GUILTY UK - Lucy McHugh, 13, murdered,, Southampton, 25 July 2018

[Elainera]

I'm surprised they returned a unanimous guilty verdict for murder relatively quickly. They must have heard more than what was reported.

Thinking of Lucy ....

 

[Tortoise]

I'm surprised they returned a unanimous guilty verdict for murder relatively quickly. They must have heard more than what was reported.

Thinking of Lucy ....

Yes, and if there were a couple of holdouts, or one, on the rape charges I think that's an indication that the holdouts were quite particular.

 

[Kasmeer]

Well, they took long enough to consider it fully, I hope some more details come out about the evidence that explain it a bit better for us as I had doubts, but I gather the jury didn't, if the holdup was on the rape charges and not the murder. I think chances are he's the right person anyway, just wasn't totally convinced about the standard of proof, it'll be interesting to see any further details that come out.

 

[KarenUK]

I share your sentiments.

Finding it uncomfortable reading that it is coming down to Lucy being portrayed as an attention seeking liar and in some way responsible.

Even if she was telling lies and seeking attention - there was a reason for it and I believe she was failed by people around her long before she was murdered.

This ^ !!
She was a kid and he was an adult, why is she getting all the bad press? I wish their were some charges that could be brought against her mother and step father

 

[Alyce]

Lucy McHugh lived a chaotic last few months

The family home in Mansel Road East, Southampton, was plagued by arguments, primarily between Lucy and Stephen Nicholson and also between Lucy and her mother's partner Richard Elmes.

Nicholson - who had been best friends with Mr Elmes since they were children - stored cannabis in a kitchen drawer to sell to friends and clients.

The extent of the arguments meant Lucy repeatedly decided to leave home and live with her grandparents, including for one period of six months until about May 2018.

Mr Elmes told the court there would be arguments "the majority of the time" in the house

He described witnessing one argument between Lucy and the defendant as like walking in on a "war zone".

Mr Elmes said in court that he argued with Lucy as well.

He admitted sending a message to the teenager's mother Ms White saying: "I'm going to end up punching Lucy."

Ms White replied: "If you punch a child you will end up in jail so is it worth it, seriously?"

Ms White sent another message saying: "She is going to end up in care,she is accusing all of us of hitting her and throwing her about."

Mr Elmes told the court she had self-harmed and the kitchen door was kept locked to keep her away from knives.

She also told friends he had got her pregnant and she had an abortion.


Ms White released a tribute to her daughter
Ms White described her as "A smiling, content little dolly






much more at the link .............. the BIBs are mine




Schoolgirl's murder trial hampered after care worker refused to hand over Facebook password

 

[Alyce]

Grieving relatives of murdered teenager Lucy McHugh last night accused the authorities of failing to protect her from a sexual predator.

Family members questioned why social workers did not spot Lucy was in grave danger.

Southampton City Council launched an urgent serious incident review after it was revealed teachers were warned she had a 'boyfriend' ten years older than her.

But during the trial, jurors heard social services dropped their enquiries after Lucy's mother insisted she was not in any danger – allegedly claiming she simply had a 'crush'.





Lucy McHugh murder: Social workers in the dock over 13-year-old's death | Daily Mail Online

 

[Kitkat28]

This is a 13 year old CHILD. Even now, there seems to be the underlying feeling that she was a person in a consenting relationship being domestically abused.

Why is no-one (outside a few of us here, it seems) OUTRAGED by what has happened to this poor little girl. Why is this not on the front of every paper this morning?

She didn’t stand a chance did she.

 

[Alyce]

The care worker slept in a bedroom directly opposite Lucy's after her step-dad Richard Elmes took in his childhood friend when he was released from jail.

Lodger who raped and killed Lucy, 13, said 'I don't care who I hurt' in rap video

 

[Alyce]

Just before Nicholson's 24th birthday in May last year, a terrified Lucy, who had been staying with her grandparents at the time, revealed she had had a pregnancy scare.

She wrote to Nicholson: "I will be back for your birthday, so please get a pregnancy kit and some condoms because if I am not [pregnant] we will need to be careful."




Lodger who raped and killed Lucy, 13, said 'I don't care who I hurt' in rap video

 

[Alyce]

There was nothing to physically link the spot where Lucy's body was found to Nicholson - the murder weapon remained unaccounted for and no DNA was found at the scene.

Investigators focused on Nicholson's online accounts -enlisting the help of a cloud data analyst.

Their job was to study pieces of information sent from Nicholson's phone to data servers owned by companies such as Google.

While tracing the phone's route on the day of Lucy's murder, the analyst noticed a small "blip" at an area police had not yet searched.

It suggested Nicholson had deviated from his most direct route home.

The diversion took him to Tanner's Brook: .

"It was a slight deviation on his telephone. You could say it had jumped a mast," Det Supt Paul Barton said.

"It was a great bit of work from the analyst who pointed it out."




How a Facebook password trapped a killer

 

[Alyce]

They found a bag containing a blue, bloodstained hoodie. The garment contained Nicholson's DNA and Lucy's blood.

Prior to the discovery of the clothing, police had no direct evidence of Nicholson's involvement in her killing.

They tested fibres from her bloodstained jacket and Nicholson's clothes which suggested direct contact with the hoodie.

Detectives established that hoodies of the same type were sold to two people in the Southampton area - one of them was given as a present to a man who knew Nicholson's friend.



How a Facebook password trapped a killer

 

[Alyce]

A request to the social media giant would involve a lengthy route through the US courts - well in excess of the 96 hours available to detectives.

The answer was so-called "terrorism legislation", or section 53 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA).

Normally used in cases involving national security, the surveillance law can cover all serious crimes.

Nicholson was bailed in relation to Lucy's murder but charged under RIPA for failing to comply with an order to hand over his password.




How a Facebook password trapped a killer

 

[katydid23]

The care worker slept in a bedroom directly opposite Lucy's after her step-dad Richard Elmes took in his childhood friend when he was released from jail.

Lodger who raped and killed Lucy, 13, said 'I don't care who I hurt' in rap video

"...after her step-dad Richard Elmes took in his childhood friend when he was released from jail."


How many freakin times do we hear that same circumstance in these murder cases? Somebody allows a 'friend' who was just released from jail to come stay with them, and it is the poor innocent children who often pay the tragic price.

 

[KarenUK]

Lucy McHugh lived a chaotic last few months

Ms White released a tribute to her daughter
Ms White described her as "A smiling, content little dolly

Schoolgirl's murder trial hampered after care worker refused to hand over Facebook password

RSBM

"After the verdict, Detective Inspector Lee Macarthur read a statement on behalf of Lucy's mother, Stacey White, outside court, saying: "I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart the support from our close family and friends during this harrowing time.
"The dedication from Hampshire Constabulary, the specialist teams across the country and the local communities helped to get justice for my precious daughter Lucy."

 

[KarenUK]

Grieving relatives of murdered teenager Lucy McHugh last night accused the authorities of failing to protect her from a sexual predator.

Family members questioned why social workers did not spot Lucy was in grave danger.

Southampton City Council launched an urgent serious incident review after it was revealed teachers were warned she had a 'boyfriend' ten years older than her.

But during the trial, jurors heard social services dropped their enquiries after Lucy's mother insisted she was not in any danger – allegedly claiming she simply had a 'crush'.

Lucy McHugh murder: Social workers in the dock over 13-year-old's death | Daily Mail Online

I'm not excusing the social workers, but those greiving relatives need to look closer to home.

 

[Kasmeer]

I'm not excusing the social workers, but those greiving relatives need to look closer to home.

In fairness the direct quotes in the article on the subject were from her father's family, who had been cut off from Lucy - on the headline alone, I completely agree, the mother's side has no right at all to criticise anyone...

Lucy's paternal grandfather Keith McHugh, 65, said the failure to investigate caused the family 'a lot' of concern. He said: 'The school did their bit [by flagging the case] but social services did not do their bit.'

Lucy McHugh murder: Social workers in the dock over 13-year-old's death | Daily Mail Online

 

[KarenUK]

In fairness the direct quotes in the article on the subject were from her father's family, who had been cut off from Lucy - on the headline alone, I completely agree, the mother's side has no right at all to criticise anyone...

My mistake - I've stopped reading the entire articles now as I was getting too angry!

 

[Alyce]

My mistake - I've stopped reading the entire articles now as I was getting too angry!

Me too Karen, so much I would like to say....

 

[Alyce]

Jury members are now in court. The Honourable Mrs Justice May DBE is due to come into court shortly.

 

[Alyce]

The court is now hearing about Nicholson's previous convictions

It is revealed that Nicholson was given a two-year detention order in May 2009, while he was 14, for false imprisonment, possession of a knife, two counts of theft from a person and aggravated vehicle taking.

While under that order, he committed another offence of affray and criminal damage, for which he was sentenced to 12 months.

He was jailed for 14 months in August last year, for failing to disclose his Facebook password to police in the Lucy McHugh murder investigation.


LIVE: Lucy McHugh's killer Stephen Nicholson to be sentenced today