It was nearly 3 p.m. when a clearly dispirited Primrose Brown stood up to cross-examine the witness.

‘Mr Starr, you are lying, aren’t you?’

‘No, I’m telling the truth.’

‘You are trying to reduce your sentence, aren’t you?’

‘That’s not true, he was my boss.’

‘Well, let’s talk about the truth for a moment, shall we? You say that you first met my client when he intervened in a case when you were starting out on your criminal career, eighteen years ago?’

‘Yes.’

‘And that since then you have been involved in the drugs trade, yes?’

‘For him, yes.’

‘Please answer the question that is asked. For the past eighteen years you have been involved in the drugs trade, yes?’

‘Yes.’

‘Making you a seasoned drug trafficker, yes, and this culminated in your arrest at the port with six million pounds’ worth of Class-A drugs concealed in a car?’

Starr hesitated. ‘Well . . .’

Brown interjected. ‘Answer the question, please.’

He replied, ‘Yes.’

‘And when cornered, you assaulted a Border Force official, kidnapped an innocent member of the public, stole his car and drove like a maniac on public roads, before being forcibly stopped by police officers. You continued to resist arrest until you were restrained. Mr Starr, you are just making it up as you go along, aren’t you?’

‘No, I’ve told the truth.’

‘But you must appreciate, Mr Starr, that the jury simply cannot believe a word you say given your criminal history, can they?’

‘Yes, they can.’

‘But why, Mr Starr, when you are plainly only turning on my client in the hope that your story will be believed, and you may receive a reduced sentence? You are a drug dealer, who has previously lied to the police, who has been involved in importing drugs for years, without a care in the world about the damage this trade does. As I’ve just said and I will now repeat, the jury cannot believe a word you say, can they?’

‘I’m telling the truth.’

Brown picked up a document from the desk in front of her. ‘Can I show you this statement that was taken from you by one of my team, back in February?’

She then handed the statement to the usher, who gave it to Starr.

‘Did you make this statement?’ Brown asked.

‘Yes, I did,’ replied Starr.

‘Can you tell the court about its content?’

‘I basically say that I have not been involved with Terence Gready in any sort of drug dealing or importation of drugs.’

‘That statement is true, isn’t it?’

‘No, I was only saying it to help him get off the charges.’

‘So you were lying?’

‘In that statement I gave to your team, yes, but I’m telling the truth now.’

‘How can anyone believe what you say now when you have just admitted lying in a witness statement?’

‘The circumstances are different now, I’m telling the truth.’