Not a great deal was said,
the TAYLOR family were aware of my correspondence with MICHELLE
but I suppose their thoughts were on the trial proceedings
rather than me.
The jury returned with a Guilty Verdict and after chatting
about Appeals and such matters we all went our separate ways.
The following morning I was very surprised to receive a telephone
call from MICHELLE, she was not upset, as I would have expected,
she was quite matter of fact and we discussed everyday things.
MICHELLE and I discussed the prospect of an Appeal and a campaign
to highlight the case, I cannot recall who raised the subject
initially.
I offered my support and within a few days I had arranged
to visit MICHELLES parents, ANNE and DEREK at their home in
Kemble Road, Forest Hill. I received the letter with their
telephone number and address from MICHELLE on the 31st of
July 1992. ANNE and DEREK had the will to fight a campaign
but they lacked ideas.
Their intended strategy revolved around writing to M.P.s,
putting up fly posters and getting hoards of strangers to
sign petition forms. I explained the only way forward was
to cast doubt on the Prosecutions evidence or seek a Legal
loophole. At the time, several high profile criminal cases
had collapsed using such methods and so it was pretty much
common knowledge how to go about it.
If you could find one flaw in the case, however small, the
whole case collapsed regardless of any other incriminating
evidence. MICHELLE confirms my views in a letter written to
me at that time marked POLICE. 1
"BERNIE, I REALLY DID HAVE TO LAUGH AT YOUR LETTER, YOU
WROTE ON THE 12.08.92 COZ YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE NOT LISTENING
TO YOU BUT PLEASE BELIEVE ME BERNIE EVERYTHING YOU SAY DOES
NOT GO IN ONE EAR AND COME OUT THE OTHER, I TAKE NOTE OF IT
ALL. I DO KNOW THAT A JUDGE WOULD NOT BATTER AN EYELID AT
A PETITION FORM AND YES I DO AGREE HE WOULD LOOK TWICE AT
EVIDENCE.
I ALSO HEAR EVERYTHING YOU ARE SAYING ABOUT THE PAPERS PLEASE
BELIEVE I LISTEN TO WHAT YOU SAY. AS FOR THE CAMPAIGN ETC.
I KNOW THAT WILL HURRY THINGS UP BUT WONT BE WHAT A JUDGE
WILL DECIDE ON. SO MANY PEOPLE WANT TO HELP AND IT REALLY
DOES MEAN A LOT TO ME AND LISA AND YES I DO AGREE IT WOULD
BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE A MEETING BUT FIRST WE HAVE TO FIND
THE PEOPLE WHO CAN OFFER THEIR TIME TO DO MORE BECAUSE A LOT
OF PEOPLE CANNOT SPARE MORE THAN A FEW HOURS.
THOSE PEOPLE WHO CAN OFFER THE HELP TOWARDS FINDING OUT BITS
AND PIECES WILL SOON COME OUT FROM WHAT THEY WRITE OR SAY
ON A PHONE, BUT THOSE WHO CANT DO MORE BECAUSE THEY DONT HAVE
THE TIME THEIR SUPPORT IS JUST AS NEEDED.
OH BERNIE, I DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT IM SAYIN I KNOW WHAT I WANT
TO SAY, BUT ITS NOT COMING OUT, I FEEL LIKE SCRIBBLING HARD
ACROSS THE PAPER."
MICHELLES reference to; "I ALSO HEAR WHAT YOU ARE SAYING
ABOUT THE PAPER concerns my view that the TAYLOR SISTERS should
have limited the number interviews they did and ask Newspapers
concerned for payment. DEREK TAYLOR had been told that the
press were not allowed to make payments to convicted criminals
but I knew there was ways around that.
DEREK was keen to raise cash for the campaign but he was uncertain
about what I was telling him. I said if a third party was
paid, the newspaper concerned could justify any payment by
saying they had not paid the criminal, but had paid the third
party for arranging the interview.
I knew people who had done this and I sent DEREK TAYLOR a
press cutting which I now produce marked POLICE 2 It concerns
the amount of money the KRAY Brothers had made from interviews
with the Press, their is a caption written on it in my handwriting
which states;
"DEL, THIS WEEKS SUN,"CANT PAY PEOPLE IN PRISON"
SEE YOU ON MONDAY, BERNIE."
ANNE, DEREK, LISA and MICHELLE agreed I would read the case
papers and other related material in order to seek out vulnerable
areas in the Prosecution case. Recently the TAYLORS have sought
to discredit my account of events saying they were shocked
to learn I was a violent criminal, but they have always been
aware of my criminal background and considered it an asset
whilst we worked together in our attempts to overturn the
murder conviction.
Their utter loathing of the Police is well documented in the
letters I received from them. During the campaign I was being
investigated by Basildon Police for a violent attack on two
men, in a letter now produced and marked Police 3 MICHELLE
states;
"I WAS SO ANNOYED WHEN I READ YOUR LETTER. THE POLICE
ARE LOW LIFES MATE, I WONDER WHAT SORT OF THRILL THEY GET
TREATING PEOPLE LIKE THEY DO. ITS DISGUSTING HOW A BADGE AND
A FEW PIPS ON A UNIFORM GIVES THEM THE RIGHT TO TREAT PEOPLE
LIKE NOBODIES.
IM SURE IF A SENSOR WAS DONE ON THEM WE WOULD FIND THEY SET
SOMEONE UP EVERYDAY AND MAKE SURE THEY TAKE AWAY THEIR AND
THEIR FAMILIES LIVES. NO WORD IN ANY LANGUAGE CAN BE GIVEN
TO DESCRIBE A BENT COPPER. WELL IF WE ALL HAD THE POWER TO
SEE INTO THE FUTURE WHENEVER WE WANTED TO AND HAD THE POWER
TO CHANGE IT, THEN I BELIEVE I WOULD USE EVERY POWER POSSIBLE
TO MAKE SURE THIS SET UP THEY HAVE DONE TO YOU BACKFIRED IN
THEIR FACES AND YOU WERE HOME SAFELY.
BERNIE I HOPE YOU DONT GET BIRD COZ THIS WHOLE THING IS OUT
OF ORDER AND IT WILL MEAN YET ANOTHER INNOCENT PERSON WILL
GO TO PRISON. I SO WISH I WAS OUTSIDE RIGHT AT THIS MINUTE
INSTEAD OF HAVING TO WAIT. COZ AT LEAST THEN I COULD GIVE
YOU SUPPORT AND BE THERE FOR YOU AND IF IT DID GO WRONG I
WOULD BE IN A POSITION TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE OKAY ALL THE
TIME.
BERNIE, YOU KNOW IM ALREADY WITH YOU SO WHATEVER THE OUTCOME
IM ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU BERNIE. I FUCKING HOPE AND PRAY IT
GOES OKAY. ALL COPPERS ARE BASTARDS MATE, EXCUSE THE LANGUAGE
BUT THIS HAS REALLY TURNED ME. THEY AINT GOT NOTHING ELSE
TO DO THAN SPEND THEIR DAYS SETTING PEOPLE UP, IT REALLY MAKES
ME SICK."
In a letter now produced and marked POLICE 4 MICHELLE states;
"WELL WHATS HAPPENING WITH THE POLICE ETC??? WHY THEY
JUST CAN'T LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE. YOU KNOW IF TWO PEOPLE WALKED
DOWN THE ROAD, ONE READY TO COMMIT A CRIME AND ONE WHO WOULD
NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT, THE POLICE WOULD ARREST THE INNOCENT
PERSON BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY WOULDNT HAVE HASSLE.
THE POLICE ONLY WANT TO WASTE TIME WITH THE LITTLE PEOPLE
SO THEY CAN CLEAN UP THEIR DESK REGARDLESS OF WETHER THEY
ARE INNOCENT OR NOT COZ NO MATTER WHAT THEY SLEEP AT NIGHT.
THIS WORLD IS A CRAZY PLACE WITH ALL THE UNTRUSTWORTHY PEOPLE
RUNNING IT. WELL BERNIE, I THINK I JUST WENT INTO ONE FOR
NO REASON."
In a letter now produced and marked POLICE 5 MICHELLE states;
"WELL I HOPE IT GOES OKAY AT COURT TUESDAY, REMMEMBER
EVEN THOUGH THE POLICE MAY MAKE YOU FEEL SMALL YOU ARE ONE
HUNDRED PER CENT BETTER THAN THEM AS THEY ARE JUST THEY ARE
SCUM OF THE EARTH AND YOU ARE WORTH TEN OF THEM, SO JUST REMMEMBER
TO KEEP LAUGHING AND SMILING INSIDE."
In a letter now produced and marked POLICE 6 MICHELLE states;
"WELL ALL THE BEST TOMMOROW ON THE I.D. (PARADE) I WAS
GONNA SAY ON THE PHONE TONIGHT I WOULD RING TO SEE HOW YOU
GOT ON BUT FOR SOME REASON I STOPPED, NEVER MIND, JUST YOU
MAKE SURE YOU GIVE THEM A LITTLE GRIEF."
In a letter now produced and marked POLICE 7 MICHELLE states;
"WELL ITS WEDNESDAY MORNING AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT
YOU AS I KNOW YOUR AT COURT TODAY, WELL I SAID A PRAYER FOR
YOU AND BOTH ME AND LEE HOPE IT ALL GOES OKAY. WE ACTUALLY
PHONED YOU LAST NIGHT TO WISH YOU LUCK BUT NO ANSWER. WELL
DONT LET THEM GET YOU DOWN COZ THEM AND ITS SAD REALLY COZ
THEY WILL BE THE SAME FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES."
In a letter now produced and marked POLICE 8 MICHELLE states;
"WELL WHAT MORE COULD YOU EXPECT FROM THE POLICE, I SUPPOSE
THEY FIND IT FUNNY LEAVING CASES LAYING OVER YOUR HEAD. FURTHER
INVESTIGATING, WELL THEY WANT TO BE CAREFULL THEY DONT TIRE
THEMSELVES OUT, IM SURE THEY DONT REALISE WHAT INVESTIGATING
MEANS, SO IT WILL COME AS A SUPRISE TO THEM IF THEY DO DECIDE
TO DO SOME WORK."
In a letter now produced and marked POLICE 9 MICHELLE states;
"SO THE OLD BILL ARE STILL CONTINUING THEIR BORING JOBS
GOING AROUND TRYING TO PIN THINGS ON INNOCENT PEOPLE, I WONDER
WHAT THEY WOULD DO IF THEY DID EVER ACTUALLY ARREST A REAL
CRIMINAL, SOMEONE THAT WAS REALLY GUILTY OF A CRIME, I KNOW
THEY WOULD PROBABLY LET THEM GO, ITS SAD THE WAY THEY GET
THEIR KICKS."
The first area of evidence we chose to contest was the timings
the Police produced in relation to the journey from VARDENS
ROAD, BATTERSEA, where ALISON had lived and was murdered,
to the CHURCHILL CLINIC, KENNINGTON, where MICHELLE had both
lived and worked. I cannot now recall exactly how long the
Police stated it took to make this journey by car, but I believe
it was eleven minutes.
These timings were crucial to the Prosecution case as there
was an agreed time that ALISON arrived home and an agreed
time that MICHELLE was seen at the Churchill Clinic. This
left a 23-minute "window" for the murder to be committed
and the journey back to the Clinic to be made. I hired a video
camera from a shop in Walworth road, Walworth and then I went
to meet DEREK TAYLOR and a relative of the TAYLOR family named
NORMAN SIMPSON who works in or owns an Electrical shop in
Brockley Rise, Brockley, S.E.London.
I believe SIMPSON is LISA and MICHELLES Uncle. We met up outside
the Clinic and then made our way to Vardens Road. This was
on Monday the third of August 1992. When we arrived at Vardens
Road DEREK parked at the top near the Roundhouse public house.
This ironically, is the exact spot MICHELLE told me herself
and LISA had parked on the day they had murdered ALISON. JAMES
HEWITT a totally independent witness has also told Police
that he saw;
"A WHITE ESTATE CAR, THOUGHT TO BE A FORD SIERRA STATIONARY
IN VARDENS ROAD AT ABOUT 5.35.pm ON THE DAY OF THE MURDER.
(TALLIES IN COLOUR, MODEL AND MAKE WITH A CAR, WHICH AT THAT
TIME WAS OWNED AND REGULARY DRIVEN BY MICHELLE.)
NORMAN SIMPSON walked down to 41 Vardens Road where ALISON
had lived. I sat in the back of the car, which was MICHELLES
white Sierra Estate; DEREK TAYLOR was in the driving seat.
On the dashboard we had mounted a stop clock, which we had
secured with a lump of blue tack. A hand signal was given
to SIMPSON and he began to walk towards the car, at the same
moment the video camera was switched to record mode and the
stop clock was activated.
Once SIMPSON had reached the car he got in and DEREK drove
off towards the Clinic. I filmed the journey throughout, focusing
on the speedometer, the stop clock and the road ahead. We
kept within the designated speed limits and obeyed all traffic
signals and signs, but much to our disappointment we were
able to cover the journey quicker than the Police had said
it would take.
DEREK TAYLOR was disappointed and seemed embarrassed. He was
aware of my criminal background and my anti police attitude
at that time, he said "FUCK IT, IF THE POLICE CAN LIE,
THEN SO CAN WE," or words to that effect. This I believe
was the turning point for me, it was the first time we had
openly discussed misrepresenting the facts. It was agreed
we would only retain video footage of runs, which exceeded
the Police timings, we would destroy all others.
We soon learned that if we gauged the changing of traffic
lights by either accelerating or slowing down, once you had
been caught on one red light, you would invariably be caught
at all subsequent lights on red. Obviously this would extend
the journey time by several valuable minutes. We carried out
these runs on MONDAY; AUGUST 3RD, AUGUST 10TH, AUGUST 17TH,
AUGUST 24TH, OCTOBER 26TH and NOVEMBER 02ND 1992.
We found that doing the run during school summer holidays,
which is also the time the murder was committed, was the worst
time for trying to extend the time of the run. The roads in
London are well known for being quiet during school holidays
and so after recording some very unfavourable times we decided
to wait until September the 14th when the children would be
back at school and the roads would be busier.
We chose Mondays because ALISON had been murdered on a Monday
and we wanted conditions to appear as realistic as possible.
NORMAN SIMPSON only came on a couple of runs, oddly enough
the TAYLORS did not fully trust him as he was rather outspoken
in public. In a letter marked POLICE 10 and now produced,
MICHELLE confirms this;
"I KNOW OTHER PEOPLE INCLUDING OUR UNCLE WILL WANT TO
BE ON THE VISIT BUT I CANT TAKE THE HASSLE, SO PLEASE DONT
SAY ANYTHING IN HIS COMPANY. WE LOVE HIM LOADS, BUT SOMETIMES
HE TALKS A LOT OF RUBBISH AND IT DOES MY HEAD IN."
Recently MICHELLE has claimed that we never sought to provide
false and misleading information etc. but that is a lie, we
did, and all of the TAYLOR family except for TRACY and their
Brother was aware of it. We would discuss matters on visits,
briefly in letters or via ANNE and DEREK TAYLOR who had devised
a code with LISA and MICHELLE which they would use whilst
on the telephone; In letters now produced and marked POLICE
11 LISA states;
"APART FROM RUSHING AROUND WITH MY DAD AND TRACKING UP
LONDON TO FLEET STREET HAVE YOU BEEN DOING ANYTHING EXCITING
HA HA HA."
MICHELLE STATES. "I ALSO KNOW THINGS WERE LEFT UNTURNED
AT TRIAL BUT THIS TIME NO CORNER WILL BE LEFT UNTURNED, BECAUSE
LIKE YOU, I AND MY DAD THINK THE SAME, I ONLY WISH I WAS THERE
TO HELP WITH THE WORK COZ I KNOW HOW STRESSFULL IT IS FOR
MY PARENTS, YOU AND MY OTHER FRIENDS.
I DONT THINK OTHER PEOPLE REALISE HOW MUCH IT TAKES OUT OF
YOU. AS FOR YOU, YOU NEED TO SLOW DOWN A BIT, DO YOU REALLY
THINK YOU CAN CARRY ON DOING WHAT YOUR DOING WITHOUT MUCH
SLEEP! I DONT THINK SO.
I CAN SEE YOU COMING IN FROM WORK SETTING YOUR ALARM CLOCK
BUT JUST AS YOUR ABOUT TO DROP OFF IN THE LAND OF NOD AND
DING A LING A LING UP YOU GET AND OFF TO WORK AGAIN."
LISA STATES: "HOW ARE YOU MATE? WELL MICHELLE WAS TELLING
ME WHAT YOUVE BEEN DOING AND WHAT CAN I SAY BUT THANKS, I
MEAN THAT FROM THE HEART, YOU ALWAYS MAKE ME FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING
IS GONNA BE OKAY, YOU GIVE ME SO MUCH HOPE, YOU THINK OF EVERYTHING,
I WISH I HAD A BRAIN LIKE YOURS."
MICHELLE STATES: "WELL LISTEN BERNIE, THE VISIT IS NEXT
WEEK SO YOU CAN HAVE THE GO AHEAD WITH THIS THING IN PERSON.
TO BE HONEST IM NOT TO SURE WHAT IT IS, MUM AND DAD BOTH SPEAK
THEIR OWN CODE ON THE PHONE AND WE HAVE TO GUESS SO I SORT
OF KNOW, BUT LIKE IVE ALREADY SAID, IF DAD AND MUM AGREE THEN
SO DO WE. SO IF YOU HAVE TO GET IT SORTED NOW, THEN DO COZ
I TRUST YOU ONE HUNDRED PER CENT."
MICHELLE STATES. "WELL WE SENT THE VISITING ORDERS OUT
THIS MORNING. WE ONLY PUT OUR FAMILY AND YOU DOWN AS WE CAN
DISCUSS THINGS THEN WITHOUT STRANGERS LISTENING AND STARING."
We were all concerned that the authorities may learn what
we were up to. Nothing was ever done without been discussed
between us and the final word would go to MICHELLE and LISA.
We did our best to cover up our activities; we even applied
to the Security office at BULLWOOD HALL PRISON for special
"LEGAL" visits for myself and MICHELLE.
These would have had the same privileges a Solicitor enjoys
whilst visiting their client i.e. total privacy. Permission
to "act with just the parents permission" was also
offered, but I preferred to let LISA and or MICHELLE have
the last word. In letters now produced and marked POLICE 12
MICHELLE STATES.
"WELL I SEE A LADY FROM SECURITY YESTERDAY AND SHE SAID
THEY ARE STILL WAITING TO HEAR IF YOU ARE CLEAR. I ASKED WHO
IT WAS THEY WERE WAITING ON AND SHE WOULDNT TELL ME. SO WE
HAD A FEW WORDS, AS I SAID THIS PLACE CANT SORT NISH, SO SHE
MIGHT AS WELL GIVE ME THE NAME AND I WOULD DO IT MYSELF, SHE
DIDNT SEEM TO LIKE THIS, COZ SHE STILL WOULDNT TELL ME.
I JUST SAID AT THE END, WELL I WILL PUT IN AN APPLICATION
EVERY WEEK UNTIL I DO HEAR SOMETHING. SOMEHOW BERNIE, I JUST
DONT THINK WE WILL EVER GET AN ANSWER OR WHEN WE DO IT WILL
BE TOO LATE TO GET A VISIT, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN."
MICHELLE STATES. "WELL I PUT IN AN APPLICATION TODAY
AFTER I GOT YOUR LETTER TO SEE CLAIR LAMBERT (*SECURITY) SO
I SHOULD HOPEFULLY GET TO SEE HER TOMMOROW, BUT SAYING THAT
IVE ALSO GOT TO SEE THE DOCTOR TOMMOROW SO I MIGHT MISS HER
WHICH MEANS I WONT SEE HER TILL THURSDAY. DONT WORRY I WILL
DEFINATELY KEEP ON UNTIL I DO SEE HER AND KNOW SHE HAS SORTED
THINGS."
MICHELLE STATES. "WELL I MANAGED TO SEE CLAIR LAMBERT
TODAY, SHE TOLD ME THEY WHERE WAITING TO HEAR IF YOU HAD SECURITY
CLEARANCE. I ASKED HER WHEN SHE WILL KNOW AND SHE SAID WITHIN
THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS IF NOT NEXT WEEK SOME TIME, SO I SAID
IF SHE HADNT GOT BACK TO ME BY THURSDAY OF NEXT WEEK I WILL
PUT IN AN APPLICATION TO SEE HER."
MICHELLE STATES. "WELL B, IF YOU WRITE THE QUESTIONS
DOWN THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW THEN EITHER I WILL WRITE BACK OR
SEE YOU ON A VISIT AND GIVE YOU MY ANSWER WHICHEVER IS THE
QUICKEST WAY."
MICHELLE STATES. "BERNIE WHEN YOU GET THIS LETTER, CAN
YOU PLEASE LET ME KNOW .COZ IVE WROTE THREE LETTERS TO YOU
THIS WEEK AND FOR SOME REASON, IVE GOT A FEELING YOU AINT
BEEN GETTING THEM. SO PLEASE JUST LET ME KNOW."
MICHELLE STATES. "WELL I NOW KNOW NOT TO BOTHER SEEING
THE SOLICITORS ABOUT SORTING A VISIT FOR YOU BUT I WILL STILL
PUT AN APPLICATION IN TO SEE SECURITY. IM ALSO PUTTING AN
APPLICATION IN TOMMOROW TO SEE THE GOVERNER ABOUT THE PHONE
CALLS BEING TAPED, THINKING ABOUT IT, I WILL BE CAREFULL WHAT
I SAY COZ I KNOW THE SORT OF HASSLE YOU CAN GET IN NICK, I
JUST WANT TO COVER OUR BACKS AGAIN.
YOU KNOW IVE GOT THIS FEELING THAT THIS CERTAIN KANGA (PRISON
OFFICER*) IS TAPING ON HER OWN TAPES AND GETTING PAID FOR
IT COZ LIKE I ALREADY EXPLAINED TONIGHT THE TAPE I SAW HER
USE YESTERDAY WAS NOT A PRISON TAPE.
WELL I WILL JUST HAVE TO BE CAREFULL HOW I WORD IT WHEN I
SEE THE GOVERNER, YOU KNOW SINCE I WAS TOLD ABOUT OUR PHONE
CONVERSATIONS BEING TAPED IVE BEEN WATCHING REALLY CAREFULLY
AND THE ONLY TIME IVE SEEN THAT MACHINE ON, IS WHEN THAT CERTAIN
KANGA IS ON. WELL ILL SORT IT TOMMOROW."
MICHELLE STATES. "BERNIE YOU KNOW YOU DONT HAVE TO WAIT
FOR ME AND LISA TO AGREE THINGS BECAUSE MUM AND DAD ARE THERE
AND IF YOU, MUM AND DAD ARE HAPPY THEN WE ARE TOO. THAT DOESNT
MEAN I AINT INTERESTED BECAUSE I AM ABOUT EVERYTHING, SO DONT
THINK OTHERWISE."
LISA STATES. "BERN MATE, YOU JUST CHECK WITH MY PARENTS
IF YOU WANNA DO SOMETHING, IF THEY AGREE THEN THATS FINE,
YOU DO WHAT YOU "WANNA" AND WE DONT THINK YOUR TRYING
TO TAKE OVER, SO GET THAT OUT OF THE WAY HA HA HA."
MICHELLE STATES. "I DONT THINK MUM AND DAD TOLD US ABOUT
THE THING YOUR GOING TO DO, BUT LISTEN "J" (*NICK
NAME) IF THEY AGREE WE AGREE SO GO FOR IT."
I would estimate that out of the eight timing runs we did
only three or four were deemed suitable for our purpose i.e.
to indicate the run couldn't be completed in eleven minutes.
The truth is, it was reasonably easy to cover the journey
in that time, and we had managed it in between 8 and 9 minutes
on more than one occasion. MICHELLE and LISA were fully aware
what was going on with regard to the timings. In a letter
now produced and marked POLICE 13 MICHELLE STATES:
"WELL I GOT ALL THE TIMING STUFF AND IT DID MAKE INTERESTING
READING.THEM POLICE WELL AND TRULY GOT AWAY WITH SHIT, WHY
THE SOLICITORS NEVER DONE ALL THIS CHECKING BEFORE I WILL
NEVER UNDERSTAND.
BERNIE, I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP TIME
AND EFFORT YOU ARE GIVING US, I KNOW I WILL NEVER BE ABLE
TO THANK YOU ENOUGH. I WILL NEVER FORGET ALL THIS AND HOPEFULLY
ONE DAY I WILL BE ABLE TO REPAY YOU."
Several newspapers and at least one Television Documentary
were fed and subsequently used the false timings in the weeks
leading up to the Appeal. It was intended to plant doubt in
people's minds and add weight to the defences case at the
Appeal hearing. An attempt was also made to challenge the
time Alison arrived home. I worked alone but with the full
knowledge of the TAYLORS.
I re traced ALISONS journey home, again recording the event
on video, but despite three attempts I could not contest or
cast doubt on the Police times. I visited the TAYLORS fairly
regularly in prison, the first time was at Holloway on Friday
28th of August 1992, their parents were always present. Discussions
about falsifying testimony or evidence were a common theme.
The TAYLORS referred to it as "beating the coppers at
their own game. "Overturning their convictions became
an obsession for me, I worked between 12 and 18 hours per
day on their behalf a fact MICHELLE confirms in many letters.
Around this time campaigns for alleged miscarriages of Justice
were rife, people from one campaign liased with people on
another sharing useful tips and media people's names who were
sympathetic to anti police matters.
We all used to laugh saying there had never been a Rough Justice
programme made about a guilty person who had escaped justice,
it was always the case that an innocent person had been wrongfully
convicted. I can recall meeting an Asian who was heavily involved
with the "CARDIFF THREE" campaign and George Silcott
who was working on behalf of his Brother WINSTON SILCOTT.
GEORGE attended the Appeal Court hearing and LISA and MICHELLE
agreed to wear "WINSTON SILCOTT" T-Shirts when they
walked to freedom as a gesture of thanks to the SILCOTT family.
The question of innocence or guilt was immaterial we only
sought a Legal loophole or a means of raising doubt.
It was decided we needed a suitable alternative suspect as
people always seemed to ask, "if they did not do it,
then who did?" Several suggestions were put forward,
we tried to link the murders of PENNY BELL and RACHEL NICKELL
to ALISONS murder but it was futile.
ANNE TAYLOR spoke to ALASTAIR BELL, PENNYS husband, on more
than one occasion, I am sure he will recall this. MICHELLE
was aware of the links we were trying to forge, in a letter
now produced and marked POLICE 14 she states;
"YOU WROTE TO THE PAPER WITH A GREAT IDEA CONCERNING
THIS MAN SEEN BY THE DOCTOR BUT YOU THEN GO ON TO SAY IT MAY
SOUND RUBBISH. YOUR MIND WORKS OVERTIME WITHOUT REALISING
IT.
IDEAS COME INTO YOUR HEAD THAT WOULD NOT ENTER OTHER PEOPLES.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT IDEA; JUST SAY PEOPLE HAVE SEEN A
CHARACTER FITTING THE DESCRIPTION. ITS LIKE LAST YEAR, JUNE
TIME, ALISON WAS MURDERED THEN PENNY BELL IN HER CAR.
A WHOLE YEAR GOES PAST AND NOW ON THE RADIO JULY/AUGUST TIME,
THREE WOMEN HAVE BEEN KILLED IN SIMILAR WAYS. IS THERE A MADMAN
OUT THERE WHO IS ATTACKING SUMMERTIME? IT SEEMS FUNNY BUT
IT COULD BE TRUE. I HAVENT SAID THIS TO MUM AND DAD YET, BUT
ITS WHATS BEEN IN MY HEAD, I-WONDER."
Only two people seemed to fit our needs regarding an alternative
suspect, one was JOHN SHAUGHNESSYs Brother; I cannot now recall
his Christian name. He had boiling wax poured over his face
and genitals as he lay in bed a few months before ALISON was
murdered. His Wife had done it to him after learning he had
been unfaithful.
After I had read JOHN SHAUGHNESSYs statement, it was obvious
he had been at best liberal with the truth when questioned
by the Police. Despite being relatively newly wed, JOHN had
indulged in several affairs, which we chose to interpret as
him being unhappily married. Because ALISON was a strict Irish
Catholic, divorce would not be an option.
We planned to promote the view both Brothers had good reason
to hate their wives, one was waiting to be dealt with by the
Courts, the other, we reasoned, they would murder. John, we
said, could have met his Brother at lunchtime and given him
a set of keys, he could then have laid in wait at the flat
for ALISON to come home. A witness had given the Police a
statement saying they had seen JOHN at lunchtime out walking.
At the time the murder was committed JOHN had been with BUSTER
EDWARDS who worked a flower stall at Waterloo Station, which
was only a short walk to the Clinic. JOHN regularly purchased
flowers from BUSTER for the Clinic. On this day he hadn't
worn his normal attire and had forgotten any method of payment
and asked BUSTER the time.
We concluded JOHN wanted BUSTER to clearly remember him and
the time he had been there. A lot of other factual evidence
helped us to support this scenario, for instance Johns Brothers
home had been searched after ALISONS murder and the Police
had taken away knives for examination.
ALISON had received a telephone call at work on the afternoon
of her death, I cannot now recall the details, but I recall
a statement was made by one of Alison's colleagues who initially
took the call and she thought the caller was somehow odd.
We reasoned this was JOHN making sure she would go directly
home.
Our main stumbling block was Johns alibi; BUSTER had given
evidence for the Prosecution at the trial and effectively
destroyed any hope we had of raising doubt. I knew BUSTER
prior to meeting the TAYLORS and because of his criminal notoriety
(he was one of the Great Train Robbers) I thought he would-if
encouraged, change his testimony to suit our needs.
On Thursday the 3rd of December 1992, DEREK TAYLOR and I visited
BUSTER at his flower stall. There was a general chat about
a cake MICHELLE had made for BUSTER prior to her arrest, BUSTER
actually told DEREK that he didn't think the girls had done
it, he said that when it first happened a Policeman had told
him "it was coons." (AFRO CARRIBEANS)
I asked BUSTER if he would give us a "leg up" meaning
would he be prepared to help us. I explained to him about
JOHN, I asked if he would say another man waited for John,
or JOHN appeared to be nervous, anything that would point
the finger away from the Taylor's, but BUSTER cut me short,
he said he wouldn't do it.
The conversation ended with BUSTER saying he disliked JOHN
for saying in the Press he would like to hang LISA and MICHELLE
himself, BUSTER said he was going to "pull him"
if he ever saw him again, but regardless, he couldn't help
us. MICHELLE was told about this meeting, as was LISA who
described BUSTER as a "fucking grass." In a letter
now produced and marked POLICE 15 MICHELLE states;
"WELL I WASNT SURE THE STALL MAN KNEW I MADE THE CAKE
COZ IT WAS ACTUALLY SOMEONE ELSE WHO ASKED ME TO MAKE IT AND
IT WASNT TILL AFTER I FOUND OUT WHO IT WAS FOR, I NEVER EVER
MENTIONED IT TO HIM."
In a letter now produced and marked POLICE 15A, I state;
"I AM EAGER TO CONTACT YOUR PARENTS SO AS I CAN STOP
TALKING AND GET SOMETHING POSITIVE DONE FOR YOU AND LISA.
AS I TOLD YOU ON THE TELEPHONE I KNOW A FEW PEOPLE THROUGH
THE TWINS (KRAY BROTHERS) WHO MAY BE ABLE TO HELP WITH THE
CAMPAIGN. I LEARNT A LOT ABOUT PROBLEMS AND PLUSES FOR CAMPAIGNS
FROM REGGIE SO HOPEFULLY I CAN ASSIST WITH YOURS AND LISAS.
THERE IS ALSO A METHOD THE LAGS USE IN DISCREDITING STATEMENTS.
BASICALLY YOU LIST ALL THE VERBAL EVIDENCE MINUS THE EMBROIDERY
AND SET ABOUT DISPROVING IT OR OFFERING ALTERNATIVE MEANINGS.
IT SOUNDS LIKE RUBBISH ON PAPER, BUT IF I COULD SIT DOWN AND
SHOW YOU OR YOUR PARENTS YOU WOULD SEE ITS VALUE.
NOBODY SAW EITHER OF YOU IN THAT HOUSE MICHELLE, THAT IS A
FACT. NOBODY SAW YOU ENTER OR LEAVE, THAT IS ALSO A FACT.
LISAS PRINT WAS ON THE DOOR, BUT AN EXPLANATION WAS OFFERED
TO HOW IT CAME TO BE THERE. ALISON WAS MURDERED AND BASICALLY
THAT IS ALL OF THE RELEVANT FACTS.
I CAN EASILLY DISCREDIT THE LIKES OF BUSTER EDWARDS, BUT THIS
IS NOT THE MEDIUM TO DISCUSS SUCH SENSITIVE MATTERS, HE LIED
ENDLESSLY AT HIS OWN TRIAL. IVE ALSO GOT HIM ON RECORD AS
RECENTLY AS MARCH 1990 SAYING HE IS STILL A CRIMINAL AT HEART,
WOULD DO IT ALL AGAIN ETC...ETC...
IT IS ONLY ONE MINOR ASPECT MICHELLE, BUT THE JURY WERE LED
AWAY FROM THE ONLY THREE OR FOUR ACTUAL FACTS AND IMMERSED
IN DUBIOUS NONE ISSUES. WHO CARES WETHER YOU WERE IN LAMBETH
OR BROMLEY THAT DOES NOT MAKE YOU THE KILLER, I DONT RECALL
WHERE I WAS ON THAT DAY EITHER.
IF WE CAN MAKE THEM STICK TO THE FACTS, THEY WILL NOT BE BLINDED
BY SCIENCE AND SEE THERE IS NO EVIDENCE. THINK OF IT LOGICALLY,
FIFTEEN DAYS IN COURT TO EXPLAIN NOTHING, ITS A DELIBERATE
PLOY TO CONFUSE, MISLEAD AND DIVERT THE ATTENTION OF JURORS.
OKAY, THEY MAKE IT LOOK LIKE YOU MAY HAVE TOLD A COUPLE OF
UNTRUTHS, BUT THAT DOESNT MAKE YOU ALISONS KILLER PEOPLE HAVE
BEEN BOGGED DOWN WITH IRRELEVANT BANTER. I GO ON DONT I MICHELLE
IT DOES GET TO ME THOUGH.
This letter was written by me to MICHELLE TAYLOR on the 28th
of July 1992, only FOUR days after the TAYLORS were convicted
of murdering ALISON SHAUGHNESSY. It is apparent I had no intention
of seeking to challenge the prosecution evidence by legitimate
means, I believe if my other letters to MICHELLE TAYLOR are
seized they will contain specific information relating to
specific evidence we sought to corrupt or falsify.
This letter, has returned to my possession as MICHELLE TAYLOR
filed it in support of one of her Affidavits at the outset
of our Civil case at a time when only copyright of letters
and other such trivial matters were in contention. JEANETTE,
JAQUELINE TAPP, who is known as J.J., was perhaps the most
crucial witness for the prosecution, so we decided we would
encourage her to make a statement saying she had bowed to
Police pressure and lied at the trial.
J.J. had given two statements supporting the TAYLORS alibi
that they were with her at the time of the murder before she
finally confessed to lying on behalf of them after encouragement
from MICHELLE. We believed a fourth statement would render
J.J.s evidence totally unreliable and void. The TAYLORS had
someone in the Churchill Clinic who was able to obtain J.J.s
telephone number.
Immediately after it was obtained J.J. began to receive a
series of silent calls from members of the TAYLOR family,
her number was also given to journalists, whose constant pestering
piled on the pressure. A female I do not know the identity
of, but who was known to ANNE TAYLOR telephoned ANNE TAYLOR
pretending to be a stranger, the call was recorded by ANNE.
In it the caller claimed she had recently got to know J.J.
and she was 100% sure she was lying, the tape was played to
the journalist NICK DAVIES and he reported it and other falsified
evidence in an article entitled "ROUGH JUSTICE"
in the GUARDIAN WEEKEND MAGAZINE on the 5th June 1993. The
reported transcript of the tape read;
"SHE IS VERY PARANOID ABOUT IT... AFTER TALKING TO J.J.
IM 100% SURE THAT THOSE GIRLS ARENT GUILTY...I WILL TELL YOU
SOMETHING BETWEEN YOU AND ME I KNOW THEY ARE NOT GUILTY.
SHE LIED, SHE IS VERY PARANOID. SHE KEPT SAYING TO ME THAT
SHE FELT VERY GUILTY, SITTING IN THE CAFE, THERE WAS A MAN
IN THE PHONE BOX AND HE LOOKED LIKE ONE OF THE C.I.D.s AND
SHE WENT WHITE... BY HER CONVERSATION SHE HAS LIED IN COURT
AND SHE IS FRIGHTEND."
The woman said she would make a statement but she never called
back. I am not surprised she never made a statement, ANNE
TAYLOR was laughing about how J.J. would react when she saw
"this one. "It was all part of a plan to put J.J.
under as much pressure as possible before offering her a way
out.
We intended helping her out of the mess she was in by inviting
her to make a fourth statement, which we would tell her, would
make her of no use to the defence, the prosecution or anybody
else for that matter. We discussed when I should contact J.J.
and eventually I was given the go ahead, again MICHELLE was
aware; In a letter now produced and marked POLICE 20 MICHELLE
states;
"WELL I REALISED WHAT WAS OCCURING WITH J.J. WHEN I RECEIVED
YOUR FIRST LETTER, AFTER I HAD RECEIVED YOUR SECOND, THATS
WHY I GOT CONFUSED, BECAUSE TWO CAME FIRST AND I READ IT BEFORE
READING ONE.
IM WELL PLEASED, ABOUT IT, BUT I NEVER RAISE MY HOPES ON ANYTHING
COZ SOMEONE OR SOMETHINGS JUST AROUND THE CORNER WAITING TO
KNOCK IT DOWN."
I rang J.J. and tried to strike up a friendship with her but
she put the phone down. I rang again and told her I wasn't
a journalist, just somebody who wanted to help; I gave her
my name and telephone number, which seemed to re assure her.
She was okay at first she told me she had been so scared by
recent pressure she had almost lost the child she was expecting.
She was also fearful as she was under the impression she would
have to appear at the Appeal Court hearing. I wanted her to
meet me, with her boyfriend if need be but she became frightened.
She cried uncontrollably, she kept saying she hadn't lied
in Court, MICHELLE and LISA had not been with her at the time
of the murder and she had not stolen MICHELLES Speed bank
card..
She said she would not meet me. It was agreed I would write
to her at the Churchill Clinic via the Matron. I was to set
out what it was I wanted to discuss. I did write to her but
I lied about my motives for wanting to meet her just in case
she contacted the Police. J.J. never contacted me and when
I called again the number was unobtainable.
On my next visit to the TAYLORS in prison we discussed ways
we could win J.J. back. One idea was that MICHELLE should
send her a XMAS card with a simple inscription such as "FROM
YOUR FRIEND MICHELLE". This would give J.J. the impression
there was no hard feelings and it couldn't be interpreted
as anything sinister if it fell into Police hands.
DEREK TAYLOR thought it was a bad idea, as he didn't want
MICHELLE to be so obviously involved. It was finally agreed
MICHELLE would write a backdated letter to me, supposedly
written just after the trial, it would describe her sympathy
for J.J. and her understanding of J.J.s plight at the hands
of the Police. I now produce this letter marked POLICE 21
The letter is written as if we have just made contact, it
is dated the 7th of August 1992
" DEAR BERNIE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LETTER. WELL WE HAVE
RECEIVED SO MUCH MAIL FROM PEOPLE IN PRISON AND MEMBERS OF
THE PUBLIC OFFERING THEIR SUPPORT THAT WE ARE TRYING TO ANSWER
EVERYONE AS IT HAS TOUCHED US SO DEEPLY. WELL AFTER THE VERDICT
CAME BACK, I THINK ME AND MY SISTER WERE IN SHOCK, WE DONT
UNDERSTAND HOW THEY FOUND US GUILTY COZ WE NEVER DONE NOTHING.
WE ARE INNOCENT JUST LIKE SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE IN PRISON.
NOW OUR FIGHT HAS JUST STARTED TO PROVE OUR INNOCENCE AND
WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP UNTIL WE DO AND THEN WE MUST CONTINUE
TO FIGHT FOR ALL THE OTHERS THAT ARE PUT AWAY BY THE POLICE
AND ARE INNOCENT JUST LIKE US. I DONT FEEL BITTER TOWARDS
ANYONE NOT JOHN NOT J.J. FOR J.J. ONLY SAID WHAT SHE DID BECAUSE
THE POLICE PROBABLY THREATEN HER AND SHE WAS PROBABLY SCARED.
I GUESS I WOULD OF BEEN THE SAME IF I WAS IN HER SHOES. I
ONLY FEEL BITTER TOWARDS OUR BRITISH JUSTICE BECAUSE THERE
IS NONE IN THIS COUNTRY, COZ IF THERE WAS ME AND MY SISTER
WOULD NOT BE SITTING HERE NOW. JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER INNOCENT
PEOPLE. WE WILL FIGHT FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES BECAUSE SO MANY
PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN US THE STRENGTH TO CONTINUE.
WELL THANK YOU FOR YOUR LETTER AND WE HOPE ALL IS WELL WITH
YOURSELF. TAKE CARE GOD BLESS, MICHELLE. "
Another letter I have from MICHELLE which was (genuinely}
written around that time, 7th of August 1992 now produced
and marked POLICE 22 shows quite clearly MICHELLE is lying
when she says in the previous letter, "I DONT FEEL BITTER
TOWARDS ANYONE NOT JOHN, NOT J.J."
"JOHN HAS DESTROYED NOT ONLY OUR LIVES, BUT OUR FAMILIES
AND OUR LITTLE ONES LIVES, IM BITTER ABOUT ALL THIS. HE IS
ONE EVIL PERSON. NO WORD IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE WOULD DESCRIBE
HIS PERSONALITY. THE MAN HAS NO FEELINGS. CHANGE SUBJECT QUICK,
THINKING ABOUT HIM MAKES ME FEEL SICK."
In another letter now produced and marked POLICE 23 MICHELLE
states;
"I could write down what I think of him but I wont, I
did that before in my Diary and then myself and my Sister
got arrested. My Diary did state I hated ALISON but as the
months passed my opinion on ALISON changed, and I realised
it was him that I hated, but this hasn't come out in Court
yet, soon will."
MICHELLE also loathed J.J. Which was made evident to me by
the obvious joy they got out of making the silent phone calls
they had made to her and the way she was talked about whilst
we were writing a book about the case.
Through a contact involved in the JUDITH WARD campaign (the
"then" convicted M62 Army Coach Bomber) the TAYLORS
became aware of a "speech expert" named PETER WRIGHT
who they "commissioned" to analyse J.J.s interview
with the Police, he concluded J.J. was "an accomplished
liar" but she certainly was not lying to me when we spoke
on the telephone.
On the next visit to LISA and MICHELLE at BULLWOOD HALL PRISON,
HOCKLEY, ESSEX, we all sat down and after a time MICHELLE
got up and indicated to the Prison Officer she wanted to use
the toilet. I do not know for sure, but can assume the backdated
letter she had written was secreted on her person. MICHELLE
went to the toilet and when she returned she sat down once
more and we continued our conversation.
MICHELLE said I've got J.J.s letter and when the Prison Officers
were not looking she passed it to me. I secreted it inside
my shirt and at the end of the visit walked out with it. It
was my intention to show J.J. the letter as planned in the
hope she would think we were on her side. Again J.J. couldn't
be located and the matter was put on hold. In desperation
MICHAEL HOLMES wrote to J.J. but she did not respond.
BOB WOFFINDEN a journalist said he would talk to her, this
is confirmed in a letter from MICHELLE now produced and marked-
POLICE 24.
"AS FOR THIS THING RELATING TO J.J. I THINK SHE HAS TO
BE HANDLED REALLY CAREFULLY AND IF THIS THING IS GONNA TAKE
PLACE WITH BOB, THEN I THINK SHE IS GONNA NEED A LOT OF REASSURANCE
THAT SHE WILL BENEFIT FROM IT, LIKE NOT GOING TO PRISON ETC...
SHE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND IT WILL COVER HER."
DEREK TAYLOR and myself did try to find TAPP; we believed
she was in the KENNINGTON area. I went to at least two addresses
with DEREK TAYLOR, he waited up the road whilst I knocked
the door but our search was fruitless. I must admit that around
this time I had a few niggling doubts about the TAYLOR SISTERS
innocence, J.J. had been so adamant on the telephone, it was
very hard to believe that she had lied in Court.
This campaign had become an obsession I chose to put my doubts
to the back of my mind. I disliked the way the Taylor's, spoke
about ALISON SHAUGHNESSY. ANNE used to say ALISON had been
at her home "for tea" and she "was a snob."
MICHELLE, LISA and ANNE had told me "ALISON was always
prim and proper", but in the months leading up to her
murder, ALISON had "began wearing short skirts and wearing
make up".
They would describe ALISON as dressing like "a whore"
or "a slut." Make no mistake, MICHELLE hated ALISON
SHAUGHNESSY, she lied at her trial when she said they were
"friends", on every occasion we discussed ALISON
it was blatantly obvious. MICHELLE told me traces of semen
had been found in ALISONS "back passage" but this
had been kept from the family and the Court proceedings to
save further trauma.
MICHELLE wanted this fact highlighted in the proposed book
we were writing to highlight the idea the Police had been
corrupt in not disclosing the fact, "MICHELLE was also
somehow "troubled" by the fact ALISON had professional
photographs of herself taken. The ones I have seen are all
harmless head and shoulder "shots", which can be
found in most normal homes.
MICHELLE used to pretend to laugh and say, "Who did she
think she was? The TAYLORS also wanted to promote the view
ALISON had been wearing short skirts and make up because she
was having an affair or "flirting." I found such
comments odd and very, very distasteful. One of the grounds
for the TAYLORS Appeal concerned "inaccurate reporting
by the media which was deemed prejudicial.
"RACHEL BORRILL who worked for the INDEPENDANT Newspaper,
had written an article during the trial relating to the ageing
of Fingerprints, the Defence argued that this was one of the
articles that may have misled the Jurors at the murder trial.
It was discussed by myself and the TAYLOR FAMILY and it was
decided we would lure RACHEL BORRIL to the TAYLOR HOME on
the promise of some exclusive story.
ANNE TAYLOR telephoned RACHEL and a meeting was arranged Prior
to BORRILS arrival a Tape recorder was secreted in the front
room and when she did eventually call around it was set in
the record mode. ANNE TAYLOR and myself were very friendly
towards BORRIL, we told her we didn't hold what she had written
against her etc....
Being a journalist seeking a story, we knew what she would
say and we were right; BORRIL was apologetic and said the
story which had "appeared" was misleading and inaccurate.
I cannot now recall her full excuse but I recall she said
she attended the TAYLOR trial in part, but was then sent to
cover SCOTT SINGLETONS trial in LEWES Crown Court.
As a result of the interruption her story had been either
covered by somebody else or Edited and bore little resemblance
to her full text. She would have said anything to appear sympathetic
in my opinion; she was saying purely what we wanted to hear,
because she thought she was going to get some sort of exclusive
story in return.
BORRIL was unaware that she was being taped. We had what we
wanted, if the Prosecution argued the press coverage wasn't
accurate etc. a transcript of BORRILS admissions could be
produced and she could be subpoenaed. I have no idea if the
tape recording was ever produced as evidence MICHELLE was
aware of this incident. In a letter marked POLICE 25 and now
produced MICHELLE states;
"WELL I WILL ALSO BE TALKING TO THE SOLICITORS ABOUT
THAT TAPE RECORDING YOU GOT WITH THE PRESS WOMAN. IVE GOT
A FEELING THEY WILL SAY IT CANT BE USED BUT I WILL GO INTO
ONE ABOUT IT FIRST, JUST TO GET THEM MOVING ANYWAY.
YOU KNOW I AM SURE THEY HATE HAVING TO COME AND SEE US, NOT
SO MUCH LISA BUT ME COZ I DO GIVE THEM SOME GRIEF BUT HALF
THE TIME THEY ASK FOR IT COZ THEY NEVER MOVE THEIR BACKSIDES
OTHERWISE."
The final witness we tried to contact was DOCTOR UNSWORTH-WHITE;
his address was obtained from the electoral role at the Library
by me. For some reason they obtained a copy of his Birth Certificate.
I think this was because he was formerly named "WHITE"
and the TAYLORS sought to imply he was the type who wanted
to appear somehow important by adding UNSWORTH to his name.
I can recall saying to ANNE TAYLOR there is a brand of tampons
named DR Whites, its more likely he changed his name to save
himself embarrassment, but like everything and everybody who
didn't suit our scenario ANNE chose to believe what suited
her. I went to UNSWORTH WHITES home in VARDENS ROAD one night
with a view to encouraging him to change his evidence, but
there was no reply.
I did notice that at the same address there was a bell push
with the name BURKE on it. This led to speculation that this
could be a relative of DETECTIVE CHRIS BURKE and this is how
UNSWORTH WHITE came to seek the reward. I did return there
one evening with DEREK TAYLOR but again there was no reply.
I put a note through the door asking UNSWORTH 'WHITE to contact
me, but he never did, again MICHELLE was aware of this. In
a letter now produced and marked POLICE 26 MICHELLE states;
"SO THATS WHO LIVES NEXT DOOR TO WHITE, VERY INTERESTING,
SLOWLY BUT SURELY BITS OF THE PUZZLE START COMING TOGETHER."
I had only been involved with MICHELLE for approximately four
weeks when I received the following letter which I now produce
marked POLICE 27
"DEAR BERNIE, WELL I DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT I WANT TO SAY,
I RECKON THERE ISNT MUCH I CAN SAY,YOU SAID EVERYTHING YOU
WANTED TO SAY LAST NIGHT AND I GUESS I CANT CHANGE HOW YOU
FEEL OR WHAT YOU WANT. IM SORRY I DIDNT REALLY SPEAK TO YOU
YESTERDAY AFTER WHAT GARTH DID TO LISA, ITS JUST I GET SO
ANNOYED AT LISA FOR FALLING FOR HIS SHIT.
SHE LETS HIM TREAT HER LIKE DIRT AND STILL SHE RUNS AFTER
HIM. OK I KNOW SHES OLD ENOUGH TO MAKE HER OWN MISTAKES BUT
I REALLY THOUGHT SHE WOULD OF LEARNED AFTER EVERYTHING WE
HAVE BEEN THROUGH, OBVIOUSLY NOT, ALL I WANT TO DO IS STOP
HER GETTING HURT COZ I KNOW THE PAIN THAT COMES WITH IT AND
IT AINT NICE. I GUESS WHILE IVE BEEN TRYING TO SORT HER OUT,
IVE BEEN LEAVING YOU BUT, WELL THATS WHAT YOU WERE SAYING
LAST NIGHT, IM NOT SURE IF THATS TRUE OR NOT BUT IM REALLY
SORRY IF IT IS. IM SORRY FOR WHATEVER PAIN IVE CAUSED YOU
BUT I KNOW ITS TOO LATE FOR SORRY NOW, COZ YOUVE ALREADY DECIDED
WE SHOULD SPLIT, AND I GUESS IF THATS WHAT YOU WANT NOTHING
I CAN DO OR SAY WILL CHANGE THAT.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW I DO LOVE YOU AND YOU MEAN SO MUCH TO ME
BUT I DONT THINK WE COULD BE FRIENDS FOR SOME TIME, I CANT
JUST SEPERATE AND THEN JUST GO TO FRIENDS IT AINT THAT EASY
FOR ME. I CANT JUST PRETEND ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT MY FEELINGS
HAVE CHANGED FROM LOVING YOU TO JUST FEELING YOUR MY FRIEND,
SO THAT WOULD TAKE TIME FOR ME.
YOU HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE SO MUCH, BUT NOW YOU HAVE HURT ME
SO MUCH AND I CANT HANDLE THAT PAIN. I LOVE YOU BERNIE, I
DONT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY NOW, IM STUCK FOR WORDS, LOVE CHELLE
XXX
I was trying to get out of the situation by offering to "just
be friends" but MICHELLE is unnaturally obsessive and
she would not listen to things she did not want to hear or
agree to things which didn't suit her plans.
This caused numerous arguments and I began to stay away from
the flat, particularly at weekends, but I still slept there
on occasion. One Friday in October 1993 I went to work as
normal but I chose not to go back to the flat as there had
been a bit of trouble at the club and by the time it had all
been resolved I decided I would stay at my friends whose home
I had been at discussing the problem.
The following day I went to see MICHELLE and she was obviously
annoyed. She did not say anything, but she was slamming cupboard
doors and banging things down. I cant be bothered with all
that nonsense so I just left her a note explaining about the
problems at the club and then went off to work, MICHELLE did
not get in touch that evening and I had had enough of the
"silent treatment" so I stayed at my friends home
again. On Sunday morning I went back to the flat but nobody
was there. MICHELLE had left a letter for me, which I now
produce, marked POLICE 28.
"DEAR BERNIE, THANKS FOR YOUR LETTER BUT YOU STILL DONT
JUST GET IT DO YOU, YOU THROW THE SOUP DRAGON (MY WIFE) UP
AS AN EXAMPLE OF NO ONE UNDERSTANDING AND NO MATTER WHAT YOU
DO IT IS WRONG, IN MY EYES, HER EYES , WHOEVERS EYES, BUT
THAT AINT THE CASE. I UNDERSTAND YOUR SITUATION WITH WORK
AND I AINT NEVER SAID OTHERWISE, I KNOW THE HOURS ARE DIFFERENT
TO THOSE WHO DO A 9-5 JOB AND I AINT NEVER SAID NISH ABOUT
IT SO YOU CANT SAY I DONT UNDERSTAND.
WORK THIS ONE OUT, A PERSON, OR SHOULD I SAY TWO PEOPLE WHO
CARE FOR EACH OTHER, SHOW THEIR FEELINGS FOR ONE ANOTHER,
SO IF ONE SAYS THEY WILL PHONE COZ THEIR GONNA BE GONE ALL
DAY THEN THE OTHER PERSON SITS IN EXPECTING A PHONE CALL AND
THEN WHEN THAT PERSON DOES NOT PHONE AND DOES NOT RETURN ROUGHLY
AROUND THE TIME THEY SAID THEY WILL RETURN THEN THE OTHER
ONE STARTS WORRYING.
EXACTLY THE CASE HERE, MAYBE YOU MIGHT FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE
BECAUSE SATURDAY MORNING I DIDNT SAY NISH TO YOU WHEN YOU
GOT HOME BUT I DIDNT STAY UP ALL NIGHT FOR THE FUN OF IT,
THEN AGAIN THE SAME HAPPENS LAST NIGHT, YES IVE READ ALL YOUR
LETTER, AND I CAN SEE YOU DIDNT HAVE THE BEST NIGHT OF YOUR
LIFE BUT NOR DID I COZ I SPENT ALL NIGHT WORRYING, IN CASE
YOU DIDNT KNOW, THEY HAVE PHONES EVERYWHERE NOWADAYS.
OH AND ILL TELL YOU WHAT REALLY GETS ME, YOU SAID WE DONT
HAVE ENOUGH TIME TOGETHER, OR SHOULD I SAY WE DONT GET TO
SPEND A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER. WHICH I UNDERSTAND AND I AINT
NEVER SAID FUCK ALL ABOUT BUT YOU SAY IT AND THEN WHAT DO
YOU DO WITH THE TIME WE DO GET TOGETHER, BRING EVERY TOM,
DICK AND HARRY HOME, SO EXPLAIN HOW THAT WORKS OUT.
IF YOU THINK IM HAVING A GO, THEN YOUVE GOT IT IN ONE, BUT
I AINT GOING INTO ONE ABOUT THE THINGS YOU SAY I AM. I DONT
ASK FOR FUCK ALL FROM YOU EXCEPT THAT THE TIME YOU ARE ABLE
TO GET FREE THAT YOU SPEND SOME WITH ME. I QUOTE FROM YOUR
LETTER WHICH HIT HARD AND BLOODY HURT: WHEN YOU WERE AWAY,
THE SOUP DRAGON USED TO SAY ALL I DID WAS WASTE MY TIME WORKING
FOR YOU, BUT NOW YOU ARE OUT, IT IS YOU SAYING I AM NEVER
AROUND.
I DONT BELIEVE IVE EVER SAID THIS, EVER, AND YOU KNOW I DAMN
WELL WOULDNT EITHER. AS FOR MY FEELINGS, I JUST AINT SURE
WHAT I FEEL, I DO KNOW WHEN WE ARE NOT TOGETHER I MISS YOU
AND THEN WHEN WE ARE TOGETHER I FEEL SO HAPPY INSIDE, BUT
RIGHT NOW IM HURTING, I KNOW YOU SAY YOU LOVE ME AND I REALLY
WANT TO BELIEVE YOU BUT THE WORDS ARE SO EASY JUST TO SAY.
WHEN WE WERE ARRESTED AND STUCK INSIDE I HURT REAL BAD, THEN
WHEN LISA GOT BAIL IT WAS WORSE, BUT I LEARNED TO SHUT MY
FEELINGS AWAY AND THATS WHAT I DID.THEN WHEN WE GOT CONVICTED
LISA USED TO SAY I NEVER LOVED HER, BECAUSE I NEVER SHOWED
HER, BUT I FOUND IT SO HARD TO DO SO, BECAUSE I HAD LOCKED
MY EMOTIONS AWAY.
I USED TO ALSO SAY I WOULD NEVER LOVE ANYONE AGAIN, I DIDNT
INCLUDE MY FAMILY BECAUSE I HAVE AND WILL ALWAYS LOVE THEM,
BUT I MENT EVERYONE ELSE. THE THING IS WHAT I USED TO SAY
AINT TRUE.
I USED TO BELIEVE SO HARD THAT I WOULD NEVER HAVE EMOTIONS
FOR SOMEONE BUT I KNOW THAT JUST AINT SO, WHEN WE GOT RELEASED
THERE YOU WERE AND IT JUST FELT SO RIGHT BEING WITH YOU, WHAT
I FELT AND FEEL FOR YOU, I JUST CANT LOCK AWAY, BUT I CANT
HANDLE ANY HURT OR PAIN AND IF I FEEL SOMETHING AINT RIGHT
I BEGIN TO SHUT THE DOORS TO MY HEART BECAUSE I DONT EVER
WANT TO GO THROUGH THE PAIN I WENT THROUGH. I NEED TO KNOW
THE TRUTH AND WHAT YOU DO REALLY FEEL, BECAUSE I CAN'T HELP
BUT DOUBT.
SINCE OUR LAST ARGUE(MENT) DIFFERENT THINGS HAVE BEEN SAID
AND IT JUST MADE ME DOUBT SO MUCH, I DONT WANT TO MUG MYSELF
OFF BY LOVING YOU AND YOU NOT REALLY LOVING ME, I JUST COULDNT
COPE WITH THAT SO I JUST WANT TO KNOW. I WAS GOING TO STAY
AT MY FRIENDS TONIGHT.
I EVEN TOOK AN OVERNIGHT BAG BUT BECAUSE SHES GOT A KID I
FELT I WAS A BURDEN TO HER, SO INSTEAD I CAME HOME BUT NOW
IM GOING TO MUMS COZ I JUST DONT WANT TO BE BY MYSELF. IF
YOU DO COME HOME THEN YOU CAN PHONE ME THERE IF YOU DONT WANT
TO THEN I UNDERSTAND, LOVE CHELLE XX I JUST WENT INTO THE
BEDROOM, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR TAKING THE PICTURE.
IF ANYONE KNOWS HOW TO HURT ME, YOU CERTAINLY DO. I GUESS
YOU JUST DONT WANT ME SEEING YOU ANYMORE, WELL I WOULD VERY
MUCH APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD TELL ME.
I stayed at the Flat on my own that Sunday evening; the following
morning MICHELLE came around and things were relatively 'okay'.
We discussed the situation and I made it clear to. MICHELLE
that she was taking things far too seriously. She said she
could never just "be friends" and so I left it at
that, the more I had tried to explain, the more she made me
feel trapped or obligated to her.
That night we did sleep together but nothing sexual occurred
despite attempts being made by MICHELLE. The next morning
MICHELLE went out somewhere, I don't recall where, and I stayed
in the flat working on the Book. I was sitting in the front
room on the floor; looking through a box of case papers marked
"UNUSED " I was looking for any material I could
find which would add to our scenario that DAVID WYLIE was
guilty of murdering ALISON.
I came across a letter from a Solicitor, I cannot be certain
who it was from, but I believe it was PATRICIA LISTER who
had represented MICHELLE at the time she was arrested The
letter referred to MICHELLE making "certain admissions"
in light of which, LISA was being advised to give evidence
on behalf of the Prosecution. I knew exactly what this letter
meant, MICHELLE at least, had murdered ALISON l was absolutely
devastated.
The time, money and risks that I had taken for the TAYLORS
had all been horribly misplaced. I waited for MICHELLE to
come in, after about ten minutes she arrived. Trying to recall
word for word what was when in such a state of mind is difficult,
but I recall I was sarcastic, saying, "you had better
get rid of this hadn't you? I said this as I waved the letter
at her. I kept saying "explain it, go on explain it,"
I handed the letter to MICHELLE and she was visibly shocked,
she recognized the letter at once, she didn't even have to
read it properly.
She screwed it up and threw it on the floor. I was still being
sarcastic, I kept saying things like, come on then, lets hear
it, explain it MICHELLE. "She got annoyed and started
shouting and swearing calling me a Bastard and saying "You've
never believed in our innocence." Oh yes, until now,"
I said, or words to that effect. She was really annoyed; she
walked out of the room and slammed the door, shouting "You
fucking bastard" at the top of her voice.
I had been sitting on the settee throughout this, suddenly
there was a loud bang and the door flew open. MICHELLE came
storming back into the room and began to shout, "John
Shaughnessy is twice the man you are." I suppose this
was intended to somehow hurt me as she had previously expressed
deep contempt for John, but at that moment I couldn't have
cared less what she said about me.
She continued by saying she didn't care about me, she still
loved JOHN. "I gave, a sarcastic laugh, picked up the
letter and said in a voice loud enough to be heard over her
shouting, "Yes, but explain this, go on explain it."
MICHELLE continued to shout, but eventually she broke down
and began to cry, something I've never really seen her do
before. She sat down next to me but I didn't want her near
me, so I stood up. Still sobbing and obviously upset, MICHELLE
blurted out," It wasn't my fucking fault, it was ALISONS."
I remained silent and MICHELLE began to explain. She said
ALISON had told her ALISON and JOHN were going back to IRELAND
to live, they were going to have a baby and start afresh.
Although JOHN and ALISON had been married for slightly less
than a year, MICHELLE had it firmly in her mind they were
not having an 'active' sex life. In MICHELLES mind, this statement
from ALISON meant JOHN was two-timing her (MICHELLE) with
ALISON.
It seemed that JOHN had previously introduced MICHELLE as
his Wife to some friends at a Weightlifting club, even though
he had a long-standing relationship with ALISON and had married
her. MICHELLE saw herself and JOHN as the couple and ALISON
as the interloper. MICHELLE said that JOHN had told her that
they were not going back to IRELAND and would not be starting
a family and that he wanted to be with MICHELLE.
She gave the impression that she thought ALISON was lying
in order to hurt her. But I think its more likely if JOHN
did ever say this or anything similar, it was probably just
pillow talk or in response to the type of questioning I had
undergone from MICHELLE, in the end you say what she wants
to hear so she will drop the subject MICHELLE said she had
lost weight and couldn't sleep and the situation was making
her ill.
She said, "On that Monday, I told LISA I was going to
have it out with ALISON and she said she would go with me.
"Ironically, ALISON too felt matters were coming to a
head because on that same day she had written down her true
feelings regarding MICHELLE for the first time, in a letter
to her Cousin. The unfinished letter was found in her handbag
with her body.
MICHELLE said that she "had taken the ruler from her
Fathers tools, but LISA did not know." The ruler was
a steel ruler, which had been sharpened to a knifepoint. Later
DEREK TAYLOR was prosecuted for having an offensive weapon
in respect of this ruler. MICHELLE said they drove to VARDENS
ROAD and parked near the ROUNDHOUSE PUB, which is where DEREK
TAYLOR, NORMAN SIMPSON and I had parked when re constructing
the timing runs.
It is also a vantage point where you have a clear view of
the pavement on the side of the road where ALISON lived, thus
you are able to see anyone entering the road on that side
from the direction ALISON always made her way home. VARDENS
ROAD has terraced houses, with car parking on the street outside
and its almost impossible to park near specific properties.
MICHELLE said that when they saw ALISON walking up the road
she and LISA got out of the car.
They met ALISON as she continued to make her way up the road
and MICHELLE told her that JOHN had sent her to collect some
plant pots for the Clinic which were too heavy for him to
take on the train, MICHELLE said that ALISON let them in the
front door and then opened the door of her flat.
LISA stood at the door of the flat (where her fingerprints
were found, despite her initial statement that she had never
been there) and held the flat door open. MICHELLE said that
ALISON went up the stairs and she followed behind her. MICHELLE
became more upset as she made her confession. She had been
crying throughout, but at this point she became totally distraught.
MICHELLE kept saying, "I only meant to scare her, I only
meant to scare her. "
I said "Well, what happened?" MICHELLE said, "I
don't know what happened, I grabbed her from behind, I stabbed
her and everything else is a blur." She continued, "Me
and LEE just ran from the flat, we drove back to the Clinic
and put all our, stuff (by which I understood her to mean
her bloodstained clothes and the ruler) into a bag.
In a letter now produced and marked POLICE 29 MICHELLE states
LISA collected such a bag from the Clinic the day after the
murder;
"CAROL HEALEY, SHE MUST OF SEEN US ON THE 4TH JUNE WHEN
WE PICKED LISAS OVERNIGHT BAG UP."
MlCHELLES account was interspersed with lots of swearing.
She said that she simply "couldn't fucking stand it any
more."She showed no remorse at all although she seemed
concerned to explain LISA's role and to make it clear that
LISA did not know she had taken the ruler. During her recital
many of the facts that I had read or been aware of fell into
place.
For example, it was entirely consistent with the fact none
of LISAS fingerprints were found anywhere else in the flat.
It was consistent with the fact there was no evidence of a
break in and that ALISONS body was found with the mail and
with the mortice lock off. I called MICHELLE a few names and
walked out of the flat, she was still very distressed.
The following day, I went back to the flat to collect my possessions
and LISA was there. I told her what had happened and she said
she knew. MICHELLE had asked her to talk to me. LISA said
MICHELLE had not meant what she had said about JOHN and handed
me an envelope from MICHELLE.
I usually got a letter off her when we had an argument. The
envelope contained two letters which I now produce marked
POLICE 30 and POLICE 31
"BERNIE, I WANT TO WRITE A LETTER TO YOU SO YOU CAN KNOW
AND UNDERSTAND HOW I FEEL. I FELT SO CLOSE WITH YOU LAST NIGHT,
IT FELT SO NICE TO BE ABLE TO CUDDLE YOU. I HAVE MISSED YOU
SO MUCH SINCE YOU WENT AND LAST NIGHT JUST FELT LIKE HEAVEN
TO ME WHILE I WAS CUDDLING YOU. THEN AFTER YOU LEFT THIS MORNING
I REALLY FELT SAD, I GUESS IT FELT LIKE I WAS SAYING GOODBYE
FOREVER, IF YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEAN.
LAST NIGHT I FELT SAYING FOR US TO END WOULD JUST BE THE BEST
THING. WE USED TO BE REALLY GREAT TOGETHER AT ONE TIME AND
I KNOW WALES WILL ALWAYS BE MY MOST PRECIOUS MEMORY OF US
TOGETHER. IM NOT REALLY SURE WHEN THINGS STARTED GOING WRONG
BETWEEN US.
I GUESS WHEN YOU STOPPED PHONING ALL THE TIME AND WHEN YOU
WENT AWAY FOR A DAY OR SO WITHOUT TELLING ME. THAT REALLY
SEEM TO HIT ME INSIDE, BUT THATS THE WAY YOU ARE AND LIKE
YOU SAID LAST NIGHT IF YOU WASNT LIKE THAT THEN ME AND YOU
WOULD NEVER OF ENDED UP TOGETHER.
SO I KNOW THAT PART OF YOU WILL NEVER CHANGE. AS FOR MY PART
IN US, I GUESS I WAS JUST TOO PARA, MY IMMEDIATE REACTION
TO YOU NOT BEING THERE WAS THAT YOU MUST BE WITH SOMEONE ELSE.
IF I HAD TRUSTED YOU THEN I KNOW WE WOULD NOT BE APART NOW,
BUT TRUSTING SOMEONE COMPLETELY IS REALLY HARD FOR ME TO DO
BECAUSE OF THAT SLAG TWO TIMING ME AND SO ON, HE JUST DESTROYED
MY FAITH AND TRUST SO MAYBE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS HARD
FOR ME.
YOU KNOW IVE NEVER TOLD YOU THIS BEFORE BUT WHEN WE USED TO
BE TOGETHER I USED TO THINK, I CANT HAVE SOMETHING THIS GOOD
SO SURELY SOMETHING HAS TO BE GOING ON ELSEWHERE AND LIKE
YOU SAID I WOULD THINK IT AND THEN START BELIEVING IT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME I KNOW WITHIN MY HEART IT WASNT TRUE,
I GUESS ITS HARD FOR ME TO EXPLAIN THAT SLAG PUT ME THROUGH
HELL FOR FOUR YEARS AND IF THAT AINT GOOD ENOUGH BECAUSE OF
WHAT HE DONE IM STILL SUFFERING NOW, BUT I KNOW GOD WILL PAY
HIM THE DEBT HE IS DUE.
BERNIE, IM SORRY FOR MAKING YOU SUFFER BECAUSE OF WHAT HE
DONE TO ME, I WILL NEVER STOP LOVING YOU OR CARING FOR YOU
AND I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE WHEN YOU NEED ME, I SAID FOR US
TO JUST END IT LAST NIGHT BECAUSE I COULDNT BEAR TO SEE WHAT
WE HAVE LEFT DESTROYED.
YOU KNOW I DONT LIKE TO USE THE WORD HATE OR SAY THE WORD
BUT I TRULY HATE THAT SLAG WITH EVERY PART OF MY BODY AND
I KNOW I WILL NEVER FORGET OR FORGIVE MYSELF FOR WHAT I SAID
TO YOU.
YOU ARE WORTH THOUSANDS MORE THAN HIM, IN FACT HE WOULD NEVER
BE GOOD ENOUGH TO BE A PIECE OF SHIT ON YOUR SHOE AND I HATE
HIM EVEN MORE NOW BECAUSE I LET HIM AND WHAT HE DONE TO ME,
MAKE THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER HAD, YOU, BE PUSHED AWAY AND
HURT BY ME. BERNIE, I DONT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY.
I JUST WISH I HAD THE POWER TO RIGHT ALL THE WRONG COZ I TRULY
DONT WANT TO LOSE YOU AND I HOPE YOU BELIEVE ME BECAUSE IT
COMES FROM MY HEART. BERNIE I MISS YOU REAL BAD. 8 LETTERS
3 WORDS AND 1 MEANING FROM MY HEART. LOVE ALWAYS CHELLE X.
LETTER TWO.
BERNIE, WELL I WENT OUT THIS AFTERNOON AND SPENT SOME TIME
BY MYSELF SO I COULD HAVE TIME TO THINK, WELL BERNIE IF YOU
STILL WANT ME I STILL WANT YOU. IN FACT I DONT WANT TO EVER
LOSE YOU.
I KNOW WHAT YOUR FAULTS ARE AND YOU KNOW MINE AND I DONT CARE
BERNIE, I JUST WANT TO BE WITH YOU. OKAY THINGS ARE DEFINATELY
HARD AT THE MOMENT BUT WE ARE STRONG TOGETHER AND WE CAN GET
THROUGH IT.
I WANT TO BE WITH THE BERNIE I MET, AND I AM GONNA DO MY BEST
TO CHANGE MYSELF, I CANT CONTINUE LETTING THE PAST DESTROY
MY LIFE AND I AINT GONNA LET IT ANYMORE.
ALL I ASK IS FOR YOU TO BE HONEST WITH ME ALWAYS AND I WILL
WITH YOU. YOUR TOO PRECIOUS FOR ME TO LOSE AND I DONT EVER
WANT TO LOSE YOU, I LOVE YOU, CHELLE X."
I told LISA I was not bothered about MICHELLES feelings for
me, JOHN or her future, I was bothered because I had been
mugged off, conned into believing they were innocent. LISA
said, "Forget it, its not important, I could admit it
to you today, then in six months time say, I was only joking,
you would never know if I was telling the truth."
I told LISA that she was insulting my intelligence, and if
she had any sense she would distance herself from her Sister
and live her own life as MICHELLE was "fucked up."
LISA didn't reply. LISA gave me a photograph of herself with
"TO MY BEST FRIEND ALWAYS" inscribed on the back.
I collected my belongings and left the flat. What I found
most incredible was MICHELLES concerns only seemed to relate
to what she had said about JOHN and myself, ALISONS murder
had been carried out to hurt JOHN, to get back at him and
to ensure she alone could have him, to MICHELLE nothing else
seemed to matter, she really believed JOHN had two timed her
with ALISON and she really believed our relationship, although
only weeks old, was something it most definitely was not i.e.
serious.
On the 12th of JULY 1994 COMMANDER WILLIAM GRIFFITHS and D.S.FRANCOIS
contacted me and we arranged to meet at BASILDON POLICE STATION.
I recall COMMANDER GRIFFITHS telling me the TAYLORS were not
very helpful when he was trying to locate me.
I do not know how, but COMMANDER GRIFFITHS was aware of my
involvement in the campaign to overturn the TAYLORS convictions.
I was told they were investigating complaints made by the
TAYLORS about the POLICE Officers involved in the ALISON SHAUGHNESSY
enquiry. The TAYLORS had alleged
"THAT POLICE OFFICERS HAD ATTEMPTED TO PERVERT THE COURSE
OF JUSTICE BY SUPPRESSING EVIDENCE FROM ONE OF THE WITNESSES
AND BY COERCING OR INTIMIDATING TWO OTHER WITNESSES. THEY
ALSO CLAIMED OFFICERS DID NOT PURSUE LINES OF ENQUIRY WHICH
WOULD OF ASSISTED THE SISTERS CASE.
THEY ALSO ACCUSED CERTAIN OFFICERS OF BEHAVING "DISCREDITABLY"
IN COMMENTING ABOUT THE SISTERS: OF USING UNDUE FORCE DURING
THE ARREST OF MICHELLE TAYLOR: AND OF ESTABLISHING "IMPROPER
RELATIONSHIPS" WITH JOURNALISTS."
I found it incredible, except for the "undue force"
allegation, it was everything that we had done wrong in the
run up to the Appeal. I knew the TAYLORS loathed the POLICE.
I was certainly no big supporter of them either, but this
was nonsense, I knew MICHELLE at least was guilty and I wasn't
going to do anymore of her dirty work.
I told the POLICE how we had conducted the campaign and a
VERY brief statement outlining the facts was made by D,S.
FRANCOIS. It was a pretty informal interview, it was made
clear to me the sole purpose of it was in relation to the
TAYLORS complaints and I could not face Prosecution for anything
I said.
For that reason I omitted MICHELLES confession. COMMANDER
GRIFFITHS had said MICHELLE could not be re charged so there
seemed no point in bringing up something I was deeply embarrassed
and upset about. I decided I would put matters right for the
benefit of the Officers the TAYLORS were now trying to discredit
and walk away from it. (The Police Officers were in fact later
all cleared)
I have learned since that day, that MICHELLE could in fact
be charged with perjury. Shortly after I made my statement
to the POLICE my common law wife DEBRA began to receive silent
phone calls whilst I was at work. These caused her severe
distress and she feared for not only her safety but the safety
of our two young children.
RAYMOND BUCK, LISAS Husband has since admitted making these
calls claiming they were made in response to calls to his
home and workplace made by me, but this is untrue. I have
never had his home number and had no means of obtaining it.
He moved into his current address after I had left the TAYLORS.
Further he made the calls at a time he knew I would not be
there and my Wife would be alone with our children. These
silent calls were a familiar TAYLOR tactic, I knew at once
they were behind it. I rang ANNE TAYLOR, the only family member
whose number I had and asked her to tell whoever was responsible
to stop it.
Or we would do something-meaning I would involve the POLICE.
The calls did not stop; in fact they increased, so DEBRA did
make a complaint to the POLICE and B.T. Put a trace on the
line to monitor the nuisance calls. The calls that were traced
were made from telephone boxes on the route home from RAY
BUCKS workplace, the VELVET UNDERGROUND Nightclub in the West
End.
One other call was traced to the home he shares with LISA
B.T. said they were unable to act on the calls from the various
public telephones. I contacted the POLICE and B.T. AND ASKED
IF VIDEO FOOTAGE OF A NUISANCE CALL BEING MADE WOULD ASSIST
AND THEY SAID IT WOULD. I knew where BUCK worked and so I
followed him home in the hope I could film him making a call
to my home.
The nuisance call would be registered as coming from a certain
box at a certain time so he could not really deny it if he
was on film at that box at the relevant time. Unfortunately,
he spotted me and so I was forced to abandon my plan. On another
occasion DEBRA accompanied me but BUCK was obviously cautious
at this stage and again he spotted us and failed to stop.
A Television programme was advertised about NUISANCE CALLS
and my Wife decided to highlight her plight by talking to
the press at a time her story would be deemed Newsworthy.
DEBRA did not do it for financial reasons, she felt we had
given the TAYLORS ample opportunity to rectify the problem
by apologising and they had chosen to deny everything despite
the fact we knew one, if not all were aware of the distress
it was causing to not only DEBRA but our young children.'
DEBRA told her story in an article which appeared in the NEWS
OF THE WORLD entitled "TWISTED SISTERS MADE MY LIFE HELL"
A few days later the TAYLORS issued a Writ against me and
the NEWS OF THE WORLD seeking to prevent me from; disclosing;
"INFORMATION CONCERNING EITHER OF THEIR RESPECTIVE PRIVATE
AND FAMILY LIVES, OR PRIVATE CONDUCT WHICH WAS COMMUNICATED
TO ME IN CONFIDENCE"
and seeking the NEWS OF THE WORLD from publishing;
"A FURTHER ARTICLE ABOUT THE TAYLOR SISTERS BASED ON
INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM OMAHONEY ON SUNDAY 4TH JUNE 1995"
Neither the NEWS OF THE WORLD nor myself had any intention
of publishing a further story on the 4th of June 1995 about
the TAYLORS as there was no other story to tell other than
the criminal acts I had committed or been party to. I wasn't
going to risk prosecution or shame myself by disclosing these
matters of my own free will, I wanted to forget them not inform
the press.
It was these facts, I believe, the TAYLORS feared being made
public and that is why they sought to injuct me. On the day
I was due to appear at the HIGH COURT to oppose their application,
an article prompted by the TAYLORS appeared in the DAILY STAR
entitled "WERE BEING STALKED SAY MURDER CASE SISTERS."
This turned it to be there rather feeble attempt to justify
their injunction.
The "stalking" referred to my attempts to video
RAYMOND BUCK making nuisance calls which I had informed DENNIS
COPPENHALL of B.T. and the POLICE that I was going to do prior
to the event. At the hearing both parties agreed to an interim
injunction pending trial in JUNE 1995 but once that was obtained
the TAYLORS have done everything in their power to delay the
proceedings.
They have changed Solicitors and objected to my Legal Aid
on two or three occasions. They state because of my criminal
past I am not credible and there is no "PECUNIARY BENEFIT"
from defending the action. Their last application was successful
and my legal aid was revoked. My credibility was not doubted,
the Board thought if I was a person of reasonable means, they
did not believe I would defend this action with my own funds.
I cannot now recall the exact terms, but it was to that effect.
Whatever, they are wrong, I am sick of the TAYLORS abusing
myself and others to achieve there perverse aims, I intend
to unburden myself, which is why I decided to confess all
I know and all I have done to the POLICE.
I may be in breach of the injunction by making this statement
because I have agreed not to disclose anything personal about
the TAYLORS but its obvious from all the afore mentioned material
criminal matters and personal matters are intertwined. I have
been cross-examined by MICHAEL BURTON Q.C. and GAVIN MILLER,
Junior Counsel, who concluded in a report to the Legal Aid
Board which I now produce marked POLICE: 32
"HAVING QUESTIONED OMAHONEY IN CONFERENCE I CANNOT SEE
ANY OBVIOUS FLAW IN HIS ACCOUNT OF THE CONFESSION AND ALL
OTHER RELEVANT EVENTS. HE IS ADAMANT THAT HE SAW THE SOLICITORS
LETTER. HE DOES NOT APPEAR TO ME TO BY LYING ABOUT THESE MATTERS."
Despite having the material and the contacts, I have never
sold stories to the Press about the TAYLORS and I have destroyed
the book I wrote which three publishing houses were prepared
to print. In short I did not seek to make money from my association
with these people, I wanted to forget the whole sordid affair
but they have forced the issue.
I gave evidence last year for the POLICE at the LEAH BETTS
drug trial. Despite threats on my life, the loss of the home
we had lived in for ten years and my children having to leave.
Their schools and friends, I went through with it. Myself
and my family had armed Police response units on alert to
our home for eleven months; it was a very stressful time.
My resolve in this matter, the last outstanding matter I have
to disclose about my past, is just as strong, despite the
fact I myself may face prosecution. |
| Contact : bernard.omahoney@bernardomahoney.com |
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