We both believe NB made the phone call to JB. The totality of the soc evidence shows NB then dropped the handset on the counter and went upstairs where he sustained his two facial gunshot wounds on the landing.
Meanwhile JB disconnected the call his end to make the call to EP. Expert evidence at trial:
There was, however, expert evidence called as to the effect of a telephone call having been made from White House Farm to Goldhanger which was then abandoned by the caller with the receiver being left off the cradle, as claimed by Jeremy. If such a sequence had occurred, the telephone link would have remained open either until the handset at White House Farm was replaced or until the handset at Goldhanger had been replaced and left in position for a period which could vary from 1 to 2 minutes, when an automatic interruption of the link would take place. Until one or other of these events, Jeremy would have been unable to make any call from the Goldhanger telephone.
The line at WHF was open but not engaged. I have uploaded the GPO op's WS from Jean Rowe. Nowhere in the WS does she refer to the line engaged. It was not engaged. The line was open thus allowing her to listen in and put the open line through to EP.
There was no phone call from NB to EP or from WHF to 999. The last call made from WHF before the police entered was NB to JB.
Thanks Cc though I have read this many times.
What is not 100% clear is if Nevil rings JB then rushes upstairs leaving the phone on the table how long it would take for the line to time out and become off the hook. If you pick up a phone and do nothing it's just a few minutes if that, not so sure about a live call?
Also until the line times out JB cannot ring out, replacing his phone does not clear the line.