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00:01A fatal fall from 80 feet off a bridge into an ice-cold river in the middle of the night.
00:09We could see scuff marks on the pipe as if someone had been trying to cling on for their life
00:15before falling to the death.
00:18A young student's life cut short.
00:21You never expect a child to go early. It's like torture.
00:27Was it simply a bizarre accident?
00:30What he witnessed was John almost doing a backflip over the railings and disappearing into the water.
00:40Or murder.
00:42Unless he was punched with the force of someone like Popeye, then he could not go over accidentally.
01:11Our son, John Chip, was born on the 11th of March 1986 in Castletown, which is an area in Sunderland.
01:23He was a lovely baby. He was bright. He walked early at 10 months. He was always fun.
01:31He was very thoughtful, very loving, very friendly with everybody. And he just loved life.
01:39Mine and John's relationship was a really good one. We were very close. Our John was the older one. He
01:46was two years older than me.
01:48He was always there for us. He would always stick up for us. He would always fight me corner. And
01:53we had some great times together.
01:55Like many young people in Sunderland, John loved football.
01:59Even before he could walk properly, he was kicking the ball around.
02:04He loved to follow Sunderland Football Club. He was a seasoned ticket holder.
02:10We used to go out and play football together. And he was great at football. So he just used to
02:14take the ball past me all the time.
02:19John also shared his father's love of racing pigeons.
02:23He used to love coming down, sitting with the birds, helping his dad basket the birds and train the birds.
02:37We enjoyed our family holidays and we went to the Dominican Republic as a family.
02:42The holiday was great. I had a right laugh. I was 15 at the time. He would have been 17
02:46and we just bonded. It was great.
02:50I'd class him as the perfect brother. I don't think I could have asked much more from him.
02:57He was very loving, very thoughtful. Always tell you he loved you and put his arms around you. We couldn't
03:04have asked for anything better.
03:06Situated in the northeast of England, John's home city of Sunderland is famous for more than its football club.
03:13We've got a fabulous coastline, lots of historic things, good shopping centres. It's a really, really nice area to live.
03:23It's a city that former Detective Superintendent Ian Sharpe policed for a decade during his 30 years of service.
03:32The city of Sunderland is a typical busy city centre built around the River Weir, the Deep Gorge River, ideal
03:41for shipbuilding.
03:42And one of the oldest bridges crossing the river is the Queen Alexandra Bridge.
03:47It's 330 feet long and 85 feet high.
03:54By 2004, John Chip had finished school and was preparing for his next stage in life.
04:01John was enrolled in college to do a BTEC in public services.
04:05I think he wanted to be either a fireman or a police officer.
04:10John turned 18 on March 11th, 2004.
04:14And a week later, on Thursday, March 18th, another friend was celebrating their big day.
04:20When John finished work, he called in to see his dad at the pigeon loft.
04:27And he just says, Dad, do you mind if I go out?
04:30I said to them, don't get too much to drink.
04:35Make sure you stick together.
04:38And make sure you come home together.
04:41Went out with a big smile on his face as he used to.
04:44Excited to go and have a drink with his friends.
04:47I didn't get home until after John had gone out.
04:50We had our evening meal, settled down for the evening, went to bed, and John wasn't in.
04:58It wasn't until the following morning that we both realised he hadn't come home.
05:05And that's when alarm bells start to ring.
05:08It was not like him at all.
05:12He hadn't even phoned or left a message to say he was all right.
05:17I had to get to work that Friday morning.
05:21But I think during the whole day, both of us tried his mobile phone numerous times.
05:27He didn't answer.
05:29The day had passed and we just thought he might have been partying at a friend's house or whatever.
05:35When I came back from work on Friday evening, that's when we reported him missing to the police.
05:46They wanted a photograph of him.
05:50John always played five-a-side football at Nissan Car Factory Sports Club on a Friday.
05:57We went there and he wasn't there.
05:59You get that feeling you know there's something wrong, desperately wrong.
06:06Just a good feeling that you know it's going to turn out bad.
06:14It was just like he disappeared off the earth.
06:17Meanwhile, police were rapidly escalating their inquiries into John's disappearance.
06:22He was reported missing Friday the 19th of March to my colleague, Detective Sergeant Chris Sabenga.
06:30We get many reports of missing from Holmes.
06:34This one was more unusual.
06:37The family were distraught and frantic.
06:41Chris Sabenga contacted the family immediately to seek clues and help from them.
06:46He began inquiries around the mobile phone to see if there was any response from that.
06:53And then began to review CCTV footage from the town centre to see if they could pick up John Chip.
07:02CCTV in its early stages was very grainy and bad quality.
07:07But they were able to pick up John Chip in the town centre at around 11.30.
07:15He'd been out drinking and was very drunk and had been spoken to by police officers in the town centre
07:22who told him to behave and get himself on his way home.
07:28Further CCTV footage was reviewed and it was able to pick up John running home quite fast
07:36from the city centre along towards the Queen Alexandra Bridge.
07:42Another male was seen about two minutes ahead of him going onto the bridge before John ran onto the bridge.
07:50The last movements of John entering the bridge from the south side
07:54was just after midnight at about quarter past midnight.
07:58That takes us into the early hours of Friday the 19th of March.
08:04So we know that he went onto the Queen Alexandra Bridge from the south side trying to get home on
08:11the north side
08:12but he never came over the other side of the bridge.
08:15He wasn't seen again.
08:17The worst case scenario was that he'd fallen from the bridge somehow, an 80-foot drop.
08:25A fall from the bridge of 80 foot onto the water would certainly knock you out unconscious immediately.
08:34It's similar to hitting concrete.
08:35The weather at the time was rough and a cold water temperature from the North Sea.
08:42The chances of survival from an 80-foot drop onto the river are very slim indeed.
08:57In the days after John Chip went missing on March 18th, 2004,
09:03possibly having suffered a fatal fall from the Queen Alexandra Bridge in Sunderland,
09:09police and family grew increasingly concerned for his safety.
09:13You feel powerless.
09:15You don't know where to start looking.
09:18You don't know what to do.
09:20It's awful, absolutely awful.
09:23While police pieced together John's last known movements,
09:27John's father, George, continued to do everything he could to find his son.
09:33I just couldn't sit back and just sit in the house.
09:36I just had to be out there looking.
09:40I'd went down to the river because we used to walk the dog down the river.
09:44I searched the allotments where I've got the pigeons.
09:49I'd never give up.
09:51I went out looking every day.
09:54I always had it in my head that he was going to show up.
09:56He's somewhere.
09:57He's just being an idiot.
09:59Just come home, John.
10:02Investigators, led at this point by Detective Sergeant Chris Sabenga,
10:05were desperate for more information.
10:09Chris Sabenga was in close contact with the family
10:12and he urged the family to make a press appeal
10:15for further witnesses to come forward.
10:19The Sunland Football Club,
10:21they were very happy to put an appeal out at their home game that weekend.
10:26I was asked if I would do a local radio interview.
10:32Probably one of the most traumatic ones was doing the press conference
10:37where people's cameras are clicking as you walk in a room.
10:42There are a number of reasons why the police might choose to hold a missing person appeal.
10:47The first one might be that they are looking out for people who might be witnesses
10:51without even realising that they witnessed anything.
10:54There is the added benefit in a way that doing this appeal is really highlighting to the victim's family
11:01that they are doing as much as they can.
11:04A missing person's appeal can have the added bonus of putting pressure on people
11:09who either know information or is aware of someone else being involved
11:13because it can start to feel like those walls are closing in.
11:16So it can encourage people who know something to come forward.
11:21Police investigations at this point centred around searching the riverbanks.
11:26The marine section of Northumbria police were involved.
11:30Underwater search units, divers were involved.
11:34But it is difficult because of the fast-flowing tide and the deep silt.
11:39But almost two weeks since his disappearance, there was still no sign of John.
11:45The police are struggling to find any clues or evidence.
11:49The bridge has been searched and analysed.
11:52There are no signs of any struggle or assault or any blood.
11:56So there is no typical crime scene to start a murder inquiry.
12:01Meanwhile, the local community rallied to support John's family.
12:06I had people knocking on our door with flowers.
12:10Some people I didn't even know.
12:13I started to feel like we lived in a flower shop.
12:16But you almost feel like your life's not your own at that time
12:21because you just go through motions.
12:25Other than your grief and your frustration
12:28of not having anything to do or any news,
12:32you function and that's all.
12:35In late March 2004,
12:38two weeks after John went missing from the Queen Alexandra Bridge,
12:42police received a call,
12:43which was quickly brought to the attention
12:45of Detective Superintendent Ian Sharp.
12:49A phone call comes in from a member of the public
12:52who happens to be a family friend
12:55of a man named Christopher Weldon.
12:58The witness told us that he'd been out drinking
13:01with Christopher Weldon and the wives.
13:05There'd been a lot of alcohol consumed.
13:08Weldon's wife took the car keys from Weldon
13:11and told him he was not capable of driving.
13:16Weldon objected to that.
13:18There was an argument and he stormed off in a huff,
13:20stating he was going to go to the Queen Alexandra Bridge
13:23and throw himself off.
13:28The witness told us that he'd been talking to Christopher Weldon
13:33and he said,
13:34you never guess what's happened.
13:36I went to the Queen Alexandra Bridge
13:39and as I was standing there,
13:41a young lad came running across
13:43and he's gone over the side of the bridge.
13:48The witness urged Weldon to go to the police,
13:52but Weldon refused.
13:54So that witness came to the police
13:57and gave us that information.
13:59And at that point,
14:01myself and Steve Barron
14:03became involved in a homicide inquiry.
14:10The witness had quite a tale to tell
14:12and I think we were all very surprised
14:16when he came forward.
14:19Weldon had said,
14:21this young lad come running towards us
14:23and he started to fight with us.
14:26And during that fight,
14:27that young lad has somehow gone over the bridge.
14:31Weldon hadn't done anything.
14:32He hadn't left the bridge
14:34and conducted the emergency services.
14:36It was an actual fact he'd left the bridge,
14:38phoned a friend and got a lift home.
14:40The witness was willing
14:42to give that evidence in court.
14:45So now we have what we would refer to
14:47as a key and significant witness.
14:49And now we are very much leaning
14:52towards the fact
14:53that what's happened on the bridge
14:56is John has come across Christopher Weldon.
14:59There's been some form of altercation
15:02and as a result of that,
15:04John's ended up in the river.
15:09Investigators were grateful
15:10that the witness had found the strength
15:12to come forward
15:13and report one of his own friends.
15:16He knows that if this turns out to be a murder
15:21and his friends found guilty of it,
15:23that he's going to go to jail for a long time.
15:28I'm sure he thought long and hard about it,
15:31but I'm also sure that he was hugely influenced
15:34by those appeals from John's parents.
15:38Armed with this new information,
15:40Detective Superintendent Ian Sharp
15:43moved quickly to detain his suspect.
15:46Christopher Weldon was arrested
15:48and placed in the cells overnight.
15:50He was originally arrested
15:52for an assault case
15:54because he'd already confessed
15:56to being in a fight on the bridge
16:00with a younger man.
16:02So the arrest for assault was appropriate
16:06because we did not have a dead body.
16:10With Christopher Weldon in detention,
16:13awaiting interview at Sunderland Police Station,
16:16astonishing new information
16:17about their suspect
16:18quickly came to light
16:20regarding an incident
16:21that happened just 10 days
16:23before John Chip disappeared.
16:26We found out that Christopher Weldon
16:30had been a passenger on a ferry
16:32that ferry travelled from Amsterdam
16:34to North Shields.
16:36And what we knew was that
16:37Weldon was on that boat
16:39with a number of friends.
16:41We also knew that there was
16:43a 35-year-old German man
16:45called Frank Conrad on the ferry.
16:48We know that on that ferry trip,
16:50there'd been an argument
16:51between Weldon and Frank Conrad.
16:54And when the ferry docked in North Shields,
16:57Mr Conrad was not on board.
17:01Mr Conrad at some point
17:03during that journey
17:05had gone overboard
17:06and entered the North Sea.
17:08We know that Weldon
17:09was interviewed by police
17:11about a week before
17:12John Chip went missing.
17:15So when Weldon is arrested
17:17in relation to John's disappearance,
17:21he's already a part of an investigation
17:23in relation to Frank Conrad's
17:25missing episode from the ferry.
17:27Frank Conrad's body
17:29was never found.
17:30And although Weldon
17:31was never charged,
17:32police were struck
17:34by the similarities
17:35between the cases.
17:36We have two reports
17:39of men going into water
17:43under circumstances
17:45that are not understood
17:47and not explained.
17:49And both investigations
17:52now involve Christopher Weldon.
17:57It's important to note
17:58that Weldon never had
18:00any criminal charge
18:01associated with the ferry incident.
18:03However, that incident
18:04will have meant
18:05that Weldon was aware
18:06that someone went overboard,
18:08was missing,
18:10and no criminal charges
18:12were brought.
18:12And that does then
18:14pose the question
18:14that did that give Weldon
18:16a kind of sense
18:17of self-assurance,
18:19a confidence,
18:20that he then felt
18:21he didn't need
18:21to go to the police
18:22when he knew
18:23that John had gone
18:24over the bridge
18:25because he knew
18:26that no information
18:28had been found
18:28in relation to the ferry incident,
18:30so why would this
18:31be any different?
18:32For Detective Superintendent
18:34Ian Sharp,
18:35this was a unique
18:36and challenging case.
18:39As a Detective Superintendent
18:40and Senior Investigating Officer,
18:43I'd investigated
18:44many murders
18:45which normally begin
18:47with a crime scene,
18:49a dead body,
18:50forensic scientists,
18:52pathologists,
18:53blood splash patterns,
18:55and lots of clues
18:56to help you get started.
18:58This was a unique case
19:00because we had none of that
19:01and we were pinning our hopes
19:03on an interview strategy
19:05to see what clues
19:06we could pick up
19:07from Christopher Weldon.
19:08So it was important
19:10to talk to him
19:11and find out exactly
19:12what happened
19:14on the bridge.
19:21With 18-year-old
19:23John Chipps
19:24still missing
19:25after an altercation
19:26on Queen Alexandra Bridge
19:28in Sunderland,
19:29police needed
19:30to establish
19:31whether he had
19:32accidentally fallen
19:33into the river below
19:34or if he had been pushed.
19:36While their number one suspect
19:38was in the cell's
19:39awaiting interview,
19:41police informed
19:42John Chipps' family
19:43of Christopher Weldon's arrest.
19:46We had a visit
19:48from the CID.
19:50But the information,
19:51what we got,
19:53we didn't really want
19:54to hear
19:55because it was
19:57all bad.
19:58It was pure shock.
20:00We still didn't have John.
20:02We still didn't know
20:03the true facts
20:04behind what had gone on.
20:06You just want to know
20:07where he is
20:08and why.
20:11As well as prompting
20:12Christopher Weldon's arrest,
20:14the call made by his friend
20:16also led Detective Superintendent
20:18Ian Sharp
20:19to re-examine the scene
20:21of John Chipps'
20:22suspected fatal fall.
20:24When we got information
20:25that an altercation
20:27had taken place
20:29between Weldon
20:30and John Chipp
20:31on the bridge,
20:31we examined closely
20:33a pipe that ran
20:34alongside
20:35the barrier
20:36of the bridge
20:37and we could see
20:38scuff marks
20:39on the pipe
20:40like finger marks
20:41being dragged
20:42down the pipe
20:43as if someone
20:44was trying to hold on
20:45before falling.
20:47It was gut-wrenching.
20:49It was terrible
20:49to think that someone
20:50had been trying
20:51to cling on
20:52for their life
20:52before falling
20:54to their death.
20:55Seeing those finger marks
20:57on that pipe
20:58certainly tied in
20:59with Weldon's
21:02first confession
21:03to his friend
21:04that an altercation
21:05had took place
21:05and a boy had gone
21:07over the side
21:08of the bridge.
21:09What we now had
21:11to try and understand
21:12was,
21:13was that an accident
21:14or was he deliberately
21:16thrown over the bridge?
21:18Ian and his team
21:20knew that interviewing
21:21Christopher Weldon
21:22would be key
21:23to understanding
21:24what really happened
21:25on the bridge.
21:26Weldon's version
21:28of events
21:29is that he is there
21:30because he is
21:31contemplating
21:32taking his own life.
21:34He says that
21:36he sees a young man
21:38running towards him
21:39and that
21:41that young man
21:42begins to
21:43assault him.
21:45Weldon describes
21:46that he somehow
21:47stumbles
21:48and his arms
21:50flail upwards
21:51and in doing so
21:53he catches
21:54John somehow
21:55and John
21:57is propelled
21:57backwards
21:58over the railings
22:00and into the water.
22:03Video interviews
22:04now are very commonplace
22:06but back then
22:07they weren't.
22:08It was difficult
22:09to picture in your mind
22:10exactly what you were saying
22:12and to establish
22:14was this an accident
22:15or not.
22:16I knew at that point
22:17the Crown Prosecution Service
22:19would think
22:19there was reasonable doubt
22:20so I decided
22:22on a new tactic
22:23to go to the gymnasium
22:25and set up a volleyball net
22:27at the same height
22:28of the bridge barrier
22:30and to get Weldon
22:33to reconstruct
22:34and tell us
22:34exactly what had happened
22:36only this time
22:37video recorded
22:39to see if what he was saying
22:41was indeed possible.
22:43We set it
22:45at the height
22:45of four feet
22:46two inches
22:47which is exactly
22:48the same height
22:50as the bridge barrier
22:52and we essentially said
22:55to Weldon
22:56can you show us
22:57what this looked like
22:59and what he described
23:00was being knocked back
23:02during this attack
23:04and lost his balance.
23:06His arm
23:07flew in the air
23:08made contact
23:09with John
23:10and what he witnessed
23:12was John
23:13almost doing a backflip
23:16over the railings
23:17and disappearing
23:18into the water.
23:20That's the version
23:21he was sticking to
23:22he was defending himself
23:23he was the victim
23:25and this young boy
23:26had somehow
23:27gone over
23:29head first
23:29over the side
23:30of the bridge
23:31and had fallen
23:32to his death.
23:33I'm thinking to myself
23:35from a common sense
23:36perspective
23:38I don't know
23:39if that's possible.
23:40The difficulty now
23:41was convincing
23:42the CPS
23:43to charge
23:44a murder charge
23:46given that
23:47we did not
23:48have a dead body.
23:50To help convince
23:51the Crown Prosecution Service
23:53to charge Weldon
23:54with murder
23:55they decided
23:56to enlist
23:56the help
23:57of pathologist
23:58Jim Sunter
23:59and explain to him
24:00the circumstances
24:01of the altercation.
24:03We said
24:04if this young man
24:05has gone off the bridge
24:06in these circumstances
24:07what's the likelihood
24:09of him surviving
24:10an impact
24:11with the water?
24:13And what Dr Sunter
24:14said was
24:15I'm convinced
24:16that that young man
24:18would not have
24:18survived that fall.
24:20You simply haven't
24:21yet recovered
24:21his body.
24:23The next thing
24:24we asked him about
24:24was what did he think
24:26about the account
24:27that Christopher Weldon
24:28had provided.
24:29He immediately said
24:30no that's impossible
24:32because your centre
24:33of gravity
24:33is down
24:34where your hips are
24:35the barrier rail
24:37is set at
24:38four foot two
24:39shoulder height
24:40for a safety reason
24:42and unless
24:43he was punched
24:45with the force
24:46of someone
24:48like Popeye
24:48then he could not
24:51go over
24:51accidentally.
24:52we got a very
24:54early statement
24:55from the pathologist
24:56at that point
24:57to support
24:58the theory
24:59that John Chip
25:00had been deliberately
25:01pushed over the bridge
25:03and this was murder
25:04not accident.
25:09Even without a body
25:10the evidence
25:12gathered by Ian
25:13and Steve
25:13was enough
25:14to convince
25:15the Crown
25:15Prosecution Service.
25:16on Thursday
25:18April 1st
25:192004
25:20they authorised
25:22a charge of murder
25:23against Christopher Weldon
25:24and he was remanded
25:26in custody
25:26to appear
25:27at Houghton
25:27the Spring
25:28Magistrates Court
25:29the following morning.
25:31Meanwhile
25:32Ian and Steve
25:33visited John's family
25:34to tell them
25:35that Weldon
25:36was now being charged
25:37with their son's murder.
25:39I don't recall
25:40exactly what
25:41my reaction was
25:44because it's not
25:45happiness
25:46you never expect
25:48a child to go
25:49early
25:51it's like torture.
25:53We still didn't have
25:55John.
25:58All I wanted
25:58was to know
26:00where my son was
26:01so I could
26:03lay him to rest.
26:06Often we talk about
26:07the significant impact
26:09on families
26:09when a loved one
26:10is murdered
26:11but it can be worse
26:12when there is no body
26:14to grieve over
26:15because there is
26:16this constant
26:17back of the mind
26:18thought of
26:18what if they are
26:19just missing
26:20what if they turn up
26:21because there is
26:22no evidence
26:22physically yet
26:24that that can't happen.
26:27The underlying
26:28priority for the family
26:30and for us
26:31was to recover
26:32John Chip's body
26:33and give the family
26:35some peace of mind
26:36and we made a promise
26:38and we made a promise
26:38that we would do
26:39everything humanly possible
26:41to recover
26:41John's body.
26:43While police frogmen
26:45continued to search
26:46the River Weir
26:47investigators made
26:48another breakthrough
26:50in the case.
26:51A witness came forward
26:53and she described
26:54entering the bridge
26:55from the north side
26:56and she encountered
26:58a big man
26:59who we now know
27:00as Christopher Weldon.
27:01she walked past
27:03the big man
27:04and as she walked
27:06towards the south side
27:07she saw
27:08what she says
27:09is a young boy
27:10running onto the bridge.
27:12It is important
27:14that she places
27:15both of them
27:15together
27:16on the bridge
27:17at quarter past midnight.
27:19That was the last
27:20sighting of John Chip.
27:22As investigations
27:23continued
27:24so did the search
27:26for John Chip's body.
27:27It is important
27:28because that body
27:30will tell us
27:31a story.
27:32For example
27:33was John alive
27:35when he hit the water
27:36or was he killed
27:37on the bridge first
27:38and then thrown over?
27:40John could have had
27:42a suicide note
27:43on his body
27:43which would indicate
27:45that he killed himself
27:47rather than being
27:48thrown from the bridge.
27:50The officers
27:51from the
27:52Northamore Police
27:52Marine Unit
27:53undertook
27:54hours and hours
27:55of searching
27:57in the river
27:58we are in the most
28:00arduous of circumstances.
28:02We had a friend
28:03that had a small
28:05small boat
28:07for a couple of days
28:08we went up and down
28:09the river
28:09the same river
28:10as the police
28:11so they were
28:12on the south side
28:14we were on the north side
28:16but we had no joy
28:18it was nigh on impossible
28:20really.
28:23On April 15th 2004
28:26almost a month
28:27after John Chip
28:28had fallen
28:28from the Queen
28:29Alexandra Bridge
28:30and two weeks
28:31after Christopher Weldon
28:33had been charged
28:33with his murder
28:34the search
28:35for John's body
28:36came to an end.
28:38A dog walker
28:40at Hilton
28:41a couple of miles
28:42up the river
28:43saw a body
28:44floating
28:47in the river
28:48and contacted
28:48the police
28:50the marine section
28:52recovered
28:53the body
28:54from the river
28:54and brought it
28:55back to the dock
28:57at Sunderland
28:58where myself
28:59and Steve Barron
29:00were waiting.
29:01John's mobile phone
29:02and as I recall
29:03his wallet
29:04were still in his pocket
29:05so that indicated
29:08that it was John
29:09and you could see
29:11that it was
29:11it was John
29:13albeit he was
29:14formally identified
29:15through DNA inquiries.
29:19John's body
29:21was sent to pathologist
29:22Jim Sunter
29:23for a post-mortem
29:24while Detective Superintendent
29:26Ian Sharp
29:27passed on the news
29:28to John's family.
29:30They just gave us
29:31that information
29:32and made sure
29:33we were okay
29:34but I think
29:35they knew
29:35that we needed
29:37to be on our own
29:38and I think
29:39we just hugged
29:40and cried
29:41part in sadness
29:42but also
29:45relief
29:46that at least
29:47we knew
29:48where he was
29:49and we could
29:50finally
29:52have some
29:53closure.
29:55I was in school
29:56actually
29:56I was in a lesson
29:58and
29:59the two
30:00teachers come in
30:01and took me out
30:02of the lesson
30:04I thought
30:05I was in trouble
30:06and they put us
30:07in the car
30:08but they didn't
30:08see a word
30:09it was just silence
30:10and then they
30:11took us home
30:12and
30:13that's when
30:15I got told
30:16that the body
30:17had been found
30:18and then
30:19when the teachers
30:20had gone
30:22I just burst
30:23burst into tears
30:24and I just jumped
30:25off the stairs
30:26and just gave
30:27my mum and dad
30:27a big cuddle.
30:30While John's
30:31family were left
30:32to process the news
30:34a post-mortem
30:35gave investigators
30:36more information
30:37about what had
30:38happened to him
30:39the night he fell
30:40from the bridge.
30:41He had not
30:42been stabbed
30:43before going over
30:44from the side
30:45of the bridge.
30:46John had
30:47water in his lungs
30:48which means that
30:49when John
30:51entered the river
30:52he was still breathing.
30:53the pathologist
30:55said he would
30:55have been knocked
30:56unconscious immediately
30:59and when he went
31:00under the water
31:01he took a gulp
31:02of breath
31:03and water
31:04entered his lungs.
31:06The cause of death
31:06was given
31:07as drowning.
31:09The property
31:10was still
31:10on the body
31:12so he wasn't
31:12robbed on the bridge
31:13and nothing else
31:15to give us
31:16any indication
31:17that something else
31:18had happened
31:18on the bridge
31:19other than
31:20an altercation
31:21and being bundled
31:22over the side
31:24and into the river
31:25whilst he was alive.
31:27Trying to put together
31:29a motive
31:29for John's murder
31:30I think it's clear
31:32that Christopher Weldon
31:34is standing on
31:35that bridge
31:35with serious troubles
31:37on his mind.
31:39He'd just been interviewed
31:40about a ferry death.
31:43He'd had an argument
31:44with his wife.
31:45He was drunk.
31:46He'd gone to the bridge
31:47and he told people
31:49he was going
31:49to kill himself.
31:50He didn't kill himself
31:52and killed someone
31:53else instead.
31:57After weeks
31:58of turmoil
31:59John Chip's parents
32:00were finally able
32:01to begin preparing
32:02for his funeral
32:03and his father George
32:05was determined
32:06that John
32:07finished the journey
32:08he started
32:08the night he died.
32:10I was told
32:12that they wouldn't
32:13be bringing him home
32:14but I demanded
32:16he come home
32:17I says he was
32:19on his way home
32:20he wanted to get home
32:22I wanted to bring him home
32:24they brought him to the house
32:28and we had John
32:29in the house
32:30overnight
32:32obviously in his coffin
32:34that was such a relief
32:36I felt much much better
32:40just having him there
32:42for that night
32:44that was probably
32:45that was probably
32:45the best sleep
32:45I'd had for weeks
32:48finally
32:48on May 12th
32:492004
32:50John Chip
32:52was laid to rest
32:53the funeral
32:54was absolutely massive
32:56couldn't get everyone
32:57in the church
32:57outside the church
32:58the streets
32:59was just packed
33:00it was
33:00it's the biggest funeral
33:01I've ever
33:02I've ever seen
33:03it was unbelievable
33:04the amount of turnout
33:05for him
33:05the street
33:06was lined by
33:08hundreds
33:08of neighbours
33:10friends
33:12it was very moving
33:16it was an amazing
33:18occasion
33:19but a very sad one
33:20you can't believe
33:22that an
33:2218 year old
33:24that still lived
33:26at home
33:26could have
33:27an effect
33:29on
33:29so many people's lives
33:41on June 15th
33:422004
33:43Christopher Weldon
33:45appeared in court
33:46at a plea hearing
33:47for pushing
33:48John Chip
33:48to his death
33:49from the Queen
33:50Alexandra Bridge
33:51in Sunderland
33:52it was the first time
33:54John's parents
33:54came face to face
33:56with the man
33:57accused
33:57of killing
33:58their son
33:59I remember thinking
34:02bizarrely
34:02he's not a monster
34:04I don't know
34:05whether you think
34:06somebody is
34:07that does such a
34:09horrific
34:10thing
34:11to another human being
34:14can look
34:15normal
34:15I just seen him
34:17as evil
34:19I couldn't see him
34:21as anything else
34:22after pleading
34:24not guilty
34:24Christopher Weldon
34:26was remanded
34:27until November
34:272004
34:28when he went
34:30on trial
34:30for the murder
34:31of John Chip
34:32to disprove
34:34Weldon's version
34:35of events
34:35the prosecution
34:37wanted to show
34:38the jury
34:38a visual interpretation
34:39of what must have
34:41happened
34:41on the bridge
34:42in the run-up
34:44to the trial
34:45we considered
34:46another new tactic
34:47of doing
34:48a computer
34:49reconstruction
34:50the defense
34:51didn't like it
34:52because it was
34:52prejudicial
34:55and because it
34:56wasn't admitted
34:57in evidence
34:57that caused
34:59the judge
35:00to instruct
35:00the jury
35:01to attend
35:02the bridge
35:03it is very rare
35:05that a jury
35:05will physically
35:06go and visit
35:07a crime scene
35:07location
35:08the whole court
35:09process is supposed
35:10to be very secular
35:11very kept
35:12within closed walls
35:14now it can be
35:15really helpful
35:15for the jury
35:16to help
35:17contextualize
35:18the scene
35:19specifically
35:19in this case
35:20they need
35:21to understand
35:22the physicality
35:23the physical possibility
35:24of Weldon's claim
35:26that John
35:27has just accidentally
35:28almost fallen
35:29over the side
35:29of this bridge
35:30and so
35:31this visit
35:32to the bridge
35:32is going to have
35:33had to be
35:34extremely well
35:35planned and mapped
35:36out to be able
35:37to go ahead
35:39over 20 years later
35:40former detective
35:42inspector
35:43Steve Barron
35:43revisited the bridge
35:45to retrace
35:46the jury's steps
35:47we wanted
35:48the jury
35:49to see
35:49what this
35:50looked like
35:50a four foot
35:52two railing
35:53and to get
35:54over here
35:54you're going
35:55to have to
35:55climb over
35:56or you're going
35:57to have to
35:58be manhandled
35:59and thrown
36:00over
36:01and we wanted
36:02the jury
36:02to understand
36:03what an 85 foot
36:04drop looks like
36:05because that's
36:06what we've got
36:07from here
36:07into the river
36:09coming here
36:10and seeing
36:10this footpath
36:11made the jury
36:12think about
36:13the account
36:13that Weldon
36:14had given
36:14and ultimately
36:16that just
36:17demonstrated
36:18that Weldon's
36:19account
36:19was totally
36:21fanciful
36:22the defense
36:24claimed that
36:25John's death
36:25was an accident
36:26and that he
36:28had attacked
36:29Weldon
36:29defense
36:30were making
36:31John out
36:32to be
36:33an unpleasant
36:35individual
36:36that John
36:37was
36:37looking for
36:39a fight
36:40and that's
36:41hard
36:43to listen to
36:44as a mother
36:45whose son
36:46had been
36:46murdered
36:46in his defense
36:48Weldon
36:49also came up
36:50with an
36:50unexpected
36:51tactic
36:52incredibly
36:53as part
36:54of the
36:54defense
36:55strategy
36:56they introduced
36:57evidence
36:59about
36:59the ferry
37:00incident
37:01the week
37:02before
37:03John
37:03going
37:03missing
37:03where
37:04Frank
37:05Conrad
37:05had been
37:06reported
37:07missing
37:07presumed
37:09having gone
37:10overboard
37:10and the jury
37:12heard
37:12that Weldon
37:14had been
37:15on the ferry
37:16when this
37:16had happened
37:17that he'd
37:17been interviewed
37:18by the police
37:19it seems
37:20extremely unusual
37:21that Weldon's
37:22defense attorney
37:23would decide
37:23to bring up
37:24a case
37:25where Weldon's
37:25been questioned
37:26in relation
37:27to a potential
37:28crime
37:28in very similar
37:30circumstances
37:30to the one
37:31that he's now
37:32on trial for
37:32there are a couple
37:34of reasons
37:34that they might
37:35have decided
37:35to do this
37:36though
37:36this is a
37:37relatively small
37:37local community
37:39people are
37:40going to have
37:40heard about
37:41Weldon being
37:41questioned
37:42in relation
37:43to this
37:43prior case
37:44so they
37:45maybe thought
37:45it's better
37:46to officially
37:47introduce it
37:48to record
37:48and control
37:50the narrative
37:50in relation
37:51to it
37:52additionally
37:53they're trying
37:53to use this
37:54to paint
37:55Weldon
37:55as this
37:56victim
37:56who's being
37:57falsely
37:57accused
37:58and has
37:58had these
37:59run-ins
37:59a couple
38:00of times
38:00now
38:01ultimately
38:02though
38:02I think
38:02it backfires
38:03because actually
38:04it just
38:05goes to show
38:06that this
38:06is the type
38:07of person
38:07who's
38:08at least
38:09been suspected
38:10of being able
38:11to show
38:11this level
38:12of extreme
38:13violence
38:13before
38:14and not even
38:15very long ago
38:16on Wednesday
38:17December 1st
38:192004
38:20the jury
38:21returned
38:21their verdict
38:22the jury
38:23came back
38:24with a majority
38:25of 10 to 2
38:26that Weldon
38:27was guilty
38:28of John's
38:29murder
38:30but do you
38:31know what
38:32we don't
38:33win
38:34we don't
38:35have our
38:36son back
38:36and never
38:37will do
38:38so yes
38:39there is
38:39some happiness
38:40and elation
38:41on one part
38:42but equally
38:45that sadness
38:46is still there
38:48Christopher Weldon
38:49was given
38:50a life sentence
38:51with a recommendation
38:52of 15 years
38:54in prison
38:54minus the 8 months
38:56he'd already
38:56spent on remand
38:59in my opinion
39:00it wasn't a fair
39:02it wasn't a fair
39:03sentence
39:03I pictured him
39:05as
39:05coming out
39:07at 42
39:08he's still got
39:09a lot of years
39:10to enjoy life
39:11and I just
39:12didn't
39:13think the sentence
39:15was long enough
39:15from a professional
39:17perspective
39:19sentence and
39:20guidelines
39:21are there
39:21for judges
39:23to
39:24understand
39:25and implement
39:26and on that
39:28basis
39:2915 years
39:30was entirely
39:32appropriate
39:33but had
39:35John been my boy
39:36and somebody
39:37murdered him
39:38I would want them
39:39to go to jail
39:40for the rest of their life
39:41after the jury's
39:43guilty verdict
39:44the judge
39:45acknowledged
39:45Ian
39:46Steve
39:46and Detective
39:47Sergeant
39:48Chris Sabinga's
39:49roles
39:49in what had been
39:50a tragic
39:51and unique
39:52case
39:53the judge
39:54formally
39:55commended
39:56Ian
39:56and he
39:58commended
39:58Chris
39:59and myself
40:01for our efforts
40:03in supporting
40:04Ian
40:05leading the
40:06investigation
40:06at the end
40:08of the trial
40:08Ruth
40:09gave me
40:11a thank you
40:11card
40:12and a bottle
40:12of whiskey
40:13getting a hug
40:14from Ruth
40:15was more important
40:16than the commendation
40:18with Weldon
40:19serving time
40:20in Northumberland
40:21prison
40:21John's family
40:23faced the challenge
40:24of life
40:24without their
40:25beloved son
40:25and brother
40:26you just have to
40:28try and move on
40:30I don't think
40:30any of us
40:31wanted to celebrate
40:33Christmas that year
40:34did we
40:34we actually
40:36felt guilty
40:37enjoying ourselves
40:38trying to enjoy
40:39ourselves
40:40at the time
40:41I was very young
40:42and I didn't realise
40:43how much
40:44losing my brother
40:45had affected us
40:46I think it changed
40:48my life
40:48drastically
40:49for the worst really
40:50because I've grew up
40:51without a brother
40:52I'll never be able
40:53to be an uncle
40:54stuff like that
40:55in the spring
40:57of 2019
40:58over 14 years
41:00after Christopher Weldon
41:01was sentenced
41:01for the murder
41:02of John Chip
41:03he became eligible
41:04for parole
41:05you are
41:07given the choice
41:08whether you want
41:10to deliver
41:11an impact statement
41:12at that parole
41:14hearing
41:15and we decided
41:16that's what
41:17we wanted
41:17to do
41:18but Weldon
41:20refused to attend
41:21the family's
41:21statement reading
41:23I thought he was
41:24just a coward
41:24he took our son
41:26away from us
41:27and he couldn't
41:28come and face us
41:30he didn't have
41:31the guts
41:31despite not being
41:33able to talk
41:34directly to Weldon
41:35Ruth read the
41:36family's impact
41:37statement
41:38in which Ruth
41:39described how
41:40losing John
41:41had affected
41:41the family
41:42John was a
41:44much loved son
41:45brother
41:46grandson
41:47nephew
41:47cousin
41:48and friend
41:51the anguish
41:52that we all feel
41:53at his pointless
41:54death
41:54is indescribable
41:56and it is very
41:58hard
41:58to put it
41:59into words
42:00our son Mark
42:01was only 15 years
42:03old
42:03when John
42:04was murdered
42:06he often speaks
42:07of his brother
42:08affectionately
42:08and becomes upset
42:10and angry
42:11that John
42:12is no longer
42:13with us
42:13my husband
42:15George and I
42:15are still haunted
42:17by John's death
42:20no parent
42:21should have to
42:22experience
42:23the tragic death
42:24of a child
42:25especially in such
42:26awful circumstances
42:31John's parents
42:32requested the
42:33parole board
42:33keep Weldon
42:34locked up
42:35but having
42:36served his
42:36sentence
42:37Weldon's parole
42:38was granted
42:39and he was
42:40released under
42:41license
42:41in December
42:422019
42:44I wish he
42:46was still
42:47behind bars
42:47however
42:48I won't
42:49allow it
42:50to eat me
42:52up
42:52and
42:53niggle
42:54away
42:55in my
42:56head
42:56and I
42:57need to
42:57fill it
42:58with
42:58much
42:59nicer
42:59things
43:00than
43:01thinking
43:01about
43:02him
43:02over
43:0420 years
43:04since
43:05John's
43:05death
43:05his
43:06memory
43:07lives
43:07on
43:07through
43:07his
43:08family
43:08and
43:08friends
43:09we
43:10go out
43:10whereas
43:10memory
43:11we
43:11sometimes
43:12get together
43:13with the
43:13lads
43:13like
43:13all his
43:14close
43:14friends
43:14at the
43:16time
43:16are all
43:16my
43:17like
43:18some
43:18of them
43:18are my
43:19best
43:19friends
43:19now
43:21in
43:22memory
43:22of
43:23John
43:23we
43:24decided
43:25to raise
43:25money
43:25for the
43:26guide dogs
43:27for the
43:27blind
43:27we
43:28have
43:29managed
43:30to raise
43:30over
43:31£22,000
43:32we
43:33have
43:33named
43:34a dog
43:34after him
43:35we had
43:36a black
43:36labrador
43:37called
43:37chippy
43:38my oldest
43:38son
43:39who's
43:3913
43:39he's
43:40actually
43:40called
43:41John
43:41chip
43:41I named
43:42him
43:42after
43:42my
43:43brother
43:43in
43:44memory
43:44of him
43:45John's
43:46old
43:46comprehensive
43:46school
43:47we
43:48decided
43:48to set
43:49up
43:49a subject
43:50award
43:50in art
43:51in his
43:52memory
43:52we
43:54would
43:54like
43:55John
43:55to be
43:56remembered
43:56as
43:58a young
43:59ginger
44:01headed
44:01young
44:02man
44:02who
44:04loved
44:05life
44:05loved
44:06his
44:07sport
44:07loved
44:08his
44:09animals
44:10I'd like
44:11our
44:11John
44:12to be
44:12remembered
44:12as a
44:13fun
44:14outgoing
44:15very
44:15kind
44:16polite
44:16lovely
44:17person
44:18that's
44:19exactly
44:19who
44:19he
44:19was
44:20he
44:20was
44:21a
44:21much
44:21loved
44:22child
44:24and
44:24we
44:25want
44:25his
44:25memory
44:25to
44:26continue
44:48to
44:52to
45:09have
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