‘But why you, Mr Gready?’
‘Unfortunately, as a criminal lawyer one makes a great number of enemies throughout one’s career. Some of these are people you have defended unsuccessfully, however hard you have tried. And of course, sadly, we legal aid solicitors all too frequently incur the wrath of the police themselves, who consider we are simply playing a game and that we do not care for the truth or for justice.’
‘You want the jury to believe the police are fitting you up?’
‘During the course of my career I have on many occasions after doing my duty, trying to ensure fair play for a suspect, had police officers tell me to my face that they are going to get me one day.’
He paused to let this sink in. ‘One police officer just a couple of years ago told me that, if anyone appears in court charged with an offence, it is because they are guilty — that the Crown Prosecution Service won’t charge anyone who is not guilty as hell — in his words. I’d just got a suspect, whom he’d arrested, acquitted. The officer was waiting for me outside the court and called me a money-grabbing little parasite.’
‘The point you are trying to make, Mr Gready, is what exactly?’
‘I’m not saying this because I have anything at all against the police. They do a vital job. I’m telling you this because I need you to understand the hatred some officers have for lawyers like myself.’
He paused to make eye contact with the jury. ‘I’ve no doubt you have been amazed at some of the things you’ve heard during this trial. Frankly, so am I. The internet today is highly dangerous. Anyone can make it seem that someone else is doing something wrong. Anyone with the right skills — or with the money to hire those skills — can alter phone records, bank accounts and any kind of personal record held on a database.’
‘And how is that relevant here, Mr Gready?’
He glanced at his notes. ‘Any of you, any one of you on this jury, with just the most basic of computer skills, could gain access to the phones and computers of almost anyone you choose and doctor their records — even those of one of your fellow jurors, if you really wanted to. You could give your best friend a criminal record, you could plant all kinds of incriminating evidence in their computer files without their knowledge.’
Brown signalled to him. ‘Do go on.’
He looked at them imploringly. ‘I’m just like you — like any of you. What has happened to me could happen to any of us. Someone sees an opportunity to frame a totally innocent person.’ He paused, as if having trouble with his emotions, his voice quavering. ‘But in my case, they have taken it even further, they have done something utterly disgusting, utterly depraved, something almost beyond human comprehension in their efforts to put me on trial for offences I have never committed. Something that threatens the whole life I’ve built with my wife and children, who have been here in court every day supporting me — it’s as though I am being punished for no other offence than trying to be a decent, upright citizen in a world that is becoming increasingly violent and crooked.’
He paused for a moment, looking around the court as if to ensure he had everyone’s attention. He needn’t have worried. Continuing calmly, he was sounding every inch the rational man.
Meg was battling with her own emotions. She so sorely wanted to stand up and expose the creep for the liar he was. She wanted to demand, in front of this entire court, why he was threatening to murder her daughter if he was so damned innocent? But she kept quiet, seething inside as he went on, sounding increasingly pious.
Gready’s QC interjected. ‘Mr Gready, can you tell the court why you think Michael Starr is doing this to you?’
‘I can’t tell you whether Michael Starr is a man operating on his own or is the front for a criminal syndicate — the latter, I strongly suspect. But if you believe me, and I sincerely hope you will, as my whole future life and reputation depend on it, I’m going to tell you something that I know you all will find utterly shocking, utterly vile and almost beyond comprehension.’
He paused, looking dreadfully hurt. ‘I believe it is very probable that Stuie was murdered by someone in an attempt both to implicate me and to give credence to the quite astonishing and incredibly inventive pack of lies that you heard from Mr Starr yesterday.’
Primrose Brown again interjected. ‘Mr Gready, the court has already heard that Mr Starr has admitted his guilt. Can you explain that?’
‘Yes, he’s a desperate man with nothing to lose, facing a very long prison sentence.’
He fell silent for a few seconds before speaking again with the utmost sincerity in his voice. ‘I would like to take this opportunity now to offer my condolences over Stuie Starr’s tragic death.’
He then spent the next two hours denying anything at all to do with the financial records and maintained he had no links to the overseas accounts. He told the court he had not been involved in any importation of drugs, using classic cars or distributing drugs within Sussex.
Brown turned to him. ‘Finally, you believe you have been framed by Starr and his associates?’
‘I am a completely innocent man being framed by the police, Starr and others.’
He went on to inform the court that the reason he had answered no comment in his police interviews was that the charges were nothing to do with him and were part of the overall conspiracy to frame him.
‘Finally, Mr Gready, why should the jury believe you?’ Primrose Brown asked.
‘I have sworn on oath to tell the truth, I am a legal professional and the prosecution has produced no compelling evidence to show I’m guilty of what they allege. I am an innocent family man, and I would ask every member of the jury to believe what I have just shared. I am an innocent man.’
‘Please wait there,’ Brown said to her client.
Cork rose to his feet. ‘Mr Gready, you are positing a somewhat hard to believe theory as to who might have murdered Stuie Starr. You suggest that Michael Starr gave evidence against you because he thinks it is you who killed his brother.’
‘That is the truth he would like this court to believe,’ Gready responded calmly. ‘A truth that is a very elaborately planned and executed fiction.’
‘We heard yesterday,’ Cork continued, ‘Mr Starr is claiming to have been the General Manager of your classic car dealership. And we have evidence from the SD card and USB sticks showing your relationship, drug dealing and foreign account activity over many years. Yet you are maintaining that you never met him and that he never worked for you?’
‘That is correct.’
‘And beyond the occasion, some eighteen years ago now, when you used your — ah — influence in some way to get him acquitted, you are maintaining you have never had any dealings or communications with Mr Starr?’
‘That is correct.’
‘You have suggested to this court that if any calls had originated from Michael Starr, they would have been connected to your role as a solicitor and nothing more sinister. And yet, you also say you have never met the man.’
Gready made no comment.
Cork persisted. ‘Is this correct?’
‘I believe there were some calls to the office from Starr many years ago. Back at the time when I was able to get the case against him quashed, I subsequently became very uncomfortable, believing he had not told me the truth. As you would well know from your days as a defence barrister, if you have reasons to doubt the veracity of a client you are obliged by the Law Society to cease acting for that person. This was my situation, which Mr Starr refused to accept, and he did hound me with calls for a time — calls which my office deflected.’
‘In that case, Mr Gready, why, when there are dozens and dozens of solicitors like yourself practising criminal law, did Mr Starr not just approach another firm?’