The Accused

Judge I agree, Sir James. Mr Kersley, unless you can provide evidence, move on.

Kersley Mr Sherwood, has the life insurance company settled the full amount?

Judge Mr Kersley.

Kersley I apologise, My Lord. However, I do hope my learned friend will consider one million pounds a large enough sum to constitute the motive he was searching for.

Sherwood No amount of money would constitute a motive for harming my wife.

Kersley Is that right? Then why did you tell Ms Mitchel that you were sick of the way she continually belittled you in front of the hospital staff and how you longed to be rid of her?

Sherwood My Lord, do I have to answer such a ridiculous suggestion?

Judge Yes, I’m afraid you do, Mr Sherwood.

Sherwood Of course I didn’t want to be rid of my wife. She was the only woman I’ve ever cared for.

Kersley Then why did you seek solace in the arms of another?

Sherwood I did no such thing.

Kersley So when Ms Mitchell informed the court that your wife had refused to make love to you for several years, was that also untrue?

Sherwood How could she possibly know?

Kersley Oh, I see, you regularly made love to your wife, did you, Mr Sherwood? (Sherwood hesitates.) Your silence speaks volumes and, more importantly, supplies us with yet another motive.

Sherwood It does no such thing. When will you work out that when it comes to my private life, Ms Mitchell simply made it up?

Kersley Well, then, let’s consider something Ms Mitchell couldn’t have made up - your wife’s desire to be cremated. Mr Sherwood, your wife’s will - was it written in her own hand?

Sherwood No, it was typed.

Kersley Typed by whom, may I ask?

Sherwood (hesitates) I think I may have typed it, but it was signed and duly witnessed.

Kersley So who witnessed the document?

Sherwood Mr Webster, the porter at Arcadia Mansions.

Kersley A man who - by his own admission - could neither read nor write.

Sherwood It wasn’t necessary for him to read or write, he was only witnessing my wife’s signature.

Kersley So just a few days before your wife dies she suddenly adds a codicil to her will stating that she wishes to be cremated. No doubt my learned friend will once again casually dismiss this piece of evidence as circumstantial and coincidental, rather than using his favourite words, ‘how convenient’.

Barrington My Lord, I’m enjoying this speech immensely, as I feel sure you are, but if it is to continue for much longer, perhaps my client might be allowed to sit down?

Kersley When I’ve finished, your client may well need to sit down. Mr Sherwood, you told the court that you consulted the eminent surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub about your wife’s condition and he put her on a special fat-free diet.

Sherwood Sir Magdi has written to the court confirming as much.

Kersley But wasn’t that exactly what you were hoping to achieve, so that when your wife died, you would be able to show that she had been treated by the nation’s leading specialist and therefore no awkward questions would be asked?

Sherwood That’s ridiculous. How could I be expected to fool the leading authority in the land?

Kersley Because you neglected to inform him about the six ampoules of Potassium Chloride that later mysteriously disappeared. Or are you at last going to tell us what really happened to them?