Friday 17 August 2012

Louise Holmes - being briefed

Volunteer searcher Louise Holmes is the first person to see the dead body of Dr Kelly in the wood on Harrowdown HillShe gave evidence to the Hutton Inquiry on the morning of 2nd September, Mr Knox being her inquisitor.

Mr Knox gets some background information from her:

Q. Ms Holmes, could you tell the Inquiry your full name?
A. It is Louise Holmes.
Q. And your occupation?
A. I am a hearing dog trainer.
Q. Sorry?
A. I am a hearing dog trainer.
Q. For how long have you done that?
A. The past two years.
Q. And who are you employed by to do that job?
A. I am employed by the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.
Q. How much experience do you have of foot searches for missing persons?
A. I have been a member of my local search and rescue team for nearly two years now.

She obviously has a rapport with dogs and her occupation suggests a concern to improve life for less fortunate people.
Mr Knox moves on:

Q. On Friday 18th July did you go to Abingdon police station?
A. I did, yes.
Q. At what sort of time did you go?

A. I arrived there around quarter past/half past 7.
Q. When you got there, what were you told?
A. I was given a briefing, the name of the person that we were looking for, a description of what he was wearing when he was last seen and I was given an area to go and search.
Q. And who gave you this briefing?
A. It was done by a police officer and SEBEVs Control manager, Neil Knight.
Q. Were you given a photograph of the person you were looking for?
A. Yes, we were given a photograph and an A4 piece of paper with the name and a description of the missing person on it.

The description of what Dr Kelly was wearing would almost certainly have been supplied by Mrs Kelly.  It's an obvious question she would have been asked during the night; Ms Absalon wouldn't have been properly interviewed by that time even if identified as someone who had seen Dr Kelly.  In her evidence too she wasn't precise about Dr Kelly's clothing.  I'm having more thoughts about Dr Kelly's Barbour jacket but won't divert on to that subject now.

Mr Knox then establishes that she has Paul Chapman and her dog "Brock" with her.

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