00:00:05
JANE PERRY: A fatal
fall from 80 feet
00:00:08
off a bridge
into an ice cold river
00:00:11
in the middle of the night.
00:00:12
[music playing]
00:00:14
- We could see scuff
marks on the pipe,
00:00:16
as if someone had been trying
to cling on for their life
00:00:19
before falling to their death.
00:00:22
JANE PERRY: A young
student's life cut short.
00:00:25
RUTH CHIPP: You never
expect a child to go early.
00:00:29
It's like torture.
00:00:32
JANE PERRY: Was it simply
a bizarre accident--
00:00:35
- What he witnessed
was John almost doing
00:00:38
a backflip over
the railings and
00:00:40
disappearing into the water.
00:00:42
[music intensifies]
00:00:43
[water rushing]
00:00:45
JANE PERRY: --or murder?
00:00:46
- Unless he was punched
with the force of someone
00:00:50
like Popeye, then he could
not go over accidentally.
00:00:55
[music crescendos]
00:01:09
[calm music]
00:01:12
[seagulls calling]
00:01:16
RUTH CHIPP: Our son, John Chipp,
was born on the 11th of March,
00:01:21
1986, in Castletown, which
is an area in Sunderland.
00:01:26
[light music]
00:01:27
He was a lovely baby.
00:01:29
He was bright.
00:01:30
He walked early at 10 months.
00:01:33
He was always fun.
00:01:34
- He was very
thoughtful, very loving,
00:01:38
very friendly with everybody.
00:01:41
And he just loved life.
00:01:43
MARK CHIPP - Mine and John's
relationship was really good
one.
00:01:46
We were very close.
00:01:48
Our John was the older one.
00:01:49
He was two years older than me.
00:01:52
He was always there for us.
00:01:53
He would always
stick up for us.
00:01:55
He would always
fight my corner,
00:01:56
and we had some
great times together.
00:01:58
[upbeat music]
00:02:00
JANE PERRY: Like many
young people in Sunderland,
00:02:01
John loved soccer.
00:02:04
RUTH CHIPP: Even before
he could walk properly,
00:02:06
he was kicking the ball around.
00:02:08
GEORGE CHIPP: He
loved to follow
00:02:09
Sunderland Football Club.
00:02:11
He was a season ticket holder.
00:02:14
- We used to go out
and play football together,
00:02:16
and he was great at football.
00:02:17
So he just used to take
the ball past me all the time.
00:02:23
JANE PERRY: John also
shared his father's
00:02:25
love of racing pigeons.
00:02:27
- He used to love coming
down, sitting with the birds,
00:02:30
helping his dad basket
the birds and train the birds.
00:02:36
RUTH CHIPP: It's
the delightful John Chipp.
00:02:39
He's been in the sea.
00:02:41
We enjoyed our family
holidays, and
00:02:43
we went to the Dominican
Republic as a family.
00:02:46
MARK CHIPP:
The holiday was great.
00:02:47
We had a right laugh.
00:02:48
I was 15 at the time.
00:02:49
He would have been 17.
00:02:51
And we just bonded.
00:02:53
It was great.
00:02:55
I'd class him
as a perfect brother.
00:02:56
I-- I don't think I could
have asked much more from him.
00:03:01
- He was very loving,
very thoughtful.
00:03:04
Always tell you he loved you
and put his arms around you.
00:03:07
We couldn't have asked
for anything better.
00:03:09
[music playing]
00:03:10
JANE PERRY: Situated
in the Northeast of England,
00:03:12
John's home city of Sunderland
is famous for more
00:03:16
than its Football Club.
00:03:17
- We've got
a fabulous coastline,
00:03:20
lots of historic things,
good shopping centers.
00:03:24
It's a really, really
nice area to live.
00:03:27
JANE PERRY: It's a city that
former Detective Superintendent
00:03:30
Ian Sharp policed for a decade
during his 30 years of service.
00:03:36
- The city of Sunderland is a
typical busy city center built
00:03:41
around the River Wear,
the deep gorge river,
00:03:45
ideal for shipbuilding,
and one of the oldest
00:03:47
bridges crossing the river is
the Queen Alexandra Bridge.
00:03:52
It's 330 feet long
and 85 feet high.
00:03:56
[light music]
00:03:58
JANE PERRY: By 2004, John
Chipp had finished school
00:04:02
and was preparing for his
next stage in life.
00:04:05
- John was enrolled
in college to do
00:04:07
a BTEC in public services.
00:04:09
- I think he
wanted to be either
00:04:11
a fireman or a police officer.
00:04:14
JANE PERRY: John turned
18 on March 11, 2004.
00:04:18
And a week later,
on Thursday, March 18,
00:04:21
another friend was
celebrating their big day.
00:04:24
- When John finished
work, he called in to see
00:04:29
his dad at the pigeon loft.
00:04:31
- And he just says, dad,
do you mind if I go out?
00:04:35
I said to them,
don't get too much
00:04:37
to drink, make sure
you stick together,
00:04:42
and make sure you
come home together.
00:04:45
- Went out with a big
smile on his face
00:04:47
as he used excited to go and
have a drink with his friends.
00:04:51
- I didn't get home until
after John had gone out.
00:04:55
We had our evening meal,
settled down for the evening,
00:04:58
went to bed,
and John wasn't in.
00:05:02
It wasn't until
the following morning
00:05:05
that we both realized
he hadn't come home,
00:05:09
and that's when alarm
bells start to ring.
00:05:12
It was not like him at all.
00:05:16
He hadn't even phoned
or left a message
00:05:19
to say he was all right.
00:05:21
I had to get to work
that Friday morning.
00:05:25
But I think during
the whole day, both of us
00:05:28
tried his mobile
phone numerous times.
00:05:31
He didn't answer.
00:05:33
- The day have
passed, and we just
00:05:35
thought he might have been
partying at a friend's
00:05:37
house or whatever.
00:05:39
- When I came back from
work on Friday evening,
00:05:44
that's when we reported
him missing to the police.
00:05:49
[light music]
00:05:50
They wanted
a photograph of him.
00:05:55
John always played five a side
football at Nissan Car Factory
00:05:59
Sports Club on a Friday.
00:06:01
We went there,
and he wasn't there.
00:06:03
- You get that feeling,
you know there's something
00:06:07
wrong, desperately wrong.
00:06:10
Just a gut feeling
that you know
00:06:15
it's going to turn out bad.
00:06:18
It was just like he
disappeared off the Earth.
00:06:21
JANE PERRY:
Meanwhile, police were
00:06:23
rapidly escalating
their inquiries
00:06:25
into John's disappearance.
00:06:28
- He was reported
missing Friday,
00:06:29
the 19th of March
to my colleague, Detective
00:06:32
Sergeant Chris Sobenga.
00:06:35
We get many reports
of missing from homes.
00:06:38
This one was more unusual.
00:06:41
The family were
distraught and frantic.
00:06:45
Chris Sobenga contacted
the family immediately to seek
00:06:48
clues and help from them.
00:06:51
We began inquiries
around the mobile phone
00:06:54
to see if there was
any response from that.
00:06:56
And then began to review CCTV
footage from the town center
00:07:02
to see if they could
pick up John Chipp.
00:07:04
[moderate music]
00:07:06
CCTV, in its early stages, was
very grainy and bad quality.
00:07:11
But they were able to pick
up John Chipp in the town
00:07:15
center at around 11:30.
00:07:19
He'd been out drinking,
and was very drunk,
00:07:22
and had been spoken
to by police officers
00:07:25
in the town center, who
told him to behave and
00:07:29
get himself on his way home.
00:07:32
Further CCTV footage
was reviewed,
00:07:35
and it was able to pick
up John running home quite
00:07:39
fast from the city
center along towards
00:07:43
the Queen Alexandra Bridge.
00:07:46
Another male was seen
about two minutes ahead
00:07:49
of him going onto
the bridge before John ran
00:07:52
onto the bridge.
00:07:55
The last movements of John
entering the bridge
00:07:57
from the south side was
just after midnight at about
00:08:01
quarter past midnight.
00:08:02
That takes us
into the early hours
00:08:04
of Friday the 19th of March.
00:08:06
[dramatic music]
00:08:08
So we know that he went onto
the Queen Alexandra Bridge
00:08:12
from the south side trying
to get home on the north side.
00:08:16
But he never came over
the other side of the bridge.
00:08:19
He wasn't seen again.
00:08:22
The worst case
scenario was that
00:08:24
he'd fallen from the bridge
somehow, an 80-foot drop.
00:08:28
[water rushing]
00:08:29
A fall from the bridge
of 80 foot onto the water
00:08:34
would certainly knock you
out unconscious immediately.
00:08:38
It's similar
to hitting concrete.
00:08:40
The weather
at the time was rough
00:08:42
and a cold water temperature
from the north sea.
00:08:46
The chances of survival from
an 80-foot drop onto the river
00:08:51
are very slim indeed.
00:08:52
[ominous music]
00:08:57
[moderate music]
00:09:01
JANE PERRY: In the days after
John Chipp went missing on
00:09:03
March 18, 2004,
possibly having suffered
00:09:07
a fatal fall from the Queen
Alexandra Bridge in Sunderland,
00:09:12
police and family
grew increasingly
00:09:14
concerned for his safety.
00:09:16
RUTH CHIPP: You felt powerless.
00:09:18
You didn't know where
to start looking.
00:09:21
You don't know what to do.
00:09:23
It's awful, absolutely awful.
00:09:25
[somber music]
00:09:26
JANE PERRY: While
police pieced together
00:09:28
John's last known
movements, John's father,
00:09:31
George, continued
to do everything
00:09:33
he could to find his son.
00:09:36
- I just couldn't sit back
and just sit-in the house.
00:09:39
I just had to be
out there, looking.
00:09:43
I'd went down to the river,
because we used to walk
00:09:45
the dog down the river.
00:09:47
I searched the allotments
where I've got the pigeons.
00:09:52
I never give up.
00:09:54
I went out looking every day.
00:09:57
- I always had it in my head
that he was going to show up.
00:09:59
He's somewhere.
00:10:00
He's-- he's just
being an idiot.
00:10:02
Just come home, John.
00:10:04
JANE PERRY: Investigators,
led at this point
00:10:06
by Detective Sergeant
Chris Sobenga
00:10:08
were desperate
for more information.
00:10:12
Chris Sobenga was in close
contact with the family,
00:10:15
and he urged the family
to make a press
00:10:18
appeal for further
witnesses to come forward.
00:10:21
[light music]
00:10:23
RUTH CHIPP: Sunderland
Football Club, they
00:10:24
were very happy to put an
appeal out at their home game
00:10:28
that weekend.
00:10:30
I was asked if I would do
a local radio interview.
00:10:35
Probably one of the most
traumatic ones
00:10:37
was doing the press
conference where
00:10:40
people's cameras are clicking
as you walk in a room.
00:10:43
[moderate music]
00:10:45
HONOR DORO TOWNSHEND:
There are a number
00:10:46
of reasons why the police
might choose to hold
00:10:49
a missing person appeal.
00:10:50
The first one might be
that they are looking out
00:10:53
for people who
might be witnesses,
00:10:54
without even realizing that
they witnessed anything.
00:10:58
There is the added
benefit in a way
00:11:00
that doing this appeal
is really highlighting
00:11:02
to the victim's
family that they
00:11:04
are doing as much as they can.
00:11:07
A missing person's appeal
can have the added bonus
00:11:11
of putting pressure on people
who either know information or
00:11:14
is aware of someone
else being involved,
00:11:16
because it can start
to feel like those walls are
00:11:18
closing in.
00:11:20
So it can encourage people who
know something to come forward.
00:11:23
[suspenseful music]
00:11:24
IAN SHARP: Police
investigations at this point
00:11:26
are centered around
searching the riverbanks.
00:11:29
The Marine section
of Northumbria police
00:11:32
were involved,
underwater search
00:11:35
unit divers were involved.
00:11:37
But it is difficult
because of the fast flowing
00:11:40
tide and the deep silt.
00:11:43
JANE PERRY: But almost two
weeks since his disappearance,
00:11:45
there was still
no sign of John.
00:11:48
IAN SHARP: The police
are struggling
00:11:49
to find any clues or evidence.
00:11:52
The bridge has been
searched and analyzed.
00:11:55
There are no signs of any
struggle or assault or
00:11:57
any blood, so there is
no typical crime scene
00:12:01
to start a murder inquiry.
00:12:02
[light music]
00:12:04
JANE PERRY: Meanwhile,
the local community rallied
00:12:06
to support John's family.
00:12:09
- I had people
knocking on our door
00:12:12
with flowers, some people
I didn't even know.
00:12:16
I started to feel like we
lived in a flower shop.
00:12:19
But you almost feel like
your life's not your own
00:12:24
at that time, because you
just go through motions
00:12:28
other than your grief and your
frustration of not having any--
00:12:33
anything to do or any news.
00:12:35
You function, and that's all.
00:12:37
[suspenseful music]
00:12:38
JANE PERRY: In late
March 2004, two
00:12:41
weeks after John went missing
from the Queen Alexandra
00:12:44
Bridge, police received
a call, which was quickly
00:12:47
brought to the attention
of Detective Superintendent
00:12:50
Ian sharp.
00:12:52
- The phone call
comes in from a member
00:12:54
of the public, who happens
to be a family friend of a man
00:12:59
named Christopher Weldon.
00:13:01
The witness told
us that he'd been
00:13:03
out drinking with Christopher
Weldon and the wives.
00:13:08
There'd been a lot
of alcohol consumed.
00:13:11
Weldon's wife took
the car keys from Weldon
00:13:14
and told him he was
not capable of driving.
00:13:19
Weldon objected to that.
00:13:20
There was an argument,
and he stormed off in a huff,
00:13:23
stating he was going to go
to the Queen Alexandra Bridge
00:13:27
and throw himself off.
00:13:29
[dramatic music]
00:13:32
The witness told us
that he'd been talking
00:13:35
to Christopher Weldon,
and-- and he said,
00:13:38
you'd never guess
what's happened.
00:13:39
I went to the Queen
Alexandra Bridge,
00:13:42
and as I was standing there, a
young lad came running across,
00:13:46
and he's gone over
the side of the bridge.
00:13:48
[ominous music]
00:13:52
The witness urged Weldon
to go to the police,
00:13:55
but Weldon refused.
00:13:57
So that witness
came to the police
00:13:59
and gave us that information.
00:14:02
And at that point,
myself and Steve Barron
00:14:06
became involved
in a homicide inquiry.
00:14:10
[music crescendos]
00:14:13
- The witness had
quite a tale to tell,
00:14:15
and I think we were all very
surprised when he came forward.
00:14:22
Weldon had said, this young
lad come running towards us,
00:14:26
and he started
to fight with us.
00:14:28
And during that fight,
that young lad has
00:14:31
somehow gone over the bridge.
00:14:34
Weldon hadn't done anything.
00:14:35
He hadn't left
the bridge and contacted
00:14:37
the emergency services.
00:14:39
In actual fact, he'd left
the bridge, phoned a friend,
00:14:42
and got a lift home.
00:14:43
The witness was willing
to give that evidence in court.
00:14:48
So now we have what we
would refer to as a key and
00:14:51
significant witness.
00:14:52
And now we are very much
leaning towards the fact
00:14:56
that what's happened
on the bridge
00:14:59
is John has come across
Christopher Weldon.
00:15:02
There's been some
form of altercation.
00:15:05
And as a result of that,
John's ended up in the river.
00:15:08
[ominous music]
00:15:12
JANE PERRY: Investigators
were grateful
00:15:13
that the witness had found the
strength to come forward and
00:15:17
report one of his own friends.
00:15:19
STEVE BARRON: He knows that if
this turns out to be a murder
00:15:24
and his friends found guilty
of it, that he's going
00:15:27
to go to jail for a long time.
00:15:31
I'm sure he thought
long and hard about it,
00:15:34
but I'm also sure
that he was hugely
00:15:36
influenced by those appeals
from John's parents.
00:15:41
JANE PERRY: Armed with
this new information,
00:15:43
Detective Superintendent
Ian Sharp moved
00:15:46
quickly to detain his suspect.
00:15:49
- Christopher Weldon
was arrested and
00:15:51
placed in the cells overnight.
00:15:53
He was originally arrested
for an assault case
00:15:57
because he'd already
confessed to being
00:16:01
in a fight on the bridge
with a younger man.
00:16:05
So the arrest for assault
was appropriate because we
00:16:10
did not have a dead body.
00:16:12
[radio chatter]
00:16:13
JANE PERRY: With Christopher
Weldon in detention
00:16:16
awaiting interview
at Sunderland police station,
00:16:19
astonishing new information
about their suspect
00:16:21
quickly came to light
regarding an incident
00:16:24
that happened just 10 days
before John Chipp disappeared.
00:16:29
- We found out that
Christopher Weldon had
00:16:33
been a passenger on a ferry.
00:16:35
That ferry traveled from
Amsterdam to North Shields.
00:16:39
And what we knew was that
Weldon was on that boat
00:16:42
with a number of friends.
00:16:44
We also knew that there was
a 35-year-old German man called
00:16:48
Frank Conrad on the ferry.
00:16:51
- We know on that
ferry trip, there
00:16:53
had been an argument between
Weldon and Frank Conrad.
00:16:57
- And when the ferry
docked in North shields,
00:17:00
Mr. Conrad was not on board.
00:17:02
[suspenseful music]
00:17:04
Mr. Conrad, at some point
during that journey,
00:17:08
had gone overboard
and into the North Sea.
00:17:11
- We know that Weldon
was interviewed
00:17:13
by police about a week before
John Chipp went missing.
00:17:18
- So when Weldon was
arrested in relation
00:17:21
to John's disappearance,
he's already
00:17:25
a part of an investigation
in relation
00:17:27
to Frank Conrad's missing
episode from the ferry.
00:17:30
JANE PERRY: Frank Conrad's
body was never found.
00:17:33
And although Weldon
was never charged,
00:17:35
police were struck by the
similarities between the cases.
00:17:39
- We have two reports
of men going into water
00:17:47
under circumstances
that are not
00:17:49
understood and not explained.
00:17:52
And both investigations now
involve Christopher Weldon.
00:17:58
[light music]
00:18:00
- It's important
to note that Weldon
00:18:02
never had any criminal
charge associated
00:18:04
with the ferry incident.
00:18:06
However, that
incident will have
00:18:08
meant that Weldon was aware
that someone went overboard,
00:18:12
was missing, and no criminal
charges were brought.
00:18:15
And that does then
pose the question
00:18:17
that, did that give
Weldon a kind of sense
00:18:20
of self-assurance,
a confidence that he then
00:18:23
felt he didn't need
to go to the police
00:18:25
when he knew that John
had gone over the bridge?
00:18:28
Because he knew that
no information had
00:18:31
been found in relation
to the ferry incident,
00:18:33
so why would this
be any Different
00:18:34
[suspenseful music]
00:18:36
JANE PERRY: For Detective
Superintendent Ian Sharp,
00:18:38
this was a unique
and challenging case.
00:18:42
- As a Detective
Superintendent and
00:18:44
senior investigating officer, I
had investigated many murders,
00:18:49
which normally begin with
a crime scene, a dead body,
00:18:53
forensic scientists,
pathologists,
00:18:56
blood splash patterns,
and lots of clues
00:18:59
to help you get started.
00:19:01
This was a unique case
because we had none of that.
00:19:04
And we were pinning our hopes
on an interview strategy
00:19:08
to see what clues we could pick
up from Christopher Weldon.
00:19:12
So it was important
to talk to him
00:19:14
and find out exactly what
happened on the bridge.
00:19:17
[music crescendos]
00:19:20
[light music]
00:19:24
JANE PERRY: With 18-year-old
John Chipp still missing after
00:19:27
an altercation on Queen
Alexandra Bridge in Sunderland,
00:19:31
police needed to establish
whether he had
00:19:33
accidentally fallen
into the river below
00:19:36
or if he had been pushed.
00:19:39
While their number
one suspect was
00:19:41
in the cells
awaiting interview,
00:19:43
police informed
John Chipp's family
00:19:45
of Christopher Weldon's arrest.
00:19:47
[calm music]
00:19:48
- We had a visit from the CID.
00:19:52
- But the information,
what we got,
00:19:55
we didn't really want to hear,
because it was all bad.
00:20:00
- It was pure shock.
00:20:02
We still didn't have John.
00:20:04
We still didn't know the true
facts behind what had gone on.
00:20:08
You just want to know
where he is and why.
00:20:11
[suspenseful music]
00:20:13
JANE PERRY: As well
as prompting
00:20:14
Christopher Weldon's
arrest, the call
00:20:17
made by his friend also led
Detective Superintendent Ian
00:20:21
Sharp to re-examine the scene
of John Chipp's suspected
00:20:24
fatal fall.
00:20:26
- When we got information that
an altercation had taken place
00:20:31
between Weldon and John
Chipp on the bridge,
00:20:33
we examined closely
a pipe that ran
00:20:36
alongside the barrier
of the bridge,
00:20:39
and we could see scuff
marks on the pipe,
00:20:42
like finger marks
being dragged down
00:20:44
the pipe as if someone
was trying
00:20:46
to hold on before falling.
00:20:48
[dramatic beat]
00:20:49
It was gut wrenching.
00:20:51
It was terrible
to think that someone
00:20:52
had been trying to cling
on for their life
00:20:55
before falling to their death.
00:20:56
[dramatic beat]
00:20:57
Seeing those finger
marks on that pipe
00:21:00
certainly tied in with Weldon's
first confession to his friend,
00:21:06
that an altercation
that took place,
00:21:08
and a boy had gone over
the side of the bridge.
00:21:10
[suspenseful music]
00:21:12
What we now had
to try and understand
00:21:14
was, was that an accident
or was he deliberately
00:21:18
thrown over the bridge?
00:21:20
JANE PERRY: Ian
and his team knew
00:21:22
that interviewing
Christopher Weldon
00:21:24
would be key
to understanding what
00:21:26
really happened on the bridge.
00:21:29
- Weldon's version
of events is that he
00:21:32
is there because he
is contemplating
00:21:34
taking his own life.
00:21:37
He says that he sees a young
man running towards him,
00:21:42
and that that young man
begins to assault him.
00:21:46
Weldon describes that
he somehow stumbles
00:21:50
and his arms flail upwards.
00:21:53
And in doing so, he
catches John somehow,
00:21:58
and John is propelled
backwards over the railings
00:22:02
and into the water.
00:22:05
Video interviews now
are very commonplace.
00:22:08
But back then, they weren't.
00:22:10
IAN SHARP: It was difficult
to picture in your mind
00:22:12
exactly what you were
seeing and to establish,
00:22:16
was this an accident or not.
00:22:18
I knew at that point the Crown
Prosecution Service would think
00:22:21
there was reasonable doubt.
00:22:23
So I decided on a new tactic
to go to the gymnasium
00:22:28
and set up a volleyball net at
the same height of the bridge
00:22:31
barrier, and to get Weldon
to reconstruct and tell
00:22:36
us exactly what
had happened, only
00:22:39
this time video record it
to see if what he was saying
00:22:44
was indeed possible.
00:22:45
[camera shutter]
00:22:46
We said it
at the height of 4 feet
00:22:48
2 inches, which is
exactly the same height
00:22:52
as the bridge barrier.
00:22:55
- And we essentially
said to Weldon,
00:22:58
can you show us what
this looked like?
00:23:01
And what he described was being
knocked back during this attack
00:23:06
and lost his balance.
00:23:08
His arm flew in the air,
made contact with John.
00:23:13
And what he witnessed
was John almost doing
00:23:17
a backflip over
the railings and
00:23:20
disappearing into the water.
00:23:22
- That's the version
he was sticking to.
00:23:24
He was defending himself.
00:23:25
He was the victim,
and this young boy
00:23:28
had somehow gone over headfirst
over the side of the bridge
00:23:33
and had fallen to his death.
00:23:35
- I'm thinking to myself from
a common sense perspective,
00:23:40
I don't know
if that's possible.
00:23:42
- The difficulty
now was convincing
00:23:44
the CPS to charge a murder
charge given that we
00:23:49
did not have a dead body.
00:23:51
[ominous music]
00:23:52
JANE PERRY: To help convince
the Crown Prosecution Service
00:23:55
to charge Weldon
with murder, they
00:23:57
decided to enlist the help
of pathologist Jim Sunter
00:24:01
and explained to him
the circumstances
00:24:03
of the altercation.
00:24:05
- We said, if this
young man has gone off
00:24:07
the bridge in these
circumstances,
00:24:10
what's the likelihood
of him surviving
00:24:12
an impact with the water?
00:24:15
And what that
person said was, I'm
00:24:17
convinced that that
young man would
00:24:20
not have survived that fall.
00:24:22
You simply haven't yet
recovered his body.
00:24:24
[suspenseful music]
00:24:25
The next thing we
asked him about
00:24:26
was, what did he think
about the account
00:24:29
that Christopher
Weldon had provided?
00:24:31
- He immediately said,
no, that's impossible,
00:24:34
because your center of gravity
is down where your hips are.
00:24:38
The barrier rail is set
at 4 foot 2 shoulder
00:24:41
height for a safety reason.
00:24:45
And unless he was punched
with the force of someone
00:24:49
like Popeye, then he could
not go over accidentally.
00:24:55
We got a very early statement
from the pathologist
00:24:58
at that point
to support the theory
00:25:01
that John Chipp had
been deliberately
00:25:03
pushed over the bridge.
00:25:05
And this was murder,
not an accident.
00:25:07
[ominous music]
00:25:09
[light music]
00:25:11
JANE PERRY: Even
without a body,
00:25:13
the evidence gathered
by Ian and Steve
00:25:15
was enough to convince
the Crown Prosecution Service.
00:25:19
On Thursday, April
1, 2004, they
00:25:23
authorized a charge of murder
against Christopher Weldon,
00:25:26
and he was remanded
in custody to appear
00:25:29
at Houghton Le spring
Magistrates' Court
00:25:31
the following morning.
00:25:33
Meanwhile, Ian and Steve
visited John's family
00:25:36
to tell them that Weldon
was now being charged
00:25:39
with their son's murder.
00:25:41
- I don't recall exactly
what my reaction was,
00:25:46
because it's not happiness.
00:25:49
You never expect
a child to go early.
00:25:53
It's like torture.
00:25:56
We still didn't have John.
00:25:59
All I wanted was
to know where my--
00:26:02
my son was so I could
lay him to rest.
00:26:06
[light music]
00:26:08
- Often, we talk about the
significant impact on families
00:26:11
when a loved one
is murdered, but
00:26:13
it can be worse when there
is no body to grieve over.
00:26:17
Because there's this constant
back of the mind thought of,
00:26:20
what if they're just missing?
00:26:22
What if they turn up?
00:26:23
Because there's no
evidence physically
00:26:25
yet that that can't happen.
00:26:27
[dramatic music]
00:26:29
- The underlying priority
for the family and for us,
00:26:33
was to recover
John Chipp's body
00:26:36
and give the family
some peace of mind.
00:26:38
And we made a promise
that we would
00:26:41
do everything humanly possible
to recover John's body.
00:26:45
JANE PERRY: While
police frogmen continued
00:26:47
to search the River
Wear, investigators
00:26:50
made another
breakthrough in the case.
00:26:53
- A witness came forward,
and she described
00:26:56
entering the bridge
from the North side,
00:26:59
and she encountered
a big man, who we now
00:27:02
know as Christopher Weldon.
00:27:04
She walked past the big man.
00:27:07
And as she walked
towards the South side,
00:27:09
she saw what she
says is a young boy
00:27:12
running under the bridge.
00:27:15
It is important that
she places both of them
00:27:17
together on the bridge
at quarter past midnight.
00:27:21
That was the last
sighting of John Chipp.
00:27:24
JANE PERRY:
As investigations continued,
00:27:27
so did the search
for John Chipp's body.
00:27:29
[somber music]
00:27:30
- It's important because that
body will tell us a story.
00:27:34
For example, was John alive
when he hit the water,
00:27:38
or was he killed on the bridge
first and then thrown over?
00:27:42
John could have
had a suicide note
00:27:44
on his body, which
would indicate
00:27:47
that he had killed
himself rather than
00:27:49
being thrown from the bridge.
00:27:52
- The officers from
the Northumbria Police Marine
00:27:55
Unit undertook hours
and hours of searching
00:27:58
in the-- the river.
00:28:00
We are in the most
arduous of circumstances.
00:28:04
- We had a friend that
had a small, small boat.
00:28:09
For a couple of days, we
went up and down the river,
00:28:12
the same river as the police.
00:28:13
So they were on the south side.
00:28:17
We were on the north
side, but we had no joy.
00:28:20
It was nigh
on impossible, really.
00:28:22
[suspenseful music]
00:28:25
JANE PERRY: On April
15, 2004, almost a month
00:28:29
after John Chipp had fallen
from the Queen Alexandra
00:28:32
bridge, and two weeks after
Christopher Weldon had
00:28:35
been charged with his murder,
the search for John's body
00:28:38
came to an end.
00:28:41
- A dog Walker at Hilton,
a couple of miles up the river,
00:28:45
saw a body floating in the
river and contacted the police.
00:28:51
[somber music]
00:28:53
The Marine section recovered
the body from the river
00:28:56
and brought it back to the dock
at Sunderland, where myself
00:29:01
and Steve Barron were waiting.
00:29:03
- John's mobile phone, and as I
recall, his wallet were--
00:29:06
were still in his pockets.
00:29:07
So that-- that indicated
that it was John,
00:29:11
and you could see
that it was-- it
00:29:14
was John, albeit he
was formally identified
00:29:17
through DNA enquiries.
00:29:19
[light music]
00:29:22
JANE PERRY: John's
body was sent
00:29:23
to pathologist Jim
Sunter for a post-mortem,
00:29:26
while Detective Superintendent
Ian Sharp passed on the news
00:29:30
to John's family.
00:29:32
- They just gave
us that information
00:29:34
and made sure we
were OK, but I think
00:29:36
they knew that we
needed to be on our own,
00:29:40
and I think we just
hugged and cried.
00:29:43
Part in sadness,
but also relief
00:29:48
that at least we
knew where he was,
00:29:52
and we could finally
have some closure.
00:29:57
- I was in school, actually.
00:29:59
I was in a lesson,
and the two teachers come in
00:30:03
and took me out of the lesson.
00:30:06
I thought I was in trouble.
00:30:09
And they put us in the car,
but they didn't say a word.
00:30:11
It was just silence.
00:30:12
And then they took us home.
00:30:14
And that's when I got--
00:30:17
got told that the body
had been found.
00:30:21
And then when the teachers
had gone, I just burst--
00:30:25
burst into tears, and I
just jumped off the stairs
00:30:28
and just gave my mom
and dad a big cuddle.
00:30:33
JANE PERRY: While John's family
were left to process the news,
00:30:36
a post-mortem
gave investigators
00:30:38
more information about what
had happened to him the night
00:30:41
he fell from the bridge.
00:30:43
- He had not been
stabbed before going over
00:30:46
from the side of the bridge.
00:30:48
- John had water
in his lungs, which
00:30:50
means that when John
entered the river,
00:30:54
he was still breathing.
00:30:56
- Pathologists said he
would have been knocked
00:30:58
unconscious immediately.
00:31:01
And when he went
under the water,
00:31:03
he took a gulp of breath,
and water entered his lungs.
00:31:08
The cause of death
was given as drowning.
00:31:11
The property was
still on the body,
00:31:14
so he wasn't robbed
on the bridge, and nothing else
00:31:17
to give us any indication that
something else had happened
00:31:20
on the bridge, other
than an altercation and
00:31:23
being bundled over
the side and into the river
00:31:27
whilst he was alive.
00:31:28
[suspenseful music]
00:31:30
Trying to put together
a motive for John's murder,
00:31:33
I think it's clear that
Christopher Weldon's
00:31:36
standing on that bridge with
serious troubles on his mind.
00:31:41
He'd just been interviewed
about a ferry death.
00:31:45
He'd had an argument
with his wife.
00:31:47
He was drunk.
00:31:48
He'd gone to the bridge,
and he told people
00:31:50
he was going to kill himself.
00:31:52
He didn't kill himself and
killed someone else instead.
00:31:56
[light music]
00:31:58
JANE PERRY: After
weeks of turmoil,
00:32:00
John Chipp's parents were
finally able to begin
00:32:03
preparing for his funeral.
00:32:05
And his father,
George, was determined
00:32:07
that John finished the journey
he started the night he died.
00:32:12
- I was told that there
wouldn't be bringing them home,
00:32:16
but I demanded he come home.
00:32:19
I says he was on his way home.
00:32:21
He wanted to get home.
00:32:23
I want you to bring him home.
00:32:25
They brought in that
house, and we--
00:32:29
we had John
in the house overnight,
00:32:33
obviously, in his coffin.
00:32:35
That was such a relief.
00:32:38
I felt much, much
better just having
00:32:42
him there for that night.
00:32:45
That was probably the best
sleep I had had for weeks.
00:32:47
[somber music]
00:32:48
JANE PERRY: Finally,
on May 12, 2004,
00:32:52
John Chipp was laid to rest.
00:32:54
MARK CHIPP: The funeral
was absolutely massive.
00:32:57
Couldn't get everyone
in the church.
00:32:58
Outside the church,
the street was just packed.
00:33:01
It was-- it's the biggest
funeral I've ever--
00:33:03
I've ever seen.
00:33:05
It was unbelievable the amount
that turnout for him.
00:33:07
- The street was lined by
hundreds of neighbors, friends.
00:33:13
It was very moving.
00:33:17
- It was an amazing occasion,
but a-- but a very sad one.
00:33:22
You can't believe that an--
00:33:24
an 18-year-old that still lived
at home could have an effect
00:33:30
on so many people's lives.
00:33:34
[birds chirping]
00:33:38
[somber music]
00:33:42
JANE PERRY: On June 15,
2004, Christopher Weldon
00:33:46
appeared in court
at a plea hearing
00:33:48
for pushing John
Chipp to his death
00:33:50
from the Queen Alexandra
bridge in Sunderland.
00:33:53
It was the first
time John's parents
00:33:55
came face to face with the man
accused of killing their son.
00:34:01
- I remember thinking,
bizarrely, he's not a monster.
00:34:05
I-- I don't know whether
you think somebody is--
00:34:09
that does such a horrific
thing to another human
00:34:13
being can look normal.
00:34:17
- I just seen him as evil.
00:34:21
I couldn't see him
as anything else.
00:34:22
[ominous music]
00:34:24
JANE PERRY: After
pleading not guilty,
00:34:26
Christopher Weldon was
remanded until November 2004,
00:34:30
when he went on trial
for the murder of John Chipp.
00:34:34
To disprove Weldon's
version of events,
00:34:37
the prosecution wanted
to show the jury
00:34:39
a visual interpretation
of what must
00:34:42
have happened on the bridge.
00:34:44
- In the run up
to the trial, we
00:34:46
considered another
new tactic of doing
00:34:49
a computer reconstruction.
00:34:51
The defense didn't like it
because it was prejudicial
00:34:55
and because it wasn't
admitted in evidence.
00:34:59
That caused
the judge to instruct
00:35:01
the jury to attend the bridge.
00:35:04
- It is very rare that
a jury will physically go and
00:35:07
visit a crime scene location.
00:35:09
The whole court
process is supposed
00:35:11
to be very secular, very
kept within closed walls.
00:35:15
Now, it can be really
helpful for the jury to help
00:35:17
contextualize the scene.
00:35:20
Specifically,
in this case, they
00:35:22
need to understand
the physicality,
00:35:24
the physical possibility
of Weldon's claim
00:35:27
that John has just
accidentally almost fallen
00:35:29
over the side of this bridge.
00:35:31
And so this visit
to the bridge is
00:35:34
going to have had to be
extremely well planned
00:35:37
and mapped out to be
able to go ahead.
00:35:38
[light music]
00:35:40
JANE PERRY: Over
20 years later,
00:35:42
former Detective
Inspector Steve Barron
00:35:44
revisited the bridge
to retrace the jury's steps.
00:35:48
- We wanted the jury
to see what this looked
00:35:51
like, a 4 foot 2 railing.
00:35:54
And to get over here, you're
going to have to climb over,
00:35:57
or you're going to have to be
manhandled and thrown over.
00:36:02
And we wanted the jury to
understand what an 85-foot drop
00:36:05
looks like, because that's
what we've got
00:36:08
from here under the river.
00:36:10
Coming here and seeing
this footpath
00:36:12
made the jury think about the
account that Weldon had given.
00:36:16
And ultimately, that
just demonstrated
00:36:19
that Weldon's account
was totally fanciful.
00:36:23
[dramatic music]
00:36:24
JANE PERRY: The defense
claimed that John's death
00:36:26
was an accident, and that
he had attacked Weldon.
00:36:31
- Defense was making John out
to be an unpleasant individual,
00:36:37
that John was
looking for a fight,
00:36:41
and that's hard
to listen to as a mother
00:36:46
whose son had been murdered.
00:36:47
[moderate music]
00:36:48
JANE PERRY: In his
defense, Weldon also came
00:36:50
up with an unexpected tactic.
00:36:53
- Incredibly, as part
of the defense strategy,
00:36:57
they introduced evidence
about the ferry incident
00:37:03
the week before
John going missing.
00:37:05
- Where Frank Conrad had
been reported missing,
00:37:09
presumed having gone overboard.
00:37:12
And the jury heard that
Weldon had been on the ferry
00:37:17
when this had happened,
that he'd been
00:37:18
interviewed by the police.
00:37:20
- It seems extremely unusual
that Weldon's defense attorney
00:37:24
would decide to bring up a case
where Weldon's been questioned
00:37:27
in relation
to a potential crime
00:37:30
in very similar
circumstances to the one
00:37:32
that he's now on trial for.
00:37:34
There are a couple of reasons
that they might have
00:37:35
decided to do this, though.
00:37:37
This is a relatively
small local community.
00:37:40
People are going to have heard
about Weldon being questioned
00:37:43
in relation to this
prior case, so they maybe
00:37:46
thought it's better
to officially
00:37:48
introduce it to record
and control the narrative
00:37:51
in relation to it.
00:37:53
Additionally, they're trying
to use this to paint Weldon
00:37:56
as this victim who's
being falsely accused
00:37:59
and has had these run ins
a couple of times now.
00:38:02
Ultimately, though,
I think it backfires.
00:38:04
Because actually,
it just goes to show
00:38:07
that this is the type of person
who's at least been suspected
00:38:11
of being able to show this
level of extreme violence
00:38:14
before and not
even very long ago.
00:38:18
JANE PERRY: On Wednesday,
December 1, 2004,
00:38:21
the jury returned
their verdict.
00:38:24
STEVE BARRON: The jury came
back with a majority of 10 to 2
00:38:27
that Weldon was guilty
of John's murder.
00:38:30
[somber music]
00:38:32
- But you know
what, we don't win.
00:38:36
We don't have our son
back and never will do.
00:38:39
So yes, there is some happiness
and elation on one part.
00:38:44
But equally, that
sadness is still there.
00:38:48
[light music]
00:38:50
JANE PERRY: Christopher
Weldon was given a life
00:38:51
sentence with
a recommendation of 15
00:38:54
years in prison minus
the eight months
00:38:56
he'd already spent on remand.
00:38:58
[thud]
00:39:00
- In my opinion,
it wasn't a fair--
00:39:03
it wasn't a fair sentence.
00:39:04
- I pictured him
as coming out at 42.
00:39:09
He's still got a lot
of years to enjoy life,
00:39:13
and I just didn't think
the sentence was long enough.
00:39:17
- From a professional
perspective,
00:39:20
sentencing and guidelines
are there for judges
00:39:24
to understand and implement.
00:39:28
And on that basis, 15 years
was entirely appropriate.
00:39:35
But had John been my boy
and somebody had murdered him,
00:39:39
I would want them to go to jail
for the rest of their life.
00:39:42
[light music]
00:39:43
JANE PERRY: After
the jury's guilty verdict,
00:39:45
the judge acknowledged
Ian, Steve, and
00:39:48
Detective Sergeant Chris
Sobenga's roles in what had
00:39:51
been a tragic and unique case.
00:39:55
- The judge formally
commended Ian,
00:39:58
and he commended Chris
and myself for our efforts
00:40:04
in supporting Ian leading
the investigation.
00:40:08
- At the end of the trial,
Ruth gave me a thank you
00:40:12
card and a bottle of whisky.
00:40:14
Getting a hug from
Ruth was more important
00:40:17
than the commendation.
00:40:18
[light music]
00:40:20
JANE PERRY: With Weldon serving
time in Northumberland Prison,
00:40:23
John's family faced
the challenge of life
00:40:25
without their beloved
son and brother.
00:40:28
RUTH CHIPP: You just
have to try and move on.
00:40:31
I don't think any of us
wanted to celebrate
00:40:34
Christmas that year, did we?
00:40:36
- We-- we actually
felt guilty--
00:40:38
RUTH CHIPP: Enjoying ourselves.
00:40:39
- --for trying
to enjoy ourselves.
00:40:42
MARK CHIPP: At the time,
I was very young
00:40:43
and I didn't realize how
much losing my brother
00:40:46
had affected us.
00:40:48
I think it changed my life
drastically for the worse,
00:40:51
really, because I grew
up without a brother,
00:40:53
I'll never be able to be
an uncle, stuff like that.
00:40:57
JANE PERRY:
In the spring of 2019,
00:40:59
over 14 years after
Christopher Weldon was
00:41:02
sentenced for the murder
of John Chipp,
00:41:04
he became eligible for parole.
00:41:07
- You are given
the choice whether you
00:41:11
want to deliver an impact
statement at that
00:41:15
the parole hearing,
and we decided
00:41:17
that's what we wanted to do.
00:41:20
JANE PERRY: But Weldon
refused to attend the family's
00:41:22
statement reading.
00:41:23
[light music]
00:41:24
GEORGE CHIPP: I thought
it was just a coward.
00:41:26
He took our son
away from us, and
00:41:29
he couldn't come and face us.
00:41:31
He didn't have the guts.
00:41:33
JANE PERRY: Despite not
being able to talk directly
00:41:35
to Weldon, Ruth read
the family's impact statement,
00:41:39
in which Ruth described
how losing John
00:41:41
had affected the family.
00:41:43
RUTH CHIPP: "John
was a much loved son,
00:41:46
brother, grandson, nephew,
cousin, and friend.
00:41:52
The anguish that we all
feel at his pointless death
00:41:56
is indescribable, and it is
very hard to put it into words.
00:42:01
Our son, Mark, was
only 15 years old
00:42:04
when John was murdered.
00:42:07
He often speaks of his
brother affectionately
00:42:10
and becomes upset and angry
that John is no longer with us.
00:42:15
My husband George and I are
still haunted by John's death.
00:42:21
No parent should
have to experience
00:42:24
the tragic death
of a child, especially
00:42:27
in such awful circumstances."
00:42:32
JANE PERRY: John's parents
requested the parole board keep
00:42:35
Weldon locked up,
but having served
00:42:37
his sentence, Weldon's
parole was granted,
00:42:40
and he was released under
license in December 2019.
00:42:46
RUTH CHIPP: I wish he
was still behind bars.
00:42:49
However, I won't
allow it to eat me
00:42:53
up and niggle away in my head.
00:42:57
And I need to fill it
with much nicer things
00:43:01
than thinking about him.
00:43:04
JANE PERRY: Over 20
years since John's death,
00:43:07
his memory lives on through
his family and friends.
00:43:10
- We go out for his memory.
00:43:12
We sometimes get
together with the lads,
00:43:14
like all his close friends,
at the time or all my--
00:43:19
like, some of them are
my best friends now.
00:43:22
- In memory of John, we decided
to raise money for the guide
00:43:27
dogs for the blind.
00:43:29
We have managed to raise
over 22,000 pounds.
00:43:33
We have named a dog after him.
00:43:36
We had a black
Labrador called Chippy.
00:43:39
- My older son,
who was 13, he's
00:43:41
actually called John Chipp.
00:43:42
I named him after
my brother in memory of him.
00:43:46
RUTH CHIPP: John's old
comprehensive school,
00:43:48
we decided to set up a subject
award in art in his memory.
00:43:55
We would like John
to be remembered
00:43:58
as a young, ginger-headed
young man who loved life,
00:44:07
loved his sport.
00:44:09
- Loved his animals.
00:44:10
- Mhm.
00:44:12
- I'd like John to be
remembered as a fun,
00:44:15
outgoing, very kind, polite,
lovely-- lovely person.
00:44:19
That's exactly who he was.
00:44:21
- He was a much
loved child, and we
00:44:25
want his memory to continue.
00:44:27
[light music]
00:44:32
[theme music]
