YOU DO THE MATHS

A WITNESS giving evidence in the case of three murdered siblings has admitted to using newspaper reports to help write her police statement.

Neelma Singh, 24, and her siblings Kunal, 18, and Sidhi, 12, were found dead in the spa at their family's Bridgeman Downs home on Brisbane's northside on April 22, 2003.

Max Sica, who was Neelma's boyfriend in the months before her death, is facing three charges of murder and has been in custody since December 2008.

At a committal hearing in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday, Sica's friend Andrea Louise Bowman said she used newspaper reports to help "time mark'' conversations she had with Sica over seven years.

During cross examination, defence lawyer Sam Di Carlo put to Ms Bowman that without researching newspaper articles she had limited recollections.

"I remember saying to (Sica) 'Have you seen this in the paper?''' Ms Bowman said.



"That's how I initiated contact with him.''

Ms Bowman said she started putting together her statement at a police station but found she was able to remember conversations and events better by doing it in her own time at home and using newspaper reports as prompts.

"The articles were time markers,'' she said.

Mr Di Carlo challenged Ms Bowman on whether it was possible she could confuse the newspaper stories with actual recollections.

"In ordinary human beings our subconscious, when we read something our minds (store it) as memory and we can get part of that story confused with actual recollections,'' Mr Di Carlo said.

"I don't know whether that happens or doesn't happen,'' Ms Bowman said.

Mr Di Carlo asked Ms Bowman if she hears voices.

"Did you hear voices saying 'Shut up, shut up?'''

She replied she heard a "voice of reason'' telling her not to do something in some situations, but not "crazy voices''.

Ms Bowman denied she was writing a book on the Singh murder case.

"I don't have a proposed book, I have had seven years of this, I don't want a day more,'' she told the court.

The court was told Ms Bowman suffers from a neurological condition which in the past had caused her to suffer "seniors moments'' and affected her memory.

The committal hearing continues

YOU DO THE MATHS........
Ms Bowman said in court today, "i have had seven yrs of this, i dont want a day more!"

Ms Bowman was 19 at the time she worked for the Sica family for about a year in 1989. She made allegations against Max`s brother in law and then went to work for Max`s father, whom she later also accused of making a pass at her.

After ten years of no contact, Ms Bowman decided to get in touch with Max as soon as she came to know of the triple murders. The first time she met Max (after the murders) was on the 29th May 2003, she then had a few phone calls and meetings before a significant (4 hr conversation) with Max on 16/07/03. The next day (17/07/03) police went to speak to Ms Bowman about an unrelated matter. Ms Bowman asked the officer about the Singh case and told him that she was a friend of Max`s. She mentioned Max to this officer at least twice, despite the "matter" being unrelated.

Over the years, she spoke to the police 70 times, and was shocked to hear the figure herself. (41 of these conversations are recorded)

The police asked Ms Bowman (and other people close to max) if they would tape record conversations with Max. Detective Zitny gave her a recorder in 2003, which she only used ONCE. Despite telling Det Zitny in 2007 that Max had, and or started making "partial admissions",to her, Ms Bowman continued not to record any of the conversations. Even the "notes" that she made only contained the scenario of which they spoke about, not the conversation itself. On the 22/04/08, five yrs after Max discovered the bodies, Ms Bowman had a conversation with Max where she WAS wearing a police wire.

Ms Bowman herself admitted that she would initiate all contact and conversation, that she would present scenario`s to Max and then they discussed the hypothesis about what the killers may have done. She also acknowledged the fact that she would do most of the talking.

Ms Bowman was in contact with the lead Detective (mr zitny)from 2003.
We all know the different technique police use to carry out investigations, but even a child can tell you that the best method would be to use a suspects friend, or someone close. Ms Bowman herself stated that Max would often ask if she was wired, pat her for bugs, ask if he was busted, (through her), to tell her "detective friends" that he didnt give her any information. She also stated that Max too would record the conversation.

Ms Bowman thought that her conversations with Max was a secret, and only between the two of them. Little does she know that their conversations was a hot topic in the Sica family and friends as Max would avoid her at times and always told everyone that she worked for the police, presenting their scenario`s and then directing questions towards Max as if she was speaking to the real killer.

Initially, she would just ask Max lots of questions about the crime scene and what he saw, she then slowly transitioned the conversations in an attempt to get a "partial admission" through her presentation of different scenario`s and hypothesis and talking to Max as if he was the killer.

Ms Bowman got herself involved in this case out of her own accord, despite having a husband and family. According to the police, Ms Bowman had her "own" reasons and "agendas" for involvement and never worked for them. In 2008, the night prior to either the raid or arrest in relation to the sex charges (will confirm which) Ms Bowman happens to call Max again and tries to organize a meeting for the next day. She then attempted to call Max a number of times when he was out of bail for 6 weeks, even using a different number when she noticed Max not answering.

On the 30th Dec 2008, Max was arrested for the Singh murders,5 and a half yrs after their deaths. Ms Bowman, despite knowing that Max was arrested, called the Sica residence and went over to talk to Max`s wife and mother about the sex charges. (Jan/Feb 2009) She also sent a letter to Max after this event in prison. Funny part is Detective Zitny was working for the child protection and investigation unit at Pine Rivers in 2008, but i guess that too is a coincidence.

I dont know about you, but to me this does not sound like a person who "doesnt want a day more" of this. Everyone knows that if a situation is causing you stress (and moreso none of your business) you avoid the situation altogether. It does not take a genius, but a LOGICAL person to figure out what to do if they do not want to be part of an investigation, especially one as large and complex as the Singh murders. Even his wife lost most of her friends and relatives, because they do not want their names associated with this matter. You dont really need the boring details to add the sum, just do the maths yourself.