Opium Poppies Grown at WHF?

[Holly Goodhead]

David the question I'm asking is that most heroin that ends up in UK comes from places like Afghanistan, S.E Asia and S.America.  What are the reasons for this?  Geography in terms of climate etc good for producing and/or governments ineffectual in keeping law and order?  Why isn't heroin produced in UK or N.Europe?  We know climate etc will sustain opium poppies so I guess the reason it isn't is that the authorities would soon be alerted to and close down with growers charged if it could be proved they intended to produce heroin. 

Cannabis plants can be grown indoors. 

[Holly Goodhead]

Seriously Holly, you don't really believe this?

As far as I can see the existence of the opium poppies, JB's comments on 7th Aug and Dr Craig and Chief Supt Harris viewing them on 7th Aug haven't been fully explained.  The idea mooted above is one of many possibilities. 

[Caroline]

As far as I can see the existence of the opium poppies, JB's comments on 7th Aug and Dr Craig and Chief Supt Harris viewing them on 7th Aug haven't been fully explained.  The ideas mooted above are one of many possibilities.

I guess they haven't been explained because they are immaterial.

[Holly Goodhead]

I guess they haven't been explained because they are immaterial.

How do we know they are immaterial and who decides what's material and what isn't? 

[Holly Goodhead]

https://www.livescience.com/59452-why-opium-is-grown-outside-us.html

The above may well provide the answers as to why opium poppies are not grown in so-called lawful countries even though the geography would permit the plants to thrive.   

[Holly Goodhead]

Nah!

Any particular reasons why?

[Caroline]

Any particular reasons why?

I  could understand Mike coming up with this but not you. Take a step back!

It's a lot easier to grow drugs in the remote areas of Afganistan (heroin) and somewhere like Columbia (coke), but it's a bit different when talking about a working farm in the middle of the Essex countryside. I'm sure it was checked out at the time and being unrelated to the murders, wasn't ever part of the case other than Jeremy's dramatic venture into the field to fake being sick.

[Holly Goodhead]

I  could understand Mike coming up with this but not you. Take a step back!

It's a lot easier to grow drugs in the remote areas of Afganistan (heroin) and somewhere like Columbia (coke), but it's a bit different when talking about a working farm in the middle of the Essex countryside.  I'm sure it was checked out at the time and being unrelated to the murders, wasn't ever part of the case other than Jeremy's dramatic venture into the field to fake being sick.

When you say the drug is much easier to grow in the remote areas of Afghanistan I assume you mean illegally as opposed to horticulturally?

I guess if UK drug cartels could procure opium in the UK it would be an attractive proposition in terms of reduced risk and higher profits.  The problem being unlike largely lawless countries associated with opium production: Afghanistan, S.America and S.E Asia, the UK authorities would soon home in on criminals buying up farm land for opium production. 

Other than the fact it appears opium poppies were growing at the farm it appears little else is known so can't really rule anything in or out. The most senior officer present at soc on 7th Aug was led to believe opium poppies were growing at WHF for the pharma industry.  He took it upon himself to view them and noted such in his WS.  If it was some cock n bull story dreamt up by JB then I would have expected this to come up at trial as it showed him less than straight forward. 

Many of the historic cases of child sex abuse were perpetuated on the basis that the perps standing afforded him (all him so far) a cover.  They were untouchable and the victims' claims dismissed when some dared speak up. 

One only has to listen to BW's fawning about 'Mr Bamber' to see how easy NB could fall under the radar.  BW referred to NB as the squire of the manor.  Who would suspect the squire, church warden, magistrate, Tory?

It seems to me the possibility is dismissed based on a perception of NB rather than the outcome of an investigation:

Did EP ask to see the licence which JB claims the farm had?
What happened to the poppies JB picked?
What happened to the poppies growing at WHF?
Were the poppies forensically analysed to determine species? 

[adam]

I'm sure a lot of things are a lot easier to do in 'remote areas of Afghanistan'.

[Holly Goodhead]

I'm sure a lot of things are a lot easier to do in 'remote areas of Afghanistan'.

WHF was hardly Piccadilly Circus.  The dogs would be alert/bark at visitors.

[Holly Goodhead]

I've never really taken much notice of talk about threats to NB but I understand this was claimed somewhere?

Also I believe NB was on the phone talking to someone and said to the person present something like 'those two are  nasty pieces of work'?  Then there was all the doom and gloom stuff reported by BW about how NB feared for his life and had great problems.  Did someone make threats about a decision NB made in his role as magistrate?  This was before a security alarm was installed at WHF? 

[Holly Goodhead]

They could well have had a home office license to grow it.

MSL is the only company to currently hold a licence to manufacture opium derivatives in the UK. The Home Office has informed the OFT that it would be willing to issue a manufacturing licence to another company, which met the relevant security requirements. However it is not aware of any company which has attempted to gain a manufacturing licence in recent years or has indicated a desire to do so in the future.
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140402195904/http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/reports/consumer_protection/oft834.pdf

It does not mention it could never have been done prior.

I doubt Nevill was some Heroin kingpin

On what basis?

[APRIL]

I've never really taken much notice of talk about threats to NB but I understand this was claimed somewhere?

Also I believe NB was on the phone talking to someone and said to the person present something like 'those two are  nasty pieces of work'?  Then there was all the doom and gloom stuff reported by BW about how NB feared for his life and had great problems.  Did someone make threats about a decision NB made in his role as magistrate?  This was before a security alarm was installed at WHF?

And the time Nevill broke down and cried after Jeremy launched a particularly vicious verbal attack on him. I think it's long been established that there were no security alarms installed at WHF prior to the murders. If Nevill had been under serious threat -or at least one which was being taken seriously- there would have been alarms installed in every room in the house where entry could be gained from outside, however, from what my magistrate friend tells me, threats tend to be par for the course and protection isn't routinely afforded to JP's, whilst it is for high court judges.

[Holly Goodhead]

And the time Nevill broke down and cried after Jeremy launched a particularly vicious verbal attack on him. I think it's long been established that there were no security alarms installed at WHF prior to the murders. If Nevill had been under serious threat -or at least one which was being taken seriously- there would have been alarms installed in every room in the house where entry could be gained from outside, however, from what my magistrate friend tells me, threats tend to be par for the course and protection isn't routinely afforded to JP's, whilst it is for high court judges.

Remind please who witnessed this episode?

[APRIL]

Remind please who witnessed this episode?

Nevill's best friend.