Post by Salem6 on Dec 10, 2003 12:56:52 GMT
Ian Huntley's actions after the deaths of two girls in his house were "ruthless," the prosecution has said at his trial.
Richard Latham QC is summing up the prosecution's case in the Soham murder trial at the Old Bailey.
The prosecution says Mr Huntley killed the girls
Mr Huntley, 29, denies murdering 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman last year.
Mr Huntley's actions were of a person thinking "very hard indeed," Mr Latham told the jury on Wednesday.
Mr Huntley, a former school caretaker, admits conspiring to pervert the course of justice and that the girls died at his house in Soham, Cambridgeshire during an accident in his bathroom.
His ex-girlfriend Maxine Carr denies conspiring to pervert the course of justice and two counts of assisting an offender.
"He was playing the part, the role of the helpful caretaker, while at the same time arranging an alibi, cleaning up at home, cleaning up the Fiesta." Richard Latham QC
Mr Latham began his opening statement on Wednesday to the full jury of seven women and five men.
The trial had been adjourned for two days when one of the jury fell ill.
During his evidence Mr Huntley claimed Holly died accidentally after falling into his bath last August.
However, he admitted he had killed Jessica by putting his hand over her mouth to stop her screaming and had told lies to police to cover his tracks.
He also admitted dumping the girls' bodies in a ditch and trying to burn them.
Mr Latham told the court not to expect a long speech from him as the prosecution case had already been outlined in detail and the case had not changed after hearing from the witnesses, including Mr Huntley and Ms Carr.
Mr Latham said he wanted to examine Mr Huntley's behaviour following his "little turn" on the landing outside his bathroom after the deaths of the two girls.
He said Mr Huntley could remember all the details of his thinking after his "little turn," including deciding to burn the bodies and getting petrol from the school.
Rational mind
Mr Latham said Mr Huntley's actions after the deaths, including removing the bodies from his house, dumping them and burning the clothes, were not casual but a "series of ruthless acts".
"Is this the mind of a man who has closed down and can't think rationally, and hasn't got a proper memory of what has occurred?
"We suggest it is the complete opposite - it is a man under control and he is thinking, thinking very hard indeed."
Mr Latham said that he did not expect the jury to be precise in identifying in which room and how both girls died - "all you have to be sure about...is that he murdered each girl".
He told the jury that defence admissions are likely to be true, but he went on: "If you are able to be sure he was wrong...he will have lied to you."
He added: "If you conclude he has lied to you...we say you can safely conclude he murdered both of those girls."
Mr Latham told the jury that the prosecution "cannot accept his account of what happened."
'Cynical deception'
Mr Latham said Mr Huntley was helpful to police and took a great interest in the investigation.
However, Mr Latham described this as "twelve days of cynical deception".
"He was playing the part, the role of the helpful caretaker, while at the same time arranging an alibi, cleaning up at home, cleaning up [his Fiesta car]."
Mr Latham, running through aspects of Mr Huntley's defence, said: "Members of the jury, the smell of lemon, the washing line at lunchtime on Monday in pouring rain with things on it, the tyres, the complete clean-up of the Fiesta interior on the early evening of the Monday - this is, as I keep emphasising, a thinker, a planner, a man who is acting calmly and rationally."
"Something happened in that dining room, we suggest. We will never be able to prove precisely what, but we suggest you have not heard the truth from either defendant about that dining room." Richard Latham QC
He then turned to the evidence concerning the dining room at Mr Huntley's house, 5 College Close.
Mr Huntley said a flood in the bathroom was caused by the damaged bath. Water flowed through the ceiling and brought a light fitting down.
Mr Latham said: "Something happened in that dining room, we suggest.
"We will never be able to prove precisely what, but we suggest you have not heard the truth from either defendant about that dining room."
Mr Latham told the jury: "I put this to you bluntly. He is a capable and convincing liar."
He asked the jury to bear in mind the media interviews both defendants gave before their arrests.
He said Ms Carr was cynically relaxed and chatty in her manner "as she lies through her teeth about the important thing - that she was present on the Sunday, which she was not".
The jury will be provided "unusually" with a laptop for their deliberations.
The laptop will contain all images and plans relevant to the case, and all the media interviews so they can be watched, Mr Latham said.
Richard Latham QC is summing up the prosecution's case in the Soham murder trial at the Old Bailey.
The prosecution says Mr Huntley killed the girls
Mr Huntley, 29, denies murdering 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman last year.
Mr Huntley's actions were of a person thinking "very hard indeed," Mr Latham told the jury on Wednesday.
Mr Huntley, a former school caretaker, admits conspiring to pervert the course of justice and that the girls died at his house in Soham, Cambridgeshire during an accident in his bathroom.
His ex-girlfriend Maxine Carr denies conspiring to pervert the course of justice and two counts of assisting an offender.
"He was playing the part, the role of the helpful caretaker, while at the same time arranging an alibi, cleaning up at home, cleaning up the Fiesta." Richard Latham QC
Mr Latham began his opening statement on Wednesday to the full jury of seven women and five men.
The trial had been adjourned for two days when one of the jury fell ill.
During his evidence Mr Huntley claimed Holly died accidentally after falling into his bath last August.
However, he admitted he had killed Jessica by putting his hand over her mouth to stop her screaming and had told lies to police to cover his tracks.
He also admitted dumping the girls' bodies in a ditch and trying to burn them.
Mr Latham told the court not to expect a long speech from him as the prosecution case had already been outlined in detail and the case had not changed after hearing from the witnesses, including Mr Huntley and Ms Carr.
Mr Latham said he wanted to examine Mr Huntley's behaviour following his "little turn" on the landing outside his bathroom after the deaths of the two girls.
He said Mr Huntley could remember all the details of his thinking after his "little turn," including deciding to burn the bodies and getting petrol from the school.
Rational mind
Mr Latham said Mr Huntley's actions after the deaths, including removing the bodies from his house, dumping them and burning the clothes, were not casual but a "series of ruthless acts".
"Is this the mind of a man who has closed down and can't think rationally, and hasn't got a proper memory of what has occurred?
"We suggest it is the complete opposite - it is a man under control and he is thinking, thinking very hard indeed."
Mr Latham said that he did not expect the jury to be precise in identifying in which room and how both girls died - "all you have to be sure about...is that he murdered each girl".
He told the jury that defence admissions are likely to be true, but he went on: "If you are able to be sure he was wrong...he will have lied to you."
He added: "If you conclude he has lied to you...we say you can safely conclude he murdered both of those girls."
Mr Latham told the jury that the prosecution "cannot accept his account of what happened."
'Cynical deception'
Mr Latham said Mr Huntley was helpful to police and took a great interest in the investigation.
However, Mr Latham described this as "twelve days of cynical deception".
"He was playing the part, the role of the helpful caretaker, while at the same time arranging an alibi, cleaning up at home, cleaning up [his Fiesta car]."
Mr Latham, running through aspects of Mr Huntley's defence, said: "Members of the jury, the smell of lemon, the washing line at lunchtime on Monday in pouring rain with things on it, the tyres, the complete clean-up of the Fiesta interior on the early evening of the Monday - this is, as I keep emphasising, a thinker, a planner, a man who is acting calmly and rationally."
"Something happened in that dining room, we suggest. We will never be able to prove precisely what, but we suggest you have not heard the truth from either defendant about that dining room." Richard Latham QC
He then turned to the evidence concerning the dining room at Mr Huntley's house, 5 College Close.
Mr Huntley said a flood in the bathroom was caused by the damaged bath. Water flowed through the ceiling and brought a light fitting down.
Mr Latham said: "Something happened in that dining room, we suggest.
"We will never be able to prove precisely what, but we suggest you have not heard the truth from either defendant about that dining room."
Mr Latham told the jury: "I put this to you bluntly. He is a capable and convincing liar."
He asked the jury to bear in mind the media interviews both defendants gave before their arrests.
He said Ms Carr was cynically relaxed and chatty in her manner "as she lies through her teeth about the important thing - that she was present on the Sunday, which she was not".
The jury will be provided "unusually" with a laptop for their deliberations.
The laptop will contain all images and plans relevant to the case, and all the media interviews so they can be watched, Mr Latham said.