As I have consistently maintained nobody knows all that happened after JB left and the time the TFG entered. It is foolish to pretend otherwise. It must be remembered that at the heart of this tragedy was a lost young woman with huge mental health issues. Supposedly schizophrenic and liable to psychotic episodes involving self- harm and possibly presenting a danger to others.
It is not possible to predict behaviour or to understand the thought processes of a person so inflicted. Rational explanations based on normal behaviour are pointless as what they choose to do at any particular moment is hugely unpredictable. They can act in ways that appear to be a totally illogical to others.
I have made as have others an effort to understand what the real truth is behind this tragedy. I have studied the case for 14 years, on and off. The conclusion I have come to is that JB is innocent but because of other surrounding issues he found himself framed for the killing of his family.
Having said all that I have produced the following which attempts to suggest a range of possibilities of what might have happened in those early hours of 07/08/85.
I do not consider it totally correct it never can be for the reasons outlined. What I have attempted is to outline a range of possibilities. The true sequence of events will never be known. For example, I have suggested that SC shot NB 3 times with the Brno before shooting the twins a second time but it could just as easily have been the other way round.
So for better or worse I set this out for consideration and discussion. For some it might be a load of old bollocks and others particularly those that cannot or prefer not to read lengthy posts it may be an anathema. It may well contain some inaccuracies brought about trying to outline a complex set of events and if so I apologise and will happily seek to correct such and to offer further clarification.
What happened between 09.30 pm 06/08/85 and 07.30 am 07/08/85
JB had left for the day and round the table you could cut the air with a knife. Later June spoke to her sister and SC had a few words before going upstairs to sulk.
NB went out to collect the last load of rapeseed and on his return gave Bruce a quick walk. June was tired and when NB returned they had a discussion about SC and the best course of future action whilst NB and June were in the kitchen before he went for his shower. SC returned to the kitchen behaving as if she was starting a psychotic episode.
She flew at June and they had a physical fight, NB managed to separate them but not before both he and June had sustained minor cuts and bruises. SC went and locked herself in the downstairs toilet. The parents spent a considerable time trying to talk her down. In the end NB said it would be better if June went to bed and left him to coax SC to calm down. She eventually did recover some semblance of normality and came out but in a moody state. NB said they could all talk in the morning when they were less tired and they could make a plan that she felt comfortable with.
SC went to her room still in a sulk and NB went for his shower downstairs. He subsequently fell asleep in his chair. June came down to check on him being unable to sleep from the earlier rumpus. NB and June went to bed.
Unable to sleep June said SC appeared to have gone back downstairs. They both decided to go and see her but NB changed his mind and said best to leave her to her own devices.
NB got up to visit the bathroom for a pee. On his way back he spotted SC with a rifle enter the main bedroom. SC started to make threats towards her parents who quickly moved to a position by June’s wardrobe they backed off as she headed towards the Boys room via the box room. Fearing that she may harm the boys NB ran along the landing and into the boys’ room. He locked the door to the box room. They were fast asleep and SC was behaving strangely in the box room and cursing the pair of them. She said if they came any closer she would shoot them, the boys and herself.
NB picked up the bedroom phone and phoned JB by now it was about 03.10 am. NB said to June that JB should be arriving in about ten minutes. They continued to plead with SC. After about ten minutes NB went downstairs to open the door in preparation for JB’s arrival but before he manged to do that he phoned the police from the downstairs phone as he had promised June that he would do this because JB had failed to arrive as expected and June was in tears and shaking all over. She was in a right state. She then went to the landing, so preventing SC access to the boys’ room.
Just after starting his call to the police he heard June scream, dropped the phone and headed up the main stairs. SC had knocked June to the floor entered the boys room and shot both boys using three rounds.
She then shot June twice while she was still on the floor. She had curled up into a ball to protect herself. both shots went into her right side. NB confronted Sheila and walked towards her so she would turn her attention to him instead of June. She shot him once in the in the shoulder. He turned and made his way down the stairs drawing her away from June. SC followed him and shot him again in the rear of his arm near his elbow.
He was making for the den and a weapon to protect himself and June. As he staggered in pain and agony and full of shock he placed his hand on the wallpaper in the hall. SC caught up with him in the kitchen and shot him three more times. She was out of rounds and as he staggered and fell she attacked him with the rifle beating him with both ends of the rifle. She showed no mercy. He had eventually ended up against the Aga.
Meanwhile June had recovered partially and made her way slowly down the back stairs having opened the door to exit through the bathroom. When she reached the kitchen she threw herself at SC who was beating NB and the two of them struggled and fought for possession of the now empty Anschutz rifle.
The lamp shade was smashed and the Aga surround was chipped and scratched again having already been marked by the upward strokes of the rifle while SC was hitting NB, who by this time was firmly slumped against the Aga. SC had ended up with the empty rifle and ran away looking for her next move and to attend to a small wound on her abdomen. She had to lay her hands on a weapon and so went to get AP’s rifle from the scullery. She struggled to fit the 5 round clip. She needed to get some more bullets for the Anschutz but was unable to do so because June by this time had retrieved a shotgun from the den and threatened to shoot SC.
SC retreated again but had started menstruating and went to her room for some tampons but on returning to the kitchen June again threatened to shoot her with the shotgun. SC disappeared and may have taken a shower and so then June turned her attention to helping NB but he was very far gone having lost a lot of blood and he was now unconscious from the beating. She tried to comfort him as he lay dying. She maybe prayed for him and may also have used a bible to say some prayers. She may even have tried to tend his wounds with a white towel.
With NB now dead June remained by his side distraught and in floods of tears for some half to three quarters of an hour making several attempts to give herself some first aid for her wounds. Eventually she retreated up the back stairs and took refuge in the box room with the shot gun.
SC returned to kitchen with the Brno and finding that June was gone and in real anger and frustration she fired three more shots into NB’s head with the Brno. She then went upstairs and put two more shots into the twins but again she ran out of ammunition. She had to go hunting for June. Leaving the Brno by the main bedroom window. She went to the den to obtain more bullets to reload the Anschutz, missing the bullets on the kitchen work top. She then put more shots into the twins and continued her hunt for June. She was trying to get to June to finish her. She visited various rooms switching on lights but June who was eventually found to be in the box room, again threatened to shoot SC if she entered. So she retired to her room lay on the bed and shot herself with one shot under the chin.
June remained vigilant while in the box room, tired, exhausted, in pain, she was also in acute shock and distress. When she heard the police calling on the loud hailer she presented herself at the window. She remained there until she heard noises and what sounded like male voices. Bloodstained and shattered she exited the box room with great caution and with the shot gun partly raised in a firing position, she was confronted by the TFG and was shot, landing on the floor on NB’s side of the bed.
