It
was with great interest that I opened the Ipswich edition of the East Anglian
Daily Times on Tuesday to see a big article coinciding with the 30 year
anniversary of the disappearance of Diane Jones, the doctor’s wife whose body
was found at Martlesham in October 1983.
She
was found dead in a copse in Brightwell near Martlesham and the article
explained that new details had emerged about the night Diane Jones is believed
to have been killed.
I
was interested to see the article because the case was massive at the time and
captured my attention for a number of reasons.
Firstly,
it was local, secondly things like this didn’t happen very often and thirdly
was the massive media interest that it created in the Martlesham and Martlesham
Heath area.
This
was 24 years before the Steve Wright murders in Ipswich but it captured the
attention of the country’s press in an unprecedented manner.
Stories
were rife in national newspapers at the time of the details surrounding the
disappearance and the proceeding days and weeks leading up to that
disappearance.
The
case captured national headlines particularly as the 35 year old woman was
reported missing by her husband, Dr Robert Jones, 9 days after last being seen.
The
pair lived at Lees Farm, Coggeshall, a small market town on the far side of
Colchester.
I
remember the afternoon that news of the discovery of the body was
announced. It was Monday afternoon of
the October half term week in that year when Mrs Jones’ decomposed body was
discovered in Brightwell around 3.30pm on October 22nd, having been
found by a beater during a pheasant shoot at Sheep Drift Farm. Mrs Jones was identified through dental
records two days later.
A
large scale hunt for Mrs Jones’ killer involving both Suffolk and Essex police
began and incident rooms were set up in both Coggeshall and Suffolk.
House
to house enquiries were conducted in Waldringfield, Brightwell, Martlesham, and
as far afield as Bucklesham and other villages to the east of Ipswich.
Dr
Jones was arrested on November 14th 1983, released and no charges
were ever brought.
As
a then 18-year-old this was long before I started in estate agency in Ipswich
but there were several reasons for my personal interest in the case.
At
the time I was going out with a girl from Waldringfield whose father worked at
BT Research at Martlesham.
Every
day for those three months he had cycled along the bridle path within a few
feet of where the body was found, a thought which sent shudders through
everybody.
Cast
your mind back to 1983 and for anyone who has bought a house in the area since
may not remember that the Martlesham Heath bypass did not then exist. It was in that section of the A12, by passing
Ipswich to the east of the town, which was under construction during that
summer and autumn of 1983.
It
seems incredible looking back now that if you wanted to travel from Woodbridge
to Felixstowe, when there was no Martlesham bypass, you would have had to go
along the road that goes through the Martlesham Heath Industrial site and pass
our estate agency office in Gloster Road.
This road continued past the entrance to BT at Martlesham, carrying on
through what is now the lay-by near the Holeshot Cafe (very nice cuppas there
by the way) and then proceeding on down the hill past Brightwell Church.
In
later years I chatted to my father-in-law’s new partner who actually owned the
bungalow at the time when the body was found and naturally she vividly
remembers the day of the discovery.
I
cycle regularly in that area east of Ipswich and drive past every day in my
role as an estate agent in Martlesham.
It never fails to send a little shudder down my spine.
If
you are looking for property in the ever popular Martlesham and Martlesham
Heath areas why not visit our office at Bristol Court in Gloster Road just
opposite Kingpin and Ladbrokes? We would be very happy to show you our
selection of properties for sale in the Martlesham area or discuss with you
potential marketing plans for the sale of your Martlesham home.
Martlesham Heath estate agents – click here to find out more about Jonathan Waters
estate agents.
625
Foxhall Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 8ND
01473
721133
35
Buttermarket, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 1BH
01473
281188
Bristol
Court, Betts Avenue, Martlesham Heath Business Park, Martlesham IP5 3RY
01473
620222
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