to think jackie powell is a STUPID woman

[somedayma]

who seems to have been sucked in by Ian Brady's 'charms'?

just watched the documentary on channel 4. she's so...defensive of Brady.

WHY on earth would you keep a letter in your possession that may reveal the body of one of the victims? WHY?

Lots of people have a ghoulish interest in contacting psychopaths like Brady. Look at all the mail and marriage proposals Death Row inmates get in the USA.

As far as I am aware of she was acting out of a professional obligation she would not have been arrested.
For example a priest can not be arrested for perverting the course of justice if he came by the intonation during confession.

I think she has been manipulated - by the programme makers.

Channel 4 documentaries are notorious for editing in order to promote a skewed viewpoint. They can also be callous and unfeeling in their urge to sensationalise.
They won't have given a damn about poor Winnie's feelings

Did she actually state that she had handed over a letter to the police? Or that she had informed the police? Because there's a big difference.
I can well believe the police may have decided not to act if this was simply another in a long line of supposed letters, information etc
It seems that Brady has done this sort of thing countless times over the years.

Of course the other thing is that she may have said she gave the letter, then corrected herself and the self-correction was edited out. C4 are well known for wanting to sensationalise in their program making.

If she actually did hand any letter to the police, there should be a clear record of it, so it shouldn't be a matter of confusion.

It does seem like some people want to demonise her, rather than focusing their hatred on the real target. It may be that she has actually acted completely within the parameters she should. Though why anyone would choose to be an advocate for Brady is beyond comprehension. Even believing that everyone has a human right to be represented would not be enough for many people to willingly take that role. I do think for the lawyers and psychiatrists involved its rather different as they have clear professional obligations, but I think the mental health advocate role is far more woolly

The programme was aired with the full consent of Winnies family so theres no need to try and get offended on their behalf. I completely disagree with the opinion that it was cheap journalism. I was surprised at how well it was done actually. I dont care what this woman says she did with the letter but the police have already stated that they dont currently have it so I would suggest she is lying.

If she's telling a plain lie then she's incredibly thick and it should be very straightforward for the police to produce clear cut evidence that she's lying. If she said she gave the letter to the police and she never did , it should be easy to refute her claim. (I emphasise should because unfortunately the police do sometimes 'lose' items or evidence)

But I suspect it may be more grey than black and white. She may have informed the police, who may not have acted Because for all we know this could have been the 10th, 20th, 50th time a 'letter' was mentioned. It's interesting too the police state they don't 'currently' have it. Not that they never had it.

Stupid woman. Very typical of the saddos who write to serial killers on death row. And, as mean as it sounds, very much looks the way most of them look too.

I can't believe she's got a degree and an MA. She struck me as incredibly inarticulate and stupid when compared with all the psychiatrists the programme also interviewed.

I thought the program was shocking.

The woman was utterly set up. She is doing her job and a very important one. Everyone who is mentally unstable is entitled to an advocate. When you do a job like that you have to believe in the sancitity of it. You can't pick and choose who gets an advocate and who doesn't.

Powell was clearly very distressed by her job but felt that she was bound by it.

She knew full well that these letters could just be another one of Brady's power plays. And she informed the police about them. They took little action as frankly Brady tries to pull them in for attention incessantly. Let's not forget his little trips up onto the moors with the world watching. He loved that.

This programme was menat to about Brady's attempt at a mental health tribunal to have himself certified as sane. He could then be sent to normal prison and starve himself. However due to his seizure and accident that won't atke place.

Given the amount of time and money spent on this documentary the makers salvaged it by turning it into a 'what do those letters contain' programme. It made headlines. It did what it said on the tin.

Powell was used. She doesn't even have the bloody letters any more.

Wordfactory - she DIDN'T inform the police about it - that's the whole point.

Yes I agree with that alma.
The lawyers and psychiatrists came across as very professional. One admitted that he had found it very difficult to work with Brady and had been pleased to get out of the room after sessions with him, but there was no sign that their professionalism had been compromised or that they'd been manipulated by him, which is very reassuring, to know that these people had a business like intelligent approach to the job they had to do

In contrast, JP came across as bumbling and inarticulate, and I don't get why she wanted to be involved in the program , though maybe she lacks awareness of how badly she comes across.

It also seemed to make her role seem very wooly and unprofessional compared to the other people dealing with Brady.

As far as the 'letter' is concerned though, I wish the police would release a clear statement that they have never been informed about this letter until the program director told them- if that's the case. It should all be quite straightforward to clarify.

nancy she did.
She informed the police about that and about the fact that Brady said he definitely did remember where Keith was burried. She informed them about all sorts of things.

They didn't react. And who can blame them? He is a manipulative bastard. He wants constant attention and this is just his latest ruse. He absolutely will not say where than body is. All the shrinks agree on this.

Where is the information to say she has a degree and MA? Everything I have read on the web has said that her background is very unclear and that she was never employed officially by either the NHS or the hospital he is in but was independent and paid for by legal aid at first but now does it for free. She has never been employed as a professional and I would be very surprised if she has any professional qualifications with regard to her position.

wordfactory. I am talking about the 'to be opened in the event of my death letter' she did NOT inform the police about that.

But if she did inform the police, then surely no matter what they think, they are duty bound to check it out at least?

It is like someone who is being spiteful, constantly reporting a neighbour for x, y, z and it not being true beforehand when they have checked it out, they still have to check it out this time just in case, don't they?

If not, then I think it is disgraceful. It should of been looked into, without it being broadcasted until they found out if there was any truth in it, whether Brady is well known for lying about what is in letters or not. Then he wouldn't of got on to the front pages and having people talking about him if it turned out to be false, which is what he wants.

And, if she did inform the police, why was she arrested for preventing a burial and bailed after her coming out about the letter whilst being filmed?

If she was distressed by her job, she could have left or asked for a transfer to another patient. It has been her choice to continue doing this.

Agree that the whereabouts of the letter, now and at any time, are really not clear. We don't know if she ever really had it for how long, we don't know if the police knew earlier or not, or if they've ever seen it. The only one who knows is Brady himself and he has no motivation to clear anything up. Quite the reverse. And now all the heat is on Jackie Powell instead of him. More successful game playing.

As for the bloke who has written to and then visited Brady, just shows you what messed-up people there are who develop fixations with serial killers like this. That whole speech about how Brady had agreed to see him because 'he wanted to talk to someone intelligent because the doctors and psychiatrists were stupid' - yeah right, mate, it's definitely that way round

The police do not have limitless resources and tbh If they have been informed thousands of times that there are 'letters' or 'information' , then it would not necessarily warrant an investigation each time. Remember- its not as simple as PC plodd opening an envelope- there would be protocols, paperwork each time.... Look at the literally hundreds of thousands of pounds this evil piece of scum has cost the country already

I suspect the whole thing is far more grey than black and white. I highly doubt a letter exists in anyone's possession which states Clear info about where the body is.

Nancy powell has had an open and ongoing dialogue with the police about Brady. He no doubt tells her all kinds of crap which she dutifully passes on and they dutifully log in due course.

The read after my death letters are just more of the same.

She knows it's crap. They know it's crap. Just more manipulation.

The reason why the police are not stating that they never had any knowledge of the letters is because they did. Yes it looks awful, but they have been getting supposed clues and confessions and codes abouy this for decades.

The film makers only seized on it because it salvaged their otherwise defunct documentary.

Eighties, exactly. And the fact she is now his advocate for free, it isn't like she has no choice. She could easily walk away, but she doesn't.

I know I for one wouldn't willingly work for free on behalf of someone like Brady.

And why did the police go barging in and arrest her? Because the film makers informed them that she had in her possession letters from Brady saying where Keith was burried.

Wheras the truth was Powell had had in her possession letters from Brady that he stated might help Winnie understand. Those letters which may or may not contain anyhting the poilce knew about. They took no action and Powell handed them back to Brady.

That is wy she has been bailed and not charged.

kabooom you either believe in the system that everyone is entitled to representation or you don't.

For many years I was a defence lawyer. I'm sure some of my clients were guilty. But that's not my call.

If you believe in a system that is blind to whether the recipient deserves help or not, then you believe in it. It's not an easy thing by any mans but it is essential for a society that calls itself humane and civilzed. The sort of society in fact that men like Brady despise.

But janey, there would of been no need for a high cost investigation if she went and handed the letter over. All they would of had to do was open it and check the contents. I would of happily of done that for free for Keiths poor Mother and the rest of the family.

wordfactory - she had no idea it was 'just more of the same' she had no idea it was 'crap.' It wasn't her call to make.
Yes, chances are it was just the ramblings of a mad man but there was also a (tiny) chance the letter may just have contained the information that could well have eased the torment of a bereaved mother.

She had a duty to give the letter to the police and at the point of filming she had not done that. If she was co-operating with the police then they wouldn't be now considering these charges against her.

I don't know why, then, the police can't say 'We learned about this letter some years ago. We read it and experts on the case concluded that it contained no useful information. Therefore, we handed the letters back to the writer and decided not to make the situation public as all that would be achieved is more upsetting publicity regarding the deaths for the victims' families'.