The main cause of miscarriages of justice is when Police suffer from 'confirmation bias' which is very clearly what happened with Mitchell's case. I remember a couple of years ago you were less than convinced about whether LM was guilty or not (unless I've mixed you up with someone else). I assume you've read the transcripts. The evidence of Janine Jones would have canned laughter over it if it wasn't a murder trial. Consider this:
1. Most of her answers in Court were "I don't know".
2. She claimed in Court LM showed no reaction to the body being discovered, but her original statement said "everyone was in hysterics".
3. Janine Jones claimed in Court she did not know of Roan's Dyke Path. So she lived with her mother for about 16 years less than 5m walk away and was never told by her mother not to go up the path when she was a child or teenager? Seriously? Janine knew Jodi used the path to meet Luke as well, but apparently doesn't know this path?
4. Neither Janine Jones nor Alice Walker could explain why they went straight to Roan's Dyke Path, nor why whilst walking up said path towards the V, failed to even look in the wooded area before the wall. If a body was going to be found it wasn't going to be on the path - obviously.
[Name removed] and [Name removed]'s answers also consisted of nothing other than "I don't remember" and "I don't know".
Don't you think there is something wrong with all this with 4 people in particular seemingly being hit by amnesia?
Just a couple of things to correct and highlight here WW.
JaJ's did not stay near to the path for 16yrs. She only moved to EH (Easthouses) when she was 14yrs old, stayed there until her 16th yr then returning to stay at her former home which was the grans house. She did not attend the local school, no friends in the area, had no reason in that brief time to learn of the RDP. She knew not the names of any paths, knew of a path behind the school, not familiar with the path itself. We can see the gran knew which path and that Jodi's mother had knowledge of it also.
[Name removed]'s on the other hand, same as her sister was not brought up in EH, moved there around 10/11yrs old. Still stayed frequently at the grans (her former home) thus in contact with friends in the area. Also did not attend the local high school. We know she learnt of the RDP via LM, of his home being located on the Newbattle side of it. And as above, her mothers clear knowledge of it, the isolation, placing a ban therefore on her younger daughter using it alone.
As before I will place this question. Did LM make claim to being in hysterics? AW, SK, Ambulance crew, police arrival, make any claims to him being in hysterics? We can see DF picked this up from her 1st account, we can see it was clarified in later accounts as to who was in hysterics. Reality is both JaJ's with her gran, both screaming hysterically. SK retching, females shaking, SK freaking out on the phone. We can see clearly why it was accepted that not "everyone" was in a hysterical state.
We also see clearly that 99.9% of original statements were adopted as evidence in court. As in, no denial in place of what was said at the time into following accounts.
We could forever and a day debate around opinions, ones perceptions around memory of all witnesses. That is fair enough, it is however refreshing to see that self interest route being quashed bit by bit. How morally wrong it was to place focus by way of deception upon Jodi's direct family. They did nothing wrong, they told the truth, which we can now see clearly.
Therefore the two main points you make are both wrong, did not have direct knowledge, familiar with that path, was not brought up in the area. That the "hysterics" was as she stated firmly wrong, that not everyone was, least of all LM who made no claim himself to being in such a state.
One last thing, I touched on this elsewhere. Might it be best to apply some logic around reality of the facts one does know. Such as two people being closely connected to the victim, both her sister and her gran. The difficulties that must have unfolded whilst given testimony, knowing and being led into reliving that awful night, the massive trauma they suffered as a result. As with SK also, he may not have known the girl a very long time, but he certainly was reliving that horror/trauma also. Which might just explain somewhat the fight to not have some memories, they may have tried to blank out, until having to again. - Just a thought.
