GUILTY UK - Julia James, 53, murdered, Snowdown, Kent, 27 April 2021 *ARREST* #2

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Konstantin said:
Oh yes I think his defence is clearly nonsense. He absolutely intended to kill her. And as he’s sitting trial for murder the court hasn’t accepted any insanity plea if he tried ti make one.

I doubt he’ll get very far with his defence. The prosecution have already argued that he himself referred to the railway jack as a weapon. There’s no doubt he assaulted the victim and he’s not even denying that because he can’t. All he has left is to try to claim he didn’t intend to kill ergo he’s not guilty of murder— he’s trying to get a lighter sentence. Or even to attempt to play down in his own mind or to his family that he’s a murderer.

Which is a very calculated thing to do, no?
Click to expand...
It might have been his lawyer's idea.

The perp seems to have mentality of a child (sticking out a tongue at the Press, silly laughing, calling Police to his house, etc.).

MOO
 
Today (May 11), the jurors are paying a visit to Aylesham and Snowdown.

They are expected to visit The Crescent, where Julia lived, as well as retracing the route she walked on the afternoon of her death on April 27, 2021.

The defendant, Callum Wheeler, 22, admits killing Julia but denies the charge of murder. He will not be in court today but is set to return to the dock tomorrow (May 12).

Yesterday., Alison Morgan QC began laying out the evidence for the prosecution.

Ms Morgan detailed the events leadng up to and following April 27. This included forensic evidence linking Wheeler to Julia, as well as the discovery of the suspected murder weapon in the property he was staying at.

The court also heard how a smart watch worn by Julia on her walk in Ackholt Wood captured a spike in her heart rate.

The prosecution says this was the moment Julia spotted her killer and attempted to flee, with her heart rate jumping from 97 to 145 beats per minute.

www.kentlive.news

Callum Wheeler found guilty of murdering PCSO Julia James - updates

Wheeler, 22, was found guilty after a week-long trial at Canterbury Crown Court
www.kentlive.news www.kentlive.news
 
On Tuesday jurors were taken to Mrs James's former home and along the footpath where she walked that day.
The path led from a gate at the end of her garden, through a wooded area and along the edge of a farmer's field.

She walked along an uneven path at the edge of the field and on to a bridle path at the edge of Ackholt Wood to a place known for an abundance of butterflies, that she and her husband Paul called the Butterfly Point.

The jury walked along the edge of a field full of crops to that point, where Mrs James turned round and began to walk home.

They were shown the point where she then made a detour away from a wooded area, the prosecution claim because she had seen Wheeler in the woods and wanted to get away.

A yellow marker showed the point a short distance away along a path next to a wheat field where her body was found.




www.dailymail.co.uk

Jurors in Julia James murder trial retrace final steps of PCSO

Julia James, 53, died from head injuries near Ackholt Wood, close to her home in Snowdown in Kent, on April 27 last year. Today jury members in the trial of accused Callum Wheeler visited the scene.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk
 
Im not so sure if the victim was random.

He certainly was circling her for some time:
- she saw him once and described him as weird
- he was once seen going in direction of her house.

Maybe her connection to Police was important?

Maybe he had a fixation concerning LE?
Why did he call Police to his home once?

It was also reported that he "played hide and seek" with Police after the murder.

Besides, why was he chasing her in the woods?
As if he was determined to kill this particular woman.

MOO
 
Last edited:
10:34Ben Ashton

Day 3 of trial begins​

Good morning and welcome back to our coverage live from Canterbury Crown Court as Callum Wheeler's trial continues. He is accused of the murder of PCSO Julia James.
Day 1: On the first day of the trial, prosecutor Alison Morgan QC delivered her opening statement and told the court that while Wheeler denies the charge of murder, he does accept he killed Julia. Ms Morgan laid out a number of details around the timeline of events in the days leading up to April 27 and what happened after.
The account included forensic evidence linking Wheeler to Julia, as well as the discovery of the suspected murder weapon in the property he was staying at. The court also heard how a smart watch worn by Julia on her walk in Ackholt Wood captured a spike in her heart rate.
Day 2: The jury was taken to Aylesham and Snowdown. They visited The Crescent, where Julia lived, as well as retracing the route she walked on the afternoon of her death on April 27, 2021.
Day 3: Today (May 11), the court is expected to hear from witness Gavin Tucker, who is a gamekeeper for the farm that includes Ackholt Wood, where Julia James died. Also due to appear are PC Scott James and PCSO Emma Carmichael.


www.kentlive.news

Callum Wheeler found guilty of murdering PCSO Julia James - updates

Wheeler, 22, was found guilty after a week-long trial at Canterbury Crown Court
www.kentlive.news www.kentlive.news
 
10:36Ben Ashton

Callum Wheeler arrives in court​

Callum Wheeler has arrived in the dock wearing a red sweatshirt, with the trial set to resume shortly. Judge Mrs Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb and the jury have also arrived.

www.kentlive.news

Callum Wheeler found guilty of murdering PCSO Julia James - updates

Wheeler, 22, was found guilty after a week-long trial at Canterbury Crown Court
www.kentlive.news www.kentlive.news
 
Dotta said:
It might have been his lawyer's idea.
Click to expand...

It's about all the defence can suggest.

He has admitted to the actus reus - attacking her with a 3kg bar, and striking multiple blows to her head.

Most countries have some form of expanded intent for murder, where you intend to cause GBH / serious injury and cause death, precisely to stop the type of defence which says "oh i only meant to club her 3 times over the head with a 3kg bar but didn't mean to kill her"

So the defence is really just saying "prove the intent" - which is the only issue before the jury as far as I can see.

Wonder if the defence will produce any evidence? Probably not.
 
Dotta said:
Im not so sure if the victim was random.

He certainly was circling her for some time:
- she saw him once and described him as weird
- he was once seen going in direction of her house.

Maybe her connection to Police was important?

Maybe he had a fixation concerning LE?
Why did he call Police to his home once?

It was also reported that he "played hide and seek" with Police after the murder.

Besides, why was he chasing her in the woods?
As if he was determined to kill this particular woman.

MOO
Click to expand...

I agree with this, especially that latest update on the live court blog just now. He calls the police, they turn up and he says it's a mistake and then laughs about the PCSO's that were there saying they aren't real police? Then he happens to murder a PCSO a week or so later? Hmm...
 
mrjitty said:
It's about all the defence can suggest.

He has admitted to the actus reus - attacking her with a 3kg bar, and striking multiple blows to her head.

Most countries have some form of expanded intent for murder, where you intend to cause GBH / serious injury and cause death, precisely to stop the type of defence which says "oh i only meant to club her 3 times over the head with a 3kg bar but didn't mean to kill her"

So the defence is really just saying "prove the intent" - which is the only issue before the jury as far as I can see.

Wonder if the defence will produce any evidence? Probably not.
Click to expand...
yes this
I assume this is because he refused to plead guilty to murder, because it seems pretty clear that unless the defence can somehow show that the accused is not capable of judgement and so there is reasonable doubt that he believed his actions would lead to the victim's death or severe harm (which I think would be impossible, but let's see what they come up with). But by taking this route, and forcing a full trial with all the costs and further distress to the victim's family and to the jurors, this might end up worse for him than if he simply pleaded guilty and avoided the need for a trial.

We don't know what is going through Wheeler's head at all but there is something sadistic about this perhaps.

I feel for Julia's family, this must be awful for them to have to relive.
 
mrjitty said:
It's about all the defence can suggest.

He has admitted to the actus reus - attacking her with a 3kg bar, and striking multiple blows to her head.

Most countries have some form of expanded intent for murder, where you intend to cause GBH / serious injury and cause death, precisely to stop the type of defence which says "oh i only meant to club her 3 times over the head with a 3kg bar but didn't mean to kill her"

So the defence is really just saying "prove the intent" - which is the only issue before the jury as far as I can see.

Wonder if the defence will produce any evidence? Probably not.
Click to expand...

If he has an intellectual disability, which seems likely, given, for example, his behaviour pulling faces and sticking his tongue out to press photographers at his first court appearance, then there may be issues around his ability to comprehend consequences or the finality for death, for instance.

He was remanded at Broadmoor at the time of his plea hearing, so as well as assessing him for psychiatric disturbance (and apparently ruling that out) my expectation is that there will be some expert testimony about his intellectual age and ability to conceptualise what he did as a murder.

Man pleads not guilty to PCSO's murder

JMO
 
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