Sheila not fighting back. Why ?

[lookout]

Just because Sheila " had no interest in guns " doesn't mean to say that she hadn't,in your mind. How do you know what was going on in HER mind ? She may have subconsciously watched the procedure at some time,as she wasn't altogether stupid.
NOBODY can get into the minds of how people think,we haven't got that far yet.!

[Jane]

I don't believe we've reached the point where we can find anyone to be innocent or guilty on the grounds of what they MAY have thought, subconsciously, because we would be presuming to know what was in their minds.

[lookout]

It's hard to put into words how you think that another is thinking.
 Sheila would have seen the procedure of chambering a rifle during her life on the farm,and although she'd have taken it in,it wouldn't have meant anything to her at the time,but it was there to remember at a later date.

[Adam]

If Sheila was in an unprecedented murderous rage, wouldn't she have carried on beating Neville until he died ? She had already brutally beaten him unconscious. Why not carry on ?

To suddenly stop and work out how to reload suggests someone had a plan.

[Jane]

It's hard to put into words how you think that another is thinking.
 Sheila would have seen the procedure of chambering a rifle during her life on the farm,and although she'd have taken it in,it wouldn't have meant anything to her at the time,but it was there to remember at a later date.

Personally, I think that's taking speculation to the limits and stretching the belief of MOST on a jury. However, what I BELIEVE is quite irrelevant because the bottom line is that there is NO PROOF that she took ANYthing in regarding guns in general, and the murder weapon wasn't one she COULD have picked up on, subliminally, from childhood because it was said to be different from the family's usual choice.

[Patti]

If Sheila was in an unprecedented murderous rage, wouldn't she have carried on beating Neville until he died ? She had already brutally beaten him unconscious. Why not carry on ?

To suddenly stop and work out how to reload suggests someone had a plan.

Its possible that NB was already dead or in an unconscious state when he was hit with the rifle. Poor man. 

[lookout]

 What a stupid question. We haven't yet established whether June took her sleeping tablets as per usual ( which would have made her drowsy ),nor do we know if Sheila added a couple to the cup of tea that she made for herself and her father ( making him drowsy and vulnerable ) or whether he took them as a matter of course.

How easy it is to kick a man when he's already down. You're prodding him with the butt of the rifle,he doesn't know if it's going to go off or not,then you see him on the phone so you shoot at an arm,rendering him useless to fight back using one arm,so not difficult at all. It's all it took to put him out of action. Sheila didn't need to keep on beating him,unless her anger dictated it. She'd have had NO problem re-loading while the poor man was helpless nursing his wounds.

[nugnug]

you dont a great interest or knowledgein guns to shoot someone at almost pint blank range.

anybody knows how to put her finger on a trigger and  and pull it.

[lookout]

Exactly,nugs. A child of 3 can do it------------and did,accidentally,of course,in the States not so long ago.

[lookout]

Its possible that NB was already dead or in an unconscious state when he was hit with the rifle. Poor man. 

That's right Patti. One clout with the stock would have been enough. Doesn't really bear thinking.

[lookout]

 I just CAN'T picture Jeremy hurting his parents this way at all. He'd have shot them as they lay.Sounds callous,but if it had been him,that's the way he'd have done it.Swiftly like a cat burglar.

I can't help but visualise that the discussion which went on at supper,ended in the crescendo that it did.

[Jane]

NOBODY can get into the minds of how people think,we haven't got that far yet.!

Lookout, having firmly stated the above, how is it possible to be so assured of the following...............

......................... He'd have shot them as they lay.Sounds callous,but if it had been him,that's the way he'd have done it.Swiftly like a cat burglar.....................................

[lookout]

 Because Jeremy has been accused ( and how did anyone know it was him ? ) of climbing in through a window,like that of a cat-burglar,he might well also be " accused " of carrying through his plan of murder this way too.?

[David1819]

If Sheila was in an unprecedented murderous rage, wouldn't she have carried on beating Neville until he died ? She had already brutally beaten him unconscious. Why not carry on ?

To suddenly stop and work out how to reload suggests someone had a plan.

Someone in a psychotic episode is not going to act in logical way there are too many variables to consider in such state of mind. Photographs of Neville have not been released so we cannot judge how 'brutal' the beating was.

To stop and reload a gun is no difficult endeavour.

[Adam]

Post-mortem examinations 40. The bodies were taken to the Chelmsford and Essex Mortuary where post- mortem examinations were conducted. The bodies of Nevill Bamber and Sheila Caffell were examined on 7 August, and those of June Bamber and the twin boys the following day.

41. Nevill Bamber, who was wearing his pyjamas had been shot eight times. There were two wounds to the right side and two to the top of the head. If not immediately fatal, the combined effect of these four injuries would have been immediate unconsciousness and incapacitation. There was a wound to the left side of the lip and another to the left part of the lower jaw. This injury caused severe fracturing of the jaw, of the teeth in that area and damaged soft tissue in the neck and the larynx. These features of this particular injury and the resultant flow of blood into the mouth meant, in the pathologist's opinion, that Nevill Bamber would not have been able to engage in purposeful talk. There were also gunshot wounds to the left shoulder and a grazing wound above the left elbow.

42. The examination of Nevill Bamber's body also revealed black eyes and a broken nose, linear bruising to the cheeks, lacerations to the head, linear type bruising to the right forearm, bruising to the left wrist and forearm and three circular burn type marks to the back. The linear marks were consistent with Mr Bamber having been struck with a long blunt object, possibly a gun.


Loading a gun is not difficult. Providing you know how to chamber it.