Could be right Scipio, but JB had to give a reason for handling the gun hence the 'Shooting Rabbits' scenario...true or not. It's JB that also states that he returned to house between 8.9 pm "I was popping in and out between loads from combining the rape seed". Neville was seen about 9.00 pm in the yard by Phillip Wilson.
who states NB looked tired but calm, yet 1/2 hour later at 9.30 pm Phillip's mother BW states that NB was short with her on the phone and she thought there was an argument going on in the house. JB states he asked his father to collect the last load of bale from field, was this what the argument was about as you suggest! JB then states he left the house not saying goodbye to anyone. A neighbour heard his car roar off around 9.30 pm. So around the same time of BW's phone call.
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The gun was never stored loaded. Many people would not buy that Sheila went to the closet to get the gun and to load it let alone that she went and got it and loaded it while arguing with Nevill and that Nevill did nothing to take the weapon as she was loading it. It takes 2 hands to load a magazine she would have to put the weapon down where it could be grabbed.
Jeremy's made up tale of getting the gun out to go after rabbits, loading it in the kitchen leaving the extra ammunition by the phone, and then leaving the gun out as well as the fully loaded magazine and bullets was simply a way to deal with this problem.
His made up tale of the gun being left out with a loaded magazine eliminates the need for Sheila to go to the closet to get the weapon out and the need for her to load the magazine thus giving Nevill the opportunity to safely disarm her. He even provided an ammunition source for her to reload from instead of having to go to the closet to look for ammo.
Instead of making up that he loaded the gun in the office then ran outside, he made up the extra step of taking the ammunition into the kitchen to load it there by the phone. This takes extra time and makes no sense at all. He made up this just to pretend that there was a supply to reload from and during or after the murders the staged bullets to support this lie. The notion June saw them during the phone conversation and left them there is nonsense. He botched this planting of evidence by leaving too many bullets though. He said the box was near full or full he could not remember which but knew it had already been opened. If full that means 50 rounds. 25 were used in the murders so no more than 25 should have remained if his story were true yet 30 were in the kitchen. This proves his tale was a lie and that he staged them.
So at its core his lie was to suggest Sheila got mad and grabbed a loaded weapon of opportunity that was lying around and an extra ammunition supply nearby as well. In addition this lie accounted for any prints that might be found on the shell casings and weapon but he already had an excuse for his prints being on the weapon since he used it prior. Moreso this would be in case any prints were on the casings. The last main value is that he described how he left the gun- without the scope and without the moderator. By saying this was how he left it out and this is the state in which it was found police did not even consider whether there had been a moderator or scope.
The gun was stored with the scope and moderator attached and that is also how it was always used. Had Jeremy actually gone to the closet to get the weapon to go after rabbits that is how he would have found it. He removed the scope himself in anticipation of committing the murders because the scope would inhibit accurate aiming at close quarters. He used the moderator then removed it and put it away and made up that it was not attached so police would not suspect it even existed let alone was used.
