By the time the police spoke to JM's flatmates it was over a month since the night in question. JM herself had plenty of time to steer their evidence. The police by this time had an agenda and a desire to manipulate the flatmates evidence to suit the police agenda of framing JB.
One broke in cross examination...the others seem to have held to their dodgy stories the police wanted them to give..in my view.
From the 2002 Appeal
292. The source of the first part of these allegations is a hand-written note made by Ann Eaton, who was present with Julie Mugford when she was seen by the police and made a statement on the day after the killings, 8 August. Ann Eaton made a statement to the police on 8 September. In that statement, Ann Eaton said:
“I recall that the officers were asking Julie what time she had received the second telephone call from Jeremy. She said it was 3.30 a.m. The police officer said that it was very important and that it must be right. Julie asked the officer if she could ring her flat in London to confirm the times. The officer agreed and she made a telephone call apparently to her flat. She spoke to somebody and queried the time, then turned and said, “3.15 a.m.”
The flatmates gave different times so if colluding, as detailed in your opinion, the colusion was wide open for exploitation and harsh probing questions by the defence at trial. They surely would have smelt blood and gone for broke. Jeremy had a prominent QC representing him at the original trial. A prime example would been the current stories about the Millie Dowler murder conviction. It has been reported the family of Millie Dowler stating the ordeal of the trial was not worth the conviction.
Besides what did the flatmates have to gain in Jeremy's potential conviction............. There are no reports of any of them having a deal with a newspaper and none were due to gain any inheritance. Such details have been made known in the defence's discrediting of other witnesses.