Matthews rose to his feet, clearly feeling the need to protect one of his star witnesses, or at least afford him some respite.

‘My Lord, I fail to see the relevance of this whimsical exchange.’

‘Precisely what I was thinking myself, Advocate Depute. Mr Muirhead, where is this taking us, if anywhere?’ His Lordship affected an exasperated sigh.

‘It’s taken me to the knowledge that this witness is a liar, and very soon it will take the jury to the same conclusion.’

Matthews tried to struggle back to his feet. His Lordship choked on the intended admonition. The jury chortled..

‘It was like this when they gave it to me.’

‘Who? When who gave it to you?’

In court, moments of silence seem to last for ever, even if they are but a few seconds long. By his answer, Sammy had taken himself to the end of the pier. Now all eyes were focused upon him waiting for him to fall off. He duly obliged.

‘The polis.’

‘Who?’ His Lordship’s voice was virtually at screaming pitch.

‘In effect, my Lord, as I indicated, the witness has just admitted that he has been lying and now accepts he got the suit from the police.’

‘I don’t follow this.’

‘If your Lordship will bear with me, all will be revealed.’

Rounding on Sammy, he barked: ‘When?’

‘Last night.’

‘Where?’

‘In a police station.’

‘Which one?’

‘I don’t know. Honestly.’

‘Which policeman?’

‘Three of them.’

‘Names?’

‘I don’t know. They didn’t tell me their names.’

‘Why were you there?’

‘I went to Clydebank to visit Betty, my wife. They shoved me in the back of a car and took me to a polis station in Glasgow.’

‘Why?’

‘They said they wanted a word. I got a shower and a meal and they gave me this suit to wear to court.’

‘Anything else?’

‘Aye. I could keep it if I got it right.’

‘Got what right?’

‘What they wanted me to say.’

‘What was that?’

Again Sammy paused, but clearly he was heading for the water in an uncontrollable dive. Even his Lordship was now intrigued. He added, ‘Neither can I’ to Muirhead’s ‘I can’t hear an answer.’

‘They sat me at a table and went over my statement, time after time. My head was getting sore, but they wouldn’t give it a rest. They wouldn’t let me have a sleep. They told me I had to get it right. If I did, I could keep the suit.’

‘You could keep the suit. Hardly much of a reward, was it?’

‘What do you mean, reward?’

‘I mean a reward for doing your duty and coming to court to give evidence.’

‘I don’t have much.’

‘So, as a result of this generous offer, have you told us the whole truth?’

‘I took an oath.’

‘I know that, but have you told us the truth, the whole truth?’ Muirhead’s voice carried an edge like a honed blade.

‘Yes.’

‘Really?’

‘I told you, yes.’