Title: Alan Chappelow - Accused linked to MI5?
Description: Murder trial to be held in secret?
Description: Murder trial to be held in secret?
cmain - December 13, 2007 11:07 PM (GMT)
A friend thinks this curious story may be worthy of attention:
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| MI5 wants millionaire's murder trial to be held in secret amid claims defendant worked for them By JAMES MILLS Last updated at 22:31pm on 13th December 2007 A financial trader accused of murdering an author in his £2 million home may have links with MI5, it emerged yesterday. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is seeking to have part of the trial of Wang Yam - accused of killing 86-year-old Allan Chappelow - held in secret to protect national security, as part of his defence is expected to involve his work for the intelligent services. Mr Chappelow, a reclusive millionaire, was found beaten to death in his Grade II listed Georgian home in Hampstead, North London, in June last year. Police found his body under a 3ft pile of newspapers after his bank alerted them that £20,000 had been suspiciously transferred from his account and more money taken from cash machines using his debit card. Yam, 45, who lived nearby, was arrested four months later in Switzerland. He denies charges of murder, burglary and obtaining money by deception by pretending to be the writer. Miss Smith has urged the Crown Prosecution Service to apply for a "gagging order" on preliminary hearings in the case and parts of the trial itself, which starts in July. An Old Bailey judge will consider the application on January 14 after hearing objections from media organisations. Yesterday the CPS refused to discuss the reasons behind the application. But sources close to the investigation said that Yam was a "low-level informant" for the intelligence services and that part of his defence rested on his activities in that role. Mr Chappelow, a Cambridge graduate, wrote several books, including Russian Holidays in 1955 and a 1962 biography of his friend George Bernard Shaw. A fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, he worked briefly as a photographer for the Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph in the 1950s. He had lived in the house where he died for 72 years, after moving in with his parents at 14. In the last 15 years, he became a recluse and allowed his garden to become overgrown and full of junk. Neighbours said that he made rare trips to the library or shops on a 1940s motorbike wearing a leather helmet and an old mac tied with string. His body lay undetected for several weeks and was found only when his bank suspected he had been a victim of identity fraud after large sums were transferred to a foreign account. They called police because he did not have a telephone. Cheques, mail and a mobile phone were missing. Nine days after his body was discovered, a fire broke out at the house, causing severe damage. Critics warned last night against hearing trials in secret. Ian Leigh, professor at the human rights centre of Durham University, said: "There is a risk to the administration of justice when this happens. A trial is not a private matter." A CPS spokesman said: "The prosecution has already given notice that it intends to apply for an order in the case that part of the preliminary proceedings and the trial be heard in camera. "The order is sought in order to ensure the due administration of justice." |
cmain - December 13, 2007 11:11 PM (GMT)
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| Why is Home Office trying to stage murder trial in secret? Frances Gibb, Legal Editor The Home Secretary is seeking to have the trial of a man accused of murdering a prize-winning author held in secret because the defendant may have links with British Intelligence, The Times has learnt. Jacqui Smith has signed a “public interest immunity” certificate to have some or all of the trial for the murder of Allan Chappelow, the author of several books on the playwright George Bernard Shaw, held in camera. The highly unusual move is thought to be the first where such a “gagging order” has been sought in a murder trial. Mr Chappelow, 86, a recluse, was found dead at his home in Hampstead, northwest London, in June last year under a pile of papers. A post-mortem examination showed that he had died from head injuries. The defendant on trial for his murder is Wang Yam, 45, of Hampstead, who also faces charges of burglary and deception. Mr Yam, a financial trader, has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. According to reports at the time, the author might have been the victim of identity theft before his death: it was said that bank officials tipped off police after becoming aware that Mr Chappelow had lost money from his account through a series of false transactions. The Crown Prosecution Service has posted a notice at the Central Criminal Court in London, indicating that last week it applied for “part of the preliminary proceedings and trial” in the case of Regina v Wang Yam to be held in camera. The notice says: “The full grounds for the application are deliberately not set out in this Notice other than the order sought is to ensure the due administration of justice.” All lawyers involved in the case are under orders not to discuss it. The trial is listed to take place on January 23. A spokesman for the CPS confirmed yesterday that the PII application had been made. A hearing will be held on January 14 at which the application can be challenged — and a judge will decide whether the certificate should stand. The general grounds under which public interest immunity may be claimed include the interests of national security and good diplomatic relations; protecting the identity of informants or sources of criminal intelligence; and where confidentiality is necessary in the interests of justice. In the days before the discovery of Mr Chappelow’s body, £10,000 was reported to have been transferred from one of his bank accounts by a man claiming to be him. Four cheques, mail and a mobile phone were missing from his house in Downshire Hill, Hampstead. Nine days after his body was discovered on June 14, a fire broke out at the house, damaging up to 35 per cent of the ground floor and part of the basement and first floor. The house had become notorious among the smart neighbouring houses for its overgrown garden and ramshackle appearance. Ian Leigh, professor at the human rights centre, Durham University, said that the signing of a PII certificate to have a murder trial or part of it in camera was highly unusual. “There is a risk to the administration of justice when this happens. A trial is not a private matter: a very important aspect is that they should take place in public, particularly where public bodies are involved, because this acts as a spur to the highest standards by all involved.” He added that if it was impossible to have the trial in public without the evidence in question, then one consideration should be to drop the prosecution, “if the circumstances are such that either there would be damage to the public interest or the potential for an injustice”. John Cooper, a criminal barrister and member of the Bar Council, said: “It is extremely unusual for any trial to be heard in camera. Open justice is one of the fundamental principles of the criminal justice system. For that to be compromised in any way means that there must be highly exceptional circumstances.” Gagging orders — PII certificates are normally used in trials to protect official secrets – and so they are often described as “gagging orders” — After a minister signs a PII certificate to stop disclosure the issue then comes before a judge to decide whether the certificate can stand — Public interest immunity, a principle of English common law developed by judges over the centuries, used to be called Crown privilege — PII certificates may be used where evidence has been gathered in confidence, such as in child cruelty cases |
cmain - December 13, 2007 11:15 PM (GMT)
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| Marginalia: Reclusive author watch Last Updated: 12:01am BST 02/07/2006 The murder of the reclusive author Allan Chappelow evokes many responses, the least noble being to worry about oneself. Most novelists have reclusive tendencies, and even the most gregarious disappear for long periods - to hovels in the Western Isles, or holiday homes borrowed out-of-season, as they try to complete overdue novels. No murderer seeking a candidate for a perfect crime could do better than J D Salinger or Thomas Pynchon: few people have any idea what they look like or where they live, and their publishers do not expect to hear from them any time soon. Chappelow was not prolific. He seems to have published only three books in his 86 years: a photo-journal of a trip to Russia, and two biographies of George Bernard Shaw. He has been described as a prize-winning author, though the prize appears to have been one he received in the 1940s as a promising student. His neighbours report that for the past 15 years he had been working on a book he described as "remarkable", though no one could volunteer a subject or a title. advertisement The police found Chappelow buried under a mound of papers: perhaps the manuscript of this unfinished work. This is what makes his death so poignant: no one was waiting for his last thoughts. Few people had missed him in the past 15 years, let alone the weeks that he lay dead. If you live close to an author - better go knock on their door and check they are okay. |
cmain - December 13, 2007 11:24 PM (GMT)
Defendant's lawyer?
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Kirsty Brimelow Profile Specialisation: Defending in serious crime. Also, Kirsty is developing a keen interest in human rights law and international law. She worked two months on capital murder cases in Jamaica in 2006. In 2007 she is representing the Chief Justice of Tinidad in impeachment proceedings.Increasingly, Kirsty acts as a leading junior in cases prosecuted by QCs. In addition, she has represented some celebrity clients. Recent cases include : R v Vinnie Jones; R v Amos, Amos, Amos (twin sister murder); R v Alniaimy (rape and false imprisonment); R v Hume and others (substantial POCA offences); Ospina (cocaine importation); R v Kavanagh (multiple rapes and extradition case); R v L ( murder); R v J ( multiple rapes of young daughter), R v Wang Yam (murder); R v Green and others (murder); R v Elmi ('cold case' stranger rape); R v Byne (one punch manslaughter); R v Rashid (honour killing); R v L (murder). Professional Memberships: Criminal Bar Association.South Eastern Circuit. Bar Human Rights Committee. Member of Amnesty , Reprieve, Justice, Human Rights Watch and Liberty. Career: LLB (hons). Called to the Bar 1991 (Gray's Inn Scholar). Spokesperson for the Bar since 2000 which involves appearances on Newsnight, Radio 4, Radio 5 Live, Panorama and News programmes Appeared in Management Today's list of 35 women under 35 tipped for success (2003 and 2005). Featured in The Times as 'Lawyer of the week'. Member of The Times Law panel. Elected to the Criminal Bar Association 2003-07. Member of the Bar Council Public Affairs Committee since 1999. Member of the Bar Conference Organising Board 2006 and 2007. Member of the Opinion Leader research panel. Member of the Bar Caribbean Pro Bono group 2005-07(capital punishment case work). Member of the executive of Bar Human Rights Committee 2007. Speaker on corporate manslaughter at Fire Conference 2003 and Essex Firefighters' conference 2006 and 2007. Speaker on questioning vulnerable witnesses at Young Bar Conference 2005. Publications: Publications in The Times 2006 (capital punishment); Parliamentary Brief 2007 (Serious Crime Bill); Bar Council Fact Sheet on Rape 2007 (website); assisted in legal articles (eg. 2007 The Independent Lawyer -people trafficking) Personal: Interests include kickboxing, kung fu, skiing, scuba diving and mountaineering. |
cmain - December 13, 2007 11:30 PM (GMT)
Kirsty Brimelow's friend?
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| The DPP, a legal blonde and the wife who'll give him a very cross examination By RICHARD KAY Last updated at 09:30am on 13th February 2007 He's a Cherie crony and the head of the Prosecution Service, but this pictorial evidence will open him to charges of a serious conflict of interest: He gazes fondly into the eyes of his smiling blonde companion as they share an intimate evening out at a fashionable Thames-side eaterie. Oblivious to dozens of other diners in the Real Greek gastro-pub, the couple only have eyes for each other. They sit tete-a-tete at the softly lit bar, nibbling souvlaki and tzatziki washed down with lager. He murmurs in her ear and she laughs coquettishly. After an hour, they leave. He pays the £26 bill, leaving a £2 tip, no stretch for someone who earns £145,000 a year. Surprisingly, they do not stroll the short distance to her £500,000 apartment hand-in-hand. Indeed, all affection ceases once outside the pub. As they walk, his hands stay firmly in his pockets, and her arms remain folded. Why such formality after the romantic intimacy of the pub? Perhaps it is because the man is a married father-of-three, and his companion is not his wife. He is Sir Ken Macdonald, QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Head of the Crown Prosecution Service and newly ennobled knight of the realm. The 54-year-old lawman at the heart of Tony Blair's legal executive is a key figure in the cash-for-honours controversy and, as co-founder of Matrix Chambers, is also a crony of Cherie Blair. His female friend is vivacious barrister Kirsty Brimelow, 37, who has confided in friends that she is in a serious romantic relationship with a 'married senior legal figure'. The CPS chief, who has never prosecuted a case in his career, is set to face the biggest cross-examination of his life...from his wife of 27 years and the mother of his three children, Linda, 51, a TV producer. For months, I can reveal, Sir Ken has been using his official car and chauffeur to ferry him to and from Miss Brimelow's riverside apartment. He instructs his driver to park discreetly around the corner, and is also picked up a short distance around the corner from Miss Brimelow's flat in a trendy block of 20 apartments on London's South Bank. After his visits, he is then driven to his office near the Old Bailey. As he prepares to face the biggest decision of his professional life - whether anyone should be prosecuted over the cash-for-honours affair - he has been giving Miss Brimelow extra legal tuition during overnight stays at her apartment. As the head of the state's prosecution service, a relationship with a barrister who regularly practises in the Crown Courts could lead to accusations that Sir Ken risks compromising his professional position. There will also be concerns that a secret relationship might leave the DPP open to attempts to influence him in his post as head of the CPS, the agency responsible for prosecuting criminal cases in England and Wales. Sir Ken's appointment in 2003 provoked accusations of 'rampant 'cronyism' from Tory MPs. Despite his formidable reputation as a defence barrister, there were concerns that he had no prosecution experience. The closest he has ever come to a prosecution was as an Oxford student, when he was fined £75 for sending cannabis through the post. The knighthood at the turn of the year for one of 'Cherie's cronies' also raised fresh questions about the independence of any criminal prosecutions in the cash-for-peerages affair. He announced last autumn that he would exclude himself from any decision-making to avoid suspicion or perceived conflict of interest. However, it is known that he receives regular briefings from Carmen Dowd, head of the Special Crime Division at the CPS, who is overseeing the police investigation. It is she who will make the final recommendations on charges, aided by David Perry, QC, a top criminal barrister brought in to act as adviser to the CPS. Sir Ken is also in regular contact with Attorney General Lord Goldsmith, Tony Blair's close friend, who has provoked uproar by continuing to insist that he will make the ultimate decision on whether there should be prosecutions. Sir Ken lives with Lady Macdonald and their three children - a daughter, 25, and two sons, aged 22 and 13 - in a £1.5 million, four- storey home in North London. His wife, nee Linda Zuck, is the managing director of Illuminations, an independent TV and media production company which produces live coverage of the Turner Prize for Channel 4. Her husband has gone to great lengths to conceal the relationship with Kirsty, which began last summer. The head-turningly attractive blonde, a spokesperson for the Criminal Bar Association who lists kung fu and kickboxing among her pastimes, is making a name for herself as a defence barrister, once representing hardman footballer Vinnie Jones. She regularly appears on TV and radio - as well as being a behind-the-scenes legal adviser to BBC soap EastEnders. She shares Sir Ken's interest in human rights, acting as lawyer for Liberty and providing free legal aid to a Bosnian charity. Miss Brimelow recently went to Jamaica on behalf of the Bar Human Rights Committee helping attorneys prepare the defence of clients on Death Row. Not only has Management Today magazine listed her as one of the 'leading ladies' of her generation, she has also featured as 'Lawyer of the Week' in one broadsheet newspaper, and has voiced ambitions to become a Recorder - a part-time judge. The daughter of a teacher from Chorley, Lancashire, Miss Brimelow was called to the Bar in 1991 and is based in the chambers of Andrew Trollope, QC, at 187 Fleet Street, London. During an interview in the Daily Mail in 1999 highlighting sexual harassment in City and legal circles, Miss Brimelow recalled some unwanted attention from a senior legal colleague. She received an unexpected present from a male admirer: a carefully wrapped package containing a negligee and a note inviting her to spend the night with him. She barely knew the man, but he was married with children, was nearly 20 years her senior and was an influential figure at the chambers where she was working. 'I opened it after he left,' she said. 'I was stunned. On the note, he had written something like: "When we meet again, put this in your overnight bag." I was concerned about what was going to happen if I upset him. But in the end, I returned the gift with a polite note.' Thankfully, she seems to have no such misgivings about the attentions of Sir Ken. However, news of the relationship is likely to stun his colleagues at the CPS offices. A source at the Bar Council said: 'As far as I know, nobody at the CPS has had any inkling about this.' When asked about his relationship with Miss Brimelow, Sir Ken would say only: 'No, no...Oh, I've got...I'm not going to talk about things like that. I'm off to work.' Miss Brimelow was equally non-communicative. All questions about her friendship with the DPP were met with a firm: 'No comment.' When asked whether she was denying a relationship with Sir Ken, she again replied: 'No comment.' |
Bridget - December 14, 2007 12:34 AM (GMT)
The CNJ have a few stories on him including this:
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Police are tight-lipped over cause of fire at murder scene Dead man’s possessions dumped in skip outside home in Hampstead road A FIRE tore through a house in Hampstead just nine days after the dead body of its reclusive owner was discovered under a pile of papers. Police and forensic experts working on the murder investigation into the death of Allan Chappelow, 86, were still at the Downshire Hill address when the fire started at Friday lunchtime. Police found his body in the house on June 14 following reports from Mr Chappelow’s bank that thousands of pounds were being taken from his account, prompting fears of identity theft and fraud. Police are now keeping tight-lipped about the cause of the blaze that a fire officer at Belsize fire station confirmed caused up to 35 per cent damage on the ground floor. Less serious fire damage was caused on the basement and first floor of the house, which became notorious for its overgrown garden and ramshackle appearance among the smart houses in one of Hampstead’s grandest roads. In a sad twist, the burnt remains of possessions of Mr Chappelow, who was possessive of his privacy, now lie for all to see in a skip at the front of his house. Amongst the heap of personal belongings are a letter to Mr Chappelow, or a ‘valuation for rating from the Borough of Hampstead’, dated March 29, 1963; a fire-damaged photograph of an elderly gentleman; a torn copy of a biography he wrote on the playwright George Bernard Shaw entitled “Shaw The Chucker Out”; a record, vase and some socks. This week the celebrated official biographer of Shaw, Michael Holroyd expressed his sadness at Mr Chappelow’s “tragic end”. Mr Holroyd, who became Shaw’s official biographer, publishing three volumes of work between 1988 and 1992, said he frequently referred to Mr Chappelow’s writing when compiling his research. Friend Anthony Kessler, who got to know Mr Chappelow some 30 years ago as a fellow motorcycling enthusiast, described him as an intellectual who was “always interested in what you had to say”. He recalled: “Although I knew him for 30 years he was the type of person that didn’t go to your house or invite you round. “One time he had the flu and he asked me to go and buy him a hot water bottle and things. When I took them round he said thank you and shut the door. I think his house was his private place.” Mr Kessler, of Primrose Hill, added he believed Mr Chappelow’s health had deteriorated in recent months. He said: “The last time I saw him was about six months ago in Swiss Cottage library. He looked half the size of man he used to be.” |
justthefacts - January 15, 2008 06:51 PM (GMT)
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| From The Times January 15, 2008 Trial may be abandoned if not held in secret, CPS says Frances Gibb, Legal Editor The Crown gave warning yesterday that it may not go ahead with the trial of a man accused of the murder of a prize-winning author unless it can hold some of the case in secret. Mark Ellison, First Senior Treasury Counsel, said that it was a “serious possibility” that the trial of Wang Yam, 45, a financial trader, would not go ahead unless the judge grants the prosecution request for at least some of the proceedings to be held in camera. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), represented by Mr Ellison, is seeking an order for the trial of the murder of Allan Chappelow, 86, a recluse and author of several books about George Bernard Shaw. Mr Chappelow was found dead in his home in Hampstead, North London, in June. The prosecution said that its application was on two grounds: national security and the protection of the identity of a witness or other person. Mr Ellison also confirmed that a “ministerial certificate” had been signed, seeking to protect certain evidence from disclosure to the defence. Lawyers for Wang Yam and for seven national newspapers, including The Times, sought to challenge the CPS application before Mr Justice Ouseley at the Central Criminal Court. Geoffrey Robertson, QC, said that unless the proceedings were held in public, the defendant would suffer a “severely unfair” trial. He added that there was only circumstantial evidence linking the defendant to the murder charge, which he denied. Mr Roberston said that if justice was not seen to be done it would not be done. “This cannot be a fair trial if the defence is not publicly heard.” Gavin Millar, QC, for the newspapers, said that such an order in a criminal trial would be a “drastic” measure. The hearing continues. |
justthefacts - January 15, 2008 06:53 PM (GMT)
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| Media challenge national security claim for secrecy in murder trial * Richard Norton-Taylor and David Leigh This article appeared in the Guardian on Tuesday January 15 2008 on p7 of the UK news section. It was last updated at 07:41 on January 15 2008. Media organisations including the Guardian yesterday challenged a demand unprecedented in modern times - that witnesses at a forthcoming murder trial should be heard in secret, for "national security" reasons. Such a trial would breach the common law principle of open justice and the principle of freedom of the press enshrined in the European human rights convention, Gavin Millar QC told an Old Bailey judge. "There have been plenty of trials in the past in which issues have been raised about national security material. It is extremely rare for such cases to be heard in camera," Millar added. He referred to previous cases when allegations about the intelligence agencies had been made in court. The government wants the trial of Wang Yam, 45, a financial trader from Hampstead, north London, to be held behind closed doors for what Mark Ellison, counsel for the prosecution, described yesterday as "reasons of national security", and to protect witnesses. He said the court had been presented with a "ministerial certificate", understood to be a reference to a public interest immunity claim - a demand that documents should not be disclosed to the defence. Asked by Mr Justice Ousley whether the prosecution would have to drop the case if it did not get a secrecy order, Ellison replied: "There is a serious possibility the crown may not proceed in this case." Yam denies murdering an 86-year-old recluse, Allan Chappelow. Chappelow's body was discovered at his Hampstead flat in London in June last year after £10,000 reportedly went missing from his bank account. Yam also faces charges of burglary and deception. Geoffrey Robertson QC, defending, told the pre-trial hearing at the Old Bailey that there was no direct evidence linking Yam to the murder. Yam's position "is that the public interest and the due administration of justice in the common and constitutional law of this country all require his trial to be held in public", he said. Yam had given to the police the names of people likely to have been involved in the killing. "Open reporting of the trial may lead to witnesses coming forward to provide information which will help to clear him of murder," Robertson added. He said Yam had been defamed by the police and prosecution as a man of bad character, and wrongly accused of fleeing the country to resist arrest. Yam was arrested in Switzerland. Millar, who represented the BBC and other newspaper groups, said he wanted more information about the need for secrecy. He said other measures could be adopted short of a trial in camera. The court then went into secret session and the media were told to leave. Ousley said he would rule today on how the trial should be conducted. |
justthefacts - January 15, 2008 06:57 PM (GMT)
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| Author murder trial to be held in secret despite media challenge 15 January 2008 By PA Mediapoint Parts of a murder trial will be held in secret it was ruled today, despite a legal challenge from the BBC and six national newspapers. The murder trial of Wang Yam, who is accused of killing millionaire author Allan Chapelow last year will now be closed to journalists as witnesses give evidence. Mr Justice Ouseley said the prosecution had made a “compelling” case at the Old Bailey for parts of Wang Yam's trial to be held in camera. The application on the grounds of the administration of justice and national security was opposed by the BBC, The Guardian, The Independent, The Times, the Daily Mail, the Telegraph titles and the Daily Mirror which were all represented in a pre-trial hearing yesterday by Gavin Millar QC. Yam, 46, pleads not guilty to murdering Chappelow between May 4 and June 14, 2006 and is due to go on trial next week. He also denies stealing £20 belonging to the 86-year-old and obtaining a money transfer of £20,000 by pretending to be the writer. He also denies burglary at Mr Chappelow's Hampstead home. A post-mortem examination found Mr Chappelow died from head injuries. Mr Chappelow's books included works on the playwright George Bernard Shaw entitled Shaw The Chucker-Out: A Biographical Exposition And Critique, and Shaw The Villager And Human Being. He also wrote Russian Holiday, which was published in 1955. Press_Gazette |
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| Secrecy ruling over murder trial By Dominic Casciani Home affairs reporter, BBC News  Allan Chappelow died from head injuries Parts of the trial of a man accused of murdering an 86-year-old author are to be held in secret on national security grounds. A judge at the Old Bailey ordered some details to be withheld from the public, saying prosecutors had "compellingly" made their case for the secrecy. Allan Chappelow was tortured before being killed and left under copies of his own George Bernard Shaw biography. Counsel for Wang Yam, 45, who denies the charge, opposed the secrecy order. Mr Chappelow, who wrote a number of works about Bernard Shaw, was also the author of Russian Holiday - an account, published in 1955, of his experiences in the Soviet Union after he became one of the first Britons to be allowed to travel there. The wealthy recluse lived alone in a large but dilapidated home in the affluent Hampstead area of north London. Police launched a murder investigation after the author's body was found in June 2006 after lying undiscovered for about a month. They believe that thousands of pounds was stolen from his bank account. Mr Yam, was later arrested in Switzerland and extradited to the UK to face trial for murder and related allegations of deception. 'Very difficult decision' During a special two-day hearing, prosecutors made an unusual request for parts of Mr Yam's trial to be held in camera, excluding the press and the public on the grounds of a risk to national security and the need to protect the identity of a witness. They said the risk was related to material in the defence case, and that a minister had signed a special Public Interest Immunity certificate relating to part of the case. I'm quite satisfied that the defendant can have a fair trial Mr Justice Ousley Anonymity orders or screens are regular features of sensitive trials - but orders to go in camera are very unusual in criminal proceedings. Mark Ellison QC, for the Crown, told the court on Monday that there was a strong possibility that if the order was not granted, then the prosecution might not proceed. Counsel for Mr Yam opposed the application, along with seven media organisations including the BBC. But in his ruling, Mr Justice Ousley allowed the order, saying that private legal argument had convinced him of the need for secrecy. He said the Crown had made a "sound case" that there was a serious risk of the prosecution not proceeding without parts of the trial being heard in private. "The discontinuance of a murder prosecution would be a very serious matter," said the judge. "The protected interests at stake make a prosecution decision [not to proceed] a very real possibility - although it would be a very difficult decision." In his ruling, Mr Justice Ousley said that he rejected arguments aired by the defence in private that the prosecution's application was "forensic blackmail". "If the defendant could not rely on his defence, then that would mean that the trial would inevitably be unfair," he said. "I'm quite satisfied that the defendant can have a fair trial with the order the Crown seek. The issues raised [in private hearings] cannot be dealt with by lesser measures such as anonymity or screens. There could be a real risk that the trial would not proceed. "The press and public will be excluded from the court for parts of the hearing." BBC |
Sinclair - January 15, 2008 09:03 PM (GMT)
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| The Daily Telegraph: Reclusive author watch Daily Telegraph, The (London, England) - June 24, 2006 Author: Nicholas Blincoe The murder of the reclusive author Allan Chappelow evokes many responses, the least noble being to worry about oneself. Most novelists have reclusive tendencies, and even the most gregarious disappear for long periods - to hovels in the Western Isles, or holiday homes borrowed out-of-season, as they try to complete overdue novels. No murderer seeking a candidate for a perfect crime could do better than J D Salinger or Thomas Pynchon: few people have any idea what they look like or where they live, and their publishers do not expect to hear from them any time soon. Chappelow was not prolific. He seems to have published only three books in his 86 years: a photo-journal of a trip to Russia, and two biographies of George Bernard Shaw. He has been described as a prize-winning author, though the prize appears to have been one he received in the 1940s as a promising student. His neighbours report that for the past 15 years he had been working on a book he described as "remarkable'', though no one could volunteer a subject or a title. The police found Chappelow buried under a mound of papers: perhaps the manuscript of this unfinished work. This is what makes his death so poignant: no one was waiting for his last thoughts. Few people had missed him in the past 15 years, let alone the weeks that he lay dead. If you live close to an author - better go knock on their door and check they are okay. |
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| Author found murdered after thief raids his bank account Daily Mail, The (London, England) - June 16, 2006 Author: STEPHEN WRIGHT;OLINKA KOSTER A PRIZE-WINNING author has been found murdered in his GBP2.5million home just days after an identity thief raided his bank accounts. Bank officials tipped off police after they became concerned that 86-year-old Allan Chappelow had lost money through a series of bogus transactions. When detectives went to his grade-II listed Georgian property in Hampstead, North- West London, on Wednesday afternoon, they discovered a body buried under about 3ft of paper on the ground floor. Last night, police sources said the body would not be formally identified until painstaking tests were done on the papers at the crime scene. In the days leading up to the A [sic] neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: 'He was one of life ' s great eccentrics. He was a Camdiscovery, GBP10,000 was transferred out of one of Mr Chappelow's accounts by a man claiming to be him. bridge graduate and wrote three books, including Russian Holidays in 1955. In 1947 and 1948 he won the Hooper Prize for writing at Trinity College. 'He did not let anyone in his house, I think he was embarrassed about it. 'I was one of the first people the police talked to and it seems they were tipped off by the bank that something was amiss. 'There were withdrawals from his account as recently as yesterday. 'Because he is not on the phone the bank contacted the police.' The neighbour added: 'He always went about on a motorbike and would wear the same raincoat tied at the waist whatever the weather. 'He never threw anything away, the front garden was full of bits of junk.' Mr Chappelow's house is barely visible from the street because of its overgrown front garden. Another neighbour added: 'He was a real eccentric. I saw him in a double-breasted jacket and a forties- style leather helmet. He was a lovely, well-spoken gentleman. 'I haven't seen him for about two or three months. I never saw anyone come and go from the house. 'The garden is very overgrown and he had a contraption to stop people getting to the front door. I think he liked living in the past.' Mr Chappelow was born in Copenhagen where he was recorded as a 'consular birth'. He is not believed to have married. Speaking from his country cottage on the outskirts of Leominster, Herefordshire, yesterday, Allan's distant cousin Michael Chappelow said he did not know what had happened to the author. He said: 'He has had a fantastically interesting life but was always very much a recluse. 'I knew he was going to America in April and that is the last I heard until this happened.' s.wright@dailymail.co.uk |
Bridget - January 19, 2008 01:30 PM (GMT)
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| Camden New Journal - By DAN CARRIER Published: 17 January 2008 Murder trial evidence can be heard behind closed doors, judge decides Opposing secret sessions, defendant’s QC highlights CNJ coverage of accusations PART of the evidence in the trial of a man accused of murdering Hampstead recluse Allan Chappelow will be heard in secret, a judge ruled this week. The reasons given were “national security or the protection of witnesses”. The decision comes after an attempt by lawyers representing seven media organisations and a QC acting on behalf of the accused to overturn an unprecedented application by the Home Office to have part of the prosecution case heard behind closed doors. In a move believed to be a first in legal history, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith requested that sections of the trial of defendant Wang Yam, from Denning Road, Hampstead, be heard in secret. The Old Bailey heard from Geoffrey Robertson QC, acting for Mr Yam, that, because of extensive coverage in the Camden New Journal and the national press, he wanted all evidence to be heard in public to help clear the accused’s name. During a two-day hearing, which ended on Tuesday, judge Mr Justice Ousley was asked to weigh up the prosecution’s claim that the case may be dropped if part of the trial could not be heard in private against the argument that, to ensure the trial was fair, all evidence should be heard in public. Gavin Millar QC, representing six national newspapers and the BBC, said it was hard to outline a strong case against the restrictions without knowing exactly why they were being asked for by the prosecution. Instead, the lawyer argued that having no reporting restrictions was crucial to Mr Yam receiving a fair trial. He added that a trial held partly in secret would jeopardise the common law principle of open justice and go against the concepts of press freedom enshrined in European law. Mr Millar said: “The public and press are entitled to attend judicial proceedings and in criminal cases the evidence in court should be communicated publicly through fair and accurate court reporting. The strong presumption that the press, as watchdog of the public, may report everything that takes place in a criminal court can only be displaced by unusual or exceptional circumstances.” Geoffrey Robertson QC, representing Mr Yam, outlined his case for all the trial to be heard in public. He said: “The defendant wants the case to be heard in public. The accusations against him have been published widely – there has been extensive and thorough coverage in the Camden New Journal of the death of Mr Chappelow and the subsequent arrest and charging of Mr Yam.” Mr Robertson said: “The victim was a distinguished scholar living in a famous location. There has been a great deal in national papers, and especially the local press, regarding the death, the fact the victim’s body lay beneath proofs of his George Bernard Shaw biography for a month before discovery. “He wants the public to hear his defence and have his name cleared. His defence – the defence the Crown wishes to suppress – will explain why he has fallen under suspicion.” Mr Robertson said further publicity may bring forward new witnesses to help his case. Mr Robertson told the court: “If it’s heard in secret, justice will not be done, nor be seen to be done.” At the end of the hearing, Mr Justice Ousley ruled that sections of the trial could be heard behind closed doors. He added that, although there may be evidence not available to an open court, it would still be heard by the defendant, his lawyers and the jury. He said: “The prosecution order for parts of the trial to be held in camera is stated for reasons of national security or the protection of witnesses.” Mr Justice Ousley added that any speculation in newspapers as to why the prosecution’s evidence was so sensitive it had to be heard in secret would amount to a contempt of court. The murder trial is due to start in two weeks, but Mr Robertson told the court he considered it “highly likely” he would appeal against the ruling on behalf of his client. The jury is expected to be empanelled next week. |
Staraker - January 28, 2008 11:13 PM (GMT)
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| BBC News Monday, 28 January 2008, 16:29 GMT Bid for open murder trial fails A financial trader accused of murdering a millionaire author has failed to overturn an order for part of his trial to be heard in private. Wang Yam, 46, of Hampstead, is charged with murder of the reclusive Allan Chappelow and offences of dishonesty. Trial judge Mr Justice Ouseley made an order on 15 January excluding the press and public from part of the Old Bailey proceedings in the case. The Court of Appeal rejected Mr Yam's application for permission to appeal. The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips, sitting with Mr Justice Silber and Mr Justice Underhill, said the trial judge "correctly applied the relevant law to the facts before him and that his decision was correct". 'National security' Mr Justice Ouseley had previously said there was a "compelling" case for parts to be held in camera. The prosecution application for secrecy, on the grounds of the administration of justice and national security, was opposed by the defence and media, including the BBC. Mr Yam, 46, whose trial is expected to start this week, denies murdering Mr Chappelow between 4 May and 14 June 2006. He also denies stealing £20 belonging to the 86-year-old and obtaining a money transfer of £20,000 by pretending to be the writer. Head injuries Mr Yam further denies a burglary at Mr Chappelow's home in Downshire Hill, Hampstead, when four cheques, mail and a mobile phone were taken, and theft and handling charges. A post-mortem examination found Mr Chappelow died from head injuries. Mr Chappelow's books included works on the playwright George Bernard Shaw entitled Shaw The Chucker-Out: A Biographical Exposition And Critique, and Shaw The Villager And Human Being. He also wrote Russian Holiday, published in 1955. |
amirrortotheenemy - February 24, 2008 04:14 PM (GMT)
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| Millionaire's killer 'stole his identity' By Caroline Gammell Last Updated: 1:50am GMT 04/02/2008 A reclusive millionaire was murdered and his body left under a pile of papers in his house for more than month while his killer adopted his identity and stole thousands of pounds from him, a court heard on Friday. Allan Chappelow, an 86-year-old author, was beaten to death and left in one of the rooms of his £2.5 million London property while his fortune was plundered in May 2006, it was claimed. His post was stolen and his details were used to take money out of his bank and credit card accounts, the Old Bailey was told. advertisement Wang Yam, 46, is said to have obtained a money transfer of £20,000 by pretending to be the writer and taking cheques and mail from the house. Mark Ellison, prosecuting, said: "The murder of Allan Chappelow and the concealment of his body was not unconnected to the access and manipulation of his accounts." The court heard how Mr Chappelow had been a successful writer, particularly in the 1960s when he produced two biographies of George Bernard Shaw. But at the time of his death, he lived alone in his large house with rubbish piling up inside and out. Mr Chappelow was last known to be alive on May 8, when he telephoned the Inland Revenue to check about a tax rebate. His house had been broken into a week earlier and some of his mail was stolen. His decomposed body was found in the rundown detached home in Downshire Hill, Hampstead, north-west London on June 14. Mr Ellison said: "He was not only elderly but reclusive. He was described by a neighbour as quite eccentric." Experts estimated that the writer died between May 15 to 23, during which time frequent visits were made to the house to steal more post, the court heard. After the body was discovered, Yam allegedly left the country, the jury was told. Mr Ellison said the evidence against Yam, who was born in China but became a British citizen in 1998, was mostly circumstantial and would involve the use of mobile phones and the internet. Yam, of Hampstead, denies murder, burglary and four dishonesty offences. The trial continues. Telegraph |
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| Murder accused 'had fled China witch-hunt' Robert Booth The Guardian, Wednesday February 6 2008 This article appeared in the Guardian on Wednesday February 06 2008 on p10 of the UK news and analysis section. It was last updated at 23:49 on February 05 2008. The man on trial for the murder of a reclusive 84-year-old writer was among the leaders of the 1989 pro-democracy protests in China that resulted in the Tiananmen Square massacre, the Old Bailey heard yesterday. Wang Yam, 46, is accused of bludgeoning Allan Chappelow with a blunt instrument at his north London home in May 2006, stealing his identity and defrauding his bank accounts. George Robertson QC, for the defence, said Yam came to Britain, via Hong Kong, after he was forced to flee China in the wake of the massacre in 1989 in which 2,000 students were killed. His grandfather had been one of Mao's "closest comrades" on the Long March and his father was an officer in the Chinese army, Robertson said. "He studied physics at university successfully because by the age of 27 he had a position teaching at Beijing university and had a masters degree in electrical engineering. He became vice-president of the student body in 1989 ... He became an organiser of the movement for democracy." "Afterwards there was a witch-hunt. A year or so later ... it was indicated he would have to go to a re-education camp, a coal mine ... He decided to flee as a refugee to Hong Kong. He was accepted in 1992 as an asylum seeker and was naturalised as a British citizen in 1998." For two hours yesterday, the trial was held in private. The judge gave no explanation. Yam denies murder, breaking into the writer's home, stealing four blank cheques and £20, and the handling of the stolen cheques, a mobile phone and a quantity of mail. He also denies obtaining £20,000 by deception. The trial continues. Source |
amirrortotheenemy - February 24, 2008 04:23 PM (GMT)
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| Neutral Citation Number: [2008] EWCA Crim 269 No. 2008/00390/D5 IN THE COURT OF APPEAL CRIMINAL DIVISION Royal Courts of Justice The Strand London WC2A 2LL 28 January 2008 Before : THE LORD CHIEF JUSTICE OF ENGLAND AND WALES (Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers) MR JUSTICE SILBER and MR JUSTICE UNDERHILL ____________________ R E G I N A - v - WANG YAM ____________________ Computer Aided Transcription by Wordwave International Ltd (a Merrill Communications Company) 190 Fleet Street, London EC4 Telephone 020-7421 4040 (Official Shorthand Writers to the Court) ____________________ Miss K Brimelow appeared on behalf of the Applicant ____________________ HTML VERSION OF JUDGMENT ____________________ Crown Copyright © THE LORD CHIEF JUSTICE: # The applicant is due to be tried before Ouseley J and a jury in the Central Criminal Court on an indictment charging him with the murder of Allan Chappelow and with offences of dishonesty. On 15 January 2008 the judge made an order excluding access of the public to part of the proceeding. The applicant seeks leave to appeal against that order. # Rule 65.6(3) of the Criminal Procedure Rules 2005 provides: "Where the appellant wants to appeal against an order restricting public access to a trial the court must decide without a hearing -- (a) an application, including an application for permission to appeal; and (b) an appeal." # This court in Ex parte A [2006] EWCA Crim 04 held that this rule was compatible with Articles 6 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights and with our common law. We rejected an application by the applicant that we should disregard this rule and hold an oral hearing of this application. Had we decided, on consideration of the papers, that the interests of justice required an oral hearing, we would have addressed the question of whether we could override this rule. In the event, however, we were satisfied that we could deal fairly with the application on the documents, which included written submissions filed on behalf of the applicant and the Crown. # The hearing below took place partly in open court and partly in private. The judge gave two judgments, one in open court and one in camera. We propose to adopt the same course. # Rule 16.10 of the Criminal Procedure Rules provides: "Where a prosecutor or a defendant intends to apply for an order that all or part of a trial be held in camera for reasons of national security or for the protection of the identity of a witness or any other person, he shall not less than seven days before the date on which the trial is expected to begin serve a notice in writing to that effect on a Crown Court officer and the prosecutor or the defendant as the case may be." Some passages in the open judgment of Ouseley J might suggest that this rule itself confers power to hold all or part of a trial in camera for reasons of national security or for the protection of the identity of a witness or other person. That is not, however, the position; nor, when his judgment is read as a whole, did Ouseley J suggest that it was. Rule 16.10 deals with the procedure for applying for evidence to be heard in camera on the stated grounds. It assumes, correctly, that those grounds can justify an order for hearing evidence in camera but the justification for such an order does not lie in the rule itself. # Section 8(4) of the Official Secrets Act 1920 gives power to exclude the public from proceedings under the Official Secrets Acts on the ground that publication of the evidence to be given would be prejudicial to the national safety. That section has no application to the present proceedings. The section expressly states, however, that the power is "without prejudice to any powers which the court may possess to order the exclusion of the public from any proceedings". Ouseley J rightly held in his public judgment that he had an inherent power to exclude the press and the public where the interests of justice required it. He also made it plain that the interests of justice could never justify excluding the press and the public if the consequence would be that the trial would not be fair. # Ouseley J held, on the basis of material placed before him in camera, that if the press and the public were not excluded from certain parts of the trial, "serious risks would be taken". So serious were these risks that the Crown might well drop the prosecution rather than incur them. If the press and the public were excluded from the relevant parts of the trial, the trial would go ahead, the risks would not be taken and a fair trial would nonetheless be possible. In these circumstances the interests of justice required that he should order the exclusion of the press and the public from those parts of the trial. # In seeking leave to appeal Mr Robertson QC has not suggested that the judge's decision was erroneous if his analysis of the facts was correct. He submitted, however, that the judge was wrong to conclude that, if parts of the trial were not held in camera, the risks would be so great as to justify the Crown in dropping the prosecution. He described the suggestion that the Crown would do so as "forensic blackmail". He further submitted that the judge was wrong to conclude that if the press and the public were excluded from parts of the trial, the trial would nonetheless be fair. # These submissions depend upon the facts that were explored by the judge in camera and that were the subject of the private judgment that he gave. We have considered not merely all the evidence that was placed before the judge, but the transcript of the hearing that took place in camera. For the reasons that we have set out in our private judgment we have concluded that the judge correctly applied the relevant law to the facts before him and that his decision was correct. Accordingly, the application is refused. BAILII |
The Antagonist - April 2, 2008 11:06 AM (GMT)
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| Murder jury fails to reach verdict 17 hours ago A jury has been discharged after failing to reach a verdict in the case of a financial adviser accused of murdering author Allan Chappelow. Mr Chappelow, 86, was found dead with severe head injuries, hidden under a pile of papers and manuscripts at his period home in Hampstead, north-west London. The prosecution alleged that Wang Yam, 46, of Denning Road, Hampstead, killed him to steal his identity and plunder his wealth. On Monday, Yam was found guilty of obtaining a £20,000 money transfer by deception by an 11-1 majority, and of stealing £20 from a bank machine. And a jury also convicted him of handling stolen goods in relation to a mobile phone, four blank cheques and cash. But they were unable to reach verdicts in relation to charges of murder and burglary, as well as a count of stealing mail, and were discharged by trial judge Mr Justice Ouseley. |
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| Murder accused guilty of deceit A financial trader accused of murdering a wealthy reclusive author at his north London home has been found guilty of dishonesty charges. Wang Yam, of Denning Road, Hampstead, was convicted of obtaining a £20,000 money transfer by deception and of stealing £20 from a bank machine. The Old Bailey jury was sent home for the night and will continue considering other charges in the case on Tuesday. Mr Yam, 46, denied murder, burglary and four dishonesty offences in 2006. Prosecutors alleged Mr Yam killed recluse Allan Chappelow, 86, in order to steal his identity and plunder his wealth. Financial difficulties Mr Chappelow's badly-beaten body was found hidden under a pile of papers at his home in Downshire Hill, Hampstead, in June. During the two-month trial jurors heard that Mr Chappelow, an expert on writer George Bernard Shaw, lived alone in the dilapidated property. For a month after the author's body was discovered, a man was stealing his post and using information from it to access bank and credit card accounts. Prosecutors claimed that Mr Yam murdered the writer because he was in financial difficulty. Parts of the trial were heard in secret to protect national security. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_n...don/7322393.stm Published: 2008/03/31 16:46:34 GMT |
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| 6.30pm BST Jury discharged in trial of man for murder of reclusive writer * Haroon Siddique and agencies * guardian.co.uk, * Tuesday April 1 2008 This article was first published on guardian.co.uk on Tuesday April 01 2008. It was last updated at 18:27 on April 01 2008. A jury was today discharged after failing to reach a verdict in the trial of a financial adviser accused of murdering the reclusive 84-year-old writer Allan Chappelow. Wang Yam, 46, who claimed to be one of the leaders of the 1989 pro-democracy protests in China that led to the Tiananmen Square massacre, was accused of killing Chappelow at the author's dilapidated £2.5m home in Hampstead, north-west London, in May 2006. Parts of the two-month trial at the Old Bailey were held in secret for national security reasons, allegedly at the request of MI6, although no further explanation for such sensitivity of the trial was given. Chappelow, a biographer of the playwright George Bernard Shaw, was found dead, with severe head injuries, beneath a metre-high pile of his own page proofs from Yale University Press, in June 2006. His face and head had been smashed with a heavy implement. Blood was spattered a metre and a half up the walls and his clothed torso was covered in wax and burns. For about a month before Chappelow's body was discovered someone had been stealing his post and using information from it to gain access to his bank and credit card accounts. Yesterday Yam was found guilty, by an 11-1 majority, of obtaining a £20,000 money transfer by deception and of stealing £20 from a bank machine. Today a jury also convicted him of handling stolen goods in relation to a mobile phone, four blank cheques and cash. But they were unable to reach verdicts in relation to charges of murder and burglary, as well as a count of stealing mail, and were discharged by the trial judge, Mr Justice Ouseley. Yam, a British citizen born in China, who was extradited from Switzerland to face trial, is expected to face a retrial at a later date. The prosecution alleged that Yam killed Chappelow to steal his identity and defraud him of his wealth. But the defence claimed a criminal gang murdered the author and Yam, who lived a few streets away from Chappelow in Hampstead, denied knowing the writer or ever having been to his home. Both sides said that there was no forensic evidence linking Yam to the murder. |
Sinclair - April 6, 2008 10:06 PM (GMT)
Found here
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| At one time - circa 1989 - the accused appears to have worked for CIA-MI6; and at a time when so much CIA-MI6 effort is going into the Tibetan project, we really couldn't have an open trial which, potentially at least, threatened to expose the extent of CIA-MI6 support for protests and terrrorism in China |
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Murder accused 'had fled China witch-hunt' * Robert Booth * The Guardian, * Wednesday February 6 2008 This article appeared in the Guardian on Wednesday February 06 2008 on p10 of the UK news and analysis section. It was last updated at 23:49 on February 05 2008. The man on trial for the murder of a reclusive 84-year-old writer was among the leaders of the 1989 pro-democracy protests in China that resulted in the Tiananmen Square massacre, the Old Bailey heard yesterday. Wang Yam, 46, is accused of bludgeoning Allan Chappelow with a blunt instrument at his north London home in May 2006, stealing his identity and defrauding his bank accounts. George Robertson QC, for the defence, said Yam came to Britain, via Hong Kong, after he was forced to flee China in the wake of the massacre in 1989 in which 2,000 students were killed. His grandfather had been one of Mao's "closest comrades" on the Long March and his father was an officer in the Chinese army, Robertson said. "He studied physics at university successfully because by the age of 27 he had a position teaching at Beijing university and had a masters degree in electrical engineering. He became vice-president of the student body in 1989 ... He became an organiser of the movement for democracy." "Afterwards there was a witch-hunt. A year or so later ... it was indicated he would have to go to a re-education camp, a coal mine ... He decided to flee as a refugee to Hong Kong. He was accepted in 1992 as an asylum seeker and was naturalised as a British citizen in 1998." For two hours yesterday, the trial was held in private. The judge gave no explanation. Yam denies murder, breaking into the writer's home, stealing four blank cheques and £20, and the handling of the stolen cheques, a mobile phone and a quantity of mail. He also denies obtaining £20,000 by deception. The trial continues. source:The Guardian |
cmain - April 7, 2008 08:50 PM (GMT)
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Found here
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I don't see how someone's activities in China in 1989 could be admissible evidence in a trial for a murder in England in 2006. The judge would surely disallow it as irrelevant? In which case there must be some other reason for the secrecy.
amirrortotheenemy - June 26, 2008 12:38 AM (GMT)
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| Man faces retrial over murder of author A financial adviser accused of murdering Allan Chappelow, an author, must face a retrial in the autumn, a judge decided. Mr Justice Cooke set the date for the new trial of Wang Yam for October 13. Yam, 46, of Hampstead, North London, was found guilty of two offences of dishonesty last month. However, the jury at the Old Bailey could not decide whether he murdered Mr Chappelow, 86, an expert on George Bernard Shaw. Mr Chappelow was found dead with severe head injuries, hidden under papers and manuscripts, at his dilapidated home in Hampstead in May 2006. Yam, who was born in China, denies killing the author. Source |
Bridget - October 31, 2008 04:16 PM (GMT)
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| Camden News - DAN CARRIER Published: 30 October 2008 ‘Snoopers’ in victim recluse’s garden Neighbours tell Old Bailey how they confronted strangers before pensioner was found dead NEIGHBOURS of Allan Chappelow, the pensioner found dead in his ramshackle home, confronted two mysterious men loitering around the overgrown front garden, the Old Bailey heard this week. A jury of eight men and four women have been listening to prosecution evidence against defendant Wang Yam, 47, of Denning Road, Hampstead. He stands accused of murdering Mr Chappelow, 86, in the summer of 2006, stealing the reclusive pensioner’s identity and attempting to milk his bank accounts of thousands of pounds. Mr Chappelow’s neighbour, Lady Listowel, the widow of the 5th Earl of Listowel and former Lords committee chairman William Hare, told the court yesterday (Wednesday) that in April 2006 she had confronted two strangers she had found snooping around. She told the court that one was wearing “scruffy” shoes and spoke with a South African accent. She told the court: “One was wearing a camel-haired coat and had fake tan with spiky blonde hair.” At first, she said, she thought they might be estate agents. “They seemed quite nervous of me and wanted to get away,” she said. Lady Listowel said the poor state of the house often attracted interest from passers-by, as it stood out from the pristine nature of other houses in Downshire Hill. It had been struck by lightening in the past which had caused fire damage, and Mr Chappelow had been warned he could be prosecuted because of the dangerous nature of his electricity supply. Among the witnesses called this week by prosecution QC Mark Ellison was Brigitte Mierau, the housekeeper of Lady Listowel. She revealed she would often see the victim strolling through the streets of Hampstead, or bump into him at the nearby Keats Library – although the pair never spoke to one another. When Mr Chappelow decided to visit relatives in the United States in March 2006, he asked Lady Listowel and Ms Mierau to keep an eye on his post and make sure postmen were pushing the letters right through the letterbox. Mr Chappelow had problems in the past with delivery workers, who had for some time refused to deliver to the address due to the overgrown state of the front garden, the court heard. Ms Mierau said: “Sometimes post would stick out of the letter box or poke out from under the door.” Other witnesses included Jonathan Smith, a bank manager for HSBC in Finchley Road. He said his staff knew Mr Chappelow by sight as he always wore the same grey raincoat, no matter what the weather, and would come into the bank once a fortnight to pay in cheques. Mr Smith called the police after receiving no answer to a letter he wrote to Mr Chappelow at the beginning of June regarding cheques made out to him worth £14,000 – but that had been paid into an account at the Bank of China under the name of Jenny Zao. His actions led to officers breaking into the property and discovering Mr Chappelow’s body. The trial continues. |
Bridget - January 29, 2009 02:46 PM (GMT)
No dna no evidence and much of the proceedings held in private session:
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| Conman jailed for murdering author 29.01.09 A Chinese conman was jailed for a minimum of 20 years for killing a prize-winning reclusive author to plunder his wealth. Wang Yam battered frail Allan Chappelow to death in his £4.1 million home in Hampstead, north London, to steal his identity. Penniless Yam, who had been posing as a multi-millionaire, was arrested after the 86-year-old's body was found hidden under a 4ft pile of papers. Yam spent a month cloning Mr Chappelow's identity using documents from the house but attempts to get cash failed when his Chinese accent alerted bank staff. Earlier this month, an Old Bailey jury found Yam, 47, of Hampstead, guilty of murdering Mr Chappelow in May 2006. The defence case was held "in camera" with the press and public excluded for national security reasons and to ensure the administration of justice. A court order bans speculation about the matters heard in private. Yam denied the killing and burglary at the Manor House, Downshire Hill, during which cheques and a bank card were stolen. Mr Chappelow had returned from a trip to America in May and was battered several times over the head in the dilapidated house. The author, an expert on playwright George Bernard Shaw, found success in the 1960s, but had become reclusive in recent years. |
Bridget - October 27, 2009 01:54 PM (GMT)
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| Neighbours fight murdered OAP home development WHEN the body of Alan Chappelow was discovered hidden in a back room of his crumbling Hampstead home three years ago, neighbours were united in grief. But now the fate of Mr Chappelow’s Grade II-listed house has divided Downshire Hill, after one of his neighbours who has bought the property for a rumoured £4.2million drew up plans that it is claimed will damage nearby Georgian properties. Tony Joseph, who lives a few doors away, wants to dig out a living and kitchen room, a utility room, a toilet, an office and a new terrace area beneath the house. Below that, a cinema, swimming pool, changing rooms, and showers are proposed. Architects employed by Mr Joseph’s company, Ringline Properties, say the house will appear from the street to be an exact replica of what stood there for nearly 200 years. But Stephen Ainger, of the Downshire Hill Residents Association, said: “Half the houses in the street have raised objections. We have spoken to Tony and tried to indicate what changes to his plans would be acceptable to us. We simply don’t want such a large basement. Nothing would please us more than to reach a compromise.” The association employed a geology expert from Imperial College and a structural engineer. Their findings state that digging out 4,000-cubic square metres of earth will lead to a “dam” effect, with underground culverts and streams re-directed, causing flooding and subsidence. The house was owned by the Chappelow family from 1930. But despite attempts by English Heritage and the council to speak with Mr Chappelow over the state of the property, nothing was done. Mr Chappelow was found dead in the summer of 2006. Neighbour Wang Yam, a former Beijing University professor, was found guilty of his murder. The home was on English Heritage’s At Risk register for more than 10 years and was also gutted by fire during the police investigation. The Heath and Hampstead society’s objections have been backed by the Hampstead and Belsize Park conservation area advisory committees, the Pilgrims to Willoughby Residents Association and the Church Row Association, as well as 76 letters from other neighbours. A decision on the scheme will be made by the council’s planning committee tonight (Thursday). CNJ |