Could the Rettendon Two be a potential MoJ.

[Holly Goodhead]

Other Snippets from the poster on the other forum.  I say snippets because he has a track record of posting snippets from documents which for some unknown reason he posts in red!

"He was asked about question 9 on page 7 where he was told he was going to be arrested for possession of a shotgun found in his house. He told you he had known the previous owner of the house who was an aging gentleman who had gone senile and could not help himself. He remembered a similar situation in 1970 when he had found premises for another person. That person had purchased the premises and in the renovation people came across a very old gun in the loft.

Steele thought it could be a similar situation here when the shotgun was put to him in May. Therefore he was of the opinion that the gun was obviously not connected with the Rettendon killings in 1995. He did not know where they said the shotgun was found but he knew it was found under a board. He had also done an extension to part of the property that had a flat roof. He thought there was no way the gun would have been found in any part of the building that he had renovated. He did not ask where the gun had been found or tell his solicitor to ask the police where it had been found. He said the old gentleman could have hidden the gun."

In this regard jurors obviously believed Steele, or couldn't reach the threshold 'beyond reasonable doubt', since they found him not guilty of possession of a pump-action shotgun.

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2006/195.html

"We have the contrast there of course between Nicholls' evidence that he had his mobile with him whenever he was at work and Steele's evidence that that call was made but the person he spoke to was not Nicholls but a total stranger"

I've no idea how the above implicates Steele/Whomes?  On the day of the murders Nicholls claimed he was working in or around Heathrow.  Where's the cell site analysis for all the mobile calls Nicholls made and received on 6th Dec from midnight to midnight?

The prosecution alleges the killings took place between 6.45pm and 7pm on December 6.

However, Mrs Stambrook testified that Steele was at his home in St Mary's Road, Great Bentley, Essex, at 7.30pm that night. She told the court she was considering buying his bungalow. Steele had invited them to look around it. She added: "When we arrived they were having a celebration. They had signed a contract that day for a new property and we had champagne.''

But Andrew Munday, QC, prosecuting, revealed Steele's defence team did not ask Mrs Stambrook to give evidence until March this year. And in a police statement she made this month, Mrs Stambrook stated it was Steele's solicitor who told her the night of her visit was December 6.

He continued: "Let's say he spoke to you on March 1. If I had asked you on February 28 on what date you went round to see Mr Steele what would you have said?" Mrs Stambrook replied: "I would have said I can't recall."

Assuming the above is correct it would obviously depend on how the defence was able to jog Mrs Stambrook's memory.  If they put to her the atrocious weather conditions, something Nicholls did not mention in his police interviews or wit stats, then her testimony re Steele's whereabouts on night of 6th Dec might be reliable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOb7ksC-NJ8

[Holly Goodhead]

I'm wondering if the poster on the other forum, who was at one time a member here, might post in Red as deep down he yearns to renew his membership to the Red forum 

[Holly Goodhead]

The poster on the other forum appears to be offering up some very poor quality arguments...

In response to the following he responded:

Amazing that witnesses take notice & remember what a vehicle looked like, as well as that it was with another vehicle.

I couldn't even remember the colour of the last taxi I got in, let alone take notice & remember vehicles which are noting to do with me.

Poster From Other Forum

Since the massacre was all over the news the following day, it would stay with you if you were in the area.

My Response

All the research/evidence shows eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable:

https://www.thoughtco.com/eyewitness-testimony-and-memory-250498

[Holly Goodhead]

Poster From Other Forum

Steele invents a story for the shotgun being found in the loft without being told it was found in the loft and neither did he ask whereabouts they had found it. This shows he knew all about the shotgun and the whole story is a lie. Much like the defence he later put together

"Furthermore, the complete failure of Steele and Whomes to make any mention to the police of the detailed accounts which they were later to give, which entirely exonerated them from participation in the murder – and indeed the importations of cannabis - was plainly capable of being a matter from which an adverse inference could be drawn."

"He was taken through his interviews in May 1996…. He said he could have said where he was on 6th December at any time in those times when he was in custody. He chose not to because he was given legal advice not to. It was put to him that the real reason was that he had not invented his defence yet."

Considering they seized large quantities of cannabis at Whomes address and credit card statements with corroborating hotel check ins show Steele making short trips to Amsterdam. Why bother denying the charges? Did they actually think they would be acquitted or did they have enough brain cells between them to work out that the cannabis imports show the prosecutions motive for the killings?

Steele is not as smart as he thinks he is. Its a pity Steeles trail testimony was never posted online. It would be a right chuckle to read hence it was never posted in the first place.

My Response

But you are?  We have enough to chuckle over with your posts 

Steele was a career criminal.  A fact he did not hide from jurors:

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.

Afaik Steele's previous does not involve any sort of aggression/violence or dealing in class A drugs/cocaine.  It would be unusual, although probably not unheard of, for a career criminal 55 yoa to suddenly decide to murder not just one individual but 3 especially when there does not appear to be any motive.  The dodgy batch of cannabis was sorted to everyone's satisfaction. 

No one is saying these people were law abiding citizens.  They most definitely were not but that does not mean they were responsible for the murders.  How does the importation of cannabis show the prosecutions motive for murder? 

[Holly Goodhead]

Post From Poster On Other Forum

Unlike rifles and pistols, Shot guns cannot be forensically linked to the bullets they fire since they are smooth bore.  :(

Even if it was not the massacre gun. What is he doing with one? His previous convictions would have precluded him from getting it legally and neither was he the member of a shooting club. I can only deduce that he had if for bad intentions.

In my opinion It is a myth that Whomes and Steele were convicted on the word of Darren Nicholls. What convicted them was thier own inconsistent versions of events and the excuses they came up with to cover thier web of lies. This only made Darren Nicholls seem even more credible in contrast. If anyone tries to discredit Darren Nicholls I suggest they look at Whomes and Steeles side of the story. Then they can get a good idea of who is being truthfull and who isnt.

My Response

There is a lot of unease in the legal profession about these convictions and I'm confident that it will be... the next big miscarriage of justice.  Trevor Linn, Solicitor

So much hinges on what he (Nicholls) said. You must bear in mind it was in his own interest to become a prosecution witness  Mr Justice Hidden, Trial Judge

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1282780.stm

Corry/Steele/Whomes were on trial for importation of cannabis on 15th Aug, 3rd Oct and 7/8 Nov '95. Steele/Whomes were also on trial for murder and Steele illegal possession of a shotgun.  The 3 were found guilty of the former.  Steele/Whomes were found guilty of the murders with Steele acquitted of the latter.

Nicholls was also charged with drugs importations.  On 26 July 1996 he was committed to the Crown Court and on 16 August 1996 he pleaded guilty. Sentence was adjourned until after the trial of Steele, Whomes and Corry. In due course, Nicholls received a lenient sentence reflecting the assistance he had given.

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2006/195.html

However the drugs importations did not stop post murders.   Nicholls was stopped by police May '96 and found with a large quantity of cannabis in the boot of his car following two further drugs importations during April and May '96.  This obviously led to Nicholls arrest and subsequently the arrest of the above.  However Steele (and I believe Corry, Nicholls and Whomes) was not tried with his co-accused. The co-accused being Tate's brother, Russell Tate, along with others.

http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/format.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2000/70.html

https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Easy+money+of+drugs+costs+friends+30+months.-a060696603

Why waste tax-payers money having 3 separate trials?  Why indeedy  Why...because had jurors and possibly judge too heard about the ongoing involvement of Nicholls and Tate's brother, Russell Tate, in Steele's drugs importation scheme post murders they may not have been so ready to believe Nicholls! 

[Holly Goodhead]

From The Poster On The Other Forum:

In my opinion It is a myth that Whomes and Steele were convicted on the word of Darren Nicholls. What convicted them was thier own inconsistent versions of events and the excuses they came up with to cover thier web of lies. This only made Darren Nicholls seem even more credible in contrast. If anyone tries to discredit Darren Nicholls I suggest they look at Whomes and Steeles side of the story. Then they can get a good idea of who is being truthfull and who isnt.

My Response

At trial Nicholls and the prosecution successfully portrayed Nicholls as distancing himself from Steele/Whomes post murders.  This could not be further from the truth.  In reality what happened was that it was 'business as usual' with Nicholls, Steele and Whomes all carrying on with the drugs importation scheme along with Tate's brother, Russell Tate. 

[Holly Goodhead]

From The Poster On The Other Forum

Besides, Steele only ended up on the police radar because Rolfe told his GF that they were all going to remote field that night with Steele to rehearse a drug robbery. The fact they were all found dead in a field except for Steele made Steele their prime suspect.

The police were able to compile enough evidence to arrest them before Nicholls cracked. If Rolfe had not revealed the details of their plans to other people, its very possible the crime may never have been solved.

My Response

Rolfe's GF made a tearful news appeal for help a day or so after the murders:

"Donna Jaggers, aged 27, Rolfe's common law wife, broke down as she pleaded for information at a press conference yesterday. The couple have a six-year-old daughter. Rolfe was last seen at 6pm on Wednesday".

https://www.theguardian.com/fromthearchive/story/0,,1715361,00.html

If she knew Rolfe was off to meet 'Mickey the pilot' then why did it take her months to reveal this to police in a WS and why did it then take police a further 2 months to arrest Steele?  Steele was arrested after Nicholls was arrested with a boot load of cannabis.

http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=6020.msg508993#msg508993

Donna Jaggers had many reasons to want to ingratiate herself with police eg several council properties in her name one of which was found to contain a machine gun in the loft!

Why would anyone think it a good idea to recce a field for a potential landing strip when it was covered in snow ,which would cause the landscape to completely change shape, and during the hours of darkness.   Why choose a location close to main roads, shooting range, hills, fishing lakes, residential homes and many other types of property and South Woodham police station!? 

[Holly Goodhead]

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

[Holly Goodhead]

From The Poster On The Other Forum:

Judges summing up -

"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."

Darren Nicholls -

"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."


8 shots were fired but only 7 cartriges found, all 7 cartriges from the same type of gun. Where was the 8th cartridge? If Micks gun broke apart after he shot one of them, he wont be able to reload it nor would he bother trying. The 8th cartridge remained in Micks weapon that he took from the scene.

Once again it can be deduced that Darren Nicholls knows things only the killers would know.

As for Adams question about the gun in the loft being the same type used in the killing. The answer is almost certainly no. If it broke then I cant see him keeping it.

Considering there was three gunshot wounds to Tuckers head and two to Rolfes head. There is an element of overkill. Its most likely that Whomes used a pump action with a 6 round capacity tube plus one round already chambered and just kept shooting until he was out.  Much like in this film scene.

https://streamable.com/s5oyw

I guess Micks gun falling apart would have spoiled the film somewhat

My Response

The poster has recently stated:

"Unlike rifles and pistols, Shot guns cannot be forensically linked to the bullets they fire since they are smooth bore".

Not all shotguns are smooth bore.  In any event there are other ways to link spent cartridges with firearms eg firing pin impressions as happened in this case hence the expert was able to say all 7 spent cartridges came from the same firearm having examined them microscopically,  The fact the 8th spent cartridge was not found is not evidence of 2 shooters with 2 separate firearms.  The expert said in all probability the shotgun used a large capacity magazine although he could not rule out a lesser capacity magazine. 

The 8th spent cartridge may have ended up anywhere inside or outside the vehicle.  Men are not known for their thoroughness in looking for small items       

There's zero evidence Steele or Whomes possessed the necessary skills to fire off those shots in very quick succession through narrow spaces ie headrests and car seats in poor lighting.  All the evidence points to someone highly trained eg serving or former military or police personnel.

What evidence did Nicholls provide that he could only have obtained from the perps?  The fact he said a gun broke upon firing does not make it a fact nor does it implicate Steele/Whomes or anyone else. 

[Holly Goodhead]

The poster from the other forum said in his opinion:

Considering there was three gunshot wounds to Tuckers head and two to Rolfes head. There is an element of overkill. Its most likely that Whomes used a pump action with a 6 round capacity tube plus one round already chambered and just kept shooting until he was out.  Much like in this film scene.

https://streamable.com/s5oyw

Was there an element of overkill?  The expert evidence states Tucker sustained 3 gsw's all of which were fatal.   Rolfe sustained 2 gsw's of which 1 was fatal and possibly the 2nd too.  Tate sustained 3 gsw's 2 of which were fatal and 1 superficial.  This does not seem to be overkill.  More likely the perp wanted to esnure the 3 were dead to prevent them living to tell the tale and possibly to put them quickly out of any misery.  He/she was hardly likely to check for life afterwards and bearing in mind the lighting was poor. 

[Holly Goodhead]

The expert was unable to say whether 1 gsw sustained by Tate then went on to hit Tucker but he thought it unlikely and gave his reasons why.  If a gsw sustained by Tucker came from Tate this would mean only 7 cartridges were fired.   

The expert also said based on his findings at soc he believed each of the murdered trio sustained a disabling shot before the other shots were fired. 

[Chud]

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..

[Holly Goodhead]

Nicholls made a call to his voicemail at that time.. serviced through the Rettendon Cell tower..

  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! 

[Holly Goodhead]

Post from poster on the other forum

This is a facebook post from Bernard O'Mahoney  in 2015.

“I have until now been unable to comment on the comments made since the release of Essex Boys the truth. This is because I was contracted to refrain from doing so until I spoke to a national newspaper.I had to laugh at the sad act who last night was asking people to post bad reviews on Amazon, 9 responded. Do you honestly think I am concerned where I am in the Amazon ratings? You wouldn't know this but books are sold in bulk to chain stores, hence the book is currently number one in crime sales. I am no longer involved in crime and am proud of that fact, I am an author that writes about matters that I believe in. For twenty years I did my best to get two convicted murderers out of prison. I knew that they were guilty but I felt one, Jack Whomes had been duped and did not deserve to be in there. All the clowns on here who talk the gangster shite, how many hours have you dedicated to to doing anything you believe in? Justice no longer exists in this country, its a game. the police chose to let Darren Nicholls walk away from a charge of triple murder, how is that right? Based on the twisted logic of the police I felt no guilt when attempting to help Whomes. However, after twenty years the task became futile as we were damaging the very people we set out to protect. As Jack Whomes father lay on his deathbed he asked his son if he was guilty and Jack assured him that he was not. Isn't a dying man entitled to the truth? Chris Bowen, a solicitor who worked for nothing for 16 years eventually suffered a breakdown because he firmly believed Steele and Whomes were innocent. A life ruined, isn't he entitled to the truth? When Steele sued the prison service for pain caused by a tooth ache he was awarded £44.500 in damages. He thought he was really clever until the authorities informed him that he now had too much money to be entitled to legal aid. So, he now sits in prison with no grounds of appeal, no solicitor and no chance of release until he admits his guilt. As recently as Friday Jacks mother was on tv saying her son is innocent, she `knows` it because he would never lie to her. Isn't that poor woman entitled to the truth? The freedom campaign has become a complete joke and all concerned need a line to drawn in the sand. As for the idiots claiming there is nothing new in my book, Nicholls is as guilty as Steele and Whomes yet walks in our midst a free man. Tate threatening to kill his mother, proof Nicholls is guilty of murder, the meadow road phone signal, the full length shotgun etc...etc...For the person who claims the film description of the murders varies to my book, it would do, the film description of the murders comes from John Whomes account, my book is my account based on scientific evidence. the internet has permitted a lot of nobodies to have opinions about matters they know very little about. Unlike the masses I spent two decades trying to assist Whomes, I consider it to be damaging now and so I have chosen to call time on what has become a charade. I appreciate ROTFS fans will be upset that the truth doesnt contain their hero, I appreciate all you clowns who have told mates you know who really did it now have egg on your faces, but look, all is not lost. Get a clean hanky, get yourself down your local cinema on the 11th, book a seat in the back row and wank over your hero and yet another fictitious film filled with bullshit until your satisfied. I am on holiday from tomorrow but will be returning after Christmas. Pop over to Conroys page in the meantime and ask him about todays judgement regarding his complaint/legal action over my lies? Clown.”

My Rseponse

Why would anyone be seriously interested in O'Mahoney's views?  Why would anyone deem them anymore relevant than say anyone who contributes to this thread or the poster on the other forum? 

It seems to me O'Mahoney's number one objective is to produce books and films about crime in Essex that earn him a living?  He doesn't have any expertise in anything crime related nor has he ever been a serving police officer.

A lot of journalists/authors are incredibly lazy and/or incompetent.  A classic example is Tony Thompson (who wrote Bloggs 19) who also wrote the following article for the Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/apr/16/tonythompson.theobserver

In the article above he states there's much evidence Kenneth Noye was behind the murder of John Marshall who sold Noye a car with false papers which Noye was driving when he murdered Stephen Cameron.  And yet the most basic Google searches will reveal John Marshall was murdered 15th/16th May.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7Y5T2UI4gA

And Stephen Cameron was murdered on 19th May. 

There's more evidence Noye was psychologically disturbed eg anxious, fearful over Nicholls revelations to the police on 14th May about police corruption and when Stephen Cameron's van, driven by his fiancee appeared to cut Noye up, he over-reacted thinking it was someone onto him. 

[Holly Goodhead]

Tony Thompson has completely overlooked the fact John Marshall went missing on 15th May.  The police/scientific evidence reveals he died 15th/16th May.  His body was found in his Range Rover on 22nd May.  Stephen Cameron was murdered on 19th May. 

Imo there's some evidence the murder of John Marshall was related to the murders of Rolfe, Tate and Tucker and carried out by the same individual(s).  This obviously precludes Steele and Whomes since they were in police custody when Marshall was murdered.