Possible other reason why Bamber called Chelmsford Police:

[Adam]

But the call was ambiguous.  "Sheila's gone crazy, she's got a gun."  Then it ended.  Does it mean Sheila is on a murderous rampage or threatening as much?  Or does it mean she's gone crazy and she's also got a gun?  I think there's a distinction between the two, which is blunted or lost now only because we have the benefit of hindsight.  Jeremy may also have thought that the call meant or implied that the police are already there and Nevill is letting Jeremy know.  Or does it mean Nevill wants Jeremy to help rather than the police?  Or does it mean Nevill has rung the police and has now also rung Jeremy?

Jeremy was in a situation where his father had rung him, and he did not know if his father had also rung the police or what exactly was going on.  He tried to call his father back but could not do so, as the line was engaged, perhaps suggesting to Jeremy that the police were being called.  It's not necessarily clear what was going on and Jeremy may have been unsure about what to do.  To be fair, the police did ask Jeremy why he had not rung 999 and nowadays you would definitely expect someone to ring 999, but at the same time, the police were only expressing surprise about it after an explanation from Jeremy once he had clarified it all for himself in his own mind by giving Nevill's ambiguous call the worst possible interpretation, and only when they were all stood outside the farmhouse with no apparent sign of life.

Jeremy could, in the alternative, have said: "I've received an urgent call from my father.  He says my sister has gone crazy and got a gun, but then the line went dead or he stopped talking.  Has my father already called you?  If not, I'm confused because I don't understand why he would call me instead of the police."  Maybe 999 is the call he should have made to say this, but the situation was different then because people often had the number of their local police station and that was often used to ring the police.

Of course, another possibility is that Jeremy is innocent but was stalling intentionally in the hope that Sheila would kill the family.  Maybe that was Jeremy's plan?

Did they?

Chelmsford was not local.

[ILB]

But the call was ambiguous.  "Sheila's gone crazy, she's got a gun."  Then it ended.  Does it mean Sheila is on a murderous rampage or threatening as much?  Or does it mean she's gone crazy and she's also got a gun?  I think there's a distinction between the two, which is blunted or lost now only because we have the benefit of hindsight.  Jeremy may also have thought that the call meant or implied that the police are already there and Nevill is letting Jeremy know.  Or does it mean Nevill wants Jeremy to help rather than the police?  Or does it mean Nevill has rung the police and has now also rung Jeremy?

Jeremy was in a situation where his father had rung him, and he did not know if his father had also rung the police or what exactly was going on.  He tried to call his father back but could not do so, as the line was engaged, perhaps suggesting to Jeremy that the police were being called.  It's not necessarily clear what was going on and Jeremy may have been unsure about what to do.  To be fair, the police did ask Jeremy why he had not rung 999 and nowadays you would definitely expect someone to ring 999, but at the same time, the police were only expressing surprise about it after an explanation from Jeremy once he had clarified it all for himself in his own mind by giving Nevill's ambiguous call the worst possible interpretation, and only when they were all stood outside the farmhouse with no apparent sign of life.

Jeremy could, in the alternative, have said: "I've received an urgent call from my father.  He says my sister has gone crazy and got a gun, but then the line went dead or he stopped talking.  Has my father already called you?  If not, I'm confused because I don't understand why he would call me instead of the police."  Maybe 999 is the call he should have made to say this, but the situation was different then because people often had the number of their local police station and that was often used to ring the police.

Of course, another possibility is that Jeremy is innocent but was stalling intentionally in the hope that Sheila would kill the family.  Maybe that was Jeremy's plan?

" Jeremy was stalling hoping Shelia would kill the family,"

Are you trying to insinuate that Jeremy and Shelia were in league with one another???

It can be argued that that 999 would have been the best option to undertake. His father was obviously panicking. And there were children and his mother at the home. Vulnerable people.

Appreciate if innocent it's a strange circumstance to find yourself in and it can be hard to ascertain what action you'd take.

[ILB]

I have to state here I am not gone from on the fence to gulity.

I am trying to look at everything on a whole.

It is best to look at every aspect when you are nuetral.

[guest29835]

" Jeremy was stalling hoping Shelia would kill the family,"

Are you trying to insinuate that Jeremy and Shelia were in league with one another???

It can be argued that that 999 would have been the best option to undertake. His father was obviously panicking. And there were children and his mother at the home. Vulnerable people.

Appreciate if innocent it's a strange circumstance to find yourself in and it can be hard to ascertain what action you'd take.

I'm insinuating no such thing.  I think it is clear what I said: Jeremy hoped Sheila would kill the family.  It is just a theory, though.

I doubt Jeremy and Sheila would be confederates.  They did not have that sort of relationship, though here I am reliant on secondary sources and the claims of people who want Jeremy to be guilty.  We can't know for sure the truth of it.  Jeremy claims his relationship with Sheila was good and she did say something positive about him in her diary that evening, and she did walk the boys to see him on the tractor in the rape field that same evening. 

Has it occurred to you that the criticism of Jeremy concerning the phone calls can be turned around against his accusers?  If Jeremy is guilty, why wouldn't he just ring 999?  Why weaken his murder plot by ringing a local police station and making himself look silly and perhaps suspicious, thus needlessly drawing attention to his own actions?

[Armchair Detective]

The contents of the Julie call still doesn’t make sense to me.
“Everything is going well, there’s something wrong at the farm”

If Julie knows what’s happening then the two sentences don’t fit together, if she has no idea then they still don’t fit in the manner they’ve been portrayed. I wonder if part of it is that the tone has been lost in the words being written down. (Also remembering that we’ve only got Julie’s word on exactly what was said)
Could the conversation have been more like:

Julie: “Jeremy, what’s the matter, are you ok?” (Assuming there’s a problem having got a call at 3.15am)
Jeremy: “everything’s going well” (i.e “don’t worry I’M fine”) but somethings wrong at the farm…

After this we only have Julie’s word that Sheila wasn’t mentioned, and she may not have been, alternatively she could have been mentioned and Jeremy was seeking comfort from her as he says.
The phone call could be reported almost word for word but it only takes a change in tone to change the whole meaning of that call.

Exactly.

"What do you mean something wrong at the farm Jeremy? It's 3am - what are you ringing me for? What's going on" are words she might have said but apparently didn't.

[Adam]

I'm insinuating no such thing.  I think it is clear what I said: Jeremy hoped Sheila would kill the family.  It is just a theory, though.

I doubt Jeremy and Sheila would be confederates.  They did not have that sort of relationship, though here I am reliant on secondary sources and the claims of people who want Jeremy to be guilty.  We can't know for sure the truth of it.  Jeremy claims his relationship with Sheila was good and she did say something positive about him in her diary that evening, and she did walk the boys to see him on the tractor in the rape field that same evening. 

Has it occurred to you that the criticism of Jeremy concerning the phone calls can be turned around against his accusers?  If Jeremy is guilty, why wouldn't he just ring 999?  Why weaken his murder plot by ringing a local police station and making himself look silly and perhaps suspicious, thus needlessly drawing attention to his own actions?

I have given 3 reasons why he rang Chelmsford Police today. In a new thread.

Agree 100% of innocent people in that situation would dial 999.

Or go to WHF.

[Steve_uk]

I'm insinuating no such thing.  I think it is clear what I said: Jeremy hoped Sheila would kill the family.  It is just a theory, though.

I doubt Jeremy and Sheila would be confederates.  They did not have that sort of relationship, though here I am reliant on secondary sources and the claims of people who want Jeremy to be guilty.  We can't know for sure the truth of it.  Jeremy claims his relationship with Sheila was good and she did say something positive about him in her diary that evening, and she did walk the boys to see him on the tractor in the rape field that same evening. 

Has it occurred to you that the criticism of Jeremy concerning the phone calls can be turned around against his accusers? If Jeremy is guilty, why wouldn't he just ring 999? Why weaken his murder plot by ringing a local police station and making himself look silly and perhaps suspicious, thus needlessly drawing attention to his own actions?

..because he needed the extra time to clean himself up.

[Kestrel19]

Did they?

Chelmsford was not local.

Adam - you’ve been asked this before. Are you able to provide sources that closer police stations were actually expected to be manned at that time? Remembering that although a car did arrive back at Witham and could be contacted Robert Boutflour did note in his diary’s/Records for the 30th August that “local
People know that Witham is closed from 2am till 6am” I.e it wouldn’t have been expected to be manned normally, the only other station (apart from Chelmsford) likely to be open is Colchester - which I will agree is slightly closer, however I can also tell you  from experience that people in the TD area will often default to Chelmsford as the nearest large town so I wouldn’t see it as a surprise he rang there instead of Colchester if it was a choice between the two. I’m looking forward to you proving that closer stations were expected to be manned at that time.

[Adam]

Adam - you’ve been asked this before. Are you able to provide sources that closer police stations were actually expected to be manned at that time? Remembering that although a car did arrive back at Witham and could be contacted Robert Boutflour did note in his diary’s/Records for the 30th August that “local
People know that Witham is closed from 2am till 6am” I.e it wouldn’t have been expected to be manned normally, the only other station (apart from Chelmsford) likely to be open is Colchester - which I will agree is slightly closer, however I can also tell you  from experience that people in the TD area will often default to Chelmsford as the nearest large town so I wouldn’t see it as a surprise he rang there instead of Colchester if it was a choice between the two. I’m looking forward to you proving that closer stations were expected to be manned at that time!
Bamber certainly did as that was the main station he used!

No.

Bamber wouldn't know either. Besides which 100% of innocent people would dial 999.

Or go to WHF alone. Which Nevill requested.

Calling the sixth furthest away police station over 20 miles away 

[Kestrel19]

No.

Bamber wouldn't know either. Besides which 100% of innocent people would dial 999.

Or go to WHF alone. Which Nevill requested.

Calling the sixth furthest away police station over 20 miles away 

Robert Boutflour would apparently disagree with you!

[Adam]

Robert Boutflour would apparently disagree with you!

I live in London. So my 6 nearest police stations are probably nearer. However would take longer to travel due to traffic.

I know where my nearest one is. But do not know it's manning hours.

Certainly would not go onto the internet to look for the sixth furthest away if in such a situation.

[Adam]

I live in London. So my 6 nearest police stations are probably nearer. However would take longer to travel due to traffic.

I know where my nearest one is. But do not know it's manning hours.

Certainly would not go onto the internet to look for the sixth furthest away if in such a situation.

I might even 'go over' if my father requested such.

[Rob_]

I live in London. So my 6 nearest police stations are probably nearer. However would take longer to travel due to traffic.

I know where my nearest one is. But do not know it's manning hours.

Certainly would not go onto the internet to look for the sixth furthest away if in such a situation.

I would say he just rang the nearest manned station, I am not sure why you keep mentioning it's the sixth furthest away station? is this a special number to JB? Are you saying he sat down with a map and picked the sixth?

[ILB]

I'm insinuating no such thing.  I think it is clear what I said: Jeremy hoped Sheila would kill the family.  It is just a theory, though.

I doubt Jeremy and Sheila would be confederates.  They did not have that sort of relationship, though here I am reliant on secondary sources and the claims of people who want Jeremy to be guilty.  We can't know for sure the truth of it.  Jeremy claims his relationship with Sheila was good and she did say something positive about him in her diary that evening, and she did walk the boys to see him on the tractor in the rape field that same evening. 

Has it occurred to you that the criticism of Jeremy concerning the phone calls can be turned around against his accusers?  If Jeremy is guilty, why wouldn't he just ring 999?  Why weaken his murder plot by ringing a local police station and making himself look silly and perhaps suspicious, thus needlessly drawing attention to his own actions?

I totally agree reference you say about the call.

It can be argued via a prosecution narrative as damaging. But you can counter it with explinations and reasons

[Adam]

I would say he just rang the nearest manned station, I am not sure why you keep mentioning it's the sixth furthest away station? is this a special number to JB? Are you saying he sat down with a map and picked the sixth?

How would he know what's manned?

A 999 operative would. That is their job.