John Richardson sitting on the step

[Wickerman]

I don't think pubs were able to sell alcohol at 5am

www.trevormarriott.co.uk

I thought I would look that up.

22. Premises licensed for the sale of intoxicating liquors must be closed during the following hours :-
I. In England
(a) Premises within the administrative County of London or within a four-mile radius of Charing Cross:-
Weekdays-12.30 a.m. to 5 a.m.
Saturdays—Midnight to 1 p.m. Sunday.
Sundays-3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday.

So they opened at 5:00 am it seems.

[Harry D]

It does beggar belief how John Richardson could've been sitting on the step without noticing the mutilated corpse slumped a couple of feet away. He must've been too engrossed in his cobbling to notice.

[RockySullivan]

It does beggar belief how John Richardson could've been sitting on the step without noticing the mutilated corpse slumped a couple of feet away. He must've been too engrossed in his cobbling to notice.

Did the police ever confirm richardson was into work at 5 that day? He changes his story so many times, he's walking around with a knife in his pocket, he lies to officer at first when he's questioned and said he never went into the yard, there is gaiter spring near the body, which is probably the reason he claimed to be ******* with his boot, and why would richardson be able to leave work to go rubberneck at a body when he wasn't yet aware it was in his mothers yard. Just a look at his inquest testimony he's all over the place lying about everything. If like to know who lived with richardson and Tyler and who did they hang around with?

[Rosella]

Annie's body quite obviously wasn't there when John Richardson sat on the cellar steps. It was there later. The police questioned Richardson. Tyler wasn't even there. He turned up late for work.

[RockySullivan]

Annie's body quite obviously wasn't there when John Richardson sat on the cellar steps. It was there later. The police questioned Richardson. Tyler wasn't even there. He turned up late for work.

Do you happen to know what time he showed up?

[Rosella]

He seems to have arrived late quite a bit when trade was slack. Tyler was supposed to have started at 6am but on this particular day he didn't arrive until 8am.

[RockySullivan]

Thanks rosella I wasnt sure

[Amanda]

He seems to have arrived late quite a bit when trade was slack. Tyler was supposed to have started at 6am but on this particular day he didn't arrive until 8am.

Hi Rosella,
Do you think it likely that Richardson knew that Tyler would be later going to work that day?

Amanda

[GUT]

Hi Rosella,
Do you think it likely that Richardson knew that Tyler would be later going to work that day?

Amanda

My 2 cents, it seems like a fair bet, Tyler doesn't it seems to have been exactly prompt in arriving for work and I suspect that Richardson knew that on quiet days Tyler may well be late.

[Rosella]

Who knows! I'm out, so I can't look it up right now but I think Amelia Richardson complained to a reporter that her worker was somewhat unreliable, so maybe he enjoyed sleeping in and didn't turn up early even when there was plenty of work! Things were quiet at the time of Chapman's murder, though. Richardson wouldn't have been able to rely on Tyler not appearing though, I shouldnt think!

Even so, if Tyler had turned up five minutes earlier than his starting time of six am, IMO Chapman would have been dead and her murderer gone.

[GUT]

Following on from what I said above, It was a fair bet Tyler would be late.

But Richardson would need to be one hell of a gambler to take that bet.

If he was the killer [and I am far from persuaded] then he would have had to make sure that it was over and done with long long before Tyler could remotely be expected to arrive.

[Ginger]

...why would richardson be able to leave work to go rubberneck at a body when he wasn't yet aware it was in his mothers yard.

Well, leaving aside the question of when he knew the body was there, leaving work oughn't to have been much of a problem. Market porters were essentially piece-workers. For each load that they handled for a vendor, the vendor gave them a token to cash in at the end of the work day. If they didn't mind losing a bit of money, they could prolly take a bit of time off now and again.


Edit: Also, I rather suspect that then, as now, "OMG! There's been a murder in me mum's back yard!" was pretty much an iron-clad excuse for leaving work early.

[RockySullivan]

Well, leaving aside the question of when he knew the body was there, leaving work oughn't to have been much of a problem. Market porters were essentially piece-workers. For each load that they handled for a vendor, the vendor gave them a token to cash in at the end of the work day. If they didn't mind losing a bit of money, they could prolly take a bit of time off now and again.


Edit: Also, I rather suspect that then, as now, "OMG! There's been a murder in me mum's back yard!" was pretty much an iron-clad excuse for leaving work early.

Well that's my point ginge, richardsn didn't know the murder was in his moms backyard. He only heard there was a murder in hanbury and went to see about it and only then did he learn the murder took place in his moms yard. If his job was so lax that he could leave like that isn't it possible he didn't show up til after five?

Gut I believe Richardson lived with Tyler...so i inagine they had a close relationship? They lived together and worked for richer sons mother a long time. I suspect if Richardson was involved then Tyler would be conplicit as well. Pure conjecture of course but I don't find reasonable satisfactory explanation for all of richardsons lies and change of stories

[Fleetwood Mac]

Annie's body quite obviously wasn't there when John Richardson sat on the cellar steps. It was there later. The police questioned Richardson. Tyler wasn't even there. He turned up late for work.

It may depend upon how far he opened the door. If he'd sat on the top step and only opened the door far enough to make room to sit down then I think there's a chance he wouldn't have seen a dead body in the position it lay; because the door would have blocked his sight to the left and if sat on the top step his eye level going to the floor may have been blocked by the middle to bottom of the door, meaning he couldn't see the body stretching past the step on his left hand side.

I know his story changed from sat on the step to peer over at the cellar door to actually going down the steps.

Perhaps his story changed because he thought he was in a bit of a spot: possible body in the yard and he didn't report it making him a possible suspect.

Whatever his story, I think there is a chance he wouldn't have seen the body to his left when sat on the top step.

[RockySullivan]

Yes but infact he claimed his feet were on the flagstones of the ground while he whittled his boot which means his point of focus was his feet on the groundand wouldn't chapmans body have been essentially at his feet?

It may depend upon how far he opened the door. If he'd sat on the top step and only opened the door far enough to make room to sit down then I think there's a chance he wouldn't have seen a dead body in the position it lay; because the door would have blocked his sight to the left and if sat on the top step his eye level going to the floor may have been blocked by the middle to bottom of the door, meaning he couldn't see the body stretching past the step on his left hand side.

I know his story changed from sat on the step to peer over at the cellar door to actually going down the steps.

Perhaps his story changed because he thought he was in a bit of a spot: possible body in the yard and he didn't report it making him a possible suspect.

Whatever his story, I think there is a chance he wouldn't have seen the body to his left when sat on the top step.