Jeremy Bamber Forum

JEREMY BAMBER CASE => Jeremy Bamber Case Discussion => Topic started by: BarefootDanC on June 27, 2025, 08:22:PM

Title: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: BarefootDanC on June 27, 2025, 08:22:PM
Were the jury taken to a shooting range - so that they shoot the same model of rifle which was used in the killings and/or see the difference in sound between with the silencer on and off?

Also, was loading the rifle demonstrated to the jury?

Thanks in advance.

Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Curiosity on June 28, 2025, 07:57:AM
Were the jury taken to a shooting range - so that they shoot the same model of rifle which was used in the killings and/or see the difference in sound between with the silencer on and off?

Also, was loading the rifle demonstrated to the jury?

Thanks in advance.

There may be more elsewhere but this is all I can find for now. From CAL's TMAWHF -

"When Dr Ferguson stood down, Mr Justice Drake, the lawyers, and the jury were driven to the firing range at Fingringhoe, south of Colchester, to hear the murder weapon fired with and without a silencer attached. Malcolm Fletcher handled the demonstration, during which the magazine release mechanism jammed."

They were allowed to examine the magazine and loading of it (with blank cartridges possibly?) in Chelmsford Court, but I doubt that any of the jury were authorised/given the chance to fire the Anschutz at Fingringhoe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsyUNfC11WM&ab_channel=LoneSniper762
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Cambridgecutie on June 28, 2025, 08:21:AM
There may be more elsewhere but this is all I can find for now. From CAL's TMAWHF -

"When Dr Ferguson stood down, Mr Justice Drake, the lawyers, and the jury were driven to the firing range at Fingringhoe, south of Colchester, to hear the murder weapon fired with and without a silencer attached. Malcolm Fletcher handled the demonstration, during which the magazine release mechanism jammed."

They were allowed to examine the magazine and loading of it (with blank cartridges possibly?) in Chelmsford Court, but I doubt that any of the jury were authorised/given the chance to fire the Anschutz at Fingringhoe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsyUNfC11WM&ab_channel=LoneSniper762

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/east-region-firing-times

As previously discussed on here a pointless exercise given the killings were carried out inside a farmhouse complete with furniture and soft furnishings which would totally alter the sound. 

If the actual murder weapon was used hardly surprising it jammed given it had been used for unintended purposes.

Given the jury was taken to Fingringhoe why not arrange a further visit to WHF to demonstrate what was alleged by the prosecution re the window(s)?  And a soc reconstruction?  Jurors are often taken to relevant sites.  In this case the only site visited was irrelevant because the killings took place inside not outside which totally alters the sound.
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: BarefootDanC on June 28, 2025, 08:57:AM
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/east-region-firing-times

As previously discussed on here a pointless exercise given the killings were carried out inside a farmhouse complete with furniture and soft furnishings which would totally alter the sound. 

If the actual murder weapon was used hardly surprising it jammed given it had been used for unintended purposes.

Given the jury was taken to Fingringhoe why not arrange a further visit to WHF to demonstrate what was alleged by the prosecution re the window(s)?  And a soc reconstruction?  Jurors are often taken to relevant sites.  In this case the only site visited was irrelevant because the killings took place inside not outside which totally alters the sound.

Thank you for the information. I have been told on Facebook that even without the silencer on, the rifle being used makes a sound "like a clap".
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Cambridgecutie on June 28, 2025, 09:04:AM
In the case of Tony Martin, Norfolk farmer, Bleak House (Bleak by name, Bleak by nature) August 1999 who shot burglar Fred Barras, killing him in the process, the jury was taken to the farmhouse:

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12195401.murder-jury-visits-accused-farmers-house/

The case hinged on whether or not TM used 'reasonable' force to protect himself/property.  Central to this was ballistic and forensic evidence to map out the precise position of TM and the burglars:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVKOQM4Q1eo&t=15s

Similar evidence existed in JB's case but was barely looked at.  This was crucial evidence to determine the position of NB and perp when NB sustained his upstairs gunshot wounds:

- Was the perp around the entrance of the bedroom firing into the bedroom with NB inside the bedroom? Prosecution case.

Or

- Was the perp around the entrance of the bedroom firing onto the landing with NB on the landing? Defence case.

Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Cambridgecutie on June 28, 2025, 09:18:AM
Thank you for the information. I have been told on Facebook that even without the silencer on, the rifle being used makes a sound "like a clap".

ngb1066 has first hand experience so better placed to give his opinion. 

Obviously firearms with or without silencers are not designed to be used at close range in farmhouses complete with furnishing and soft furnishings.  Such experiments need to be carried out on a like-for-like basis otherwise a complete waste of time. 

A silencer is not going to alter the sound of the rifles cycling action which would go unnoticed when shooting at distance.
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Cambridgecutie on June 28, 2025, 09:34:AM
Here's the vid I was looking for @ around 45 mins in it features Anthony Scrivener QC and ballistics expert Freddy Mead.  It goes on for about 5 mins:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BemcOAg53eM&t=3411s

This is exactly the sort of evidence that needed to be very closely examined in JB's case but it was virtually overlooked.  Freddy Mead was the defence expert at JB's trial.
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Steve_uk on June 28, 2025, 12:05:PM
In the case of Tony Martin, Norfolk farmer, Bleak House (Bleak by name, Bleak by nature) August 1999 who shot burglar Fred Barras, killing him in the process, the jury was taken to the farmhouse:

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12195401.murder-jury-visits-accused-farmers-house/

The case hinged on whether or not TM used 'reasonable' force to protect himself/property.  Central to this was ballistic and forensic evidence to map out the precise position of TM and the burglars:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVKOQM4Q1eo&t=15s

Similar evidence existed in JB's case but was barely looked at.  This was crucial evidence to determine the position of NB and perp when NB sustained his upstairs gunshot wounds:

- Was the perp around the entrance of the bedroom firing into the bedroom with NB inside the bedroom? Prosecution case.

Or

- Was the perp around the entrance of the bedroom firing onto the landing with NB on the landing? Defence case.
I don't see any similarities in the two cases, apart from superficial ones.
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Hardy Boy on June 28, 2025, 12:47:PM
ngb1066 has first hand experience so better placed to give his opinion. 

Obviously firearms with or without silencers are not designed to be used at close range in farmhouses complete with furnishing and soft furnishings.  Such experiments need to be carried out on a like-for-like basis otherwise a complete waste of time. 

A silencer is not going to alter the sound of the rifles cycling action which would go unnoticed when shooting at distance.
On average, suppressors reduce the noise of a gunshot by 20 – 35 decibels (dB), roughly the same sound reduction as earplugs or earmuffs.   Maybe  Bamber has never shot indoors, so he might think it wise to use the silencer to muffle the sound best he could so not to disturb those sleeping?   It doesn’t stop noise all together and probably woukd be less noticeable on the smaller calibre rifle, but why take the risk without using one?

Is a suppressor really worth it?

Less Noise

As was explained above, suppressors bring down the decibels that you hear each and every time a gun is shot. Making less noise while shooting is beneficial if there are a lot of people at the shooting range if you're out hunting, or simply if you're trying to do everything possible to preserve your hearing.
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Adam on June 28, 2025, 05:21:PM
Bit of a no brainer using a silencer in a silent massacre attempt.

Daniel/Nicholas & June/Nevill were feet/inches from each other.

Bit strange going to shoot rabbits without one. It would only take seconds to put a silencer on.
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Adam on June 28, 2025, 05:27:PM
The other advantage of a silencer is it made the rifle longer. He can keep his distance more from his targets.

The rifle with silencer would help him reach across the bed and shoot Nevill with the rifle inches from his face.

But he may have just been thinking about the noise advantage. 
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Adam on June 28, 2025, 05:34:PM
There are contradictory claims regarding the rifle power.

Some say it would not be powerful enough to produce back spatter. While simultaneously saying blood would have been dripping out of Nevill's mouth onto his bed instantaneously 
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Adam on June 28, 2025, 11:50:PM
A silencer would not be much help if everyone was in seperate rooms.

WHF was a big unit. The rooms will be big & a fair distance from each other. Across corridors. A box room seperated the twins & Nevill/June.

The doors & walls would be thick.

So unlikely anyone would wake from that rifle without a silencer.

However Daniel & Nicholas were sharing a room & June/Nevill sharing a bed. So the silencer becomes more useful.
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Cambridgecutie on June 29, 2025, 10:26:AM
I don't see any similarities in the two cases, apart from superficial ones.

How many cases in the UK involve killing by firearm within a farmhouse?  When such an incident occurs it produces a mountain of hard data eg blood stains, spent cartridges, distance of shots, trajectories and wound tracks.  This hard data is capable of locating the positions of the perp and victim.

In the case of Tony Martin it was used.  The data supported the prosecution case in that TM used unreasonable force. 

In the case of Jeremy Bamber it was not used.  Had it been used it would have supported the defence case and shown that NB came up the stairs and was shot on the landing when the perp was already in the bedroom having shot June a number of times.  This in turn supports JB's claim of a telephone call ie NB made the call in the kitchen, heard the gunshots upstairs, dropped the phone on the kitchen top and run upstairs where he sustained his facial gunshot wounds on the landing. 
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Curiosity on June 29, 2025, 10:37:AM
How many cases in the UK involve killing by firearm within a farmhouse?  When such an incident occurs it produces a mountain of hard data eg blood stains, spent cartridges, distance of shots, trajectories and wound tracks.  This hard data is capable of locating the positions of the perp and victim.

In the case of Tony Martin it was used.  The data supported the prosecution case in that TM used unreasonable force. 

In the case of Jeremy Bamber it was not used.  Had it been used it would have supported the defence case and shown that NB came up the stairs and was shot on the landing when the perp was already in the bedroom having shot June a number of times.  This in turn supports JB's claim of a telephone call ie NB made the call in the kitchen, heard the gunshots upstairs, dropped the phone on the kitchen top and run upstairs where he sustained his facial gunshot wounds on the landing.
No it does not!  The found position of cartridge cases tells an entirely different story.

Yours sincerely,

Stan (unfortunately underrated and undecorated).
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Steve_uk on June 29, 2025, 03:42:PM
How many cases in the UK involve killing by firearm within a farmhouse?  When such an incident occurs it produces a mountain of hard data eg blood stains, spent cartridges, distance of shots, trajectories and wound tracks.  This hard data is capable of locating the positions of the perp and victim.

In the case of Tony Martin it was used.  The data supported the prosecution case in that TM used unreasonable force

In the case of Jeremy Bamber it was not used.  Had it been used it would have supported the defence case and shown that NB came up the stairs and was shot on the landing when the perp was already in the bedroom having shot June a number of times.  This in turn supports JB's claim of a telephone call ie NB made the call in the kitchen, heard the gunshots upstairs, dropped the phone on the kitchen top and run upstairs where he sustained his facial gunshot wounds on the landing.
You evidently don't live alone in a rural area, are getting on in years and have faced intruders entering your house in darkness. Nobody knows what they would do in such a situation until confronted with the actual event.

In my opinion anyone who smashes a window to gain entry to your property with malice aforethought has forfeited their legal rights. I support the late Tony Martin and suspect politics as well as jury prejudice led to his conviction.  https://jeremybamberforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,11427.0.html
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Adam on June 29, 2025, 04:41:PM
The logical train of thoughts for anyone planning a silent killing would be - silent killing = use silencer (if available).

Not credible to say Bamber would not use a silencer. Four people were in 2 rooms!
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Adam on June 29, 2025, 04:43:PM
Bamber was certainly confident in his ability with the rifle.

He went out to shoot rabbits without sights and silencer!
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Curiosity on June 29, 2025, 06:03:PM
You evidently don't live alone in a rural area, are getting on in years and have faced intruders entering your house in darkness. Nobody knows what they would do in such a situation until confronted with the actual event.

In my opinion anyone who smashes a window to gain entry to your property with malice aforethought has forfeited their legal rights. I support the late Tony Martin and suspect politics as well as jury prejudice led to his conviction.  https://jeremybamberforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,11427.0.html
Been there and suffered it, but was asleep at the time. Only discovered on awakening that an expensive Canon EOS camera, flashgun, various lenses and tripod had disappeared and a small ground floor window had been forced.  Next time if there is one they'll feel the hard bulbous end of my baseball bat, kept close at hand. Once burgled, you never feel secure again, even with an alarm set and vulnerable windows locked.
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Cambridgecutie on June 29, 2025, 10:25:PM
No it does not!  The found position of cartridge cases tells an entirely different story.

Yours sincerely,

Stan (unfortunately underrated and undecorated).

The totality of the evidence paints a thousand words!  And those words tell us NB came upstairs, having called JB, and was shot on the landing by the perp who was in the bedroom and shooting out onto the landing. 
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Cambridgecutie on June 29, 2025, 10:37:PM
You evidently don't live alone in a rural area, are getting on in years and have faced intruders entering your house in darkness. Nobody knows what they would do in such a situation until confronted with the actual event.

In my opinion anyone who smashes a window to gain entry to your property with malice aforethought has forfeited their legal rights. I support the late Tony Martin and suspect politics as well as jury prejudice led to his conviction.  https://jeremybamberforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,11427.0.html

I obviously didn't make myself clear!  I wasn't attempting to argue the rights/wrongs of either case just pointing out that in cases involving a firearm/gunshot a mountain of hard data is produced and this data needs to be closely examined as it is capable of painting a thousand words!  In the case of TM the data was examined and used.  In the case of JB it wasn't. 
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: Adam on July 22, 2025, 02:19:PM
Just saw a doc on the Tracy Andrews case.

She hid the murder weapon/knife in her shoe.

She managed to dispose of the knife later, probably in hospital. But kept the shoes.

Later investigations found blood in the shoe inprinted in the shape of a knife.

The police were struggling without a murder weapon but now had a narrative.

Similar to the silencer, the shoes should have been cleaned or disposed.

In hindsight a mistake but these people are not criminal masterminds.
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: ILB on July 23, 2025, 08:17:PM
Jeremy thought he was going to walk back in 86. He was confident.
Title: Re: Were the jury taken to a shooting range? Was loading demonstrated to the jury?
Post by: ILB on July 23, 2025, 08:18:PM
Just saw a doc on the Tracy Andrews case.

She hid the murder weapon/knife in her shoe.

She managed to dispose of the knife later, probably in hospital. But kept the shoes.

Later investigations found blood in the shoe inprinted in the shape of a knife.

The police were struggling without a murder weapon but now had a narrative.

Similar to the silencer, the shoes should have been cleaned or disposed.

In hindsight a mistake but these people are not criminal masterminds.

Watched a documentary on this before.

A volatile relationship perhaps on both sides which ended tragically.