Postmistress Death: Husband Arrested

I recall feeling rather suspicious when I first read about this robbery/murder at the village post office in North Yorkshire. What made me feel somewhat suspicious was that the woman's body was found in an upstairs room. The husband said he had been in the shop when a masked raider came down the stairs. That's what made me wonder: how did the raider get upstairs? Was there a separate door to the living areas of the property? Why didn't the husband hear any noise?

Sky News March 24th

Detective Superintendent Lewis Raw said Mr Garbutt had opened the shop on Tuesday at his usual time of 4.30am and was threatened by a man shortly after opening the post office counter at 8.30am.

Det Supt Raw said a masked raider, armed with a gun, came from the upstairs living premises.

Sky News April 14th

The husband of postmistress Diana Garbutt has been arrested in connection with her murder at her shop in North Yorkshire.

Robin Garbutt, who is 44, is being questioned by detectives from North Yorkshire police.

Mrs Garbutt was found dead in the upstairs living quarters of Melsonby Post Office on March 23.

She had suffered severe head injuries.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Raw, senior investigating officer, said: "The tragic death of Diana Garbutt three weeks ago has had a significant impact on people living in Melsonby and Richmondshire as a whole.

"It has also captured the concern and sympathy of the wider community due to the high level of media coverage of this case.

"I would again like to offer my sincere gratitude for the overwhelming support and understanding local people have given the police throughout this very complex investigation."

the poor lady who was found murdered supposedly by an intruder three weeks ago. Everyone in the village said "poor husband" and I said "he dun it". Well, he's just been arrested. Funny - I said exactly the same about the McCanns nearly 3 years ago. Of course he is still innocent until proven guilty...

keepingmum wrote:the poor lady who was found murdered supposedly by an intruder three weeks ago. Everyone in the village said "poor husband" and I said "he dun it". Well, he's just been arrested. Funny - I said exactly the same about the McCanns nearly 3 years ago. Of course he is still innocent until proven guilty...

I started a thread under 'UK News,' a little while ago:

https://missingmadeleine.forumotion.net/uk-news-f29/postmistress-death-husband-arrested-t9799.htm

I was suspicious of this man from the start when I read that his wife's body had been found upstairs and he had been in the shop when a masked raider came down the stairs. Just seemed quite odd in that I wondered how the raider had got upstairs without being seen: was there another door to the living area? Why would an armed raider go upstairs rather than just straight into the post office with his gun and make off with the cash?

This man said he opened the shop at 4.30am and discovered his wife dead after the raider made off with the cash at 8.38am. The police thought the woman had died anytime between 4am and 8.30am. So, would it be normal for him not to go back upstairs at all for over 4 hours?

Then I read about how devastated the husband was and I just thought no, his story's not that good.

Mods, could the threads be merged pleased?

Sorry AnnaEsse - missed the UK news thread. Agree with all you said. Perhaps we're both just cynics?

keepingmum wrote:the poor lady who was found murdered supposedly by an intruder three weeks ago. Everyone in the village said "poor husband" and I said "he dun it". Well, he's just been arrested. Funny - I said exactly the same about the McCanns nearly 3 years ago. Of course he is still innocent until proven guilty...

I was going to post the same, it won't help the statistics. There was a murder victim found in a freezer in a Norfolk pub the other week, the partner has been charged.

Sometimes l do wonder how this case would have panned out if it was solely a UK case.

ETA: No room for translation errors in any way, l don't think UK police would have gone with abduction as long as PJ did, Gasper statements would have been there for all to see, l'm not PJ bashing before anyone thinks so.

keepingmum wrote:Sorry AnnaEsse - missed the UK news thread. Agree with all you said. Perhaps we're both just cynics?

No probs keepingmum. And yes, maybe we are just cynics. Well, maybe not just as I think it's quite a rational way to be.

We need the two threads to be merged!

margaret wrote:

keepingmum wrote:the poor lady who was found murdered supposedly by an intruder three weeks ago. Everyone in the village said "poor husband" and I said "he dun it". Well, he's just been arrested. Funny - I said exactly the same about the McCanns nearly 3 years ago. Of course he is still innocent until proven guilty...

I was going to post the same, it won't help the statistics. There was a murder victim found in a freezer in a Norfolk pub the other week, the partner has been charged.

Sometimes l do wonder how this case would have panned out if it was solely a UK case.

If this would have happened in the UK, on Gerry and Kate's home turf? Sheesh!

Maddie would have merely been a child of two doctors who tragically died due to complications from a birth defect, or a terrible accident. End of story! (imo)

margaret wrote:

keepingmum wrote:the poor lady who was found murdered supposedly by an intruder three weeks ago. Everyone in the village said "poor husband" and I said "he dun it". Well, he's just been arrested. Funny - I said exactly the same about the McCanns nearly 3 years ago. Of course he is still innocent until proven guilty...

I was going to post the same, it won't help the statistics. There was a murder victim found in a freezer in a Norfolk pub the other week, the partner has been charged.

Sometimes l do wonder how this case would have panned out if it was solely a UK case.

ETA: No room for translation errors in any way, l don't think UK police would have gone with abduction as long as PJ did, Gasper statements would have been there for all to see, l'm not PJ bashing before anyone thinks so.

If the Maddie case had been a UK case, who would the McCanns have been able to call in for assistance? In a foreign country, they were able to obtain UK government support as a buffer between them and the police and even bring in the British ambassador. They were foreign nationals with support from many quarters and the attention of the world's press because they were a British family on holiday, rather than the parents of one of the many children who disappear annually in the UK, children who rarely make the headlines for more than a few days, if at all.

If the McCanns had 'lost,' Maddie while they were in the UK, who would they have been able to call upon for support? No need for an ambassador, the Prime Minister would have no logical reason to intervene and there would have been no need for the government to lend a PR spokesperson. Those favours that John McCann talked about would have been useless in the UK because official interference would have been seen for what it was: official interference in a police investigation.

Mods, can we merge this thread with keepingmum's please on the main maddie forum?

Mucho thanko!

They wouldn't have required such "big" favors in the UK. They would have arranged things very differently imo.

pennylane wrote:They wouldn't have required such "big" favors in the UK. They would have arranged things very differently imo.

Those big favours were very advantageous though when, imo, the plan went a bit belly-up. Belly-up in the UK and they wouldn't have had that cushion of official support.

AnnaEsse said;



If the Maddie case had been a UK case, who would the McCanns have been able to call in for assistance? In a foreign country, they were able to obtain UK government support as a buffer between them and the police and even bring in the British ambassador. They were foreign nationals with support from many quarters and the attention of the world's press because they were a British family on holiday, rather than the parents of one of the many children who disappear annually in the UK, children who rarely make the headlines for more than a few days, if at all.

If the McCanns had 'lost,' Maddie while they were in the UK, who would they have been able to call upon for support? No need for an ambassador, the Prime Minister would have no logical reason to intervene and there would have been no need for the government to lend a PR spokesperson. Those favours that John McCann talked about would have been useless in the UK because official interference would have been seen for what it was: official interference in a police investigation.



Too right, girl!!!!!!!

Thank you Sasha. And I must say, I like your new signature!

keepingmum wrote:the poor lady who was found murdered supposedly by an intruder three weeks ago. Everyone in the village said "poor husband" and I said "he dun it". Well, he's just been arrested. Funny - I said exactly the same about the McCanns nearly 3 years ago. Of course he is still innocent until proven guilty...

So did I keepingmum....latest from daily wail...


The husband of a postmistress who was found dead at her shop was arrested this morning in connection with her murder.
Robin Garbutt, 44, was being questioned by detectives in connection with the death of his wife, Diana, sources said.
Mrs Garbutt, 40, was found dead in the upstairs living quarters of Melsonby Post Office, North Yorkshire, on March 23.
Inquiry: Diana Garbutt with her husband Robin, who is being questioned over his wife's death. At the time of the killing he told reporters: 'I am lost without her'
North Yorkshire Police confirmed that a man had been arrested in connection with the murder and suspected robbery of the post office.
A spokesman said: 'The 44-year-old, who is from the Richmondshire area, was taken into custody this morning, where he will be interviewed by detectives.'
Mrs Garbutt was found dead in the upstairs living quarters of the Melsonby village post office, near Richmond
Det Supt Lewis Raw, senior investigating officer, said: 'The tragic death of Diana Garbutt three weeks ago has had a significant impact on people living in Melsonby and Richmondshire as a whole.
'It has also captured the concern and sympathy of the wider community due to the high level of media coverage of this case.
'I would again like to offer my sincere gratitude for the overwhelming support and understanding local people have given the police throughout this very complex investigation.'
Mrs Garbutt's body was discovered in the upstairs living quarters of the village store and post office, which she ran with her husband, just after 8.30am on March 23.
She died from severe head injuries.
Police launched a murder investigation and issued a description of a robber they said 'broke into the post office and stole a substantial amount of cash'.
The premises - called The Village Shop and Post Office - is at the heart of the small village, which is a few miles north of Richmond.
It was targeted by armed robbers in March last year, when two men, one armed with what appeared to be a handgun, threatened staff and made off with stamps and a large amount of cash.
People in the village said the couple considered leaving the village after the raid and put the business up for sale but, it appears, they had recently decided to stay.
Residents said the Garbutts moved to Melsonby about seven years ago from the York area and had been married for about the same time. They do not have children.
Mrs Garbutt is thought to have had a military background.
Following her daughter's death, Mrs Garbutt's mother, Agnes Gaylor, made an emotional appeal for information.
She said the last few years in Melsonby had been the happiest of her daughter's life.
'She was content, she loved her life. She didn't deserve to be taken like this. Nobody does. But she. of all people, did not deserve to be taken this way,' she said.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1265890/Robin-Garbutt-arrested-murder-postmistress-wife-Diana.html#ixzz0l508AwIa

AnnaEsse wrote:

pennylane wrote:They wouldn't have required such "big" favors in the UK. They would have arranged things very differently imo.

Those big favours were very advantageous though when, imo, the plan went a bit belly-up. Belly-up in the UK and they wouldn't have had that cushion of official support.

It wouldn't have gone "belly up" in the UK Anna, that's what I'm trying to say! Gerry, the cardiologist, and his GP wife, would have gone about it in a completely different manner, and the death would have slipped right under the radar imo.

We should expect developments today at some point. Under PACE (Police And Criminal Evidence Act) the police have 24 hours from the relevant time, that being when Robin Garbutt arrived at the police station where he was questioned, to charge or release, unless an officer of superintendent level or above can show good reason, in which case they have a further 12 hours to release, charge or take before a magistrate.

AnnaEsse wrote:Thank you Sasha. And I must say, I like your new signature!

You're welcome. Thanks for the comment about my new siggy. I thought I would change it after Marky pointed out to me what my signature was when i was having a down moment ( thread about sorry to say...).

I think we're all probably a lot more cynical than we used to be and who could blame us? The murder of the postmistress rang bells with me straight away, especially when it was said that there were local residents and children around in the street at the time and they'd seen or heard nothing unusual. This seemed to be a case again of one of these supposed intruders who come, do their evil work and go, all without being seen by anyone and without leaving any trace of their presence. From the Daily Mail -

The Village Shop and Post Office is in the centre of Melsonby and police said it would have been busy with residents heading to work and children going to school at the time.
So far no witnesses are believed to have reported seeing the robber or hearing a disturbance. No one has reported seeing an accomplice or a getaway car.
Bill Nixon, who runs a garage opposite, said he saw up to 40 children outside, many of whom had been buying sweets from the store, shortly before the alarm was raised.

Just going off at a tangent for a minute, what is it about getaway cars that these criminals don't like? Do they prefer to stroll down the street carrying their booty, whether money or child, to be seen by anyone in the vicinity and in some cases wander around for more than half an hour to be seen by any passing people? Must be the new fashion; I'm sure getaway cars used to be de rigeur for criminals, a bit like a stocking mask and a scar running down the face. Oh and of course a jemmy.

Speaking of masks, Dimsie, the two men who allegedly stabbed the Cardiff teenager were reported to have been wearing balaclavas. They are described as being Asian, but would that be obvious or maybe they spoke and they had accents?

AnnaEsse wrote:Speaking of masks, Dimsie, the two men who allegedly stabbed the Cardiff teenager were reported to have been wearing balaclavas. They are described as being Asian, but would that be obvious or maybe they spoke and they had accents?

It's the newer balaclavas, Anna, they're not as good as they used to be. Which is probably why none of the many suspicious people hanging around the Ocean Club back in May 2007 bothered with them. Or maybe Jane Tanner's 'abductor' really did have one on - or a ski mask or stocking over his head - and that's why he originally had no features at all? After all, JT was so busy looking for pyjama frills and bare feet on the child, she mightn't have noticed a balaclava or a mask or even if it had been the Elephant Man.

Dimsie wrote:

AnnaEsse wrote:Speaking of masks, Dimsie, the two men who allegedly stabbed the Cardiff teenager were reported to have been wearing balaclavas. They are described as being Asian, but would that be obvious or maybe they spoke and they had accents?

It's the newer balaclavas, Anna, they're not as good as they used to be. Which is probably why none of the many suspicious people hanging around the Ocean Club back in May 2007 bothered with them. Or maybe Jane Tanner's 'abductor' really did have one on - or a ski mask or stocking over his head - and that's why he originally had no features at all? After all, JT was so busy looking for pyjama frills and bare feet on the child, she mightn't have noticed a balaclava or a mask or even if it had been the Elephant Man.

Jane Tanner's "abductor" was seen being driven from the police station in Portimao, where he had protested his innocence. He stated that he had always had blonde hair.

I was watching for news about this last night, because under PACE (Police And Criminal Evidence Act) the police would have had until around 8pm yesterday to release Robin Garbutt, charge him or present him before a magistrate to apply for an extension of his detention.

The police have, in fact, applied to the local magistrates for an extension and Mr Garbutt is still in custody and being questioned.

Northern Echo Friday 16th

DETECTIVES investigating the killing of a village postmistress have been given more time to question her husband in connection with her death.

Magistrates yesterday agreed to extend the time police have to interview Robin Garbutt, who was has been in custody since he was arrested on Wednesday.

His wife, 40-year-old Diana Garbutt, was found dead in the upstairs living quarters of the village post office and shop, in Melsonby, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, on Tuesday, March 23, following a suspected robbery.

It is understood that Mr Garbutt was arrested between 7am and 8am on Wednesday.

Since then, he has been held at an unnamed police station in the county, where he has been interviewed by officers.

A police spokesman said: “The 44-year-old man arrested in connection with the murder of Diana Garbutt remains in police custody for questioning.

Magistrates have granted the investigating officers more time to interview the man.”

Detective Superintendent Lewis Raw, the senior investigating officer in the case, has asked villagers not to speculate about the case.

The death of Mrs Garbutt, who is understood to have moved to Melsonby with her husband seven years ago, left residents in shock.

Since the incident, dozens of floral tributes have been left outside the post office.

While some tributes have been left anonymously, many include hand-written messages, highlighting the deep affection in which Mrs Garbutt was held.

Over the weekend following her death, she was remembered at a service in the village’s church, St James’.

During that service, the Reverend Stan Howarth offered words of comfort to residents distressed by events.

He said: “There have been thoughts of anger – we cannot understand why this should come here into this community.

The events that took place, as they unfold, people will continue to talk about for a long time to come.”

The post office has remained closed since Mrs Garbutt’s death.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0845-60-60-24-7, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800-555-111.

He's now been charged with her murder, Anna.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Post-Office-Murder-Robin-Garbutt-Charged-With-Killing-Wife-Diana-Garbutt-In-Melsonby-North-Yorks/Article/201004315605524?lpos=UK_News_Carousel_Region_1&lid=ARTICLE_15605524_Post_Office_Murder%3A_Robin_Garbutt_Charged_With_Killing_Wife_Diana_Garbutt_In_Melsonby_North_Yorks

Thank you wjk. I had been expecting this when the police got extensions to hold Robin Garbutt. I find it to be another very sad story about someone being killed by a person she should have been able to trust. I shall copy and paste the Sky News update.

A 44-year-old man has been charged with the murder of his postmistress wife, who was found dead at their shop in North Yorkshire.

Robin Garbutt was arrested on Wednesday by North Yorkshire Police following the death of his 40-year-old wife, Diana, last month.

She was found in the upstairs living quarters of Melsonby Post Office, North Yorkshire, after claims that there had been an armed robbery.

Garbutt is due to appear at Northallerton Magistrates' Court on Saturday morning, a police spokesman said.

Police launched a murder investigation after Mrs Garbutt was found dead upstairs at The Village Shop and Post Office just after 8.30am on March 23. She had suffered severe head injuries.

Detectives issued a description of a robber they said "broke into the post office and stole a substantial amount of cash".

The couple, who did not have any children, had run the post office for about seven years after moving to Melsonby from the York area.

Mrs Garbutt is thought to have had a military background.

After her death, her mother, Agnes Gaylor, appealed for information, saying the last few years had been the happiest of her daughter's life.

A police spokesman said: "North Yorkshire Police have today charged a 44-year-old man with the murder of Diana Garbutt.

"He is due to appear at Northallerton Magistrates' Court on Saturday."

That poor woman's mother. I imagine that however old your children are, it's a terrible shock when a son or daughter dies suddenly, but under conditions like these, it must be very hard to deal with. Diana's mother said the last few years had been the happiest of her daughter's life and I hope they were. At least her mother has that.

keepingmum wrote:the poor lady who was found murdered supposedly by an intruder three weeks ago. Everyone in the village said "poor husband" and I said "he dun it". Well, he's just been arrested. Funny - I said exactly the same about the McCanns nearly 3 years ago. Of course he is still innocent until proven guilty...

'
As soon as I heard about this murder by a supposed intruder I thought the whole story was very strange. Not at all surprised that this poor woman's husband has been arrested.