‘That’s a risk I’m willing to take, BW. So you can tell Palmer to get lost. Feel like a glass of champagne?’
THE CROWN V. RAINSFORD
‘Call Detective Sergeant Bob Clarkson,’ cried the clerk.
Grace didn’t take her eyes off Clarkson as he walked across the courtroom and entered the witness box. He delivered the oath with none of the swagger Stern had displayed.
An honest, decent copper, who’s easily led, and sometimes led astray, was one of the sentences Grace had highlighted after reading Clarkson’s personnel file.
Sir Julian sat patiently through the Crown’s cursory examination of Clarkson, which didn’t throw up any surprises. But then he’d never thought it would.
‘Do you wish to cross-examine this witness?’ asked Lord Justice Arnott.
Sir Julian nodded as he rose from his place. He had always intended that Stern should regard him as the enemy, but not Clarkson.
‘Detective Sergeant Clarkson,’ he began, his voice gentle and persuasive, ‘as a police officer you will know the consequences of committing perjury. So I want you to think most carefully before answering my questions.’
Clarkson didn’t respond.
‘On the day Arthur Rainsford was arrested and charged with the murder of his business partner, Mr Gary Kirkland, were you present at the scene of the crime?’
‘No, sir. I was back at the station.’
‘So you did not witness the arrest?’
‘No, sir, I did not.’
‘But you were the junior officer who signed the statement Mr Rainsford made later that evening.’
‘Yes, sir, I was.’
‘Did that statement, written by DI Stern and witnessed by you, consist of three pages or two?’
‘Originally I thought it was three, but DI Stern assured me the following morning that it was only two, and I accepted his word.’
That wasn’t the answer Sir Julian had been anticipating. He paused for a moment, aware that his next five questions were redundant, before asking for confirmation of what he’d just heard.
‘So you originally believed the statement was three pages and not two, as Mr Stern claimed?’
‘Yes, s
ir, and having studied yesterday’s court report I accept Professor Abrahams’ findings without question.’
‘But that would mean you also accept that Mr Stern must have removed a page from the original statement?’ said Sir Julian.
‘Yes, I do, sir. And I regret not challenging him at the time.’
‘Did you challenge him about the possibility of there being a mystery man, the man who Mr Rainsford stated ran past him as he entered the office block, and who he has always claimed could have been the murderer?’
‘Yes, I did, but DI Stern said he was just a figment of Rainsford’s imagination, and we should dismiss it for what it was worth.’
‘What about the anonymous telephone call informing the police of Mr Kirkland’s murder? Was that also a figment of Mr Rainsford’s imagination?’
‘No, sir. We did receive a call from a man with a foreign accent, who told us he’d been passing the block at the time, when he heard the sound of two men shouting, followed by silence, and moments later, a man came running out of the building onto the street, which was the reason he’d phoned the police immediately.’
‘Did he give you his name?’
‘No, sir, but that’s not uncommon in such cases.’