Emily Wood: It’s important the girl has the cup with the orange flowers whilst Owen and myself have the blue. I have the capsules for my back; I get them off the internet. I have quite a stockpile, actually, could probably wipe out a whole family if I wasn’t careful. [Laughs] After that, I fetched the cloth from the cupboard under the sink. I popped a few drops – just a few, mind – of the chloroform on the cloth and placed it over the girl’s mouth. She was already drowsy. She looked up at me, but she didn’t see the cloth, and then she was out like a light.

DS Andrews: And can you tell me what happened after that?

Emily Wood: Yes. After that, I cleared the table and washed up while Owen taped her mouth. Then he carried her out of the back door and through the side gate.

DS Andrews: Can you explain what you mean by the side gate?

Emily Wood: Happy to. It’s a gate in the fence between our back gardens. Owen fitted it so we wouldn’t have to use the front doors to go into each other’s houses. Nosy neighbours, what have you. It’s a terrace, you see, the row. So we can’t access the backs of the houses otherwise. Owen’s very good at carpentry and so forth. And then, let’s see, I brought her little boots and her bag through to Owen’s house and popped them by the front door. And then I went upstairs to run a bath.

DC Caton: A bath, Emily? Why did you run a bath?

Emily Wood: I… Owen likes things done in a certain way. He has to have a particular lavender-scented bath soap. Our mother used it, we bathed in it as children, so we’ve always used it too. Only when I got upstairs, I remembered I hadn’t picked any up like I was meant to. I knew he’d run out and I had it in my mind to buy some that morning. He has to have the Radox one or there’ll be trouble. [Laughs] I hadn’t forgotten. I’d like that on the record. Is that on the record? Oh yes, we’re on tape, aren’t we? So no, I hadn’t forgotten. I had gone to the chemist’s on the high street and they usually have it, but that morning, yesterday, I should say, they didn’t have it, but I couldn’t go elsewhere because I would have been late picking up the girl.

DS Andrews: Picking up Rosie Flint had been prearranged between yourself and Mr Wood?

Emily Wood: Yes. But Rosie was different. I planned to do it myself, lead her to Owen via his phone and what have you. Owen is too erratic. Having him outdoors is nerve-racking, to be frank. But she kept getting ill. The girl. Rosie. Little Red. And when the audition route failed, I knew we’d have to use our tried and trusted pincer movement. But I had to make sure that no one would be able to place me in the café at any point, do you see? All roads had to lead to number 29 and not to 31. If I hadn’t forgotten the soap, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Silly, really.

DS Andrews: Emily, let’s go back to yesterday afternoon. You’re saying that your brother, Owen, and yourself were going to wash Rosie in the bath? And that you needed a specific soap? For the tape, the suspect is nodding. What happened after that?’

Emily Wood: After that, well, I was very agitated because I knew Owen would be terribly cross. But I had to tell him because there was no way he wouldn’t spot it if I used his Imperial Leather. So I told him. And he began to get cross.’

DS Andrews: And how did that manifest itself?

Emily Wood: Well, as it always does. He sucks air in through his mouth and blows it out. That’s what he does. Over and over. And he pulls his fingers, one by one, so that they pop. And then he… lashes out, you might say.

DS Andrews: Emily? Does he become violent?

Emily Wood: How long have you got, Officer? [Laughs] Let’s see, he’s broken my arm, cracked three ribs, pulled clumps of my hair out. But mostly just bruises. He did push me down the stairs though. That’s how I broke my back. I tell people I have a dicky hip, but it’s my back. Three months in a brace, physiotherapy and what have you, but I never worked again after that. Anyway, I said to Owen, ‘Now, dearest, if you don’t calm down, it’s all going to go to pot.’ I told him I wouldn’t be long, that he wasn’t to worry.

DC Caton: Emily, you’re saying that your brother pushed you down the stairs?

Emily Wood: I don’t see what this has to do with anything. It was a long time ago.

Stephen Richardson: My client is correct – this is not relevant.

DC Caton: We’re just trying to build up a picture. Emily, did he push you down the stairs?

Emily Wood: No comment.

DC Caton: Did he abuse you in other ways?

Emily Wood: No comment.

DC Caton: Emily, did he sexually abuse you?

Emily Wood: No comment.