PC Bird - description of gun cupboard

[Kaldin]

PC Bird made a COLP statement in 1991 about the photographs he took on 7th August 1985. In that statement he said that the stairs leading up to the upstairs office were waist high in papers and suitcases. He also said that the gun cupboard under those stairs had a lot of stuff in front of it. That would suggest to me that the gun cupboard was not very accessible. Nobody else mentioned this, and I'm wondering if it's signficant.

http://jeremybamberforum.co.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1721.0;attach=8312;image

http://jeremybamberforum.co.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1721.0;attach=8313;image

[guest7363]

PC Bird made a COLP statement in 1991 about the photographs he took on 7th August 1985. In that statement he said that the stairs leading up to the upstairs office were waist high in papers and suitcases. He also said that the gun cupboard under those stairs had a lot of stuff in front of it. That would suggest to me that the gun cupboard was not very accessible. Nobody else mentioned this, and I'm wondering if it's signficant.

http://jeremybamberforum.co.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1721.0;attach=8312;image

http://jeremybamberforum.co.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1721.0;attach=8313;image

Thanks Kaldin, I understand there was four people present when the silencer was found at the back of the cupboard, bear in mind Bamber had  unscrewed the silencer off the rifle, two to three times during the week?  How has it got to the back?

[Kaldin]

Thanks Kaldin, I understand there was four people present when the silencer was found at the back of the cupboard, bear in mind Bamber had  unscrewed the silencer off the rifle, two to three times during the week?  How has it got to the back?

None of them mentioned having to move a load of stuff before they could get to the gun cupboard, which I find odd.

If there was a load of stuff in front of it, that would suggest that perhaps the gun cupboard wasn't in use as much as has been implied, and I also wonder about the silencer being at the back of the cupboard. Whichever way you look at it, either Jeremy or Sheila would have had to tread on a lot of stuff to even get to the cupboard.

[Kaldin]

Just as an aside, where did Barbara Wilson actually work? Not in the downstairs "den", and it sounds like the upstairs office wasn't very accessible and was full of old papers and stuff.

[lookout]

Thanks Kaldin, I understand there was four people present when the silencer was found at the back of the cupboard, bear in mind Bamber had  unscrewed the silencer off the rifle, two to three times during the week?  How has it got to the back?

Knowing how untidy the place was he probably just threw it in.

[lookout]

Nothing seemed organised or " in its place ".

[Kaldin]

Nothing seemed organised or " in its place ".

Indeed. I know the feeling because there's always stuff in my house which needs to be sorted. That's the trouble when you have spare rooms or stairs - they become "storage" places. 

I was under the impression though that Nevill was always careful to put guns away in the cupboard, but now it sounds like the den was also untidy and the cupboard was blocked by stuff.

[Kaldin]

It would be interesting to know if the gun cupboard habitually had stuff in front of it. I'm just wondering if the stuff could have been put there to give the impression that the cupboard wasn't really used much, so there was less chance of it being searched.

[David1819]

The gun cupboard was photographed by Bird that very morning.

[lookout]

Indeed. I know the feeling because there's always stuff in my house which needs to be sorted. That's the trouble when you have spare rooms or stairs - they become "storage" places. 

I was under the impression though that Nevill was always careful to put guns away in the cupboard, but now it sounds like the den was also untidy and the cupboard was blocked by stuff.

You've only to look where the phone was " hidden "-----between magazines.

[Kaldin]

The gun cupboard was photographed by Bird that very morning.

David, I think that's a photograph from later on.

[Kaldin]

You've only to look where the phone was " hidden "-----between magazines.

I've never approved of the word "hidden" being used re that phone. It was probably put there and then more magazines were dumped on top.

[David1819]

David, I think that's a photograph from later on.

No. It was taken on the 7th. The photo taken later on is below

[gringo]

PC Bird made a COLP statement in 1991 about the photographs he took on 7th August 1985. In that statement he said that the stairs leading up to the upstairs office were waist high in papers and suitcases. He also said that the gun cupboard under those stairs had a lot of stuff in front of it. That would suggest to me that the gun cupboard was not very accessible. Nobody else mentioned this, and I'm wondering if it's signficant.

http://jeremybamberforum.co.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1721.0;attach=8312;image

http://jeremybamberforum.co.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1721.0;attach=8313;image

   It is definitely significant, Kaldin. It is discussed here: http://jeremybamberforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,9559.30.html

   Photographs of the gun cupboard were taken by Bird. The negative strips which include said pictures have been cut and removed sometime between 2001 and 2012. Full strips of negatives had been cut into partial and sliced strips by 2012. The strips were tampered with on several occasions by EP with more being removed each time. The number of negatives dwindling each time some expert inspected them on behalf of the defence. Peter Sutherst was one of the experts. Prior to each visit, EP have cut and removed negatives.
   The following, absolute gem of a quote regarding this issue, reveals the mendacity around this case:

   "As stated above, on the occasions when the negative strips have been cut short, the subject matter(with the exception of the gun cupboard) is not of significance to the issues which may affect the safety of the conviction."

   Parse that statement.
   No explanation is offered as to how the CCRC managed to conclude that negatives that they hadn't seen were of no significance. No explanation given by EP for unprecedented tampering with evidence on an ongoing basis over years. Each time a defence expert inspected the slides pertaining to some upcoming appeal/submission, EP had "curated" the negatives prior to the visit. The number of negatives was reduced every time they were inspected.
   Where the issues were so glaring that even gatekeepers like the CCRC couldn't completely ignore it, they stick an admission into brackets whilst skirting around it by telling you that it doesn't really matter.
   The CCRC literally admit that the missing negatives of the gun cupboard are significant to the safety of the conviction. The missing negatives are missing because EP removed them prior to inspection for unknown reasons. They frame words around this to make it appear unimportant but what they are actually saying is this:
   "The negative strips of the gun cupboard have been cut short by EP. The CCRC considers this of significance to the safety of the conviction."

   There is nothing that is contradicted by the CCRC in the above statement made by me.
    The missing negatives that show the state of the gun cupboard, that you refer to, have been cut and removed by EP so I am sure it is of huge significance.
    The cupboard in which the relatives "found" the silencer had pictures taken of it but EP have removed them in unsatisfactorily explained circumstances.
   

   

     

[Kaldin]

Thanks gringo - I'll have a read through that.