Did Bamber's AM give him the confidence to commit the massacre?

[killingeve]

Anyway, Bamber commited the massacre.

If he was not sure what information BT/the police could obtain, his only option was to dial his AM.

But if he wasn't sure what info BT/police could obtain how could he possibly know whether there was any difference in an AM taking a call as opposed to someone physically picking up the receiver and replacing the handset?  The mechanical processes are completely different and it doesn't follow that a call taken ie receiver lifted and replaced which creates an audit trail in the exchange is the same for an AM where the receiver isn't lifted and replaced.

[Adam]

But if he wasn't sure what info BT/police could obtain how could he possibly know whether there was any difference in an AM taking a call as opposed to someone physically picking up the receiver and replacing the handset?  The mechanical processes are completely different and it doesn't follow that a call taken ie receiver lifted and replaced which creates an audit trail in the exchange is the same for an AM where the receiver isn't lifted and replaced.

Well his only options if not sure was -

Not call his AM.

Call his AM.

------------

I would have called my AM.

[Adam]

As said there was a possibility he was 100% sure BT/the police did not have the technology to incriminate him. He had spent over 12 months planning.

He phoned Chelmsford police simply in the hope of getting picked up. Rather than to simultaneously give him more time.

[lookout]

Lookout, you seem unable or unwilling to grasp that he had been arrested and questioned for murder and was asked specific questions about whether he knew how to get in which he answered in the affirmative. 

When he is released on bail and knowing he is under surveillance, he goes to WHF and enters through a window, leaving a note for BW.

As the appeal judges observed, this was either incredibly stupid or incredibly clever because he has proven his point and any entry marks (whenever they were found) can simply be explained away by him saying, "Well, I was always forgetting my key"

A note, knowing his fingerprints would be on it plus writing to compare with various other notes found at WHF ? He may as well have written another note to EP telling them it was him because they had no other proof.

[Roch]

But if he wasn't sure what info BT/police could obtain how could he possibly know whether there was any difference in an AM taking a call as opposed to someone physically picking up the receiver and replacing the handset?  The mechanical processes are completely different and it doesn't follow that a call taken ie receiver lifted and replaced which creates an audit trail in the exchange is the same for an AM where the receiver isn't lifted and replaced.

I don't think anyone expected a mammoth debate between you and Adam, regarding an answering machine.

[Adam]

Bamber gave himself a 16 minute gap between Nevill's call -  'around' 3.10am & him calling Chelmsford police - 3.26am.

Suspect he knew if BT/the police could check times, he would be pulled up.

[Armchair Detective]

A note, knowing his fingerprints would be on it plus writing to compare with various other notes found at WHF ? He may as well have written another note to EP telling them it was him because they had no other proof.

He wanted the police to know he had been there. He actually thought the police might have been there watching him do it.

If the police then confront him with entry marks on the windows he says "yes, I made them, but not on the night of the murders, I was at home all night"

[guest29835]

Bamber gave himself a 16 minute gap between Nevill's call -  'around' 3.10am & him calling Chelmsford police - 3.26am.

Suspect he knew if BT/the police could check times, he would be pulled up.

Are you saying that Jeremy cycled back to Bourtree Cottage from the farmhouse in 16 minutes?

[Adam]

Are you saying that Jeremy cycled back to Bourtree Cottage from the farmhouse in 16 minutes?

'Around that'.

Providing there was no traffic!

[Armchair Detective]

But if he wasn't sure what info BT/police could obtain how could he possibly know whether there was any difference in an AM taking a call as opposed to someone physically picking up the receiver and replacing the handset?  The mechanical processes are completely different and it doesn't follow that a call taken ie receiver lifted and replaced which creates an audit trail in the exchange is the same for an AM where the receiver isn't lifted and replaced.

I don't think that's necessarily true, the line is simply open when it is answered and closed when the call is ended. An old fashioned AM would sit in between the incoming line and the phone and mimic the function of the handset being lifted to answer. Any BT engineers out there? 

I just thought of something else for Adam; The outgoing message. The AM kicks in and plays the outgoing message before it beeps and starts recording so I don't think he would even need to leave a message, just open the line for 10 seconds and then hang up.

[Adam]

I don't think that's necessarily true, the line is simply open when it is answered and closed when the call is ended. An old fashioned AM would sit in between the incoming line and the phone and mimic the function of the handset being lifted to answer. Any BT engineers out there? 

I just thought of something else for Adam; The outgoing message. The AM kicks in and plays the outgoing message before it beeps and starts recording so I don't think he would even need to leave a message, just open the line for 10 seconds and then hang up.

Agree with that.

If he had already decided what Nevill had said, he would have an estimation of how long he would keep the answered call going.

This would be important to him if he didn't know whether call lenghts could be monitored by BT/the police.

[guest29835]

'Around that'.

Providing there was no traffic!

It took DI Wilkinson 16 minutes to cycle the Maldon Road/Brook House Farm route in daylight, in dry weather.  Jeremy would have been cycling in the middle of the night on muddy ground, so I would allow 30 minutes - and that's on the generous side.

Which alternative route are you suggesting Jeremy took?

EDIT: Apologies - I said 22 minutes, meant 16 minutes.  My mistake.  But question still stands.

[Rob_]

Or he could have been 70% sure he didn't need to phone his cottage from WHF. So didn't.

He got lucky.

Either he knew the calls could not be traced, or he suspected they could Adam, but either way your scenario does not work.

If he knew the calls were traceable then he is tied to a impossibly tight time frame, and if he knew the calls could not be traced then he either dials 999 or the police direct and says "my father called a few minutes ago"

I thought you were going to submit a plausible JB scenario that answered all this?

[lookout]

He wanted the police to know he had been there. He actually thought the police might have been there watching him do it.

If the police then confront him with entry marks on the windows he says "yes, I made them, but not on the night of the murders, I was at home all night"

And JB would have been right as well !

[Rob_]

Please Adam also allow sufficient time for JB to change out of his wet suit and clean up, cleaning the bike would have taken quite a bit of time as well.