Page 19 of Wanting Daisy Dead

Transcript from The Killer Question Podcast

Tammy : So, we’re back for part two of the interview with Teresa Harrington, Daisy’s mother – if you missed part one, check it out now!

Teresa was a staunch critic of the Free David Montgomery movement, and actively fought for him to stay in prison. She campaigned against his appeals and was often interviewed by the press about her biggest fear – the possibility of David ever being free.

So, Teresa, after campaigning for all those years to keep the man you referred to as ‘the beast’ in prison, you agreed to meet with his family. And am I right in saying this meeting had a profound effect on you?

Teresa : Yes, I met with Louisa, his wife, and their – now grown-up – children, who all said they’d never believed David was capable of killing anyone.

They insisted he was a kind, gentle man, and though they had no actual proof, they knew he wasn’t guilty.

But I’d always been convinced that he was the killer, that the ‘evidence’ stacked up and he should stay in prison.

But when we got talking, I mean really talking, I told them what I knew about Daisy’s friends, and it turned out that David had expressed concerns about every single one of them.

Tammy : Wow! Was that enough to convince you of David’s innocence?

Teresa : No, because for me there will always be doubts, but talking to Louisa and her kids made me think it might have been someone else.

It was the first time I’d even entertained that idea, but the more I thought about the things she told me about the different housemates, the more I could see that there might be something I’d missed.

Tammy : Agreed, and something that perhaps the police had missed too?

Here at The Killer Question we have concerns about the way the police proceeded.

David was arrested soon after the body was discovered, and the press and the public were baying for blood.

The public had been avidly watching, listening and reading about ‘the missing girl’ for a week, and in that time they’d hoped and prayed she’d be found safe.

So by the time Daisy’s body was discovered, the public felt that they knew her – ‘Exeter’s daughter’, one of the newspapers at the time called her.

Consequently, with all this frenzied interest, the police were under a lot of pressure to find Daisy’s killer.

There was a huge spotlight on the case, and when someone was arrested, everyone was relieved that there wasn’t a campus killer on the loose.

On discovering that the killer was Professor David Montgomery, the victim’s lecturer – the police, public and press had found their bogeyman.

But even then, there were those who wondered if David was innocent.

And if someone else was the killer ... someone closer to home?

Teresa : I can’t deny that even back then it crossed my mind that Daisy’s housemates were a bit too keen to be on screen and seemed to love talking to the press.

Barely a day went by when one of them wasn’t in the paper telling the world how much she meant to them, but it felt a bit fake to me.

And I knew Daisy had her problems with some of them.

Tammy : What sort of problems?

Teresa : Well, her first year she seemed to have fun.

They were all new, and everyone got along – so well, in fact, that they all moved into a house together in the second year.

But it seemed in those few months of the second year the problems started.

I knew she’d been seeing her lecturer, I knew he was older and married and I wasn’t happy about it.

But it was her life and she said she loved him, and I knew she wasn’t going to listen to me.

But one day she phoned me and she sounded really low, and said he’d ended things.

I was angry – he’d hurt Daisy, and she was still my little girl.

(Silence for three seconds.) Always will be . .. (Teresa crying.)

Tammy : Would you like to take a break, Teresa?

Teresa : No . . . No . . . Thanks. I’m fine.

Tammy : So, at the beginning of year two, she and David split?

Teresa : Yeah, but it wasn’t for long. She said she couldn’t live without him, and I presume he felt the same.

But in the few weeks they were apart, her housemate Dan started to really harass her.

She told me he was always buying her chocolates and flowers, and he’d begged her not to tell Georgie, his girlfriend.

Tammy : Wow! And did she tell Georgie?

Teresa : I don’t think so. She said Georgie scared her – she had a foul temper, apparently.

Anyway, she said she and Maddie shared the chocolates, and she tried not to encourage him.

She said she didn’t want the hassle with Georgie.

‘If she knew Dan was chasing me, I might wake up one night to see her standing in my room with a knife,’ she said.

Tammy : Was she joking?

Teresa : I thought so at the time. Now I’m not so sure.

Tammy : And did you worry about Dan taking such a shine to Daisy?

Teresa : Not at first. She called him her ‘hero’ because if ever there were spiders in her room – she was terrified of spiders – he would get rid of them.

‘He’s the best spider catcher,’ she used to say, and as her mum I was glad there was a boy around to look after the girls.

But that was in the first year. By the second year she said it was sometimes uncomfortable being alone in the house with him.

He’d find an excuse to come into her room, or somehow get close to her, touch her .

.. You know? And on more than one occasion she said he’d tried to kiss her, and could be quite forceful. She said she’d had to push him away.

Tammy : Do you think she was scared of Dan?

Teresa : I think she was ... uncomfortable, but she’d just bat him off, said he was a lech. I think she was more scared of Georgie, who was very jealous.

Tammy : Do you know if Georgie knew her boyfriend was trying to seduce Daisy?

Teresa : (Teresa gives a soft chuckle.) It seemed like Georgie knew everything Dan did. She controlled him, never let him do anything on his own without her if she could help it. Daisy said that, when he was home, Georgie was his jailer, and when he went out she was his stalker.

Tammy : Georgie was just another nineteen-year-old girl. Surely Daisy wasn’t really scared of her?

Teresa : Daisy didn’t scare easily, and she didn’t want me to worry – so she didn’t tell me everything.

But Georgie could be pretty unpleasant, and hinted once that anyone who got between her and Dan would get hurt.

There was also an incident with a knife .

.. I can’t remember exactly what happened, because Daisy didn’t say too much.

But I know she felt threatened by Georgie.

Tammy : Yet, according to our sources, in spite of Georgie’s threats Daisy and Dan did have a fling.

Teresa : Yes, I got the feeling he just wore Daisy down. She was so fed up of him constantly harassing her, she gave in. For Daisy it was also someone to be with while she was getting through her time without David, I suppose.

Tammy : And eventually she dumped Dan and returned to David?

Teresa : Yes, she loved David, she was young and stupid, and I couldn’t talk her out of it.

As for Dan, he thought he could have anyone, and he usually could – but Daisy was different, she played him at his own game.

She didn’t want a commitment, and for once he didn’t like it.

And when he found out she was going back to David, she said he was angry – he begged her not to, said he’d even finish with Georgie if she’d stay with him.

But Daisy wanted David, she didn’t want Dan.

Tammy : So do you think now that all this was more significant than you thought?

Teresa : Yes, I do. When Daisy died I just put it down to David Montgomery.

I didn’t think too deeply about all the issues at the house.

But I remember Daisy calling me one night saying she felt like everybody in the apartment hated her.

There were the issues with Dan and Georgie, and apparently Lauren had physically attacked her because Daisy had accused her of copying her work.

And Maddie was annoyed with her for going back to David, she said she’d lost respect for her, which obviously upset Daisy.

Maddie tried to talk sense into her, told her it was a mess and that, either way, people were going to get hurt.

It was good advice – I told her the same.

I said, ‘If you won’t listen to me, please listen to Maddie,’ but Daisy never listened to anyone.

And then there was Alex, who was also critical of her relationship with David.

He gave her some money to help her out, but she said she felt beholden to him.

I’m not sure what that was all about, but he was a funny one.

Daisy liked him, but said he could be moody, and didn’t mix with the rest of them much, kept himself to himself.

Tammy : So those first couple of months of the second year weren’t happy for Daisy?

Teresa : No, she wasn’t happy. I think in her final days my daughter was very lonely.

She called me a lot in the weeks before she died .

.. I often wonder if she mentioned something and I didn’t pick up on it.

I was always listening, but did I hear her?

It just hurts so much to think she had no friends to turn to, and the people she saw as friends all seemed to have something against her.

But I never expected ... Sorry, I just need a moment.

Tammy : Take as long as you need, Teresa.

(Silence and muffled crying from Teresa for seven seconds.)

Teresa : Sorry! ... I just hate to think that Daisy may have lived in the same house as her killer .

.. and ... I just want to find out who did it.

I’m not saying it wasn’t David – but what is it they say in court, something about reasonable doubt?

I now have doubts that David was the killer, and I just want whoever killed Daisy to be behind bars.

If it wasn’t David, then it has to be someone.

I have my own theory as to who that might be, and they don’t get to end my daughter’s life and go on to live theirs.

That’s why I’ve now joined the campaign to have this case reopened.

Tammy : We share your concerns, and your desire for justice, Teresa. (Tammy pauses for seven seconds.) Teresa, just one more thing. You mentioned to me when we first spoke last week that Daisy had a laptop?

Teresa : Yes, she did. I was told the police had seized it.

Tammy : Well, we’ve done some digging, and it turns out the police did take the laptop for analysis. But, according to their records, that laptop was returned – not to you at Daisy’s home address, but to the house where she was living while at university.

Teresa : I didn’t know that.

Tammy : Presumably this was the address the police had for Daisy, and it was assumed it would be returned to the rightful owner. And did anyone other than the police ever contact you to tell you that the laptop had been returned?

Teresa : No, no one ever mentioned it, and it was never returned to me.

Tammy : Would it surprise you to know that police records show that, when it was delivered to the house, one of Daisy’s housemates signed for it?

Teresa : Yes, it would ... (Silence for nine seconds.) Who signed for it, Tammy?

Tammy : It was Lauren Pemberton.