Appropriate Adult

That's not fair. Come on.

You said yesterday. That's not my fault.

- Come on you lot, chop chop. - Chop chop! Chop chop!

Anyone seen my overalls?

There's some clean ones in the back, love.

Oh, thanks.

Andy, Josh, it's ten past.

- Where's Andy? - I don't know.

- Who's moved my rucksack? - Me, but it was in the way.

Right, Jade, I want you in the car. Come on, get your shoes on.

And you, love, come on, let's go.

- I'm tired! - All right.

And I'm hungry.

Andy!

We are going now.

I'm coming.

- Have you got your bus fare? - Yeah, see you later.

- Come on, Chris, you're always late. - See you, love.

Got your recorder, Jade?

Mum, it's not recorder day today, that's tomorrow.

# Become good friends

Mae, get that.

- Is your mum in? - She's inside.

Mum.

Oh, bloody hell, not you again!

That's right, me again.

Well, what's that?

A warrant to search the house and the garden.

Excuse me.

Mum, what...?

- What's going on? - I don't know.

- Well, what are they all... - They just come in with search warrants.

Mind my house, you great lummock!

What, then, are the signs of abuse

which social workers should look for in children?

These may be physical, unexplained cuts and bruises.

But they may also be behavioural. Is the child withdrawn or aggressive

or unusually introverted?

Is there an unspoken atmosphere of fear in the house?

It's me.

That interfering bloody arsehole bitch is here again.

She'd got a search warrant this time.

You better have your story straight.

And anything you need to do, you better get done.

Hm?

Hello. Speaking.

Oh, right.

So you want me to come in now?

Er...no, no, fine. Erm...

Half an hour?

Ok, then, bye.

That were the police.

- They need an appropriate adult. - A what?

You know, it's that thing I volunteered for.

You lot don't listen to a word I say, do you?

- Janet Leach? - Yeah.

This way, please.

Detective Superintendent Bennett's waiting for you.

Janet Leach, the appropriate adult, sir.

Sorry for calling you in at this time of day.

Probation and Social Services had no-one available.

- Do you mind if I ask who it is? - It's a 52-year-old man.

With learning difficulties?

Well, all I can say is that we've been advised to have an appropriate adult.

Oh, yes.

- You have done this before? - Oh, no, but I have done the training.

Ah.

Carry on.

Howard Ogden, solicitor.

This taped interview is being conducted at Gloucester Central Police Station.

I'm DC Darren Law and my colleague here is...

- DC Hazel Savage. - And could I have your name, please?

Frederick Walter Stephen West.

- And your legal representative... - Howard Ogden.

And acting as your appropriate adult...

Oh, Janet Leach.

You're here to observe the interview is conducted fairly

but also to advise Mr West and facilitate communication with him.

- I understand. - Super.

The date is Friday 25th February 1994, the time is 16:57.

Before we set off I've got to remind you, Fred,

that you're still under caution

and that you don't have to say anything unless you wish to do so

but anything you do say may be used in evidence.

- Do you understand? - Yeah.

OK.

You were arrested earlier today by my colleague here

in relation to the murder of your daughter Heather.

Could you tell me on your own words what you know about that?

Well, Heather wanted to leave home, see,

and she'd been knocking about with this girl with a red mini.

That's a mini skirt not a Mini car.

And we were pretty sure she was a lesbian, like,

so me and Rose said, "Hang on a sec,

you'd better think about this, girl, you know, give it a night, at least."

So next morning come up and...

she looked real rough.

She'd been crying and...

So Rose says, "Let her go."

She said, "I'll go to the bank and draw out 600 pounds,

she can have that and go".

So, Rose goes off and I'm left in the hall with Heather and her suitcase.

She's got her hands on her hips, you know, the big lady, like...

I say, "How about you get a flat up the road?

You can have girlfriends up there."

And she said, "If you don't let me fucking go...

I'll give all the kids acid."

That's LSD, like.

"And they'll jump off the church roof and kill their selves."

And I said, "Well, that ain't very nice, girl,

you threatening to do that to your own brothers and sisters."

And she's got this smile on her face, like a sort of smirk,

like, "Try me and I'll do it".

So I just lunged at her like that and then

I grabbed her by the throat, like that,

and held her there for...

I don't know how long but it was real quick because...

It's surprising how long you can hold someone by the throat until they...

until they...

But I can't even remember to that extent what happened next, but

the next minute she's gone blue.

And I'm looking at her from head to foot. You know, what the heck's gone wrong?

I put her on the floor and I'm blowing in her mouth, pumping her chest,

but she kept on getting bluer and I didn't know what to do.

I hadn't meant to hurt her and Rose is due back any minute.

I'm thinking, jeez, I've got to do something and...

I was scared.

So I was going to put her in the Wendy house.

Then I thought I'd put her in the dustbin,

but I couldn't get her in there, so...

I get this ice saw.

You know, with the two prongs at the top and the serrated edges,

you use them for

cutting blocks of ice

and I cut her legs off, and...

I mean, that was...

unbearable.

Yeah, I can still hear that in my sleep.

And then I cut her head off, and... Well, I closed her eyes first, cos

well, you're not going to take a saw to your own daughter

when she's sat there looking at you, are you?

And then she fit neatly in the bin, so

I push it down the end of the garden,

behind the Wendy House.

Then I take her suitcase

and stuck it behind the vet's on St Michael's Square where everyone chucks their rubbish.

Then I got Heather from behind the Wendy house and...

buried her.

And I been meaning to come down here and get all this sorted out before,

but I never got round to it.

Can I ask if the appropriate adult's all right?

Oh, quite all right, thank you.

Let's get this clear.

- You're saying you killed your daughter. - But not intentionally.

What sort of grave are we looking for?

Just a hole about four foot square. And what's in this hole?

- Well, Heather. - How many pieces?

Three pieces, two legs, a head and a body.

That's four pieces.

Are you happy to come to the house and point out where she is?

Yeah.

Why didn't you tell us all this before, Fred?

I wasn't ready.

Or is it cos we're carrying out a search and you were afraid we might find her?

No.

You see, all this is causing stress to Rose and I don't want that,

and the thing I'd like to make clear is that Rose,

knew nothing about any of this.

The time is 17:08 by my watch and the interview is ended

whilst arrangements are made to visit 25 Cromwell Street.

This notice explains what happens to the tapes.

-Can I have a word? - Yeah, sure.

- Is Rose here? - No.

- I've a feeling she's in the building. - She's not here.

I just wanted to make sure you're OK.

Er... Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.

She is here.

I thought they were taking her straight to Cheltenham.

- This way, Mrs West. - You're unbelievable, you lot.

You're fucking unbelievable!

- Hello. - Oh, hi, love, it's me.

Is everything all right? Yeah.

- Have you had tea? - Sort of.

You might have to put Jade to bed.

Where are you?

I told you, I'm at the police station.

I'm helping the police with an investigation.

What investigation?

Yeah, the press office are working on it now.

I can't talk about it. I'm really sorry, love, I've got to go.

I'll see you later, all right? Bye.

What, overalls?

Standard police issue, are they? Nothing but the best.

Damn stuff drive you mad, it does.

- What's that, then? - Fibreglass.

Been spraying this bloke's loft over Stroud way.

We don't have back-scratchers in the station, Fred.

- Is the car ready? - Don't I know you from somewhere?

- Erm... I'm sure you don't. - You don't half look familiar.