‘What was your reaction to this?’

‘I could not believe it. I was in a bit of a panic, I suppose. I just did not know what to do.’

‘What did you do?’

Just after he said this, Superintendent McAllister came in to charge Mr Gallagher.’

‘What was Mr Gallagher’s demeanour when Mr McAllister came in?’

‘The instant the door opened he switched to being laid-back though he did blow up when he was charged.’

‘When did you report what had been said to you?’

‘When the accused was taken to be finger-printed.’

‘Who did you tell?’

‘The two officers who had been doing the interviewing. They told me to put it in a statement at once.’

‘Is there any doubt that Mr Gallagher said these words to you?’

‘No sir, none at all. He said it.’

Matthews sat down.

Muirhead glanced at the jury as he prepared to cross-examine. Once again he could feel a number of icy stares emanating from them.

‘It would seem, constable, that Mr Gallagher confessed to you, confessed to murder, indeed.’

‘I thought so.’

‘Why do you think he wanted to confess to you?’

‘You better ask him, sir, with respect.’

‘No, I’m asking you.’

‘I don’t know. I repeat, ask him.’

‘The two of you were alone when this was said?’

‘When what was said?’

‘Don’t play games with me, constable. When he confessed.’

‘Yes, we were alone.’

‘The rest of the time there were at least four of you in the interview room.’

‘Yes.’

‘And when four of you were present, Gallagher repeatedly and constantly denied involvement in the death of Kevin Boyle?’

‘You could say that.’

‘I just did.’

The battle was joined.

‘There was a tape recorder present. Wasn’t there?’

‘Yes.’

‘Yet that tape recorder does not seem to have heard any confession from Mr Gallagher?’

‘It was only switched on when the CID were present.’

‘What is the normal procedure when a person says something important, something incriminating?’

‘I’m not sure I understand.’

‘I’m sure you do. Are police officers still issued with notebooks, despite this technological age in which we live?’

‘Yes.’

‘Then let me try again. What is the procedure when someone, such as a prime suspect in a murder inquiry, says something important, something incriminating?’

‘You make a note of it in your notebook, if you can.’

‘Why?’

‘So you have a record of it and to act as an aide memoire.’

‘Did you make a note?’

‘No.’

‘Could you have noted it down?’

‘Not in the interview room.’

‘Why not?’

‘If I had tried to take out my notebook and write down what Gallagher had said, he would have seen me and he would just have denied it.’

‘So you thought about noting it?’

‘Well no, not really.’

‘And are you seriously suggesting that by not noting the comment you thought Mr Gallagher was more likely to admit it?’

‘No, I suppose not.’