How can you be so sure, Parky?
Jodi's body was found 16.3m from the V point - that's 53.5 feet. Luke said the search party had passed the V point and he'd gone "a few yards ... not even twenty yards" (roughly 50 feet maximum) ... about 10 or fifteen feet ..." when the dog reacted on the path side. Kelly and Janine didn't say how far past the V point the dog reacted, only that she did, and they continued on down the path while Luke doubled back - they were, they said, brought running back to the V point when Luke called out that he thought there was something there.
So no-one, anywhere, ever (except for the prosecutor in grand theatrical style at trial) suggested the dog reacted 40 or 50 feet past the V break. But it's not irrelevant if the dog reacted 10 - 15 feet past the V - in fact, that tallies with what the Janine, Kelly and Luke all said in their initial statements - the gran couldn't say either way because she'd fallen a little behind the others and didn't see what the dog did. But that also tallies with the stories that Luke handed the dog's lead to Alice (who was behind him and therefore closest to the V) and the others carried on down the path.
Luke said the search party had passed the V point and he'd gone "a few yards ... not even twenty yards" (roughly 50 feet maximum)
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Take a good look at this from SL: Ignore the 16.3 meters, it should have been 13.6. Which is fine, the odd thing about it however is that figure in feet should be well implanted in ones mind. These details are very important. However we have Luke's first statement, that verbatim used. "a few yards...not even twenty yards" But of the 50ft maximum. Now with the 13.6 meters it is 44ft. So not at the maximum given of 50ft. Then she cleverly and intentionally drops in this 10-15ft. Not full verbatim, not part of the first account and not from LM. Lots of missing parts and..... - stop and - when the dog reacted on the path side. And of Kelly and Janine not saying how far past the V point the dog reacted - stop - only that she did. How clever is this worded. As they did not say the dog had "reacted" first of all, and they most definitely gave no indication of it, them and LM doing anything passed this V. Nothing at all at this point, from those first statements, no estimates of how many feet passed and so forth - for they did not. And of they continued down this path while Luke doubled back - wrong again. Luke claimed to double back not the trio. And onto the truthful part - that they did run back when Luke shouted out.
Then to the theatrics of the prosecution - Of this 40-50ft past the V - as LM used yards, but as Ms Lean already highlighted - no more that 50ft with LM's estimate of how far he had went. Then, so it is relevant to the Crowns case if it had been 40-50ft passed the V that he was lying as this is not where the search party or the dog were. But highlights that if the dog had reacted say 10-15ft passed the V then it is not irrelevant, note the IF, as LM did not say this. - and skips to tying it in with Janine and Kelly. As they did say in their initial statements that they had walked around 10-15ft passed this V break. But this extract from their statement is taken from after LM went over the V break, that they then continued down the path, that they had walked no more that around 10 -15ft when they ran back to the V after LM shouted out.
So again - note that wording, "Kelly and Janine didn't say how far past the V point the dog reacted" as they did not say at all, of them being past the V at this point. Not asked how far past as there was nothing to ask. They were not asked how far at this point as they gave no indication of being past it. And onto "only that she did" - Only that she, the dog had did something.
And this is how I am sure. That minute area of verbatim used from LM's statement, which has to be used, as it was used against him. Not one estimate of feet past this V from the search trio at this point as they were not past the V. None of them. Neither did DF manage to pull up anything from their statements to suggest they had indicated even 1.2 or 3 ft passed this V break. - only that he tried to pick up on them mentioning about the dog pulling at the V and of standing up at it. Of the change from this to saying it was LM who led his dog to the V. That the dog was standing directly next to this V, the left and of it's head being level with said V.
And the last part of it tallies with the stories that Luke handed the dog's lead to Alice. Stories, see, one has to say this as we know that JaJ, AW and Luke gave an account of the lead being handed to Alice. This is one of those clearest points that we can see of manipulation, of attempting to tie in this 10-15ft in reference to walking past, as she states they then continued to walk down this path - but we know this is demonstrably wrong as one could not see the lead being handed over, or the dog pulling at this V, nor the dog standing up at the V and of LM turning to his left. - and that AW was a couple of ft behind - all in sequence. They stopped at the V, AW right behind them. Looking to the side rather than to her front.? And they watch LM going over, and they see which way he turned - and they only then continue to walk, and this is were they were asked and gave that estimate - of around 10-15ft when he shouted out. That they then ran back to this V and LM was yet again on the other side.
And that he did clarify this more - that he drew this diagram for his Flo of X marks the spot. And he did use that word "parallel" to where Jodi lay. So from that first to clarification, LM most definitely did, dig that hole deeper. He was not just saying past, nor staying 10-15ft. He used yards not feet. LM from the off was given that distinct impression, that they had been at the spot where Jodi lay on the woodside and further clarified this - he was not saying exactly as in given the correct measurements. He had not measured how far down from this V he had left her hidden - but he most definitely was given enough distance, by that estimate of "a few yards....not even twenty yards" Then his diagram to show them exactly where he meant.
And from this we can tell the search trio where being honest from the off. That LM had climbed the wall where a few stones are missing along the top (Gino). That they came to another break in the wall, this time down the way (V) That upon reaching here, they mentioned the dog, they mentioned of him again looking into the woodland, by accessing it fully. That after he started to walk to his left, that AW remained at this V. That they (SK and JaJ) had walked a few feet, around 10 not more than 15 when LM shouted out.
Therefore, yes the whole scenario is completely relevant. From leading them to the path. From introducing the woodland at the Gino spot. And from the lies LM told. That complete contrast in accounts. That everything that LM claimed, about where they were, of choosing those words, led to Jodi, alerted to Jodi, air sniffing and so forth - where lies. There was no alert from his dog to where Jodi was. Neither him, the search party or his dog, were where he claimed them to be.
And he did enter this woodland with ease, no trepidation, no unfamiliarity - straight to the point.