Jurors visit house where Dando lived and died

A quiet London street was today turned into an open-air extension of Britain’s famous Court Number One of the Old Bailey.

Judge, jurors and court staff were taken by police escort from the Old Bailey to Gowan Avenue in Fulham, south west London, to see where Jill Dando was shot dead in the doorway of her home - at number 29 just over two years ago.

The man accused of murdering her, Barry George, was also taken to the house where Miss Dando had lived and died.

George, 41, who has denied murdering the TV presenter, was driven to the scene in a white anonymous van separated from the judge, jury and lawyers.

Local residents met the invasion of the court-room proceedings and an attendant cavalry of press with bemusement and general good humour.

Mr Justice Gage was first out on to the pavement. With him was Orlando Pownall, prosecuting.

Michael Mansfield QC, defending, arrived separately on a bicycle wearing a black tracksuit and apparently encountered initial difficulty in getting through a police cordon set up at the end of the street.

Jurors were allowed out of their Wings Luxury Travel coach and mustered on the pavement opposite Miss Dando’s former home.

The judge minus his wig and gown but in pinstripes spoke to the jury and indicated to the white-painted brick house that was Miss Dando’s.

The jury had arrived about 30 minutes before the prosecution alleges she was shot dead - at 11.30am on April 26 1999.

George was not allowed to leave the van but a sliding door was opened for him. He could watch jurors examining the scene in detail.

Several jurors walked up the short path to see the doorway where Miss Dando had slumped after being shot through the head with a single bullet.

The house’s present owners were away and builders were working inside renovating the property.

The white door with brass knocker and letterbox did not open as the jurors stood examining the porch in the small shingled front garden with bay tree. They had been warned of the visit beforehand.

The road was closed to traffic by police and curious passers-by gathered at cordons either end to see the extension of the Old Bailey court at work.

The jurors then moved to examine other houses in the street occupied at the time by witnesses who feature in the case. They consulted plans and graphics of the scene as they went.

They were also taken to other local places of relevance - including the outside of George’s former flat in Crookham Road, Fulham.