07/08/91 - STATEMENT of JEANNETTE JACKQUELINE TAPP

STATEMENT OF JEANNETTE JACKQUELINE TAPP
ADDRESS:
AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 25 15061966
OCCUPATION: HOUSE KEEPING ASSISTANT

THIS STATEMENT, CONSISTING OF 12 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.

DATE 070891
SIGNED JEANNETTE TAPP
SIGNATURE WITNESSED BY WDC THOMAS

Further to my previous statements dated 130691 and 240791 respectively, regarding in particular my account of my movements on Monday 030691 and those of Michelle and Lisa TAYLOR. I would like to now put the record straight, What I previously said in those statements regarding my movements, especially in the later part of the day are false.

I originally said that I arrived home that day at 1700 and that Lisa and Michelle TAYLOR came to my room at about 1715. This is not correct. I in fact arrived home at about 1915 to 1920. The account I gave of my movements up until 1500 and about going shopping are correct.

I left the clinic at about 1500, went to my room, got changed and then left at about 1520 to 1525 to go shopping. I walked down KENNINGTON ROAD to the Lo-Cost Supermarket in KENNINGTON PARK ROAD. There I purchased some drink and some food for my forthcoming birthday party on 150691.

Having done this I walked to my sister's flat at LOHMAN HOUSE on the KENNINGTON PARK ESTATE, My sister Julie POWELL wasn't at home. By now it was about 1630 to 1645, My sister's flat is within 5 to 10 minutes walking distance from Lo-Cost Supermarket, Having received no reply I decided to phone my Mum Jean TAPP, to see if Julie was at my Mums.

I phoned from a call box in KENNINGTON ROAD near to my sister's flat, Julie and her children Rosie and Freddie were at my Mums and so I walked to her house in GIBSON ROAD. The walk would have taken me about ten minutes. Also at my Mum's house was my other sister, Marie Anne TAPP and her children Charlotte and Liam.

I chatted with my Mum and my sisters, showed them what I'd bought. I believe I had something to eat with them but I can't be sure. I stayed at my Mums until about 1900 or just after. Having left my Mother's house I walked through LAMBETH WALK, past the laundry by LAMBETH TOWERS and onto LAMBETH ROAD to the Clinic.

This walk would take me about 15 minutes, As I was walking up the drive of the Clinic towards my house which is attached to the Clinic, I saw Lisa TAYLOR standing on the balcony outside my room. She waved to me. As I got to the front door of number 60 Lisa had come down from my room, which is on the first floor, and opened the front door for me.

Michelle has a key to my room and its not unusual for her and Lisa to go into my room when I'm not there, so I wasn't surprised to see her on my balcony, I went upstairs to my room with Lisa. Michelle was not there. I unpacked my shopping and showed Lisa what I'd bought. We were discussing my party. Having unpacked my shopping we sat down.

I told her I'd been shopping and to my Mums. Lisa told me that she and Michelle had been home since Just after 1700, and that they'd been waiting for me to come home. Lisa told me that Michelle had left just after 1800 to go and do the flowers with John, Lisa was telling me that she'd done some tapes for my party.

After about fifteen or twenty minutes Lisa and I went to the Clinic to see Michelle and then to the shop and afterwards returning to my room. I noticed that Lisa didn't appear to be herself, she was fidgetty, whereas she usually sits down and just chats to me. She kept walking round and seemed like she wanted to be doing something, like she was bored.

As I've previously mentioned, Michelle came to my room at about 2000. She said she wasn't staying long because she was taking John home. She had a cigarette and some water and then she left saying she wouldn't be long. Lisa stayed in my room with me.

Michelle also said to me that she and Lisa had been there since just after five, at the time this just seemed to be a passing comment. I forgot to mention that before we went to the shop, Lisa left my room saying she was going to make a phone call, She didn't say who to, but I thought it would be to her friend Tessa because she usually does make a phone call to her.

I didn't go with her, I stayed in my room. She was only gone a matter of minutes. After Michelle had gone Lisa and I watched television and chatted. Lisa seemed to calm down a little bit after Michelle had gone, After some time Lisa started to get worried because Michelle hadn't returned.

I don't know how long it was but it seemed like a long time, longer than it takes for Michelle to get to John's and back again. I then remember Les, the porter, shouting up saying there was a phone call. I can't remember who he said it was for, but it was either Lisa, Michelle or me. Lisa and I went down to the pay phone in number 62.

Lisa picked up the phone and spoke to someone, I think it was her Mum but I'm not sure, She was listening on the phone and went pure white in the face. I asked her what was the matter and she said "Alison's been killed" or "Alison's dead". She repeated this when she put the phone down. As we went back up the stairs to my room the internal phone rang.

I answered it, it was Michelle, She asked for Lisa. She was talking to Lisa on the phone and Lisa was getting really upset, she was crying. She put the phone down and said that Alison had been stabbed and that Michslle and John had found her. I took Lisa back to my room, she was really upset and shaking.

Sometime after this Tracey, Lisa's younger sister phoned on the internal phone. I spoke to her. She was upset because she was on her own with her Dad and he'd gone to sleep. I handed the phone to Lisa who told Tracey to wake her Dad or get into bed with him.

Sometime after that I remember talking to Anne TAYLOR, Lisa's Mum who told me to put Lisa into a cab and send her home, I can't remember who phoned who. I phoned Lisa a cab, gave her Ten pound and she went off home. Lisa wasn't making much sense by now, she was still upset.

I phoned Lisa at home later on to make sure she was alright and had got home, and after that I didn't speak to any of the TAYLOR family again that night, I didn't sleep very well that night because of what had gone on. I went to work the next morning and told Mr MIDDLETON my boss about what had happened with regard to the phone calls and Alison's death.

I believe Mr MIDDLETON told Mr TUCK, John's boss. Sometime that morning I had a phone call from Michells in the Clinic in the smoking room, She said to me "Who've you told", she seemed a bit annoyed. She said she'd been speaking to Mr TUCK and obviously knew that he knew.

Sometime before my lunch at 1200 Mr TUCK phoned me and said that Michelle was at the Clinic and wanted to get something from my room. I met Michelle and Lisa in the foyer of the Clinic and we went to my room. I should add that the previous evening Lisa had left a black plastic bin liner in my room.

I actually looked in the bag and saw a night dress and make up bag but I'd say there was more in it besides because it was about a quarter full. It was this bag that they'd come to collect. In my room I asked Michelle how she was. She said that she was fine and that it was horrible seeing Alison's body, Michelle wasn't herself she seemed upset and looked really tired.

During this conversation Michelle said something like "We was here just after five." After this I went back to work. I think the following Sunday, I'm not too sure but I know it was a Sunday, a Policeman called Kim came to see me and Priscilla and asked me if I could remember what had happened on that day, and to write it down because he would need to take a Statement from me.

I should add that I'd spoken to Michelle on the phone before the Police coming and she'd told me that the Police would be coming to see me soon and to ring her after he' d been. When the Policeman left on that Sunday I became very frightened because I didn't know what to say to him.

I knew that Michelle and Lisa had been home at 1700 because they told me. I thought Michelle would be a suspect because the Policeman wanted to know how long Michelle and Lisa had been with me and what time that day. I really didn't know what to say for the best.

A couple of minutes after the Policeman had gone I phoned Michelle. I told her about the police visit. She told me that they really were at home at just after 1700 and they weren't lying to me and to tell the police that I was there with them at that time.

I really believed that Michelle and Lisa were there at that time and so I decided to tell the police that I was there with them. Michelle has been a very good friend to me and I always believed what she told me and had no reason to believe she was lying, Therefore when the Policeman returned and took a Statement from me.

I told him that I got home at 1700 and Michelle and Lisa arrived at 1715 and stayed with me. After I'd finished with Kim ( the Policeman ) I phoned Michelle and told her what I'd said. She just said O'kay. About a couple of days later I spoke to Michelle again, I can't remember if it was on the phone or whether she came to my place.

She was asking if anybody else had been interviewed at the Clinic. I told her that people had been, We was just talking and she said that they were definately at the house, She seemed to be reassuring me that she was there, Michelle came back to work some time later, She also went to Ireland for about a week.

We didn't really talk about my statement over this time. It was only after I was interviewed by Police the second time that I became really worried about lying to the Police. On this occasion I again said that I'd been with Michelle and Lisa at 1715 onwards that evening.

I was worried because things just didn't seem to be right. It seemed to me that I was under more stress about the whole thing than Michelle was. It was the talk of the Clinic by this time and everyone kept asking me questions which was stressful, added to the fact that I knew I'd lied to the police, but I still believed what Michelle had said.

I told Michelle that I'd stuck to my statement, She actually asked me the day after I'd made the statement. Sometime after the second interview I went to Michelle's house in Forest Hill, When I got there only Ann TAYLOR was there, We were talking and during this conversation I told Ann that I wasn't actually at home that day until 1900, She didn't really say much but seemed surprised.

She didn't question me on it because Michelle came home a couple of minutes after, A week ago last Saturday, I went to FOREST HILL again for a car boot sale. On this occasion I spoke to Ann TAYLOR again. She brought up the conversation about me being there that day.

She asked me if I remember shouting "Hello" to her on telephone when Lisa had phoned her. I said definately not because I didn't go to the phone with Lisa and I didn't get back till after 1900. She kept saying "I'm sure you were there, I'm sure it was that day." After I was interviewed the second time.

Michelle contacted me and asked me had I stuck to my statement, and I said "Yes", I would like to say that I am frightened of the TAYLOR family which influenced me more than ever to stick to my statement. I base this fear on things that Michelle has told me, in particular about an Uncle of hers who is capable of violence, very rich and protective to the family.

I'm also scared of Michelle because of her Martial Arts training. I genuinely believed that they would hurt me if I altered my statement even though they didn't actually say so. Further to Paragraph Two of my Statement, when I said that I called at my sister's house and received no reply on 030691.

I also remember leaving my shopping trolly outside her door and going to Maria's flat on the same balcony as Julie's flat in an effort to find Julie who is a friend of Maria's. I don't think Maria was in, and then I went up to Karen's flat on the next floor up, directly above Maria, and is another friend of Julie's.

I can't remember which, but I spoke to either Maria or Karen at Karen's and that person told me that she'd gone out earlier and asked me if I was expected and I replied No. I have been asked if I know a Rasta who is a friend of Lisa's. I know she has a friend who is a Rasta called Phillip.

I've seen him on about two occasions at the Clinic. I think he owns a small White car, On one occasion Michelle was with Lisa and Phillip. I've also been asked if Michelle was ill or mentioned being ill on the 030691. She never said nothing about being ill to me.

Also at some point she mentioned picking flower pots up or taking them to John's on the 3rd. I would be willing to go to Court and give evidence if required to do so. Also I remember that when Lisa was with me on the 030691 she told me that they'd been shopping, I think to Lewisham and that they hadn't bought anything, and that they'd bumped into a friend of Lisa's who I think was a man but I can't remember anymore than that about him.

I have read over the above Statement consisting of 12 Pages to J J TAPP and she has agreed the contents as being accurate as far as she can remember. She is unable to read the statement at present as her glasses are un-obtainable, but will read and sign it when she can.

( SIGNED ) : TREVOR HEARD - DET INSP, 2115 070891
( SIGNED ) : ANGELA THOMAS WDC
( SIGNED ) : JEANETTE TAPP JEANETTE TAPP SIGNED
STATEMENT TAKEN PLACE:
TIME:
DATE: 070891
WITNESS TO SIGNATURE: WDC THOMAS
OFFICERS SIGNATURE: ANGELA THOMAS DC