The window wasn't open, it was closed, the lock was open not the window. What does Jones's seniority have to do with anything? Ainsley didn't see Jones check the windows and no one admitted to opening the SR window. I don't believe that Jones physically checked it.
The following is from The Murders at White House Farm: by CAL (p. 190) and is Goldings account ....
"The narrow window that opened horizontally above the kitchen sink was noticeably ajar: ‘To my knowledge no other police officer had opened the fanlight or indeed had reason to place the catch on the bathroom window in the insecure position.’ Sergeant Golding fastened the kitchen window as well, but omitted to inform a senior officer of his actions.
The passage goes on to state that .....
"DCI Jones made no mention of either window in his witness statement, declaring that he had entered ‘every room in the house’ at about 9.15am for a security check. The only window he found unlocked was the one in the dairy, covered by wire mesh with dirt and cobwebs on the gauze and sill. Considering the issue several weeks later, Acting Chief Superintendent Mike Ainsley concluded that the kitchen window must have been opened after Jones’s inspection of the house: ‘I have been unable to discover the person responsible but there was comment made of the smell in the kitchen and the flies gathering. There is no reason to believe that the bathroom window was opened.'
But it was open
Sgt Golding states he found the catch open but DCI Jones said when he checked some 5 hours earlier they were all secured. The chances are that someone had used the loo, opened the window and either forgot to put the catch back, couldn't be bothered, or tried and found it difficult so left it perhaps fearing they may damage the window/catch by using brute force.
According to DCI Jones' notebook he stated he went round the house observing each victim in situ. The next thing he did was look for signs of forced entry. He found none other than in the kitchen ie door broken down by officers. He clearly checked all windows evidenced by his notes and the fact he went into detail re what he referred to as the pantry window which on the official layout is described at the dairy.
The fact he looked for signs of forced entry shows imo he was keeping an open mind and not automatically running with the idea SC was responsible.
If you or others want to say something along the lines he was looking for signs of forced entry but not meticulously inspecting the window catches so be it.
As we all know by the time of the trial sadly DCI Jones had died in a tragic accident at home carrying out some diy. Therefore a statement was read out on his behalf:
264. In contrast with Sergeant Golding, DCI Jones made a statement dated 7 October 1985 in which he reported that he had attended at the farm at approximately 9.15 a.m. on 7 August and he had proceeded to check every room on the ground floor of the house and found that on the ground floor all the windows in the house were secure and locked except the window to the dairy. That statement was read to the Jury as part of the Defence case.Yes DCI Jones made a stat dated 7th Oct '85 re the windows but he also made notes in his notebook presumably on the day of the murders re the windows.
263. Police Sergeant Golding gave evidence that at 2.30 p.m. on 7 August he commenced to secure the ground floor and found all windows to be secure and fastened with the exception of two windows. One was in the ground floor bathroom, which was in a closed position with the catch open. He secured the window by closing the latch. The other was a transom window, which formed part of a casement type window in the kitchen. The transom window was open approximately halfway. He secured the window.Did Sgt Golding make notes in his notebook on the day of the murders re the windows or did he make a wit stat from memory at a time when the investigation changed from murder/suicide to murder?
