Policeman tells court of attempts to revive Dando after doorstep shooting

The desperate attempts to revive Jill Dando after she was shot in the head on the doorstep of her home were recounted at the Old Bailey yesterday.</p>Part of her clothing was cut away and police and ambulance crews tried to keep her alive while she lay outside her doorway after being shot at close range with a single bullet.</p>The first officer at the murder scene, Constable Colin Jones, described how the first calls indicated that the television presenter had been repeatedly stabbed. PC Jones said he was on patrol in Fulham, west London, on 26 April 1999 when he received a call to go to Gowan Avenue. When he arrived two minutes later he felt Ms Dando's wrist for a pulse, but there were no signs of life. "There was blood on her coat and face," he told the jury.</p>As he tried to resuscitate her, an ambulance arrived and then a helicopter crew, who spent several minutes trying to keep her alive. She was put into the ambulance at 12.25pm, about an hour after the shooting, and taken to Charing Cross Hospital.</p>PC Jones went with her when she was taken to the trauma unit and, despite further attempts to keep her alive, she was certified dead at 1.05pm.</p>The officer told the court that a brass-coloured object was found on the doormat where Ms Dando had been lying.</p>He was giving evidence on the sixth day of the trial of Barry George, 41, of Crookham Road, Fulham, who denies murdering Ms Dando.</p>The court was told by another witness that Mr George, who is unemployed, appeared "agitated" when he visited a disability centre in Fulham on the day of the murder.</p>Elaine Hutton said she was listening to parts of a conversation between Mr George and a colleague, Susan Bicknell, at the Hammersmith and Fulham Action for Disability (Hafad) offices. "I was not listening to the exact wording of the conversation between them," said Mrs Hutton. "He was quite agitated. I was aware I might need to step in and help."</p>She said he had a carrier bag full of letters expressing dissatisfaction with some of the services he received from the medical profession in general. She said her colleague had tried to stay calm and focused. She could not deal with him that day and was eventually able to placate him. An appointment was made for him to go back the following day, but he did not, returning instead on 28 April.</p>Mrs Hutton said Mr George was "highly agitated" during this visit. "He wanted to know exactly what time he had been at Hafad on the Monday," she recalled. "I said I was not here, but I was not going to get away with that answer. So eventually I said 11am. He was not happy with that answer and wanted to know exactly what time.</p>"He said he had not kept the appointment the previous day and it was his fault, as he had gone to lay flowers at Jill's place on behalf of the church and that she was well respected in the borough."</p>Mrs Hutton said Mr George told her he had been intimidated by police before and wanted to know what time he attended that Monday as he was going to see his solicitor that afternoon. He said the description of the suspect matched him but that it could be anyone.</p>The trial continues today.</p>