Forensics: The Real CSI. BBC2

[disad-vantage-d]

Body in the freezer episode...

A fascinating episode. I think the time that elapsed which facilitated the advanced decomposition possibly assisted the accused from facing more serious charges?
As an aside, I can't help but wonder how the body wasn't discovered until after it had been removed from the flat and delivered to the waste centre? Given the fact that neighbours had reported that a foul stench had been coming from the flat for some time? Also the dried pool of putrified bodily fluids and maggots on the cupboard floor? The weight of the freezer containing a body?

[Randy Winkman]

disad-vantage-d said:

Body in the freezer episode...

A fascinating episode. I think the time that elapsed which facilitated the advanced decomposition possibly assisted the accused from facing more serious charges?
As an aside, I can't help but wonder how the body wasn't discovered until after it had been removed from the flat and delivered to the waste centre? Given the fact that neighbours had reported that a foul stench had been coming from the flat for some time? Also the dried pool of putrified bodily fluids and maggots on the cupboard floor? The weight of the freezer containing a body?

It was indeed and interesting one and a shame that the cause of injuries and death remained a mystery.

Also that the carer finally decided to get rid of the freezer when I'd have thought there was a good chance of him then being caught. Perhaps the only other option was to open it and get rid of the poor bloke bit by bit. Though that would have been horrific. It is a wonder that the freezer stayed in the flat so long with the smell and mess.

[Legacywr]

The guy didn’t get rid of the freezer, he got removed from the flat, that wasn’t is, and just left it behind.

I get the feeling the whole thing was bizarre rather than malicious?

WTF had happened to that wall?

A very interesting episode, though.

[tim0409]

Randy Winkman said:

Also that the carer finally decided to get rid of the freezer when I'd have thought there was a good chance of him then being caught.

I thought he was evicted from the flat? It sounded like the Council sent their own cleaning team in once the flat had been vacated and removed the freezer. It’s a bit odd that they didn’t check inside when they started to remove it from the flat, not least because it would have been quite heavy, or they just assumed it was full of rancid food (given it wasn’t on) and decided to leave it closed?

The clincher for me was the fact he ordered the freezer the day the poor chap died.

[Randy Winkman]

tim0409 said:

Randy Winkman said:

Also that the carer finally decided to get rid of the freezer when I'd have thought there was a good chance of him then being caught.

I thought he was evicted from the flat? It sounded like the Council sent their own cleaning team in once the flat had been vacated and removed the freezer. It’s a bit odd that they didn’t check inside when they started to remove it from the flat, not least because it would have been quite heavy, or they just assumed it was full of rancid food (given it wasn’t on) and decided to leave it closed?

The clincher for me was the fact he ordered the freezer the day the poor chap died.

Ah - cheers to you and Legacywr. Still odd though. He might not have had much warning of being evicted but I'd have thought he could have tried something to cover his tracks a bit.

[fourstardan]

I immediately wondered why they didn't inspect inside the freezer too, maybe he had inside contacts to do this scam and maybe they thought they could continue inquiries to end up getting an eventual murder charge based on further evidence/admission of guilt etc. These sorts of programs trigger memories...that said he is probably out doing some other scumbag social scam.

If you ever wanted an example of how authorities are over stretched this was it, apparently with Dementia he had no check ups or visits for knocking on a year. Even when the neighbours tried to help the police and council did fk all.

It's a sad story, the bloke had nobody clearly in life.

[tim0409]

Randy Winkman said:

Ah - cheers to you and Legacywr. Still odd though. He might not have had much warning of being evicted but I'd have thought he could have tried something to cover his tracks a bit.

I suspect he led a very chaotic life and never really planned anything in advance, and always did what suited his immediate needs, which in this case was to leave the flat and hope for the best.

Dementia is something that really hits home to me given my mum has it, and I would reserve a special place in hell for those who abuse or take advantage of those suffering from it. There is no doubt in my mind that he was financial abusing this poor chap, got frustrated with him and punched him, which ultimately led to his death. He wanted to continue the financial scam and retain the flat, so decided his immediate needs would be served by ordering and then sticking his body in a freezer. Absolute scum.

[oobster]

I too wondered about whether the council would lift the lid on the freezer and check the contents but perhaps in 99.9% of cases they just assume it’ll be some rotten food at the bottom and don’t bother ‘adding’ to the smell by opening it, just try to get it out on the van as quickly as possible.

I also thought the guy was extremely fortunate to just get 2 years, both in terms of the sentence for the stuff he actually admitted to and also lucky the forensics couldn’t prove cause of death.

[Nethybridge]

tim0409 said:

Absolutely.

Not only that, he got what I would deem to be a light sentence given the crime; £17k fraud and preventing the lawful burial of a body should really get more than a 2 year sentence (out in 12 months).

Indeed, he's a lucky weasel-faced skank.

Shocking case, I understand that the evidence was not hugely strong that
Damion caused the death of this man but the severe injuries are difficult to explain away.

As I understand it, he buys a freezer for the body, but doesn't plug it in to preserve the corpse, and it just
moulders away, stinking the place out, how did the cops not notice the smell when they paid him a visit ?

[fourstardan]

Nethybridge said:

how did the cops not notice the smell when they paid him a visit ?

Do we need to answer this.....its failings all across the board

[oobster]

I may be wrong (I often am) but it was my understanding that the police knocked on his door due to a reported 'disturbance' that appeared to be around the time of the older guy's death (possibly the disturbance was even the actual 'event')?

[Se7enheaven]

oobster said:

I may be wrong (I often am) but it was my understanding that the police knocked on his door due to a reported 'disturbance' that appeared to be around the time of the older guy's death (possibly the disturbance was even the actual 'event')?

I think that was the initial thought , but then it transpired that the poor man had passed away a year or so earlier. My understanding was that he had been deceased for around 2 years by the time the body was discovered? ( I’m often wrong also though )

[Greendubber]

fourstardan said:

Nethybridge said:

how did the cops not notice the smell when they paid him a visit ?

Do we need to answer this.....its failings all across the board

Presumably because he was frozen solid in the freezer. Does your freezer smell?

[Scrump]

Greendubber said:

Presumably because he was frozen solid in the freezer. Does your freezer smell?

I thought the freezer was not plugged in. The police said there was no electrical socket in the cupboard.

[Deckert]

The freezer had never been plugged in, there was no power source in the cupboard where it was put.

[Randy Winkman]

Deckert said:

The freezer had never been plugged in, there was no power source in the cupboard where it was put.

And if I remember correctly, the guy that was prosecuted bought the freezer and presumably put it in that place. Without even getting an extension lead and plugging it in.

[fourstardan]

Greendubber said:

Presumably because he was frozen solid in the freezer. Does your freezer smell?

I was being sarcastic. If you watch "Catch a Copper" and read the 24 Hours Police custody thread it will show you what PC level in the force get up to! They probably couldn't be bothered and laughed and joked about the wrench after not understanding the possibilities.

That said you are right to think they'd use the initiative and follow up with what was minging in there.

There was another event that this happened;

https://news.sky.com/story/zahad-younis-man-found-...

[Deckert]

Do we know why he changed his name from Jason to Damion around the same time as Mr Wainwright died ?

[Kamov]

Very sad episode for sure, regards the smell, anyone familiar with Jeffrey Dahmer, homosexual serial killer in America, he lived in flats and neighbours complained of a sickening stench for years before they discovered body parts and vats of acid with decomposing bodies in them...

Also heard many stories of old people dying in flats and not being discovered for months, years and again after years of complaints about the smell...
One poor soul died and eventually the tenant downstairs complained finally when brown liquid was coming through the ceiling....

Grimm....

[Legacywr]

Kamov said:

Very sad episode for sure, regards the smell, anyone familiar with Jeffrey Dahmer, homosexual serial killer in America, he lived in flats and neighbours complained of a sickening stench for years before they discovered body parts and vats of acid with decomposing bodies in them...

Also heard many stories of old people dying in flats and not being discovered for months, years and again after years of complaints about the smell...
One poor soul died and eventually the tenant downstairs complained finally when brown liquid was coming through the ceiling....

Grimm....

There are programs out there about the companies who come around and clean up after this sort of thing...