Contents ( 83)
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- SEVENTY-SEVEN
- SEVENTY-EIGHT
- SEVENTY-NINE
- Acknowledgements
- OUT NOW IN PAPERBACK
‘No, Mr Colliver. No you do not. So let’s get cracking, shall we?’
‘Fire away.’
‘I’ll do that.’
Michael smiled at Colliver’s confidence. Today should not be fun. Michael knew that. But Colliver seemed primed to distract Michael from thoughts of Derek Reid and Karl Hirst. At least for a while.
Michael continued.
‘I think it might be best if we start with a little recap. Make sure we’re all up to speed on your evidence.’
‘Whatever you want.’
‘That’s very generous of you.’
Michael placed one hand on his wooden lectern and stood up to his full height. He made for an imposing figure from across the courtroom. The gesture was not lost on Colliver, who began to fidget in his seat.
‘Now we’ve all heard that you were originally arrested, questioned and charged with the murder of the Galloway brothers. Correct?’
‘I’ve already been asked that, so you know it’s true.’
‘Yes, Mr Colliver. We do. That’s why it’s called a “recap”. Now, shall we carry on?’
‘You trying to be funny, mate?’
‘Not at all, Mr Colliver. Murder is not a laughing matter.’ Michael glanced towards the jury as he spoke. To create a connection. Then back to Colliver. ‘When you were interviewed by the police – when you were questioned – you said nothing about Darren O’Driscoll’s involvement in the murder.’
‘No.’
‘You made no mention of him at all.’
‘You know I didn’t.’
‘And you certainly made no mention at all of my client, Simon Kash. Did you?’
‘I didn’t say nuffink about nuffink.’ Colliver’s arrogance was now joined by a slight belligerence. Michael’s questions were beginning to irritate him. ‘I went “no comment”, didn’t I?’
‘Indeed you did, Mr Colliver. When first asked about the murder – when under arrest for the murder – you essentially said nothing.’
‘Yeah.’
‘And yet from what you’ve told this jury today, you could have told the police a hell of a lot.’
‘What d’ya mean?’
‘What I mean is that you’ve told this jury today that you were at the scene of the crime very soon after the murder.’
‘That’s right.’
‘That Darren O’Driscoll had called you and had ordered you to collect both him and Simon Kash from the murder scene. To assist in their escape.’
‘That’s right n’all.’
‘Which you could have told the police when you were questioned.’
‘S’ppose, yeah.’
‘But you didn’t.’
‘No.’
Michael took a moment to think. He had planned the cross-examination in his mind. An intricate dissection of the evidence. Designed to slowly expose Colliver’s lies. But Colliver was already irritated. The one-word answers told Michael that. So did their tone. Perhaps slow and steady was not the answer with this one.
It’s like questioning a naughty schoolboy, Michael thought. So let’s play it that way.
‘It’s right, isn’t it, that eventually you did mention to the police what you have now told this jury?’
‘Yeah.’
‘That you told them the same story as you’ve told today. Naming Darren O’Driscoll. Naming Simon Kash.’