Billie-Jo Jenkins
Encyclopedia
Billie-Jo Margaret Jenkins (29 March 1983–15 February 1997) was an English girl who was murder
ed at the age of 13. The case gained widespread media attention and remains unsolved to this day.
Billie-Jo was brought up in east London
. Her birth father, Bill Jenkins, was imprisoned and her mother was unable to cope on her own, so Billie-Jo was placed in foster care
from the age of nine with an unrelated family, Siôn and Lois Jenkins, coincidentally having the same surname. She moved with the family to Hastings
on the Sussex
coast, where she attended Helenswood School
.
On 15 February 1997 she was brutally murdered at home. Siôn Jenkins was charged and eventually convicted of the murder, but always maintained that he was innocent. An appeal in 1999 against his conviction failed, but after a second appeal in August 2004 his conviction was quashed as unsafe and he was released on bail pending a retrial.
The juries in two retrials were unable to reach majority verdicts and he was officially declared not guilty in 2006.
, while painting patio doors at the family home in Hastings, East Sussex
.
Siôn Jenkins has always denied killing her.
He told police that he found her in a pool of blood on the patio when he returned from a shopping trip with two of his daughters, Annie and Charlotte ("Lottie"). He became the third police suspect following the discovery of 148 microscopic blood spots on his clothing. During an intensive two-hour interview with Siôn's wife Lois, the police told her that they were sure that he was the murderer, as they said that the blood spots proved his guilt.
The police charged Siôn Jenkins with the murder and he was eventually convicted. An appeal in 1999 against his conviction failed, but a second appeal in August 2004 was successful. The Court of Appeal
quashed his original conviction as unsafe and ordered a retrial, with Jenkins being released on bail.
Some experts stated that the blood spots could have come from Billie-Jo's airways as Jenkins tended to Billie-Jo. The jury was unable to come to a majority verdict after 39 hours of deliberating.
A second retrial was likewise unable to reach a majority verdict, and at the Old Bailey
in London
, on 9 February 2006 Siôn Jenkins was officially declared not guilty. The Crown Prosecution Service
indicated that no further retrials of Jenkins would be sought, and he was formally acquitted.
It later turned out that at his last retrial, Dr Jeremy Skepper, of Cambridge University, had undertaken tests on 9 of the 148 spots and found bone fragments, but this evidence was produced too late to be submitted for the retrial.
The police investigation, trials and appeals are estimated to have cost £10m
. Seven hundred witness statements were taken by the police, jurors spent 36 days deliberating in three trials, and Jenkins spent 11 days in the witness box giving evidence.
In his 2008 book The Murder of Billie-Jo, written with investigative journalist Bob Woffinden
, Siôn Jenkins suggested that a man that he met in his house soon after the murder may have been the murderer, having hidden in Jenkins' house and then slipped away, even though the man was well-dressed and did not appear to be covered in blood.
at Portsmouth University.
On 10 August 2010 it was revealed that The Ministry of Justice had refused Siôn Jenkins compensation claim for wrongful imprisonment – such payment is awarded only when a person is shown to be "clearly innocent".
, a memorial seat made from a locally felled oak tree by local artist Joc Hare, was dedicated to the memory of Billie-Jo. The first few words on the seat read, "Side by side or miles apart, friends are close to the heart".
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed at the age of 13. The case gained widespread media attention and remains unsolved to this day.
Billie-Jo was brought up in east London
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
. Her birth father, Bill Jenkins, was imprisoned and her mother was unable to cope on her own, so Billie-Jo was placed in foster care
Foster care
Foster care is the term used for a system in which a minor who has been made a ward is placed in the private home of a state certified caregiver referred to as a "foster parent"....
from the age of nine with an unrelated family, Siôn and Lois Jenkins, coincidentally having the same surname. She moved with the family to Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
on the Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
coast, where she attended Helenswood School
Helenswood School
Helenswood Girls School is an all-female secondary school in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex in the United Kingdom, and has achieved specialist Arts College status. It takes girls from age 11 to age 16, and there is a separate Sixth form which is shared with William Parker School, a local boys'...
.
On 15 February 1997 she was brutally murdered at home. Siôn Jenkins was charged and eventually convicted of the murder, but always maintained that he was innocent. An appeal in 1999 against his conviction failed, but after a second appeal in August 2004 his conviction was quashed as unsafe and he was released on bail pending a retrial.
The juries in two retrials were unable to reach majority verdicts and he was officially declared not guilty in 2006.
Legal proceedings against her foster father
On 15 February 1997 Billie-Jo was battered over the head at least ten times with an iron tent pegTent peg
A tent peg is a spike, usually with a hook or hole on the top end, typically made from wood, metal, plastic, or composite material, pushed or driven into the ground for holding a tent to the ground, either directly by attaching to the tent's material, or by connecting to ropes attached to the tent...
, while painting patio doors at the family home in Hastings, East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
.
Siôn Jenkins has always denied killing her.
He told police that he found her in a pool of blood on the patio when he returned from a shopping trip with two of his daughters, Annie and Charlotte ("Lottie"). He became the third police suspect following the discovery of 148 microscopic blood spots on his clothing. During an intensive two-hour interview with Siôn's wife Lois, the police told her that they were sure that he was the murderer, as they said that the blood spots proved his guilt.
The police charged Siôn Jenkins with the murder and he was eventually convicted. An appeal in 1999 against his conviction failed, but a second appeal in August 2004 was successful. The Court of Appeal
Court of Appeal of England and Wales
The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is the second most senior court in the English legal system, with only the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom above it...
quashed his original conviction as unsafe and ordered a retrial, with Jenkins being released on bail.
Some experts stated that the blood spots could have come from Billie-Jo's airways as Jenkins tended to Billie-Jo. The jury was unable to come to a majority verdict after 39 hours of deliberating.
A second retrial was likewise unable to reach a majority verdict, and at the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, on 9 February 2006 Siôn Jenkins was officially declared not guilty. The Crown Prosecution Service
Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the...
indicated that no further retrials of Jenkins would be sought, and he was formally acquitted.
It later turned out that at his last retrial, Dr Jeremy Skepper, of Cambridge University, had undertaken tests on 9 of the 148 spots and found bone fragments, but this evidence was produced too late to be submitted for the retrial.
The police investigation, trials and appeals are estimated to have cost £10m
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
. Seven hundred witness statements were taken by the police, jurors spent 36 days deliberating in three trials, and Jenkins spent 11 days in the witness box giving evidence.
Potential suspects
Around the time of the murder, a mentally ill man was seen in the area, but he was discounted as a suspect, although he lacked a complete alibi for his location on the day of the killing. Siôn Jenkins himself claimed that he and his wife Lois were "so worried about prowlers and break-ins in the area where they lived that they had security lights and window locks fitted to their home". Siôn's daughter Charlotte stated on video that a side gate may have been open when they returned.In his 2008 book The Murder of Billie-Jo, written with investigative journalist Bob Woffinden
Bob Woffinden
Bob Woffinden is a British investigative journalist. Formerly a reporter with the New Musical Express, Woffinden has specialized since the 1980s in investigating miscarriages of justice. He has written about a number of high-profile cases in the UK, including James Hanratty, Philip English, Sion...
, Siôn Jenkins suggested that a man that he met in his house soon after the murder may have been the murderer, having hidden in Jenkins' house and then slipped away, even though the man was well-dressed and did not appear to be covered in blood.
Present situation
Siôn Jenkins currently lives in Southsea, Portsmouth, with his new wife and her son Oscar. He is currently studying for a doctorate in criminologyCriminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
at Portsmouth University.
On 10 August 2010 it was revealed that The Ministry of Justice had refused Siôn Jenkins compensation claim for wrongful imprisonment – such payment is awarded only when a person is shown to be "clearly innocent".
Memorial seat
On 19 January 2008, in Alexandra Park, HastingsAlexandra Park, Hastings
Alexandra Park is a public park located in Hastings, East Sussex in England. It was originally planned out by Robert Marnock and occupies approximately of the town. Its linear area stretches from the town centre out to residential areas...
, a memorial seat made from a locally felled oak tree by local artist Joc Hare, was dedicated to the memory of Billie-Jo. The first few words on the seat read, "Side by side or miles apart, friends are close to the heart".
External links
- Justice for Siôn Jenkins, a website that was set up to campaign for his release.