Verdict and Sentencing

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Aast. com In september twenty nineteen, a twenty year old woman returned home to Tamworth after a night out in Birmingham, watching one of her favorite artists perform She'd laughed with friends, danced in a nightclub unlike thousands of young people every weekend, simply wanted to get back to her own bed before an important day ahead byy sunrise, she had vanished By nightfall, her family was searching parks and streets with torchures desperate for answers Then came a discovery no family should ever have to make Police quickly focused on the last person known to be with her. someomeone she had trusted for years Not a strange amount of night out notot some shadowy figure lurking in the dark but a familiar face from her childhood. claimed they had simply parted ways and repeated that story to friends, family and detectives plethora of compelling evidence and his own changing accounts would begin to tell a very different story. In this episode of British Murders with Stuart Blues, we're discussing the murder of Keey Bunker It's a heartbreaking case involving misplaced trust, violence and betrayal It's the story of a young woman with a whole future ahead of her and the lies that unraveled after she never made it home. AQuick one before we dive in, please make sure you're following the podcast on your player of choice. It's a small action, but it has a big impact on how far the show travels Ratings and reviews are always appreciated. if you want to leave one And if you want to go a step further, you can listen ad free, get episodes a day early, and unlock exclusive content by joining my community at patreon dot com forward slash British murders I want to set the scene a bit before we get going with this story And I feel I need to say a quick few words about the wider picture here Because this isn't just a story about one night in Tamworth or one decision, even one person It's something much bigger that we see far too often. The overarching theme within this episode is violence against women by men Sexual violence especially is the kind of devastating harm that, yes, often comes from places close to home, such as a domestic partner But sometimes it's from the people you least expect it to come from It's not always the stranger in the dark or the obvious danger Sometimes it's a familiar face Someone you've known for years and trust implicitly someomeone who makes you feel safe because they've always been there in the background of your life The twenty twenty two Femicide Census states that one hundred and twenty two women were killed by men in the UK that year which is once every three days They added that violence against women by men is a leading cause of the premature death of women globally ough they admit that research in the UK and Europe is limited and unconnected. It all comes back to trust which is a bit of a weird concept if you think about it Built up over time through shared history, memories and experiences. But once it's there We seldom question it Especially when it comes to people we've grown up with and known since childhood In the worst cases though, it can be exploited And this story is one of those cases It's the story of Keey Anne Louise Bunker place in Tamworth, a historic market town in the West Midlands countounty of Staffordshire Tamwouth is perhaps best known for its castle It links to the ancient Anglo Saxon kingdom of Mercia. and for being the home of Drton Manor Resort, which is a theme park and zoo But in september twenty nineteen, that proud old town was rocked by a tragedy so brutal and senseless that people there still remember exactly where they were when the news broke Telet was just twenty years old when she had her life stolen from her and her loved ones, having been born on september seventh, nineteen ninety nine Her family and friends described her as the sort of person who lit up a room the second she walked into it spoke about her laugh, her smile, and the warmth she carried everywhere she went. They said she was one of the most vibrant, caring and beautiful souls this earth had ever seen with her mum Debbie adding that she was the kindest and most innocent young woman you could ever hope to meet. She was someone who was just starting out in life and would go beyond the means of most to do anything for anybody. If a family member needed help Keey was there If a cousin who had disabilities needed looking after Keeley stepped in If her Auntie needed help with the children Kely took the pressure off without a second thought She didn't do it for praise or to carry good favour either She did it out of the goodness of her heart because it was the right thing to do. And that's just who she was Dad, Christopher and her siblings, absolutely a daughter And it seems she had a close relationship with all her family members. though Mum and dad appear to have separated at some point Many of the sources used to research this episode mention how Kille was tiny in stature, standing at just four foot eleven and weighing around six and a half stone That will be important to remember for later on in the episode But for now All we need to know is that whatever she lacked in size, she more than made up for in personality Keeley worked as a barmaid at the aforementioned Drayton Manor Resort, a place many in the Midlands will know well That wasn't where she saw her future Her ambition was to become a classroom assistant She wanted to help teach young children to make a difference in the world as she saw it Despite being just twenty, she came across as being mature and grounded for her age, because she had big plans for a future and goals to match Yet in september twenty nineteen, all of that hope and ambition was stolen from her. by someone she'd known for more than a decade. I in timeline begins on september eighteenth of that year It was a Wednesday. Killy had celebrated her twentieth birthday just over a week earlier Unlike many young people her age, she'd gone out to enjoy herself that night as a bit of a late birthday present, attending a concert in Birmingham at the Ou Institute Birmingham two She'd gone there with a close female friend called Monique to watch British rapper H perform The Manunion was very much on the ascendancy to superstardom at the time, having released his EP H twoO on september sixth, the day before Keeel's birthday. And it's safe to say Kile was a big fan Before the show, she posted one final tweet which read The only thing keeping me going is seeing H on Wednesday Hopefully, he'll see me and we'll get married. Playful. Dafted harmless fun. the sort of thing thousands of young people post every day without a second thought No one could have known those words would become her final public message In the early hours of the following morning september nineteenth, Keyley returned to Tamworth after the concert and was last seen at around four AM in the Layfields area Later that day, she was due to attend a job interview, so some sleep at home was a must But she never arrived and didn't make the interview As the hours passed, concern began to grow Especially because Keyate wasn't answering a phone. That was unlike her or anyone her reed quite frankly So our family and friends started asking some uncomfortable questions Then her bag was found And as you can appreciate that changed everything By around five thirty PM, her dad had reported a missing to the police and searches for Killy began. Her mum then took to social media with a desperate plea, which is so heartbreaking to read She posted Hello. Has anybody seen at Keey Bunker since early hours of this morning? Please Really worried You can feel the panic in those words and it's a tough one to take in given how this story ends What starts as worry in miss in person cases can so quickly become dread And that evening, Keey's uncle Jason fininished work at around half past six. He checked his phone and saw message after message about his missing niece, so immediately joined the search efforts At first, he looked around homes and buildings in the area, hoping CCTV might show where Keey had gone. A around seven PM near the railway bridge on Tennison Avenue We came across three people who knew Kila and also appeared to be out looking for it One of them was a nineteen year old calledod Wesley Street With him was Monique, who Kayy had gone a C H with and another male friend the two young women were close with. Jason then learned from the three that Killy's bag had been found in Wigantton Park So straight away he changed course He got himself changed, grabbed a torch, and headed for the park, which sits northwest of the town center The Park is a picturesque green space offering a variety of recreational activities for families, dog walkers and those who are into playing sports. It's known for its spacious layout, which includes rugby pitchures, a children's playground and many scenic walking paths Heading back to the timeline, Street was speaking to police officers, claiming he had parted ways with Keila earlier that morning near a telephone box on Macefield Drive, leaving her to walk the rest of the way home alone. haaving seemingly being the last person to see Kille He immediately became someone the police wanted to gain some information from And offering to help, Streree even agreed to go with officers on a ride along and retrace the route he claimed he and Keeley had taken before partart in wears But the story he told would not last, and nor would his being treated as merely a witness back in the park Jesson search with his torch and soon saw something no one, especially a family member should ever have to see spotted dark, mattered hair in the water then the glint of a bracelet on an arm beneath the surface Jason began screaming at the top of his lungs becausecause in that instant He knew what he'd found It was his niece, Kila H body was lying face down in a small brook at the edge of the park, partly hidden beneath branches and vegetation taken from nearby bushes appeared as though someone tried to conceal her Jason instinctively reached for her arm but thankfully stopped himself as he realized the police would need to preserve the body and scene An off duty police officer later described hearing Jason's cries as the most horrendous screaming he'd ever heard in his life He rushed over immediately and checked for signs of life, but quickly realized there were none. Riggor Mortus had already set in Clearly, Keey had been there for some time Emergency services were called to the area near Edgar Close at the western edge of the park shortly after nine PM Two ambulances and a paramedic officer attended But there was sadly nothing anyone could do At nine twenty eight PM, Keey Bunker was officially pronounced dead at the scene and the discovery of her body sent shockwaves throughout Tamworth The following day, forensic officers dressed in white coverallalls combed three separate cordoned off areas of Wigington Park, while police guarded the perimeter Residents worked to flashing lights, police tape, and a deep sense that something awful had happened on their doorstep which was far removed from what would be considered the norm As for Killy's cause of death, it was initially described as unexplained already had their attention turned. to one man As we know, they had established that Street was the last person to see Keeley alive, and it didn't take long for him to be taken into custody He was arrested around ten fifteen PM, roughly an hour or so after Keeely's body had been found body one footage from the arresting officers later showed him complaining he was hungry on the drive to custody Asking whether food would be available B Talk about nonchalant Upon his arrival, the custody sergeant asked Stre how he was feeling applied A bit sad I wouldn't even say a bit sad just say Sad prrimary suspect now due to be questioned, investigators kept digging And before long, the story he'd told about leaving Keeley alive would begin to unravel. The postmortem examination conducted by Dr. Brett Lockyer later confirmed the awful truth about Keey's death She had been struangled The forensic pathologist documented around a hundred marks on her body, explaining not all were injuries, but many were deeply concerning brruises to her face, scratches to her forehead Deep bruising beneath the skin Damage to her lips and chin and hemorrhaging consistent with pressure being applied to a neck. Hers had been a violent personal killing And for Kelly's family, the nightmare was only just beginning While they started grieving, the people of Tamworth rallied around them. A fundraiser was launched on GoFundMe to help cover the funeral costs and it was flooded with support, eventually raising more than twenty six thousand pounds The initial target was five grand. But it soon skyrocketed as local businesses, neighbors, and even strangers made donations tells you everything about how highay Keey were thought of And on october twenty fourth, twenty nineteen, hundreds of mourners gathered in the rain to say goodbye to the smiley young woman who wanted to become a teacher. At St. Adtha's church, family and friends attended a funeral before a private ceremony took place at Whigington Cemetery Bows lined the procession, and a white horse drawn carriage, Crying Keeley's coffin, was decorated with pink and white flowers, feathers and bs Those attending were black with touches of pink at the family's request while floral tributes spelled out words including niece and sister The whole town came out to pay the respects But one question remained What really happened in those early hours after Keey left the concert? And why would someone she trusted be the one accused of ending a life We're going to take a quick break here. When we return, we'll explore just what happened on that fateful September night ee you soon Y call has been forwarded to an automatic voice message system. Running a business means you're always reachable until you're not. and the moment you miss that call, a competitor picks it up That's why this episode is brought to you by Quo, spelled QUO The business phone system built so you never miss an opportunity All your calls, texts, and voicemails live in one place. Anyone on your team can pick up a conversation, see the full history, and respond fast. Quo is the number one rated business phone system on G two. Trusted by over ninety thousand businesses. Set up in minutes on any device. Keep your existing number, add teammates as you grow. No IT, no hassle o's built in AI agent even handles after hours calls and books appointments. So you're covered around the clock Money is on the line Always say hello with quQot Try cuo free, plus twenty percent off your first six months at cuo d. com slash tech. That's Quo d. com slash tech Welcome back. To understand the horror of this case, we need to go back to the evening before Keey was found. Chne Monique had planned a night out in Birmingham after the gig ended, because it would do a finish at around ten PM. Having already been to the concert, their spirits were high And afterwards, they'd arranged to go club in with someone Keely believed she could trust Wesley Street This wasn't some stranger she'd met on a random night out Killy had known him since infant school and they'd grown up around the same circles in Tamworth It was a familiar face from childhood omeone she'd known for years C crucial to note that there had never been a sexual relationship between them At around ten thirty PM that night, Street met the two women near McDonald's as they'd planned From there, the three of them headed to Snob's Nightclub, arriving at about ten forty PM And If you're not familiar with Birmingham's clubbing scene, Snobbs has been around since the early seventies and has long been a popular student and late night spot loud music, pack dance floors, cheap drinks, all the usual fun and chaos of a British night out The three of them stayed there for around four hours, with witnesses later describing Street as being very drunk By the sounds of it, it was paralytic person who met the group, the two women mainly said Streak kept wandering over and shaking his hand while he was trying to speak with Kille He describes Street as silly drunk, not aggressive Nine out of ten drunk was also how he described him Jain's quite a picture While the women had around four vodka red buulls each and did not consider themselves to be drunk, after all, Keey had a big interview to prepare for Witnesses said Street was drinking at a far heavier pace. down roughly three or four drinks for every one they had Meaning he'll have knocked back between twelve and sixteen double Vodka Red Bulls in total By the end of the night, he admitted himself that he was very drunk, and around two forty AM, the three of them left the club and planned to head back to Tamworth They got into a taxi and began the trip, a journey which would roughly take half an hour During the ride, the taxi had to stop at one point because Street said he felt sick and needed to get out. But eventually, they arrived back in town and were dropped near a weerspoons in the center By then, everyone was tired So Monique did what any good friend would do and offered Kayy a bed at herir placeace for the night It was a sensible offer The idea being that Keey could immediately get her red down, grab a few hours kip, and then walk the short distance home in a few hours when it was lighter It made sense, especially when you think about the interview she had at the very infant school she herself had once attended the same one from which she knew Street Her dream of working with children was right there in front of her Keey turned the offer down She said she was knackered and wanted to sleep in her own bed which realistically is a completely normal decision to make Many people not only prefer their own bed, but can't bear the thought of waking up somewhere else and then having to make your way home. How many times have you heard people say exactly that after a night out I've heard it loads and I've even said it myself just want my own ped. The three of them had only gone back to Monique's home so Key could collect some of her belongings They arrived there at around three thirty AM and Keee and Street stayed for about half an hour before leaving Monique said the women planned a message later that day And before Keey left, she reassured her friend She said I've got Wes. I'll be fine I'll walk back with him. I'll be safe Those words, especially the last three are beyond heartbreaking to hear Because Keey truly believed she was walking home with someone who would protect her Instead, she was walking with the very person Take a life Street had agreed to walk her home, a journey which would have taken around twenty minutes sometime after four AM. When Keeley vanished, he began telling anyone who would listen that he had done just that He said he walked a part of the way to a telephone box near his home, and then the pair separated He told Keey's family her friends, even the police But it was all a lie CCTV, mobile phone data and DNA evidence would soon prove it was a lie. And when investigators examine Keey's body, Street's DNA was recovered from it By bit, the walls of the false narrative collapsed around Street And that's when his testimony began to change multiple times Despite first stating he and Keey had parted ways, with her very much alive at the time He later changed tack and claimed Keay had fallen and struck her head on a gatepost He said he tried to massage her chest and neck to help her breathe But that too was contradicted by the medical evidence. Forensic pathologist Dr. Loia said there was no traumatic injury to the brain consistent with such a fall Importantly, he said that account did not plausibly explain the many injuries to Killy's neck In other words, it didn't fit the facts. Once more The street was lying Then, in december twenty nineteen, another shift came when Street accepted he had been present when Keey died, though he denied having sex with her. But that version didn't last either By june twenty twenty, his defense statement claimed Keey had been giving him a piggyback when she stumbled and hit her head on a gate post. He said he was too frightened to call an ambulance On july tenth, twenty twenty, yet another story emerged. claimed they had consensual sex. and during it he held Keeey around the neck and accidentally killed her. You'll often hear this referred to as the rough sex defense And it's worth noting that at the time, the law had not yet changed regarding that rough sex defense Less than a year later, though, the Domestic Abuse Act twenty twenty one would make it clear that consent could not be relied upon as a defense where serious harm or death occurred during sexual activity That legal change came after a number of troubling cases where defendants attempted to minimize violence by calling it consensual. But when Kilu was killed in twenty nineteen, the landscape was different That became a key issue in this case As detectives continue dig in industriry's background More allegations surfaced with police discovering there were other young women who said they too had been assaulted by him in the past Sparate charges were brought involving multiple alleged victims, including two further counts of rape Three counts of sexual assault and a charge of sexual activity with a child common theme was that Street knew each of his victims to some degree and forced himself upon them after his advances were rejected. There were women and girls who, like Keey, knew him socially People from the same local circles pattern would become deeply significant Prosecutors would argue Keyy was not killed in some freak accident or drunken mishap, like Street had claimed. They would argue she was targeted by someone who believed he could use trust as a weapon And soon, in court, a jury would hear the evidence and decide exactly what happened in those dark early hours in Tamworth I mentioned Keey's height earlier and said it would become important later on The reason is that Street towered over it So he knew full well that he would be able to overpower Kil with relative ease to carry out the abhorrent things he did. So not only did he take advantage of her by abusing the trust she had in him He did so physically as well The trial began on july thirteenth, twenty twenty at Stafford Crown Court before Mr. Justice Jeremy Baker At that point, Street was twenty years old, the same age Keey had been when she was killed As you might expect, he denied everything. the rape and murder of Kee, as well as the sexual assault allegations made by three other women prosecution's opening one one. Jacob Hallam QC told the jury that defensive injuries on Keeely's body showed she hadd been trying to break free from Street's grip In other words, this wasn't something consensual or accidental It was a struggle. And that set the tone for what the jury were about to hear Then came the other evidence. not just about Kille. but about patterns of behavior stretching back years One woman also aged twenty at the time of the trial gave evidence that Street had forced her to perform oral sex on him when she was sixteen The court heard it happened in twenty fifteen after a Parter She described how he followed her into a bathroom door behind him and then suddenly changed his behaviour She told the court he grabbed her hair forced himself on her and continued despite her attempts to resist It only stopped when a knock at the door took Street by surprise and she managed to escape She also described another alleged incident where he put his hands down her clothing without consent Another woman gave evidence about an alleged rape in twenty nineteen She told the court she met Street after he messaged her on Snapchat, complimenting her and asking to meet up. She agreed, thinking nothing of it but she later said she was raped in his bedroom, though Street denied this completely Then the jury heard from Monique as she was there throughout Keey's final hours She told the court how the plan had originally been a simple one The gig of a lifetime followed by a night out, some drinks, then home safely At one point there'd even been talk of getting a lift home from her mum or catching the last train back to Tamwth after the gig plan changed when Street got involved. Monique described him as someone she had known since school. He was just everybody's friend, she said friendly familiar Not someone she expected to be part of a murder investigation. What's interesting about that statement is that after doing a bit of digging, I came across multiple posts online from various people who said street was basically a bad egg right from the start behavior, especially towards women and girls had always been of great concern So it seems he perhaps wore a metaphorical nice guy mask, which allowed him to become close with the very people he would go on to assault. Monique told the court she had tried contacting Keyate the next day, but got no reply Concerned, she then messaged Street, who spun the same lie he'd initially told the police about part in where's Wiquile Monique also told the jury that Street later became angry when people began suggesting he was involved in Keey's disappearance She said he visited her home and at one point changed his account of the route he and Killley had taken that night Court also heard that he had tried to control parts of the situation even before the night out including telling the girls not to post on social media while they were out, because it might contradict what he had told others Dog Walker told the court that in the early hours of september nineteenth, between five and six AM, Dog found a bag in Wigganton Park Inside were personal belongings, clothing, makeup and food items, all of which belonged to Kilele. Dog walker also said he noticed a shadowy figure nearby in the woods when his Sean is taught in the figure's direction ppeared Later that morning, Street's bank card was found in the same park Witnesses then place Street back in the area later in the day With one sce, it looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders Crucial forensic evidence was then revealed to the court. The greay Airce top worn by street was found to contain bloodstains matching Keey's DNA profile Her makeup was also present on the fabric along with tracers of her saliva Then came the digital evidence phone, cell site and GPS data from his mobile placed him in and around Wigington Park from four fifteen AM Movement data suggested repeated entries and exits from the park over several hours prorosecution ultimately built a timeline that was difficult to ignore. They argued Kilt was dead by around four fifty eight AM. and that Street moved her body shortly after five AM claim he then spent around an hour attempting to conceal a b. They said he went home, stayed there for several hours, then returned to the scene again to cover her further. He did that multiple times. When Street's defense challenged the reliability of some GPS readings, suggesting possible anomalies prosecution stood firm. The analyst told the court that modern GPS data is highly reliable in the vast majority of cases. Then came Street's own evidence When he took the stand, he admitted he had lied previously insisting he had done so because he was scared Even so, he denied murdering Kila He told the jury they had been flirting that night and that they had shared a kiss. He also claimed they were being intimate in the park and that she seemed happy. with him again describing it as consensual He told the court that CCTV footage showing them together had been player fighting prosecution saw it differently They said Keila was trying to get away And when it was confronted with CCTV from Tam withith Rugby Union Club, located right at the top of the park, showing the pair together at around four twenty three AM They were hugging before moving out of view case tightened further Street's accounts soon change once more He told the jury that after this, they went deeper into the park and had sex Then he said, everything changed