Thoughts on scenario of Sheila being the killer

[Jane]

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I don't believe it took minutes to answer at all

If he'd been in a deep sleep, it would have taken several seconds to get himself together. The phone was downstairs. I'm not 100% certain that there wasn't a cut off back then, after a number of rings, but there wasn't an operator to "try again". IF the call happened, Nevill took a HUGE chance in it being answered.

[Jane]

You've answered your own question--------because she had the gun,Neville was defenceless.

Unless she was threatening to use it on him -in which case, of what possible use would Jeremy have been?- he could, at least have attempted to wrest it from her.

[Adam]

If he'd been in a deep sleep, it would have taken several seconds to get himself together. The phone was downstairs. I'm not 100% certain that there wasn't a cut off back then, after a number of rings, but there wasn't an operator to "try again". IF the call happened, Nevill took a HUGE chance in it being answered.

He said himself he was sleeping 'like a log' upstairs.

So no guarantee the phone would wake him. It's doubtful he would hear it even if awake if his bedroom door was shut.

However the process from first ring to answer is likely to be several minutes.

[Adam]

So I promised Adam I would write up  a scenario on Sheila being the killer,
What are people's views that maybe, Sheila injured Neville with gun in the kitchen first but no shots were fired at that time, he then, made the pbonevall to Jeremy and said "Sheilas got the gun and gone mad" or words to that effect , Instead of phoning 999 because shots had not been fired at that time and he felt that he and or Jeremy together could regain control of the situation without alerting the police.
Please don't be rude to me I would like to discuss people's views on why or why not this could of happened.

The trouble with this Sheila scenario, like the others is it relies on so many unlikely occurrences happening at the same time.

A fight & an injury to a fully fit Nevill before any shots had been fired.

Sheila being injury free in this fight.

The fight abruptly finishing without a conclusion
 
Sheila still having the rifle after the fight & being allowed to go upstairs with it.

Nevill calling Bamber at 3.00am although June was available.

[guest7363]

So what happened first?,

Dont forget he had fractures to the skull that wasn't associated with the gunshot wounds, rather difficult to chase upstairs with a fractured skull.  If he has ceased struggling he must have been downstairs and didn't move again?

[Lucy522]

Dont forget he had fractures to the skull that wasn't associated with the gunshot wounds, rather difficult to chase upstairs with a fractured skull.  If he has ceased struggling he must have been downstairs and didn't move again?

People can still move with a fractured skull though, perhaps that's why he didn't fight back and disarm her?, she had hit him first hence the distressed call and reason he couldn't disarm her? Confusion/concussion/adrenaline? I really think IF the call was placed he obviously couldn't of been severely injured at that time, or saw no direct threat to life? Sheila was known to go off on a tangent perhaps this time she just couldn't be calmed and pulled back

[Jane]

People can still move with a fractured skull though, perhaps that's why he didn't fight back and disarm her?, she had hit him first hence the distressed call and reason he couldn't disarm her? Confusion/concussion/adrenaline? I really think IF the call was placed he obviously couldn't of been severely injured at that time, or saw no direct threat to life? Sheila was known to go off on a tangent perhaps this time she just couldn't be calmed and pulled back

Except that, as we know, Sheila was over sedated. Her medication was a sedative. Sheila only went "off on a tangent" when she wasn't medicated. Also to bear in mind is that Nevill's skull was probably in a bit of a mess. It's doubtful that his skull was fractured without the skin being broken. Skulls, because the blood vessels are close to the surface, bleed readily and copiously. A blood trail would undoubtedly have followed him, if not, blinded him

[Adam]

People can still move with a fractured skull though, perhaps that's why he didn't fight back and disarm her?, she had hit him first hence the distressed call and reason he couldn't disarm her? Confusion/concussion/adrenaline? I really think IF the call was placed he obviously couldn't of been severely injured at that time, or saw no direct threat to life? Sheila was known to go off on a tangent perhaps this time she just couldn't be calmed and pulled back

So there was a tussle with a fully fit Nevill. Nevill gets a fractured skull from rifle blows & Sheila is not hurt.

Nevill rings Bamber & lets Sheila go upstairs with the rifle.

[lookout]

Lucy if you'd read of Sheila's very unhappy beginnings in her short life, I'm sure you'd understand why her ending had ended the way that it did. She was a totally abandoned child,more so than Jeremy had been,then to have her life dictated to and controlled had been more than she could bear,even as an adult with a family of her own.
There's an old saying about " the worm turning ",and it did for sure.

A lot of people in this predicament can turn their lives around with love,help and support,but Sheila was getting none of these vital links,hence her deep depression had deteriorated until it became too late for any intervention so a medical " cosh " had been given to which she'd fought against.

[notsure]

He said himself he was sleeping 'like a log' upstairs.

So no guarantee the phone would wake him. It's doubtful he would hear it even if awake if his bedroom door was shut.

However the process from first ring to answer is likely to be several minutes.

Why wouldn't he hear it adam it was in the middle of the night and the house would have been silent. It was only a small cottage and deep sleep or not it would have eventually woke him. It wouldn't have taken him long at all to answer it

[Lucy522]

Why wouldn't he hear it adam it was in the middle of the night and the house would have been silent. It was only a small cottage and deep sleep or not it would have eventually woke him. It wouldn't have taken him long at all to answer it

I don't believe it would of taken minutes maybe 90 seconds at most, most people know that a call at that time mean something serious is happening and is urgent.

[Lucy522]

Unless she was threatening to use it on him -in which case, of what possible use would Jeremy have been?- he could, at least have attempted to wrest it from her.

That's what I'm leaning towards she was threatening him but he had no inclination she would possibly use it.

[Adam]

Why wouldn't he hear it adam it was in the middle of the night and the house would have been silent. It was only a small cottage and deep sleep or not it would have eventually woke him. It wouldn't have taken him long at all to answer it

'Eventually' I agree with. Very surprised Nevill waited so long just to say 11 words.

'Never' is also an appropriate word. Espescially if Bamber's 'sleeping like a log' upstairs & his bedroom door was shut.

Anyway once it eventually fully woke Bamber, he had to realise the phone was ringing, try to ignore it & go back to sleep. 'Eventually' decide to answer it. Get up & go downstairs.

[Lucy522]

So there was a tussle with a fully fit Nevill. Nevill gets a fractured skull from rifle blows & Sheila is not hurt.

Nevill rings Bamber & lets Sheila go upstairs with the rifle.

Not necessarily, we don't know at what point the fractured skull occurred.

[Lucy522]

Lucy if you'd read of Sheila's very unhappy beginnings in her short life, I'm sure you'd understand why her ending had ended the way that it did. She was a totally abandoned child,more so than Jeremy had been,then to have her life dictated to and controlled had been more than she could bear,even as an adult with a family of her own.
There's an old saying about " the worm turning ",and it did for sure.

A lot of people in this predicament can turn their lives around with love,help and support,but Sheila was getting none of these vital links,hence her deep depression had deteriorated until it became too late for any intervention so a medical " cosh " had been given to which she'd fought against.

I have colin book on the way thanks to a very kind member, so I'm hoping to find out more about Sheila and the family dynamics, but I totally hear what your saying and am inclined to agree.