‘Mea culpa,’ said Grace. ‘I fell for that little ruse on the opening day, when Rashidi was wearing a suit with a Bennett and Reed label inside.’
‘The jury may also have been under the illusion that it was a first-night performance they were attending,’ said Sir Julian, ‘but it had all the hallmarks of a well-rehearsed production, with Booth Watson as the director, Lamont as the lead actor, and neither of them being paid equity rates.’
‘But that’s against the law,’ said William. ‘Barristers aren’t allowed to coach witnesses.’
‘Choirboy,’ said Sir Julian and Grace in unison.
‘If we could get Mrs Rashidi to give evidence,’ said Grace, ‘we could still blow Lamont’s testimony out of the water.’
‘Possibly, but when William interviewed her following the raid, she was adamant she would never bear witness against her son,’ said Sir Julian, ‘however much she disapproved of his criminal activities. If I were to subpoena her, it could well backfire, because the jury’s sympathy would be with a dignified old lady being asked to condemn her only child, by a prejudiced old man trying to defend his.’
‘But we know she never told Lamont that Rashidi stayed at her house every night during the week,’ said Clare.
‘No doubt. But her housekeeper will say he did, and his driver will confirm he drove him from The Boltons to the City every morning and back again at night. What’s more, you can count on Booth Watson keeping them both in the witness box for so long the jury will have forgotten Mrs Rashidi’s testimony. No, we’ll have to spend the weekend going over Lamont’s evidence with a fine-tooth comb and try to identify any inconsistencies, because you can be sure Booth Watson will be doing the same thing as they attempt to anticipate every question I might throw at him. I might even have to consider taking the occasional risk.’
Grace wasn’t sure she’d heard her father correctly.
16
‘Mr Lamont, I would like to begin by asking you why you resigned from the police force only months before you would have been eligible for a full pension.’
‘As I stated under oath, Sir Julian, it was a matter of conscience. I couldn’t stand by and watch an innocent man being convicted for a crime he hadn’t committed.’
Clare, who, as the consulting solicitor, was sitting a row behind the QCs, placed an X against question number one. 0–1.
‘You told the court that Mr Rashidi returned to his home in The Boltons every evening during the week, and that he then stayed there overnight before being driven back to work in the City the following day.’
‘That’s what his mother told me, and I had no reason not to believe her.’
‘When exactly did you see Mrs Rashidi?’
Lamont looked up at the judge. ‘M’lud,’ he said, ‘may I refer to the notes I made at the time?’ The judge nodded. Lamont opened his notebook and flicked through several pages. ‘May twelfth, fourteenth and nineteenth,’ he pronounced. ‘I also interviewed Mrs Rashidi’s housekeeper and his driver.’
Grace placed an X against that question. 0–2.
‘You also told the court that you were the officer in charge of Operation Trojan Horse. Was that entirely accurate?’
‘I was in charge of the day-to-day planning, but I reported to Commander Hawksby, who as head of the unit joined us on the night of the raid. He in turn reported to the assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.’
‘Got himself off the hook with that reply,’ conceded Clare. 0–3. She had to admit that so far, Sir Julian hadn’t laid a glove on him.
‘You also informed the court that your private investigations revealed that on the night of the raid, Mr Rashidi had visited a warehouse in Battersea, as he did every Friday evening. Having done so, he then went on to the drugs factory to purchase a small amount of cannabis for his personal use, which you suggest explains why he was there when the premises were raided.’
‘That is correct.’
‘How far is it from the warehouse to the drugs factory?’
Lamont hesitated for the first time. ‘About a mile,’ he said, ‘which would account for the bus ticket we found in his pocket at the time of his arrest.’
‘Why would Mr Rashidi need to take a bus to the drugs factory, when he had a car and driver?’
For the second time Lamont looked as if that was a question he hadn’t been prepared for. He glanced desperately at Booth Watson, who sat there, head bowed. 1–3.
‘Since you appear to have no answer to that question, I will move on. What time did the warehouse close that night?’
‘I have no idea,’ admitted Lamont.
‘But didn’t you tell the court you had carried out a thorough investigation after you were convinced Rashidi had been wrongly arrested?’
Another question that clearly hadn’t been on Booth Watson’s crib sheet. 2–3.
‘Then allow me to tell you,’ said Sir Julian. ‘A notice on the warehouse gate states that they close at six o’clock. Are you suggesting Mr Rashidi stood at a bus stop for three hours waiting for the 127, when he could have walked there and back several times?’
Lamont didn’t offer an opinion, so Clare put an X next to the question. 3–3.
‘Once again, the jury won’t have missed the fact that you failed to answer the question,’ said Sir Julian. ‘So I’ll move on. Mr Lamont, you told the court that when you went to what the police presumed to be Mr Rashidi’s apartment in Block B on the day after the raid, the only photograph you saw there was of Mr Roberts’s mother.’
‘That is correct,’ said Lamont, back on track.
‘I’m now going to ask the clerk of the court to show you another photograph, Mr Lamont, and I’d like you to tell me if you’ve ever seen it before.’
Sir Julian handed a silver-framed photograph to the clerk who in turn passed it to Lamont. He studied the image for a few moments before admitting, ‘Yes, I have seen this photograph before. It was in Mr Rashidi’s drawing room at The Boltons when I interviewed his mother.’
‘He saw that one coming,’ whispered Clare, and added another X to her list. 3–4.
‘Then I’m bound to ask,’ said Sir Julian, ‘how the police got hold of a copy of the same photograph, that just happened to be in an identical frame?’
‘I have no idea. But I have a feeling your son might be able to answer that question.’
One or two members of the jury smiled, and Clare put another X against that question. 3–5. She glanced at the next one and felt more hopeful.
‘How many times did you interview Mr Rashidi while you were carrying out your private investigations?’
‘On three separate occasions.’
‘I notice that you didn’t need to check the dates in your notebook this time.’ 4–5.
‘You didn’t ask me for the dates,’ said Lamont. ‘Only how many times.’ 4–6.
‘Then I’m bound to ask how many times you have seen Mr Rashidi since you resigned from the Metropolitan Police.’
‘Not once,’ said Lamont confidently.
‘And Mr Booth Watson?’
Booth Watson was quickly on his feet. ‘I can answer that question, m’lud.’
‘I’m sure you can,’ said Mr Justice Whittaker. ‘But it’s Mr Lamont’s response the jury will want to hear, not yours.’
Booth Watson reluctantly sat back down. 5–6.
‘Twice,’ said Lamont, not sounding quite as confident. ‘When I provided him with written evidence under oath, with a witness present.’
‘Were you compensated for your trouble?’
‘That is a disgraceful suggestion,’ said Booth Watson, even before he’d had time to rise.
‘Possibly,’ said the judge, ‘but once again, I would like to hear the witness’s response.’