‘An Acting Detective Constable with Strathclyde Police, twenty-four years old, five years police service.’

‘Yes sir.’

‘On the 16th of March were you one of a number of officers who attended the scene of the shooting of the now deceased Kevin Boyle?’

‘Yes.’

‘You would perform various duties, I’ve no doubt, but there is only one matter I want to ask you about. Did you examine the bonnet of the BMW car?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why?’

‘I wanted to see if it was warm or cold to get some idea of how long the car may have been there.’

‘And?’

‘It was stone cold.’

‘Now, some time later, were you on duty in an interview room when Mr Gallagher was being questioned by detective officers?’

‘I was.’

‘We have heard evidence about the contents of these interviews, but what was your function there?’

‘I was to supervise the prisoner. Sometimes the CID like to leave the room to discuss things. I was there to keep an eye on Gallagher.’

‘At any time did you engage him in conversation?’

‘No. In these situations you are expected to say nothing.’

‘How many times were you alone with Mr Gallagher?’

‘Three, perhaps four.’

‘Did he say anything to you?’

‘The first two or three times he made some comments, about nothing in particular.’

‘Give the jury some examples.’

‘He asked me why I was there, why he could not be trusted on his own, whether they thought he would steal the tape recorder. He said he was bored answering the questions, that he wasn’t going to hang around much longer. That sort of thing.’

‘And you said nothing?’

‘Nothing.’

‘Indeed, did you really pay much attention to what was being said?’

‘I paid attention just in case he said something important. But there was nothing to make a note of, for example.’

‘Were you alone with Gallagher shortly before he was charged with murder?’

‘I was.’

‘Did he say something then?’

‘Yes.’

‘Did his demeanour change?’

‘He had been quite relaxed. Laid-back, I suppose. When the two CID officers left again he became quite agitated. He started to walk about the room. He began to mutter about the officers. He said they were stupid. They knew fuck all. He asked me if I agreed. The only time I spoke was to ask him to be patient. Then he became angry and shouted at me. He told me I was just a dummy standing there. That he was willing to bet I thought I was just as smart as the rest of them.’

‘What else did he say?’

‘He said, “Well, I’ll show you who the smart bastard really is. I gave Boyle what he deserved and neither you nor they wankers will ever prove it”.’

‘ “I gave Boyle what he deserved and neither you nor they wankers will ever prove it?” ’ Matthews enunciated the words slowly and deliberately to allow them to sink in and to maximise their effect.

‘Yes.’