Dando Trail: Neighbour 'Heard her scream'

Jill Dando’s next door neighbour told an Old Bailey jury today how he first saw her body minutes after she had been shot through the head.

Richard Hughes said he had heard a scream just after the TV presenter’s car had drawn up outside her home at 29 Gowan Avenue, Fulham, south-west London.

‘‘It was a female scream. I did not consider it to be significant at the time. I thought it was someone surprising somebody.’’

‘‘The next thing I heard was the clicking of the gate,’’ said Mr Hughes who lived at No 31.’’

Shortly afterwards he heard women talking outside and went out.

‘‘I first saw her after three ladies asked me if that was Miss Dando. I looked over the wall and said yes.’’

Mr Hughes was giving evidence on the fifth day of the trial of Barry George, 41, of Crookham Road, also of Fulham, who has denied murdering Miss Dando on April 26, 1999.

Mr Hughes said he and his wife had lived at the address for four months and knew Miss Dando was a neighbour. They had spoken and been into each other’s houses.

She came to her home once a week usually on a Monday between 10 and 12 o’clock, he said.

‘‘I knew her make of car as my wife has a similar model.’’

Mr Hughes was in his bedroom upstairs when he heard the sound of a familiar car alarm. ‘‘It was similar to my wife’s car alarm.

‘‘I heard footsteps walking towards the doorstep about five seconds after hearing the alarm. The next thing I heard was a scream. It was about 30 seconds after the alarm. I did not form any impression where it was coming from.’’

Mr Hughes looked through the shutters of the bedroom window and had a clear view of a figure walking left towards the Fulham Palace Road.

‘‘He was moving briskly. I could see half his face.’’

Mr Hughes described him as between 30 and 40, about average height, thick set with dark thick hair in a mop to his collar.

‘‘He had a full face with no facial hair.

‘I thought he had a mobile phone in his right hand. He was wearing a dark waxed coat.’’

He only knew something had happened after hearing the sound of female voices talking outside.

‘‘It was more than five minutes later. I walked to the window to see who was outside. I went down.’’

He did not see Miss Dando until the women asked him to look over at her.

The trail continues.