‘Over the past ten days you’ve heard a litany of very convincing evidence against me, painting me as a complete monster. If I were any one of you jurors, based on what I’d heard to date, I would be wanting to lock me up and throw away the key. No question!’

His barrister cut him short. ‘Mr Gready, could you get to the point, please.’

He continued. ‘But what you have heard during these past ten days is a very elaborate and cleverly planned and orchestrated tissue of malicious lies.’

‘Can you tell us your reasons for believing this?’ Brown coaxed.

‘Yes, I can. These are lies perpetrated by someone – or some group – out to destroy my reputation, in order to further their commercial gains in the vile world of drugs importation and distribution they inhabit.’

‘But why you, Mr Gready?’

‘Unfortunately, as a criminal lawyer one makes a great number of enemies throughout one’s career. Some of these are people you have defended unsuccessfully, however hard you have tried. And of course, sadly, we legal aid solicitors all too frequently incur the wrath of the police themselves, who consider we are simply playing a game and that we do not care for the truth or for justice.’

‘You want the jury to believe the police are fitting you up?’

‘During the course of my career I have on many occasions after doing my duty, trying to ensure fair play for a suspect, had police officers tell me to my face that they are going to get me one day.’

He paused to let this sink in. ‘One police officer just a couple of years ago told me that, if anyone appears in court charged with an offence, it is because they are guilty – that the Crown Prosecution Service won’t charge anyone who is not guilty as hell – in his words. I’d just got a suspect, whom he’d arrested, acquitted. The officer was waiting for me outside the court and called me a money-grabbing little parasite.’

‘The point you are trying to make, Mr Gready, is what exactly?’

‘I’m not saying this because I have anything at all against the police. They do a vital job. I’m telling you this because I need you to understand the hatred some officers have for lawyers like myself.’

He paused to make eye contact with the jury. ‘I’ve no doubt you have been amazed at some of the things you’ve heard during this trial. Frankly, so am I. The internet today is highly dangerous. Anyone can make it seem that someone else is doing something wrong. Anyone with the right skills – or with the money to hire those skills – can alter phone records, bank accounts and any kind of personal record held on a database.’

‘And how is that relevant here, Mr Gready?’