curious
Did you do a lot of walking when she was younger? Would you say the reluctance on this occasion was more around the tensions between you, rather than the walk itself?
Would you describe Becky as fit and healthy? Does she do any sports?
So the walk shouldn’t have been a problem for her.
I do realise this must be
of course
and
If we could just go through the sequence of events.
The three of you got into the car, your car, soon after lunch. So this would have been
2 p.m. Okay. And the weather was clear. You’d asked Becky to wear something more suitable on her feet, but she’d refused and you didn’t want to start another argument.
That’s understandable.
You drove a short distance to the visitor centre and parked in the car park there. That would have taken, what, five minutes, ten?
Was the visitor centre open? Did you see anyone there?
Were there any other cars in the car park?
So you parked near the main building, and went through the gate by the display board, following the track which leads diagonally up the hill towards Black Bull Rocks.
I realise you’ve already
I just would
it does help
Did you have a map?
Because it was a route you knew. And you can see Black Bull Rocks almost from the car park in any case, can’t you? So it was a simple walk. It was going to be a short walk.
Did you know how long you were expecting it to take?
Did you know what time it was going to get dark?
Had you looked at a weather forecast?
Did you have a phone with you?
Had you planned
No, of course
no
I do realise
It is
it’s actually rather misleading, isn’t it, the walk up to Black Bull Rocks? The path isn’t as direct as it looks from the bottom of the hill. There are several narrow gorges or valleys on the way. The path drops down steeply and climbs up out of each of these.
They call them cloughs, locally, don’t they?
And the streams through each of these are running high at this time of year, so it’s not always a simple matter getting across them. The ground can be quite boggy down there?
And with the shoes Becky was wearing.
Did she struggle at all?
Struggle.
I mean, if she was having difficulty getting across the streams, keeping her feet dry. Did she express any discomfort or irritation, any reluctance? Did she ever want to stop, or go back?
And did you wait for her, at that point?
Did she catch up?
But you at least kept her in sight?
What were your feelings by then, if you don’t mind me asking?
That’s understandable. Of course.
My daughter was that age not so long ago, I know how
Of course.
Was there any discussion between the two of you about cutting the walk short? Given the conditions, and Becky’s behaviour?
Was there any disagreement between the two of you, would you say?
And by this point you’re how far up the track, how close to Black Bull Rocks?
And had there been any change in the weather?
So you had no reason to be concerned?
How were you finding the conditions? You were wearing more suitable footwear, presumably? You had kept dry up until then?
And had you seen anyone else, had you passed anyone on the track, had you seen anyone in the distance?
Now
this will, I understand
I’m sorry
Can you be clear about when you first realised Becky was out of sight?
And you assumed
she was coming up the steps out of the clough? You were not long out of it yourselves?
How far behind would you say she was when you saw her last?
I realise
of course
you have, I know
But we agreed, didn’t we, that this would be
a chance
a chance for you to put your side of the story.
Obviously I know you’ll have been through all this with the police, many times, I do appreciate
I do
But people have questions. Not just locally. People are
It would be helpful to clarify
It would be helpful to hear it from you. People would appreciate that.
Is this?
Can we?
No, absolutely. None of this will
You can decide, afterwards, you can reconsider.
I just want to help you tell your side of the story.
Absolutely.
So. If we can
You realised she was out of sight. You waited. She didn’t appear. You had already talked about cutting the walk short anyway so
one of you wanted to
You waited, and she didn’t appear. You went back to the top of the path leading up out of the clough, the valley, and you couldn’t see her there.
And you called for her, presumably?
You
