The Accused

Webster To be honest, Guv, I wasn’t sure at the time.

Barrington You weren’t sure at the time, but you stated categorically…

Webster No, I wasn’t categoric, not until I phoned for the ambulance.

Barrington Not until you phoned for the ambulance. I’m not altogether certain I’m following you, Mr Webster.

Webster Well, you see, that’s when I first saw the doctor’s bag. He’d left it on the table by the phone, so he couldn’t ’ave taken it wiv ’im, could he?

Barrington I see. Mr Webster you told the court that you thought someone else might have been in the room when you first unlocked the door to the apartment.

Webster Yeah, I did.

Barrington And your immediate reaction when you saw the overturned furniture was that it must have been a burglar whom Mrs Sherwood had been shouting at?

Webster Yes, cos there ’ave been a lot of break-ins durin’ the past year, aven’t there?

Barrington Have there? Now, Mr Webster, remembering what a good memory you have, is it possible you can tell the court when you heard the sentence ’How did you get in?’. Was it before you unlocked the door, as you opened the door, or after you had entered the room?

Webster Before I unlocked the door.

Barrington So, some time before you stepped into the room?

Webster (hesitates) Yes, I think so.

Barrington When you walked in, you told my learned friend that you saw the door on the far side of the room slam shut?

Webster Yeah, I did.

Barrington Could it have been the wind?

Webster I s’pose so.

Barrington Did you check to see if anyone was hiding in the kitchen?

Webster No. Why should I?

Barrington Because it leads to the kitchen window and fire escape.

Kersley My Lord, I am enthralled by Sir James’s gift for storytelling and indeed I would go as far as to suggest that were he to submit this particular scenario to the BBC they might well consider it for A Book at Bedtime. But I’m bound to ask what it has to do with the case now being tried before Your Lordship?

Barrington It goes to the very heart of this case, My Lord, because the Prosecution are claiming that the defendant poisoned his wife, when there is no evidence to show that he was even in the building when she collapsed. It n

ow seems there is a distinct possibility that someone else was and therefore the police could well have arrested the wrong person.

Judge Ingenious, Sir James. But I do feel the jury might require a little more proof of the existence of your phantom intruder.

Barrington You may even see them in the witness box, My Lord …

Kersley (leaps up) Is Sir James suggesting that it was Mr Webster who murdered Mrs Sherwood?

Webster Are you accusin’ me?

Barrington If Mr Kersley had allowed me to finish my sentence, I would have added ‘before this trial is over’. No further questions, My Lord.

Webster I did hear her say ‘ ’ow did you get in?’.

Judge Do you wish to re-examine, Mr Kersley?