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
‘Yeah.’
‘And admitting that you’d driven those men away from the scene of the crime.’
‘Well that’s what I’d done, innit?’
‘Which led to you being charged with an offence of assisting an offender, to which you pleaded guilty.’
‘Because I’d done it.’
‘And for that you were sentenced to eighteen months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.’
‘Look, mate, I’ve already said all this. Is this goin’ somewhere or what?’
‘Recap, Mr Colliver. Recap.’
‘Listen, mate—’
There was anger in Colliver’s voice. Annoyance at Michael’s singsong, sarcastic tone. Michael ignored it.
‘Now, just so the jury understand, a suspended sentence is when you receive a sentence of imprisonment but don’t actually have to serve it, provided you stay out of trouble for a specified period. In your case that was two years. Is that your understanding?’
‘You’re the lawyer, ain’t ya’?’
‘Yes, but you’re the one giving evidence. And you haven’t disagreed with my explanation of a suspended sentence, Mr Colliver. So is that your understanding?’
Colliver glowered silently back at him.
‘OK. Then we’ll take it that I’m right. So, let’s recap a bit of the recap, shall we? You were originally charged with an offence of murder. For which you were remanded in custody, yes?’
‘Yeah.’
The belligerence was increasing. Michael’s revised, rapid approach had been a good call.
‘And if convicted of that murder, you knew you’d receive a sentence of life imprisonment.’
‘Yes.’
‘Which would not be suspended, would it?’
‘What?’
‘You’d have to actually serve that sentence, wouldn’t you? Or at least a minimum term of many years.’
‘What’s this got to do with anything?’
‘Quite a lot actually, Mr Colliver.’
Michael always enjoyed a well-placed question from a witness. It was not an opportunity he would miss.
‘For one thing, life in a prison is an awful lot worse than a sentence that says “stay out of trouble for a little while and you won’t serve another day”, isn’t it?’
‘What?’
‘Let me put it more simply.’ Michael adopted a more patronising tone, designed to annoy Colliver further. ‘Which would you prefer, Mr Colliver? Life in prison or a suspended sentence where you don’t get punished provided you keep your nose clean?’
‘That’s a stupid bloody question.’
‘Yes, I suppose it is.’ Michael turned to the jury. His smile wider. ‘Because I think we all know the answer. But let’s move on.’
Michael turned back to Colliver.
‘So according to your evidence, at the time of your arrest – when you were facing a charge that could give you life imprisonment – you already knew all of the details of the people who had actually committed the offence. Information that could turn that life sentence into a short suspended sentence instead. And yet you chose to say absolutely nothing?’
‘I’m not a grass, mate.’
Michael smiled. He could not have hoped for a better, more impatient answer. It told him that Colliver was no longer thinking. He was now just reacting. The screws were in place.