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Reports

Jun

Pope Retrial Begins Hearing Evidence

Written by Satish Sekar

Chance Encounter
John Pope, 62, denies murdering 34 year-old Karen Skipper as she walked her dogs on Birdies Field, in the Fairwater district of Cardiff in the night of March 9th 1996. Ian Murphy QC, prosecuting, told the jury that Pope had a great interest in the trial of Mrs Skipper's estranged husband Phillip. He told the court that Pope knew details, such as that organisms had been found on Mr Skipper's clothes, even though it had not come out in court as it could have come from the dogs.

Pope, he said, was confronted by forensic evidence and invented meeting Mrs Skipper three weeks earlier. Pope claimed that he had removed a thorn from the black Labrador's paw. The dog bit him on the middle finger and it 'bled like a pig.' Mrs Skipper apologised, gave the dog a clout and gave him a tissue. Pope said that he didn't mention it earlier because of Phillip Skipper's reputation for violence, so he did not want to get involved.

He had no explanation for the blood on Mrs Skipper's knickers. “I'm not forensics,” he said. Mr Murphy assured the jury that it was Pope's blood that had been found on Mrs Skipper's jeans and knickers. “Was this sexual attack that stopped short when he saw she had defecated? Murphy asked rhetorically. “Of course this was a sexual attack. It is matter of inference and common sense.”

He told the jury that she had probably defecated in terror and that put the killer off. In anger he tied her hands and bundled her alive into the River Ely.

Alarm
Her watch had stopped at 11.55. The court heard that witnesses had heard screams, a man and woman talking and dogs barking. Reginald Bean could not attend court, so his statement was read to the court. Mrs Skipper's dogs were distressed and trying to draw his attention to her clothes and the river. They kept approaching him and then going back to her clothes. He gave them food and petted them. Then he went closerHe went and got the police. Andrew Smith, who has since retired was the first officer at the scene. After discovering the body, police divers and Scene of Crime Officers arrived.

Her body had been submerged and was recovered. Her clothing was carefully collected, and sealed. Mark Evans QC, established that her jeans had been moved after being photographed. Detective Sergeant Stephen Ashby accepted that he had searched the pockets of the jeans to try to establish identity, but told the jury that it was done carefully.

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