Girl, 12, shops alongside ‘her murderer’ - hours before disappearing
CCTV ... Tia and Hazell in a Co-op supermarket
THESE are the heart-breaking final images of Tia Sharp – as she goes shopping alongside the man accused of murdering her in a sex attack.
CCTV shows the pair shopping in a Co-op supermarket before taking a seat on their local T31 bus on August 2 last year, the day she went missing.
In one shot, 12-year-old Tia – wearing a yellow top, grey joggers and boots – picks up a woman’s magazine and scans the front cover before putting it back and walking off with Hazell.
The following day, she was reported missing to police.
Final images ... Tia was reported missing to police the next day
Footage ... Tia and Hazell on the local T31 bus on August 2 last year
Today, a court heard how the week after Tia disappeared, her grandmother Christine Bicknell noticed a “smell” coming from somewhere in the house.
In a statement read at the Old Bailey, she said: “It seemed to be coming from the small bedroom.
"I had a quick check around and I couldn’t find anything. I had that smell before in my house and it was cat’s mess.
“The following morning I could smell it a bit worse than before.”
Schoolgirl ... Tia 'idolised' Hazell and was 'his cling-on'
She said she had apologised to the police for the odour, telling them: “I’m very sorry, there’s a horrible smell up there, one of the cats has shit somewhere and I can’t find it.”
Jurors also heard how Tia “idolised” Hazell and was “his cling-on”.
The tragic schoolgirl would often stay with her grandmother and Hazell – but would always ask him first, jurors heard.
Her grandmother Christine Bicknell claimed that Tia “was not the sort of girl you could groom” and could not be forced “to do anything”.
Accused ... Hazell was branded a 'fantastic liar' today
And Christine even warned that she would have KILLED Hazell, 37, if she had found out he had murdered Tia.
The girl’s body was found in the loft of Christine’s house in New Addington, south London, a week after she went missing.
In a statement read today at the Old Bailey, Christine said: “When Tia went missing it didn’t cross my mind that she could be dead.
“I always thought she was coming home. It didn’t cross my mind that he would hurt her. He loved Tia, she idolised him.
“I love Stuart with all my heart, he was my world, but my grandchildren always came first.”
Alone ... Tia reaches for a magazine in the Co-op
She added: “Tia will ask Stuart if she can stay for the weekend before she asks me.
“The majority of the time he has her more than what I do. She is his cling-on.”
Christine said she had no concern about Hazell being around Tia and that all her grandchildren “loved him to pieces”.
But the court heard today how Hazell was a chronic cannabis smoker – smoking two joints a day – and would get “argumentative” after drinking vodka, which he was banned from consuming in the house.
Hazell, who had previously dated Tia’s mother, moved in with Christine a week after their relationship started in 2007, the court heard.
Grandmother ... Christine Sharp
Junior prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward went through phone records which showed that Tia’s last BlackBerry message was sent at 0.42am on August 3.
They also revealed that Hazell called the girl’s phone later that day, after he had allegedly killed her.
Describing Tia as “not the sort of girl you could groom”, Christine said: “She was a mouthy 12-year-old – you couldn’t force her to do anything.
“She is a mini Natalie (Tia’s mother), which is a mini-me.”
Trial ... court sketch of Hazell yesterday
Christine added: “I knew nothing about her death. If I knew, he could be dead – I would be inside because I would have killed him.
“I found out the same time as everybody else, that Friday. I didn’t know anything.”
Hazell was also today branded a “fantastic liar” after telling colleagues that his father had died from a heart attack and would break down in tears about it.
Adrian Van-Aalst – who let a window cleaning round to Hazell and another man, Mark Williams – said Hazell had told him that his dad died in February last year but was then surprised to see Hazell’s father referred to in media reports.
Bereaved ... Tia's dad Steve Carter
Pain ... Natalie Sharp, mum of Tia
Central News
Describing Hazell, he said: “I would say he is not the smartest tool in the shed, he has an uncanny ability to change his version of events regardless of the importance.”
In a text message to Mr Van-Aalst after Tia had gone missing, Hazell complained about press coverage, saying: “They are getting everything wrong, they are guessing and making me look like Jack the Ripper.”
Hazell also said in a text message: “Hand on heart mate, I don’t know where she is. I wish I did because this is madness, I had nothing to do with this.”
Crime scene ... the house in New Addington, south London, where Tia was found
No comments:
Post a Comment