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I finished the Roope/Meagher book last night and I was impressed by the book itself. I was going to say that I'd recommend it to anyone but what I meant of course was...buy Antony's book 1st.
This is a far more interesting case than I'd expected. Before reading I was of the 'it must have been Brady' viewpoint but not now. Brady was a crook through and through but he was never violent and whilst I'm certain that he knew far more than he was willing to let on I don't think he was the killer.
Smith, as a known informer, was pretty much walking around carrying a sign saying "kill me."
As it stands I'd say that Brady might have taken the cottage at Cronulla on the instructions of Holmes or Stannard (possibly as a place where drugs or other contraband could be stashed) As Smith was becoming a serious liability it seems likely that he was taken to the cottage by Stannard and his henchmen. The rope found around his arm point to the fact that he was restrained. I think that he was then beaten/tortured (as suggested by Dave in an earlier post) to find out what information he'd given out and to whom.
Possibly Brady arrived at the cottage whilst this was going on. Inie Holmes described him as 'agitated, dirty and with cuts on his hands,' when he visited next day. Was he forced into helping move the body or, as Smith was a friend of his, did he try to get the killers to stop?
On the arm. Was it left at the cottage as a warning to Brady or was Brady told by Stannard to show Holmes? Either prove that Smith had been permanently silenced or because Stannard felt that Holmes was becoming a liability? I don't know.
I tend to think that Stannard killed Holmes. Summer's is convincing and Wynne backs him up.
These two murders weren't just personal. There was so much intimidation and corruption going on. Threatening letters and the watching men outside the courthouse intimidating witnesses. The forged letter and phone call saying that Smith was still alive point to Brady (likely under pressure from Stannard )
So I'd say Smith was killed by Stannard and henchmen with Holmes at least aware that Smith was being 'interrogated.' It's possible that he didn't expect him to be killed and that finding out about the murder tipped him over the edge. Brady was co-opted into the cover up and probably disposed of the arm ( with the threat of the police discovering that the murder occurred in his cottage) Holmes then becomes unstable and a threat to Stannard who arranges to meet him and shoots him in his car. Stannard and his wife's night at the cinema is weird. They miss the first hour of the movie so they watch the rest then hang around to see the first hour at the next showing and then later question a cinema worker and a car park attendant to ensure that they can recall there visit.
No revelations from me Antony. I'll be getting your ebook but I'll have to wait until lockdown is over so that I can hopefully get my pad fixed. I dislike reading books on a phone.
You were right though....an interesting case.
This is a far more interesting case than I'd expected. Before reading I was of the 'it must have been Brady' viewpoint but not now. Brady was a crook through and through but he was never violent and whilst I'm certain that he knew far more than he was willing to let on I don't think he was the killer.
Smith, as a known informer, was pretty much walking around carrying a sign saying "kill me."
As it stands I'd say that Brady might have taken the cottage at Cronulla on the instructions of Holmes or Stannard (possibly as a place where drugs or other contraband could be stashed) As Smith was becoming a serious liability it seems likely that he was taken to the cottage by Stannard and his henchmen. The rope found around his arm point to the fact that he was restrained. I think that he was then beaten/tortured (as suggested by Dave in an earlier post) to find out what information he'd given out and to whom.
Possibly Brady arrived at the cottage whilst this was going on. Inie Holmes described him as 'agitated, dirty and with cuts on his hands,' when he visited next day. Was he forced into helping move the body or, as Smith was a friend of his, did he try to get the killers to stop?
On the arm. Was it left at the cottage as a warning to Brady or was Brady told by Stannard to show Holmes? Either prove that Smith had been permanently silenced or because Stannard felt that Holmes was becoming a liability? I don't know.
I tend to think that Stannard killed Holmes. Summer's is convincing and Wynne backs him up.
These two murders weren't just personal. There was so much intimidation and corruption going on. Threatening letters and the watching men outside the courthouse intimidating witnesses. The forged letter and phone call saying that Smith was still alive point to Brady (likely under pressure from Stannard )
So I'd say Smith was killed by Stannard and henchmen with Holmes at least aware that Smith was being 'interrogated.' It's possible that he didn't expect him to be killed and that finding out about the murder tipped him over the edge. Brady was co-opted into the cover up and probably disposed of the arm ( with the threat of the police discovering that the murder occurred in his cottage) Holmes then becomes unstable and a threat to Stannard who arranges to meet him and shoots him in his car. Stannard and his wife's night at the cinema is weird. They miss the first hour of the movie so they watch the rest then hang around to see the first hour at the next showing and then later question a cinema worker and a car park attendant to ensure that they can recall there visit.
No revelations from me Antony. I'll be getting your ebook but I'll have to wait until lockdown is over so that I can hopefully get my pad fixed. I dislike reading books on a phone.
You were right though....an interesting case.
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