Alan George Dovey Statement - 20/03/2002

[Patti]

I'm not sure I'm following this. One of the few times Jeremy and the relatives are in close proximity after the murders and Jeremy does not express any remorse or guilt for leaving that gun lying about..of course it's natural for Ann Eaton to pick up on that.

Hi Steve

I'm not sure you can apply this at that stage, because it was not known at that stage it was Jeremy's rifle that had been used. Its uncertain whether or not Neville could have put the rifle away...besides all of that she can't possibly make such a comment unless she was with Jeremy 24/7 and she was not.  Even on that day she was busy in the kitchen and she clearly states she is not aware of everything that was being said.....tea making?

[Jane]

I'm not sure I'm following this. One of the few times Jeremy and the relatives are in close proximity after the murders and Jeremy does not express any remorse or guilt for leaving that gun lying about..of course it's natural for Ann Eaton to pick up on that.

I note that Ann comments that Jeremy didn't say anything about wishing he'd put the gun away. How, at that point, if Jeremy was the last to leave the house, did anyone else know that a gun had been left out.

[susan]

steve if Jeremy had anything to hide he would not have drawn attention to the fact he was shooting rabbits and that he left the gun out.  Think about it why would he incriminate himself the reason he did mention it was because he had nothing to hide and was innocent  of all wrong doings.

[lookout]

steve if Jeremy had anything to hide he would not have drawn attention to the fact he was shooting rabbits and that he left the gun out.  Think about it why would he incriminate himself the reason he did mention it was because he had nothing to hide and was innocent  of all wrong doings.

Hi Susan,,I agree. Jeremy had such a loose tongue that never in a million years would he have made a criminal.

[Alias]

It seems it was not unusual to have firearms scattered around the house.

[Steve_uk]

steve if Jeremy had anything to hide he would not have drawn attention to the fact he was shooting rabbits and that he left the gun out.  Think about it why would he incriminate himself the reason he did mention it was because he had nothing to hide and was innocent  of all wrong doings.

But this was Jeremy's case,that Sheila had picked up a gun on impulse and killed them all,despite her having to reload and not being connected forensically with it at all,let alone able to aim for Nevill's head with her coordination issues. Jeremy must have known that it was only the .22 anschutz in the equation,and he wanted it that way so Sheila could be blamed at an early stage,it gave a pretext for the telephone call and no in-depth discussions post-murders entered into. Of course we know now that he almost succeeded,or did for 33 days.

[maggie]

It seems it was not unusual to have firearms scattered around the house.

Hi Alias  good to see you.
It seems to have been the natural way for farmers to leave guns all over their houses in this country at that time.  Even if the guns were in a cupboard it was unusual for it to be locked. 
It was only after the Dunblane Masacre that the law on firearms was changed and they are now supposed to be locked away in a metal cupboard.

[susan]

steve why were Sheila's prints on the shotgun?  he could have left the gun out for Sheila to pick up but not said anything about it what difference if it was there it was there and she knew where the guns were kept.  Was Jeremy connected to the crime forensically?

[Steve_uk]

steve why were Sheila's prints on the shotgun?  he could have left the gun out for Sheila to pick up but not said anything about it what difference if it was there it was there and she knew where the guns were kept.  Was Jeremy connected to the crime forensically?

Jeremy just had to avoid traipsing around the house in bloodied footwear(is this where the cushions in the kitchen fitted in?)as White House was his second home,so no fear of being pulled up on fibre evidence. Jeremy pressed Sheila's finger onto the trigger of the anschutz but that's all he had to do;more puzzling is why none of Sheila's fingerprints were found on the bullets.

[Alias]

Thanks, Maggie.

Steve, now that you are here and we are discussing the shootings, I would like to ask you a question. Why do you think that Jeremy, a somewhat experienced shooter, would have felt it neccessary to shoot his victims that many times? Three shots for a defenceless, sleeping six-year-old twin, five shots for the other? You would think that one or two tops would do it for a calculated murderer (as you prefer to make him out to be.)
June and Ralph received 15 shots between them - seems like a lot for pre-planned, "rational" murders.
I am interested in your take on that. Why did Jeremy feel the need for such "overkill"?

[susan]

Alias the answer you will get from steve is he did that on purpose to make it look like Sheila had done it

[susan]

steve why were Sheila's prints found on the shotgun along with Ralph Bamber's and what did Jeremy do with his blood stained shoes and clothes one would have thought evidence would have been found on the bike.

[maggie]

Alias the answer you will get from steve is he did that on purpose to make it look like Sheila had done it

However, we know that it is a very difficult thing to kill 5 people in a style other than your own when you are under threat yourself from a 6'4" father, a mother fit and able to reach a telephone and a sister who would fight to the death to protect her children. He will still say Jeremy was cold and calculating. 

[maggie]

steve why were Sheila's prints found on the shotgun along with Ralph Bamber's and what did Jeremy do with his blood stained shoes and clothes one would have thought evidence would have been found on the bike.

Good points Susie.    Absolutely nothing found on the bike except yellow mud.
We have never heard anymore about the fingerprints on the shotgun and the air rifle, wonder why?  What do you think steve?

[lookout]

steve why were Sheila's prints found on the shotgun along with Ralph Bamber's and what did Jeremy do with his blood stained shoes and clothes one would have thought evidence would have been found on the bike.

One thing for sure,Susan,,he wouldn't have chucked his shoes and clothing into the Aga,,or it would have looked like a newly elected Pope from the outside of the farmhouse. ( with all the smoke )