The "confession" of Anthony Steel.

Note: This transcription has retained the original spelling, grammar, punctuation etc. There were no original hand-written parts in it - it was entirely typed.

For anyone who has not read such a confession before, a word of caution. You will find it very persuasive, but watch out for the discrepancies, mistakes and omission of "special knowledge". Note also how it is written dramatically ( with asides about pauses etc) and how when words are not enough, the police introduce maps. When you have read it, ask yourself - just how much did Steel know about this murder? Did he know there was an attempted rape? Did he know that she usually took the shortcut through the snicket to the railway line? If he remembered taking the fish key ring - what about the missing diary and the office keys. Would he not remember those too - and what did he do with them? And why, if he remembered the handbag - did he get the colour wrong when he was questioned later? He even got his address wrong - at the time of the murder he was living at 8 Cobden Street with Michelle.

Whilst reading the "confession", it may be useful to click through to the main MAP of the Ravenscliffe estate.

STATEMENT.

I, Anthony Steel wish to make a statement. I want someone to write down what I say. I have been told I do not need to say anything unless I wish to do so, and that whatever I say maybe given in evidence. Sgd. Anthony Steel.

I set off for work from where I was in Langdale Road at about a quarter to eight that morning. I remember my dad usually knocks me up, but he didn't that morning. I remember I got myself up. I got dressed and put my jeans on, if I'm not mistaken there the ones Ive got on now. I put a shirt on, but I don't remember which one it was. I put a jumper on but not the one shes on about. He, mother in law, she never bought two, she just made that up. Just put she's a frigging idiot. I had a sports jacket on top of that that jacket I left in Greengates Rec. I just put a pair of ordinary brown shoes on. They'll be slung away now. I went through loads of shoes on the Corporation. Everybody else in the house was in bed when I left so I let myself out and made my way to work in the park at Eccleshill. I arrived at work at about 8- o-clock. Say about 8.20. me and Eddy walked out with our tackle. We had a big mowing machine, a barrow, a rake, how, shears, two spades and a shovel I think. We walked out of the park through a snicket into Ravenscliffe Estate. We walked up to Delius Avenue and arrived about ten minutes later. We put the tackle in one of the gardens in Delius. It was the house opposite Carol Wilkinson mother-in-law. As soon as we dumped the tackle I suggested to Eddy that we might as well go to our house for a cup of tea. Eddy said no because he was frightened of the gaffer coming on, so I said I'd leave him and so I set off towards home (Q. Which route did you take home) Well its through some snickets round back a bit. ( Q. If I show you a map can you trace it.) Yes ( Handed a map of the area in question and Anthony Steel traced a route showing his journey from Delius Avenue to Langdale Road. Anthony Steel also marked with a cross his position and that of Carol Wilkinson when he first sighted her).

When I first saw Carol Wilkinson I remember thinking she was nice looking but that’s all. I cant remember if I'd seen her on the estate before. Anyway I just carried on home on the way I've shown you. When I got home the door was open, but when I went in there was no sign of anybody, so I just came out. I'd gone in the back door at home. And when I came out I saw Carol Wilkinson on the muck road which goes towards Fagley. I thought to myself I'll follow her up, and maybe have a chat and get a date or something, so I jumped over the fence. When I got over the fence and set off towards the muck road Carol was bit behind me. (Q. You said she was already on the muck road). What I meant was she was on the avenue nearly at the end and was nearly going on the muck road. I carried on walking in front of her, I was sort of plucking up courage to talk to her. She would able to see me at first, but I was walking a bit faster than her and I would get out of her sight. It was going through my mind what I was going to say to her and I thought I'd get well in front and sort of give myself time to calm down a bit and think how I was going to talk to her when she caught me up. By the time I got to the Blue Pig I was well in front but I still didn't stop but carried on. ( Q. Can you draw this root on the map). Yes. ( drew a route from the rear of Langdale Road to a point on Woodhall Road near to Calverley Hospital).

I carried on walking up towards Woodhall Road, and just a bit lower than Calverley Hospital. We used to take stuff up there from school, like fruit and that when I was a kid. I stopped there near a stone wall. There were a few stones out of the wall just there where I stopped. I waited about five minutes then saw her walking towards me. There was nobody else about. As she just got by me she looked at me and I just put my arm out, this arm ( indicating left arm) and I tried to kiss her but she pulled away. I didn't say anything I said nothing. I'd been thinking of what I was going to say, I was going to ask her for a date, but when it came to it, I couldn't get anything out, and I just made a balls of it. We had a bit of a tiff(Q. A tiff?) a struggle you know. She sort of got away from me and went over the wall. She sort of struggled to get over the wall, but she landed on her feet on the other side. I was a bit shocked at her running off like that, she looked frightened but wasn't screaming screaming or shouting or anything, and I just wanted to explain that I just wanted a date. I jumped over the wall after her and chased her. She didn't get far only about from this door to the end of the table ( 10 ft approx) when I caught hold of her like this ( Indicated with his left arm making a gesture as if grabbing someone from behind). I sort of spun her round, but she started screaming and struggling. I was trying to stop her struggling and was saying "I want to talk to you, I want to talk to you" I was panicing because she was screaming and she sort of fell onto the floor as we were struggling. I just wanted to talk to her that’s all, that’s all I wanted to do. ( Pause for several seconds and Steel occasionally said " We were struggling, we were struggling " We were just struggling on the floor, struggling on the floor, just struggling. ( Further pause for several seconds) I kept on saying I just wanted to talk to her. The suddenly she wasn't moving. I remember looking at her her eyes were sort of open, not looking at anything, she seemed unconscious but her eyes were open.I don't know but that key ring was hanging off her bag I just took that. I seem to remember that it was there. I seem to remember that. It's a blank it was a blank just remember running and running. It's a blank now. ( Another pause). I' trying to remember now but it was all just a blank. I remember now all the way home I just ran the same way I had come. I went into our garden over the fence and into the house. Pamela was still not home. It was all just blank still and I remember making some tea.Pamela didn't come in you know, she didn't come in, she never saw me. I had a drink of tea and went back to the garden in Delius. Eddy was there, I didn't say anything just carried on working for the rest of the day/ I've never told anybody about it, nobody, I feel a bit better now. I was once going to give myself up. I went into town one day after I'd been sat at home in the chair by myself, and I walked into town. I just got as far as the Town Hall but just stopped, I was too frightened to go in. It was just that time satin the chair at home that it came back. I could see her and me struggling. Thats all that came back just the struggle.

Sgd: Anthony Steel

I have read the above stament and I have ben told that I can correct alter or add enything I wish this statement is true I have made it off my own free will.

Sgd Anthony Steel

NUW/


Click here to refer to the MAP of the Ravenscliffe estate.

Click here to refer to the MAP of the area round Steel's house.

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