Why didn't Taff Jones tell Bamber & the relatives about Nevill's call ?

[Adam]

Taff believed Bamber was innocent.

As the head of the investigation he would know Nevill had called Chelmsford police from WHF.

He would have told the relatives about the call. Then that would be the end of it for them.

Taff would have also told Bamber. Even if all the other police had decided to keep it a secret for some reason. 

Taff would also use Nevill's call to save his own skin. After Peter Simpson took steps to remove Taff from heading the investigation.

If all the police knew about Nevill's call, then one of them would have told Bamber.

All seems a bit strange that Nevill's call was not brought up for 25 years. And only brought up by the OS.

[David1819]

There are only two plausible answers

A. There was no call.

or

B. He didn't know about it.


Unfortunately Taff Jones died the following year. We will never really know what he told the relatives. Nor will we ever know his side of the whole story. He took it to the grave

[Adam]

I suppose the only explanation is Taff Jones did tell the relatives & Bamber about Nevill's call.

However the relatives still decided to proceed with attempting to frame an innocent man. And Bamber didn't believe it was worthy of bringing up until 2010.

[Adam]

There are only two plausible answers

A. There was no call.

or

B. He didn't know about it.


Unfortunately Taff Jones died the following year. We will never really know what he told the relatives. Nor will we ever know his side of the whole story. He took it to the grave

I agree there may have been no call.

Bamber, the OS and most supporters on here believe there was a call. Hopefully they can explain why Taff didn't tell the relatives, Bamber or Simpson.

[notsure]

I agree there may have been no call.

Bamber, the OS and most supporters on here believe there was a call. Hopefully they can explain why Taff didn't tell the relatives, Bamber or Simpson.

I'm of the opinion that these two calls happened similtaneously and they hot jumbled together.

[Jane]

I'm of the opinion that these two calls happened similtaneously and they hot jumbled together.

Well, Nevill couldn't have been speaking to Jeremy at the same time as Jeremy was speaking to the police and I don't believe that if both Bambers were on the phone to the police at the same time -giving different telephone numbers and addresses, that they'd have been jumbled together. Given the urgency he conveyed to Jeremy, why would not Nevill have called 999?

[Roch]

Well, Nevill couldn't have been speaking to Jeremy at the same time as Jeremy was speaking to the police and I don't believe that if both Bambers were on the phone to the police at the same time -giving different telephone numbers and addresses, that they'd have been jumbled together. Given the urgency he conveyed to Jeremy, why would not Nevill have called 999?

It's possible that "Mr. Bamber" and "Mr. Bamber Jr" phoned police 10-15 minutes apart.  In this scenario, the calls were later merged deliberately, under the stewardship of DCS Michael Ainsley; so as to conceal the call from Nevill.

However it is a pertinent and valid question to ask why the original investigation team did not inform Jeremy and/or the relatives that Nevill had called police.  On the face of it they had no reason not to.  The relatives were informed as to how Sheila was culpable; and two of them did concede this to be a possibility.  However, conveniently, Ann cant remember what was discussed during that conversation (a bit like we are not allowed to see what was in DS Kenneally's report either).

I think though that there is another possibility.  The police will have listened to their own recordings of the incident - i.e. any incoming calls and any calls between PC West and civilian employee Malcolm Bonnet. Perhaps they themselves were not happy regarding how the calls were handled and the level of response? With what we know about the relatives... they would probably have demanded to hear the tapes themselves! 

Theoretically, the quickest way to raise a response would have been through HQIR radio system.  This was not done. 

[Bill Robertson]

It is possible that Taff thought it was irrelevant and told nobody; it was hardly an issue while he was in charge of the investigation. It is obvious that after 7 September he was told to keep his mouth shut and keep his thoughts to himself.
Maybe neither Jeremy or his relatives knew about Nevill's call to the police.

[Steve_uk]

It is possible that Taff thought it was irrelevant and told nobody; it was hardly an issue while he was in charge of the investigation. It is obvious that after 7 September he was told to keep his mouth shut and keep his thoughts to himself.
Maybe neither Jeremy or his relatives knew about Nevill's call to the police.

How could he possibly have thought that..

[Adam]

I'm of the opinion that these two calls happened similtaneously and they hot jumbled together.

I thought the calls were 10 minutes apart. At 3:26am and 3:36am. Or was that just a digit being wrong.

[Roch]

I thought the calls were 10 minutes apart. At 3:26am and 3:36am. Or was that just a digit being wrong.

The prosecution argument is that West made an error and recorded 03.36. instead of 03.26.  However, Bonnet recorded 03.26 as being the actual time that he received a call from West.

This argument that Bonnet's log is merely a paraphrasing of Jeremy's call to West... how can Jeremy be phoning West at the same time that West is phoning Bonnet... to relay to Bonnet the call that he (West) received from Jeremy?

[Reader]

It seems that there were several minutes between the calls. As the occupants of CA5 were with Pc West, it's possible that Pc West passed on to them a request to attend WHF. According to Pc Cracknell, this occurred at 03:33, but we don't know how much information Pc Cracknell was given at this time. He arrived at WHF at 04:23, so his journey took 50 minutes, which implies an average speed of about 24mph. In contrast, CA7 was driven at very high speed from Witham to WHF. In considering this, remember that PC West was simply doing a night shift in the control room at Chelmsford police station. In contrast, Bonnett was at the police HQ and routinely dealt with emergency calls. According to Bonnett, all his communications were recorded on audio tape. There is nothing to suggest that Jeremy's call to Pc West was recorded on audio tape.

[Stephanie]

It seems that there were several minutes between the calls. As the occupants of CA5 were with Pc West, it's possible that Pc West passed on to them a request to attend WHF. According to Pc Cracknell, this occurred at 03:33, but we don't know how much information Pc Cracknell was given at this time. He arrived at WHF at 04:23, so his journey took 50 minutes, which implies an average speed of about 24mph. In contrast, CA7 was driven at very high speed from Witham to WHF. In considering this, remember that PC West was simply doing a night shift in the control room at Chelmsford police station. In contrast, Bonnett was at the police HQ and routinely dealt with emergency calls. According to Bonnett, all his communications were recorded on audio tape. There is nothing to suggest that Jeremy's call to Pc West was recorded on audio tape.

Great post Reader!

[Stephanie]

I suppose the only explanation is Taff Jones did tell the relatives & Bamber about Nevill's call.

However the relatives still decided to proceed with attempting to frame an innocent man. And Bamber didn't believe it was worthy of bringing up until 2010.

But his supporters refuse to see this.

[Caroline]

I'm of the opinion that these two calls happened similtaneously and they hot jumbled together.

How? Apparently BOTH Nevill and Jeremy reported the same info to West - West said he received one call - from Jeremy.