Philip Joseph found Barry George far more competent than he made himself out to be to.
A media article stated;
Dr Philip Joseph, another leading psychiatrist who was called by the prosecution, said George was “far more competent” than tests would suggest and capable of lying in police interviews.
While some of his behaviour could be attributed to his epilepsy and cognitive impairment, his stalking of women appeared to stem from an “intense anger” caused by rejection, Dr Joseph said.
Barry George and Michelle Diskin Bates’ sister Susan George married Edward Derek Towler in July 1985.
Neither Barry or Michelle attended Susan’s wedding, nor did their mother Margaret.
It is not known why Michelle Diskin Bates stated in her book that her sister Susan Towler had passed away in 1987 as opposed to April 1986.
However Michelle Diskin Bates chose to omit the fact her sister Susan was pregnant when she passed away and also chose to omit her brother-in-law Derek Towler.
Susan George married Derek Towler in July 1985
Uncle Mike Burke and David James Smith also omitted Derek Towler from their books.
Although David James Smith did state that Susan had passed away “while in the early stages of pregnancy”.
According to a media article from around the time of killer Barry George’s arrest for his murder of Jill Dando, brother-in-law Derek Towler appeared to indicate Susan’s relationship with her mother Margaret was poor.
Below are excerpts from the article;
Jill Dando murder suspect Barry Bulsara has an Irish mother, we can reveal.
Bulsara – who changed his name from Barry Michael George – is the son of Margaret Bourke from Limerick.
The daughter of a council road mender, she married lorry driver Alfred George in London Catholic church in 1954.
She is now 64 and lives alone in East Acton, west London.
Bulsara, who is thought to suffer from epilepsy, suffers from the private heartbreak of his 28-year-old sister Susan dying after an epileptic fit in which she swallowed her tongue.
(Edward) Derek Fowler brother-in-law of Barry George & Michelle Diskin Bates
At the time, she was two months pregnant. Her husband Derek Towler, 65, of Shepherd’s Bush, west London, said last night:
“Susan loved her father but didn’t get on with her mother or brother.
“She always felt her mum favoured Barry over her, and that she was treated unfairly. Barry couldn’t do anything wrong in his mother’s eyes.
“Susan’s mother called her lazy for sitting around the house all day and told her to go out to work.
“But Susan kept having fits – there was no way she could work. She was often in tears over it.”
Derek said only Mr George came to their wedding in July, 1985.
He claimed the former policeman was also the only one of Susan’s family to keep in touch.
He said: “Susan’s father said that I was the perfect man for her, that we were good together. We didn’t tell the rest of the family about our marriage because we didn’t think they would approve. I don’t even know if they knew about our marriage.
We wanted to keep it a secret. No one was invited to the service but we had a few friends back to our flat to celebrate.”
The frail pensioner is haunted by the loss of his young wife and their precious unborn child.
He said: “Susan was wonderful, so kind and gentle. She was my pride and joy. I miss her.
“My wedding day was the happiest day of my life. I should have been sitting here today with my wife and our child, or even children, but she died.”
Barry Couldn’t Do Anything Wrong In His Mothers Eyes
Margaret (Barry George’s mother)
Excerpts from another media article, also from around the time Barry George was arrested, read;
Instead, he found refuge from his miserable existence in a private world of make-believe which rapidly spiralled out of control.
George was seven when Paddy (sic) walked out on Margaret, who was having an affair, to set up home with current wife Babs.
Confused and unhappy he fought at school and even turned on his fragile epileptic sister Susan, who he had always guarded.
At the age of 10 he was expelled from primary school for hitting a teacher after he was caned.
Soon afterwards he was sent to a council-run boarding school for maladjusted children in Ascot, Berks.
Elder sister Susan was put into care and Michelle, the oldest child, moved to Ireland.
Bulsara is believed to suffer from epilepsy.
His 28-year-old sister, Susan, had the same condition and died after an epileptic fit in which she choked on her tongue.
At the time, she was two months pregnant.
Alfred George
Her husband Derek Towler, 65, of Shepherd’s Bush, West London, said last night: “Susan loved her father but didn’t get on with her mother or brother.
She always felt her mum favoured Barry over her, and that she was treated unfairly. Barry couldn’t do any wrong in his mother’s eyes.”
Derek said only Mr George came to their wedding in July, 1985.
He claimed the former policeman was also the only one of Susan’s family to keep in touch.
George’s aunt, Elizabeth, said: “Barry never got over Susan’s death. He missed her terribly. And as he had the same disease, he must have been frightened.”
Barry George’s uncle Tony Bourke was reported to have claimed his sister Margaret had ‘indulged’ her son;
Barry’s mother was working as a cleaner when he left school at 16 and he went to live with her. She had always ‘indulged him’, according to his uncle Tony Bourke.
Excerpt by Geoffrey Levy and Stephen Wright for the Daily Mail article headed Mad, sad and dangerous 3rd July 2001
Another 2001 media article stated of uncle Tony Bourke;
Mr Tony Bourke, from the Co Limerick village of Ballyneety, said he had been following news of the trial on Sky TV. His sister, Ms Margaret George, is the mother of Barry George and comes originally from Ballyneety.
Mr Bourke, speaking outside his bungalow home yesterday, said he was sure his nephew was innocent. He had known him as a teenager in London when he visited his elder sister’s house.
At the time, Mr Bourke was working in factories there. He remembered George being interested in books and pop music.
“As far as I was concerned, he was the same as any teenager. I said all along and I still say it, he is innocent. He could not have done it, no way.
“If he is found guilty, there is no way I will believe it. I will still say he is innocent.”
Now semi-retired, Mr Bourke said he had returned from London in 1974 after spending 17 years there.
A bachelor, he shares his home with his brother, Michael, who was in London with other family members during the trial.
David James Smith stated in his 2002 book All About Jill;
Barry’s Auntie Elizabeth would say that his parents were inadequate parents, physically and emotionally punitive with their children.
His mother, in her view, could not cope and would rather go out than care for her children.
During Barry’s adolescence, Auntie Elizabeth says, before his father left, the family home was a war zone.
Dates and timings are cloudy and obscured by the passage of years and perhaps a preference to forget.
Barry says his father had left home when he was eight, around the time that he was sent away to board at Heathermount, a school for children with special needs
Alfred George himself has said that he and his wife, Margaret, had separated after their son Barry went away, Alfred maintained contact with Barry until 1974, when he went to Australia with his new wife, Barbara. He moved to Australia to escape abuse and hassle from his ex-wife and because he had seen an advertisement for a job as a prison-officer in Melbourne, and applied and had been accepted.
Alfred and Margaret were married in 1954 and their family home was Creighton Close on the White City Estate, north of Shepherds Bush and close to BBC Television Centre.
They had three children: Michaelina, who was known as Michelle, Susan and Barry
Michelle appears to have emerged relatively unscathed from her past
Excerpts by David James Smith from his book All About Jill published in 2002
David James Smith
Michelle Diskin Bates and Mike Burke referred to Auntie Elizabeth as Aunt Betty, or Betty, in their books.
Mike Burke wrongly referred to Caroline Logan as Elizabeth Logan.
Caroline Logan was the psychologist who was of the view Barry George “was very dangerous”.
Mike Burke also referred to contacting Elizabeth Loftus;
In mid-August following a BBC Radio 4 programme I contacted Professor Elizabeth Loftus PHD.
Elizabeth is an American memory expert based in Stanford University.
Elizabeth later expressed concerns over eyewitness testimony which largely helped to convict Barry.
She agreed to be added to the list of ‘concerned’, her concern being based on witness identification.
Her website reads:
‘Elizabeth Loftus studies human memory. Her experiments show how memories can be changed by things we are told. Facts, ideas, suggestions and other post-event information can modify our memories. The legal field, so reliant on memories has been a significant application of the memory research’.
Excerpts by Mike Burke from his book Mike’s story: The Battle to Clear Barry George of the Jill Dando Murder published in June 2011
Roberta Glass did a podcast on Elizabeth Loftus and the false memory syndrome foundation which can be listened to below;
INNOCENCE FRAUD WATCH 