He pointed straight at me and I could see the members of the jury looking across the courtroom to where I was sitting.
He sounded so damn convincing and believable, when I was so sure that what he was saying was completely untrue. But neither Mary nor Amelia were here to refute his lies.
Could the jury not see through this travesty?
I found it impossible to read their thoughts.
Only time would tell.
‘And finally,’ said the eel. ‘Let us move on to the attempted murder charge. Please tell the court what you were doing on that particular Wednesday.’
‘I was at work in the morning, in Ealing, west London. I was carrying out my duties as a High Court enforcement officer, executing a writ of repossession on a property where the tenants were in arrears with their rent.’
‘And did you have a company vehicle for this purpose?’
‘Yes, I did,’ Joe said. ‘A long-wheelbase white-painted Ford Transit van.’
‘And how about in the afternoon?’
‘The repossession took a lot less time than I had expected. The tenants had already packed up their stuff before I arrived, and it was simply a matter of seeing them out of the property and then changing the locks. An hour’s work at most. So I found myself with time on my hands. I regret it now, but I decided to go to Banbury. I had been bereft over the loss of my sister and I somehow felt that being close to where she had died would give me some sort of comfort.’
‘And did it?’ asked the eel.
‘It did at the time but it has caused me all sorts of trouble since.’
‘The prosecution have claimed that you were there in order, on purpose, to crash into a car driven by your brother-in-law. Is that right?’
‘No, of course not. I’ve never crashed into anything on purpose and certainly not near Banbury. That would have been really stupid. If, as they say, the crash was so severe, how come the van wasn’t so badly damaged that it was impossible to drive? How would I have then got back to London?’
‘So where did you have the crash?’
‘It’s a bit embarrassing, really. I wasn’t concentrating and I ran into a concrete post near the company vehicle depot in Harrow. I know I told the staff in the office that someone else had driven into the van, but that was so I wouldn’t get the blame. Things like that happen all the time. That’s also why I took the van straight to the body shop.’
He looked shamefaced at the jury and some of them even nodded back at him in understanding.
How could they believe such a load of claptrap?
‘So let me just confirm what you’re saying to us, Mr Bradbury,’ said the eel. ‘You say there was no theft because the money was a gift from your mother to you; you say that you did not crash into any other cars; and you say that your sister was already dead when you arrived at her home. Is that correct?’
‘Yes,’ Joe said, smiling. ‘Totally correct on all three counts.’
He confidently removed his spectacles and polished the lenses with a handkerchief.
‘No more questions,’ said the eel, and he sat down.
The prosecution barrister stood up eagerly, but the judge quickly intervened.
‘I think we’ll take a short break there,’ he said. ‘Before the cross-examination. To allow the jury to stretch their legs.’ He looked at the clock situated on the wall above the exit doors. ‘We will reconvene in twenty minutes.’
‘All rise!’
‘He’s going to get off, isn’t he?’ I said to DS Dowdeswell over a cup of coffee. ‘I could see the jury believing every damn lie he uttered.’
‘It always looks bad just after the defence have asked their questions of the defendant. Let’s wait until after our man has had a go at him. I’m sure he has some tricks up his sleeve to catch Bradbury out.’
‘I hope you’re right,’ I said. ‘At the moment I’d put all my money on an acquittal.’
39
‘How would you describe your relationship with Amelia Jane Gordon-Russell?’
The prosecuting counsel was opening his cross-examination.
‘We loved each other,’ Joe said. ‘As a brother and a sister.’
‘I suggest to you that you did no such thing. When did you last talk to your sister prior to the supposed telephone call the night before she died?’
‘The call was real, I tell you,’ Joe said. ‘She called me.’
‘But when did you speak to her prior to that night?’
‘I can’t recall for sure.’
‘Would you say that you were in regular communication?’
‘Quite regular, yes. I sent her emails.’
‘Yes,’ said the prosecutor dryly. ‘Your emails. We will come to those.’
Joe suddenly looked rather worried. As well he might.
‘But when did you last actually speak to your sister prior to the call you say she made to you on that Tuesday evening?’
‘I’ve already told you. I can’t remember the exact date.’
‘Is that not because your sister hadn’t spoken to you for nearly two years prior to her death? Indeed, did she not refuse to speak to you after you had been so nasty to her and her husband?’
Joe said nothing.
‘Do you recall receiving an email from your sister in the January, twenty-one months before she died?’
‘No, I don’t,’ replied Joe.
‘Then I’ll read it out to you, to remind you,’ said the prosecutor. He lifted a piece of paper. ‘Joseph, I hate you, I hate you. You are causing so much hurt and pain. I never want to see you again, ever. I have blocked your calls and I do not want to receive any more of your horrid emails. Leave us alone.’ He waited in silence for a few moments before looking up at the witness. ‘Would you say that was the sort of email you might expect to be sent between two people who love each other as a brother and a sister?’
‘All siblings have their minor problems occasionally.’
‘But this is not a minor problem, is it, Mr Bradbury? Let me read your reply to that email, a reply sent by you in spite of being asked not to.’ He picked up another piece of paper. ‘This was found in Amelia Gordon-Russell’s inbox on her computer. It arrived the day after your sister sent the previous one to you. Amelia, it is not me that is causing so much hurt and pain, it is you and your vile husband. He is like a cancer in our family and the sooner you get rid of him, the better. He has destroyed his own family and he is now trying to destroy ours too. He is a hateful, hateful man who is trying to ruin my relationship with my mother. I wish he were dead. The whole family hate him and I have the evidence to prove it. He is a fraud and a liar and I am building a dossier against him.’
He laid the piece of paper back down on the table.
‘Not much brotherly love shown there, wouldn’t you say, Mr Bradbury?’
Joe said nothing and the prosecutor waited patiently, looking at him.
‘The witness will answer the question,’ interjected the judge.
‘No,’ Joe said in a whisper.
‘Speak up,’ commanded the judge. ‘The recording equipment won’t catch what is said if you whisper.’
‘No,’ Joe said again, louder.