The dog preventing a successful massacre for Jeremy :

[Myster]

Often when grandchildren stay over the grandparents will offer to listen out for them should they wake to save the parents being on alert.  Although I accept Daniel and Nicholas were 6 yoa and should have been sleeping through the night.  I don't think most people lock their bedroom door or even have locks on the doors?

I've never owned a dog so know little about them but from general knowledge I thought they had amazing auditory and scent abilities so much so that wherever Bruce the Labrador was situated around WHF he would hear a bike/visitor long before he/she arrived?

There's a "stinker" and there's a "stinker".  I imagine JB bathing in the 80's aftershaves eg Kouras by YSL.  Or perhaps Aramis that was another fave in the 80's.

WHF master bedroom had door locks visible on a couple of available photos although even these might have been blocked up with layers of paint and never used.

Depends on how old the Labrador was. Some older dogs tend to doze more and miss the sound of intruders, others don't... you can't generalise. Odd that the only barking dog mentioned that morning was the Shih Tzu inside the farm not the Lab outside.

More likely to be smarting Old Spice or smellier still, Lifebuoy carbolic.

[Myster]

Have you got a source about the labrador was a long way away.

I don't offhand, adam. I read somewhere that the Labrador was kept inside one of the outbuildings or barns on the kitchen side of WHF, so well away from the gate on Pages Lane. Makes sense really for feeding and guard duty to be near the kitchen and most frequently used trade entrance.

[puglove]

I don't offhand, adam. I read somewhere that the Labrador was kept inside one of the outbuildings or barns on the kitchen side of WHF, so well away from the gate on Pages Lane. Makes sense really for feeding and guard duty to be near the kitchen and most frequently used trade entrance.

As far as I know, Bruce was Ralph's relatively young black Lab. He was penned at night, but.....and I know that a lot of people disagree, I doubt if this was because he was a guard dog. My old man and I have both owned Labs, they're gun dogs and bred to please, but they aren't very vocal. Bruce might have been penned because he was a young, entire dog and not clean in the house (male dogs, even pugs, either eat it, wee on it or shag it) and he might also have loathed poor old Crispy and wasn't trusted not to try and kill her like an annoying rat.

Crispy slept on June's side of the bed.

[puglove]

As far as I know, Bruce was Ralph's relatively young black Lab. He was penned at night, but.....and I know that a lot of people disagree, I doubt if this was because he was a guard dog. My old man and I have both owned Labs, they're gun dogs and bred to please, but they aren't very vocal. Bruce might have been penned because he was a young, entire dog and not clean in the house (male dogs, even pugs, either eat it, wee on it or shag it) and he might also have loathed poor old Crispy and wasn't trusted not to try and kill her like an annoying rat.

Crispy slept on June's side of the bed.

Arrghhh!! I've just broken my new year's resolution and looked on blue, and read something about an MBE. A truly awful person who I spent 6 bloody years of my life with has been awarded a CBE. A totally talentless tart who I tried, for MONTHS to teach Angi on the guitar.

The only clue I can give is that her real name is Feroza. And she used me in her book.

[Holly Goodhead]

Arrghhh!! I've just broken my new year's resolution and looked on blue, and read something about an MBE. A truly awful person who I spent 6 bloody years of my life with has been awarded a CBE. A totally talentless tart who I tried, for MONTHS to teach Angi on the guitar.

The only clue I can give is that her real name is Feroza. And she used me in her book.

Goodness gracious me!

[puglove]

Goodness gracious me!

God..you make me laugh!!

Yes!! Her!!

[Myster]

Arrghhh!! I've just broken my new year's resolution and looked on blue, and read something about an MBE. A truly awful person who I spent 6 bloody years of my life with has been awarded a CBE. A totally talentless tart who I tried, for MONTHS to teach Angi on the guitar.

The only clue I can give is that her real name is Feroza. And she used me in her book.

Don't worry, you'll be in the honours list one day... for services to puggery. 

https://www.facebook.com/Pugl0ve
... and if you play like slowhand Clapton, then you're my girl. 

[John]

Back on topic.  Nevill was a magistrate and as such open to the risk of personal attack by some disgruntled nutter.  The farmhouse was relatively isolated so I have no doubt that the simple act of routinely locking the bedroom would have afforded him and June additional security.  My own father was also a farmer and a magistrate (JP) and he always locked his bedroom door.

There was no need to break the door down, Nevill would have opened it for Jeremy but not for a stranger/intruder.

[adam]

Back on topic.  Nevill was a magistrate and as such open to the risk of personal attack by some disgruntled nutter.  The farmhouse was relatively isolated so I have no doubt that the simple act of routinely locking the bedroom would have afforded him and June additional security.  My own father was also a farmer and a magistrate (JP) and he always locked his bedroom door.

There was no need to break the door down, Nevill would have opened it for Jeremy but not for a stranger/intruder.

You think Jeremy got in through the bathroom window at 2am, and then knocked on the bedroom door ?

[John]

You think Jeremy got in through the bathroom window at 2am, and then knocked on the bedroom door ?

Only Jeremy knows the answer to that one and he isn't for telling.

[Holly Goodhead]

Back on topic.  Nevill was a magistrate and as such open to the risk of personal attack by some disgruntled nutter.  The farmhouse was relatively isolated so I have no doubt that the simple act of routinely locking the bedroom would have afforded him and June additional security.  My own father was also a farmer and a magistrate (JP) and he always locked his bedroom door.

There was no need to break the door down, Nevill would have opened it for Jeremy but not for a stranger/intruder.

I think NB would think it a little strange if his adult son, who no longer lived in the family home, was knocking on NB's locked bedroom door in the early hours.  Assuming NB opened it and JB fired shots at close range (ballistics state the facial shots were within a few inches) it doesn't explain how NB's blood was not detected on the bedroom carpet as per the five samples that were tested.  I don't believe NB was shot in the bedroom.  I think he came up the stairs from the kitchen and SC, already in the bedroom, swung round from shooting June and fired at NB in the doorway/landing.

[John]

I think NB would think it a little strange if his adult son, who no longer lived in the family home, was knocking on NB's locked bedroom door in the early hours.  Assuming NB opened it and JB fired shots at close range (ballistics state the facial shots were within a few inches) it doesn't explain how NB's blood was not detected on the bedroom carpet as per the five samples that were tested.  I don't believe NB was shot in the bedroom.  I think he came up the stairs from the kitchen and SC, already in the bedroom, swung round from shooting June and fired at NB in the doorway/landing.

Not possible Holly, the distribution of the spent cartridges gives the plot away.  Nevill was shot as he approached the bedroom door after getting out of bed by a gunman standing at that same door.

[Holly Goodhead]

Not possible Holly, the distribution of the spent cartridges gives the plot away.  Nevill was shot as he approached the bedroom door after getting out of bed by a gunman standing at that same door.

Ballistics marked out the area shots could have been fired from as per the diagram below and it extended well beyond the doorway.

My scenario is entirely plausible and explains the fact that when FSS analysed five carpet samples taken from the bedroom none of NB's blood was detected.  Imo NB was not in the bedroom when the shooting started.  He came up from the kitchen and was standing in the doorway when SC swung round from shooting June and inflicted the two facial gunshot wounds fired within a few inches of NB's face.  As NB fled SC fired a further 2 shots.  One hit NB's shoulder which totally impaired his left arm ruling out any life and death struggle in the kitchen.  The other shot resulted in a grazing to the shoulder.

[John]

Ballistics marked out the area shots could have been fired from as per the diagram below and it extended well beyond the doorway.

My scenario is entirely plausible and explains the fact that when FSS analysed five carpet samples taken from the bedroom none of NB's blood was detected.  Imo NB was not in the bedroom when the shooting started.  He came up from the kitchen and was standing in the doorway when SC swung round from shooting June and inflicted the two facial gunshot wounds fired within a few inches of NB's face.  As NB fled SC fired a further 2 shots.  One hit NB's shoulder which totally impaired his left arm ruling out any life and death struggle in the kitchen.  The other shot resulted in a grazing to the shoulder.

You obviously don't yet understand how the rifle ejected the spent cartridges as explained already by Mystery.  To achieve cartridge distribution as depicted in your plan the gunman had to be standing just inside the bedroom facing Nevill who had just got out of bed.  It can be clearly observed that the seven spent cartridges associated with the shooting of June all ended up on the rhs of the bed.

For your scenario to work all the spent cartridges would have had to have ended up near the chair shown at the bottom of the depiction.

[Holly Goodhead]

You obviously don't yet understand how the rifle ejected the spent cartridges as explained already by Mystery.  To achieve cartridge distribution as depicted in your plan the gunman had to be standing just inside the bedroom facing Nevill who had just got out of bed.  It can be clearly observed that the seven spent cartridges associated with the shooting of June all ended up on the rhs of the bed.

For your scenario to work all the spent cartridges would have had to have ended up near the chair shown at the bottom of the depiction.

Yes Myster (no Mystery) kindly explained that spent cartridges eject from the RHS of the rifle.  Prior to this I stated that I am no ballistics expert.  I don't believe you or Myster are either?

It is not my plan.  I believe it was a plan drawn up by the ballistics expert Malcolm Fletcher?  As far as I can see he has marked out a shaded area where shots could be fired from.  Whether this could be narrowed down further for each individual shot based on bullet wounds, spent cartridges and any other data I have no idea.  It appears to me he is saying any of the gunshots could have been fired within the shaded area?  The plan attributes cartridges 13 and 14 to June and yet these cartridges appear to be situated outside the bedroom/landing/stairs.  As far as I am aware NB was the only victim shot on the landing/stairs.

Your scenario seems to be based on the bedroom door being locked with JB knocking on the door and NB leaving his bed (opposite side of main door) to answer it. JB then fired the facial shots at NB, said to have been fired at a distance of no more than a few inches, as he opened the door then the spent cartridges would eject to the right and land on the landing or the side of the open door.  There are no cartriges at the side of the open door.  And the cartridges on the landing seem to be attributed to other wounds eg June or NB's shoulder/arm shots.

I will need to look at the layout again of WHF as I'm trying to imagine JB standing outside the main bedroom with rifle and silencer and wondering if there was space for him to stand directly opposite or whether he would have needed to stand slightly to one side?

According to my farmer friends when a shot is fired with a semi-auto rifle cartridges can land within a few feet and don't necessarily simply fall straight to the ground.

My scenario of SC firing shots at June in bed while standing about a third way up from the bottom of the bed June's side and then swinging round to shoot NB as he came up the stairs from the kitchen to shoot him as he stood in the doorway appears entirely plausible based on the diagram and cartridge location.