One member of the jury suppressed a smile.
TWO DRUG DEALS
‘The Crown went into great detail about how the defendant visited the head of a gang of drug dealers in the early hours of the morning. But isn’t it part of a police officer’s job to raid suspected drug dealers when they least expect it, in the hope of finding evidence that will enable them to be brought to justice? Not a job many of us would want to carry out in the middle of the night, when we’d rather be safely tucked up in bed. Let’s be thankful DS Summers was willing to take on that demanding and dangerous responsibility on your behalf.
‘If the undercover officer who’d been watching him night and day was so keen to discover what was in that Sainsbury’s bag on the night in question, why didn’t he arrest DS Summers and take a look inside? Perhaps he wasn’t there in the first place?’
Grace leant across and whispered to her father, ‘Surely he realizes undercover agents remain undercover, that’s the point of them.’
‘Of course he does,’ said Sir Julian. ‘However, his words aren’t aimed at us, but at the jury.’
THE PLAYBOY CLUB
‘It would appear, members of the jury, that it’s now a crime to visit the Playboy Club and enjoy a night out after a hard day’s work. And an even worse crime to leave the club with almost as much money as you came in with.’
Booth Watson managed to raise a second smile from another member of the jury.
‘Inspector Warwick wants you to believe that the defendant was doing something illegal by playing a game of roulette. If that’s the case, why did he once again fail to arrest him? Because once again he knew DS Summers had nothing to hide.’
Booth Watson glanced down at his list.
THE RING
‘Let us now turn to the solitary piece of evidence on which this whole charade rests. A diamond ring that was discovered on DS Summers’s bedside table. But how did it get there? you may ask. Miss Bailey tells us she left it on his bedside table before returning home. If that is to be believed, why didn’t she hand it over to her superiors at Scotland Yard the following morning, when the case could have been solved there and then, and Police Constable Bailey might surely have received a commendation for her outstanding detective work, rather than the suspicion that she hasn’t been entirely honest about how she came into possession of the ring. To quote my learned friend, you may well ask why. Is it just possible that Miss Bailey isn’t quite as naive and innocent as my learned friend would have you believe?
‘After all, we know she held on to the ring for at least a month, possibly longer, and then when things started to unravel, she returned to the defendant’s flat when he wasn’t there, and left the ring on his bedside table, in the expectation it would be discovered by a search party from Scotland Yard who would arrive the following day all guns blazing. But unfortunately, they didn’t find the ring. So, one is bound to wonder who stole it in the first place.’
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
‘The Crown made great play of the fact that when Miss Bailey gave birth to her child, DS Summers callously made no effort to visit her or his son. Once again, Miss Bailey only told you her side of the story. What she failed to let you know, members of the jury, and the judge will confirm, is that he issued a ruling that the defendant must not in any circumstances attempt to contact Miss Bailey before the trial began, otherwise his bail would be rescinded. My client sticks to the letter of the law, and she condemns him for it,’ protested Booth Watson, his eyes never leaving the jury.
SUMMING-UP
‘Members of the jury, the Crown went on to suggest that if my client isn’t found guilty and sentenced to a long period of imprisonment, it will send a message to his fellow police officers that they can flout the law with impunity. In fact, the opposite is true. If you find DS Summers not guilty, it will send a message to his colleagues that an innocent man need not fear false and baseless allegations from a vengeful woman, as long as he comes before a jury who believe in justice.’ He paused for some time before continuing.
‘You heard at the beginning of this trial, from none other than my learned friend, that DS Summers is a highly decorated officer, with an extremely promising career ahead of him. Miss Bailey went even further when she testified that his arrest record was, in her own words, “second to none”. However, such has been the adverse publicity DS Summers received as a result of this trial that even if you were to find him not guilty, he will be left with no choice but to resign from the police force, as he will no longer be able to carry out to the best of his abilities the job he’s always wanted to do since he was a child. You may feel that’s punishment enough for such minor indiscretions.
‘And finally, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I wondered if you have had the chance to read any of this morning’s newspapers. If you haven’t, allow me to show you just a sample of their front pages.’
Booth Watson waited for a moment before he held up first The Times, followed by the Telegraph, then the Daily Mail, and finally the Guardian. Every one of them displayed the same banner headline: NOT GUILTY.
‘Yesterday,’ continued Booth Watson, lowering his voice, ‘a prisoner was released from Wormwood Scrubs having served a sentence of fourteen years for a crime he did not commit. I want you just for a moment,’ he said, his eyes running along the front bench of the jury, ‘to remember what you were doing fourteen years ago, and all the things that have happened in those intervening years.’ His gaze moved on to the second row. ‘And now imagine, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, what it would be like if you were unable to return to your family tonight, because you were about to be locked up for fourteen years, for a crime you had not committed. I feel sure you’ll agree it doesn’t bear thinking about. But thankfully you now have the opportunity to ensure that an innocent man does not have to serve a similar harsh sentence for a crime he did not commit.
‘I would suggest to you that if there’s an ounce of doubt in your mind as to DS Summers’s guilt, weigh it carefully in the balance. Because if you do, it will surely come down on the side of justice, and you will be left with no choice but to reach a verdict of not guilty.’
Once again, he held up his copy of The Times, so that the last image the members of the jury saw before they retired to consider their verdicts was NOT GUILTY.
Booth Watson collapsed onto the bench, clearly exhausted. Not for the first time, Sir Julian had to acknowledge that he had no more formidable rival at the Bar.
Low chattering once again broke out around the court. Booth Watson surreptitiously opened one eye and peeked at the jury. He was confident he had sown the seed of doubt, because they all looked as Dickens had once described a jury: in two minds.
‘Brilliant,’ whispered Sir Julian to Grace. ‘I know he’s guilty, you know he’s guilty, and certainly BW knows he’s guilty. But after that, the jury may no longer feel confident enough to deliver a verdict that could be described as beyond reasonable doubt.’
‘Perhaps this would be an appropriate time for us to take a break for lunch,’ said the judge. ‘If you would return at two o’clock, I shall begin my summing-up.’
Mr Justice Ramsden pushed back his chair, rose, and bowed to the assembled gathering before leaving his court. No sooner had the door closed behind him, than the chattering began once again. Everyone seemed to have an opinion as to whether the defendant would be found guilty or not guilty.