Jack Whomes and Michael Steele convicted of Shooting Tony Tucker and Patrick Tate in 1995In answer to the thread title...in my opinion, definitely not.
http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/suffolk_essex_my_son_s_no_gangland_assassin_and_i_ll_never_give_up_on_him_says_mother_of_jack_whomes_the_man_convicted_of_the_essex_boys_murders_1_3599431 (http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/suffolk_essex_my_son_s_no_gangland_assassin_and_i_ll_never_give_up_on_him_says_mother_of_jack_whomes_the_man_convicted_of_the_essex_boys_murders_1_3599431)
I have always had doubts about this. Could it Justify a topic section under the alleged MoJ section?
Definitely not imo too. Due to the connection with another man which is not widely known,I am certainly confident the right men were convicted.Who is the other man that you refer to?
hi at 6pm on the evening of the murders rolfe gave his girlfreind 60 pounds to buy a dress to wear later that evening as he dropped her off he told her he and the boys were going to meet mickey steel to look at a landing site for a light plane to drop drugs.its in her police statementThats right Sherlock. Nicholls was also able to recount the story told to him by Steele, of Tate receiving a call from his partner, Sarah Saunders moments before the murders.
Thats right Sherlock. Nicholls was also able to recount the story told to him by Steele, of Tate receiving a call from his partner, Sarah Saunders moments before the murders.hi sika the police did not want to stick any charges on the 3rd killer because he was their star witness in the leah betts case.policemans daughter who died after taken an E .the 3rd killer claimed while looking at the site where his former Friends were killed he found a unspent shotgun cartridge panicked and threw it near a oak tree .the police didnt bother to have a search for it even though it could be part of the ammo the killers bought to the site on the evening of the murders.he told the police this .so if there was ever a cartridge found there.with the 3rd killers print on it it could be explained .he obviously lost a cartridge on the cold dark night of the murders.master stroke by the killers was to lure the gang to a place were a shotgun range was .hence if people heard shots on the evening of the murders they would assume someone was clay pigeon shooting.
Many would like to believe that others were responsible for the murders but the evidence is absolutely over whelming. Essex Police, to their credit, conducted a superb investigation. Mobile phone records place all the main protagonists in the tiny village of Rettendon on the evening that the murders were committed. Now, what's the chances of that!
i have no doubt there was a 3rd killer lying in wait for the car to arrive the grass was disturbed and police believe a man was hiding there.the 3rd man i wont name on a website .but was known to the murdered gang and was a friend at one time . without doubt rolfe was shot first and didnt know what hit him.his foot was still on the brake and hands were holding the steering. tucker may have turned and seen the killer which is why the the 1st headshot he received got him in the jaw he moved his head .tate saw and even spoke to the killer when he was shot in the stomach.you see the 3 were ambushed the shots were fired so quick 3 seconds from a automatic shotgun.that is why the killer didnt aim at tates head but his stomach couldnt miss. every one had to be subdued first than the doors were opened in turn and the 3 were finished off with headshots .the trigger man had been well accustomed to firearms had served in the army in northern ireland where he was also taught ambush techniques and also participated in ambushing IRA members.the plan was for steel to exit the car from the passenger door behind the driver and to make sure the car door was left open when he got out to open the gate.rolfe had to be ambushed and shot cleanly otherwise he would see the guns and slam on the accelerator than slam it in reverse .he was taken out cleanly leaving the other 2 as sitting ducks.i dont think steel and whomes did any shooting in the ambush .this was left to the professional .the 3rd man.whomes and steel may have helped in finishing off the 3 .after the pro had subdued them .ie. the first 3 shots rolfe back of the head instant death.tucker the mouth.and tate the stomach.steel allegedly said to tate you want to f--k with me.youre not in the same league .than tate was finished off.steel was no mug he was a drug wholesaler not a small time drug dealer he dealt in tens of kilos customs once found 50 kilos on his property.after the death of leah betts from taking an ecstasy pill.the tate gang started bullying steel .tucker also made threats to the 3rd unnamed killer.words were iam going to f--king do you .and so steel and the 3rd killer hatched a plan .steel to bring them to a location and the 3rd killer to do the ambush and shooting.steel played on tate gangs greed and told them a fanciful story of million pound drugs plane which could be robbed and they fell for it hook.line.and sinker .so that evening tates gang thought they were going to look at a landing site.the rest is history.the 3rd killer was not nipper .eventhough he brags he was.nipper was in hiding.essex boys the film is as close to the truth as one can get.because the 3rd killer was employed to help with the production
Is the 3rd killer in your theory Bernard Omahoney?yes i think so .tate was shot in the stomach first because they wanted words with him.after words were exchanged or while they were exchanged .steel or whomes may have shot tate in the back of the head through the glass. tate had both legs flat on the back seat like he was trying to cower in the corner.Nicol's would not have known the 3rd killer was laying in wait because he never went to the scene .3rd killer after finishing his nights work simply walked back to a hotel about a mile away from the crime scene thats where he spent the day and night of the murders
I am not convinced looking at the crime scene that Pat Tate died in the way you described.
yes i think so .tate was shot in the stomach first because they wanted words with him.after words were exchanged or while they were exchanged .steel or whomes may have shot tate in the back of the head through the glass. tate had both legs flat on the back seat like he was trying to cower in the corner.Nicol's would not have known the 3rd killer was laying in wait because he never went to the scene .3rd killer after finishing his nights work simply walked back to a hotel about a mile away from the crime scene thats where he spent the day and night of the murders
If he was the there then your version of events is true as that is what he said happens. However I don't believe he was, It looks to me like pat was shot through the glass window from his left then very soon after the other assassin shoots him in the ribs to his right or it could be the other way round but in a very short period of time. I don't think there was any talking and they all barely knew what hit themyea you could be right dave.i live in east london and a few top tier villians suggest he was .plus his own bragging.him and his family were in a hotel about a mile away those are his own words.i think they had a few words with tate before they finished him.i know what i would have said to Tate .when you f--k with the wrong people this is what you get .bang.
If he was the there then your version of events is true as that is what he said happens. However I don't believe he was, It looks to me like pat was shot through the glass window from his left then very soon after the other assassin shoots him in the ribs to his right or it could be the other way round but in a very short period of time. I don't think there was any talking and they all barely knew what hit themall were executed with headshots.therefor it makes no sense to shoot tate in stomach if he had already been shot in the head .if the head shot was first the next shots would also be to the head just like tucker and Rolfe.no i think Tate's first shot was stomach in the few seconds it took to kill the front 2 .Tate might have tryed to make some sought of move on the gun .and killer didnt want that.so he was quickly shot in stomach first to immobilise him
Bernard Imagine had no connections to Steele, Whomes or Nichol ls. Furthermore, there was no telephone traffic between Imagine and the three. Imagine had allegedly received a warning from the Police that his life had been threatened by TT&R. However, O'mahoney has for twenty years now, sought to cash in on the whole saga, over egging his involvement and claiming to have inside information. His words cannot be trusted. For years, he vehemently claimed that Steele & Whomes were innocent, before revealing last week, that he knew all along, they were guilty!his own words were when tucker told him not to deal with the police about telling them where the E tab had come from.when he refused tucker said iam going to f--k do you .you dont threaten him and getaway with it .a man who ambushed and had fire fights with IRA members.why would he make up the story of the cartridge he found.or the hand print of his .he told police he had touched the range rover just above drivers door .would a person experienced in guns panic if he found a cartridge at a previous crime scene and throw it .NO.if he had nothing to do with it he would have taken the cartridge to the police .he says hes a villain but is not partial to helping police.as the great Danny woolard said .you dont help the police you tell em f--k all
He has very recently made one last desperate attempt to squeeze a few more quid out of the story. He justifiys doing this by claiming that enough lives have been ruined and it has become immoral!! It just so happens that his decision to do this, coincides with the 20 year anniversary of the murders!!
Don't get me wrong, good luck to him, there are far worse ways to make a living. I actually owe him a great debt. His web site contained hundreds of pages of statements and court transcripts, which build a very clear story as to what exactly happened, before, during and after the murders. Having read through all of this information, I was left in absolutely no doubt whatsoever, that the Police had the right men.
Bernard O'mahoney had no connections to Steele, Whomes or Nicholls. Furthermore, there was no telephone traffic between O'mahoney and the three. O'mahoney had allegedly received a warning from the Police that his life had been threatened by TT&R. However, O'mahoney has for twenty years now, sought to cash in on the whole saga, over egging his involvement and claiming to have inside information. His words cannot be trusted. For years, he vehemently claimed that Steele & Whomes were innocent, before revealing last week, that he knew all along, they were guilty!omahoneys own words while at the hospital after nipper had shot tate nicolls was present so they did know eachother.also this is when tate asked omah to help set up nipper.
He has very recently made one last desperate attempt to squeeze a few more quid out of the story. He justifiys doing this by claiming that enough lives have been ruined and it has become immoral!! It just so happens that his decision to do this, coincides with the 20 year anniversary of the murders!!
Don't get me wrong, good luck to him, there are far worse ways to make a living. I actually owe him a great debt. His web site contained hundreds of pages of statements and court transcripts, which build a very clear story as to what exactly happened, before, during and after the murders. Having read through all of this information, I was left in absolutely no doubt whatsoever, that the Police had the right men.
yea you could be right dave.i live in east london and a few top tier villians suggest he was .plus his own bragging.him and his family were in a hotel about a mile away those are his own words.i think they had a few words with tate before they finished him.i know what i would have said to Tate .when you f--k with the wrong people this is what you get .bang.
omahoneys own words while at the hospital after nipper had shot tate nicolls was present so they did know eachother.also this is when tate asked omah to help set up nipper.It was not O'mahoney at the hospital with Nicholls. He is quoting Tates friend and business associate, Barry Dorman.
It was not O'mahoney at the hospital with Nicholls. He is quoting Tates friend and business associate, Barry Dorman.true.but give me one good reason why bernie would make a statement about finding the shotgun cartridge which may have his print on it.if he wasnt there .why make yourself a suspect if you had nothing to do with it .he has no alibi for the evening of the murders his story about being at hotel on evening of the murders was not investigated.it would be getting dark about 5pm on that evening he could have easily walked the distance to the crime scene through fields and not be seen.police did find footprints in the snow in a field.but you are right the stories he is telling like the phone call threat from tucker cannot be proven.and should be taken with a pinch of salt.the statement he makes about approaching tuckers bouncer friend and telling him he had nothing to do with the murders.also sounds dubious.but if he did. it was to counter any words tucker might have told his Friend about what he is going to do to police helper bernie
As far as I'm aware, O'mahoney has never claimed to have met Steele, Nicholls or Whomes.
Top tier Villians by into rumors like anyone else does. When people brag specially on TV its a good indicator it never happened or its a gross fabrication to the point of lying, I grew up in West Essex now live in east London, I know several people via my dad and granddad people now in their 70s to 90s who were involved in organised crime working with people like the Kray twins and god knows who else, Thing is they never talk about it and rarely go into detail about what they got up to its as if they are ashamed of it, I think that sais allot really. Hence why I don't think much of those that tell the world about their alleged amazing action packed gangster adventures in books TVs and films.adrenalin would be pumping yes .but i dont think saying a few words which would take 30 seconds would put them in any more danger they chose the site well people around that site were used to hearing gunshots.also after being shot in the stomach first. Tate would not be reaching for any pistol and if he had then the headshot through the glass would have been fired.Tate may have had a weapon because of being shot by nipper. but he would be taking a big risk he would immediately be recalled to prison.also i dont think tates gang had any guns on them that evening.one has to remmember the only person to have been told where and what the gang was doing that evening was rolfes girlfriend.and she clearly says it was to look at a landing site .not rob a plane .hence they may not have been armed .police were pro active in disturbing the activities of criminals just after betts death.i dont think they would be driving around with guns
Back to the Range Rover shooting. In my scenario you must bare in mind that its dark and the would be assassins will have their adrenaline pumping as its about to kick off they may even be on drugs also.
I think the two would be assassins approached the car from both sides, One shoots pat in the head through the glass then the other assassin shoots pat in the ribs a second or two after he has shot Rolfe and Tucker, Not realising it was not really needed. Taking time to talk to Patrick Tate would be a huge risk for the killers he could have had a 9mm pistol in his jacket handy for all they know or being at such close range he could have grabbed one of the shot gun barrels putting the entire plan in jeopardy.
Also I think the extra shots to Tucker and Rolfe may indicate they were more hated than Patrick was, Rise of the footsoilder overplayed patricks reputation, Allot of people said nice things about Pat Tate and that he was an alright guy when he was in legit business it all seemed to spiral down when he began using drugs and got involved with Tucker and Omahoney. I cant recall anyone saying nice things about Tucker and Rolfe seems they were career criminals from day one. So lets not assume Pat was the most hated to the point they needed a word before they shot him.
David are you coming out to play with Holly? 8(*( (&^&
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2006/195.html
Points 46 and 47:
Nor is this all, for a cell site can only accept and process so many calls at one time. Each cell site has only so many available channels; if all the channels on the cell site are being used by other callers, then the computers will automatically switch the call to another cell site; thus whether a call is routed to one cell site or another will be affected by the volume of telephone traffic at that particular time. Volume of telephone traffic is peculiarly variable and unpredictable, but is often at its heaviest during the evening rush hour. ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S SNOW AND 20 MILE TRAFFIC JAMS. *%87
There are many other factors which can have some effect, for example, atmospheric conditions, ionization, ice crystals in the air, falling rain or lack of summer foliage but these are not significant factors in this case and do not warrant further attention. REALLY *%87
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOb7ksC-NJ8
The traffic and weather were manic on 6th Dec 1995 due to snow. The cells cover 35 miles. Imagine the phone traffic due to road traffic in the area of Rettendon which is some 26 miles from Dartford crossing.
My only interest in the case is getting info out of Steele re the black market potential for WHF growing opium poppies ?>)()<
Huh?
David are you coming out to play with Holly? 8(*( (&^&
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2006/195.html
Points 46 and 47:
Nor is this all, for a cell site can only accept and process so many calls at one time. Each cell site has only so many available channels; if all the channels on the cell site are being used by other callers, then the computers will automatically switch the call to another cell site; thus whether a call is routed to one cell site or another will be affected by the volume of telephone traffic at that particular time. Volume of telephone traffic is peculiarly variable and unpredictable, but is often at its heaviest during the evening rush hour. ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S SNOW AND 20 MILE TRAFFIC JAMS. *%87
There are many other factors which can have some effect, for example, atmospheric conditions, ionization, ice crystals in the air, falling rain or lack of summer foliage but these are not significant factors in this case and do not warrant further attention. REALLY *%87
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOb7ksC-NJ8
The traffic and weather were manic on 6th Dec 1995 due to snow. The cells cover 35 miles. Imagine the phone traffic due to road traffic in the area of Rettendon which is some 26 miles from Dartford crossing.
My only interest in the case is getting info out of Steele re the black market potential for WHF growing opium poppies ?>)()<
I believe that the police have the right men. There is a lot of circumstantial evidence against both Steele and Whomes. The fact that their mobile phone records place them at or near the scene (a small village of Rettendon in Essex) The two were picked up on two different transmitters, meaning Whomes must have been using his mobile phone in an area overlapped by them – and Workhouse Lane (The scene of the murders) was in the centre of it. Further,supergrass and alleged driver of the two killers, Darren Nicholls told police that suspect Mickey Steele had told him that one of the murdered men - Pat Tate - received a mobile phone call from his girlfriend in the Range Rover moments before he was killed (Phone records later verified this call)
Moreover, the two had the ultimate motive to murder the three men - self preservation. Witnesses have stated that Pat Tate had expressed his intention of killing Jack Whomes and Mickey Steele over a drug deal that went bad very shortly before he was murdered.
For my money they are guilty.
In answer to the thread title...in my opinion, definitely not.
There was a mountain of circumstantial evidence including detailed telephone logs, which were extremely incriminating.
Incidentally, there was a third man in the Range Rover, Craig Rolfe, who was also killed.
Definitely not imo too. Due to the connection with another man which is not widely known,I am certainly confident the right men were convicted.
hi at 6pm on the evening of the murders rolfe gave his girlfreind 60 pounds to buy a dress to wear later that evening as he dropped her off he told her he and the boys were going to meet mickey steel to look at a landing site for a light plane to drop drugs.its in her police statement
The murders involved a large scale police operation (including CENTURY) surely the police would interview extensively those close to the murdered trio ie Rolfe's partner, Donna Jaggers. If Rolfe's partner was aware he was going to meet Steele then surely this info would have been imparted to police at an early stage and Steele taken in for questioning? Afaik Steele/Whomes were not even interviewed until months later?This operation commenced post murders. Steele was very quickly identified as the prime suspect. Steele and his team were placed under surveillance. As part of the operation, he and Tates girlfriend, Sarah Saunders, were called numerous times by undercover police pretending to be members of the IRA who had invested money with Tate.
According to Donna Jaggers WS dated around March 96 Rolfe gave her some money to purchase something new to wear for the night out in Romford with Tate/Tucker and their respective girlfriends. Rolfe told her to be ready to go out by 7.00pm and he would collect her. Collect her from where Lakeside or their home in Chafford Hundred which is a short distance from Lakeside. This imo is very suspicious. The logistics need explaining:
- Travel time to and from these places: Rolfe/Lakeside toTucker/Fobbing to Tate/Basildon to Rettendon for recce - collecting girlfriends - final destination the table booked at restaurant in Romford at 8pm. It can't be done in 2 hours ie Rolfe on CCTV at Lakeside at 6pm and Romford at 8pm.
- If the evening was such it demanded new attire for Donna Jagger why would the guys turn up in scruffy old jeans, tshirts, bomber jackets and dirty Cat boots in an era where this wasn't considered fashionable attire for a night out? Numerous photos of Tate show him socialising in smart clothes. And if they were going to change this would just add further time which they didn't have.
This operation commenced post murders. Steele was very quickly identified as the prime suspect. Steele and his team were placed under surveillance. As part of the operation, he and Tates girlfriend, Sarah Saunders, were called numerous times by undercover police pretending to be members of the IRA who had invested money with Tate.
They knew they were dealing with a smart cookie in Steele and therefor decided to gather as much incriminating information as they could before making a move. As a result, they were able to arrest all the main protagonists, including Tates brother, Nicholls and a couple of corrupt Policemen, in one fell swoop and pick their stories apart.
Hmmm a lot of circumstantial?
Phone masts can only cope with a certain amount of phone traffic. Once it hits max users are automatically redirected to other nearby masts. In this case the adjacent area is always busy being near to the Dartford crossing but more importantly on the day/time in question the weather conditions were particularly bad with heavy snow causing the inevitable road traffic chaos which in turn no doubt put additional pressure on phone masts with mobile phone users making calls re running late etc. Weather conditions also interfere with mobile signals/masts etc.
We would need to see all the phone records to draw any conclusions. We don't know DN told the police anything. We only know what we've been told. The police may have fed this info to their supergrass or he may have learned some other way. These people and their girlfriends all appear to have been part of a circle.
I have no idea whether or not they are guilty. The lot of them were/are horrible people imo but that's neither her nor there in deciding whether or not Steele/Whomes committed the crimes they were convicted of.
Whomes will soon be eligible for parole and it also appears the case is under review by CCRC:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-44237411
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/fresh-appeal-hope-for-pair-convicted-of-essex-boys-gangland-murders-1-5503916
Whomes conceded that he was in Rettendon that night at 7pm. He reckons he was helping Nicholls with his car which had broken down.
He failed to offer up this explanation in any of his police interviews. It was only once they’d all seen the telephone logs, that they concocted their stories.
Steele found himself in a very difficult situation. Tates girlfriend, Sarah Saunders, had made a point of arranging a meeting with Steele so that she could warn him of Tates threat to kill him.
Tate was displaying particularly unpredictable behaviour at this point. Steele obviously took the threat seriously.
How many people had mobile phones in 1995?
Which geographic location?
I believe Whomes conceded he was in the vicinity of Rettendon on the day/time in question. This may or may not have been in relation to their dealings with the murdered trio but even it was in relation to the murdered trio does it necessarily mean Whomes was in any way responsible for the murders?
From 1996 - 1997 only 16% of households had mobile phones in the whole of the UK
https://www.statista.com/statistics/289167/mobile-phone-penetration-in-the-uk/
If it was in relation to the victims, what reason would he have for not stating so at the time?
They were all criminals and meets usually involved committing crime.
What's the point you're making?
As I said I don't believe SS was Tate's girlfriend at the time of the murders. What evidence exists showing Tate had threatened to murder Steele and if this was the case what was Tate's motive? Why would Whomes dirty his hands for Steele to the extent he would get involved with murder knowing if he was caught he was looking at a very long prison sentence?Tate and Saunders had a volatile, "on off" relationship.
It seems Tait was a complete liability but Tucker was at one time a soldier with legitimate business interests at the time; he may have acted as somewhat of a restraining influence on his childhood friend.
Big difference when you're accused of murdering criminal colleagues.
The point is that in 1995, mobile phones were no where near as mainstream as they are now so phone mast traffic wouldn't be an issue. However, as the issue was cleared up by Silka the point is now moot.
I believe Whomes conceded he was in the vicinity of Rettendon on the day/time in question. This may or may not have been in relation to their dealings with the murdered trio but even it was in relation to the murdered trio does it necessarily mean Whomes was in any way responsible for the murders?I do take your point Holly.
We don't know at what stage they were asked about the murders. They, Nicholls, Steele, Whomes and others were also under investigation for importing large quantities of drugs across the channel which carry the potential for similar penalties as murder:They were arrested on 13/5/96 in relation to the drug importations. Steele was further arrested for the murders the following day at 22.45 towards the end of his second interview.
https://www.gov.uk/penalties-drug-possession-dealing
We don't know at what stage they were asked about the murders. They, Nicholls, Steele, Whomes and others were also under investigation for importing large quantities of drugs across the channel which carry the potential for similar penalties as murder:Steele had been convicted in 1985 for smuggling. He was handed a 9 year sentence.
https://www.gov.uk/penalties-drug-possession-dealing
Tate and Saunders had a volatile, "on off" relationship.
Records show that Saunders called Tate just a few minutes before the assumed time of death. They spoke for around 3-4 minutes. At trial, much was made of this call. Steele, who was sitting next to Tate in the Range Rover whilst he spoke with Saunders, went on to tell Nicholls about the conversation. Nicholls was then able to cite this incident in one of his Police interviews, long before he was confronted with the call logs.
According to Saunders, Tate had threatened "to send Mickey up north". She told Steele this at a meeting in Chelmsford.
Steele and Whomes had invested a great deal in their smuggling operation. Tate and Tucker posed a real threat to this. They were out of control.
I do take your point Holly.
Without Nicholls testimony you are left with a considerable amount of circumstantial evidence, but enough to convict? I don't think so.
Even having borne in mind Nicholls undoubted history of dishonesty, I still find his account of the importations and murders utterly convincing. He was able to go into minute detail with his account matching up with call logs, others statements, etc. Some have inevitably suggested that Nicholls was fed this information by the police. Even if you believe that, I, feel sure that Nicholls would not have been able to stand up to several days of cross examination.
It was interesting that the jury believed his account of the murders and importations, whilst disbelieving his story about supplying a weapon to Steele.
Like many other cases, there is a plethora of mis information to be found about this case. However, available also are an enormous amount of transcripts taken from dozens of police interviews, statements and the trial itself. Reading through these will give you your best hope of uncovering the truth.
Steele had been convicted in 1985 for smuggling. He was handed a 9 year sentence.
They were arrested on 13/5/96 in relation to the drug importations. Steele was further arrested for the murders the following day at 22.45 towards the end of his second interview.
When was Nicholls arrested for possessing a large quantity of drugs in the boot of his car?The same day as all the others, including Steele, Whomes, Corry, Russell Tate and two serving police officers.
According to one documentary SS was living in a women's refuge.Steele & Whomes certainly didn't need Tate and Tucker. With a highly effective smuggling operation in place, there would have been no shortage of dealers to sell on the drugs.
We would really need to see mobile records over a long period to see who called who, when, where and the duration to see what was typical and what wasn't. As I said Tate had a young child. If SS is the mother then that might well be a reason they needed to communicate ie say goodnight to daddy! In any event I don't really understand the importance attached to this call other than potentially it provided the police something to feed to Nicholls. Which mast/cell site was the call routed through?
What evidence exists showing Steele was sitting next to Tate in the Range Rover? According to all concerned there's no forensic evidence linking Steele and Whomes to the murders. Helena Kennedy QC who acted for the pair at their last appeal thought it strange at 50 mins in:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHOggndSvew
As I understand it DNA evidence wouldn't necessarily be found at soc even if the perps were inside the Range Rover but I don't understand the lack of footprints and don't buy into the fact that the snow melted them all away.
What evidence exists showing Tate had made threats about Steele and/or SS met with Steele? In any event it seems to me Tate was a loud-mouthed, half-witted thug who went about threatening anyone and everyone especially when he was high on a cocktail of drugs.
What evidence exists showing Nicholls was aware of the call and volunteered this info to police rather than the police provided him with this info in order to bolster a case against Steele and Whomes?
As I said in an earlier post it seemed to me for the operation to work these people needed each other. Steele had the brains and was capable of driving boats and flying planes. Tate and Tucker had the muscle, controlled the clubs and the distribution network.
Numerous individuals/organisations wanted to take out Tate and Tucker.
I think Nicolls was an electrician by profession? I don't know many daft electricians. And I'm reminded of the 4 13 year old schoolgirls who lied for a laugh at the trial of Stefan Kiszko. The girls run rings around the trial judge and defence QC.I work with electricians on a very regular basis. I have definitely come across some "daft ones"!
According to the solicitor in the following, prior to Nicholls testimony he was caught with a large quantity of drugs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHOggndSvew
I believe Nicholls spent a small amount of time on remand?
Can you point me in the right direction to offical docs? 8((()*/
Donna Jaggers WS refers to a Lizzie Fletcher accompanying Rolfe and Tate to Holland to collect the cash refund for the duff cannabis. Here she is at 7.30min in where the narrator refers to her as Tate's girlfriend:I thought you hadn't got time to investigate other cases?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlqpePQYnck (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlqpePQYnck)
PT stamped on her forehead (^&&
I thought you hadn't got time to investigate other cases?!
All I see here are rats in a sack vying for power to destroy young people's lives, and when looking at the crime scene and mortuary photos think 'Good Riddance!'
The following is an excerpt from the CoA doc re Nicholls' account of the murders:Rolfe, Tate and Tucker all left Lakeside together after having a meal at TGI Fridays.
In the weeks that followed Nicholls went about his normal business. This included carrying out electrical work for Steele on his property. On 6 December Nicholls was doing some plumbing and labouring work for someone else in the Sunbury area, west of London. In the middle of the day there was telephone contact between Nicholls, who was still in Sunbury, and Steele, who was at or near Colchester. Nicholls left Sunbury in the early afternoon and drove to Essex via the M25 and M11. The arrangement was that Nicholls would meet Steele at Marks Tey at 5.00 o'clock. Steele arrived late driving a Toyota. They waited for Whomes who arrived in a Volkswagen Passat. It became apparent that Steele and Whomes had arranged a meeting with Tate. Steele said that its purpose was a drugs deal. From Marks Tey Steele and Nicholls travelled in the Toyota and Whomes followed in the Passat. Both vehicles stopped at a country park at which point Nicholls joined Whomes in the Passat which Nicholls then drove. Whomes told Nicholls to drive to the Halfway House public house and park. When they arrived the Toyota was there and Whomes told Nicholls to park at a distance from it. A Range Rover then arrived and parked next to the Toyota. Whomes said that it was Tate in the Range Rover. Whomes then directed Nicholls along the A130 close to the village of Rettenden. He indicated a farm track whereupon Nicholls drove in and turned the car round. Whomes got out of the car, told Nicholls to go elsewhere and await a phone call to pick Whomes up at the same place. Whomes took a canvas bag and a coat from the back of the car. Nicholls drove to a nearby public house, The Wheatsheaf. There he saw that his mobile phone signal was poor so he drove off and parked again in Meadow Road. Before very long Whomes telephoned to be picked up. Nicholls drove back to the farm track. At first he did not see anyone but Whomes arrived and went into the back of the car. Whomes said that Steele would not be long but had dropped something. Steele then arrived and sat in the front passenger seat. When the interior light came on, Nicholls noticed that Whomes was wearing surgical-type gloves and that they were speckled with red. It soon became apparent to Nicholls that the point of the rendezvous with Tate and his associates had not been a drugs transaction but had been murder. No sooner had Steele got into the car and told Nicholls to drive away than he said "They won't f..k with us again." Steele handed over some parts of a gun to Whomes. Whomes said Steele had fired it and it had fallen apart. Nicholls was directed to drive to another public house where the Toyota had been parked. Steele described how he had been in the farm track with Tate when Tate's mobile had received an incoming call from Sarah Saunders. It had taken Steele by surprise because it was an affectionate call, whereas Steele was under the impression that Sarah Saunders wanted nothing more to do with Tate. Steele described Whomes as cold-hearted because of the ruthlessness with which he had shot the three occupants of the Range Rover. Whomes had then reloaded his weapon and, without emotion, shot them each again in the back of the head. Eventually Steele took Nicholls back to Marks Tey where Nicholls' own car was parked. He continued to see Steele and Whomes after that but the contact was less. He also continued to do work at Steele's property. Some time later, Steele had described the three deceased as "horrible b......s", his attitude being that he had done the world a favour by getting rid of them. Steele or Whomes said that the gun had been ground up and been thrown into the sea. Steele had burned the overalls and boots which he and Whomes had worn.
So according to the above Nicholls, Steele and Whomes (NSW) met at Marks Tey at 5pm. It states Steele arrived late and then Whomes turned up. No idea how late was late and/or what time NSW departed Marks Tey. I will assume 5pm. They then travelled to a country park where Nicholls left Steele and joined Whomes with the two cars then travelling to the Halfway House (CM13 3LL) with the final destination Rettendon:
5 pm @ Marks Tey to CM13 3LL = 45 mins
CM13 3LL to Rettendon = 21 mins @ 6.07pm
The times for Rolfe, Tate and Tucker (RTT):
Rolfe's Range Rover is on CCTV leaving Lakeside at 6pm. By all accounts he picked up Tucker from Fobbing and Tate from Basildon then on to the Halfway House (CM13 3LL) to meet Steele.
6pm @ Lakeside to Fobbing 19 mins
Fobbing to Basildon = 9 mins
Basildon to Halfway House = 14 mins
Halfway House to Rettendon = 21 mins @ 7.03pm
So based on the journey times it seems Nicholls is about an hour out!?
I know the area well as my bestie lives in Brentwood and when I first skimmed thru it I thought the times don't stack up with the journeys. Not only the above but they don't stack up from Donna Jagger's WS where she claims she was to picked up by Rolfe from Lakeside shopping centre or their nearby home in Chafford Hundred at 7pm for the night out in Romford.
Rolfe CCTV at Lakeside at 6pm to collect Tucker at Fobbing is 19 mins
Fobbing to Tate at Basildon is 9 mins
Basildon to Halfway House is 14 mins
Halfway House to Rettendon is 21 mins
Total 63 mins and that's without doing anything at Rettendon and return journey
Rolfe, Tate and Tucker all left Lakeside together after having a meal at TGI Fridays.
What would be the reason for any of the 6 to head over to the Brentwood area?
According to Nicholls he met with Steele and Whomes at Marks Tey. This would sound about right as I believe at the time Nicholls was living in Braintree with Steele at Great Bentley and Jack Whomes (the only one who lived outside Essex) at Brockford, Suffolk. Marks Tey would be the ideal meeting point for all 3 to travel down into Essex. But assuming they were going to meet Rolfe who left Lakeside to collect Tucker from Fobbing (and Tate from Basildon) to recce a potential landing strip at Rettendon why would they all go out of their way to the Brentwood area to collect Steele to then go to Rettendon?
Detective HG, you might have already seen this. No bull... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx68pvpGK2c (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx68pvpGK2c)
And some others... https://www.youtube.com/user/Jon54605/videos (https://www.youtube.com/user/Jon54605/videos)
The following is a recording of Tucker's last tel messages left on his mobile. It would seem they are in reverse order ie the earliest at the end of the recording. The reason I say this is that by all accounts the murdered trio had a table booked for 8pm at a restaurant in Romford for themselves and their respective girlfriends. It seems the first message on the answering machine (at end of recording @ 4.45) is from Tucker's girlfriend, Anna, letting him know she's ready which would probably be around 7pm - 7.30pm. It appears as though the call was taken but he was unable to respond? She sounds thoroughbred Essex girl and says something like..."He put the fcuking phone down..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGpxqhR1PYs
She then calls again and leaves a message telling him she's ready, for the night out I assume. She then makes numerous further calls throughout the night and the following day stating she thinks he's dead!
If this call was answered albeit he didn't respond nearer 7.30pm this would severely dent the prosecution case against Steele and Whomes. The case against them, based on Nicholls testimony, is that the calls to Nicholls mobile from Whomes just before 7pm were to signal Nicholls and the getaway car. Maybe this is the reason Nicholls said Steele turned up slightly later?
Tucker was found with his mobile in his hand. One caller left a message stating Tucker's mother had been in touch in an attempt to discover his home number so I think its safe to assume his mobile was his means of communicating with others.
There's also 2 calls from a Micky (Steel?) which appear to have been made the following day ie 7th Dec.
At 3.15 Tucker's girlfriend Anna calls (she was due to go out with him for a meal in Romford table booked for 8pm) she says something like its quarter past eleven and 'I'm home from the stables' or 'I haven't heard from the stables'?Sounds like - "The time's now quarter past eleven" (am. ?)... "I've just got home from Staples" (the stationer in Chelmsford if she worked or shopped there?)
Sounds like - "The time's now quarter past eleven" (am. ?)... "I've just got home from Staples" (the stationer in Chelmsford if she worked or shopped there?)
Thay don't 'arf tawk fannay darn sarf!
I don't have the time or inclination to 'investigate' new cases but I started dipping into this one over a year ago as I see it as a sideways move from WHF
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxcDTUMLQJI
I find common themes between the two cases and I am interested in understanding more about the world of illegal drugs.
I agree they were/are drug dealing s..m but the point is are Steele and Whomes (also drug dealing s..m) actually responsible for the murders? If not they need to receive sentences appropriate for their drug dealing offences and the perp(s) of the murders need holding to account with Nicholls (also drug dealing s..m) held to account for his drug dealing offences and perverting the course of justice.
There are exceptions of course, APRIL... as I've personally witnessed. 8(0(*
We don't all inhabit the set of "Eastenders", Myster ?{)(**
Sounds like - "The time's now quarter past eleven" (am. ?)... "I've just got home from Staples" (the stationer in Chelmsford if she worked or shopped there?)
Thay don't 'arf tawk fannay darn sarf!
I can't believe that you are pursuing the notion that Nevil Bamber was growing drugs for the illegal drugs market.
*&^^&
07/12/07 - Press Release on behalf of Michael John SteelePolice surveillance - man in a balaclava? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOTnhWRE18g (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOTnhWRE18g)
Christopher Lawrence Bowen Solicitor for Michael John Steele
PRESS RELEASE ON BEHALF OF MICHAEL JOHN STEELE
RE: 12TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE RANGE ROVER MURDERS, RETTENDON, ESSEX, ENGLAND.
(EMBARGO LASTS UNTIL 05.00 ON 7TH DECEMBER 2007)
Today, it is 12 years to the date, since the discovery in Rettendon of the blue Range Rover containing the bodies of Patrick Tate, Anthony Tucker and Craig Rolfe.
During the trial (01/09/97 to 20/01/98), the prosecution claimed that two members of the public discovered the Range Rover at about 8 a.m.
The jury never heard that at 6.30 a.m. on 7th December 1995, Detective Superintendent David Bright of Essex Police received a telephone call from a Detective Constable then serving on the Drug Squad informing him that three men had been found shot dead in a Range Rover in Rettendon and that it was a gangland style killing.
This information was recorded in a witness statement provided by David Bright to Hertfordshire Police (over 6 years after the end of the trial during the first Criminal Cases Review Commission review of the case). The failure of the prosecuting authorities to disclose this information prior to the trial (in accordance with their obligations) misled the jury about how the police first learned of the murders.
If the three deceased were not under surveillance on 6th and 7th December 1995, how is it that Superintendent Bright knew of the murders approximately one and a half hours prior to the two witnesses who the jury were told discovered the Range Rover at about 8 a.m.?
A number of pertinent questions need to be answered urgently. They include:
1. Who really first discovered the bodies of Messrs Tate, Tucker and Rolfe?
2. When?
3. In what circumstances?
4. Why was it that the scene was not already sealed off by police before 8 a.m.?
5. Which Essex Police Drug Squad officer telephoned David Bright?
6. Why was Superintendent Bright’s knowledge of this call never revealed to the defence prior to trial?
Christopher Lawrence Bowen Solicitor for Michael John Steele
19TY sika... I thought it might have been Staples because in the actual voice recording she didn't use definite article 'the' before stables, i.e. "I've just got home from stables", unlike the written transcript you posted above.
3.42
Hi, only me, erm, the time's now Quarter past eleven, erm, I've just got home from the stables, what was I going to say. erm erm, just thought I give you a ring cause I haven't heard from ya, er, you either are alright or your not, but I wouldn't know really cause your phone's off Alright then, so I will try and catch up with you later on Bye.
There appears to be a dearth of info re the ballistics in this case.
Maybe its just a visual perception thing but looking at images of the Range Rover down the lane to my eye/mind it doesn't appear to afford the perp(s) an opportunity of shooting through the side windows without getting caught up in the hedges?
Audio Tape Recording Transcription of Telephone Mailbox Messages of Tony Tucker
Audio Tape Recording Transcription of Telephone Mailbox Messages from Mailbox No. 276603194
You have 26 messages; -
1
0.17
Hi Tony, this is Homes Building, please ring Derek Tyler on Leeds 0113 284 3553. Thank you.
2
0.34
Hi, I don't know if you're there erm. I ring up about the wages erm, can you give me a ring at home, OK, cheers, bye.
3
0.52
Tony, it's only me yet again, I just thought I'd ring you up, can you ring me as soon as you can. Bye.
4
1.00
Tone, it's Mary, can you ring me, it's really important. I need to to talk to you, really important, now, thanks, bye.
5
1.10
Tone, can you ring me when you get in please, bye.
6
1.17
Hi Tone, it's only me, can you give us a ring when you get back or when you read your messages. Bye.
7
1.27
Tone, it's Cole, can you give us a ring at Lynne's, cheers mate.
8
1.34
Tone, can you ring us back cause he's dead (ASKS 'A THIRD PARTY 'what does he also say' REPLY 'he's worried') we're worried, will you ring us straight back as soon as you can.
9
1.46
Tony, it's Jane and Ronnie here, can you give us a call please, 01303 245977 as soon as possible
10
2.00
Allo Tone, it's Pete, your mum? been after your house telephone number, can you ring her and let her know what it is. See you later
11
2.13
Hello Tone, could you ring me, it's Bill. 12 2.23 For god's sake Tone, phone me (crying) Speak to you later. Bye.
13
2.33
Hello Tone, give us a ring mate, it's Mickey
14
2.40
Hello Tone, give us a ring mate. Mickey.
15
2.48
Hi, only me, erm Tone, when you listen to your messages could you ring me please, we're worried sick at the moment. Speak to you later Bye
16
3.00
Hi, it's only me, erm, time's nearly five past.. still haven't heard from you Can you just give us a ring please to let us know you're alright, cause at the moment I think your dead It's just said on the tele that there's three men in range rover, we think it's you Bye
17
3.20
Hello Tone, it's Ian, can you give us a ring please
18
3.28
Hi ya, only me, erm the time's now a quarter to one, I still haven't heard from you, could you just give me a ring please round mums to let me know that you're alright Speak to you later. Bye
19
3.42
Hi, only me, erm, the time's now Quarter past eleven, erm, I've just got home from the stables, what was I going to say. erm erm, just thought I give you a ring cause I haven't heard from ya, er, you either are alright or your not, but I wouldn't know really cause your phone's off Alright then, so I will try and catch up with you later on Bye.
20
4.06
Yer, can you ring Bernie please.
21
4.12
Tony, hi it's Paul Shavell here, it's erm nine o'clock can you delay the pick up of erm, your equipment, erm until about erm say about 12 o'clock today, cause we're going to be working on it until then, it's going to be a couple of hours I'll speak to you later, I'm at work 5156644, cheerio
22
4.35
Hello babe, it's me, give us a ring when you get a minute, bye
23
4.41
Hi, Tone, it's Mary, just to let you know Chris is home so if you're going to ring up don't bother about Willowbrook, he's at home with me Speak to you soon Bye
24
4.53
Hello babe, give us a ring and let me know how you're getting on, I'm all ready now Bye
25
4.59
Hi babe, only me, erm, can you give me a ring round the flat, the flat what I used to be in remember 557679 yes, ring me straight away ye, right speak to you in a minute If not, come round my other flat, I'm round Joy's at the moment, but come round the flat. I'll be here for the next about 15 minutes. Right then, speak to you in a minute Bye
26
5.18
SOUND OF PHONE RINGING
5.25
5.26
Hello, hello, tut, put the f....ing phone down Di, hello, (VOICE OF DI?) don't know (IN REPLY TO Dl?)
You have no more messages, read messages will be deleted after 12 hours To replay and delete your messages individually, key 2, to replay all messages, key 92.
END
07/12/07 - Press Release on behalf of Michael John Steele
Christopher Lawrence Bowen Solicitor for Michael John Steele
PRESS RELEASE ON BEHALF OF MICHAEL JOHN STEELE
RE: 12TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE RANGE ROVER MURDERS, RETTENDON, ESSEX, ENGLAND.
(EMBARGO LASTS UNTIL 05.00 ON 7TH DECEMBER 2007)
Today, it is 12 years to the date, since the discovery in Rettendon of the blue Range Rover containing the bodies of Patrick Tate, Anthony Tucker and Craig Rolfe.
During the trial (01/09/97 to 20/01/98), the prosecution claimed that two members of the public discovered the Range Rover at about 8 a.m.
The jury never heard that at 6.30 a.m. on 7th December 1995, Detective Superintendent David Bright of Essex Police received a telephone call from a Detective Constable then serving on the Drug Squad informing him that three men had been found shot dead in a Range Rover in Rettendon and that it was a gangland style killing.
This information was recorded in a witness statement provided by David Bright to Hertfordshire Police (over 6 years after the end of the trial during the first Criminal Cases Review Commission review of the case). The failure of the prosecuting authorities to disclose this information prior to the trial (in accordance with their obligations) misled the jury about how the police first learned of the murders.
If the three deceased were not under surveillance on 6th and 7th December 1995, how is it that Superintendent Bright knew of the murders approximately one and a half hours prior to the two witnesses who the jury were told discovered the Range Rover at about 8 a.m.?
A number of pertinent questions need to be answered urgently. They include:
1. Who really first discovered the bodies of Messrs Tate, Tucker and Rolfe?
2. When?
3. In what circumstances?
4. Why was it that the scene was not already sealed off by police before 8 a.m.?
5. Which Essex Police Drug Squad officer telephoned David Bright?
6. Why was Superintendent Bright’s knowledge of this call never revealed to the defence prior to trial?
Christopher Lawrence Bowen Solicitor for Michael John Steele
Police surveillance - man in a balaclava? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOTnhWRE18g (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOTnhWRE18g)
A sawn-off shotgun fired from the right side leaves more room than you think...
(https://i.imgur.com/Hidilc5.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/05bQA11.png)
According to the info sika uploaded the expert seem to be of the opinion the shotgun was a long barrel:So I noticed, but my post preceded sika's transcript. My knowledge of this case is poor so bear with me.
In re-examination he said there was no way for him to distinguish from the wounds themselves whether a long barrel or a short barrelled gun was used. That was being asked about wounds themselves could you tell, he had of course already said that the likelihood of a large capacity magazine and the appearance of the fired (inaudible) suggested the use of a gun with a full length barrel.
I noticed in one of the vids Myster uploaded a soc officer by the name of DC Hammersley was referred to. I wonder if this is the same DC Hammersley who featured at another WHF!?Most likely. What chance of two different officers having the same name and rank at the same period?
Interesting case.
I'm pretty sure it's not Mickey Steele. It sounds nothing like him. It could well be, 'mad Micky Bowman'.This one, of no fixed address? https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/dewsbury-duo-who-opened-fire-at-drug-deal-house-jailed-for-32-years-1-5249480 (https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/dewsbury-duo-who-opened-fire-at-drug-deal-house-jailed-for-32-years-1-5249480)
This one, of no fixed address? https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/dewsbury-duo-who-opened-fire-at-drug-deal-house-jailed-for-32-years-1-5249480 (https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/dewsbury-duo-who-opened-fire-at-drug-deal-house-jailed-for-32-years-1-5249480)Good find Myster! Yes that's the geezer. He was heavily implicated in the supply of a firearm to Tate, days before the three were murdered.
Good find Myster! Yes that's the geezer. He was heavily implicated in the supply of a firearm to Tate, days before the three were murdered.He got another pointless and useless six weeks after a failed appeal. What a waste of space and court time!
A sawn-off shotgun fired from the right side leaves more room than you think...
(https://i.imgur.com/Hidilc5.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/05bQA11.png)
So I noticed, but my post preceded sika's transcript. My knowledge of this case is poor so bear with me.
Were all the victims shot through the offside rear door? Whilst it was opened or through its opened window? Whoever did the deed must have been an accomplished marksman to get three fairly accurate headshots on target in split seconds, before any of them had a chance to react... other than Tucker and Rolfe at the front turning their heads to the right to see what was happening if Tate on the rear seat was shot first. The rigid forward-pointing heads in the drawing are misleading, I think.
Shots must have been fired through the open rear door while the killer was talking to / negotiating with head man Tate who was sitting on the back seat. Why would the killer bother to wind the window back up anyway?The prosecution case is that the other backseat passenger (Steele), left the vehicle under the pretence of unlocking and opening the gate. In fact, Whomes was lying in wait, he handed Steele a gun so that they were now both armed. Whomes then leaned into the car through the back door that Steele had left open and began the shooting.
(https://i.imgur.com/4NyrKVw.png)
Maybe a near L-shape ambush:He died in Liternum, 183 BC. of natural causes or suicide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc51lsMXBkY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc51lsMXBkY)
Could the presenter be Scipio?
The prosecution case is that the other backseat passenger (Steele), left the vehicle under the pretence of unlocking and opening the gate. In fact, Whomes was lying in wait, he handed Steele a gun so that they were now both armed. Whomes then leaned into the car through the back door that Steele had left open and began the shooting.But if so, did Steele fire any shots or not?
I haven't transcribed anything from narrated videos. I certainly couldn't be arsed to do that!
He died in Liternum, 183 BC. of natural causes or suicide.
The prosecution case is that the other backseat passenger (Steele), left the vehicle under the pretence of unlocking and opening the gate. In fact, Whomes was lying in wait, he handed Steele a gun so that they were now both armed. Whomes then leaned into the car through the back door that Steele had left open and began the shooting.
Do you really see this as a credible scenario? I don't. Neither look fit enough to move around that swiftly.No. I believe that that was the intention. Whomes fired the initial shots as Steeles gun fell apart. It has been suggested that Whomes then handed the gun to Steele, who then fired additional shots.
The expert in your transcript said:
All the cartridge cases had got the same marks and they came from the same gun.
Does he mean the exact same gun or the same model?
Personally I think it was a single shooter highly trained and he/she made their own way there and back.
The expert also said the following:So they must have been expert at circus tricks too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YICwx_r4gVU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YICwx_r4gVU)
All 7 cartridge cases had been fired using the same weapon; probably a pump or self-loading gun having a large capacity magazine. He could not discount the use of a gun with a lesser magazine capacity, that that would have required reloading. The likelihood of a large capacity magazine and the appearance of the fired wads suggested the use of a gun with a full length barrel.
I think he is referring to the exact same weapon? Maybe Steele/Whomes took turns passing it over the roof of the Range Rover as they did so!
So they must have been expert at circus tricks too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YICwx_r4gVU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YICwx_r4gVU)
Besides all the shotgun cartridges were fired from the offside of the vehicle, weren't they? The rear nearside window was shattered by a shell fired from the offside, or caused by Tate's head banging against the glass maybe?
Here is an extract from a police statement made by Darren Nicholls.
I went through Rettendon the latter part of 1995. I remember an occasion when I was there with other people, they were Jack Whomes and Michael Steele, I remember that day. I was at work that day, I was working at Sunbury on Thames, my mobile was with me. Michael Steele rang me that day, he wondered where I was and would like to meet me, we did not discuss where we would meet because I was at work, I agreed to meet him later on that day, at Ron Parkinson’s motorcycles, Marks Tey at 5 o’clock, I drove to Marks Tey, in I think my Golf Convertible, I have been to Ron Parkinsons before, it sells motorcycles. When I arrived I parked in the flats opposite, Mr Steele wasn’t there when I arrived. When I arrived I went into the motorbike shop, I bought something for my old motorbike it was either a battery or a light bulb, I then put it in my car.
Whilst I was walking back to my car I saw Mick, I waved to him I said I was just putting something in my car, and then I got in his pick up truck. The pick up truck was a red Toyota it was an M registration I think. When I got in I sat in the passenger seat, he said they were going down to do a deal with Pat him and Jack I said “where is Jack”, he said “he’ll be here in a minute,” I don’t recall anything else he said, then I noticed Jack had pulled up behind us. Jack was in a beige Volkswagen, it was a B registration, I had sold the car to Michael Steele. When he pulled up he got out and spoke to Mick I don’t recall what was said, then he got back in his car, then we pulled off onto the A12 heading towards London. I was with Mick in his Toyota and Jack behind us in his Volkswagen. I can’t recall exactly what was said, but he said we would meet Pat and there was going to be a drug deal or we were having a drug deal I can't remember.
At that time I didn't know where we was going. Mick said Jack would show me where the deal was going to be he said did I know this place but I'm not sure, he said don't worry Jack would show you where to go. Nothing happened on the journey just normal chat, he told me I was going to swap cars and I was to get in the car with Jack and he was going to meet Pat on his own. We stopped in a lay-by near the Halfway House, which is a pub restaurant on the A127. When we stopped in the lay-by I got in the car with Jack, Mick was going to the Halfway House with Jack. We got to the far end of the lay-by gates, we swapped drivers.
Jack was to swap the number plates. I got my feet wet, Jack was wearing overalls and wellies, I remember the wellies more than the overalls because they were new. When we stopped Jack got out to stick the new number plates over the existing plates but they wouldn't stick as it was too wet. I saw the number plates he was trying to stick, they were B registration as well and they were brand new. When the plates couldn't be stuck they were put in the back of the car, and he said drive down to the Halfway House pub. I had been to the pub only as a child or driving past on the way to Southend.
When we got to the pub jack told me to park at the back as far away from the A127 as possible which I did. I could see Mick's Toyota parked in front of us to the left, after we parked Jack changed his mind and said no dont park here park as close to the A127 so I moved the car. I could still see the hi-lux which was in front again but to my right. Then we had to leave the car running because the windows were misting up because of the weather, I said shall we have a drink and Sack said no. Then he said we were waiting for Pat to arrive and go to a meeting point, shortly after that he said right go.
I saw a dark coloured Range Rover when he said that, the Range Rover drove and parked next to Micky's hi-lux, I couldn't see who was in the Range Rover. Jack then told me to drive off and up the slip road by the pub and back down the A127 to Southend, that is what I did. then he gave me directions down the A127 and on to the A130 to Chelmsford I think, which I am familiar with. A130 goes from the A127 all the way to Chelmsford, but we went to the Rettendon Turnpike, which is a roundabout with traffic lights on it. I went straight over to carry on towards Chelmsford, on the other side of Rettendon turnpike and up the hill and back down hill and out the other side.
Jack then said slow down and take the next right, which I did, it was a lane not a road, then I turned left into a gap to turn the car round, the head lamps were facing the road back towards the A130. Jack told me he would ring me when he wanted picking up, I had my mobile with me, he got out had a bag and a coat from the back, the bag I think was a canvass sausage shape bag, I didn't notice it in the car before, I might have done but it didn’t register. He told me he would ring me when he wanted me to pick him up, so I pulled off and went right towards Chelmsford, I drove down the road to the first point I could turn round to a petrol station, then I drove back up the road and parked in a pub on the left hand side of the road. I left the engine running and checked my phone to see I had a lousy signal so I moved to get a better signal up the road.
The pub I was in had a bright pink Morris Minor, the next pub I parked in past the lane and up the hill and took the first left turn, went up that road turned around and first left up there, then came up and parked outside the first house on my left and waited for him to ring. I didn’t wait there very long, my phone rang, Jack said come and pick us up and hung up I think I might have said ok. I turned right went back down the road, and had to wait for a few cars to go past so I could turn right into the lane, then turned the car round to face the road again. I didn’t see anyone and after a short period of time the back opened and Jack got in. I didn’t notice the interior light come on.
I said “where’s Mick” he said he won’t be a minute he’s dropped something. Jack was sitting between the back seats talking to me then Mick opened the passenger door of the car and the interior light came on. When the light came on I was looking at Jack, I notice he had surgical gloves and I saw something on them like blood, Mick said turn the interior light off, Mick had shut the door about the same time, then he said “lets get going,” he said go left towards Rettendon turnpike, so I pulled out, something clicked in my mind something had happened.
I pulled out in front on a car, Mick asked if I was ok, I said yes I was and as we drove up the road towards turnpike, Mick said they wont f..k us about no more, and Jack said yeah it was quite funny cause when Mick had shot one of them the gun fell apart, he kept asking me if I was ok several times. I realised what happened but not to who, so I said I hope I don’t fall out with you two, Mick said no you wont fall out with us. Micks started to hand over to Jack parts of the gun, I saw the barrels. I dont know the names of the other parts, I definitely saw the barrels. I was driving I was a bit confused at the time.
From the Rettendon turnpike we went back down the A130 to Southend, then at Rawreth traffic lights I turned left, straight to the bottom of that road, we turned right and then took another right turn on or two roads later. As we went up the road there was a pub on the right, the Hungry Horse or Hungry Hippo something like that. I drove into the car park of the pub and parked next to Mick’s Toyota which was on the left and stopped the car. They got out and I was still sitting there.
Mick had opened up his Toyota he told me to go and get in the Toyota which I did, then they were getting changed sort of thing, Mick was taking off his wellies and overalls off over his wellies, then slipping his shoes on, boiler suit and wellies were put in the pick up truck and Jack did the same I think, and then we drove off Mick drove the hi-lux with me in passenger seat and Jack was behind us in the Passat. We drove past the Rettendon lane, then Jack overtook us on the dual carriageway as we were driving slower.
There was some conversation in the car with Mr Steele, he said Jack was very cold hearted I said why, he first of all said when they stopped down the lane a gate had been shut so I got out the range rover I didn’t know where Jack was, then Jack leant into the range rover and shot all three of them, Jack handed Mick a gun and Mick shot them, then he said once that had happened Jack reloaded his gun and shot them all in the back of the head. I cant recall anything else that was said, I did say can we stop and have a drink Mick originally said yes good idea as Mick looked shaken up but when we got to Marks Tey he said best get home straight away. Then I got in my car and headed back to Braintree.
Afterwards I was working at Mick’s new house, like a cottage and there was things spoken there with Jack and Mick. In conversations Mick told me that when he was driving to the lane with them in the Range Rover that Pat’s girlfriend Sarah had rung Pat on the telephone all lovey dovey which he hated, not like when Sarah talked to Mick and Jackie. He was concerned Pat might have said he was with Mick now but he didn’t. Then he hung up the phone just as they were at the lane. I don’t know if it was Mick or Jack said when Pat was shot in the back he started to squeal like a baby and his hand had come up and put his hand through the window.
Also Jack had said to me at some point Mick was really excited when he shot them and saying “give me some more cartridge, give me some more cartridges.” Afterwards Mick said that he hadn’t felt bad about it as Pat deserved it he was such a b........, who would give a f..k that pat was dead as nobody liked him which was quite true probably. There was conversation as why it happened with Mick. Roughly it was that when the money had been returned from the bad drug deal a lot of the money Pat had put into it wasn’t his he had borrowed it and that what Pat decided to do was not pay the people back and blame Mick to say he hadn’t paid them back. Mick knew this because Sarah had told him Pat’s ex girlfriend.
Pat was telling them he hadn’t been paid back and if he wasn’t paid back he would kill Mick.
If Nicholls is lying, then his relationship with the investigating officers must have been a corrupt one.
If you believe this to be the case, then you also have to believe that Nicholls would be capable of keeping his story together, throughout multiple days of cross questioning.
I personally find his overall story, very convincing. However, I don't believe that he told the whole truth. I think he tried to minimise the involvement of some of his close friends.
Holly, how did I know that you would pick up on the Mickey Steele/Mr Steele bit?
Steele and Whomes alibis on the day of the murders are worth a good examination. They are far fetched, to say the least. In the case of Steele, part of it was proved to be false. I'll try and upload some details.
Yes I do believe it was a corrupt one as per CoA doc. Nicholls sold his pals down the river to save his own skin imo.They did of course swop cars on a couple of occasions that night.
But his story doesn't contain any corroborating facts that he couldn't learn from others eg police, press. It's all waffly eg went into the motorcycle shop and saw a pink Morris Minor in the pub car park. So what? Unless we have independent verification to prove one way or the other what does it all mean? It's just unnecessary detail and waffle that will make some think it sounds credible.
According to the CoA doc he swapped cars in a country park. In his WS he refers to swapping cars in a lay-by. Can't be both. I know the area well both the country park and the lay-by. They are a distant apart and not the sort of thing you would mix up.
They did of course swop cars on a couple of occasions that night.He mentioned the pink Morris minor as a means of confirming which pub it was. I don't know if you're aware/remember that that pub featured the pink car, parked prominently on the front.
The corrupt policemen were not the investigating officers in this case.
Wolfgang Bird and Phi Stimpson were arrested as part of this investigation. Bird was arrested on the same day as all the others (Steele, Whomes, Nicholls, Tate etc). Nicholls was his informant for some months up to the arrests.
Bridge and Reed, Nicholls close friends, were spared any charges even though they had both been present when drugs were being imported/transported. It was widely suspected that Nicholls had downplayed their part in the conspiracy.
Imo the above is weak to say the least.Jaggers is referring to a Rav 4. Nicholls is talking about a Hi-lux.
In Donna Jagger's WS she states Steele's Toyota was blue. Nicholls above states it was red. Maybe he had two 8)-))) This is just one of many inconsistencies I have found without even a close examination.
http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6020.msg508993#msg508993
Nicholls WS offers nothing of evidential value just a lot of waffle and stories eg the attempt to change number plates which can then cover a lack of corroborating evidence eg none of these vehicles tracked on cctv. There's nothing in Nicholls WS's that he couldn't learn from either the press or police.
By all accounts Steele was a perfectionist and an accomplished engineer. The idea he would be in possession of a shotgun which fell apart during a high risk assassin is nonsense imo.
The WS also refers to a Mr Steele and Mick Steele. Why? If they were Nicholls own words he would refer to Steele consistently as Mr Steele, Mick or whatever.
Jaggers is referring to a Rav 4. Nicholls is talking about a Hi-lux.
Steele was often buying/selling/changing vehicles.
Holly, do you think that Donna Jaggers is lying in her statement, when she states that Craig told her that he and the others were off to meet Mickey the pilot? If so, why do you think she would ?
Maybe Rolfe was lying?I would imagine that Essex Police did speak to Jagger very soon after the murders. Rather than steam in and make arrests, they targeted Mick in the hope that he would incriminate himself. In the period between the murders and arrest, Mickey Steele and Whomes were put under surveillance. Without any forensic evidence, there was nothing to be gained by making premature arrests. To quote Michael Steele, "they were trying to flush me out".
Lets assume the murdered trio were due to meet 1 or more of Nicholls, Steele, Whomes it doesn't necessarily follow that any of them had a hand in the murders? They were partners in crime and socialised together.
The bodies were found on 6th Dec. Donna Jaggers may well have been one of the last surviving people to speak with Rolfe therefore I'm sure the police would want a detailed WS from her on day 1. If not, why not? On 8th Dec she attended a press conference to appeal for info:
https://www.theguardian.com/fromthearchive/story/0,,1715361,00.html
Assuming she told police on day 1 Rolfe was off to meet 'Mickey the pilot' why did it take the police so long to investigate and bring a case against Steele (and Whomes)? Again another WS where the same person is referred to using a number of different names which is suspicious eg Steele, Michael Steele, Mick, Micky etc
The WS of Donna Jaggers referring to 'Mickey the pilot' is dated 14th March 1996 some 3 months after the event!?
As I explained up thread the timings are way out with Nicholls account. Based on the accounts of Donna Jaggers and Nicholls the murdered trio would arrive at Rettendon about 7pm and Nicholls, Steele and Whomes about 6pm. Nicholls did not say anything about having to hang around for an hour.
I would imagine that Essex Police did speak to Jagger very soon after the murders. Rather than steam in and make arrests, they targeted Mick in the hope that he would incriminate himself. In the period between the murders and arrest, Mickey Steele and Whomes were put under surveillance. Without any forensic evidence, there was nothing to be gained by making premature arrests. To quote Michael Steele, "they were trying to flush me out".
The plan worked perfectly. They were able to catch Nicholls whilst in an extremely vulnerable position. He was facing years in jail having been caught in possession of the drugs. There was now a strong incentive for him to turn supergrass.
Trying to flush him out for what? Drug dealing, murders, both?For both.
I don't think EP needed to steam in and make arrests. They could have tried appealing to Steele's better side by asking him to assist with their enquiries on the basis he had tel contact with Tate eg 'We're talking to everyone who has had recent tel contact with any of the murdered trio and/or known to them, can you help us?
What evidence supports Nicholls testimony?There are extremely detailed telephone logs, including Steeles calls to Nicholls, Whomes and Tate on the day of the murders, including extremely incriminating calls made after the murders. There are two calls made from Steeles landline to his own mobile at around 8.15pm. He explained that this was him phoning his own mobile "to make sure it was hooked".
He claims he was working in Sunbury, W. London on 6th Dec and left early afternoon to drive to Essex via the M25 and M11?
CCTV footage?
He claims there was tel contact in the middle of the day whilst still in Sunbury between himself and Steele who was at or near Colchester.
Tel Records? How come the prosecution can offer up detailed info about Sarah Saunders call and calls between Whomes and Nicholls but the above is vague?
He claims he arranged to meet with Steele at Marks Tey at 5pm (which included Whomes too). The onward journey was to the Halfway House, Brentwood.
Where's the evidence for this? CCTV footage, receipts for fuel?
Bearing in mind the weather produced severe problems by way of traffic and road conditions on that particular day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOb7ksC-NJ8
And yet nothing in Nicholls testimony about the weather, traffic and road conditions.
I'll add to the above when I have time but imo it's a crock of shite.
There are extremely detailed telephone logs, including Steeles calls to Nicholls, Whomes and Tate on the day of the murders, including extremely incriminating calls made after the murders. There are two calls made from Steeles landline to his own mobile at around 8.15pm. He explained that this was him phoning his own mobile "to make sure it was hooked".
That is very much the tip of the iceberg as far as Steeles evidence is concerned.
He had to try and explain a purchase of 4 star fuel on the day in question. He claimed he was driving a Renault 21. He says that he went on to sell this vehicle to Whomes in January 1996. In fact, records proved that he sold the car to Whomes in October 1995, two months before the murders. His evidence is riddled with inconsistencies/untruths like these.
There is another couple of pages of cross examination but I can't copy it up at the moment. I'll try again later.
He was utterly unconvincing, in my opinion.
Here is an extract from a police statement made by Darren Nicholls.
I went through Rettendon the latter part of 1995. I remember an occasion when I was there with other people, they were Jack Whomes and Michael Steele, I remember that day. I was at work that day, I was working at Sunbury on Thames, my mobile was with me. Michael Steele rang me that day, he wondered where I was and would like to meet me, we did not discuss where we would meet because I was at work, I agreed to meet him later on that day, at Ron Parkinson’s motorcycles, Marks Tey at 5 o’clock, I drove to Marks Tey, in I think my Golf Convertible, I have been to Ron Parkinsons before, it sells motorcycles. When I arrived I parked in the flats opposite, Mr Steele wasn’t there when I arrived. When I arrived I went into the motorbike shop, I bought something for my old motorbike it was either a battery or a light bulb, I then put it in my car.
Whilst I was walking back to my car I saw Mick, I waved to him I said I was just putting something in my car, and then I got in his pick up truck. The pick up truck was a red Toyota it was an M registration I think. When I got in I sat in the passenger seat, he said they were going down to do a deal with Pat him and Jack I said “where is Jack”, he said “he’ll be here in a minute,” I don’t recall anything else he said, then I noticed Jack had pulled up behind us. Jack was in a beige Volkswagen, it was a B registration, I had sold the car to Michael Steele. When he pulled up he got out and spoke to Mick I don’t recall what was said, then he got back in his car, then we pulled off onto the A12 heading towards London. I was with Mick in his Toyota and Jack behind us in his Volkswagen. I can’t recall exactly what was said, but he said we would meet Pat and there was going to be a drug deal or we were having a drug deal I can't remember.
At that time I didn't know where we was going. Mick said Jack would show me where the deal was going to be he said did I know this place but I'm not sure, he said don't worry Jack would show you where to go. Nothing happened on the journey just normal chat, he told me I was going to swap cars and I was to get in the car with Jack and he was going to meet Pat on his own. We stopped in a lay-by near the Halfway House, which is a pub restaurant on the A127. When we stopped in the lay-by I got in the car with Jack, Mick was going to the Halfway House with Jack. We got to the far end of the lay-by gates, we swapped drivers.
Jack was to swap the number plates. I got my feet wet, Jack was wearing overalls and wellies, I remember the wellies more than the overalls because they were new. When we stopped Jack got out to stick the new number plates over the existing plates but they wouldn't stick as it was too wet. I saw the number plates he was trying to stick, they were B registration as well and they were brand new. When the plates couldn't be stuck they were put in the back of the car, and he said drive down to the Halfway House pub. I had been to the pub only as a child or driving past on the way to Southend.
When we got to the pub jack told me to park at the back as far away from the A127 as possible which I did. I could see Mick's Toyota parked in front of us to the left, after we parked Jack changed his mind and said no dont park here park as close to the A127 so I moved the car. I could still see the hi-lux which was in front again but to my right. Then we had to leave the car running because the windows were misting up because of the weather, I said shall we have a drink and Sack said no. Then he said we were waiting for Pat to arrive and go to a meeting point, shortly after that he said right go.
I saw a dark coloured Range Rover when he said that, the Range Rover drove and parked next to Micky's hi-lux, I couldn't see who was in the Range Rover. Jack then told me to drive off and up the slip road by the pub and back down the A127 to Southend, that is what I did. then he gave me directions down the A127 and on to the A130 to Chelmsford I think, which I am familiar with. A130 goes from the A127 all the way to Chelmsford, but we went to the Rettendon Turnpike, which is a roundabout with traffic lights on it. I went straight over to carry on towards Chelmsford, on the other side of Rettendon turnpike and up the hill and back down hill and out the other side.
Jack then said slow down and take the next right, which I did, it was a lane not a road, then I turned left into a gap to turn the car round, the head lamps were facing the road back towards the A130. Jack told me he would ring me when he wanted picking up, I had my mobile with me, he got out had a bag and a coat from the back, the bag I think was a canvass sausage shape bag, I didn't notice it in the car before, I might have done but it didn’t register. He told me he would ring me when he wanted me to pick him up, so I pulled off and went right towards Chelmsford, I drove down the road to the first point I could turn round to a petrol station, then I drove back up the road and parked in a pub on the left hand side of the road. I left the engine running and checked my phone to see I had a lousy signal so I moved to get a better signal up the road.
The pub I was in had a bright pink Morris Minor, the next pub I parked in past the lane and up the hill and took the first left turn, went up that road turned around and first left up there, then came up and parked outside the first house on my left and waited for him to ring. I didn’t wait there very long, my phone rang, Jack said come and pick us up and hung up I think I might have said ok. I turned right went back down the road, and had to wait for a few cars to go past so I could turn right into the lane, then turned the car round to face the road again. I didn’t see anyone and after a short period of time the back opened and Jack got in. I didn’t notice the interior light come on.
I said “where’s Mick” he said he won’t be a minute he’s dropped something. Jack was sitting between the back seats talking to me then Mick opened the passenger door of the car and the interior light came on. When the light came on I was looking at Jack, I notice he had surgical gloves and I saw something on them like blood, Mick said turn the interior light off, Mick had shut the door about the same time, then he said “lets get going,” he said go left towards Rettendon turnpike, so I pulled out, something clicked in my mind something had happened.
I pulled out in front on a car, Mick asked if I was ok, I said yes I was and as we drove up the road towards turnpike, Mick said they wont f..k us about no more, and Jack said yeah it was quite funny cause when Mick had shot one of them the gun fell apart, he kept asking me if I was ok several times. I realised what happened but not to who, so I said I hope I don’t fall out with you two, Mick said no you wont fall out with us. Micks started to hand over to Jack parts of the gun, I saw the barrels. I dont know the names of the other parts, I definitely saw the barrels. I was driving I was a bit confused at the time.
From the Rettendon turnpike we went back down the A130 to Southend, then at Rawreth traffic lights I turned left, straight to the bottom of that road, we turned right and then took another right turn on or two roads later. As we went up the road there was a pub on the right, the Hungry Horse or Hungry Hippo something like that. I drove into the car park of the pub and parked next to Mick’s Toyota which was on the left and stopped the car. They got out and I was still sitting there.
Mick had opened up his Toyota he told me to go and get in the Toyota which I did, then they were getting changed sort of thing, Mick was taking off his wellies and overalls off over his wellies, then slipping his shoes on, boiler suit and wellies were put in the pick up truck and Jack did the same I think, and then we drove off Mick drove the hi-lux with me in passenger seat and Jack was behind us in the Passat. We drove past the Rettendon lane, then Jack overtook us on the dual carriageway as we were driving slower.
There was some conversation in the car with Mr Steele, he said Jack was very cold hearted I said why, he first of all said when they stopped down the lane a gate had been shut so I got out the range rover I didn’t know where Jack was, then Jack leant into the range rover and shot all three of them, Jack handed Mick a gun and Mick shot them, then he said once that had happened Jack reloaded his gun and shot them all in the back of the head. I cant recall anything else that was said, I did say can we stop and have a drink Mick originally said yes good idea as Mick looked shaken up but when we got to Marks Tey he said best get home straight away. Then I got in my car and headed back to Braintree.
Afterwards I was working at Mick’s new house, like a cottage and there was things spoken there with Jack and Mick. In conversations Mick told me that when he was driving to the lane with them in the Range Rover that Pat’s girlfriend Sarah had rung Pat on the telephone all lovey dovey which he hated, not like when Sarah talked to Mick and Jackie. He was concerned Pat might have said he was with Mick now but he didn’t. Then he hung up the phone just as they were at the lane. I don’t know if it was Mick or Jack said when Pat was shot in the back he started to squeal like a baby and his hand had come up and put his hand through the window.
Also Jack had said to me at some point Mick was really excited when he shot them and saying “give me some more cartridge, give me some more cartridges.” Afterwards Mick said that he hadn’t felt bad about it as Pat deserved it he was such a b........, who would give a f..k that pat was dead as nobody liked him which was quite true probably. There was conversation as why it happened with Mick. Roughly it was that when the money had been returned from the bad drug deal a lot of the money Pat had put into it wasn’t his he had borrowed it and that what Pat decided to do was not pay the people back and blame Mick to say he hadn’t paid them back. Mick knew this because Sarah had told him Pat’s ex girlfriend.
Pat was telling them he hadn’t been paid back and if he wasn’t paid back he would kill Mick.
If Nicholls was being truthful in his testimony about all these car journeys on 6th Dec 1995 which included the M25 and country lanes in rural Essex how come he didn't mention anything about the atrocious weather conditions by way of snow, road conditions and traffic?
The following news bulletins refers to traffic jams of 20 miles on the M25 with one section completely closed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOb7ksC-NJ8
The following is taken from Judge Hiddens summing up at trial.
Michael Steele's evidence is that he is 55 and has been living with Jacqueline Street as man and wife for a number of years. He said technically he is an engineer by trade. He said he can turn his hand to anything. His strengths include computer aided design and most aspects of engineering, turning and tool making. His work requires a lot of attention to detail and he does such precision work as the making of the model helicopter which you remember seeing, you need not look at now, in Exhibit 260. He designed that from scratch having conceived it on a drawing board.
He turned straight away to the question of his convictions and he said he preferred you to know everything there is and he said he was not a stranger to criminal courts.
Before this court appearance where he now appears at this court he has been before the courts on a number of occasions. He went through them. I will not take you through them all again. They started in 1964 and there was a prison sentence for the second one on 24th March 1964. I will not take through the other four appearances he spoke of in the 1960s. Then he told you about four more appearances between then and 1990. He told you that on 29th June 1990 before Chelmsford Crown Court he was convicted of importation of controlled drugs and was sentenced to 9 years' imprisonment and an order of confiscation made in the sum of nearly £120,000, £119,000 and £150 with 12 months to pay and 3 years' consecutive to that period of 9 years if he did not make the payment.
He told you that in July 1990 he pleaded guilty to a count of importation of controlled drugs. That was 300 kilograms of cannabis resin. He told you about the confiscation order and the prison sentence and he told you about his release date from prison being 3rd June 1993.
I was looking to see whether corrupt police officers Bird and Stimpson were firearms trained. The following link is down but the search shows the following which may or may not be referring to them in terms of firearms:The first part of the sentence might refer to different officers -
"Two Firearms cops had their gun licences revoked because of ' aggressive ...... DETECTIVE SERGEANT PHILIP STIMPSON and DETECTIVE CONSTABLE ..."
http://www.bentlawyersandcops.com/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi (http://www.bentlawyersandcops.com/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi)
' Drug dealing Detectives appear in court ' DETECTIVE SERGEANT PHILIP STIMPSON and DETECTIVE CONSTABLE WOLFGANG BIRD
appeared before the court charged with intent to supply drugs, and also conspiracy to supply cannabis and defraud a shop out of �23,400.
They were both remanded in custody by magistrates at Southend. Both cops worked at the Braintree CID in Essex -- and have 31 years of police service between them? The first part of the sentence might refer to different officers -
ELITE CRIME SQUAD OFFICERS are under investigation after a brawl in the bar of the Regent in Chelmsford, where they were holding a party. It started after a National Crime Squad Detective abused a girl in the cloakroom and began fighting with security at the hotel. The other officers, all much the worse for heavy drinking piled in and a huge fight followed. One senior officer of twenty years experience told the Essex tactical support unit to get lost when they were called to intervene. 40 officers were involved including a Chief Inspector and Two Superintendents. Two Firearms cops had their gun licences revoked because of 'aggressive behaviour shown in the fracas’.
The second part to another incident -' Drug dealing Detectives appear in court ' DETECTIVE SERGEANT PHILIP STIMPSON and DETECTIVE CONSTABLE WOLFGANG BIRD
appeared before the court charged with intent to supply drugs, and also conspiracy to supply cannabis and defraud a shop out of �23,400.
They were both remanded in custody by magistrates at Southend. Both cops worked at the Braintree CID in Essex -- and have 31 years of police service between them?
Apparently John Marshall sold a car to Kenneth Noye with false papers and it was thought Noye might have been behind the murder following the murder of Stephen Cameron. But this can't be so as Stephen Cameron was murdered on 19th May 1996 and John Marshall went missing on 15th May 1996. In any event what would be the point in Noye hitting on Marshall in an attempt to silence him over a vehicle only to involve others and murder?I'm not aware of the nature of the association between Marshall and any of those involved in the Rettendon case, or even if there was any.
Maybe Noye is in some way involved with Rettendon murders/bent Essex cops/Nicholls revelations and the murder of John Marshall and this is the reason he lost his rag with Stephen Cameron. Maybe the reason he fled the country wasn't just over the murder of Stephen Cameron but Nicholls spilling the beans about the activities of bent Essex cops which if they were unable to contain would end up implicating him! ?>)()<
So if Steele was in the area on drugs business only and was up-front about this when first spoken with by the police he was potentially looking at a long custodial sentence given his previous and once again losing some or all of his ill-gotten gains. Coupled with the fact he was putting himself in the frame for murder anyway.According to evidence given by Saunders and Nicholls, Steele had been warned about a threat on his life by Tate as a result of the dodgy consignment of cannabis. If true, there is your motive.
Steele doesn't seem to fit the profile of someone capable of murder x 3 and Whomes even less so. And I don't see the motive.
The CoA doc refers to DC Bird's relationship with Nicholls as a corrupt one. Bird was charged with conspiracy to supply cannabis and a fellow officer, DS Simpson, was charged with stealing and supplying cannabis but was cleared at trial.
The Sun
http://www.thesun.co.uk/news/13944069
TUESDAY, 14 AUGUST, 2001
COPS PAID TO STAY HOME 5yrs
By IAN HEPBURN, Crime Reporter
A POLICE probe into two suspended officers who have sat at home on full
pay for FIVE years has cost the taxpayer £5MILLION, it was revealed
yesterday.
One, Det Con Wolfgang Bird, has just quit with a £250,000 golden
handshake - to the fury of some fellow officers.
Det Sgt Philip Stimpson is STILL on full pay of £34,000 a year.
The two were suspended when Essex police launched an inquiry in the wake
of a gangland execution of three drugs barons.
It centred on DC Bird's alleged association with a supergrass, the key
witness in the trial of the two killers of underworld heavies Pat Tate,
Tony Tucker and Craig Rolfe.
The December 1995 massacre of the trio in a blood-drenched Range Rover
inspired last year's film Essex Boys, starring Sean Bean.
The Sun has learnt neither officer was
immediately served a vital "Regulation 7" notice - the cops' internal
equivalent of formally cautioning a suspect.
An Essex police source described that as a blunder that has haunted the
taxpayer since, adding: "Tot up the cost of all this and you don't get
much change out of £5million."
DC Bird, 44, was charged with conspiracy to supply cannabis but that was
later dropped.
DS Stimpson, 41, charged with stealing and supplying cannabis, was
cleared after a costly trial at Norwich Crown Court.
But the force refused to reinstate them and began disciplinary action.
DC Bird has picked up £130,000 in pay over five years plus housing
allowance payments of £20,000.
DS Stimpson has received £170,000 plus £20,000 for housing.
The original Operation Apache which targeted them at times involved up
to 20 officers.
Full legal teams prepared and presented cases. When both failed, Chief
Constables from outside forces were called in on full pay to run
disciplinary proceedings.
They were accompanied by other officers and secretarial staff and
invariably stayed in hotels.
And legal teams were again commissioned for the prosecution and defence
at two tribunal hearings.
The source said: "It is outrageous taxpayers are still picking up the
bill for this farce.
"It could have been wrapped up in months if handled properly.
"Nothing has come out in the past five years that was not known at the
very beginning."
At his £80,000 home in the village of Earls Colne, Essex, Mr Bird said
yesterday: "I have resigned and we have reached a settlement. I do not
wish to say anything else."
At his £160,000 four-bedroomed home in Colchester, DS Stimpson would not
comment.
Essex police confirmed DS Stimpson faced another disciplinary hearing
this year, adding: "DC Bird has tendered his resignation. A settlement
has been reached."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I assume someone was taking the p re the Mr Justice S Thinks?!
I think there's a lot more to this case than meets the eye ?>)()<
Imo Steele/Whomes do not fit the profile of a pair carrying out a gangland style killing either practically ie having the necessary skills and/or psychologically. Nor was there a motive.
As I said previously I think it involves someone highly trained in terms of firearms with a good forensic knowledge including mobile phone data and phone data in general eg from call boxes etc.
If we have corrupt police officers involved how do we know they were only dealing cannabis and not class A? Did the murdered trio have some dirt on someone? Was someone being blackmailed. I'm not necessarily suggesting the aforementioned officers were directly involved but imo there's something untoward here. 8(0(* I'll tell you why I think so later when I return from the daily run.
I'm not aware of the nature of the association between Marshall and any of those involved in the Rettendon case, or even if there was any.
Holly, the point you make about cctv is an interesting one. How prevelent was cctv, back in the mid nineties? If for instance, cameras were installed at the Dartford crossing, how long would the tapes have been kept for?
According to evidence given by Saunders and Nicholls, Steele had been warned about a threat on his life by Tate as a result of the dodgy consignment of cannabis. If true, there is your motive.
Although found not guilty on the firearms charge, a shotgun (albeit, not the one used in the murders) was found at Steeles property.
Interestingly, Steeles evidence at trial was that it was Nicholls life that had been threatened. This threat had come from Tate after he had been supplied dodgy cannabis by Nicholls. Steele claimed that he was acting as an intermediary.
We know for sure Nicholls was a police informant and the relationship he had with DC Bird was a corrupt one. Although the case against Bird collapsed there was much evidence he was dealing in cannabis. Did it stop there? Was he involved with other drugs/class A and/or other crimes? Were others involved? Higher ranking officers? Crime bosses? And/or did Nicholls and/or others have corrupt relationships with other officers? Tate was very good friends with former police officer Barry Dorman who was also putting in money for drug deals. Someone was about to be exposed or threats were being made to expose and/or the likes of Tate were becoming too much of a liability.
I believe corrupt police officer(s) were responsible for the murders. It's the only scenario that explains everything:
- It appears the murdered trio knew and trusted their assailant(s). Tate and Tucker with phones in hand and Rolfe with his hands on the steering wheel and foot on brake. They were found unarmed. If they were working with corrupt officers they would never think they would turn a gun on them.
- The shootings have all the hallmarks of a marksperson who was well trained and capable of carrying out a successful attack ambush style.
- No forensic evidence left at soc.
- Identified location where sound of gunshot would not be out of place.
- The tel evidence in the following gives it away imo along with the geography:
The telephone evidence
At trial the prosecution adduced detailed evidence of telephone calls to and from land lines and mobile phones which belonged to Nicholls, Steele, Whomes, Tate and his associates. The telephone companies provided details as to the time and duration of calls. In addition, this was one of the first cases in which the position of the makers and recipients of mobile phone calls was identified by the location of the cell sites through which the phones had sent or received the call. There was a great deal of factual and expert evidence on this subject at the trial. We shall have to return to it later as it gave rise to one of the bases upon which the Criminal Cases Review Commission referred the matter to this Court. At the moment it is sufficient to summarise some of what it established. It included telephone contact between Nicholls and Steele on 6 December while Nicholls was still in the Sunbury area in the middle of the day. It also established contact between Steele's mobile phone and that of Whomes at 14.11. Around 14.30 there were calls from a telephone kiosk near a public house close to where Whomes was working. Two of the calls were to the mobile phone of Tucker and one (a missed call) was to the mobile phone of Tate. At 14.32 there was a call to a telephone kiosk in Basildon, close to where Tate lived. About 20 minutes later there was a call from the same telephone kiosk to Nicholls' mobile phone. There was other telephone contact between Nicholls and Steele, and Steele and Whomes in the course of the afternoon. At 17.03 a call was made from a telephone kiosk near The Halfway House public house on the A127 to Tate's mobile phone. Whomes telephoned Steele via the mobile phones at 17.12. At 18.03 and 18.09 calls were recorded between Steele's mobile phone and that of Whomes. At 18.44 there was a call of almost 4 minutes duration from an address in Basildon where Sarah Saunders was and the mobile phone of Tate. The case for the prosecution was that it was the call overheard by Steele as described by Nicholls at a time when Steele and Tate were in or near the Range Rover in the farm track at Rettenden. That call ended at about 18.48. At 18.59 two short calls were made from Whomes' mobile phone to that of Nicholls. The case for the prosecution was that they, or one of them (they lasted one and four seconds respectively) included the 'pick-up' call. Although there was no medical or scientific evidence as to the time of death of the three deceased, the case for the prosecution was that the murders took place between 18.48 and 18.59 and that the telephone evidence supported this. It is a fact that the mobile phones of the deceased men did not make or receive effective calls after that time. Although their bodies were not found until the following day, they had been expected home before 20.00hrs because they had social engagements. Both Tate and Tucker died with their mobile phones in their hands.
The murders were obviously premeditated and I think the plan all along was to implicate Steele/Whomes. Were Steele/Whomes aware of Nicholls relationship with at least one corrupt officer? Was Nicholls feeding info back to Steele/Whomes enabling Steele to avoid detection when landing on the coast in his boat? Those who Nicholls was informing were obviously one step ahead knowing who was up to what, where, where and how etc.
The calls from the phone boxes, highlighted above, lend support to my theory:
- Around 14.30pm 2 calls were made from a telephone box near a pub close to where Whomes was working. Two calls to Tucker's mobile and one to Tate's which was missed. At the time Whomes was working in a place called Clayden off the A14 towards Stowmarket which is miles from other areas associated with the murdered trio. The impression here is that Whomes was in contact with Tate and Tucker via a call box to avoid leaving an audit trail. Afaik Whomes didn't even know Tucker and in any event Steele did all the arranging.
- At 14.32 there was a telephone call to kiosk in Basildon near to where Tate lived. Proabably one police officer phoning another in an attempt to establish Tate's whereabouts.
- About 20 minutes later there was a call from the same phone box to Nicholls - the supergrass/informant in contact with his handler.
- At 17.03 a call was made from a phone box near the Halfway House on the A127 to Tate's mobile.
- Sarah Saunders said during her police interviews when she last spoke with Tate on his mobile just before it was thought he was murdered he said 'I'm with some people' and she said had he been with Steele he would have said 'I'm with Mick' who was known to both of them.
We know for sure all these calls from phone boxes cannot have been made by Steele/Whomes since mobile phone evidence puts them elsewhere. Other criminals who may have had reason to want to murder the trio would not be bothered attempting to implicate others. Someone was phoning members of both gangs via phone boxes:
Tate and Tucker from the Rolfe, Tate and Tucker gang
And
Nicholls from the Nicholls, Steele and Whomes gang
I think the someone was 1 or more corrupt officers who were able to orchestrate the whole thing ie get everyone in situ to murder Rolfe, Tate and Tucker and lay the blame on Steele and Whomes.
I don't think Steele/Whomes were in the frame early on. If they were why did police officers investigate Leah Betts father, Paul Betts. And why didn't the investigation throw up any cctv footage of cars Steele and Whomes were known to have access to including Nicholls?
Corrupt police officers would know which roads/pubs to use/quote to avoid detection ie lack of cctv footage.
To resort to murder I think the corrupt officers were up to their necks in it and I think Tate/Tucker were also working with the same officers Nicholls was working with. Remember Tate and Nicholls were pals who met in Hollesley Bay prison. I believe Tate started using heroin whilst at HB. Were corrupt officers supplying prison guards?
But those close to Tate said there was no animosity between him and Steele. Former police officer turned used car salesman, Barry Dorman, who was apparently a "father figure" to Tait was one of the party who went to Holland to help bring back the cash in respect of the dodgy cannabis:The story that Dorman and Steele concocted, was that Steele was helping Nicholls out, and it was Nicholls who masterminded the importations. Having seen him re count this tale in one of the many inaccurate films made on the subject, I found his claims to be nothing short of laughable. The suggestion that Steele was gophering for Nicholls is also just that, laughable.
Car dealer Barry Dorman was a close friend and "father figure" to Tate and gave evidence at the trial about meeting him and Steele in Belgium a week before the murders.
At the meeting Steele handed over £70,000, which police claimed he owed to Tate, Tucker and Rolfe over a bungled drug deal.
'No ill feeling'
Mr Dorman, in an exclusive interview with BBC News Online, said: "They were chatting and laughing with each other and there was no suggestion of any ill feeling between them.
"Mick Steele gave Pat the £70,000 and Pat gave Mick £2,000 in wages, which suggests Mick was just the gopher."
Mr Dorman, an ex-policeman, said: "I don't believe the coppers were bent but Darren Nicholls may well have pulled the wool over everyone's eyes."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2604343.stm?storyLink=%2523
And at trial Sarah Saunders told the court similar. In her WS's she says she met with Steele to tell him Tate was talking about sending Steele up North and him not coming back. She said she didn't really take him seriously as he talked a lot of nonsense a lot of the time and bearing in mind his brain was scrambled from all the drugs. The pm revealed heroin, cocaine and steroids.
This is just something the police seized on to fit up Steele and Whomes.
The dodgy cannabis deal was resolved to everyone's satisfaction in terms of the murdered trio, Nicholls, Steele and Whomes. But it didn't just involve this handful of people. Lets supposing Tate decided not to make good to those who put up cash eg corrupt police officers who may have in turn been procuring for other criminals. Then there's Nicholls who was told by Steele to destroy 60 kilos of the dodgy batch. He claims he buried it in a sandpit in Braintree. Did he? Or did he sell it on to the bent cops who may have sold it on to other criminals.
But those close to Tate said there was no animosity between him and Steele. Former police officer turned used car salesman, Barry Dorman, who was apparently a "father figure" to Tait was one of the party who went to Holland to help bring back the cash in respect of the dodgy cannabis:Nicholls threw it in a pond. The cannabis was later recovered by Essex Police. Nicholls was paid a £400 reward for providing the information to Police, £50 of which he gave to Wolfgang Bird.
Car dealer Barry Dorman was a close friend and "father figure" to Tate and gave evidence at the trial about meeting him and Steele in Belgium a week before the murders.
At the meeting Steele handed over £70,000, which police claimed he owed to Tate, Tucker and Rolfe over a bungled drug deal.
'No ill feeling'
Mr Dorman, in an exclusive interview with BBC News Online, said: "They were chatting and laughing with each other and there was no suggestion of any ill feeling between them.
"Mick Steele gave Pat the £70,000 and Pat gave Mick £2,000 in wages, which suggests Mick was just the gopher."
Mr Dorman, an ex-policeman, said: "I don't believe the coppers were bent but Darren Nicholls may well have pulled the wool over everyone's eyes."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2604343.stm?storyLink=%2523
And at trial Sarah Saunders told the court similar. In her WS's she says she met with Steele to tell him Tate was talking about sending Steele up North and him not coming back. She said she didn't really take him seriously as he talked a lot of nonsense a lot of the time and bearing in mind his brain was scrambled from all the drugs. The pm revealed heroin, cocaine and steroids.
This is just something the police seized on to fit up Steele and Whomes.
The dodgy cannabis deal was resolved to everyone's satisfaction in terms of the murdered trio, Nicholls, Steele and Whomes. But it didn't just involve this handful of people. Lets supposing Tate decided not to make good to those who put up cash eg corrupt police officers who may have in turn been procuring for other criminals. Then there's Nicholls who was told by Steele to destroy 60 kilos of the dodgy batch. He claims he buried it in a sandpit in Braintree. Did he? Or did he sell it on to the bent cops who may have sold it on to other criminals.
Going back to the phone evidence highlighted above I was wondering why those who fitted up Steele/Whomes decided to use a phone box near Whomes' place of work and not try to implicate Steele in this way when Steele was the arranger who had contact with Tait/Tucker. Then I realised at the time Whomes was employed by G&T commercials stowmarket and his whereabouts known to those who wanted to set him up. Whereas afaik Steele was not employed at the time and therefore his whereabouts were unknown.Steele was a telephone box man. He was quite sure that his telephone was bugged. When Police searched his house they found an anti bugging device.
Imo it's the phone box evidence that gives it away. Did whoever made the call to Nicholls from a phone box make a mistake, become complacent or it was done out of necessity to tie up people being in the right place at the right time.
Going back to the phone evidence highlighted above I was wondering why those who fitted up Steele/Whomes decided to use a phone box near Whomes' place of work and not try to implicate Steele in this way when Steele was the arranger who had contact with Tait/Tucker. Then I realised at the time Whomes was employed by G&T commercials stowmarket and his whereabouts known to those who wanted to set him up. Whereas afaik Steele was not employed at the time and therefore his whereabouts were unknown.Are you suggesting that someone else was responsible for the murders, and before they carried them out, they used telephone boxes to try and set Steele and Whomes up?
Imo it's the phone box evidence that gives it away. Did whoever made the call to Nicholls from a phone box make a mistake, become complacent or it was done out of necessity to tie up people being in the right place at the right time.
The story that Dorman and Steele concocted, was that Steele was helping Nicholls out, and it was Nicholls who masterminded the importations. Having seen him re count this tale in one of the many inaccurate films made on the subject, I found his claims to be nothing short of laughable. The suggestion that Steele was gophering for Nicholls is also just that, laughable.
Having read Nicholls extremely detailed accounts of the importations, I have absolutely no doubt that Steele was in fact the mastermind. There was also plenty of documentary evidence to support Nicholls claims.
The only explanation that Steele could find, to explain away the evidence put before him, was to suggest that he was working for Nicholls. The jury would have found this impossible to believe. It must have destroyed his credibility in court.
Nicholls threw it in a pond. The cannabis was later recovered by Essex Police. Nicholls was paid a £400 reward for providing the information to Police, £50 of which he gave to Wolfgang Bird.
Steele was a telephone box man. He was quite sure that his telephone was bugged. When Police searched his house they found an anti bugging device.
Are you suggesting that someone else was responsible for the murders, and before they carried them out, they used telephone boxes to try and set Steele and Whomes up?
Yes, possibly.
This case was one of the first cases where mobile evidence was used to identify a person's whereabouts:
In addition, this was one of the first cases in which the position of the makers and recipients of mobile phone calls was identified by the location of the cell sites through which the phones had sent or received the call. There was a great deal of factual and expert evidence on this subject at the trial.
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2006/195.html
It's extremely unlikely Steele would have forensic knowledge re the above.
Someone was calling Tate and Tucker from call boxes on the 5th Dec (bodies found on 6th Dec). Nicholls also received a call on his mobile from a call box. As I said above Tate and Tucker received calls from a call box near Stowmarket and Nicholls from Basildon. All these calls were within 30 mins and yet the geographical distance between the two is 1 hour, 12 mins/63 mins so it could not have been Steele.
Analysis of Tel Calls 6th Dec 1986 Extracted From CoA Doc
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2006/195.html
Time of Day M/PB/LL/Sender/Location M/PB/LL/Receiver/Location
Middle M/Nicholls/Sunbury, W.London M/Steele/?
14.11 M/Steele/? M/Whomes/?
14.30 PB/?/Phone Box Nr To Where Whomes Working, M/Tucker/?
Stowmarket, Suffolk
14.30 approx PB/?/As above M/Tucker/?
14.30 approx PB/?/As above M/Tait/? *
14.32 ?/?/? PB/?/Phone Box Close To Where Tait Lived,
Basildon, Essex
14.52 PB/?/Phone Box Close To Where Tait Lived, M/Nicholls/?
Basildon, Essex
Other telephone contact between Nicholls/Steele and Steele/Whomes during the afternoon.
17.03 PB/?/Phone Box Halfway House pub, A127, M/Tait/?
Brentwood Essex
17.12 M/Whomes/? M/Steele/?
18.03 M/Steele/? M/Whomes/?
18.09 M/Steele/? M/Whomes/?
18.44 LL/Sarah Saunders/Basildon M/Tait/?
18.59 M/Whomes/Area Nr. Rettendon M/Nicholls/Area Nr. Rettendon
18.59 M/Whomes/Area Nr. Rettendon M/Nicholls/Area Nr. Rettendon
M = Mobile
PB = Phone Box
LL = Landline
* = Missed Call
Corrupt police officers from Braintree CID were no doubt aware how mobile phone data could be used to identify the approximate location of those who use mobile phones. They would certainly have an awareness of how to communicate with others to avoid detection eg use of phone boxes. An informer would simply add to all this intelligence enabling them to control and manipulate many scenarios.I've never heard/read any credible source, that supports the suggestion that Tate was once Marshall's business partner.
There's much evidence corrupt officers were able to lure Rolfe, Tate and Tucker to Workhouse Lane on some pretext to have them slaughtered probably because they were becoming too much of a liablility and risk exposing the corrupt officers and crime bosses. If they all needed taking out it had to be done in one hit but taking out 3 wasn't something that would then be swept under the carpet so a scapegoat(s) was needed ie Steele/Whomes.
It's possible the officer(s) told Rolfe, Tate and Tucker to meet at Workhouse Lane on the basis drugs/cash were to be placed in the boot of the Range Rover and they would then ensure safe passage to a storage facility ie advise who was on patrol and which roads to take. They were told a vehicle would back up to the boot and they were not to get out so as not to leave footprints. An officer and the hitman faff around outside with the officer opening the rear driver's door and the hitman steps forward.
The Timeline
5th Dec/6th Dec 1995 - It is thought Rolfe, Tate and Tucker were murdered 5th Dec around 7pm with the bodies found 6th Dec
13th May 1996 - Corry, Nicholls, Steele and Whomes arrested. Shortly after his arrest Nicholls asked to speak with DC Bird his request was refused. Bird had also been arrested.
13 th May - evening - Nicholls interviewed - no comment
14th May - afternoon - Nicholls interviewed - no comment
14th May - evening - Nicholls asked to speak with a senior officer and was seen by Det Sup Barrington. He was told Bird was in custody. Nicholls inidicated his willingness to talk about "drugs jobs" and "other more serious things would be disclosed. He asked about protection in and out of prison. He said that he would be giving information about the illegal activities of police officers.
15th May - Used car dealer and former business partner to Tate, John Marshall, is last seen alive around midday leaving a salvage yard in Pitsea, Essex. His home was Little Burstead, Essex. It was rumoured he was involved with drugs. Marshall sold a used vehicle to Kenneth Noye with false papers.
19th May - Noye murdered Stephen Cameron on the M25.
22nd May - John Marshall's body discovered in the back of his Range Rover in Sydenham, Kent. The body and vehicle were there from at least 6.30am 16th May.
It has been said Noye ordered a hit on Marshall to silence him over the car he sold him with false papers which he was driving when he murdered Stephen Cameron. This is clearly wrong since Marshall was murdered 15th/16th May and Stephen Cameron murdered 19th May.
What is interesting is that John Marshall, former business partner to Tate, was murdered only hours after Nicholls made his disclosures re "drugs jobs|" and "illegal activities of police officers".
Did Noye feel the net was closing in and/or was he at risk of being exposed and/or his life was under threat from others? I've always thought it strange that someone who was active in crime but never liked to dirty his hands per se would suddenly lose the plot in broad daylight on one of the busiest roundabouts in the world. Is this the reason he lost it with Stephen Cameron?
As I said above the phone analysis is based on info contained within the CoA doc. The CoA make clear it is a summary of the info. Questions I would like answered:6. That call was made from the phone box near Whomes place of work, to Nicholls.
1. The CoA doc states:
Skilled interrogation and analysis of the computer records will show the cell site through which each outgoing and incoming call made from or to a mobile telephone was routed. In order to make the information intelligible and relevant to the issues in the case, a selection of these calls, with this information, was incorporated into agreed schedules. We have in the course of our narrative already referred to many of these calls. However two specific calls require detailed examination and investigation.
The two calls in question are of course those made by Whomes to Nicholls at 18.59 putting them both near the soc at a time when it is thought the trio were murdered. Imo all the calls require detailed examination and investigation. Eg:
2. Where was Tate when he received his call from Sarah Saunders at 18.44 which was 15 mins before Whomes calls to Nicholls. If Tate was in an area whereby it was not possible for him to travel to the Rettendon area within 15 minutes then this blows the prosecution case apart.
3. Who was making the phone calls from phone boxes? At first glance it would be easy to jump to the conclusion that Whomes made the calls to Tucker and Tait at 14.30 from a phone box close to his place of work and he did so to avoid leaving an electronic footprint by way of mobile phone data, but did he? Did someone else make the calls to Tait and Tucker to implicate Whomes at an early stage?
4. Where was Steele when he made his 14.11 call to Whomes? Can he be ruled by geographical location and journey time for making the 14.30 calls?
5. Who made the call to a phone box at 14.32 close to where Tate lived and who received it?
6. Who made the call from a phone box close to where Tate lived to Nicholls at 14.52?
7. Who made the call from a phone box on the A127 to Tait at 17.03? According to Nicholls testimony he met with Steele and Whomes at Marks Tey around 17.00 so by way of geographical location and journey time this rules out Steele and Whomes making this call.
8. The calls from phone boxes appear to involve 2 people since those made at approx 14.30 to Tait and Tucker and the one made at 14.52 to Nicholls involve geographical distances and journey times ruling out the same person.
The prosecution case is:
14.11 Steeles mobile calls Whomes mobile
14.30 Steele calls Tuckers mobile twice
14.30 Steele calls Tates mobile (missed call)
14.32 Steele calls Tate at the Basildon phone box
14.52 Steele calls Nicholls
As I said above the phone analysis is based on info contained within the CoA doc. The CoA make clear it is a summary of the info. Questions I would like answered:5. Steele made the call to Tates mobile which wasn't answered. This was Tates cue to head to the phone box, where Steele could safely talk and make arrangements for the meet, later that evening.
1. The CoA doc states:
Skilled interrogation and analysis of the computer records will show the cell site through which each outgoing and incoming call made from or to a mobile telephone was routed. In order to make the information intelligible and relevant to the issues in the case, a selection of these calls, with this information, was incorporated into agreed schedules. We have in the course of our narrative already referred to many of these calls. However two specific calls require detailed examination and investigation.
The two calls in question are of course those made by Whomes to Nicholls at 18.59 putting them both near the soc at a time when it is thought the trio were murdered. Imo all the calls require detailed examination and investigation. Eg:
2. Where was Tate when he received his call from Sarah Saunders at 18.44 which was 15 mins before Whomes calls to Nicholls. If Tate was in an area whereby it was not possible for him to travel to the Rettendon area within 15 minutes then this blows the prosecution case apart.
3. Who was making the phone calls from phone boxes? At first glance it would be easy to jump to the conclusion that Whomes made the calls to Tucker and Tait at 14.30 from a phone box close to his place of work and he did so to avoid leaving an electronic footprint by way of mobile phone data, but did he? Did someone else make the calls to Tait and Tucker to implicate Whomes at an early stage?
4. Where was Steele when he made his 14.11 call to Whomes? Can he be ruled by geographical location and journey time for making the 14.30 calls?
5. Who made the call to a phone box at 14.32 close to where Tate lived and who received it?
6. Who made the call from a phone box close to where Tate lived to Nicholls at 14.52?
7. Who made the call from a phone box on the A127 to Tait at 17.03? According to Nicholls testimony he met with Steele and Whomes at Marks Tey around 17.00 so by way of geographical location and journey time this rules out Steele and Whomes making this call.
8. The calls from phone boxes appear to involve 2 people since those made at approx 14.30 to Tait and Tucker and the one made at 14.52 to Nicholls involve geographical distances and journey times ruling out the same person.
6. That call was made from the phone box near Whomes place of work, to Nicholls.
Does the prosecution have the backup data by way of which cells/masts calls were routed through to support Steele and his mobile being in the Stowmarket location when the 14.30 calls were made to Tucker/Tait?He didn't call Nicholls from Basildon. He was calling him from Suffolk.
How would anyone know who picked up the 14.32 call in the phone box close to where Tate lived in Basildon?
How could Steele call Nicholls from a phone box in Basildon, Essex if 20 minutes earlier he was calling Tait/Tucker from a phone box in Claydon, Stowmarket, Suffolk when the distance between these two places is 1 hour and 1 min/56.5 miles?
He didn't call Nicholls from Basildon. He was calling him from Suffolk.
Not according to the CoA. It states:That brief summary in the CoA document can be read two ways. I will try and find a better source to post up.
At 14.32 there was a call to a telephone kiosk in Basildon, close to where Tate lived. About 20 minutes later there was a call from the same telephone kiosk to Nicholls' mobile phone.
I've never heard/read any credible source, that supports the suggestion that Tate was once Marshall's business partner.
Likewise, there is no established link between Noye and TTR or Steele & Whomes. There's not even a sniff of one.
Well this article states Tate and Marshall were business partners. It also says:Which officers and who did they reveal it to?
Officers revealed John's partnership with Tate had broken up because John wouldn't stand for the dealer's behaviour.
https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/5529696.little-burstead-clear-my-murdered-brother/
Marshall supplied a vehicle to Noye with false papers under the name Anthony Francis.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/apr/16/tonythompson.theobserver
Which officers and who did they reveal it to?
The following is an extract from Judge Hiddens summing up of Steeles evidence, whilst under cross examination.
He was asked about the bottom call on that page, 2044, from the Sorrel Horse Public House, the call at 14:29 from that phone box to the Tucker mobile. He said it was not him making it. Over the page to 64, the second entry at 2046, 3 minutes later at 1432, another call to the Tucker mobile, and the next call, 2047, the call with the same timing of 1432 from that phone box to another phone box at Timber Log Lane in Clayhill Road Basildon connected with Tate. It was put to him that those were calls to first Tucker and then Tate.He said the phone calls from the Sorrel Horse were not made by him. He gave the same answer to the call at 2050, 1452, 20 minutes later, the call to Nicholls' mobile. That is a call from the payphone to Nicholls' mobile 288. Again Mr Steele said the calls were not made by him. He said, "I think Nicholls was at the Sorrel Horse, Barham. I know full well Nicholls had sought to phone me. I'm suggesting it is possible Nicholls may have been there at the phone box." In the light of that answer he was asked to look again at 2050 which is the phone box phoning Nicholls' mobile, 288. He still said he thought it was Nicholls using that box. He was not in the Sorrel Horse phone box.
He was asked to look at phone calls on page 73. We come back to 4 (a), members of the jury, at page 73, for those same calls on that time. The document I want you to go to I am afraid is actually 4(a)(3). Those calls are set out in the top set of calls in the calls on the Sorrel Horse pay phone. Again he said they were not him. That at 73 he was asked about the calls at 13:57, 14:00, 14:11 and 15:06. 14:00 is to Nicholls' mobile for 25 seconds, 15:06 is to Nicholls' messages for 14 seconds. He said he did not arrange to meet Nicholls at Marks Tey and then drive together with him to the A128 then swap him into Wholmes' vehicle. He accepted that at 18:03 and 18:09 he made two calls to Wholmes' mobile. He was asked about the call to Tate's mobile at 18:44 and said, "I was never in the vehicle, in the Range Rover with Tate, Rolfe and Tucker. Wholmes and I did not shoot them dead." Again he was asked about his interview 203(a) and he said he was willing to correct the customs officers when they were wrong but that was a natural reaction.
My interpretation of the above aligns with the info contained within the CoA doc other than the above does not mention the missed call from the Sorrell Ho Pub to Tait's mobile.Sorry Holly, your interpretation is wrong. The call at 14.52 was made from the Sorrell Horse phone box.
The above first talks about the calls from the Sorrell Ho Pub and then talks about the call from the Sorrell Ho Pub to the phone box at Timber Log Lane, Clayhill, Basildon and the call from that same box to Nicholl's mobile.
It's actually a very cunning plan and most looking at it at the time would not consider that corrupt police officers were making these calls to implicate Steele/Whomes at a very early stage ie several hours before the murders took place!
To make sense of all of this we really need the complete schedule of calls as viewed by jurors and referred to by the judge. Are you able to make it available?
It seems to me the emphasis on these calls is very much slanted towards the prosecution in terms of info provided. For example we know an approximate location can be provided when a person makes or receives a mobile call and yet all I'm seeing so far is info re the location of Nicholls/Whomes for the 2 x 18.59 calls. What about the whereabouts of all those who made and received mobile calls throughout the day?
Sorry Holly, your interpretation is wrong. The call at 14.52 was made from the Sorrell Horse phone box.
It was put to him that those were calls to first Tucker and then Tate.He said the phone calls from the Sorrel Horse were not made by him. He gave the same answer to the call at 2050, 1452, 20 minutes later, the call to Nicholls' mobile. That is a call from the payphone to Nicholls' mobile 288. Again Mr Steele said the calls were not made by him. He said, "I think Nicholls was at the Sorrel Horse, Barham. I know full well Nicholls had sought to phone me. I'm suggesting it is possible Nicholls may have been there at the phone box." In the light of that answer he was asked to look again at 2050 which is the phone box phoning Nicholls' mobile, 288. He still said he thought it was Nicholls using that box. He was not in the Sorrel Horse phone box.
The cops knew the hit was going to take place that night, and let it happen so that three inveterate troublemakers could be crossed off their list. Whomes and Steele were the fall guys, although whether they actually did the shooting is open to question. Steele, whose police interviews are liberally sprinkled with No Comments, certainly had something to hide.What evidence is there to support the theory that Police knew ?
What evidence is there to support the theory that Police knew ?Were they all, or at least Whomes and Steele as well-known drug runners / suppliers and especially after the Betts affair not put under surveillance which was withdrawn shortly before the murders? And that evidence later concealed?
I've copied up these schedules compiled by the Police.
Apologies for the poor formatting. Makes it a bit of job to read, I know.
The cops knew the hit was going to take place that night, and let it happen so that three inveterate troublemakers could be crossed off their list. Whomes and Steele were the fall guys, although whether they actually did the shooting is open to question. Steele, whose police interviews are liberally sprinkled with No Comments, certainly had something to hide.
Were they all, or at least Whomes and Steele as well-known drug runners / suppliers and especially after the Betts affair not put under surveillance which was withdrawn shortly before the murders? And that evidence later concealed?
I have seen the hand written version of a letter from Whomes. I'll have to give this a listen to see if it's the same one.
Just listened to Steele's police interviews part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCNylOuQc5Y
Just to add again someone has narrated a number of vids and claims to be reading original docs verbatim - no checks carried out to verify authenticity.
Venue: Colchester Police Station
Date: 14/05/96
Time: 22.30 - 22.45
Duration: 15 mins
Interviewing Officers: DC Richard Shakespeare and DC Philip Norton
- Firearm seized from Steele's property which was unconnected to murders. Did he have a firearms licence for the weapon?
- A sum of cash was also seized. He claims it was a loan to his partner from a relative pending sale of her home. I believe Steele and his partner were about to sell their current home and purchase another. She mentions this in his alibi. I think it more likely the cash was from the proceeds of drug deals. Significant quantities of cash often represent proceeds of crime/tax evasion.
- Officers put to him that Nicholls said they met at Marks Tey at 6pm on eve of murders. If this was so and they travelled to Halfway House, Brentwood where Steele supposedly transferred to the Range Rover carrying Rolfe, Tate and Tucker for onward journey to Rettendon this would put him at soc at 7.07pm along with the murdered trio. According to prosecution the mobile calls between Nicholls/Whomes at 6.59pm represent a call from Whomes to Nicholls for the getaway car. I assume this is the reason Nicholls account was changed from 6pm to 5pm? From the CoA doc:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCNylOuQc5Y @ 12 min in meet at Marks Tey at 6pm
The arrangement was that Nicholls would meet Steele at Marks Tey at 5.00 o'clock.
Nicholls account is a crock of shite imo.
TO
06/12/95
14.56
01376551430
NICHOLLS (LANDLINE) MISS R BECKETT
0973427288
NICHOLLS (MOBILE)
06/12/95
14.56
01376551430
NICHOLLS (LANDLINE) MISS R BECKETT
0973427288
NICHOLLS (MOBILE)
06/12/95
15.06
0860843978
STEELE (MOBILE)
0973427288
NICHOLLS (MOBILE)
06/12/95
15.08
0860843978
STEELE (MOBILE)
0836215646
WHOMES (MOBILE)
06/12/95
15.50
0973740923
TATE (MOBILE)
01375480213
ROLFE (LANDLINE) JAGGERS
06/12/95
15.57
01206251979
STEELE (LANDLINE)
0973427288
NICHOLLS (MOBILE)
06/12/95
16.04
01268557679
GARWOOD (LANDLINE) P TATE
01268557679
GARWOOD (LANDLINE) P TATE ALARM CALL
06/12/95
16.36
0973427288
NICHOLLS( MOBILE)
01376551430
NICHOLLS (LANDLINE) MISS R BECKETT
06/12/95
16.39
0973427288
NICHOLLS (MOBILE)
0860843978
STEELE (MOBILE)
06/12/95
17.09
01449766495
WHOMES (LANDLINE)
0836215646
WHOMES (MOBILE)
06/12/95
17.12
0836215646
WHOMES MOBILE
0860843978
STEELE (MOBILE)
06/12/95
18.03
0860843978
STEELE (MOBILE)
0836215646
WHOMES (MOBILE)
06/12/95
18.09
0860843978
STEELE (MOBILE)
0836215646
WHOMES (MOBILE)
06/12/95
18.34
01268458327
SAUNDERS (LANDLINE)
01277260049
MR M J HOOD FLAT 2 BOOTHS COURT HUTTON
06/12/95
18.44
01268458327
SAUNDERS (LANDLINE)
0973740923
TATE (MOBILE)
06/12/95
18.59
0836215646
WHOMES MOBILE
0973427288
NICHOLLS (MOBILE)
06/12/95
19.19
01376551430
NICHOLLS (LANDLINE) MISS R BECKETT
0973427288
NICHOLLS (MOBILE)
06/12/95
19.55
0973427288
NICHOLLS (MOBILE)
01376551430
NICHOLLS (LANDLINE) MISS R BECKETT
06/12/95
20.18
01206251979
STEELE (LANDLINE)
0860843978
STEELE (MOBILE)
06/12/95
20.20
01206251979
STEELE (LANDLINE)
0836215646
WHOMES (MOBILE)
06/12/95
20.27
01268558162
TUCKER (LANDLINE) A M WHITEHEAD
0385317327
TUCKER (MOBILE)
06/12/95
20.36
01268558162
TUCKER (LANDLINE) A M WHITEHEAD
01375480213
ROLFE (LANDLINE) JAGGERS
06/12/95
20.39
01206251979
STEELE (LANDLINE)
0860843978
STEELE (MOBILE)
06/12/95
20.39
01206251979
STEELE (LANDLINE)
0836215646
WHOMES (MOBILE)
06/12/95
21.07
01449766495
WHOMES (LANDLINE)
0836215646
WHOMES (MOBILE)
06/12/95
21.11
01268558162
TUCKER (LANDLINE) A M WHITEHEAD
0385317327
TUCKER (MOBILE)
06/12/95
21.22
01376551430
NICHOLLS (LANDLINE) MISS R BECKETT
0973427288
NICHOLLS (MOBILE)
06/12/95
21.49
0836215646
WHOMES MOBILE
01449766495
WHOMES (LANDLINE)
07/12/95
01.38
01268557679
GARWOOD (LANDLINE) P TATE
01268557679
GARWOOD (LANDLINE) P TATE ALARM CALL
07/12/95
07.48
01375480213
ROLFE (LANDLINE) JAGGERS
01268558162
TUCKER (LANDLINE) A M WHITEHEAD
07/12/95
07.50
01268558162
TUCKER (LANDLINE) A M WHITEHEAD
0385317327
TUCKER (MOBILE)
07/12/95
08.38
01375480213
ROLFE (LANDLINE) JAGGERS
01268558162
TUCKER (LANDLINE) A M WHITEHEAD
07/12/95
09.03
01268558162
TUCKER (LANDLINE) A M WHITEHEAD
01375480213
ROLFE (LANDLINE) JAGGERS
07/12/95
09.05
01376551430
NICHOLLS (LANDLINE) MISS R BECKETT
0973427288
NICHOLLS (MOBILE)
07/12/95
09.24
0836215646
WHOMES MOBILE
0860843978
STEELE (MOBILE)
07/12/95
09.26
01268558162
TUCKER (LANDLINE) A M WHITEHEAD
0385317327
TUCKER (MOBILE)
07/12/95
09.27
0836215646
WHOMES MOBILE
01449766495
WHOMES (LANDLINE)
07/12/95
09.56
01268557679
GARWOOD (LANDLINE) P TATE
01268557679
GARWOOD (LANDLINE) P TATE ALARM CALL
07/12/95
10.42
01449766495
WHOMES (LANDLINE)
sika hope you don't mind but I've taken the liberty of going into your post to highlight the time and date as I was struggling to follow them and imo the phone calls are the most important aspect of this case.
I've only had a quick skim. Initial thoughts:
- Seems to me we have incomplete info and/or police have decided what calls to include/exclude to support the prosecution case. Eg we know from Tucker's voice mail he received 26 messages most of which don't appear in this police schedule? The first message from Tucker's girlfriend, Anna, states she's round a flat and gives a landline number and yet the first call in the schedule has Anna (assuming she's A M Whitehead) from Tucker's landline?
- It seems to me all 6 were expected home hence the calls from girlfriends/wives on landlines to mobiles. Albeit Steele's alibi involved Jackie Street stating the pair were out together and arrived home at 7.25pm.
- Did the defence actually authenticate the info provided by third parties eg telecommunication companies or did they just accept at face value the info they were provided by the police?
- I'm still at a complete loss as to why only 2 calls were placed under the microscope. Which cell/mast was the call routed through that Tate received on his mobile at 18.44 from Sarah Saunders?
- Which cell/mast was the call routed through that Nicholls received on his mobile at 19.19 from Miss R Beckett who I assume was/is Nicholls' partner?
- The defence might have checked out the above and if it supported the prosecution case left well alone?
Just listened to Steele's police interviews part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCNylOuQc5Y
Just to add again someone has narrated a number of vids and claims to be reading original docs verbatim - no checks carried out to verify authenticity.
Venue: Colchester Police Station
Date: 14/05/96
Time: 22.30 - 22.45
Duration: 15 mins
Interviewing Officers: DC Richard Shakespeare and DC Philip Norton
- Firearm seized from Steele's property which was unconnected to murders. Did he have a firearms licence for the weapon?
- A sum of cash was also seized. He claims it was a loan to his partner from a relative pending sale of her home. I believe Steele and his partner were about to sell their current home and purchase another. She mentions this in his alibi. I think it more likely the cash was from the proceeds of drug deals. Significant quantities of cash often represent proceeds of crime/tax evasion.
- Officers put to him that Nicholls said they met at Marks Tey at 6pm on eve of murders. If this was so and they travelled to Halfway House, Brentwood where Steele supposedly transferred to the Range Rover carrying Rolfe, Tate and Tucker for onward journey to Rettendon this would put him at soc at 7.07pm along with the murdered trio. According to prosecution the mobile calls between Nicholls/Whomes at 6.59pm represent a call from Whomes to Nicholls for the getaway car. I assume this is the reason Nicholls account was changed from 6pm to 5pm? From the CoA doc:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCNylOuQc5Y @ 12 min in meet at Marks Tey at 6pm
The arrangement was that Nicholls would meet Steele at Marks Tey at 5.00 o'clock.
Nicholls account is a crock of shite imo.
During Steele's interview he was also asked about telephone calls made and received to/from Nicholls and Whomes. This spans from 12.51 pm to 3.57 pm. Some of these calls were made on Steele's mobile and others on his landline. It might well be possible to determine Steele's location during the course of the afternoon from phone data precluding him from making phone calls from the phone boxes.
There's so much hard data here from mobile phone calls made and received that an interactive map should be able to pinpoint the approx location of any given person at the times it was claimed they were here or there doing this and that which would either support the defence or prosecution.
I'm really struggling to understand the reason why it was only deemed relevant to place under the microscope the two phone calls between Nicholls and Whomes and not all the calls?
Which lawyers represented Steele and Whomes at trial?
The QC at trial was David Lederman:Dyslexia? and also... 'Prepared to travel.speak fluent Freanch.'
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/david-lederman-85542458 (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/david-lederman-85542458)
He says he wants to use his brain! He might well start by proof-reading his LinkedIn profile and amend the spelling of his Alma mater!
How can anyone have faith in this conviction when we have:
- 3 corrupt police officers (that we know of!)
and
- a QC who can't even spell/proof-read his Alma mater on his LinkedIn account
8)><(
Dyslexia? and also... 'Prepared to travel.speak fluent Freanch.'
Were they all, or at least Whomes and Steele as well-known drug runners / suppliers and especially after the Betts affair not put under surveillance which was withdrawn shortly before the murders? And that evidence later concealed?I've not seen any evidence to support the theory that they were under surveillance prior to the murders.
And are we really to believe that Nicholls only became a police informant during Jan '96 and not before:Bent cop, Wolfgang Bird approached Nicholls in a pub in January 96. This was of course just weeks after the murders when Police had commenced their investigation/surveillance operation.
In January 1996 Nicholls became a police informant. His handler was Detective Constable Bird. Their relationship was a corrupt one.
Especially given
The third importation occurred on 7/8 November. Nicholls and Corry collected £125,000 from Steele in the presence of Whomes. Nicholls and Corry then took the overnight ferry from Harwich and made their way to Stone's café. Although the preference had been to obtain herbal cannabis only cannabis resin was available. On this occasion Nicholls had hired a car but had had some difficulty with the hire company because it insisted on payment by credit card rather than cash. Nicholls did not have sufficient credit on his credit card and so had to telephone home to arrange for his wife to pay money into a bank account. The bank then provided a reference number which persuaded the hire company to release the car. All this was confirmed by documentary exhibits. Having obtained the drugs from Stone, Nicholls was unable to contact Steele and spoke instead to Whomes. Nicholls and Corry then proceeded to Blankenberg where the drugs were loaded into Steele's boat. Steele and Corry then returned to England with the drugs in the boat. Nicholls returned the hire car to Amsterdam and, having missed the night ferry, stayed in the Delta Hotel. He had difficulty in making telephone contact with Steele which is not surprising because in the early hours of 8 November Steele, Whomes, Corry and another man had been arrested on the beach at Felixstowe. At that time, according to Nicholls, the drugs had already been off-loaded at another point on the coast and the boat had then proceeded to Felixstowe where Corry was cleaning it at the time of arrest. A small trace of cannabis was later found in the boat following its seizure on this occasion. However those who had been arrested were soon released and no-one was charged with any offence at the time. Nicholls' knowledge of what had occurred in his absence came from subsequent conversations with Steele who also described tampering with the navigation system of the boat so that there was no record of where it had been.
I'm just going back to Tucker's voice mail messages on his mobile and the call which I believe is from his girlfriend Anna Whitehead at 4.21 in
"Hi babe only me can you give me a ring round the flat, the flat what I used to be in [number?] [remember?] 557679 yes ring me straightaway yeah, right speak to you in a minute. If not come round my other flat, I'm round [joy's] [the drive?] at the moment, wanna come round the flat. I'll be here for the next about 15 minutes alright speak to you in a minute bye".
To my mind the above doesn't make sense. She's asking him to call her at a flat she's not present at? She's at Joys or the the drive. I translated 'drive' but sika had it down as 'Joy's"?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGpxqhR1PYs
The number she refers to 557679 is a Basildon landline number registered to someone in the name of Garwood. Possibly a Donna Garwood who accomapnied Tate and Rolfe to Amsterdam to bring cash back in respect of the dodgy cannabis. This number feature in the tel schedules.
Jack Whomes' mother certainly seems to think her son is innocent but then I guess most do:i think that the Whomes family, in particular, John, have cooperated in this manner before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imGdtTtBZs0
His siblings have also been very supportive especially his brother John Whomes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqFvk6wPGuc
I wonder if we could invite John to join the forum and/or ask him to upload case related docs?
This number appears numerous times in the tel schedules as calls from Tucker's mobile to the landline 557679 answered by Tate. Then on other occasions it features as a call from the landline by Tate and shows as an alarm call to Tate. Could the landline have been at a property used as a 'safe house' to store drugs with a security alarm that rang mobiles in the event of the alarm going off?Donna Garwood was a girlfriend of Tony Tuckers.
If the girlfriends assisted in some way, or had knowledge, this would account for the fact some of Anna's phone messages appear to make little sense. She's unlikely to leave incriminating tel messages for obvious reasons. This might also explain her message about back from the stables at circa 11pm.
Donna Jagger in her WS makes ref to a 'safe house' and deals taking place at Tucker's stables.
http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6020.msg511362#msg511362
http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6020.msg511364#msg511364
The little paperclip icon appears on your post but nothing has attached?I tried to post up a copy of the hand written letter!
I'm just going back to Tucker's voice mail messages on his mobile and the call which I believe is from his girlfriend Anna Whitehead at 4.21 in*%87 Cor' Blimey!... are you sure Essex is not in some far distant land where English is unheard of?
"Hi babe only me can you give me a ring round the flat, the flat what I used to be in [number?] [remember?] 557679 yes ring me straightaway yeah, right speak to you in a minute. If not come round my other flat, I'm round [joy's] [the drive?] at the moment, wanna come round the flat. I'll be here for the next about 15 minutes alright speak to you in a minute bye".
To my mind the above doesn't make sense. She's asking him to call her at a flat she's not present at? She's at Joys or the the drive. I translated 'drive' but sika had it down as 'Joy's"?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGpxqhR1PYs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGpxqhR1PYs)
The number she refers to 557679 is a Basildon landline number registered to someone in the name of Garwood. Possibly a Donna Garwood who accomapnied Tate and Rolfe to Amsterdam to bring cash back in respect of the dodgy cannabis. This number feature in the tel schedules.
Just listened to Steele's police interviews part 1:Steele didn't have a firearms licence. Due to his previous convictions, he would never have been granted one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCNylOuQc5Y
Just to add again someone has narrated a number of vids and claims to be reading original docs verbatim - no checks carried out to verify authenticity.
Venue: Colchester Police Station
Date: 14/05/96
Time: 22.30 - 22.45
Duration: 15 mins
Interviewing Officers: DC Richard Shakespeare and DC Philip Norton
- Firearm seized from Steele's property which was unconnected to murders. Did he have a firearms licence for the weapon?
- A sum of cash was also seized. He claims it was a loan to his partner from a relative pending sale of her home. I believe Steele and his partner were about to sell their current home and purchase another. She mentions this in his alibi. I think it more likely the cash was from the proceeds of drug deals. Significant quantities of cash often represent proceeds of crime/tax evasion.
- Officers put to him that Nicholls said they met at Marks Tey at 6pm on eve of murders. If this was so and they travelled to Halfway House, Brentwood where Steele supposedly transferred to the Range Rover carrying Rolfe, Tate and Tucker for onward journey to Rettendon this would put him at soc at 7.07pm along with the murdered trio. According to prosecution the mobile calls between Nicholls/Whomes at 6.59pm represent a call from Whomes to Nicholls for the getaway car. I assume this is the reason Nicholls account was changed from 6pm to 5pm? From the CoA doc:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCNylOuQc5Y @ 12 min in meet at Marks Tey at 6pm
The arrangement was that Nicholls would meet Steele at Marks Tey at 5.00 o'clock.
Nicholls account is a crock of shite imo.
In Nicholls interview above, he mentions purchasing a battery from Ron Parkinson's. He was able to produce a receipt for this purchase.
17/05/96 - RECORD OF TAPE RECORDED INTERVIEW of Darren Nicholls
DC BROWN
So getting back roughly to that phone call about 1400 then Darren that that you think that that was on on your way home from from work when you you'd already mentioned to us that he he'd like to meet you
Darren NICHOLLS
Yeah I would be on my way home from work (Pause)
DC WINSTONE
Further on then at 1506 there's another call from STEELE to your on his mobile phone to your mobile phone that's only a short one at fourteen seconds
Darren NICHOLLS
It could be an answering machine message I mean see when I'm coming home from work see what I do I go to work really early and come home quite early yeah that's my to miss the traffic
DC WINSTONE
Alright you mentioned to us before that you were going to a pub in Rainham to see some mates
Darren NICHOLLS
No Rayne
DC WINSTONE
Rayne I beg your pardon
Darren NICHOLLS
Rayne which is like literally Braintree
DC BROWN
Oh I'm sorry I thought you said Rainham before
Darren NICHOLLS
No Rayne
DC BROWN
That's Rayne okay
Darren NICHOLLS
RAYNE
DC BROWN
Yeah well we know Rayne now but
Darren NICHOLLS
I'm sorry yeah
DC BROWN
Okay
Darren NICHOLLS
On our way home from work me and cause I don't go to work on me own like um we always generally shall we go to the pub nar yeah alright then and we'll go in the pub for a couple of beers like literally every night on the way home cause that is a horrible journey and we do like five hours travelling
DC WINSTONE
Well that was going to be my next question if you left a 1400 what sort of time would you've arrived at the pub
Darren NICHOLLS
Oh no I might I might have been on my way by then I mean I'm not saying I left at 1400 I might have been on my way. What we tended to do was leave for work 0500 in the morning and like we could get round to TI by 0630 0645 and then we'd get all out tools in we'd start work the cafe would open at 0730 we'll fly over there and have something to eat and a cup of tea and then we'd work 'til or I we just set targets we'll do that and we'll go home because you know like the job's running over a few months so there's no point in killing it I mean and we all wanted to go home so we sort of set a target and it normally I mean we've left there before 1200 before where we flew in an' done what we've go to do and we'll come back tomorrow and carry on and other times I've been there as late as late as 1500 but generally 1500 was a one off I mean normally 1200 1300 I'm on my way home
DC WINSTONE
Right okay
Darren NICHOLLS
In a an' like my wife thought I worked a long day but I stopped in The Cock at Rayne
DC WINSTONE
Okay so the next the next call the next call is at 1557 and that's a two minute call logged from um STEELE's home address
Darren NICHOLLS
Yeah
DC WINSTONE
To your mobile do you remember that
Darren NICHOLLS
(Pause) to be honest no I don't really I mean I know I spoke to him that day and I know he said to me meet me at Ron PARKINSONS and he was saying to me how quick can you get there what time can you be there sort of thing but I can't remember actual um I can't remember you know conversation if you know what I mean
DC WINSTONE
Right
Darren NICHOLLS
I can't say yeah I remember like um cause I don't I mean I know what happened that day and I know I met him an' I know I can't even remember really approx I mean it must have been it was dark Ron PARKINSONS' was open and they shut at 1800 so I must have been there to meet him before six and Ron PARKINSONS still open cause like I say I I'm pretty sure I bought a motorbike battery that day for my ol' BSA and put it in the motor I was driving which I parked across the road from Ron PARKINSONS. Before I got in his Hi-Lux see like I was there before him and then we sat there an' an' like he said oh yeah well blarr blarr Jack and then Jack pulled up behind us and I didn't notice he said but Jack's behind us
DC WINSTONE
Which pubs did you go into at Rayne
Darren NICHOLLS
Rayne we always go in The Cock, there's only The Welsh Princess or The Cock
DC BROWN
So with that Darren when you went into Ron PARKINSONS' was Mickey there at that time
Darren NICHOLLS
No I'm pretty certain he wasn't there
DC BROWN
No
Darren NICHOLLS
I'd come out with my battery and I'm not sure if he was there
DC BROWN
Did you actually arrange the time or did it or was it
Darren NICHOLLS
Get there as soon as you can there wasn't
DC BROWN
And I'm coming down and I'll meet you there
Darren NICHOLLS
There was a time I mean I just can't think of it it was early I mean Ron PARKINSONS' was open and it was um I don't know
DC BROWN
And that an' you say you bought a new battery
Darren NICHOLLS
Put it in my car
DC BROWN
Put it in your car
Darren NICHOLLS
I think I mean I have bought I I've met him a few times and one of the times I bought a battery and like for some reason I think it was that time
DC BROWN
Are you saying that you've actually met Mickey STEELE at Ron PARKINSONS before
Darren NICHOLLS
Yeah well I like I have met him there before yeah that was a
DC BROWN
So forgetting the incident that happened on the 061200 that we were gonna go into what were the circumstances of you meeting him there at Ron PARKINSONS before
Darren NICHOLLS
Oh when I'd got some money for him things like that and when he when I said like cause I work at Heathrow an' like I do do some long days and he'll ring me up and want to meet me an' talk to me or or get his money off me I'll say to him oh please meet us half way like and he'll alright then I'll meet you at Ron PARKINSONS and he'll say right I'm leaving now you leave now sort of thing
DC BROWN
Right
Darren NICHOLLS
An' so I have met him there before
DC BROWN
Yes but but you
Darren NICHOLLS
I'm always there before him he's always late that bloke
DC BROWN
But you're you're fairly happy in you own mind that it was possibly that occasion when you bought the battery.
Darren NICHOLLS
I'm pretty sure it was that occasion I mean I can't like that's I'm say pretty sure because generally if it was early enough he'd say no come over to me he'd be really like no you can come to me if you see what I mean if it it would have to be quite late like and I'd say look f..k me I got up a 0400 this morning to go to work can't you just meet me and he he'd say yeah okay then like halfway sort of thing you know he wasn't very um he wasn't a very easy person to do like what you wanted it had to be his way that's why I think it was then cause there's not many times I've ever been to Ron PARKINSONS and it's been open I normally look in the window dreaming like you know
DC BROWN
Yeah
Darren NICHOLLS
Thinking I'd like to own one
DC BROWN
Okay so getting back to that and as you appreciate Darren we're when we're gonna have to dissect everything that happens from now on
Darren NICHOLLS
Yeah
DC BROWN
Yeah with within the timescale so that do you you've mentioned before you obviously went there in a vehicle and in previous discussions that you can't remember that have you had any more thoughts on what vehicle that you went there in
Darren NICHOLLS
I can t remember um it sticks in me head that it might've been my firms van
DC BROWN
Which is
Darren NICHOLLS
Um it's an old yellow Toyota Hi-Lux um Hiace a really battered ol' yellow one it's not mine it actually belongs to DWT
DC BROWN
What a pick-up or a van
Darren NICHOLLS
A van
DC BROWN
A van right
Darren NICHOLLS
A battered up ol' van
DC BROWN
And then where do you think you parked it
Darren NICHOLLS
Oh I everytime I ever went to meet him I always parked in the same place apart from
DC BROWN
Which is
Darren NICHOLLS
Um do you know Ron PARKINSONS at all
DC BROWN
Yes
Darren NICHOLLS
Right so you come off of the roundabout
DC BROWN
Yes
Darren NICHOLLS
And you come round the corner to Ron PARKINSONS and as you come round the corner there's some flats on your left that road there. I used to go down there
DC BROWN
There's a little parking area there isn't there
Darren NICHOLLS
I didn't park in the parking area I mean the yellow lines come round that corner and I used to basically turn round and park on the edge of the yellow lines so I was on no yellow lines by the yellow lines do you see what I mean
DC BROWN
Yes yeah I do
Darren NICHOLLS
So I just basically legally parked and then I'd normally go and day dream in the shop window and he'd turn up an'
DC BROWN
Right so get specifically on the 061200 so you park up with the vehicle that you believe may have been the the the Toyota
Darren NICHOLLS
I think it was that as I say I don't know why but i think it was that
DC BROWN
And then you walk across the road and (pause) was Mickey there or do you think you
Darren NICHOLLS
No he wasn't there
DC BROWN
So you've gone over and hung around on the car park of of or the front of PARKINSONS
Darren NICHOLLS
No they were open that's that's why I looked inside and I think I bought a battery but I I have bought a battery from 'em a long time ago but I bought a battery an' um I'm sure I bought it then
DC BROWN
Okay so going back to that
Darren NICHOLLS
And put it back in the van then I think as I'm sort of going back to the van he's pulled up and sort of like bib bib and I had to sort of go hang on a minute I'm putting my battery in cause they say keep it upright for an hour an' a half before you use it sort of thing that's my
DC BROWN
And if and if that obviously was the case then you go back over
Darren NICHOLLS
An' get in his motor
DC BROWN
And get in his car right
Darren NICHOLLS
Right I had the mobile phone with me
DC BROWN
Right and would you just take it from there so you get in to the car and what is the the like the deal or not deal but like you know what's gonna happen as far as you're concerned
Darren NICHOLLS
He said would (pause) I it's difficult I think we're waiting for Jack right I don't know how the conversation come to it and the conversation is we're meeting we're meeting TATEY we're gonna go for a deal with him about we're gonna show him where there's gonna be a Cocaine drop an you see thats what I'm saying in my mind I think he did say to me they wasn't having a deal they're showing 'em where a deal is I'm not certain if he was saying to me there's gonna be a deal on this is where a deals gonna be
DC BROWN
Right now at that time Darren can you cast your mind back and think what you were wearing
Darren NICHOLLS
What I was wearing absolutely no hope these are new boots me old boots are me old boots are newish boots and I'm normally wearing a pair of boots so like I'm thinking that the pair of boots that I might have been wearing would I've been wearing boots yeah cause I didn't change me clothes or nothing like that I go straight from work. Generally work is tracksuit bottoms because you can move like around in these an' you don't sweat as much as jeans just an ol' T-shirt and it would be a pair of boots cause I've never actually owned a pair of trainers 'till about a month ago I've never had a pair for years
DC BROWN
Right and you think that's probably what you were dressed in then do you
Darren NICHOLLS
Ninety nine per cent chance it'll be a
DC BROWN
And an' do you remember what STEELE was wearing
Darren NICHOLLS
No I'm see I know he was wearing overalls but
DC BROWN
No I mean at that time I
Darren NICHOLLS
... put them on yeah
DC BROWN
we don't want to jump forward
Darren NICHOLLS
No I think to be honest with you I think (pause) no I don't I mean I know when we went back to the Hi-Lux he took off overalls and wellies and his shoes (pause) no I think he was just wearing clothes because I presume that this assumption that I'm sure he was just wearing clothes he wasn't like dressed unusually so I thought to meself he's unusually dressed I think he was wearing clothes and probably changed when he parked his Hi-Lux because I supppose if you're gonna show someone in the middle of the dirty old a field where you're gonna have a deal it wouldn't be unusual for them to think oh he's putting a pair of wellies on sort of thing you know.
20/06/96 - Statement of WOLFGANG FORREST BIRD
Forenames WOLFGANG FORREST
Occupation POL DC
1C 1
Height 6'1
Number of Pages 4
Dated 200696 W F BIRD Signed
I make this statement of my own free will. I understand that I do not have to say anything but that it may harm my defence if I do not mention when questioned something which I later reply on in court. This statement may be giyen in evidence. I have been held on remand at H.M.P. Norwich since the 180596. I have been held in custody for about 5 weeks.
I am being held in a Segregation Unit at H.M.P. Norwich. I am held in a cell alone. This cell is about ten (10 foot by six (6) foot. I have a bed and a cardboard table and chair. The walls are covered by remnants of food. There is also a toilet and a wash basin. The Segregation Unit is the punishment house where the most difficult prisoners are held for short periods of time.
I am in my cell generally for twenty three hours a day subject to time for visits and exercise (which is generally thirty (30) minutes to an hour). I have very limited opportunity to hold a conversation with anybody else. I receive regular verbal abuse. I am at present receiving medication for depression and sleeping problems. I have regular medical checks'.
I do not feel mentally alert and. I feel I would have an inability to concentrate during an interview. I make this statement with the assistance of my legal representative. On the 290296 my registered informant, Darren NICHOLLS (pseudonym Ken RUGBY) provided me with information regarding the location of a quantity of cannabis resin. Details are recorded on an Essex Police Registered Informant Contact Form dated 290295, this in fact relates to 290296.
The wrong date was entered in error. I completed this form. The next day on the 010396 I met with Darren NICHOLLS and he identified the location of the cannabis resin. This is recorded on the same Essex Police form, dated 010396, and completed by me. These forms are handed to and logged by, the Detective Inspector.
As a result of this information I informed DS STIMPSON and arrangements through Detective Inspector ORPE were made for an Essex Police Diving Team to search for the cannabis resin and retrieve it if found. The same day a Diving Team attended ARC Pits, Church Lane, Bocking. After searching for some while they recovered a quantity of plastic bags and a holdall containing cannabis resin. The plastic bags were open and torn in varying degrees.
The cannabis resin was mushed, a number of blocks were broken. The cannabis resin was also saturated. The amount of cannabis resin was not weighed at the lake. DS STIMPSON and I, at the conclusion of the search, returned to Braintree Police Station with the recovered cannabis resin. We went straight to the Police Station from ARC Pits without interruption.
At the Police Station it was decided to store the cannabis resin in a lock up garage because of the smell and its saturated condition. DS STIMPSON and I laid out a number of blocks to dry, placed the mushier cannabis resin in a property bag and left the original bags and the holdall to dry. All the cannabis resin was placed in the lock up garage. I did not know how much had been recovered.
It was too wet to weigh, we did not have scales and a Scenes of Crime Officer was due to attend. As far as I am aware there was one key to the lock up. This was one of the reasons it was chosen for storage. The lock up was locked. After this day I attended the lock up on two more occasions.
Once with DS STIMPSON and a senior Scenes of Crime Officer to assess the suitability of the cannabis resin for analysis. Secondly, with PC NEAFSEY and a reporter from a local newspaper for publicity photograph. I did not retain the key at any time. The one occasion I had possession of the key was when PC NEAFSEY the reporter and I attended the lock up. We left the lock up together at the end of the visit.
I can not remember if PC NEAFSEY or I obtained the key for the purpose of the visit and which one of us returned it. I did not retain the key at any stage. I remember that when PC NEAFSEY and I attended the lock up with the reporter the cannabis resin had all been placed in Essex Police Property bags and sealed. They were photographed still sealed. I did not know who had sealed the cannabis resin or when it was done.
I am aware that approximately one week later a further search of ARC Pits was conducted and a further quantity of cannabis resin recovered. I was not involved in this and at no time had contact with this quantity of cannabis resin later recovered. At no time from the point of being made aware of the location of the cannabis resin until its being sent to the laboratory have I stolen any of this cannabis resin.
I totally deny the allegation against me. All reports concerning the seizure were to my knowledge as estimate of recovery based upon information from Darren NICHOLLS and heightened from maximum positive publicity. Darren NICHOLLS, as my registered informant, received a reward of four hundred pounds for the information he supplied. I have not at any time received any of this sum from him and totally deny the allegation against me.
The information from Darren NICHOLLS was that he was aware of the location of the cannabis resin; he was sketchy as to detail. At no time did he admit to me that he was responsible for putting the cannabis resin in the ARC Pit. When I pushed him to provide more details and the source of his knowledge he provided the details recorded in the Contact Forms.
Although I had my doubts as to the explanations he was providing I did not feel that I had reasonable grounds to act further at that time. I deny the allegations that Darren NICHOLLS now makes against me. I would like to add that D.I. ORPE was responsible for organising the diving team. I am aware that he had difficulty getting authority because the information was from an untried source and necessitated calling out officers at short notice.
The officers investigating this matter have indicated to me that members of the diving team state that they met DS STIMPSON and I with a further bag of seized cannabis resin at Braintree Police Station after our return. I do not clearly recall this but if that was the case this part of the seizure would have been placed with the rest.
i think that the Whomes family, in particular, John, have cooperated in this manner before.
Crime writer Bernard O'Mahoney used to host a web site that supported Steele & Whomes. It contained a lot of case related docs. I have always assumed that these were provided by the Whomes family.
O'Mahoney was involved in numerous 'projects' related to the case. Having spent many years supporting the two, suddenly and for no apparent reason, O'Mahoney changed his stance and declared that the two men were in fact guilty as charged.
In his most recent documentary/film, O'Mahoney, on a night out with him, covertly recorded John Whomes allegedly admitting to his brothers involvement in the killings. It was in fact, a crudely edited bit of audio that was intended to mislead and create a wholly false impression. I fear that for this reason, John would be reluctant to get involved. However, he would do well to give it serious consideration, as I feel sure that Holly would prove to be a seriously useful asset.
Donna Garwood was a girlfriend of Tony Tuckers.
The 'safe house' that is referred to, is Mick Steeles mothers garage in Point Clear.
*%87 Cor' Blimey!... are you sure Essex is not in some far distant land where English is unheard of?
Sounds more like - "I'm round (at) Joy's (flat) at the moment" - whoever she is!
https://youtu.be/YGpxqhR1PYs?t=266 (https://youtu.be/YGpxqhR1PYs?t=266)
Tap the F5 key to repeat.
Or liability!Oh, I don't know... you're pretty good at loading an Anschutz magazine.
Oh, I don't know... you're pretty good at loading an Anschutz magazine.
Oooo that's clever, thanks.The more I listen to it, the more it sounds like - "I'm on the drive at the moment" - i.e. she's on her way to the other flat.
It doesn't make sense to me she's asking Tucker to call her on a landline straightaway but then says she's elsewhere and will be there for the next 15 mins *%87 .
The more I listen to it, the more it sounds like - "I'm on the drive at the moment" - i.e. she's on her way to the other flat.You're lucky I didn't recommend turning on auto-generated subtitles. 8(8-))
You can reduce the speed by clicking on the gear icon and adjusting it about .75. Any less, such as .5, and it becomes too distorted to make out what she said.
From the CoA doc:I have been trying to upload, very detailed call logs from Nicholls mobile. I can't make head nor tail of it, to be honest! If I copy and paste it, it ends up listing all the info, rather than showing it in a nice grid as per the original.
Each mobile telephone making or receiving a call does so by way of a radio signal, which is routed through one of many local transmitters, commonly called 'cell sites', which provide a general coverage throughout the country. Skilled interrogation and analysis of the computer records will show the cell site through which each outgoing and incoming call made from or to a mobile telephone was routed. In order to make the information intelligible and relevant to the issues in the case, a selection of these calls, with this information, was incorporated into agreed schedules.We have in the course of our narrative already referred to many of these calls. However two specific calls require detailed examination and investigation. Both calls were made from Whomes' mobile to Nicholls' mobile on the evening of 6th Dec; both calls were made at 18.59. The first call was made at 18.59.21, the outgoing call was routed through the Ingatestone cell site, this call lasted one second. The second call was at 18.59.32, the outgoing call was routed through the Hockley 3 cell site, this call lasted 4 seconds.
It seems then other calls were viewed against masts?
sika do you know anything about this?
I recall reading about this elsewhere and it wasn't what it seems or was contested in some way. Anyway lets assume he did purchase a battery from Ron Parkinson's shop how does this support Steele/Whomes carrying out the murders? The shop was based in Marks Tey. The murders Rettendon. Distance between the two places is 24 miles/28 minutes.I think I've got that wrong. It turned out to be a light bulb that he purchased.
The more I listen to it, the more it sounds like - "I'm on the drive at the moment" - i.e. she's on her way to the other flat.
You can reduce the speed by clicking on the gear icon and adjusting it about .75. Any less, such as .5, and it becomes too distorted to make out what she said.
I have been trying to upload, very detailed call logs from Nicholls mobile. I can't make head nor tail of it, to be honest! If I copy and paste it, it ends up listing all the info, rather than showing it in a nice grid as per the original.
It does demonstrate to me that all the call information from all the relevant phones was available at trial.
Steele is no fool. He would have created merry hell if this information was not available or was concealed.
Have you watched this recently uploaded O'Mahoney video, Holly? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDIR-dbxUmI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDIR-dbxUmI)This is Mr O'Mahoney's most recent attempt to cash in on the story. It climaxes with his effort to elicit some sort of confession out of John Whomes.
I think this case has long tentacles involving police corruption, probably at senior ranks as well as what is known about junior ranking officers, crime bosses, professionals and those prepared to launder ill-gotten gains through legitimate companies.The Range Rover was registered in Rolfes name.
Rolfe's partner, Donna Jaggers, said on the day of the murders the trio met with a Peter Cuthbert at TGI Fridays Lakeside.
Peter Cuthbert has held a number of directorships since the early 90's:
https://companycheck.co.uk/director/901864658/MR-PETER-GEORGE-CUTHBERT/companies
He featured in O'Mahoney's books on a couple of occassions
Providing details for Tucker to purchase the Range Rover:
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=dfdB0IIeEvIC&pg=PT55&lpg=PT55&dq=peter+cuthbert+dorman+2000&source=bl&ots=6iYJuI23fy&sig=ACfU3U3-lQ1-8mfykp4h8DxW_QD28Py5Zg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwirrtLI5ZXgAhXdUBUIHSEqCqgQ6AEwCHoECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=peter%20cuthbert%20dorman%202000&f=false
I thought the Range Rover was Rolfe's?
And here it seems he tries to act as a restraint on Tucker:
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=dfdB0IIeEvIC&pg=PT55&lpg=PT55&dq=peter+cuthbert+dorman+2000&source=bl&ots=6iYJuI23fy&sig=ACfU3U3-lQ1-8mfykp4h8DxW_QD28Py5Zg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwirrtLI5ZXgAhXdUBUIHSEqCqgQ6AEwCHoECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=peter%20cuthbert%20dorman%202000&f=false
And here:
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=dfdB0IIeEvIC&pg=PT55&lpg=PT55&dq=peter+cuthbert+dorman+2000&source=bl&ots=6iYJuI23fy&sig=ACfU3U3-lQ1-8mfykp4h8DxW_QD28Py5Zg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwirrtLI5ZXgAhXdUBUIHSEqCqgQ6AEwCHoECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=peter%20cuthbert%20dorman%202000&f=false
O'Mahoney recounts the same story in two different books except in one book he was the victim of Tucker's violent outburst and in the other book he claims it was Nipper Ellis.
So although Tate, Tucker and Rolfe were by all accounts violent thugs with drug addled brains it seems they associated with some who provided them with a semblance of respectability:
- Barry Dorman - Former MET police officer and used car salesman
- Peter Cuthbert - Director of what appear to be legitimate property companies
Is there any truth in Noye financing some of the drug deals? It appears he met Tate when they were serving time at Swalesdale prison?
Have you watched this recently uploaded O'Mahoney video, Holly? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDIR-dbxUmI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDIR-dbxUmI)
Essexboys - Documents
PETER GEORGE CUTHBERT Statement
STATION NAME: PETER GEORGE CUTHBERT
AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 42
10021953
Who states:- This statement consisting of 006 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.
DATED: 121295
P G CUTHBERT (SIGNED)
I am a self employed suspended ceiling contractor and I am the owner of a company called M and A Suspended Ceiling which I run from my home address. I am the owner of a Mitsubishi Shogun motor vehicle index K2CUF. I have lived the majority of my life in the South Essex area mainly in the Basildon area and after I got married I moved to the Hadleigh area. I have lived at my current address for the past 3 years with my wife and 2 children. When I lived in Basildon I got to know a man called Pat TATE who also lived in the Basildon area. This would have been approximately 12 years ago. I did not consider Pat a friend at this stage he was just somebody who I knew from Basildon who I could say hello to.
I saw Pat very irregularly and never socialised with him. All of my adult life I have been involved in body building training and have trained in a number of gyms in and around the Basildon and Hadleigh area. About 2 years whilst I was training at the Academy Gym, London Road, Westcliff I met two men who also trained in there Tony TUCKER and Craig ROLFE. I had never met either of these men previously but I was aware of Tony TUCKER because I had heard of him in conjunction with running the bouncers at night clubs in the Southend and Basildon areas. The reasons we started to get to know each other was because Tony was intending to buy a gym and he was asking if I was interested in doing work on the ceilings.
This work never took place. But after this I started to see both Tony and Craig on a social basis which included going to clubs with them in the Basildon or Southend area. This was not an occurance that happened every week but on the odd occasion. I think it would have been in 000394, Pat TATE came out of prison and he started seeing Tony and Craig and it appeared to me that Pat and Tony were quite close. Even when Pat came out I was still training with them and also seeing them socially. During the summer this year I did some work for Tony at his new house in Fobbing where I put a suspended ceiling into gym for him. I know that during 000095 Pat TATE when back into prison for firearms offences. I can't remember exactly when it was but I think it would have been in either 000900 or 001095 Pat was released from prison.
On the night he was released a big party was arranged for him at the Dagenham Snooker Club which I attended. Also at this party was both Tony and Craig. I can't remember anything out of the ofdinary happening at this party and I believe I left about 0200 - 0300 hours. This would have been the last time I saw any of the three socially. On the 151195 I went with Tony TUCKER to Eastern Garage Car Sales, London Rd, A13, Corringham which is actually situated at The Five Bells Roundabout. I was going to buy on HP a Range Rover motor vehicle Vogue index F424NPE. Although this was my vehicle and I signed for responsibility of paying the HP it was going to be lent by me to Tony and Craig for there use. In there a General Guarantee for Finance HP form was completed by a member of staff.
This form included my details and the details of the vehicle and showing a total purchase price of ten thousand nine hundred and nin
I recall reading about this elsewhere and it wasn't what it seems or was contested in some way. Anyway lets assume he did purchase a battery from Ron Parkinson's shop how does this support Steele/Whomes carrying out the murders? The shop was based in Marks Tey. The murders Rettendon. Distance between the two places is 24 miles/28 minutes.
Meantime here he is driving his Volvo 8)><( along the A130 @ 9.30 in insisting this is the route the Range Rover took at approx 6pm which he has no evidence for. Afaik the only cctv footage amounts to Rolfe's Range Rover leaving Lakeside at 6pm. So how can the Range Rover be at 2 places miles apart at the same time? Moreover if Donna Jagger and Nicholls are to be believed the Range Rover left Lakeside at 6pm (confirmed by CCTV footage). It then went to collect Tucker in Fobbing (Donna Jagger) (and it appears to collect Tate at Basildon?). It then went to the Halfway House near Brentwood where Steele joined the murdered trio in the Range Rover for forward journey to Rettendon/Workhouse Lane (Nicholls). According to AA route planner the journey from Halfway house to Rettendon would cross over the A130 so where's the evidence for the Range Rover travelling along the A130? Numerous routes exist and it may have taken back roads. In any event if Donna Jagger and Nicholls are to be believed the Range Rover wound not have arrived at Workhouse Lane until just gone 7pm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlqpePQYnck
30/05/96 - STATEMENT of RICKY LEE SNELL
NAME: RICKY LEE SNELL
AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 33 11121962
Who states:- This statement consisting of 001 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.
DATED: 300596
R L SNELL (SIGNED)
I am a friend of Darren NICHOLLS, who lives in Bailey Bridge Road, Braintree. I have been asked by Darren if I would look after a green BSA 350 motor cycle for him. The motor cycle had been left at another of his friends, and I collected it on Tuesday of this week, 280596, and brought it back to my house.
Today I showed it to DS68 Tim WILLS and DC2114 GURNEY and took the battery from it handing it to DS WILLS. I noticed that it had written on it in black felt tip pen the date 180995 and the three letters 'RWP', as if it was somebody's initials.
R L SNELL SIGNED
STATEMENT TAKEN PLACE:
TIME:
DATE: 300596
WITNESS TO SIGNATURE:
OFFICERS SIGNATURE:
Apparently the motorcycle shop mark / sign and date the batteries they sell to verify date of purchase for returns.
This is evident from the following statement.
31/05/96 - STATEMENT of MARIA MICHELLE STOCK
NAME: MARIA MICHELLE STOCK
AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 18 15091977
Who states:- This statement consisting of 001 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.
DATED: 310596
M M STOCK (SIGNED)
I work as a salesperson at Ron Parkinson Motor Cycles, London Road, Marks Tey, Colchester. Today, Friday 310596 I have been shown a blue label replacement battery of the type we sell here, and some writing on its side, by DS68 Tim WILLS.
I am able to say that when we sell such a battery, we write the date of sale and the company initials on the battery for guarantee purposes. From looking at this battery it would have been sold on 180995. I cannot remember details of the person I sold it to, but from the handwriting on it I would have been the salesperson.
M M STOCK SIGNED
STATEMENT TAKEN PLACE:
TIME:
DATE: 310596
WITNESS TO SIGNATURE:
OFFICERS SIGNATURE:
The A130 shown on the AA route planner did not exist in 1995. The main road through Rettendon close to the SoC was the A130 back in the day. Just for clarity, and not in Darren Nichols statement it is assumed that once Nichols and Whomes left the Halfway House for Rettendon, the Range Rover followed Steele to a pub called the Travellers Joy where Steele then left his vehicle and got in the back of the Range Rover. This assumption is based on Nicholl's statement that after the murders he picked both up at the entrance to the lane and Steele directed him to the Travellers Joy pub where they picked the vehicle up and left for home.
Hi Holly,Nicholls never stated that they met at 6pm. He said he thought it was between 5 & 6pm but felt sure it must have been before 6pm as the shop was still open.
Yes the A130 or the road called the A130 is relatively new (post 1995). The old road that runs through Rettendon was the A130 in 1995 and gave up that name when the new motorway style link between the A127 and Chelmsford was built.
Yes the Travellers Joy / Hungry Horse. You're right it doesn't make sense for an RV at the Halfway House considering that the three inside the Range Rover probably knew of the final location anyway. I don't consider DN's statement reliable either, considering it was this testimony that eventually put the two inside is why I focus on this detail.
The times do change from 18:00 to 17:00. The first police interview Steele had it was put to him among other things that he had met with Nichols at 18:00. This was the initial timeline. At some point afterwards this changed to 17:00 or thereabouts probably because the overall timeline had no chance of holding water.
I have asked the same questions regarding the mobile phone data. There appears to be detail in only what fits the prosecution. The whole science of this initial data was questioned by an independent expert after the trial (probably for appeal) but was not overturned for some reason.
In Nichols testimony he never mentions the calls to Whomes from Steele (17.12, 18.03 & 18.09) of which he would of been present at.
If you pat 'your Pete' on the head and give him a Bonio, he'll agree with anything you want to do!
Nicholls never stated that they met at 6pm. He said he thought it was between 5 & 6pm but felt sure it must have been before 6pm as the shop was still open.
Yes that's correct, it was the police (DC Shakespeare 17/05/96) interviewing Steele that made that suggestion.
I would ask you again Mr STEELE could you tell me the reasons for making any telephone calls that afternoon to Darren NICHOLLS and to Jack WHOMES (pause). If you didn't make any telephone calls to them could you tell me who did (pause). If you weren't in possession of your mobile phone on the afternoon of 061295 could you tell me who was (pause). Darren NICHOLLS as I've said tells us that he was working at Heathrow Airport when he had a telephone call from you asking to meet him at Parkinson's Shop at Marks Tey.
Darren NICHOLLS has told us that as a result of that phone call which wasn't unusual, he tells us he would do running jobs for you he would run around for you because he was an associate of yours that's the sort of thing he says he would ask you to do, sorry you would ask him to do. Is that true (pause). He says that he arrived at Parkinson's Shop in Marks Tey at about 1800 on Monday 061295. You arrived he says, or you were there in a Hi-Lux motor vehicle, I'm sure that DC NORTON could remind us of the number of that.
Subsequently, under oath (141096) Nicholls states
I went through Rettendon the latter part of 1995. I remember an occasion when I was there with other people, they were Jack Whomes and Michael Steele, I remember that day. I was at work that day, I was working at Sunbury on Thames, my mobile was with me. Michael Steele rang me that day, he wondered where I was and would like to meet me, we did not discuss where we would meet because I was at work, I agreed to meet him later on that day, at Ron Parkinson’s motorcycles, Marks Tey at 5 o’clock, I drove to Marks Tey, in I think my Golf Convertible, I have been to Ron Parkinsons before, it sells motorcycles. When I arrived I parked in the flats opposite, Mr Steele wasn’t there when I arrived. When I arrived I went into the motorbike shop, I bought something for my old motorbike it was either a battery or a light bulb, I then put it in my car.
The phone schedules show the following calls made/received:
16.36 - Nicholls mobile - Partner at his home landline
16.39 - Nicholls mobile - Steele mobile
17.09 - Whomes partner at his home landline - Whomes mobile
17.12 - Whomes mobile - Steele mobile
18.03 - Steele mobile - Whomes mobile
18.09 - Steele mobile - Whomes mobile
Bearing in mind the above calls made/received only pertain to the case. They may well have made/received other calls providing even more data.
We don't have to speculate about Nicholls' testimony, which imo is totally unreliable, we can build an accurate and complete picture using cell site analysis. Why wasn't it done? Was this an oversight by solicitor Chris Bowen and David Lederman QC or what? If it was done and the analysis favoured the prosecution then why didn't the prosecution use?
I believe this was possibly the first time this type of analysis was used in a case of this size or any for that matter. I doubt very much whether Chris Bowen etc had any experience of this before and got caught cold with it.
Yes these questions are asked a lot on the forums / youtube etc. I can't understand why there is only selective cell site data available only pertaining to the the prosecution.
From point 2.1 on the above document I can only assume the defence are not challenging that point because it puts Whomes at the Wheatsheaf pub and Steele in the Bulphan area which is part of Whomes story regarding picking up Nicholls car although you're correct that analysis of the other known calls if incriminating would be of use to the prosecution as well so why is it not available? Looks on the face of it to be a major blunder by the defence.
Thanks
It appears the solicitor acting for the defendants, Chris Bowen, qualified in 1995. The trial started in Jan 1998. Why would anyone think it a good idea to have someone so inexperienced heading up a high profile case such as 'The Rettendon murders'?
Chris Bowen - Chris studied at Keele University and went on to Chester Law School. Originally from South Wales Chris worked in East Anglia, The Midlands and London before joining Alexander Johnson last year.
Chris has been a qualified solicitor since 1995 and has represented clients on many large cases including murder and importation cases. Chris has represented Mr. Michael Steele since 1998 when he was charged and later convicted of what became known as The Rettendon Murders in Essex in 1995. Chris continues to represent Mr. Steele on his current Appeal which it is hoped will be heard later this year. Chris has a wealth of experience of serious and, particularly, high profile cases.
http://www.internetpipelinesuk.com/portfolio/Alexander%20Johnson/html/the_team.htm
Lol you couldn't make it up! It appears Russell Tate tried to get away with his involvement by telling the court his reason for getting involved was to get Steele nicked! But the judge was not having any of it:
Judge Rucker said Tate had prepared an ingenious story as a way of explaining his involvement in the conspiracy but it did not simply bear the scrutiny of common sense and day-to-day experience of life - it was wholly untrue. He said that listening to the evidence throughout the six-week trial, he did not believe for a moment Tate had ever suspected Steele of murdering his brother.
The article goes on...
Convicted murderer Michael Steele was said in court to have been a co-conspirator in bringing in cannabis from Belgium. He, along with three other men, has not yet faced trial for legal reasons.
I wonder what the legal reason were? *%87
Did they ever face trial? So in effect jurors did not get to hear the full story about the involvement of all these other people including Patrick Tate's brother, Russell Tate!
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Easy+money+of+drugs+costs+friends+30+months.-a060696603
Holly,
Thanks for all the subsequent information you have provided, you're obviously more mentally dexterous than me and I need time to process all this hence delays in my response :)
Regarding the last question, it's an interesting one. It is still unclear to me whether the mobile phones of Tate and Tucker were switched on after 19:00 that evening or whether they still had charge in the devices the following morning and were still actively in an "on" state. We know they didn't answer after that point (19:00) or make any outgoing calls. We know they were found both holding their phones but I cannot find any documentation relating to the service status of the phone at the time when they were discovered by the police.
From what I understand of older phone technology and modern for that matter, There are at least 2 scenarios for leaving messages which are 1. If the target phone is on, actively connected to a network but the recipient doesn't answer...... the call will be made, the mobile will connect to the recipients phone (leaving an audit through the network) and after a certain amount of rings will divert to voicemail automatically. The actual message being stored on the receiving mobiles provider storage server somewhere centrally. 2. If the phone is switched off, not active then the recipients network will know this and pass straight through to voicemail in the same way. The third option is when the mobile is active and connected but a manual override on the phone features sets all incoming calls to divert to voicemail.
I find this point interesting as it is similar to the lack of detail regarding other calls of importance you have mentioned previously. There seems to be no documented information as to what state the physical mobiles were in and whether they had been switched off sometime earlier. I'm sure mobiles either switching themselves off manually or failing due to lack power area alerted / flagged at the exchange as an event.
This of course does not answer any of the questions relating to the lack of available call data you mentioned previously.
This may go some way to explain why their trial was deferred or at least explain the process.
http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/format.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2000/70.html
The following is interesting. It's written by an academic who attempts to understand the machinations of 'Tuckers Gang' by analyzing the various accounts written by Ellis, Leach, Mahoney and journalist Tony Tucker and media reports:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257771184_Tuckers_firm_A_case_study_of_British_organised_crime
I have read quickly but will need to read again. My understanding is that Steele was involved in a total of 5 importations: Aug, Oct, Nov '95 and Apr, May 96. He was charged with the first 3 which were heard at his trial ending Jan '98 and he was found guilty along with the murders. This was also the case for his co-accused with regard to Whomes found guilty of the importation and murder charges and Corry and Nicholls found guilty of the importation charges.
Come Apr and May '96 new faces were involved in the importations: Russell Tate, Sarah Darlaston, Tracey Roulstone, Ian Kerr, Paul Gwinnettno and Craig Androliakos. They were charged and found guilty in a separate trial which ended Nov '98.
What I'm not understanding is why not have a trial for all 5 importations? If I had to guess I would say the reason for this is that it would be difficult to explain to jurors Steele's ongoing relationship with Russell Tate? And/or was it something to do with the fact Nicholls corrupt relationship we are told started 1st Jan '98 with Bird. Regardless imo jurors were hoodwinked in that they only had half the picture
It seems the due processes were not followed for the confiscation order therefore Steele's appeal was allowed. Where does the figure 2,122 pounds come from? Steele was importing large quantities of cannabis. He must have made more than 2,122?
I'm not sure its really worth spending further time on this? It seems obvious to me the case is based on corruption and organised crime at the highest levels along with an inexperienced defence (Chris Bowens) and a half-witted QC (David Leaderman) based on his current Linkedin a/c and cv on the website of Carmelite Chambers@)(++(* you must be knackered.
Back to Tucker's 26 voice mail messages:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGpxqhR1PYs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGpxqhR1PYs)
The messages are in reverse order ie the first at the end of the recording and the most recent at the beginning.
9 messages from girlfriend Ms Anna Whitehead
@ approx 4.46 - it appears the phone is answered but no response
@ approx 4.25 - asks him to call her and gives a Basildon tel no
@ approx 4.20 - asks how he's getting on and tells him she's ready - they are due for a meal in Romford which is some 30 mins from Basildon
@ approx 4.00 - asks him to call her
(@ approx 3.40 someone calls asking Tucker to delay collection of his equipment. He gives the time as 9 o'clock. It is obvious this is 9pm based on other calls).
@ approx 3.15 she states she's back from stables and its quarter past eleven. It is obvious based on other calls it is 11.15pm.
@ approx 3.00 she states she's round her mums and its now quarter to one 12.45am.
@ approx 2.35 she states she has heard news about 3 men found in a Range Rover.
@ approx 2.24 she asks him to call her
@ approx 2.00 she asks him to call her
These calls do not tally with the phone schedules:
http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6020.msg511362#msg511362 (http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6020.msg511362#msg511362)
http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6020.msg511364#msg511364 (http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6020.msg511364#msg511364)
@)(++(* you must be knackered.
No, dislexyc.
Is the one in blue a phone call from Tucker to Anna Whitehead, rather than the other way round?
No I don't believe so as at the start it says there are 26 messages and the above is 1/26.
I wonder how Tucker's voice mail messages ended up in the public domain? Did the police/experts examine the phones or just rely on data provided by the tel comm co's? Surely it would be a disciplinary matter if police, or anyone connected to the case in a professional capacity, uploaded to the internet despite the fact it may have been before Data Protection Act. If the phone was returned to Tucker's next of kin which was most probably his parents why would they upload?
I wonder if one or more of the murdered trio used 1 or more mobile phones?
Most of the reference material including photos, case notes, call recordings etc were loaded up a long time ago by Bernard O'Mahoney a well known associate of the three victims and a figure in the Essex Boy's case and subsequent films and books. He had a website packed full of the stuff. Quite how he got access to this material initially I do not know.
I believe Tate had another mobile which as apparently used at some time after 21:00 on the night of the 6th December 1995 to call a girlfriend of his (Clare / Claire). I believe this fact was used by Steele in an attempt to overturn the conviction at some point but it was thrown out. I don't know the full facts but believe it was ruled out because the phone wasn't with Tate on the night.. the exact details I'm unsure of.
According to Donna Jagger's WS 'Clare' was Tate's date for the meal in Romford table booked at 8pm. I don't think there's any doubt a restaurant booking existed for 8pm @ Romford but this doesn't really tie in with other known facts/times:
- Rolfe's Range Rover last confirmed sighting at Lakeside CCTV @ 6PM
Glad you mentioned this point. As far as I'm aware, and I have only read it on this forum, and the source appears to be from the crimewatch program. It is an important point but I have watched that program and they only say the last sighting was around 18:00 when Rolfe dropped off his girlfriend at Lakeside. No mention of CCTV. Would like to know the source if anyone has it as it appears to be "Mandela Effect or Illusory truth".
- Back to Donna Jagger's WS she states Rolfe dropped her off at Lakeside at 5.45pm ostensibly to buy something new to wear for the night out. He asked her to be ready for 7pm but it is not clear if he was going to pick her up from Lakeside or their home in nearby Chafford Hundred which is only a short distance so walkable.
- The murdered trio had been or were going to TGI Friday's at Lakeside. This included Rolfe, Tate and Peter Cuthbert.
They visited TGI Fridays in the afternoon of the 06/12/95. This was verified by a waitress statement which includes some flirting by Tucker and a call made to some doormen colleagues in the presence of the waitress to find out which one of the waitress knew from being a clubber.
- Rolfe had apparently been at his home with Donna Jagger and their young daughter (6/7 yoa) prior to the pair leaving for Lakeside.
- No mention of what happened to the daughter ie did she go to Lakeside? Was she dropped off at babysitters or did a babysitter call? I doubt they intended taking her to the meal at Romford.
Yep, no word on baby sitting arrangements or whether the daughter was taken to Lakeside or left with anyone at home?
- Although she states when Rolfe dropped her off at Lakeside he was then going to collect Tucker from his home (Fobbing) did she misunderstand and was Tucker still at TGI Friday's Lakeside either alone or with Tate and/or Peter Cuthbert and they were picked up from there?
No, it was supposed to be pick up Tucker from his home in Fobbing then pickup Tate from Gordon Road.
- Assuming Rolfe picked up Tucker from Fobbing did they then go to Basildon to pick up Tate or was Tate at Tucker's?
- Did the murdered trio then go to Rettendon or prior to this did they go to Halfway House and/or Hungry Horse to meet Steele as claimed by Nicholls?
There was a reliable sighting of all three men in the Range Rover at 18:05 on 06/12/95 driving along Cranes Farm Road (West travelling). This was from an employee of a tyre fitting business located in Cranes Farm Close who knew the men personally.
I will do some timelines later. Whichever option they took meant they were running late in terms of getting back home to collect girlfriends and yet it does not appear any of the trio called their respective girlfriends.
- It seems Clare, Tate's date for the night, was a casual girlfriend. Donna Jagger lived with Rolfe and it is clear from tel schedules Tucker's girlfriend, Anna Whitehead, had access to his property since she was calling from his landline. Therefore I'm more inclined to think Donna Jagger and Anna Whitehead would know more about Rolfe/Tucker's whereabouts, what they were up, who they were meeting and if they used multiple mobile phones they are more likely to have had the numbers. I think it unlikely Clare received a call from Tate at circa 9pm when it doesn't appear Donna or Anna received any calls. In fact the tel schedules show tel contact between Donna and Anna which no doubt involved conversations about the whereabouts of Rolfe/Tucker and the fact they were unable to make contact with them when they were expecting to be picked up wined and dined!
- Although Donna Jagger claims in a WS Rolfe was off to meet 'Mickey the pilot' I've not seen any such info from Anna Whitehead? What did she have to say about Tucker's whereabouts?
- Donna Jagger gave a press conference a day or so after the murders. She appealed for info. Why did she not provide police with info re 'Mickey the pilot' at the time? If she did why did she repeat it in her WS of 14th March?
http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6020.msg508993#msg508993
Holly,
51.642250, 0.558556
This is the exact location give or take a few feet. The lane has been resurfaced and widened since 1995 so it doesn't look that familiar from the original photos.
https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/51.64225,0.55855,16/pin
Regards
And it appears the engineer David Bristowe carried out his tests based on Workhouse Lane.Might be because the actual farm track was also called Workhouse Lane, but too insignificant be be annotated as such on a map.
http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6020.msg512240#msg512240 (http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6020.msg512240#msg512240)
I initially thought the above based on the descriptions of the Theobalds, owners of White House Farm, along with other bits of info. However the CoA doc refers to the Range Rover being the far end of Workhouse Lane as do the narrated vids (I think) uploaded by Myster and yet the two places are some considerable distance apart and as far as I can't see there's no direct link between the two places?
http://www.theaa.com/route-planner/index.jsp#fromNode=0%7CMain%20Rd,%20Rettendon%20Common,%20Chelmsford%20CM3%208DL,%20UK%7C%7C0.553652%7C51.642676%7CtoNode=0%7CWorkhouse%20Ln,%20Chelmsford%20CM3,%20UK%7C%7C0.594598%7C51.659120
From CoA
Based upon the evidence of Nicholls, it has always been the case for the prosecution that these calls were made by Whomes, immediately after the murders, as he and Steele summoned Nicholls to pick them up; if this be right, the call must have been made as he moved off down the lane from the Range Rover, which was parked at the far end of Workhouse Lane, just short of the gate.
Might be because the actual farm track was also called Workhouse Lane, but too insignificant be be annotated as such on a map.
Ken Jiggins and Peter Theobald discovered the Range Rover, when out to feed their pheasants. Theobold owned the land and his White House Farm is located quite close to the unnamed track in the video.
This is your Workhouse Lane, quite unlike the actual crime scene, and nowhere near WHF...
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Workhouse+Ln,+Chelmsford/@51.6583545,0.5932246,644m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x47d8dd156990c79b:0x43901a764acde8af!8m2!3d51.6591199!4d0.5945979 (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Workhouse+Ln,+Chelmsford/@51.6583545,0.5932246,644m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x47d8dd156990c79b:0x43901a764acde8af!8m2!3d51.6591199!4d0.5945979)
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.6586063,0.5928998,3a,60y,62.18h,87.39t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sm3shhTnGzyhI7VDLV17fSg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 (https://www.google.com/maps/@51.6586063,0.5928998,3a,60y,62.18h,87.39t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sm3shhTnGzyhI7VDLV17fSg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
Yep that must be right. Reasons why:Because men have better map reading and 3d spatial manipulation ability than women. ?{)(**
- CoA doc also refers to Meadow Lane and you can see how close this is to the point identified by Chud on ordnance survey map:
https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/51.64225,0.55855,16/pin (https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/51.64225,0.55855,16/pin)
http://www.theaa.com/route-planner/index.jsp#fromNode=0%7CMain%20Rd,%20Rettendon%20Common,%20Chelmsford%20CM3%208DL,%20UK%7C%7C0.553652%7C51.642676%7CtoNode=0%7CMeadow%20Rd,%20Rettendon%20Common,%20Chelmsford%20CM3,%20UK%7C%7C0.560390%7C51.635951 (http://www.theaa.com/route-planner/index.jsp#fromNode=0%7CMain%20Rd,%20Rettendon%20Common,%20Chelmsford%20CM3%208DL,%20UK%7C%7C0.553652%7C51.642676%7CtoNode=0%7CMeadow%20Rd,%20Rettendon%20Common,%20Chelmsford%20CM3,%20UK%7C%7C0.560390%7C51.635951)
- One of the vids featuring Det Sup Ivan Dibley at the soc shows a house on a hill to the right (of Range Rover facing forward) which correspond to contours and Rettendon House on ordnance survey map.
- Peter Theobald refers to a pond the other side of the gate which is also depicted on ordnance survey map.
Sorted ?>)()< 8((()*/
I don't really agree with the description 'remote location'.
How did you know about this little known lane?
Because men have better map reading and 3d spatial manipulation ability than women. ?{)(**
This has been the subject of many debates and youtube videos but am 100% sure that is the location. Unfortunately I can't seem to work out how to post images on the forum but if you look at the site on google maps aerial terrain view you can clearly match this up against the aerial views of press photos. There's an oak tree in view on the offside of the vehicle which had shed it leaves but is clearly visible on the google maps. I know all trees look the same but you have to view it to decide for yourself.
I can only assume he conducted his tests in the correct place, I'll double check for coordinates but he apparently made a series of test calls walking back along from the murder location to the entrance where Nichols apparently waited for them to return.
02/01/96 - STATEMENT of ANDREW CHARLES REYNOLDS
NAME: ANDREW CHARLES REYNOLDS
AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 26 02121969
Who states:- This statement consisting of 005 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.
DATED: 020196
A C REYNOLDS (SIGNED)
I currently work as a mechanic at Basildon Tyre Services, Cranes Close, Basildon where I have worked for the last year. There are four other people who work at the garage they are Colin RUSSELL, the new manager, Steve THOMAS who is like the assistant manager and two tyre fitters Alan CREW and Rob who I can not remember his surname.
Part of our work involves carrying out repair work on motor vehicles. Since my school days I knew Craig ROLFE on a friendship basis only but not on a social level. After I started working at the garage I became aware of Craig ROLFE's friends whom he socialised with these were Tony TUCKER and PAT TATE.
I knew Tony before but only as a person who used to work on the doors at night clubs. Pat TATE I only met a few months ago when he came with Craig and Tony into the garage when I was working. From early 001195 Craig started to bring vehicles to the garage to be fixed.
The first vehicle was a Peugeot which over a period of a week or so Craig brought it in twice, first for the brakes and secondly for the engine which had blown. As a result of this Craig borrowed a blue 'J' registered Vauxhall Fronteira from the garage. Due to having the vehicle in, Craig always used to ring the garage to check up on it.
Around about 290000, 301195 Tony and Craig brought in a private plated Vitara motor vehicle coloured metallic blue and grey for new tyres. I had been awaiting this vehicle as Craig had been ringing us to ask us when we had the tyres ready.
As far as I am aware the Vitara belonged to Tony's girlfriend. They took the vehicle the same day, having waited for the tyres to be fitted, however on the following Monday, 041295 the Vitara was brought back to us as it had lost reverse. The following day 051295 Tony called the garage and asked to pick up the Vitara however the vehicle needed longer for repair so it was kept until the 061200.
On 061295 I was again working at the garage when about 1000 hours to 1100 hours Pat TATE arrived at the garage with a girl I knew only as Pat's girlfriend Liz. They arrived by car, Pat in his black E or F registered 190 Mercedes and Liz in a Polo motor vehicle black in colour on an E or F plate.
The Polo was left at the garage for repair and Pat then phoned someone who he called Tony and I took this to be Tony TUCKER. He asked him about the Vitara and arrangements were made that Pat would take the Vitara away and Liz drove the Mercedes away.
Some time that afternoon Steve told me that Pat had telephoned and from talking with Steve I understood that Pat was desperate to get the Polo back for his girlfriend. Later that day I received a call at the garage from Pat who asked about collecting the Polo and arrangements were made that if Pat had not turned up by 1800 hours when we were due to close then I would leave the Polo on the forecourt with the keys in the glovebox.
At 1800 hours on 061295 the garage closed and I left the Polo on the forecourt with the keys in as arranged with Pat. As I drove away from the garage in my white Astra van registration C385VAA, Steve was behind me in his E registered grey BMW 325 and in front up me was Alan in in blue Orion the registration I knew as G- ENO.
I drove onto Cranes Close and along Cranes Farm Road towards the roundabout junction with East Maine. Basildon. As I got to the roundabout, the time was only about 1805 hours, I saw a blue Range Rover which I recognised as one Craig, Tony and Pat use.
I knew it was them and their Range Rover as I had seen them with it on several occasions before. I could clearly see Craig was driving, Tony was in the front passenger seat and their was a stocky male between the seats at the back and I took this to be Pat TATE as this was the usual way they sat when I had seen them in the past.
They were travelling on the other side of Cranes Farm Road in the opposite direction to me, heading towards the garage and I thought they were going to collect the Polo. I recall the registration of the Range Rover as an 'F' plate. About 2100 hours to 2200 hours that evening I had cause to drive down Cranes Farm Close and past the garage.
I looked and saw the Polo had gone and I took it that Pat had collected it. I never saw Craig, Tony and Pat again. Some time in the afternoon of Thursday 071295 I was working at the garage when I heard that all three had been found dead in a Range Rover. This started as a result of calls being made to the garage about a report of a Range Rover being found with three dead people inside.
Believing it was Craig. Pat and Tony I telephoned Pat's girlfriend 'Liz' about 1400 hours to 1500 hours that same afternoon. I telephoned one of Pat's mobile phone numbers which was answered by a female who I took to be 'Liz'. I asked her about the killings and she said she didn't know anything.
On Tuesday 020195 police attended my home and asked me about telephone calls recorded as having been made to the garage. I can only state that these calls would all have been in relation to the vehicles Craig, Pat and Tony had either left with us or were making arrangements to drop them off.
The telephone number for the garage for people to call outside the company is 01268 - 520537. There is another number but this is for company use only. I only saw the three in the vehicle at 1805 hours on 060000 and I did not look to see if there was anyone else. I cannot recall what they were wearing.
A C REYNOLDS SIGNED
STATEMENT TAKEN PLACE:
TIME: 2015
DATE: 020196
WITNESS TO SIGNATURE:
OFFICERS SIGNATURE: PC537 CHAPPLE
I believe Tate had another mobile which as apparently used at some time after 21:00 on the night of the 6th December 1995 to call a girlfriend of his (Clare / Claire). I believe this fact was used by Steele in an attempt to overturn the conviction at some point but it was thrown out. I don't know the full facts but believe it was ruled out because the phone wasn't with Tate on the night.. the exact details I'm unsure of.
Most posters here seem to be open-minded about this case.Where does the soiled genitalia paraphernalia fit into this perfect solution?
Here's a post from another forum where it seems the poster has made up his mind. The poster claims the case is easy to work out and has declared "case closed". It seem to me the only thing "closed" is the poster's mind!
Anyway here's the post and here are the counter arguments:
This case is being discussed on red for some reason. Its easy to work out.
Patrick Tate and Tony Tucker were planning or at least threatning to kill Steele (Patricks girlfriend testified this at trial). So Steele engineered a trap to lure them into Rettondon under false pretences then kill them.
WRONG. Tate made comments to his former partner/mother to his child, Sarah Saunders (SS), about sending Steele up North and he would not be coming back. He did not elaborate on this. There's no evidence Tucker ever made any direct or indirect threats about Steele. SS told the court what I have just stated. She also told the court when she called at 18.44 had Tate have been with Steele he would have said as much since SS was good friends with Steele and his long-term partner Jackie Street but he didn't instead he said he was with some people. You can read her police interview here where it seems the police ask very leading questions:
http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6020.msg508994#msg508994 (http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6020.msg508994#msg508994)
http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6020.msg508996#msg508996 (http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6020.msg508996#msg508996)
There's no independent evidence Steele engineered a trap to lure them to Rettendon.
Patrick, Tony and Rolfe suddenly liked Steele as he had promised them riches. We know this because Craig Rolfe was so exited about it he couldn't keep his mouth shut and told his girlfriend.
Steele had a long criminal past and a previous conviction for importing cannabis (class B). There's no evidence he ever dealt in class A/cocaine and/or was ever aggressive/violent. Rolfe's long-term partner/mother to his child, Donna Jaggers (DJ) made a tearful appeal for info a day or so after the murders Dec '95. If Rolfe told her he was off to meet 'Micky the pilot' to check out a site for a plane drop of cocaine then why did it take the police so long to arrest Steele? Why did she only include this info in a WS some 3 months post murders? If the police suspected Steele surely they would have him under surveillance and such like? And yet he was able to get away with importing cannabis during Apr and May '96. It was only following Nicholls arrest in May '96 when he was caught with a large quantity of cannabis in his car that Steele was subsequently arrested following Nicholls revelations.
Here is what Craig Rolfe's girlfriend told the police BEFORE Darren Nichols was even thought of by the police.
"I understood that STEELE had been asked by a London based drugs firm to import 30 kilos of Charlie (Cocaine) and I believe that he was going to bring it in by plane from Holland. He had told Pat TATE that he was going to be given fifty thousand pounds as an up front payment to take to Holland and he was going to bring the Charlie back in company with a member of the London firm.
"The idea was that Pat TATE and Tony TUCKER would rob the firm of the Charlie when it arrived over here. STEELE had stated that he wanted to share it between them and had told the firm that he was going to land near to Clacton. Craig told me that STEELE was planning to actually land in South Essex but I never knew exactly where this was likely to be. Craig, Tony and Pat had previously obtained a machine gun from a man called Mad Mick BOWMAN and the details of this are subject of a previous statement."
Since when is something factually correct on the basis of someone's say so? Most people usually require corroborating evidence to believe something.
This is how Steele ended up on the police radar. Not Darren Nichols. Notice how Patricks GF fails to mention Wholmes and Nicholls. Thats because Steele would not mention their involment to Patrick because Wholmes part is to shoot them and Nicholls being the getaway driver. Once they focused on Steele, they then homed in on Nicholls as he worked for Steele's drug business and was the weakest link.
If Steele was on the police radar and not Nicholls then how come Steele wasn't caught red handed in his RIB offloading cannabis in Apr and May '96 and yet Nicholls was caught red handed with cannabis in his boot?
And so, Patrick Tate, Tony Tucker and Craig Rolfe drive to the middle of nowhere (along with the guy they had not so long ago threatened to kill) in the middle of the night to plan/rehurse the robbery of the aircraft. Did Steele tell them it was best to do this at night to familairise themselves for a night time assault on the aircraft or were Tate and Tucker just stupid and too exited about the money? I will let Craig Rolfe's girlfriend answer that question
"We were going out because they believed they were coming into money and they were going to have a pre-celebration. Craig phoned me at work in the afternoon and told me that Mickey STEELE had contacted Pat TATE and said that he wanted to meet with TATE and TUCKER to go and look at somewhere they could land a light aircraft."
WRONG. The soc was not in the middle of nowhere:
https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/51.64225,0.55855,16/pin (https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/51.64225,0.55855,16/pin)
White House Farm sublet a building to a bailiff; Tucker had a debt collection business. The farm shop sold hay and straw among other things; Tucker had horses. So the location may have been known to the trio. In any event it's hardly off the beaten track. Where do criminals carry out illegal activities eg exchanging drugs/money? It's just as likely the location was chosen due to its close proximity to a shooting range where the sound of gunshot would not be out of the ordinary rather than fanciful stories about plane drops of cocaine.
Friends have get togethers for drinks and meals it's called socialising. There's no real evidence of a pre 'big deal' celebration. The restaurant, Global Net Cafe, may have been chosen as it was an internet bar/restaurant which in 1995 was very novel.
No offence to a typical mid-20's Essex girl but how many would refer to a small plane as a "light aircraft"? @)(++(* Imo this is something Essex Police put to DJ who may well have had reason to ingratiate herself with the local constabulary. She was due to be interviewed by police in connection with the murder of Kevin Whittaker. I'm not suggesting she was involved but it seems the police suspected Rolfe and Tucker of involvement. Furthermore her WS details drug deals where she accompanied Rolfe. The police may have made threats re confiscating some or all her assets in connection with proceeds of crime. DJ had a young daughter to support.
Most women do not get ready for a night out: shower, wash hair, style hair, make up and then go to a shopping centre for something new to wear. She did not have time to carry out these things in reverse order. It's possible Rolfe dropped her off at the Lakeside shopping centre not to buy an outfit but to carry out a drug deal with some females and that the police had knowledge of such and used this to their advantage.
When all is said and done and Nicholls pics up Wholmes and Steele after the shootings. Nicholls overhears two important details said between Wholmes and Steele in the car.
There's no evidence Nicholls picked up Steele and Whomes unless you believe Nicholls testimony which contains no info that he could not have acquired from others eg media, police and general gossip within local community.
One being that Steele got worried when Patricks girlfriend (Sarah) called him on his mobile when he was in the range rover with Patrick. We know this phone call happened and we know that Steele would be worried since Steele and Patrick both told Sarah they had it in for eachother. Thus if Patick had told Sarah that Steele was with him in the car, she could have raised his suspicions.
Covered above. In short Tate said he was with some people and Sarah Saunders made clear to the police and court that had he been with Steele he would have said I'm with Mick who was a good friend of Sarah's along with his partner Jackie Street. Police obtained mobile phone call evidence and could quite easily have imparted this info to Nicholls. But lets not forget Sarah Saunders may well have told Steele and Jackie Street about the call who in turn may well have told Nicholls.
The other import thing Nicholls overhears from them is that Patrick "squealed like a baby". This also corroborated by the crime scene. Tony Tuckers body was looking straight ahead with his hands in his lap while Craig Rofle was also looking straight ahead, feet still on the pedal. They had been killed more or less instantly. Patrick on the other hand was found in the corner leaning in a fetal like position with his hands covering his face. Hence he reacted and "squealed like a baby" and who wouldnt in that situation? So Wholmes and Steele revealed things to Nicholls that only the killers would know. Nicholls testimony matches what Craig Rolfe told his GF also.
"Squealed like a baby"? Which expert at trail said Tate "squealed like a baby"? How would anyone know what if any noises the murdered trio made other than the person(s) responsible? Nicholls saying x,y and z does not make it factually correct. Nicholls was shown to be a thoroughly dishonest individual whether it be the crime he was convicted of ie counterfeiting or lying to his wife about working in the afternoons when in reality he was wiling away his time in the pub. It takes a certain sort of individual to carry out pre-meditated murder, practically and psychologically. There's zero evidence Steele/Whomes were capable of such.
This is what happened https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv1z844XDgc&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv1z844XDgc&feature=youtu.be)
Case closed.
Or poster's mind closed?
And was Tate really this arrogant and repulsive? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=derdTVk6Z2w (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=derdTVk6Z2w)
Holly,
51.642250, 0.558556
This is the exact location give or take a few feet. The lane has been resurfaced and widened since 1995 so it doesn't look that familiar from the original photos.
https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/51.64225,0.55855,16/pin
Regards
Holly,
I think they denote pathways (the broken lines) and gates as Myster has pointed out.. Not sure whether the tracks / pathways are public right of way / official in some way
Chud
When I enlarge the above to max it shows broken and blocked lines along tracks/footpaths do you know what these denote? Eg at the bottom of Workhouse Lane, near to where the Range Rover was found, it shows a broken horizontal line (2 x little pieces) and then if you go over the broken line and turn left it shows a blocked line (1 x piece)?
Holly,
I think they denote pathways (the broken lines) and gates as Myster has pointed out.. Not sure whether the tracks / pathways are public right of way / official in some way
Solid lines = Gates or former gates. 8((()*/
Broken lines = footpaths. 8((()*/
Holly,
I think they denote pathways (the broken lines) and gates as Myster has pointed out.. Not sure whether the tracks / pathways are public right of way / official in some way
That's what I thought but I'm not really sure I follow the section at the end of Workhouse Lane (Range Rover end) where the tracks form a crossroads. Two sections are left open, one has two broken lines across and the other a solid line across. What do the two sections that are left open represent?Probably just a double gate which used to be there and has since been removed. All former gates in that area are absent in this overhead view...
There appear to be 3 gates or former gates in the area we are looking at. Was the Range Rover def found in the location you have highlighted with the red marker ie just in front of the gate furthest from the road?
Ok thanks.
And where exactly is the skeet?
http://highhouseskeet.com/
If you go on their website, scroll down to the map and change map from terrain to satellite, then zoom in and you'll see the shooting area which is directly behind the Whitehouse Farm building sandwiched between the small lake.
If you go on their website, scroll down to the map and change map from terrain to satellite, then zoom in and you'll see the shooting area which is directly behind the Whitehouse Farm building sandwiched between the small lake.You can actually see Ginny Greenteeth living in the pond! The satellite version in 3d is better than Google maps and gives an excellent view of the actual murder location too, especially when zooming in, full screen... even the steel gate at the start of the walk is visible... https://youtu.be/v29hJuuj0xY?t=34 (https://youtu.be/v29hJuuj0xY?t=34)
You can actually see Ginny Greenteeth living in the pond! The satellite version in 3d is better than Google maps and gives an excellent view of the actual murder location too, especially when zooming in, full screen... even the steel gate at the start of the walk is visible... https://youtu.be/v29hJuuj0xY?t=34 (https://youtu.be/v29hJuuj0xY?t=34)
(https://i.imgur.com/jWYBypE.png)
What connections/similarities exist between the murders at Rettendon and that of John Marshall:
- Marshall was last seen alive at Pitsea in Essex. He was then due in Kent before heading back to the Pitsea area. The Range Rover with his body was found in Kent. Was the Range Rover/body moved to Kent in attempt to remove any connection from the Rettendon murders along with the case being dealt with by Kent police as opposed to Essex?
Wasn't the Investigating officer Michael Gamble of the Essex Police which was a bit unusual..
Why is this gangland killing so infamous? Is it the fact that it involved 3 murders ? That they were caught unaware or what?We don't exist ooop North!... what about the recent killing of Salford's Paul Massey and John Kinsella by the Iceman, now sentenced to a whole life term like fellow Mancunian Stephen Seddon ? Trust him to rear his ugly mug again!
How frequently do gangland killings occur? How are they carried out, where and why?
If we can look back on past killings it might produce some clues if we can show the Rettendon murders deviate from what normally occurs.
The only gangland killings that spring to mind are the recent ones here and old 'Goldfinger'. All of whom were shot at or near their homes.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-46349187 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-46349187)
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/07/30/john-goldfinger-palmers-widow-chance-finding-lord-lucan-catching/ (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/07/30/john-goldfinger-palmers-widow-chance-finding-lord-lucan-catching/)
Why is this gangland killing so infamous? Is it the fact that it involved 3 murders ? That they were caught unaware or what?
How frequently do gangland killings occur? How are they carried out, where and why?
If we can look back on past killings it might produce some clues if we can show the Rettendon murders deviate from what normally occurs.
The only gangland killings that spring to mind are the recent ones here and old 'Goldfinger'. All of whom were shot at or near their homes.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-46349187
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/07/30/john-goldfinger-palmers-widow-chance-finding-lord-lucan-catching/
However if we move on to the police interviewing Sarah Saunders they mislead her about the 18.44 call which they have no evidence for or if they do it appears to have been withheld:
DC NORTON
Then I would urge you that that this is the time and the place to speak your mind and tell us why. The other bit of particular interest from Darren NICHOLLS' evidence is that he will say when Michael STEELE returned to the car having shot Pat, he said to NICHOLLS words to the effect of you can't believe what that silly cow's Sarah's just done, she's phoned Pat on the mobile on the way here. You phoned Pat TATE at 6.44/45 pm on the 6th December, is that correct.
SAUNDERS
Yes.
DC NORTON
We believe at that time Michael STEELE was in company with Patrick TATE, and they were driving towards Rettendon and that at approximately 7 o'clock Craig, Pat and Tony were shot dead by Michael STEELE and Jack WHOMES (pause) you unfortunately Sarah, phoned Pat (pause) during the last moments of his life (pause). We will show that mobile phones, I don't know if you understand how they work, but they work on an antenna basis where they go to the nearest radio mast, and the signal goes up and then it goes up to the satellite, and we will show that the phones that evening of Michael STEELE and Jack WHOMES were firstly in the area of Brentwood, in the area of Childerditch where they met Pat, Tony and Darren, Pat, Tony and Craig at the Half Way House, they then drove to the Hungry Horse at Rayleigh where Mickey STEELE left his car and got in the back of the car with Pat and that when they left there on the way to Rettendon is when you phoned him (pause). Michael STEELE' s phone was showing as being in the area at the right time, Darren NICHOLLS says that Mickey STEELE was with Pat, Tony and Craig, the beacons show the phones being in the relevant area at the time (pause). Donna JAGGERS will give evidence that they were going to meet Mickey STEELE that night (pause) and I believe that in, if you're to believe, I think at the back of your mind there's a nagging doubt that Michael STEELE killed Pat, Tony and Craig, was there at the time when they were shot dead (pause). Are you alright.
I think what's funny here is DC Norton asking Sarah Saunders if she knows how mobile phones work and then proceeding to explain it completely wrong.. "I don't know if you understand how they work, but they work on an antenna basis where they go to the nearest radio mast, and the signal goes up and then it goes up to the satellite,"I think he was probably referring to transmitting masts... https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beacon (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beacon)
I don't thing I'm wrong here but no satellites are used in Cell transmissions, certainly not local call connections. He obviously has a loose grasp of this technology and is basically blagging her at this point. His point about connecting to the nearest mast is subjective also. It doesn't work like that for a number of reasons.
I'm not sure also when he mentions beacons whether he means the masts? Mobile phone beacons perform a different function but I'm sure he must mean masts.
Incidentally, there's also another way of tracking by use mobile phone pinging which can be initiated by someone trying to find the location of phone.. this pinging method needs to be done in real time and basically the initiator send a ping message to the phone which doeesn't involve the handset ringing but the phone responds with details of the signal strength relative to the mast.. a number of these are sent which collect data from a number of masts in the area and triangulate the position to give a more accurate location.
This is used real time to track suspects movements and is transparent to the end user. Whether this type of surveillance was being used on any of the interested parties at the time I don't know. But if it was and wasn't considered to put them in the location then obviously it would be withheld.
We know they were under surveillance but did it include phone pinging? The reason I mention this is because DC Norton mentions "beacon" . Whether that is just a slip or a term used for a mast I'm not sure.
We don't exist ooop North!... what about the recent killing of Salford's Paul Massey and John Kinsella by the Iceman, now sentenced to a whole life term like fellow Mancunian Stephen Seddon ? Trust him to rear his ugly mug again!
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/murder-paul-massey-how-mr-15641732 (https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/murder-paul-massey-how-mr-15641732)
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/fellows-paul-massey-jail-murder-15691057 (https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/fellows-paul-massey-jail-murder-15691057)
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/paul-massey-mr-big-salford-15691678 (https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/paul-massey-mr-big-salford-15691678)
I think what's funny here is DC Norton asking Sarah Saunders if she knows how mobile phones work and then proceeding to explain it completely wrong.. "I don't know if you understand how they work, but they work on an antenna basis where they go to the nearest radio mast, and the signal goes up and then it goes up to the satellite,"
I don't thing I'm wrong here but no satellites are used in Cell transmissions, certainly not local call connections. He obviously has a loose grasp of this technology and is basically blagging her at this point. His point about connecting to the nearest mast is subjective also. It doesn't work like that for a number of reasons.
I'm not sure also when he mentions beacons whether he means the masts? Mobile phone beacons perform a different function but I'm sure he must mean masts.
Incidentally, there's also another way of tracking by use mobile phone pinging which can be initiated by someone trying to find the location of phone.. this pinging method needs to be done in real time and basically the initiator send a ping message to the phone which doeesn't involve the handset ringing but the phone responds with details of the signal strength relative to the mast.. a number of these are sent which collect data from a number of masts in the area and triangulate the position to give a more accurate location.
This is used real time to track suspects movements and is transparent to the end user. Whether this type of surveillance was being used on any of the interested parties at the time I don't know. But if it was and wasn't considered to put them in the location then obviously it would be withheld.
We know they were under surveillance but did it include phone pinging? The reason I mention this is because DC Norton mentions "beacon" . Whether that is just a slip or a term used for a mast I'm not sure.
JUDGE HIDDEN: We come to the forensic scientist John Burns. He has been a forensic scientist since 1966 and has worked exclusively in that time in examination of firearms since 1977. He works at the laboratory at Huntingdon and is an (inaudible) chemist. He did a threefold examination: the scene first, then the garage at South Woodham Ferrers police station and then the post-mortem. The scene is shown in photograph 7 of two that you have seen already and in 7(a) which was the corrected sketch which I asked you to look at just now. He examined the scene with Inspector Hughes and Dr Lannas who you remember was the lady pathologist who attended who I will remind you of in a moment.
The Range Rover was at the end of the farm track, as Mr Burns described it, it was fringed by bushes and small trees. Blood had dripped from the vehicle particularly on the nearside and run downwards in puddles of water towards the farm gate. There were five 12-bore cartridges on the ground by the vehicle - one near the front off-side wheel, two some three feet from the vehicle's mid-point on the off-side and two in the region of the nearside rear corner. So that is the position which is in fact shown on Exhibit 7 (a) which I am just holding up so you can see it. The dots are there. The three deceased were in the positions that he described. The rear nearside window of the door had the rear portion fallen out. The vehicle was taken to the police garage for further examination. Removal of the bodies revealed they had all three suffered head injuries consistent with being caused by a shotgun. Those are the head injuries that he mentioned, the further shotgun wound observed in the right side of Tate's torso. He spoke of blood splattering on the inside of the vehicle and of close range shotgun damage from within 2 feet, he put it, caused to the front off-side edge of the driver's head rest. You remember seeing that in a photograph. It was consistent, that damage, with the pellets continuing on their course and causing injury to the driver, Rolfe's, head or face. There were two fired shotgun cases in the vehicle - one on the floor near the rear off-side door, and the other in the front off-side door pocket. You saw a photograph of a little earlier.
There were fragments of plastic cartridge wadding present and several pellets in various areas of the front of the vehicle. He spoke of the gun shot wounds to each of the passengers saying those to Tucker were at close range from 18 inches to 2 foot 6. The cartridge cases all came from seven 12-bore vantage cartridges with a loading of seven and a half size shot lead shot. Then importantly he examined the firing marks on all of those cartridges microscopically and was satisfied that all seven were fired using the same firearm which he said was almost certainly a pump-action or self- loading 12-bore shotgun. The wads and pieces of wadding were derived from 7 plastic wads of the type that is loaded into 12 bore vantage shotgun cartridges and thus could have emanated from those 7 cases.
The sample of hair from Tate, the back seat passenger, indicated that the shot which caused the injury to his head, the actual injury, had actually passed through glass prior to causing the injury. The only broken glass was of course on the nearside.
He concluded that 8 shots from a 12-bore shotgun appeared to have been fired at the scene: 2 into the right hand side of Tucker, the front passenger, 1 into the back of his head; 2 into the right side of the head and face of Rolfe, the driver; and 3 at the rear passenger Tate - 1 into the right torso, 1 across back of the head and 1 into the left side of the head. He thought that most of the shots appeared to have been fired from close range through the open rear off-side door of the vehicle. One of the shots to the head and face of Rolfe having first passed through the right hand corner of the driver's head rest as you see in the photograph. The shot fired across the head of Tate appeared to have passed through the glass on the rear nearside door. The shot into his head appeared to be fired from the nearside of the vehicle through the same glass. The angle of the shot into his right torso suggested that he was in a position similar to where he was found when the shot was fired. All 7 cartridge cases had been fired using the same weapon; probably a pump or self-loading gun having a large capacity magazine. He could not discount the use of a gun with a lesser magazine capacity, that that would have required reloading. The likelihood of a large capacity magazine and the appearance of the fired wads suggested the use of a gun with a full length barrel. It was not possible to state with any certainty what order the shots were fired in, but then he made an assumption -- not particularly scientific you may think, and he said that later -- it was a reasonable assumption that one shot was fired at each victim in turn before the other shots were fired. He said from the relaxed positions of the deceased three it appeared to have happened very rapidly. There was not time for special movement or something to move them from their comfortable positions. He told you a bit more about the positions later on.
Then he moved to tell you about how a shotgun is fired. Some of you may have known already and some may not. He said a shotgun cartridge is fired by the bottom half inch of the cartridge containing the propellant and the base being fitted with a primer in the centre which was of soft metal. If the primer was struck a very sharp blow the chemicals ignite and those chemicals in the primer ignite the main propellant. It is the firing pin that causes the sharp blow. Different weapons leave different marks. The pump action has a single barrel with a magazine below it and a wooden (inaudible). The mechanism of an ordinary shotgun as opposed to a self-loading or pump was that you loaded a cartridge from a magazine into the chamber by pulling to the rear and then back to the front. The self-loading was very similar but this time with a tubular magazine. He said in this case of a self loading gun or a pump gun the energy from the discharge was used to transfer the cartridge into the chamber - one was ejected and one was transferred.
As to the ejection of a cartridge in each case he said for a pump-action you get quite a variable distance. That is a variable distance on how far the ejected case is thrown. The longest being between 5 and 6 feet, but sometimes the cartridge would just drop out of the gun. In the self-loading gun there would be a little difference but there is a tendency for the cartridges to eject somewhat further.
As to the damage to Tate's head he said he thought the offside shot struck Tate's head first before striking the window, but the other nearside shot into the head was fired through some of the glass in the window.
Then he moved entirely from everything he had been saying before, and I cannot make that distinction more clear, onto the shotgun found at Meadow Cottage, Exhibit 1O3. He said that was a Mossberg New Haven 600 18, 12-bore pump-action shotgun in working order subject to the requirements of Section 1 of the Firearms Act 1968. You have heard the admission that it is a firearm governed by the Act.
Cross-examined by Mr Parkins Mr Burn said this: he agreed that a defence expert, a doctor at Remshore, was experienced in the field of firearms and had attended at Mr Burn's laboratory on 19th August 1997 being afforded all facilities there, and there was nothing between the two experts except for one or two details. Having heard anything about those details they clearly are not important. Mr Burns said that whoever carried out the killing it was a reasonable assumption that they were well versed in the use of such a shotgun. It happened very quickly, probably so quickly the two in front did not have time to appreciate what was going on. The suggestion he had made that each deceased received a disabling shot before the other shot was his opinion based on the findings of the scene. There would be a very loud noise and a total of 8 shots. He would expect a rapid succession and anyone hearing the shots would hear a quick succession of discharges. They could be heard for a distance certainly greater than a mile. Whether someone would hear any whimpering would depend on how quickly the shots came. There would be a gap between the shots.
He had arrived at the scene at five minutes to midday. He went into the field and there was some tyre marks which had led through the gate at some time, but all he could say was there was some tyre marks there. He never saw a spent cartridge in the position on the nearside in diagram 7. He turned to diagram 7(a), the diagram that Mr Bettis had remarked from Mr Hughes' diagram, and he said 7 (a) was in general the position where he himself had found the cases. There was a foot mark visible possibly at the open door. Most shots were discharged from the rear off-side door. Hughes' diagram correctly shows Tate's position. Rolfe had a wound at the side of his face. Then he was asked about the possibility of Tate's head being turned to his right and he said this: Mr Burns could not exclude that Tate's head was turned to the right as the shot was fired and he tended to support the view that his head was somewhat to the right. He was asked about the grazes on Tate's head and he said this: he did not think he could entirely exclude the possibility that that round then went on to hurt Tucker, but having said that he said (although he could not entirely exclude the possibility) the three injuries to the head of Tucker did not show any dispersion of elements which he would expect if one shot had first gone across Tate's head, nor any deposits of blood and hair which he would expect. He said, "It is less likely, but I cannot exclude it." A pump-action gun ejects to the right.
He conducted an examination with scenes of crime officers who were present both before, during and after the removal of the bodies. Somebody had found a cartridge case in the floor well. He considered how it was found there. He excluded the shot from the nearside as getting there because that was very unlikely. If it ejected normally he could not explain the two cartridges found in the car. Hughes cannot agree entirely with the deposit of cartridges. He would normally only expect one cartridge case at the nearside. The angle of discharge to the right varies, and it just failed to go out through the opened rear door and fell into the front door pocket. He said if the gun is sufficiently far into the car the cartridge case would end up in the vehicle.
Turning to a different topic he said the seven and a half size is popular in clay pigeon shooting. He had examined a number of other weapons that had been brought in, several shot guns, none of which fired those cartridges. He examined a revolver and ammunition found at Tate's home address at Gordon Road, Basildon. The revolver was in working order and well capable of firing ammunition. There was also a machine gun from an address at Mill Green (?) Basildon -- you will remember that is the one in connection with Donna Evans that we shall hear about later -- and other weapons which he mentioned having examined. None of those other guns had fired the cartridges he examined.
He was at the post-mortem which was full and comprehensive. He was asked about the time of death. Again he did not come to getting any evidence of it. He said his own explanation would not indicate the time of death conclusively.
He would expect it to be the invariable practice for doctors to attempt to estimate the time of death. Tucker had 3 fatal wounds; Rolfe 2, certainly 1, maybe 2; and Tate 2 fatal wounds and 1 superficial. He could not discount the possibility that one of Tate's wounds went on after hitting him to hit Tucker. All the cartridge cases had got the same marks and they came from the same gun.
In re-examination he said there was no way for him to distinguish from the wounds themselves whether a long barrel or a short barrelled gun was used. That was being asked about wounds themselves could you tell, he had of course already said that the likelihood of a large capacity magazine and the appearance of the fired (inaudible) suggested the use of a gun with a full length barrel.
He said the car door would be open when the majority of the shots were fired and the door would be an obstruction to the right. But the shot that grazed Tate's head to have gone on to hit Tucker, Tate's head would have had to be between the open door and Tucker. If a shot strikes a glancing blow the pellets would be disrupted. At close range the body of the shot goes in the same direction. If there is a glancing impact the pellet ceased to remain as a closed mass and become disturbed and there is no sign in the wound to Tucker of that. There is nothing to indicate any material from Tate's head in relation to what was found in Tucker's head. So that was his evidence in relation to the ballistics of wounds and the shots fired in and about in, that is the Range Rover. The cartridge case is found in and about the Range Rover.
And if as the police claim the victims told witnesses they were going to meet with Steele on the night of the murders why did it take the police over 5 months to arrest Steele? During which time he carried out two further importations of cannabis via his RIB.
Who were these witnesses? Nicholls a convicted criminal who was caught red-handed with his car boot filled with cannabis and Donna Jaggers who seemed only too happy to support her partner's life of crime. Jaggers accompanied Rolfe on drug deals and to procure a machine gun where Rolfe apparently told her he was pleased with the machine gun and the damage it could do! These are not reliable witnesses. They are witnesses who wanted to ingratiate themselves with the police to avoid the full force of the law for their involvement in very serious crimes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhZliTsFG5Y
IMO the guy who narrates these vids seems to take too much at face value eg Donna Jaggers didn't know what to do with the machine gun post murders so handed it in to the police. How do we know Donna Jaggers contacted the police and handed the gun over? It's possible the police were able to link Jaggers with the gun in some way eg others who said her and Rolfe placed it in the loft of the property and/or her fingerprints were on it. Who owned this property and had access to it?
Holly,
To be fair to the youtuber, his style is more aligned to stating what he believes to be the facts from documents with some supposition.. the comments section is then left to the viewer to put their take on it. However, this particular video is drawn from the statement below where it says Donna Jaggers called the police to deal with the weapon..
08/02/96 - STATEMENT of DONNAH LYNN JAGGERS
NAME: DONNAH LYNN JAGGERS
AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 26 27101969
Who states:- This statement consisting of 008 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.
DATED: 080296
D L JAGGERS (SIGNED)
I am the girlfriend of Craig ROLFE and have known him for fifteen years. We first met when I moved to Basildon with my parents. I started going out with Craig when I was 18 but that was quite a casual relationship.
In 000088, just after my 19th birthday, we started a serious relationship and soon after that I moved in with his parents at *** , Basildon. I fell pregnant and in 001289 I gave birth to our daughter Georgie. We had moved into a hostel and were then given 105 Spurriers, Laindon.
During this time Craig was working on building sites doing dry lining. We then moved to 21 Bardfield, Vange but I can not be sure of dates or when this was. In 000394 Craig bought 8 Calshot Avenue, Chafford Hundred, Grays. The house at Bardfield was in my name and I managed to swap this house through the council for my current address.
The neighbours at Bardfield were very nosey and I wanted to avoid problems due to the fact that I only went back there once a week to collect mail etc. I took my current address with a view to buying it and then renting it out. My reationship with Craig was strong.
He trusted me and told me most things that he was up to. In 000595 I had had enough of the drugs. He was using them himself and involved with them and dealing. I moved out of the Calshots address and went to my current address. After about three weeks Craig came back and told me that he was going to make an effort to kick his drug habit.
I knew instinctively that he meant this and we went away on holiday to the Norfolk Broads for a week. When we came back he had one lapse but stuck to it. Most weekends Craig used to go out and I knew that he took smaller amounts of cocaine and used ecstasy but not on the scale that he had been.
I was aware that Craig's associates were Tony TUCKER and Patrick TATE. During the mid to end of 001195 I was aware that they had something going on which at this time I am not willing to discuss. Craig told me that he was going to pick up a machine gun with a silencer and ammunition for their business.
He told me that it was coming from a man I know as Mad Mick who comes from London. I do know that this person is Mick BOWMAN. I asked Craig how much the gun was going to cost and he told me that it was being borrowed and was going back to BOWMAN.
About a week after Tony's birthday, which was 171100, I went with Craig and others, who I do not want to name, to Hollywoods nightclub in Romford. BOWMAN was supposed to have met us in the Global Net Cafe beforehand but he didn't turn up. I then met him through Craig in the nightclub.
I recall thinking that he wasn't what I had expected. Craig had told me stories about him. He was with a girl who I only know as Debbie. About a week after this, I can be no more precise than this, Craig told me that we were going to meet Mick at the Thurrock services to collect the gun.
I went with Craig in the blue Range Rover, F424NPE to the services and had something to eat in the Granada premises. I knew that we were supposed to meet BOWMAN about 1300 hours but he was about ten minutes late. Craig went outside and returned shortly and told me I was to go outside with them.
When I got outside I saw that BOWMAN was there with a white V.W. Corado car and there was another male with an old green Vauxhall Cavalier. BOWMAN was acting very paranoid and I took it that he was on cocaine and was acting hyper because of the situation with the gun.
I am aware how people behave when they have taken cocaine and that is how BOWMAN appeared to me. BOWMAN was trying to organise how they should drive off to a different location. Craig then suggested we should lead, the Cavalier should go in the middle and then BOWMAN at the end.
This only took a matter of minutes. Craig and I then got into the Range Rover and drove onto the A13 and travelled along to the Five Bells roundabout. We then came all the way round the Five Bells roundabout and Craig pulled up onto the Eastern Garages parking area.
The Cavalier parked behind us and BOWMAN parked the Coracle behind that. We all got out and I started to walk away to stay out of the way. I saw a blue/grey holdall come out of the boot of the Cavalier and go into the boot of the Range Rover.
The driver of the Cavalier was a small man about 5'6 tall, early twenties or early thirties, of thin build, he had short cropped hair and wore glasses. I did not hear him speak. I am unable to say who took the holdall out of the Cavalier but I believe Craig would probably have put it in the Range Rover because he was impatient like that.
Craig called me back to the car and I got into the front of the Range Rover. I recall BOWMAN got into the back of the car and told Craig that he wanted the Range Rover once Craig had finished with it. BOWMAN then got out of the car and Craig and I drove off and went to Patrick TATE's bungalow in Gordon Road, Basildon.
Craig had told me that TATE had spoken with the garage proprietor at Eastern Garages a man called Barry DOORMAN, and told him that he had to buy BOWMAN'S Corado. I was aware that BOWMAN was going to stay behind at the garage and speak to DOORMAN about this.
I recall seeing the two men walking towards one another when I was in the Range Rover. When we arrived outside Pat's house, Pat and Tony TUCKER were sitting in Anna WHITEHEAD's (TUCKER's girlfriend) Suzuki Vitara. I can not remember if Craig had spoken to them on his mobile phone prior to arriving at the house.
Tony and Pat got out of the Vitara and Craig took the holdall and gun from the boot and all three went into the house. Sarah SAUNDERS was at this time moving her stuff out of the house with the help of two friends. I didn't want to get involved in what was potentially a difficult situation, so I stayed in the car.
Craig was in the house for about ten to fifteen minutes and then returned to the car with the holdall and gun. He put the items back in the boot and then drove to 108 Mill Green where the gun and holdall were put into the loft. On the way from Gordon Road Craig was saying how pleased they were with it and how much damage it could cause.
I did not see the gun at this time. A couple of days later Craig picked me up from work and told me that Tony, Pat and him had tested the gun. He stated that it was tested over at Tony's Fobbing address in the field. He told me that he had cleaned it all and that he had put it back in the loft.
He told me that he had cleaned his fingerprints off the gun as I was concerned about this. The next thing that happened was that Craig, Tony and Pat were found shot dead. I had a lot of things on my mind but I realised the machine gun was a problem but I knew the Police didn't know about the Mill Green address and I thought it was be safe to leave it here.
During the Christmas period of 000095 Craig's brother moved my belongings from Chafford Hundred to the Mill Green address. First thing after New Year 000096 I moved into Mill Green. I had only been in the house for a couple of days when I decided that I was going to have to do something about the gun.
I spoke to Craig's mum about it and she suggested that I took it round to her house. She was trying to get me to sort it out. I put the holdall on the dining room table and I opened the bag. Until this point I had not seen the gun. It was a dull silvery grey colour.
I only opened the top of the bag and did not see the silencer or ammunition, however I believed they were in there because Craig had told me. I was now in a position where I had to make a decision as to what I was going to do about it. I left the gun in the bag and left it with Craig's mother.
A couple of days later I contacted D.I. FLORENCE who came to see me the next day. I only told him that I wanted to see him but didn't tell him what it was about. About 1145 on Thursday 110196 D.I. FLORENCE came to see me at Mill Green and I told him about the gun at Craig's mother's house.
I then took Mr FLORENCE to 158 Beambridge, Basildon where I saw Craig's mother. I asked her where she had put the holdall. I then went to the shower room which is on the ground floor and put the holdall on the dining table for Mr FLORENCE to see. He asked if any of us had touched it and he took it into his possession.
At this time this all I can say about the gun. Referring back to the V.W. Corado I am aware that from talking to Craig that the vehicle was purchased by Eastern Garages and I believe BOWMAN was given about seven thousand pounds. Craig told me that BOWMAN had payed about ten thousand pounds for it.
D L JAGGERS SIGNED
STATEMENT TAKEN PLACE:
TIME:
DATE: 080296
WITNESS TO SIGNATURE:
OFFICERS SIGNATURE:
Holly,
What's your view of why the other interesting Phone data was not made available.. we know from discussion that there was a lot more phone activity going on and if the theory is correct it could make the case against the two men unsafe. What puzzles me is how this works in court... from what I've read it looks like the prosecution have possibly cherry picked the data they want that looks at first glance to put the two men in the frame but ignores other possible evidence that could be contrary this. I guess what I'm trying to ascertain is, can you only work with the evidence you have, supplied by the police or can you go and get your own evidence... I'm thinking this is possibly a dumb question but I have to ask it as I'm unsure why the defence never looked at all the other phone data? thanks
I totally agree, some of it sounds very implausible to say the least.. between the day of the murders and the first statements there must have been a lot of behind the scenes discussions going on..
I don't know whether all of the statements have made available but there appears to be nothing from Anna Whitehead or other key individuals..
You asked about Clare.. one of Pat Tate's acquaintances... below
06/02/96 - STATEMENT of SUSAN ANNE CAREY
NAME: SUSAN ANNE CAREY
AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 52 05031943
Who states:- This statement consisting of 003 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.
DATED: 060296
S A CAREY (SIGNED)
I live with my family in the Eastwood area. I have four daughters the youngest of whom is Claire. Claire is twenty three years old. On and off Claire lives at home but spends time with her boyfiend. At present Claire works at TGI Fridays at the Lakeside complex in West Thurrock, however she had previously worked in Southend at a restaurant called 'Sellars' and I believe that a Kim WEBBER was the owner.
It was through Claire's association with the restaurant and Kim that she became acquainted with Pat TATE. My first impression of Pat was only from what Claire told me and I first became aware of Claire actually seeing Pat was when he was at hospital having been shot in the arm.
I had only ever met Pat once when he came to the door at my house calling for Claire. I was aware that Pat also served some time is prison and that he would keep in contact with Claire when he got out. It was only a couple of months ago when he must have been released because I started getting phone calls from Pat.
He would be very polite and ask for Claire and more often than not she wasn't in and he would apologise for troubling me and ask that I leave a message for Claire to contact him. I approached Claire and one stage and voiced my concern because I didn't really want my daughter getting involved with him because of his past.
Claire assured me that she wasn't. The last time I had any contact with Pat TATE was on Wednesday 061295 when he phoned me at home around 1800 hours.
He had rung several times earlier in the day asking for Claire and on the final occasion Claire still wasn't back from work and Pat said that he had to go out for about half an hour but asked that I tell Claire to hang on as he would be back. Pat didn't sound concerned or worried on the phone.
The only other contact I had was later that evening from Claire herself sating she had been waiting outside Pat's for ages and he hadn't turned up so she was going to go back to her boyfriends'. When Pat last rang he sounded like he was at home because he said 'please tell her to hold on'.
He explained that he was thinking about leaving a note in his door for Claire but didn't know whether he would bother now. Whenever Pat rang up he would always introduce himself as Pat TATE and I had no doubts that it was not him.
S A CAREY SIGNED
STATEMENT TAKEN PLACE:
TIME:
DATE: 060296
WITNESS TO SIGNATURE:
OFFICERS SIGNATURE:
Holly,
To be fair to the youtuber, his style is more aligned to stating what he believes to be the facts from documents with some supposition.. the comments section is then left to the viewer to put their take on it. However, this particular video is drawn from the statement below where it says Donna Jaggers called the police to deal with the weapon..
08/02/96 - STATEMENT of DONNAH LYNN JAGGERS
NAME: DONNAH LYNN JAGGERS
AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 26 27101969
Who states:- This statement consisting of 008 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.
DATED: 080296
D L JAGGERS (SIGNED)
I am the girlfriend of Craig ROLFE and have known him for fifteen years. We first met when I moved to Basildon with my parents. I started going out with Craig when I was 18 but that was quite a casual relationship.
In 000088, just after my 19th birthday, we started a serious relationship and soon after that I moved in with his parents at *** , Basildon. I fell pregnant and in 001289 I gave birth to our daughter Georgie. We had moved into a hostel and were then given 105 Spurriers, Laindon.
During this time Craig was working on building sites doing dry lining. We then moved to 21 Bardfield, Vange but I can not be sure of dates or when this was. In 000394 Craig bought 8 Calshot Avenue, Chafford Hundred, Grays. The house at Bardfield was in my name and I managed to swap this house through the council for my current address.
The neighbours at Bardfield were very nosey and I wanted to avoid problems due to the fact that I only went back there once a week to collect mail etc. I took my current address with a view to buying it and then renting it out. My reationship with Craig was strong.
He trusted me and told me most things that he was up to. In 000595 I had had enough of the drugs. He was using them himself and involved with them and dealing. I moved out of the Calshots address and went to my current address. After about three weeks Craig came back and told me that he was going to make an effort to kick his drug habit.
I knew instinctively that he meant this and we went away on holiday to the Norfolk Broads for a week. When we came back he had one lapse but stuck to it. Most weekends Craig used to go out and I knew that he took smaller amounts of cocaine and used ecstasy but not on the scale that he had been.
I was aware that Craig's associates were Tony TUCKER and Patrick TATE. During the mid to end of 001195 I was aware that they had something going on which at this time I am not willing to discuss. Craig told me that he was going to pick up a machine gun with a silencer and ammunition for their business.
He told me that it was coming from a man I know as Mad Mick who comes from London. I do know that this person is Mick BOWMAN. I asked Craig how much the gun was going to cost and he told me that it was being borrowed and was going back to BOWMAN.
About a week after Tony's birthday, which was 171100, I went with Craig and others, who I do not want to name, to Hollywoods nightclub in Romford. BOWMAN was supposed to have met us in the Global Net Cafe beforehand but he didn't turn up. I then met him through Craig in the nightclub.
I recall thinking that he wasn't what I had expected. Craig had told me stories about him. He was with a girl who I only know as Debbie. About a week after this, I can be no more precise than this, Craig told me that we were going to meet Mick at the Thurrock services to collect the gun.
I went with Craig in the blue Range Rover, F424NPE to the services and had something to eat in the Granada premises. I knew that we were supposed to meet BOWMAN about 1300 hours but he was about ten minutes late. Craig went outside and returned shortly and told me I was to go outside with them.
When I got outside I saw that BOWMAN was there with a white V.W. Corado car and there was another male with an old green Vauxhall Cavalier. BOWMAN was acting very paranoid and I took it that he was on cocaine and was acting hyper because of the situation with the gun.
I am aware how people behave when they have taken cocaine and that is how BOWMAN appeared to me. BOWMAN was trying to organise how they should drive off to a different location. Craig then suggested we should lead, the Cavalier should go in the middle and then BOWMAN at the end.
This only took a matter of minutes. Craig and I then got into the Range Rover and drove onto the A13 and travelled along to the Five Bells roundabout. We then came all the way round the Five Bells roundabout and Craig pulled up onto the Eastern Garages parking area.
The Cavalier parked behind us and BOWMAN parked the Coracle behind that. We all got out and I started to walk away to stay out of the way. I saw a blue/grey holdall come out of the boot of the Cavalier and go into the boot of the Range Rover.
The driver of the Cavalier was a small man about 5'6 tall, early twenties or early thirties, of thin build, he had short cropped hair and wore glasses. I did not hear him speak. I am unable to say who took the holdall out of the Cavalier but I believe Craig would probably have put it in the Range Rover because he was impatient like that.
Craig called me back to the car and I got into the front of the Range Rover. I recall BOWMAN got into the back of the car and told Craig that he wanted the Range Rover once Craig had finished with it. BOWMAN then got out of the car and Craig and I drove off and went to Patrick TATE's bungalow in Gordon Road, Basildon.
Craig had told me that TATE had spoken with the garage proprietor at Eastern Garages a man called Barry DOORMAN, and told him that he had to buy BOWMAN'S Corado. I was aware that BOWMAN was going to stay behind at the garage and speak to DOORMAN about this.
I recall seeing the two men walking towards one another when I was in the Range Rover. When we arrived outside Pat's house, Pat and Tony TUCKER were sitting in Anna WHITEHEAD's (TUCKER's girlfriend) Suzuki Vitara. I can not remember if Craig had spoken to them on his mobile phone prior to arriving at the house.
Tony and Pat got out of the Vitara and Craig took the holdall and gun from the boot and all three went into the house. Sarah SAUNDERS was at this time moving her stuff out of the house with the help of two friends. I didn't want to get involved in what was potentially a difficult situation, so I stayed in the car.
Craig was in the house for about ten to fifteen minutes and then returned to the car with the holdall and gun. He put the items back in the boot and then drove to 108 Mill Green where the gun and holdall were put into the loft. On the way from Gordon Road Craig was saying how pleased they were with it and how much damage it could cause.
I did not see the gun at this time. A couple of days later Craig picked me up from work and told me that Tony, Pat and him had tested the gun. He stated that it was tested over at Tony's Fobbing address in the field. He told me that he had cleaned it all and that he had put it back in the loft.
He told me that he had cleaned his fingerprints off the gun as I was concerned about this. The next thing that happened was that Craig, Tony and Pat were found shot dead. I had a lot of things on my mind but I realised the machine gun was a problem but I knew the Police didn't know about the Mill Green address and I thought it was be safe to leave it here.
During the Christmas period of 000095 Craig's brother moved my belongings from Chafford Hundred to the Mill Green address. First thing after New Year 000096 I moved into Mill Green. I had only been in the house for a couple of days when I decided that I was going to have to do something about the gun.
I spoke to Craig's mum about it and she suggested that I took it round to her house. She was trying to get me to sort it out. I put the holdall on the dining room table and I opened the bag. Until this point I had not seen the gun. It was a dull silvery grey colour.
I only opened the top of the bag and did not see the silencer or ammunition, however I believed they were in there because Craig had told me. I was now in a position where I had to make a decision as to what I was going to do about it. I left the gun in the bag and left it with Craig's mother.
A couple of days later I contacted D.I. FLORENCE who came to see me the next day. I only told him that I wanted to see him but didn't tell him what it was about. About 1145 on Thursday 110196 D.I. FLORENCE came to see me at Mill Green and I told him about the gun at Craig's mother's house.
I then took Mr FLORENCE to 158 Beambridge, Basildon where I saw Craig's mother. I asked her where she had put the holdall. I then went to the shower room which is on the ground floor and put the holdall on the dining table for Mr FLORENCE to see. He asked if any of us had touched it and he took it into his possession.
At this time this all I can say about the gun. Referring back to the V.W. Corado I am aware that from talking to Craig that the vehicle was purchased by Eastern Garages and I believe BOWMAN was given about seven thousand pounds. Craig told me that BOWMAN had payed about ten thousand pounds for it.
D L JAGGERS SIGNED
STATEMENT TAKEN PLACE:
TIME:
DATE: 080296
WITNESS TO SIGNATURE:
OFFICERS SIGNATURE:
I totally agree, some of it sounds very implausible to say the least.. between the day of the murders and the first statements there must have been a lot of behind the scenes discussions going on..
I don't know whether all of the statements have made available but there appears to be nothing from Anna Whitehead or other key individuals..
You asked about Clare.. one of Pat Tate's acquaintances... below
06/02/96 - STATEMENT of SUSAN ANNE CAREY
NAME: SUSAN ANNE CAREY
AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 52 05031943
Who states:- This statement consisting of 003 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.
DATED: 060296
S A CAREY (SIGNED)
I live with my family in the Eastwood area. I have four daughters the youngest of whom is Claire. Claire is twenty three years old. On and off Claire lives at home but spends time with her boyfiend. At present Claire works at TGI Fridays at the Lakeside complex in West Thurrock, however she had previously worked in Southend at a restaurant called 'Sellars' and I believe that a Kim WEBBER was the owner.
It was through Claire's association with the restaurant and Kim that she became acquainted with Pat TATE. My first impression of Pat was only from what Claire told me and I first became aware of Claire actually seeing Pat was when he was at hospital having been shot in the arm.
I had only ever met Pat once when he came to the door at my house calling for Claire. I was aware that Pat also served some time is prison and that he would keep in contact with Claire when he got out. It was only a couple of months ago when he must have been released because I started getting phone calls from Pat.
He would be very polite and ask for Claire and more often than not she wasn't in and he would apologise for troubling me and ask that I leave a message for Claire to contact him. I approached Claire and one stage and voiced my concern because I didn't really want my daughter getting involved with him because of his past.
Claire assured me that she wasn't. The last time I had any contact with Pat TATE was on Wednesday 061295 when he phoned me at home around 1800 hours.
He had rung several times earlier in the day asking for Claire and on the final occasion Claire still wasn't back from work and Pat said that he had to go out for about half an hour but asked that I tell Claire to hang on as he would be back. Pat didn't sound concerned or worried on the phone.
The only other contact I had was later that evening from Claire herself sating she had been waiting outside Pat's for ages and he hadn't turned up so she was going to go back to her boyfriends'. When Pat last rang he sounded like he was at home because he said 'please tell her to hold on'.
He explained that he was thinking about leaving a note in his door for Claire but didn't know whether he would bother now. Whenever Pat rang up he would always introduce himself as Pat TATE and I had no doubts that it was not him.
S A CAREY SIGNED
STATEMENT TAKEN PLACE:
TIME:
DATE: 060296
WITNESS TO SIGNATURE:
OFFICERS SIGNATURE:
Is it possible the witnesses who said they saw a Sierra Cosworth with a Range Rover on 6th Dec might have been mistaken and the vehicle was in fact a VW Corrado?
Were these witnesses/testimony checked out as authentic?
Holly,
To be fair to the youtuber, his style is more aligned to stating what he believes to be the facts from documents with some supposition.. the comments section is then left to the viewer to put their take on it. However, this particular video is drawn from the statement below where it says Donna Jaggers called the police to deal with the weapon..
08/02/96 - STATEMENT of DONNAH LYNN JAGGERS
NAME: DONNAH LYNN JAGGERS
AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 26 27101969
Who states:- This statement consisting of 008 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.
DATED: 080296
D L JAGGERS (SIGNED)
I am the girlfriend of Craig ROLFE and have known him for fifteen years. We first met when I moved to Basildon with my parents. I started going out with Craig when I was 18 but that was quite a casual relationship.
In 000088, just after my 19th birthday, we started a serious relationship and soon after that I moved in with his parents at *** , Basildon. I fell pregnant and in 001289 I gave birth to our daughter Georgie. We had moved into a hostel and were then given 105 Spurriers, Laindon.
During this time Craig was working on building sites doing dry lining. We then moved to 21 Bardfield, Vange but I can not be sure of dates or when this was. In 000394 Craig bought 8 Calshot Avenue, Chafford Hundred, Grays. The house at Bardfield was in my name and I managed to swap this house through the council for my current address.
The neighbours at Bardfield were very nosey and I wanted to avoid problems due to the fact that I only went back there once a week to collect mail etc. I took my current address with a view to buying it and then renting it out. My reationship with Craig was strong.
He trusted me and told me most things that he was up to. In 000595 I had had enough of the drugs. He was using them himself and involved with them and dealing. I moved out of the Calshots address and went to my current address. After about three weeks Craig came back and told me that he was going to make an effort to kick his drug habit.
I knew instinctively that he meant this and we went away on holiday to the Norfolk Broads for a week. When we came back he had one lapse but stuck to it. Most weekends Craig used to go out and I knew that he took smaller amounts of cocaine and used ecstasy but not on the scale that he had been.
I was aware that Craig's associates were Tony TUCKER and Patrick TATE. During the mid to end of 001195 I was aware that they had something going on which at this time I am not willing to discuss. Craig told me that he was going to pick up a machine gun with a silencer and ammunition for their business.
He told me that it was coming from a man I know as Mad Mick who comes from London. I do know that this person is Mick BOWMAN. I asked Craig how much the gun was going to cost and he told me that it was being borrowed and was going back to BOWMAN.
About a week after Tony's birthday, which was 171100, I went with Craig and others, who I do not want to name, to Hollywoods nightclub in Romford. BOWMAN was supposed to have met us in the Global Net Cafe beforehand but he didn't turn up. I then met him through Craig in the nightclub.
I recall thinking that he wasn't what I had expected. Craig had told me stories about him. He was with a girl who I only know as Debbie. About a week after this, I can be no more precise than this, Craig told me that we were going to meet Mick at the Thurrock services to collect the gun.
I went with Craig in the blue Range Rover, F424NPE to the services and had something to eat in the Granada premises. I knew that we were supposed to meet BOWMAN about 1300 hours but he was about ten minutes late. Craig went outside and returned shortly and told me I was to go outside with them.
When I got outside I saw that BOWMAN was there with a white V.W. Corado car and there was another male with an old green Vauxhall Cavalier. BOWMAN was acting very paranoid and I took it that he was on cocaine and was acting hyper because of the situation with the gun.
I am aware how people behave when they have taken cocaine and that is how BOWMAN appeared to me. BOWMAN was trying to organise how they should drive off to a different location. Craig then suggested we should lead, the Cavalier should go in the middle and then BOWMAN at the end.
This only took a matter of minutes. Craig and I then got into the Range Rover and drove onto the A13 and travelled along to the Five Bells roundabout. We then came all the way round the Five Bells roundabout and Craig pulled up onto the Eastern Garages parking area.
The Cavalier parked behind us and BOWMAN parked the Coracle behind that. We all got out and I started to walk away to stay out of the way. I saw a blue/grey holdall come out of the boot of the Cavalier and go into the boot of the Range Rover.
The driver of the Cavalier was a small man about 5'6 tall, early twenties or early thirties, of thin build, he had short cropped hair and wore glasses. I did not hear him speak. I am unable to say who took the holdall out of the Cavalier but I believe Craig would probably have put it in the Range Rover because he was impatient like that.
Craig called me back to the car and I got into the front of the Range Rover. I recall BOWMAN got into the back of the car and told Craig that he wanted the Range Rover once Craig had finished with it. BOWMAN then got out of the car and Craig and I drove off and went to Patrick TATE's bungalow in Gordon Road, Basildon.
Craig had told me that TATE had spoken with the garage proprietor at Eastern Garages a man called Barry DOORMAN, and told him that he had to buy BOWMAN'S Corado. I was aware that BOWMAN was going to stay behind at the garage and speak to DOORMAN about this.
I recall seeing the two men walking towards one another when I was in the Range Rover. When we arrived outside Pat's house, Pat and Tony TUCKER were sitting in Anna WHITEHEAD's (TUCKER's girlfriend) Suzuki Vitara. I can not remember if Craig had spoken to them on his mobile phone prior to arriving at the house.
Tony and Pat got out of the Vitara and Craig took the holdall and gun from the boot and all three went into the house. Sarah SAUNDERS was at this time moving her stuff out of the house with the help of two friends. I didn't want to get involved in what was potentially a difficult situation, so I stayed in the car.
Craig was in the house for about ten to fifteen minutes and then returned to the car with the holdall and gun. He put the items back in the boot and then drove to 108 Mill Green where the gun and holdall were put into the loft. On the way from Gordon Road Craig was saying how pleased they were with it and how much damage it could cause.
I did not see the gun at this time. A couple of days later Craig picked me up from work and told me that Tony, Pat and him had tested the gun. He stated that it was tested over at Tony's Fobbing address in the field. He told me that he had cleaned it all and that he had put it back in the loft.
He told me that he had cleaned his fingerprints off the gun as I was concerned about this. The next thing that happened was that Craig, Tony and Pat were found shot dead. I had a lot of things on my mind but I realised the machine gun was a problem but I knew the Police didn't know about the Mill Green address and I thought it was be safe to leave it here.
During the Christmas period of 000095 Craig's brother moved my belongings from Chafford Hundred to the Mill Green address. First thing after New Year 000096 I moved into Mill Green. I had only been in the house for a couple of days when I decided that I was going to have to do something about the gun.
I spoke to Craig's mum about it and she suggested that I took it round to her house. She was trying to get me to sort it out. I put the holdall on the dining room table and I opened the bag. Until this point I had not seen the gun. It was a dull silvery grey colour.
I only opened the top of the bag and did not see the silencer or ammunition, however I believed they were in there because Craig had told me. I was now in a position where I had to make a decision as to what I was going to do about it. I left the gun in the bag and left it with Craig's mother.
A couple of days later I contacted D.I. FLORENCE who came to see me the next day. I only told him that I wanted to see him but didn't tell him what it was about. About 1145 on Thursday 110196 D.I. FLORENCE came to see me at Mill Green and I told him about the gun at Craig's mother's house.
I then took Mr FLORENCE to 158 Beambridge, Basildon where I saw Craig's mother. I asked her where she had put the holdall. I then went to the shower room which is on the ground floor and put the holdall on the dining table for Mr FLORENCE to see. He asked if any of us had touched it and he took it into his possession.
At this time this all I can say about the gun. Referring back to the V.W. Corado I am aware that from talking to Craig that the vehicle was purchased by Eastern Garages and I believe BOWMAN was given about seven thousand pounds. Craig told me that BOWMAN had payed about ten thousand pounds for it.
D L JAGGERS SIGNED
STATEMENT TAKEN PLACE:
TIME:
DATE: 080296
WITNESS TO SIGNATURE:
OFFICERS SIGNATURE:
Quite possibly, they are similar aren'y they.. If it's the Rebecca Carr testimony, this appears to be a good sighting as she believes from police photographs that Tate was inside as they were parked at traffic lights. The better sighting was Andrew Charles Reynolds at 18:05 in Basildon.. However, Rebecca Carr states she believed the white car (Sierra) was a C registered plate, the VW Corrado was a J registered plate.
Fake number plates?
VW Corrado...
(https://i.imgur.com/lP7jARY.png?1)
Sierra Cosworth...
(https://i.imgur.com/bEklPzF.jpg)
I totally agree, some of it sounds very implausible to say the least.. between the day of the murders and the first statements there must have been a lot of behind the scenes discussions going on..
I don't know whether all of the statements have made available but there appears to be nothing from Anna Whitehead or other key individuals..
You asked about Clare.. one of Pat Tate's acquaintances... below
06/02/96 - STATEMENT of SUSAN ANNE CAREY
NAME: SUSAN ANNE CAREY
AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 52 05031943
Who states:- This statement consisting of 003 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.
DATED: 060296
S A CAREY (SIGNED)
I live with my family in the Eastwood area. I have four daughters the youngest of whom is Claire. Claire is twenty three years old. On and off Claire lives at home but spends time with her boyfiend. At present Claire works at TGI Fridays at the Lakeside complex in West Thurrock, however she had previously worked in Southend at a restaurant called 'Sellars' and I believe that a Kim WEBBER was the owner.
It was through Claire's association with the restaurant and Kim that she became acquainted with Pat TATE. My first impression of Pat was only from what Claire told me and I first became aware of Claire actually seeing Pat was when he was at hospital having been shot in the arm.
I had only ever met Pat once when he came to the door at my house calling for Claire. I was aware that Pat also served some time is prison and that he would keep in contact with Claire when he got out. It was only a couple of months ago when he must have been released because I started getting phone calls from Pat.
He would be very polite and ask for Claire and more often than not she wasn't in and he would apologise for troubling me and ask that I leave a message for Claire to contact him. I approached Claire and one stage and voiced my concern because I didn't really want my daughter getting involved with him because of his past.
Claire assured me that she wasn't. The last time I had any contact with Pat TATE was on Wednesday 061295 when he phoned me at home around 1800 hours.
He had rung several times earlier in the day asking for Claire and on the final occasion Claire still wasn't back from work and Pat said that he had to go out for about half an hour but asked that I tell Claire to hang on as he would be back. Pat didn't sound concerned or worried on the phone.
The only other contact I had was later that evening from Claire herself sating she had been waiting outside Pat's for ages and he hadn't turned up so she was going to go back to her boyfriends'. When Pat last rang he sounded like he was at home because he said 'please tell her to hold on'.
He explained that he was thinking about leaving a note in his door for Claire but didn't know whether he would bother now. Whenever Pat rang up he would always introduce himself as Pat TATE and I had no doubts that it was not him.
S A CAREY SIGNED
STATEMENT TAKEN PLACE:
TIME:
DATE: 060296
WITNESS TO SIGNATURE:
OFFICERS SIGNATURE:
14/03/96 - Statement of DONNA LYNN JAGGERS
NAME: DONNA LYNN JAGGERS
AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 26 27101969
Who states:- This statement consisting of 013 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.
DATED: 140396
D L JAGGERS (SIGNED)
I am the common law wife of Craig ROLFE whom had been my partner for seven years. I have been asked about Craig's association with Tony TUCKER and Pat TATE and their involvement with drug dealing, and the circumstances surround their deaths. Craig had been involved with TUCKER for approximately three or four years and was registered as a Director of TUCKER's security company running Nightclub doors.
This was in name only and I know that Craig never had any involvement in running the business. His association started as a result of TUCKER buying drugs from Craig. They then became more involved as time went on and they started doing drugs deals together. In early 000095 Craig was not being very active and was not completing many deals therefore he did not have much money.
He was being promised that a large deal was due which would provide him with plenty of money, in the mean time we were scraping to get by. I later learnt from Craig that a person called Mickey 'The Pilot' who I now know to be called Michael STEELE was a friend of Pat TATE who in turn was a friend of Tony TUCKER. STEELE I understood to be a pilot who brought drugs into the country, and I understood that he had been in prison for it.
Craig told me that STEELE was a ruthless person who really didn't think very much of other people. In early 000095 I was aware that TATE was in prison and I recall TUCKER and one other person, whose details I do not know, running around getting TATE's money together for him to finance the deal. I am fairly sure that John MCCARTHY had some of TATE's money.
Craig told me that this was happening and stated that STEELE was happy to continue bringing it in until they were all millionaires. I can not say when the deal took place but I can say that at that time I witnessed the change over of the drugs. Mickey STEEL drove to Longwood Stables in Dry Street, Basildon, Essex, where TUCKER had two horses. I arrived there with Craig and met Tony who was with his horses.
We waited for Mick to arrive which he did in a blue Toyota RAV4. Although I had remained in our car and I had my back to where Mickey STEELE had parked, I was able to look over my left shoulder towards the rear of his car. I saw STEELE take a large dark coloured kit bag, measuring approximately three feet in length by about twelve to fifteen inches in diameter, from the boot of his car.
By the way he was holding the bag it appeared to be very heavy. He handed it to TUCKER who put it in the boot of our car which was a Vauxhall Senator. Craig then got back into our car and drove to another location. Craig took the holdall out of the boot and took it to a "safe house' where all the drugs were stored. I went into the house with Craig who then placed the bag on the table.
He opened the bag up and I saw that it contained bars of brown cannabis resin which were all individually wrapped in a clear film. I was present when he checked that it was good quality by burning and smelling a sample and then counting the bars. I am unable to say how many bars there were. I have only met Mickey STEELE on a couple of occasions and that was only in passing.
I have not actually spoken to STEELE. On each occasion when I have seen him he has always made me very aware that he does not want me to look at him. The last deal which STEELE carried out for them was approximately two weeks after TATE was released from prison which was at the end of 001095. Craig told me that Mickey STEELE was arranging to bring in sixty thousand pounds worth of cannabis from abroad.
Craig put in seven thousand pounds, TUCKER put in twenty thousand pounds and TATE and a fourth person called Barry DOORMAN were putting in the remainder of the money. A couple of days before the cannabis was collected I went with Craig to TUCKER's home address in Fobbing, Essex, to hand him the seven thousand pounds which was in a Tesco's carrier bag. The money was handed to TUCKER who was in turn going to hand it to STEELE.
We were only at the house for about five minutes and as Craig and I were leaving and walking down the driveway towards our car, I saw Mickey STEELE walking up the driveway towards the house. He passed by us and nodded to Craig. He did not speak or acknowledge myself. STEELE had come from a white car which I believe he had been driving. I can not say what the car was but it was clean and had the appearance of an average family saloon.
There was a second male in the car who had short dark hair and appeared to be a little bit younger than STEELE. He appeared clean shaven but I did not take any further notice. We got into our vehicle which I believe was a Vauxhall Frontera which had been loaned to TATE by Barry DOORMAN, and left. A couple of days later Craig told me that STEELE had been arrested by Customs Officers whilst he was taking his boat from the water.
This was following him dropping the cannabis off at a safe point on the coastline about three miles away. That same day TATE was arrested during the early afternoon having crashed TUCKER's Porsche car in Southend. I was at work and would have finished at 1500 hours that day. Craig picked me up from work and told me what had happened to STEELE. About 1600 hours TUCKER phoned Craig on his mobile phone and told him about his car and what TATE had done to it.
About 1800 hours that day Craig and I drove to Southend Police Station to collect TATE. Once in the vehicle I became aware that TATE already knew about STEELE being arrested. He then used Craig's mobile phone to ring Jackie STEELE. He asked her if everything was 'safe'. I took it that it was as a result of TATE's manner and subsequently what he said to Craig. He said that it was all 'safe', I took this to mean that the drugs had not been found.
On this occasion I did hot know where the meeting between STEELE and the others was to take place but after a couple of days Craig brought his share of the cannabis round to our house in Chafford Hundred. Because the cannabis had already been sold on, the same day Craig and I took it up to the Golders Green area of North London where Craig handed it onto a coloured male called Gary.
No money was exchanged because the cannabis was what's known as 'laid on' Gary for him to sell and then pay Craig. The agreed amount per kilo worked out to be approximately ten thousand pounds for the lot. Already the others had placed their own share with other dealers but very quickly they started receiving phone calls telling them that the cannabis was very poor quality.
I learnt through Craig that TATE and TUCKER were very agitated because STEELE during this time was trying to push the price that he wanted up. In affect this was eating into their personal profit from the deal. They contacted STEELE and told him that they wanted their money back because the cannabis was rubbish. STEELE didn't want to take it back. TATE and TUCKER then started putting real pressure on STEELE to recover the money.
By pressure I mean through intimidation. I can not say exactly what they did, because I do not know, but I recall hearing conversations they had with STEELE on the phone where they were renting and raving at one another and pacing up and down. I understand that STEELE finally agreed to return the cannabis and get their money back for them. TATE in a fit of temper about the whole affair smashed each slab before it was returned.
STEELE had told them that a parcel the same size had been picked up by mistake and that's how the problem had come about. I am not certain but I think that on this occasion STEELE had to collect the cannabis from TUCKER's home address in order to return it. STEELE arranged to hand the money back to them on the continent. He was going to return the goods to his suppliers and then take the money to a pre-arranged location where he was to meet Craig, TUCKER and TATE.
The day they were going to meet coincided with Tony TUCKER's birthday which was the 171100. His girlfriend, Anna, had pre-booked a surprise night in a London hotel prior the trip to collect the money being made. Therefore Tony was not going to go. They wanted a group of people to go over in order that the money could be divided up to bring it back into this country.
Craig asked me to go but I refused because I was not happy about getting involved and didn't want to go. The eventual party consisted of Barry DOORMAN and his wife who went in their own car. Pat TATE and Craig with three girls. Donna GARWOOD, Liz FLETCHER and Gaynor HAYZER. They travelled in the Range Rover and left via Harwich. Craig did tell me where they went to but I can not remember the location or where they stayed.
I know that they stayed overnight in a hotel and were met by Mickey STEELE. I was told that he met TATE and they went into a separate room. They returned the next day with the money. Whilst all this was going on I was told that STEELE was promising TATE that he had a 'big job' lined up for him. Craig told me that STEELE had approached TATE and asked him to nick someone elses gear from them.
I understood that STEELE had been asked by a London based drugs firm to import 30 kilos of Charlie (Cocaine) and I believe that he was going to bring it in by plane from Holland. He had told Pat TATE that he was going to be given fifty thousand pounds as an up front payment to take to Holland and he was going to bring the Charlie back in company with a member of the London firm.
The idea was that Pat TATE and Tony TUCKER would rob the firm of the Charlie when it arrived over here. STEELE had stated that he wanted to share it between them and had told the firm that he was going to land near to Clacton. Craig told me that STEELE was planning to actually land in South Essex but I never knew exactly where this was likely to be. Craig, Tony and Pat had previously obtained a machine gun from a man called Mad Mick BOWMAN and the details of this are subject of a previous statement.
TATE and TUCKER were going to use the gun on the man from the firm in order to take the Charlie. I knew that they had made sure the gun worked but I did not know how far they were planning to go when they robbed the firm. STEELE was going to land the plane and TATE and TUCKER were then going to take the complete load. It was going to be split, eventually, ten kilos each, and was going to be taken to John MCCARTHY.
Craig told me that MCCARTHY was going to pay them nearly one million pounds for the load which was for TATE or TUCKER to divide. Not long after Craig had told me about this he told me that TATE and TUCKER had decided that he was going to drive the load away once it had been taken and go to MCCARTHY'S with it. They had told Craig that they intended to rip STEELE off by cutting 3 kilos of the Cocaine into ten kilos of impure.
This would have resulted in TATE and TUCKER having twenty seven kilos between them. The remaining three kilos was going to be taken to Mick BOWMAN and he was going to cut it for them. I do not know what the arrangements were to get the three kilos to BOWMAN or to get the ten kilos of impure back to STEELE. By this time I was getting very worried by Craig's involvement and told him that I didn't want him have any part in it.
He told me that STEELE didn't know that he was going to be driving and he convinced me that he wasn't as heavily involved as the other two in what was going to happen. He also talked about the money which was likely to be coming their way and how that would enable us to go ahead with whatever plans we wanted. I realised that I wasn't going to be able to talk him out of it and, albeit I really didn't want him to go through with it, I gave up in the end.
I believed that by this he was in too deep. Craig told me that the money had been paid to Mickey STEELE who had taken it to Holland. The weather had changed and there was now snow on the ground. Craig told me this was causing them delay and they were waiting for it to clear. On the day of the murder I was working as normal and was due to finish at 1500 hours. That evening Tony TUCKER and his girlfriend Anna, Craig and I and Pat TATE and a girlfriend named Clare, were all going to the Global Net Cafe restaurant in Romford.
We were going out because they believed they were coming into money and they were going to have a pre-celebration. Graig phoned me at work in the afternoon and told me that Mickey STEELE had contacted Pat TATE and said that he wanted to meet with TATE and TUCKER to go and look at somewhere they could land a light aircraft. Craig mentioned to me that they had been to or were going to, I can't remember which, to the T.G.I. Fridays restaurant at Lakeside. I later found out that this had been TATE, TUCKER, and Craig and a person railed Peter CUTHBERT.
I do not know why they met or what was discussed. I left work at 1500 hours that day and went home. The meal at Romford was booked for 2000 hours. I was busy wrapping Christmas presents when Craig returned home with our daughter Georgie. We were at home together for about an hour and a half. Craig told me that I was to be ready for 1900 hours to go out. He was going with the others to look at the air strip and then would come to collect me.
Craig wanted me to have something new to wear for the evening and took me to the Lakeside shopping centre at 1745 hours. He was driving the Range Rover and left me to go and pick Tony TUCKER up. Craig told me that he was going because he didn't want Tony to be in a position to say that he hadn't had any part in the arranging. I also understood that Craig was going to collect Tony TUCKER from his home and they were going to meet TATE and STEELE later. I did not have contact from Craig, TATE or TUCKER after this point.
D L JAGGERS SIGNED STATEMENT
TAKEN PLACE:
TIME:
DATE: 140396
WITNESS TO SIGNATURE:
OFFICERS SIGNATURE:
A poster on another forum had this to say about the case:
Whomes denied having ever been in Rettendon when he was asked if he murdered Tate,Tucker and Rolfe.
The mobile evidence does not exonerate them at all.
The expert concluded
"2.2. Cell site analysis is not an exact process. However, although I could not disprove the Prosecution's view of events, the call detail records for Jack Whomes' 'phone and for Michael Steel's 'phone were, in my opinion more consistent with the explanations put forward by the Defendants than with the claims made by the Prosecution.
"
The explanations put forward by the defendants are Steele saying "No comment" and Whomes saying "I have never been to Rettendon". Clearly the expert is under the impression that the defence theory is actually Whomes explanation for his wearabouts that night. It is not.
He goes on to say
"2.3. I was aware that it might be argued in Court that the measurements I had carried out, and the conclusions I had drawn had certain weaknesses.
2.3.1. The Vodafone service might have changed between the time of the murder and my tests, to the extent that my tests were invalid."
My response
Whomes lived and worked in Suffolk why would he necessarily be familiar with the place names of small villages in Essex? He claims he came down the A12 and A130 and then turned off into the Wheatsheaf pub. As I said previously if he was in the area on drug related business he was hardly likely to fess up to being in the area. No one knows what conversations took place between the police and Whomes and at what stage it was put to him he was in the frame for murder.
Most will agree the conviction is underpinned by Nicholls' testimony who testified that when he received the 2 calls from Whomes at 18.59 he was in Meadow Lane, Rettendon. Nicholls mobile phone was subscribed to Orange who had a cell site in Rettendon and yet the 2 calls were routed through the Basildon cell site:
1.8. I was less inclined to accept the assertion by Darren Nicholls that the service provided to his Orange 'phone in the car park of the Wheatsheaf public house was very poor. The Orange cell site at Rettendon is in line of sight and less than 2 kilometres distant from the Wheatsheaf public house. I would have expected a good service from the Orange network at that location. Furthermore Darren Nicholls claimed to have been in Meadow Road, Rettendon when he received the calls from Jack Whomes at 18:59. These calls were served by the Orange cell site at Basildon, which is not the closest site and not the site which I would have expected to provide best service to an Orange 'phone in Meadow Road.
The poster on the other forum has responded by uploading the following map identifying the soc and the mobile cell sites for Wickford and Hockley. Perhaps the poster would like to create a further map adding in the cell site Nicholls calls were routed through when he claims to have been in Meadow Street at Rettendon. These calls were received through the Basildon cell site which is not even on the poster's map as it so far away!
I repeat:
18.44 Tate receives a call on his mobile via the Wickford cell site
18.59 Whomes made 2 calls to Nicholls routed through the Ingatestone and Hockely cell sites
18.59 Nicholls received 2 calls from Whomes routed through the Basildon cell site
Perhaps the poster would like to produce another map identifying the soc along with the 4 cell sites above so we can all be clear that they in no way shape or form are capable of pinpointing the whereabouts of the above at said times. All that can be said is they were in areas covering many miles.
The supposed location of the Hockley transmitter on that diagram is around 1.8km away from where the tower was in 1995.
A poster on another forum had this to say about the case:
Whomes denied having ever been in Rettendon when he was asked if he murdered Tate,Tucker and Rolfe.
The mobile evidence does not exonerate them at all.
The expert concluded
"2.2. Cell site analysis is not an exact process. However, although I could not disprove the Prosecution's view of events, the call detail records for Jack Whomes' 'phone and for Michael Steel's 'phone were, in my opinion more consistent with the explanations put forward by the Defendants than with the claims made by the Prosecution.
"
The explanations put forward by the defendants are Steele saying "No comment" and Whomes saying "I have never been to Rettendon". Clearly the expert is under the impression that the defence theory is actually Whomes explanation for his wearabouts that night. It is not.
He goes on to say
"2.3. I was aware that it might be argued in Court that the measurements I had carried out, and the conclusions I had drawn had certain weaknesses.
2.3.1. The Vodafone service might have changed between the time of the murder and my tests, to the extent that my tests were invalid."
My response
Whomes lived and worked in Suffolk why would he necessarily be familiar with the place names of small villages in Essex? He claims he came down the A12 and A130 and then turned off into the Wheatsheaf pub. As I said previously if he was in the area on drug related business he was hardly likely to fess up to being in the area. No one knows what conversations took place between the police and Whomes and at what stage it was put to him he was in the frame for murder.
Most will agree the conviction is underpinned by Nicholls' testimony who testified that when he received the 2 calls from Whomes at 18.59 he was in Meadow Lane, Rettendon. Nicholls mobile phone was subscribed to Orange who had a cell site in Rettendon and yet the 2 calls were routed through the Basildon cell site:
1.8. I was less inclined to accept the assertion by Darren Nicholls that the service provided to his Orange 'phone in the car park of the Wheatsheaf public house was very poor. The Orange cell site at Rettendon is in line of sight and less than 2 kilometres distant from the Wheatsheaf public house. I would have expected a good service from the Orange network at that location. Furthermore Darren Nicholls claimed to have been in Meadow Road, Rettendon when he received the calls from Jack Whomes at 18:59. These calls were served by the Orange cell site at Basildon, which is not the closest site and not the site which I would have expected to provide best service to an Orange 'phone in Meadow Road.
The poster on the other forum has now created a further cell site map which includes the Basildon cell site. Perhaps when he has a moment he can add in the cell site at Ingatestone. This will show beyond any doubt that cell site analysis in this type of situation is absolutely meaningless. It does not in any way shape or form place the individuals in the right locations at the right time. All it is capable of showing is that the individuals were in areas covering radius's of several miles.
If the justice system was concerned with the truth what needed to have happened is that all mobile calls made by the murdered trio, Nicholls, Steele and Whomes over the last 24 hours required analysing. This would throw up far more meaningful data since Nicholls, Steele and Whomes were making and receiving mobile phone calls in different areas covering a much greater distance.
To add to this, you need to have the terrain of the land mapped (3d) for this to be of any use in working out the probability of making a connection let alone pin pointing the location of the caller. As you've mentioned, at best it can only make an assumption that the caller is within the radius of the transmitting segment..
The attached article sums up how accurate this really is or not as the case may be.
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140908/04435128452/turns-out-cell-phone-location-data-is-not-even-close-to-accurate-everyone-falls-it.shtml
It is absolutely clear to anyone who has watched that film that John Whomes section at the end was edited to infer that jack was guilty, if you can't tell the difference between sarcasm in someones voice in the context of what is being said then I dunno?
The forensic evidence is clear that only one gun was used to fire the 7/8 cartridges... If Mick's gun (No 2) had fell apart after firing there would be evidence of this in different microscopic markings on the casing.. furthermore the forensic suggests although not 100% sure that the gun was a full length barrel. It is unlikely a weapon of this size would fit in a canvas plumbers bag as Nicholls states.
From The poster On The Other Forum:
Further reading the judges summing up we can now establish that Darren Nicholls made a call at 18:48 on the night of the murders. This call he made got directed through the Rettendon Orange cell tower.
"Back again to 73, you see that in fact Ingatestone was received for one second at 18.59.21, and Hockley was received for four seconds at 18.59.32. Now Mr Bristow turned from Mr Whomes's phone and looked at the Orange system and Nicholls' phone, that is Nicholls' phone 0973 427 288, that we know as 288. He said that Orange provided better data if the recipient of the call was an Orange subscriber. Nicholls' phone was an Orange digital mobile phone. He talked about the 18.48.08 call with messages from Nicholls. He said that was rooted through the Rettendon beacon, that the two calls at 18.59 were rooted through the Basildon beacon. "
My Response
The tel schedules do not reveal Nicholls making any calls at 18.48:
http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6020.msg511362#msg511362
http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6020.msg511364#msg511364
Nicholls made a call to his voicemail at that time.. serviced through the Rettendon Cell tower..
&%%6 so you can see why Nicholls became a 'supergrass'. The police no doubt initially had him very much in the frame for murder?
This was one of my very early questions ie what happens when voice mails are left and from what you've said it would appear they are routed through a cell tower nearby to where the sender leaves a voicemail; then when the recipient retrieves the message it is routed through a nearby tower as opposed to being routed through the nearest tower at the time it was left. In effect it is voicemail retrieval that determines cell location not the mobile phones whereabouts at the time messages are left. Hope that makes sense!
Ok so when he dials his voicemail to retrieve message when it connects to the messaging service the location of the cell tower he connects to locally or wherever he is is recorded on the itemised billing.. In some cases (i'm trying to work out why) the cell tower is not recorded in the billing but a generic Orange Network reference is used for both the A and B end of the call. With respect to that particular call it is suggesting when he made the call to pick up voicemail it was initially routed through the Rettendon cell tower making the assumption he was in the vicinity of Rettendon. Oddly enough, one of the points Nicholl's make is that the reception was crap at the Wheatsheaf pub and so he moved on although he made a connection off the Rettendon tower and the experts are suggesting that area was served very well for Orange customers. hope that makes sense..
With reference to the above post about nicholl's becoming a supergrass... apparently one of Nicholl's first convictions was for trying to sell undercover police counterfeit money.. he was the victim of a police sting.
The poster on the other forum has posted up the following image of what appears to be an old white Renault which he claims police found on property belonging to Whomes and Steele. I wasn't aware that Whomes and Steele shared any jointly owned property?
Afaik Nicholls claimed Whomes was driving a VW Passat and Steele was in his Toyota truck so no idea where a white Renault fits in?
I said the car above (image) is a Renault when it fact it's a Citroen. Either way horrible French cars. And in any event according to Nicholls the car he drove on the night of the murders was a BEIGE VW Passat.
Here is an extract from a police statement made by Darren Nicholls.
I went through Rettendon the latter part of 1995. I remember an occasion when I was there with other people, they were Jack Whomes and Michael Steele, I remember that day. I was at work that day, I was working at Sunbury on Thames, my mobile was with me. Michael Steele rang me that day, he wondered where I was and would like to meet me, we did not discuss where we would meet because I was at work, I agreed to meet him later on that day, at Ron Parkinson’s motorcycles, Marks Tey at 5 o’clock, I drove to Marks Tey, in I think my Golf Convertible, I have been to Ron Parkinsons before, it sells motorcycles. When I arrived I parked in the flats opposite, Mr Steele wasn’t there when I arrived. When I arrived I went into the motorbike shop, I bought something for my old motorbike it was either a battery or a light bulb, I then put it in my car.
Whilst I was walking back to my car I saw Mick, I waved to him I said I was just putting something in my car, and then I got in his pick up truck. The pick up truck was a red Toyota it was an M registration I think. When I got in I sat in the passenger seat, he said they were going down to do a deal with Pat him and Jack I said “where is Jack”, he said “he’ll be here in a minute,” I don’t recall anything else he said, then I noticed Jack had pulled up behind us. Jack was in a beige Volkswagen, it was a B registration, I had sold the car to Michael Steele. When he pulled up he got out and spoke to Mick I don’t recall what was said, then he got back in his car, then we pulled off onto the A12 heading towards London. I was with Mick in his Toyota and Jack behind us in his Volkswagen. I can’t recall exactly what was said, but he said we would meet Pat and there was going to be a drug deal or we were having a drug deal I can't remember.
At that time I didn't know where we was going. Mick said Jack would show me where the deal was going to be he said did I know this place but I'm not sure, he said don't worry Jack would show you where to go. Nothing happened on the journey just normal chat, he told me I was going to swap cars and I was to get in the car with Jack and he was going to meet Pat on his own. We stopped in a lay-by near the Halfway House, which is a pub restaurant on the A127. When we stopped in the lay-by I got in the car with Jack, Mick was going to the Halfway House with Jack. We got to the far end of the lay-by gates, we swapped drivers.
Jack was to swap the number plates. I got my feet wet, Jack was wearing overalls and wellies, I remember the wellies more than the overalls because they were new. When we stopped Jack got out to stick the new number plates over the existing plates but they wouldn't stick as it was too wet. I saw the number plates he was trying to stick, they were B registration as well and they were brand new. When the plates couldn't be stuck they were put in the back of the car, and he said drive down to the Halfway House pub. I had been to the pub only as a child or driving past on the way to Southend.
When we got to the pub jack told me to park at the back as far away from the A127 as possible which I did. I could see Mick's Toyota parked in front of us to the left, after we parked Jack changed his mind and said no dont park here park as close to the A127 so I moved the car. I could still see the hi-lux which was in front again but to my right. Then we had to leave the car running because the windows were misting up because of the weather, I said shall we have a drink and Sack said no. Then he said we were waiting for Pat to arrive and go to a meeting point, shortly after that he said right go.
I saw a dark coloured Range Rover when he said that, the Range Rover drove and parked next to Micky's hi-lux, I couldn't see who was in the Range Rover. Jack then told me to drive off and up the slip road by the pub and back down the A127 to Southend, that is what I did. then he gave me directions down the A127 and on to the A130 to Chelmsford I think, which I am familiar with. A130 goes from the A127 all the way to Chelmsford, but we went to the Rettendon Turnpike, which is a roundabout with traffic lights on it. I went straight over to carry on towards Chelmsford, on the other side of Rettendon turnpike and up the hill and back down hill and out the other side.
Jack then said slow down and take the next right, which I did, it was a lane not a road, then I turned left into a gap to turn the car round, the head lamps were facing the road back towards the A130. Jack told me he would ring me when he wanted picking up, I had my mobile with me, he got out had a bag and a coat from the back, the bag I think was a canvass sausage shape bag, I didn't notice it in the car before, I might have done but it didn’t register. He told me he would ring me when he wanted me to pick him up, so I pulled off and went right towards Chelmsford, I drove down the road to the first point I could turn round to a petrol station, then I drove back up the road and parked in a pub on the left hand side of the road. I left the engine running and checked my phone to see I had a lousy signal so I moved to get a better signal up the road.
The pub I was in had a bright pink Morris Minor, the next pub I parked in past the lane and up the hill and took the first left turn, went up that road turned around and first left up there, then came up and parked outside the first house on my left and waited for him to ring. I didn’t wait there very long, my phone rang, Jack said come and pick us up and hung up I think I might have said ok. I turned right went back down the road, and had to wait for a few cars to go past so I could turn right into the lane, then turned the car round to face the road again. I didn’t see anyone and after a short period of time the back opened and Jack got in. I didn’t notice the interior light come on.
I said “where’s Mick” he said he won’t be a minute he’s dropped something. Jack was sitting between the back seats talking to me then Mick opened the passenger door of the car and the interior light came on. When the light came on I was looking at Jack, I notice he had surgical gloves and I saw something on them like blood, Mick said turn the interior light off, Mick had shut the door about the same time, then he said “lets get going,” he said go left towards Rettendon turnpike, so I pulled out, something clicked in my mind something had happened.
I pulled out in front on a car, Mick asked if I was ok, I said yes I was and as we drove up the road towards turnpike, Mick said they wont f..k us about no more, and Jack said yeah it was quite funny cause when Mick had shot one of them the gun fell apart, he kept asking me if I was ok several times. I realised what happened but not to who, so I said I hope I don’t fall out with you two, Mick said no you wont fall out with us. Micks started to hand over to Jack parts of the gun, I saw the barrels. I dont know the names of the other parts, I definitely saw the barrels. I was driving I was a bit confused at the time.
From the Rettendon turnpike we went back down the A130 to Southend, then at Rawreth traffic lights I turned left, straight to the bottom of that road, we turned right and then took another right turn on or two roads later. As we went up the road there was a pub on the right, the Hungry Horse or Hungry Hippo something like that. I drove into the car park of the pub and parked next to Mick’s Toyota which was on the left and stopped the car. They got out and I was still sitting there.
Mick had opened up his Toyota he told me to go and get in the Toyota which I did, then they were getting changed sort of thing, Mick was taking off his wellies and overalls off over his wellies, then slipping his shoes on, boiler suit and wellies were put in the pick up truck and Jack did the same I think, and then we drove off Mick drove the hi-lux with me in passenger seat and Jack was behind us in the Passat. We drove past the Rettendon lane, then Jack overtook us on the dual carriageway as we were driving slower.
There was some conversation in the car with Mr Steele, he said Jack was very cold hearted I said why, he first of all said when they stopped down the lane a gate had been shut so I got out the range rover I didn’t know where Jack was, then Jack leant into the range rover and shot all three of them, Jack handed Mick a gun and Mick shot them, then he said once that had happened Jack reloaded his gun and shot them all in the back of the head. I cant recall anything else that was said, I did say can we stop and have a drink Mick originally said yes good idea as Mick looked shaken up but when we got to Marks Tey he said best get home straight away. Then I got in my car and headed back to Braintree.
Afterwards I was working at Mick’s new house, like a cottage and there was things spoken there with Jack and Mick. In conversations Mick told me that when he was driving to the lane with them in the Range Rover that Pat’s girlfriend Sarah had rung Pat on the telephone all lovey dovey which he hated, not like when Sarah talked to Mick and Jackie. He was concerned Pat might have said he was with Mick now but he didn’t. Then he hung up the phone just as they were at the lane. I don’t know if it was Mick or Jack said when Pat was shot in the back he started to squeal like a baby and his hand had come up and put his hand through the window.
Also Jack had said to me at some point Mick was really excited when he shot them and saying “give me some more cartridge, give me some more cartridges.” Afterwards Mick said that he hadn’t felt bad about it as Pat deserved it he was such a b........, who would give a f..k that pat was dead as nobody liked him which was quite true probably. There was conversation as why it happened with Mick. Roughly it was that when the money had been returned from the bad drug deal a lot of the money Pat had put into it wasn’t his he had borrowed it and that what Pat decided to do was not pay the people back and blame Mick to say he hadn’t paid them back. Mick knew this because Sarah had told him Pat’s ex girlfriend.
Pat was telling them he hadn’t been paid back and if he wasn’t paid back he would kill Mick.
No they're not!!! Stan Jones drove a quirky Citroen 2CV. Good old Stan... What a star! LOL!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roNorjYSl0o (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roNorjYSl0o)
One of the first things that drew my attention to this case is the journeys and times which don't seem to add up. I know the area fairly well as my Bestie is an Essex girl from Gidea Park who has lived in Brentwood for many years.
Going from Nicholls wit stat above he met with Steele at Marks Tey and they were shortly joined by Whomes. The trio then headed for South Essex. Steele drove his Red Toyota Hi-Lux with Nicholls as passenger and Whomes drove his beige VW Passat. They arrive at a lay-by near the Halfway House pub, Brentwood, Nicholls joined Whomes in the Passat as driver. They then drove to the actual Halfway House pub and waited for the Range Rover to arrive carrying the murdered trio. Steele then joins the Range Rover? Nicholls drives Whomes to Rettendon. Is Nicholls saying Steele followed the Range Rover to the Hungry Horse/Travellers Joy at Rayleigh where Steele joined the Range Rover and they travelled to Rettendon or Steele joined the Range Rover and they travelled directly to Rettendon with Steele leaving his Toyota at the Halfway House? After the murders the Beige Passat carrying Steele and Whomes with Nicholls driving travels to the Hungry Horse where Nicholls and Steele leave Whomes in the Passat and get into Steele's Hi-Lux.
Nicholls claims he was told by Steele the purpose of the visit to South Essex was to complete a drug deal with Tate. He does not give any other explanations for journeys ie collecting/dropping others, collecting/dropping off drugs and/or making detours/alternative routes to avoid police/cctv etc. Without further explanations the above doesn't make any sense. According to all accounts Rolfe left Lakeside to collect Tucker from Fobbing and Tate from Basildon. According to Nicholls, Steele had devised a plan to lure the murdered trio to Rettendon for execution. Why would all 6 go out of their way to Halfway House? Why then bother with Rayleigh? What was the purpose of all these out of the way car journeys? I can only think it was something Essex Police devised to account for the phone calls.
If they were all being economical with these journeys, and why wouldn't they unless they were sightseeing, then it would make sense for Nicholls to have travelled alone to North Chelmsford to meet with Steele and Whomes there. They could then swap cars and arrange to meet with the murdered trio around South Chelmsford.
Can anyone work out why all concerned would go out of their way to Brentwood and Rayleigh?
Here's a map of Essex. All concerned wanted to arrive at Rettendon and no explanations have been given for detours. Home addresses as follows:
- Nicholls - Braintree, Essex
- Steele - Great Bentley, Essex
- Whomes - Brockford, Suffolk
- Rolfe - Chafford Hundred, Essex
- Tucker - Fobbing, Essex
- Tate - Basildon, Essex
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.6840984,0.4797434,11z
Unless the geography was spelled out to judge and jurors they might well be none the wiser thinking all the trips above were necessary when they were not and no explanations have been given to account for them.
Nicholls claimed he met with Steele at Marks Tey where Whomes joined them. Nicholls left his car at Marks Tey and they travelled in convoy to South Essex. It would make sense for Whomes and Steele to meet at Marks Tey as this is en route to South Essex (and Central/East Essex via the A12. However it wouldn't make sense for Nicholls to drive to Marks Tey from Braintree to then travel to South Essex (and Central/East Essex). He would travel down the A131 and then connect with the A12.
During Nicholls police interviews he said he begrudged driving out of his way especially when he was getting up for work early and driving. So if Steele said to Nicholls we're meeting with Tate (South Essex) then why not say to Steele ok we'll meet some place where the A131/0 and A/12 interesect? They could swap cars at this point with Nicholls/Whomes following Steele to meet with the murdered trio.
Why would Nicholls/Steele/Whomes and Rolfe/Tate/Tucker go to Brentwood/Rayleigh. All these journey times could be cut by half if Nicholls/Steele/Whomes swapped cars at say Great Baddow and then met with Rolfe/Tate/Tucker at say Sandon for onward travel to Rettendon.
For anyone unfamiliar with the geography basically Whomes was travelling from Suffolk entering North Essex. Nicholls and Steele travelling from North Essex. All then travelled to SE Essex but according to Nicholls they wanted to end up at soc which is central/East Essex. The murdered trio are all from South Essex. They basically travelled to SE Essex when according to Nicholls they were being lured to central/East Essex. The journeys makes no sense and I can only assume they were created to account for the tel calls ie Steele at Bulphan and Tate at Wickford.
Afaik the murdered trio were Essex born and bred. Nicholls travelled long distances with his work. And we're told the architect of all this was Steele who was capable of driving RIBs (is that correct term, driving?) and flying planes so one would expect and hope his navigational skills were reasonably good. What then was the reason for all these out of the way trips, wasting time and money, if not to cover the cell phone analysis?
A YouTuber produces informative vids about the case. Here's a recent one re location:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLFvwc14w78&t=2126s
I was wondering if it might have been possible to drive an off-road 4 x 4 along Workhouse Lane from the Wheatsheaf pub and/or White House Farm. Having had another look at the ordnance survey map
https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/51.64225,0.55855,16/pin
there appears to be a track from WHF to soc. It appears from the Guardian article this is the route Peter Theobald and Ken Jiggins took in the morning to feed the pheasants.
https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/1996/mar/07/fromthearchive
The article also states the pheasants are fed twice a day which chimes with farmer friends one of whom I know in the winter usually goes late afternoon/early evening.
The perp wasn't a stupid person. He (most likely a he) would know White House Farm and the adjacent area was visited by others: farmer, fishermen, shooters, dog walkers so I think the perp or his associates must have carried out recces on the location to ensure they were not going to be disturbed. And/or was a lookout involved and/or did cars cover the entrances/exits to prevent anyone gaining access for a short period of time? All vehicles used could have been stolen and/or sold/purchased with false papers/plates eg Marshall who sold Noye his Land Rover with false name/paper.
Did Whomes actually visit the Wheatsheaf pub car park or is this a red herring? Whomes has apparently passed 26 City and Guild exams in prison and taught himself to read and write so clearly not an idiot but if at the time he was somewhat naive during his police interviews (there's no evidence he was a career criminal in the way Steele was) and was unable to read and write and the police put it to him his phone placed him at Workhouse Lane he might well have cracked under pressure and said he was in a pub in the area picking up Nicholls car. This then morphs into the Wheatsheaf pub when in reality it may have been some other pub miles away. We know the cell phone analysis is not capable of pinpointing someone's location to within even a few miles let alone a few hundred meters. Once he commits to being at the Wheatsheaf pub he's stuffed whether he was there or not.
Imo they were def all on drugs related business but I would rule out Steele and Whomes as perps based on the efficiency of the shootings which have all the hallmarks of someone trained by the military or police.
And thinking further about the links above there's no mention of footprints other than those around the Range Rover. We know for sure Peter Theobald and Ken Jiggins went up to the Range Rover. Thereafter first respondents also went up to the Range Rover. But there's no mention of footprints along any tracks? If, as the prosecution claim, Whomes arrived by foot and left by foot along with Steele where are the footprints? I can't see any evidence that the snow was so deep that footprints/tyre tracks melted away. The track was somewhat sheltered by the hedges either side. No real explanation has been provided. In the link above it states an officer flagged up that soc was changing due to a rise in temperature but surely first respondents would take this into account when first arriving and ensure any footprints/tyre tracks in snow were preserved?
The best theory to explain this is that another vehicle came in behind the Range Rover negating the need to walk up and down the lane or hover up and down the lane as there's no footprints. We know the previous evening of the 6th the lane was muddy and water filled ruts in the lane had not frozen at this point as there is clearly a lot of mud on the Range Rover tyres. Any vehicle leaving the lane at this time of the evening would leave obvious tyre marks in the areas that weren't water logged but this would be difficult to assess correctly due to the volume of traffic the lane was used to from farmers and game hunters. The following morning when the farmers drove down the lane they explained that the water filled ruts were frozen, as well as this observation them driving down the lane would of probably destroyed most of the visible tyre tracks of the previous evening.
(ty6e[ Chud, I'm back
Yep I agree another vehicle pulled up behind effectively preventing the Range Rover and its occupants from moving. The RR would not have enough traction or distance to drive through the gate or push back a vehicle behind. No room for a quick turn sideways and again not enough traction or distance to drive through the hedges. Even if the occupants fled the vehicle they were effectively locked in by the gate and hedges with the only option fleeing up the track towards the main road with the perp with shotgun at the ready.
I am surprised that it wasn't possible to pick up a partial tyre print somewhere along the track or at the point of turning off the main road onto the track even if the farmer and first respondents drove the same path.
Investigators talk a lot about footprints and how certain individuals handed over footwear but nothing about tyre prints other than tyre prints continuing beyond the gate.
Poster From The Other Forum
What efficiency? Fireing a shotgun eight times at three close range targets (less than two feet away) is not efficent. Moreover one shot skimmed past patricks head and out the window.
This is what you call using a shotgun efficiantly. Eight targets, eight shots fired and all eight targets hit.
https://streamable.com/pd90w
lol
SAS/SEALS and Police marksman are all skilled and trained to engage targets that are armed and ready. ie people that will shoot back at them. It doesnt take any skill to shoot three unsuspecting and unarmed men sat in a stationary vehicle.
Making things up to circumvent the incriminating evidence is never going to achieve anything.
My Response
Spot the difference between the posters video clip and the soc. It isn't difficult:
Video Clip From Poster On Other Forum
- Immovable targets
- Unhindered line of fire
- Daylight
- Little or no anxiety
- Zero chance of immovable targets to return fire
- Not illegal
Scene of crime
- Potential for targets to move
- Hindered line of fire eg car seats, headrests and other parts of car interior
- Darkness outside with the only artificial lighting being interior car lights
- Potential for at least some anxiety. Get it wrong and end up seriously injured, dead and/or serving a long custodial sentence
- Potential for targets to return fire
- Illegal
The SAS/SEAL are on operational duties within the confines of the law. The perp at SoC was operating outside the law.
Try reading the expert evidence:
"He said from the relaxed positions of the deceased three it appeared to have happened very rapidly. There was not time for special movement or something to move them from their comfortable positions".
http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6020.msg510061#msg510061
Absolute rubbish to think anyone other than a marksman could fire off those shots with the murdered trio not moving from their comfortable positions. There's zero evidence Steele or Whomes possessed this sort of skill.
Can anyone think of another gangland killing involving 3 victims?
Other gangland killings seem to involve 1 victim?
- John "Goldfinger" Palmer
- Paul Massey
- John Kinsella
- https://www.essexlive.news/news/history/unsolved-murders-essex-baffle-police-516282 These are probably not all gang related but some are and all involve 1 victim only.
If some bad feeling developed between Steele and Tate then it was far easier and less risky for Steele to appear at Tate's front door and carry out the deed. Steele was capable of orchestrating the importation of cannabis from Europe on a grand scale so turning up at Tate's in a stolen vehicle and disposing of all the evidence thereafter was potentially easier than what is alleged to have happened. There's no real evidence any animosity existed between Steele/Whomes and Tate let alone Rolfe and Tucker? Why would Steele/Whomes want to murder Rolfe and Tucker and take on board all that risk? What was the motive and potential reward?
The so-called Essex Boys will be no different to other drug gangs all over the UK. Same rivalries, attempting to wrip each other off, maneuvering for position etc but most killings don't involve 3 victims. They're ususally 1 on 1 or 2 on 1 but here we have an unknown number on 3 which is unusual. Why?
Hi Holly,
There are many different prints you can see from some of the photos, some have been identified in some detail outside of the police reports.. but there dooesn't appear to be too much focus from them about the importance of the different tyre tracks as if conveniently swept under the carpet.. unless of course there is a bundle of information undisclosed that was not deemed important to the prosecution..
Furthermore, Nicholls alleges that the gun Mick is carrying falls to pieces in "TV Bloopers" style during the hit.. Police forensics confirm only one gun used.. If they weren't dead already they would of surely moved from the relaxed position during this gun failure if they were taking it in turns to shoot them to share the responsibility. Nicholls uses this tactic in nearly of all his statements, he adds detail to the event which are designed to add a level of credence to the story but under scrutiny don't stack up. In my opinion to carry out a hit this clinically apart from being an expert you'd at least need to have some confidence the weapons were serviced correctly and fit for purpose.
Chud do you know if jurors were taken to soc? I can't see that they were?
There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason with cases involving shooting incidents. At the trials of Tony Martin and Barry George jurors were taken to soc. At Jeremy Bamber's trial jurors were not taken to soc.
After a good search the only thing the jurors were shown relating to the SOC is photos at the trial.. In the summing up when referring to the evidence there are only mentions of the photos they have seen..
Considering the length of the trial, I'm wondering if the defense presented their case with more focus on the logistics of the hit, the lack of forensics at the SOC and other elements which to this day still cause doubt then maybe a visit would of been viable.. I know they visited the Bamber scene (I believe?) , was that at the request of the prosecution, the defense or the judge? tksNo Chud, the jury only visited Fingringhoe firing range to see a demonstration by Malcolm Fletcher of the actual Anschutz 525 rifle. A junior counsel representing Bamber, Edmund Lawson QC, drove himself there rather than travelling by coach with the barristers and jury, but he got lost on the way and missed the demo. A life cut short in his prime unfortunately...
Hi, I know this thread is dying down a bit now, but I thought I'd throw this in for consideration, since I enjoyed reading this thread a couple of weeks back and think the people on here are talented. I was moved enough to join the forum so that I could post this as I believe it's pertinent.Hi Hari gul, interesting stuff. I've never read anything which links TTR to Hunt. How did they "rip him off" ?
https://www.essexnewsandinvestigations.com/single-post/2018/09/22/EXCLUSIVE-1
I believe in my heart that the people directly responsible for Rettendon murders are the people in Canning Town. The name of the firm you are interested in is the Hunt Syndicate. Until very recently there was a local essex news article about one of the people Hunt handed out retribution to, but the story is missing now (presumably at the behest of Hunt's solicitors who seems very active in keeping his name clean). The article basically talked about Hunt's methods and was about a man called Paul Cavanagh who had ripped Hunt off and who had got his throat slashed in a sales caravan on a second hand car lot. This lets you know how Hunt views people who rip him off but the article is missing now sadly. If you have access to the Times website I believe there is still a version of that story on there
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/i-feared-a-beating-but-the-long-fella-asked-for-a-knife-zl6qqw6ll9z
It reinforces the fact that when people rip Hunt off, he feels that an example must be made, otherwise all his other business partners will do same. Bear in mind, the Hunt syndicate is one of the groups Tate's group ripped off. In other words what I am slowly trying to get to is this. One man ripped Hunt off by selling a car he shouldn't have sold and apologised profusely for it. This man knew Hunt well and had babysat his kids. He got his throat ripped out by Hunt for his mistake. The rettendon three ripped Hunt off and were entirely unapologetic and then acted like they were untouchable. This would have incensed David Hunt. This is all conjecture but I am trying to set the tone for how Hunt deals with different people based on what they've done to him, and what their attitude about it is.
If you have access to the leaked copy of the Tiberius report you will see that Hunt has several members of the Met in his back pocket, each of whom have several other members in their back pocket, so it ends up being a large network of corrupt officers. I also believe, but cannot prove, that Hunt has corrupted several high ranking officers through his links with the Freemasons.
I honestly believe this is who is involved and if it is true then you will not solve the Rettendon case until corruption has been cleared from the Met. I'm not sure if this is a realistic thing to hope for. I believe corruption in all our police forces up and down the country is wide spread and common. I believe the corruption in our country goes all the way up into the commons and the lords.
Thats all I really came to say, other than to say this. If you are going to poke around in Hunt's business be careful. Their favourite method of getting someone's address is to use the national crime database through corrupt officers, and their second favourite method is using credit card databases, who several members of that firm have access to owing to the fact that they are ex-debt collectors.
It may interest you to know that in the wake of the Rettendon murders, the Hunt Syndicate moved into Essex fast and took over all the ground that the essex three had previously operated. Clubs and drugs, mainly and so I believe the Hunt's reasons for committing the murders would have been numerous and is not limited to:
1) Deals where the essex three had ripped off the hunt syndicate - personal reasons
2) the hunt syndicate was looking to expand their territory anyway - business reasons
3) a further motivation would have been that Hunt would have scored good boy points for the murders with several corrupt officers in the met - so, an act which expanded the Hunt Syndicates corrupt officer network.
Thats really all I came to say other than to be careful when you dig around on this stuff. GL.
Hi, I know this thread is dying down a bit now, but I thought I'd throw this in for consideration, since I enjoyed reading this thread a couple of weeks back and think the people on here are talented. I was moved enough to join the forum so that I could post this as I believe it's pertinent.
https://www.essexnewsandinvestigations.com/single-post/2018/09/22/EXCLUSIVE-1
I believe in my heart that the people directly responsible for Rettendon murders are the people in Canning Town. The name of the firm you are interested in is the Hunt Syndicate. Until very recently there was a local essex news article about one of the people Hunt handed out retribution to, but the story is missing now (presumably at the behest of Hunt's solicitors who seems very active in keeping his name clean). The article basically talked about Hunt's methods and was about a man called Paul Cavanagh who had ripped Hunt off and who had got his throat slashed in a sales caravan on a second hand car lot. This lets you know how Hunt views people who rip him off but the article is missing now sadly. If you have access to the Times website I believe there is still a version of that story on there
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/i-feared-a-beating-but-the-long-fella-asked-for-a-knife-zl6qqw6ll9z
It reinforces the fact that when people rip Hunt off, he feels that an example must be made, otherwise all his other business partners will do same. Bear in mind, the Hunt syndicate is one of the groups Tate's group ripped off. In other words what I am slowly trying to get to is this. One man ripped Hunt off by selling a car he shouldn't have sold and apologised profusely for it. This man knew Hunt well and had babysat his kids. He got his throat ripped out by Hunt for his mistake. The rettendon three ripped Hunt off and were entirely unapologetic and then acted like they were untouchable. This would have incensed David Hunt. This is all conjecture but I am trying to set the tone for how Hunt deals with different people based on what they've done to him, and what their attitude about it is.
If you have access to the leaked copy of the Tiberius report you will see that Hunt has several members of the Met in his back pocket, each of whom have several other members in their back pocket, so it ends up being a large network of corrupt officers. I also believe, but cannot prove, that Hunt has corrupted several high ranking officers through his links with the Freemasons.
I honestly believe this is who is involved and if it is true then you will not solve the Rettendon case until corruption has been cleared from the Met. I'm not sure if this is a realistic thing to hope for. I believe corruption in all our police forces up and down the country is wide spread and common. I believe the corruption in our country goes all the way up into the commons and the lords.
Thats all I really came to say, other than to say this. If you are going to poke around in Hunt's business be careful. Their favourite method of getting someone's address is to use the national crime database through corrupt officers, and their second favourite method is using credit card databases, who several members of that firm have access to owing to the fact that they are ex-debt collectors.
It may interest you to know that in the wake of the Rettendon murders, the Hunt Syndicate moved into Essex fast and took over all the ground that the essex three had previously operated. Clubs and drugs, mainly and so I believe the Hunt's reasons for committing the murders would have been numerous and is not limited to:
1) Deals where the essex three had ripped off the hunt syndicate - personal reasons
2) the hunt syndicate was looking to expand their territory anyway - business reasons
3) a further motivation would have been that Hunt would have scored good boy points for the murders with several corrupt officers in the met - so, an act which expanded the Hunt Syndicates corrupt officer network.
Thats really all I came to say other than to be careful when you dig around on this stuff. GL.
Bent cop, Wolfgang Bird approached Nicholls in a pub in January 96. This was of course just weeks after the murders when Police had commenced their investigation/surveillance operation.
I therefore find it quite believable that this could have been Nicholls first instance of "grassing".
Or liability! I have no allegiance to any of these people.
As it stands I think there's a lot more to this case than meets the eye and I'm more inclined to see Steele/Whomes innocent.
I know I keep repeating it but I just don't understand the emphasis on Whomes' mobile calls at 18.59. We know cells/masts are situated all over the country. Whomes was in the vicinity of Rettendon therefore his calls were routed through masts at Ingatestone and Hockley. Which masts were Nicholls calls received on? I would like to see mast data for every call on all the relevant mobiles throughout the day to plot movements.
If Tate was at Rettendon at 18.44 when he received his call from Sarah Saunders which mast was this call routed through? If it wasn't Ingatestone or Hockley then this totally destroys the prosecution case. Nicholls received a call on his mobile at 19.19 and 21.22. He made a call at 19.55. He may well have made others but these are listed on the schedule. Which masts were these calls routed through? Does it fit with his evidence?
https://www.coolsmartphone.com/2016/11/10/locate-mobile-mast/
Here's a vid of farmer Peter Theobald shooting a wood pigeon:i know a legal munitions and firearms tester, gauges bullets,barrells, the whole lot, he could hit a golf ball at a mile. Does it all day long. never been in the forces or police.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6XAsQA85FU
No I'm not suggesting PT was responsible. This type of shooting in terms of accuracy, skill etc is completely different from taking out 3 adult males at close range ambush style.
I would say the perp was more along the lines of police marksman Tony Long (and I'm not suggesting him either). or a member of the SAS/Iranian embassy siege or SEAL/Bin Laden. This is the type of person psychologically and with this level of skill.
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/aug/19/tony-long-secrets-of-a-police-marksman-channel-4-review
Judge Hidden or the expert I can't recall now said it was a given, or words to this effect, the perp was well versed with the firearm. This is an understatement imo as it implies the perp simply knew how to operate it and downplays the skill required to take out the the murdered trio in the manner they were killed.
Well we can see from the tel schedules posted up here the calls made available to jurors and judge appear to have been cherry picked by the prosecution which create a narrative skewed towards the prosecution eg:
- Calls from phone boxes to Tucker and Tait but no mobile calls between Tait/Tucker and Steele/Whomes.
- A single call from a phone box to Nicholls. This could create the impression there's some connection between the two gangs and call boxes are being used to avoid leaving an electronic footprint coz Steele/Whomes are planning ahead .....
- Numerous calls between Nicholls, Steele and Whomes on their respective mobiles but no calls between the aforementioned Rolfe, Tait and Tucker.
- Last known effective call taken by murdered trio 6.44pm to Tait from Sarah Saunders and an assumed tod based on this call with the call from Whomes to Nicholls calling up the knackered old Passat as the getaway car 8(>((
- Calls made by Steele/Whomes whilst in the vicinity of the soc at around the time it is thought the trio were murdered based on the above.
If I was a judge or juror on the face of it the above is pretty damn compelling coupled with much made of the dodgy batch of cannabis and Sarah Saunders advising Steele that Tate was talking about sending him up north albeit I believe Sarah Saunders (and Barry Dorman?) were witnesses for the defence and both said they didn't believe there was any ill feeling between Steele/Tait.
As far as I can see the defence didn't use any cell site data it merely attempted to defend like the worst Italian football teams instead of coming out attacking fast and hard like the best ManU teams with style and flair 8(>((
We know the 2 gangs had contact over drug deals so I would like to see the phone records over a much longer period of time. I would also like to see cell site data for the whole 36 period before the murdered trio were found for Rolfe, Tate, Tucker, Nicholls, Steele and Whomes to plot their movements geographically.
I would not trust the police in this case period as we know corruption was involved to some degree. I would want to obtain info direct from tel comm companies and instruct experts to examine all the phones to ensure no foul play/tampering etc by police.
As the phones were referred to at trial (exhibits) do they still exist for further investigation?
A picture paints a thousand words and the picture above is a work of art. I simply don't believe that it could be that perfect ie a masterpiece totally flawless! 8(0(*
I don't think jurors were daft enough to totally buy into Nicholls testimony. Imo it was the phone evidence that sent Steele/Whomes down.
Apologies I haven't had time to reply to the posts above yet.Many thanks for the heads up Holly. The Daniel Morgan case looks very interesting.
Meanwhile I would just like to highlight the following docu as imo the Rettendon Murders probably involve high level corruption:
https://www.channel4.com/press/news/murder-carpark-explores-1987-murder-daniel-morgan-most-investigated-unsolved-murder