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Phone Records Cannot Conclusively Place Manslaughter Defendants At Death Scene, Detective Testifies
Weds 9th August 2017, Yellow Advertiser

MOBILE phone records cannot conclusively place two accused killers at the scene of their alleged crime, a trial has heard.

A phone belonging to Keani Hobbs, 18, of Stagden Cross – on trial over the alleged manslaughter of Vilson Meshi, 30, in Pincey Mead, Pitsea, on February 27 last year – made several GPRS requests around the time prosecutors say a flare was thrown into Mr Meshi’s car and killed him.

But analysis of Miss Hobbs’ phone records could only place her within the vicinity of the crime scene, which also includes her home in Stagden Cross.

DC Mark Gridley, from Essex Police, testified at Chelmsford Crown Court today that Miss Hobbs’ phone was never recovered, so officers were unable to determine what requests the phone had made.

Additionally, a new phone mast was switched on by mobile network EE after Mr Meshi’s death but Essex Police’s investigation into the phone signals in the area.

A phone belonging to a 16-year-old boy, standing trial alongside Ms Hobbs, made no requests around the time of the alleged killing.

However, Ms Hobbs’ phone did place her at Pitsea Marina, at Wat Tyler Country Park, on February 18, 2016.

Six marine flares were later reported stolen from a boat at the marina.

Prosecutors contend the defendants threw one of the stolen flares into Mr Meshi’s car.

A flare found at the death scene was of the same make stolen from the marina.

Prosecutor David Matthew said in his opening statement last week that a secret police bug, hidden inside the boy defendant’s dad’s car, captured the boy’s parents discussing the theft of flares from ‘a marina’ near Wat Tyler.

The boy’s mother could be heard by the bug saying: "He said he had something in the car. He’s got one of them. I took it out. I panicked."

Jurors also heard during Mr Matthews’ opening statement that whilst the boy had described himself as ‘a London boy’ and claimed he had ‘no connections’ to Basildon, phone records placed him close to Ms Hobbs’ home in Pitsea on February 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 26 and 27 last year.

DC Gridley testified today that Mr Meshi’s phone remained around the area where his car was parked until around 2.57am on February 27, 2016 – just under an hour after prosecutors say he was killed.

However, it had been switched off by 3.16am, when somebody attempted to call him but was unable to get through.

Mr Meshi’s phone was missing from his car when his body was discovered around 13 hours later.

The trial continues.

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