According to Donna Jagger's WS Rolfe dropped her off at Lakeside at 1745 hours. The Crimewatch prog has Rolfe leaving Lakeside at 1800 hours. Andrew Reynolds states he saw the trio in the Range Rover at 18.05 on Cranes Farm Road:
Lakeside @ 1745/1800 hours - Brynmount Lodge, Fobbing = 18 mins
Brynmount Lodge - Gordon Rd, Basildon = 7 mins
Gordon Rd - Cranes Farm Road = 7 mins = 1817/1832 hours
So based on the WS's of DJ and AR its 12 mins out. This doesn't take into account Tate/Tucker physically coming out of houses and getting into Range Rover. Could all this be offset by unknown variables: actual time left Lakeside and Rolfe's style of driving? I think AR's account is probably the most reliable.
It is then claimed the trio went over to Halfway House, Brentwood and then Hungry Horse/Travellers Joy, Rayleigh before ending up at Workhouse Lane?
Cranes Farm Road @ 1805 - Halfway House = 14 mins
Halfway House - Hungry Horse = 16 mins
Hungry Horse - White House Farm/Workhouse Lane = 9 mins Arrival = 18.44/coincides with the time of Sarah Saunder's tel call
If Nicholls, Steele and Whomes were at Halfway House when Range Rover arrived they would need to leave Marks Tey at 17.37pm.
At 17.12 Whomes used his mobile to call Steele's mobile where did this place the pair by way of cell sites?
Imo the only way forward for Steele/Whomes is to challenge the mobile phone evidence not in the way it has been done historically by just focusing on the Whomes/Nicholls calls at 18.59 but all the phone evidence in an attempt to challenge Nicholls testimony about the journey from Marks Tey to Brentwood/Rayleigh/Rettendon and also the phone boxes earlier in the day. Also the potential to show Rolfe/Tate/Tucker either made or received mobile calls after 18.59. If it can be shown 1 or more of the trio made or received a mobile call after 18.59 that's the prosecution case dead.