Crown Court - An Englishman's Home (1975) - video Dailymotion

Jezza

Squatters from the university occupied what they thought was an empty holiday home and changed the locks to prevent the owner's re-entry. It was in fact the permanent home of Edward Lumsden, an elderly man. When he returned home to find himself locked-out he called his daughter Vera Chadwick who came to the house to resolve the matter. She took a shotgun along with her. This gun was ultimately fired and one of the squatters - John Worsley - was shot and permanently blinded in one eye. The prosecution assert that Mrs. Chadwick deliberately wounded him but she and her defence team maintain that the shooting was an accident.   Quite an emotional episode, this one. Wonderful acting from Ann Mitchell, who plays Vera. Thorley Walters and Ronald Hines star as the prosecuting and defence counsels, with Alan Rowe as Judge Quinlan.   Film actor Mervyn Johns, known for iconic films such as "Dead of Night", appears as Vera's Dad, Edward Lumsden. Fred Feast, playing Vera's husband Frank Chadwick, played Fred Gee for many years in Coronation Street.

Transcript

00:00:00The End

00:00:05The End

00:00:10The End

00:00:22Vera Chadwick, a farmer's wife and mother of three children,

00:00:28stands accused of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

00:00:32It is alleged that in August this year, in the kitchen of her father's cottage,

00:00:36she shot and seriously injured John Worsley.

00:00:39Mrs Chadwick pleads, not guilty.

00:00:41All stand.

00:00:53Inspector Thompson, on the morning of August the 14th,

00:00:57were you the senior officer on duty at the divisional police station in North Fulbright?

00:01:02I was, sir.

00:01:03And were you alerted to an incident at the property known as Church Cottage off Plantation Lane

00:01:10near the village of Stubcroft?

00:01:12I was, sir.

00:01:13And would you please tell us what you found there?

00:01:16May I refer to my notes, Your Honor?

00:01:18When did you make them?

00:01:19About one hour after the events themselves, Your Honor.

00:01:21Yes.

00:01:22Very well, Inspector.

00:01:23Thank you, Your Honor.

00:01:24In company with Sergeant Wilson, I reached Church Cottage at 10.52am.

00:01:28The house stands by itself at the end of a narrow lane.

00:01:31Blocking this lane near the house was a saloon car.

00:01:34I had to move this vehicle before the police car could reach the house.

00:01:37Sir, in fact, you were the first person on the scene?

00:01:40Yes, sir.

00:01:41And on reaching Church Cottage, Inspector, what did you find?

00:01:45A considerable confusion, sir.

00:01:47The first person I saw was an elderly man whom I later learned to be Mr. Edward Lumsden,

00:01:51the tenant of the property.

00:01:53He was sitting on the ground with his back to the wall of the house, apparently in a state of shock.

00:01:57I said to him, what's the trouble here?

00:02:00And he replied?

00:02:01No, sir.

00:02:02He seemed unable to speak.

00:02:03He just shook his head.

00:02:05I then saw a young woman whom I now know to be Miss Margaret Stone.

00:02:08She came round the corner of the house carrying a double-barrel shotgun.

00:02:11She handed me the shotgun and said, you had better take charge of this.

00:02:15It has done enough damage.

00:02:17Yes.

00:02:18Well, may he be shown Exhibit 1, please?

00:02:28You recognise it, Inspector?

00:02:29Yes, sir.

00:02:30That is the shotgun Miss Stone handed to me.

00:02:33Would you continue with your account, please?

00:02:35Having made sure the gun was safe, I handed it to my companion, Sergeant Wilson,

00:02:38and proceeded round the back of the cottage to the back door.

00:02:41This door was hanging inward, sir, as if forced in, with the hinges broken.

00:02:46Inside the kitchen lying on the floor was an injured man.

00:02:49And this was Mr. John Worsley?

00:02:51Yes, sir.

00:02:52So I subsequently ascertained.

00:02:54He had evidently been shot and was bleeding from the head, shoulder and left arm.

00:02:58He was just conscious, sir, and evidently in considerable pain.

00:03:02Was he alone in the kitchen?

00:03:03No, sir.

00:03:04The accuser's with him, Vera Chadwick.

00:03:06She was kneeling on the floor, holding the injured man by the head and wiping his face.

00:03:10She was crying, sir.

00:03:11I said to her, what has happened here?

00:03:15She replied, I have killed him.

00:03:17Oh, God, I have killed him.

00:03:19I have killed him.

00:03:21I see.

00:03:23What happened then?

00:03:24The ambulance then arrived, sir.

00:03:25Mr. Worsley was taken to Folchester General Hospital to be treated for his injuries.

00:03:29At this point, I cautioned the accused, and she replied, he should not have been here.

00:03:34He tried to steal my dad's house.

00:03:36He tried to steal my dad's house?

00:03:39Yes, sir.

00:03:40I then showed her the shotgun and asked if it was her property.

00:03:43She replied, no, it is Frank's.

00:03:46Who is Frank?

00:03:47Frank Chadwick is the accused husband, Your Honor.

00:03:50The shotgun is licensed in his name.

00:03:52I then said, did you shoot him?

00:03:54Meaning, the young man, Your Honor.

00:03:56And she replied, yes, it was me.

00:03:58He should not have been here.

00:04:00So, you asked the accused if she shot Mr. Worsley, and she replied, yes, it was me.

00:04:10Yes, sir.

00:04:11Right.

00:04:12The accused was then taken to Folchester Police Station, where she was later charged.

00:04:16Thank you, Inspector.

00:04:17Now, Inspector, you told us that you were on duty at the North Falborough Station on the

00:04:24morning of August the 14th, when you were alerted to an incident at Church Cottage.

00:04:30Were you surprised?

00:04:32Surprised?

00:04:33I don't think I understand that question, sir.

00:04:35We get a good many incidents referred to us every day.

00:04:38Well, let me put the question another way.

00:04:41When you received word of an incident at Church Cottage, were you expecting it?

00:04:46Your Honor, I fail to see the relevance of the Inspector's anticipations.

00:04:51Well, Mr. Ferguson.

00:04:52Your Honor, the emotional atmosphere in which the shooting occurred is crucial in this case,

00:04:56and I hope the answer to my question will shed light on the atmosphere which prevailed.

00:05:00Very well, Mr. Ferguson.

00:05:01You may put the question.

00:05:02Thank you, Your Honor.

00:05:03Now, Inspector, were you expecting trouble at Church Cottage?

00:05:07No, sir.

00:05:08I wasn't.

00:05:09Not serious trouble.

00:05:10If I had been expecting trouble, sir, I would have taken steps to prevent it.

00:05:14Nevertheless, on August the 13th, the day before Mr. Worsley's shooting, you received a telephone

00:05:20call regarding Church Cottage, did you not?

00:05:22Yes, sir.

00:05:23From Mr. Edward Lumsden, the tenant of Church Cottage.

00:05:26Yes, and Mr. Lumsden is the accused's father.

00:05:29Yes, sir.

00:05:30He telephoned the North Fulchester station, was eventually put through to me.

00:05:33He said somebody had stolen his house.

00:05:35I asked him what he meant by this, and it turned out there were squatters in it.

00:05:38He'd been away from home for a couple of weeks, sir, just got back.

00:05:41He seemed to want the police to go up to the cottage and arrest the squatters.

00:05:45I had to explain to him we couldn't do this.

00:05:48But this was a cry for help.

00:05:50He wanted help, sir, yes.

00:05:53I told him the best thing he could do was to see a solicitor right away.

00:05:56Well, in other words, you wouldn't help him.

00:05:59No, sir, I did help as best I could by suggesting he obtained legal advice.

00:06:04You see, sir, in the previous few days there had been four other cottages in the area occupied by squatters,

00:06:10all members of this action homeless campaign from the university, sir.

00:06:15These people know just what they're doing.

00:06:18They use the law to their own advantage.

00:06:20We have to be very careful how we proceed.

00:06:22Am I right in thinking, Inspector, that the Fulchester force received a rap over the knuckles last year

00:06:27for somewhat precipitous action in a case involving squatters who were forcibly ejected?

00:06:32Yes, Your Honor.

00:06:34Would it be true to say that the police force is reluctant to become involved in squatting cases without obvious criminal offence?

00:06:41Oh, yes. Yes, Your Honor.

00:06:42Thank you. Proceed, Mr. Your Honor.

00:06:45So, when Mr. Lambson told you that the squatters had taken over his home, you told him that the police would take no action?

00:06:53Not exactly, sir. I told him we'd make inquiries. But from what he'd told me, that's about all we could do, sir.

00:06:59I see. And on the following day, the day of Mr. Worsley's shooting, how far had you got with these inquiries?

00:07:05Well, we haven't, sir. You see, in the four other cases referred to us, all squats made by the same group, we'd found no criminal offence by the squatters.

00:07:15In each case, we advised the owner of the property to seek legal action through the courts, just as I advised Mr. Lambson.

00:07:21Yes, but these four other cases of squatting involved holiday cottages, did they not?

00:07:25Yes, sir.

00:07:26Whereas, church cottage, far from being anyone's holiday retreat, is Mr. Lambson's one and only home.

00:07:32Yes, indeed, sir. So I understood. And if Mr. Lambson had been the owner of the property, not just the tenant, well, we might have risked action, sir.

00:07:41But it's a very tricky area of the law, sir, as perhaps you may be aware.

00:07:46Thank you, Inspector. Yes, yes, I am aware of the law.

00:07:50And so the day following Mr. Lambson's appeal to you, and your no doubt regretful refusal to interfere, you were called to an incident at Church Cottage.

00:08:00So, you were not surprised.

00:08:02Really, Your Honour, the witness has already been asked this question, and answered it fully.

00:08:08Yes, sir, Mr. Honour. We're in no doubt as to your views on this matter, Mr. Ferguson, and we really must get on.

00:08:14Now, Inspector, you've told us that the shotgun, the property of the defendant's husband, was handed to you as soon as you arrived at Church Cottage.

00:08:23Yes, sir. By Miss Margaret Stone.

00:08:25Ah, yes, yes. By Miss Stone. Yes, we shall be hearing a great deal about that lady in due course.

00:08:32Now, Inspector, did you examine the gun?

00:08:35Well, I checked the gun to see if either barrel was loaded, sir. It wasn't.

00:08:39But, of course, a more thorough examination was made later at the police station.

00:08:43What did that examination show?

00:08:45One barrel had been fired recently, sir. The other barrel not for some considerable time, a matter of weeks.

00:08:51So, on August the 14th, only one of the two barrels had been fired.

00:08:54I mean, you've told us that the gun was empty when it was handed to you.

00:08:57So, unless someone else unloaded the second barrel after Mr. Worsley's shooting, only one of the barrels had, in fact, been loaded.

00:09:05Yes, sir.

00:09:06Now, did you ask Miss Stone if she had unloaded the second barrel?

00:09:10Yes, sir. She said she hadn't. She'd merely taken possession of the gun after Mr. Worsley's shooting.

00:09:16Yes.

00:09:17Now, after Miss Stone had handed you the shotgun and you went into the kitchen where you found the injured man and the defendant, what was the defendant wearing?

00:09:24Well, a dress of some sort, sir. No, no, not a dress exactly. One of those things that women wear in the kitchen, sir. A penny?

00:09:34Yes, a pinafore. Yes.

00:09:36So, Mrs. Chadwick drove the 30 miles from her own home to her father's cottage wearing a pinafore?

00:09:42Apparently so, sir.

00:09:44And when you entered the kitchen where the injured man was lying, Mrs. Chadwick was attending to the injured man, cradling his head?

00:09:52Yes, sir.

00:09:53And crying, you said?

00:09:54Yes, sir.

00:09:55Now, when the ambulance arrived, Inspector, and Mr. Worsley was put into it to be taken to the hospital, what did the defendant do?

00:10:03She tried to get into the ambulance with him, sir.

00:10:06Why was that?

00:10:07She said she wanted to go to the hospital with him to look after him on the way. I had to restrain her, sir.

00:10:12Oh, why? Was she hysterical?

00:10:13No, sir.

00:10:15Agitated and upset?

00:10:16Yes, sir. Yes.

00:10:18Now, you've described the defendant as attending to the injured man, crying, you said, evidently upset, wanting to go into the ambulance with him to accompany him to the hospital.

00:10:27Now, is that the behavior of a woman who'd set out coldly and determinately to inflict grievous damage on a fellow creature?

00:10:35Oh, really? Your Honor, crying.

00:10:37You know perfectly well, Mr. Ferguson, that this question you attempted to put to the witness is the very question which the jury will have to decide.

00:10:46You are John Andrew Worsley of Flat 5, 23 Burgundy Street, Fullchester?

00:11:04Yes.

00:11:05And you are a second year student at Fullchester University?

00:11:09Yes.

00:11:10And on August the 14th at Church Cottage, did you suffer shotgun wounds?

00:11:14Yes, I did.

00:11:16Now, Mr. Worsley, the court has heard details of your injuries and treatment from Dr. Ramsden.

00:11:22But would you tell us what the long-term effects of your injuries have been?

00:11:27I've lost the sight of one eye.

00:11:29I must ask you to speak louder, Mr. Worsley. I can scarcely hear you. I'm sure the jury can't.

00:11:34Will you please answer that question again?

00:11:36I'm blind in my left eye.

00:11:38And that is a permanent condition?

00:11:40Obviously, yes.

00:11:42Now, Mr. Worsley, will you explain what you were doing at Church Cottage in the first place?

00:11:48Well, I was squatting. It was part of a campaign to take over empty houses and move homeless families into them.

00:11:53I see. And were you alone?

00:11:55No, Margaret was there too. Margaret Stone.

00:11:58Just one other person.

00:12:00Now, when did you enter Church Cottage?

00:12:03It was August the 12th, two days before I got shot.

00:12:07I see. Now, Mr. Worsley, I'm going to ask you about the events of that day, August the 14th.

00:12:14Would you tell us what happened on that morning?

00:12:17Well, we saw the old man was outside again.

00:12:21Yes, you're referring, of course, to Mr. Lumsden, the tenant of the cottage.

00:12:24Yeah, Mr. Lumsden.

00:12:26We saw him outside when we first looked out of the window that morning.

00:12:30And then, a bit later on, a car came up and pulled up at the end of the lane that leads to the house.

00:12:37At first, we thought it was a friend of ours because we were expecting him to come from Fulchester with a family that had nowhere to live.

00:12:43And then we saw it wasn't a friend. It was a woman carrying a gun.

00:12:48Can you see that woman now?

00:12:51Yes, that's her.

00:12:53Yes, yes, the accused, Vera Shadwick.

00:12:57And what did she do?

00:13:00Well, she talked to the old man, Mr. Lumsden, for a while.

00:13:04And then she came up to the front door and hammered on it.

00:13:06With a gun?

00:13:07No, no, with her hand.

00:13:09She banged on the door and she shouted at us to come out.

00:13:12We were upstairs, looking down from the front bedroom window.

00:13:15And did you come out?

00:13:17No.

00:13:18Margaret said to her she was wasting her time banging and shouting like that.

00:13:22She told her we weren't coming out and we weren't going to hand the house over.

00:13:25Just a moment. I'm rather puzzled.

00:13:27You say that your motive for squatting in this cottage was to provide accommodation for homeless people?

00:13:32Yeah.

00:13:33Yet by occupying this house you were making the tenant Mr. Lumsden homeless.

00:13:37Well, yes, but we didn't know that.

00:13:39We thought the house was Mr. Lumsden's holiday cottage, his second home.

00:13:43Well, it was a mistake.

00:13:45Yes, it was indeed. Carry on, Mr. Unwin.

00:13:48Right.

00:13:49And what did the accused do then?

00:13:52Well, she tried pushing at the door a bit.

00:13:55She couldn't get in. It was a big heavy door and it was bolted.

00:13:58Then she started swearing at us.

00:14:01And then she went a little way away with Mr. Lumsden behind the car into some trees so we couldn't see them.

00:14:07It was like that for about 20 minutes.

00:14:10Then I saw the old man, Mr. Lumsden.

00:14:13He came up to the front door and he had a big heavy stick and he started hammering on it.

00:14:19I knew he couldn't get in. But anyway, we went downstairs and we got hold of a chest of drawers from the front room and we dragged it into the passage behind the front door.

00:14:29And then, all of a sudden, we heard a crash from the back of the house.

00:14:33You see, what sort of a crash?

00:14:35Well, like somebody breaking wood.

00:14:37And Margaret said to me, stay here, guard the front door.

00:14:41And she ran to the kitchen where the back door is.

00:14:44And you stayed at the front door?

00:14:46Yeah.

00:14:47I see.

00:14:48Well, what happened after your companion left to run to the kitchen?

00:14:52Well, the old man was still banging on the front door and shouting.

00:14:57And then I heard another crash from the back of the house.

00:14:59Well, a similar crash to the first one.

00:15:01Yeah.

00:15:02And then I heard Margaret shouting.

00:15:04I see.

00:15:05And what did she shout?

00:15:06Well, I don't remember exactly.

00:15:09Everything happened so fast and there was all the banging at the front door.

00:15:13It was just something like, get out, get out.

00:15:16I see.

00:15:17So what did you do?

00:15:18Well, I ran through the house to the kitchen.

00:15:20I ran through the front room and I flung open the kitchen door.

00:15:26And what did you see in the kitchen?

00:15:28Well, she was in.

00:15:30Mrs. Chadwick.

00:15:31The back door was open.

00:15:33We'd bolted it, but she'd busted in somehow.

00:15:35It was hanging all wrong.

00:15:37Well, when I opened the door from the front room, I stopped because of the gun.

00:15:42And she turned towards me and I saw the gun come up.

00:15:47You say the accused turned towards you?

00:15:50Yes.

00:15:51And raised the gun?

00:15:53Yes.

00:15:54How far away was the accused?

00:15:56The length of the kitchen, about 15 feet, I suppose.

00:16:00Perhaps a bit more.

00:16:01Rather closer than I am to you now?

00:16:03Yes.

00:16:04I see.

00:16:05So the accused turned towards you and raised the gun.

00:16:09And then what happened?

00:16:10Well, I'm not, I'm not very clear about it.

00:16:14Um, I put my arm up in front of my face to try and protect myself.

00:16:18I sort of got my shoulder up.

00:16:21And then, then I felt as if I'd been slammed on the head.

00:16:26And there was a tremendous noise.

00:16:29And, um, I'm afraid I don't really remember much else.

00:16:32Not till after, not till I was in the hospital.

00:16:35Thank you, Mr. Worsley.

00:16:36Will you wait there, please?

00:16:38Now, Mr. Worsley.

00:16:41You've told us that you occupied Church Cottage on August the 12th.

00:16:48Hmm?

00:16:49Did you break in?

00:16:50Uh, no, definitely not.

00:16:51There was a window left open and I got in through that.

00:16:54I see.

00:16:55Thereby avoiding prosecution under the statute of Forcible Entry and the Criminal Damage Act.

00:17:00Hmm.

00:17:01Yes, obviously your action group knows its way around the law.

00:17:04Hmm?

00:17:05Who's your legal expert?

00:17:07You?

00:17:08No, Margaret isn't.

00:17:09Well, I, I mean, we all know quite a bit about squatting in the law.

00:17:13Yes, you mentioned Margaret.

00:17:14That would be your companion at Mr. Lumsden's cottage.

00:17:17Margaret Stone.

00:17:18Yes.

00:17:20Did you know that Mr. Lumsden lived in the cottage?

00:17:23Well, no, we didn't.

00:17:25I see.

00:17:26You, you just liked the look of it, did you?

00:17:28And, uh, picked it at random.

00:17:29No, of course not.

00:17:30It wasn't like that.

00:17:31We thought the house was Mr. Lumsden's holiday cottage.

00:17:34Oh, I see.

00:17:35You thought.

00:17:36You didn't care enough to establish the facts.

00:17:38It wasn't at all like that.

00:17:40We thought we did know the facts.

00:17:42Well, some of us feel strongly enough about homeless families to want to do something about it.

00:17:46And when you see holiday cottages standing empty most of the year while other people have nowhere to live.

00:17:50Well, we got Mr. Lumsden's house mixed up with another one.

00:17:54His house is called Church Cottage.

00:17:56There's another one called Church House about two miles away.

00:17:59That is a holiday cottage.

00:18:00Well, we got the two confused.

00:18:03Yes.

00:18:04Yes, it sounds as though you and your friends are rather confused people.

00:18:08It's the only mistake we've made.

00:18:10Oh?

00:18:11Oh, was it, Mr. Worsley?

00:18:12Yes.

00:18:13Well, we'll see.

00:18:14Now, this plan to occupy other people's holiday homes.

00:18:17Whose idea was that?

00:18:18Well, several of us decided to do it.

00:18:20Yes, but who proposed this particular action?

00:18:23I don't remember now.

00:18:24Was it Margaret Stone?

00:18:25I don't know.

00:18:26Are you sure you don't know?

00:18:29Well, it might have been Margaret.

00:18:30I mean, it's possible.

00:18:31I see.

00:18:32But it was definitely Miss Stone who occupied Mr. Lumsden's cottage with you, wasn't it?

00:18:36On August the 12th.

00:18:37Yes.

00:18:38And then this country idyll was rather spoiled, wasn't it?

00:18:42Because Mr. Lumsden came back, didn't he?

00:18:44Yes.

00:18:45When was that?

00:18:46It was the day after we'd moved in, the 13th in the evening.

00:18:50I see.

00:18:51Mr. Lumsden came into his house and he found you there, did he?

00:18:54Well, no, he couldn't come into his house.

00:18:56No?

00:18:57Why not?

00:18:58We'd changed the locks.

00:19:00Oh!

00:19:01Well, that was very thoughtful of you, Mr. Worsley.

00:19:03Mr. Lumsden comes back to his own home, finds he can't get in because you've changed the locks.

00:19:09What happened then?

00:19:11Well, Margaret opened the bedroom window and explained to him what we were doing.

00:19:15In what words?

00:19:17She told him that the Action Homeless Campaign Group had moved in to take over accommodation

00:19:22that wasn't occupied by its owner to use for a family that had nowhere to live.

00:19:26And what did Mr. Lumsden say to that?

00:19:28Well, looking back on it now, I don't think he really grasped the situation at first.

00:19:32He was shouting about burglars.

00:19:34Well, I explained to him that we weren't burglars, we were squatters.

00:19:38Oh, well, that must have been a great comfort to him.

00:19:41Well, we didn't know it was his proper home. He never told us.

00:19:44If he told us it was his proper home...

00:19:45Well, if he told you that, Mr. Worsley, what would you have said?

00:19:48No.

00:19:49Would you have asked Margaret Stone for instructions?

00:19:52No, we'd have moved out.

00:19:54We're not trying to take people's homes away from them.

00:19:56We're trying to get homes for people who have nowhere to live.

00:20:00Very high-minded.

00:20:02Now, Mr. Worsley, you've told my learned friend, if my note is correct, that when Mr. Lumsden was hammering on the front door of his cottage, suddenly you heard a crash at the back door.

00:20:13And Margaret Stone said to you, stay here, guard the front door. Now, is that correct?

00:20:20Yes, that's right.

00:20:21You're used to receiving instructions from Margaret Stone, aren't you?

00:20:24I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean by that.

00:20:26Well, of the two of you, Mr. Worsley, yourself and Miss Stone, isn't she the one who gives the orders and you the one who follows them?

00:20:31She doesn't give me any orders. It's not that sort of relationship.

00:20:34Perhaps you'd give us an idea what sort of relationship it is.

00:20:37Oh, Your Honor, I object to this line of inquiry by my learned friend. It's quite irrelevant.

00:20:42Well, Mr. Ferguson?

00:20:44Your Honor, I intend to show that the witness's relationship with Miss Stone has a very strong bearing on his evidence.

00:20:50Very well, Mr. Ferguson.

00:20:51Thank you, Your Honor.

00:20:52Now, Mr. Worsley, are you and Margaret Stone lovers?

00:20:58Do I have to answer that?

00:21:00Yes, Mr. Worsley.

00:21:02Well, we have been.

00:21:04Were you lovers at the time that you occupied Mr. Lumsden's cottage?

00:21:07Yes.

00:21:08But you're not lovers now?

00:21:10I was in hospital for ten weeks. We haven't been able to see as much of each other.

00:21:14But at the time of the shooting, you were lovers and you were, were you not?

00:21:18Very much under Margaret Stone's influence politically.

00:21:22We happen to share the same views about most important things.

00:21:25I'm quite capable of thinking for myself.

00:21:29How old are you, Mr. Worsley?

00:21:31I'm twenty.

00:21:33Margaret Stone is some years older than you, is she not?

00:21:36She's a little older than I am, yes, but I don't see there's any significance in that.

00:21:39But in this squatting program of yours, this, this campaign to take over the holiday cottages,

00:21:45is it not true to say that Margaret Stone was the brains and you were just one of the rank and file?

00:21:49No, certainly not. We're both people who feel very strongly about certain things.

00:21:53Well, nevertheless, Mr. Worsley, and again, I quote your, your evidence.

00:21:56Stay here and guard the door, she said. She told you what to do and you did it.

00:22:00Well, on that particular occasion.

00:22:02Yes, but she's told you what to do on many occasions, hasn't she?

00:22:05No.

00:22:06Did she tell you what to say in evidence in this court?

00:22:08Oh, really? Really, your honor.

00:22:09I should allow the question, Mr. Unwin.

00:22:12You must answer, Mr. Worsley.

00:22:13She hasn't told me what to say.

00:22:16What?

00:22:17You're saying that you haven't talked to her, that you haven't discussed this case with her.

00:22:20Oh, of course we've discussed it, lots of times.

00:22:22It's not exactly an everyday occurrence to her, someone getting shot.

00:22:26I was the one who got shot, she saw it happen. Naturally, we've discussed it.

00:22:30I suggest to you, Mr. Worsley, that your account of the shooting is not based upon your own memory at all.

00:22:34It's based upon Margaret Stone's version of what happened.

00:22:37No.

00:22:38She's told you her version of the events, hasn't she? Over and over again.

00:22:41No.

00:22:42And she's instilled it into you, the correct party line, as it were.

00:22:45Now, look, I've told you what happened and it's what I saw.

00:22:48Yes.

00:22:49But you didn't see, did you?

00:22:51When the shot was fired, you were cowering against the wall, with your face behind your arms.

00:22:57No.

00:22:59I saw what happened.

00:23:02She shot me, Mrs. Chadwick.

00:23:05She brought her gun, and she pointed it at me, and she shot me.

00:23:24The jury in this case is composed of members of the general public.

00:23:28The Queen against Chadwick will be resumed tomorrow, in the Crown Court.

00:23:35So gave me the concern of the

00:23:49Vera Chadwick is now on trial accused of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

00:24:14It is alleged that in August she shot and seriously injured John Worsley, one of two young students who were squatting in her father's cottage.

00:24:22Mrs. Chadwick's father has just been called to give evidence.

00:24:28You are Edward Lumsden of Church Cottage Plantation Lane, Stubcroft?

00:24:34Yes, I am.

00:24:35How old are you, Mr. Lumsden?

00:24:37I'm going on 74.

00:24:39Perhaps you'd like to sit down while giving your evidence, Mr. Lumsden?

00:24:43Thank you, Your Honour.

00:24:53Carry on, Mr. Lumsden.

00:24:55Mr. Lumsden, at the beginning of August last, you left your home and spent a fortnight with your daughter on her farm.

00:25:03It was Frank's farm, Vera's husband.

00:25:06Quite so. Then on August the 13th, you returned to your own home?

00:25:11Yes. Well, I thought it was my own home till I got there. Then I found out it was different.

00:25:18You found out, in fact, that your house had been taken over by two young squatters.

00:25:23That's right. Squatters. That's what they call themselves.

00:25:25I put my key in the lock and nothing happened. I thought I had the wrong key. Damn me, the key was right enough. It was the lock that was wrong.

00:25:36They'd taken my lock off and put a new one on.

00:25:41Now, these squatters, Mr. Lumsden, did you speak to them?

00:25:44Of course I did. I told them to clear off. They wouldn't go.

00:25:48Well, one of them, that young woman, she leaned out of my bedroom window and said she'd taken my house off me.

00:25:56We've heard evidence that these squatters believed your house to be a holiday cottage, Mr. Lumsden.

00:26:01Did they express this belief to you?

00:26:03What?

00:26:04Did these squatters say anything to indicate that they thought your house was a holiday cottage?

00:26:10No.

00:26:11I see. Thank you.

00:26:12It was my home, Your Honor.

00:26:15I'd just got back from my holidays.

00:26:18I'd been at my daughter's, helping them get the hay in.

00:26:21Yes, I understand that. Very honest, gentlemen.

00:26:25And when these squatters refused to leave, Mr. Lumsden, what did you do?

00:26:29I went to fawn for the police.

00:26:32I couldn't use the fawn in my own house.

00:26:34I couldn't get in there to use it.

00:26:36And Vera had it put in for emergencies.

00:26:41Yes. Well, where did you phone from?

00:26:43I walked to Stubcroft and used the box across the road from the pub.

00:26:48You spoke to Inspector Thompson at North Wilbur Police Station, did you not?

00:26:52Yes. Thompson.

00:26:55And what was the result of your conversation?

00:26:57Bugger all.

00:26:59Begging your honor's pardon.

00:27:02He wouldn't do anything.

00:27:05He said he couldn't touch the squatters if they were clever.

00:27:08And this lot was clever.

00:27:10He said I'd have to go to court to have them evicted.

00:27:14And did he give you any further advice?

00:27:16He said to see a solicitor.

00:27:18And did you?

00:27:19No, I haven't got money for solicitors.

00:27:22Anyway, once you're in the hands of solicitors, you're worse off than you were before.

00:27:27So what did you do?

00:27:29I went back home.

00:27:32I thought they might go out and then I'd slip in.

00:27:38They never showed their faces.

00:27:41They were in my bedroom, both of them.

00:27:42I could hear them.

00:27:44And in fact, it was not until next morning that you telephoned to the accused, your daughter.

00:27:48Vera, yes.

00:27:51In the meantime, Mr. Lumsden, where'd you spent the night?

00:27:53In my garden shed.

00:27:55They hadn't taken the lock off that.

00:27:58And when you telephoned your daughter and told her all this, what was her reaction?

00:28:03Well, she drove over in the car.

00:28:06Yes, but prior to that, I mean, when you told her what had happened, how did she respond?

00:28:11Oh, you should have seen her.

00:28:14She was a bit aerated.

00:28:16She was what?

00:28:17Well, she was like, head up, Your Honor.

00:28:21Yeah, angry about it.

00:28:22And did she tell you what to do, Mr. Lumsden?

00:28:26Yes, she told me to go back to my home and wait and keep an eye on things until she got over.

00:28:35You see, it's 30 miles from Vera's.

00:28:37I see.

00:28:38Would you tell us what happened when your daughter arrived?

00:28:42Well, she got out of the car and I showed her the squatters.

00:28:46You could see them hanging out of my bedroom window.

00:28:51I said, look.

00:28:53I said, bold as brass.

00:28:55And she said, yeah, they want shooting.

00:28:57Your daughter said they want shooting?

00:29:00Yeah, but, yeah, not like that.

00:29:05I mean, she didn't mean she wanted to shoot them.

00:29:08Well, in what way do you think she meant?

00:29:10Well, it's like something you say.

00:29:12I mean, you say it about, well, about a football team if you're disgusted with them.

00:29:17Yes, but when your daughter said it, Mr. Lumsden, she was carrying a shotgun, was she not?

00:29:22Yeah, but she didn't say it the way you mean.

00:29:23I mean, I'm sorry, girl, I've let you in it.

00:29:33Shouldn't have brought you in in the first place.

00:29:39In order to give Mr. Lumsden time to compose himself, I shall now take the luncheon adjournment.

00:29:44All stand.

00:29:48When your daughter got out of the car, Mr. Lumsden, she was carrying the shotgun.

00:29:53Yes.

00:29:55Did you make any comment about that?

00:29:57Well, I said, what are you doing with Frank's gun?

00:30:01Frank, that's your son-in-law, yeah.

00:30:03And what did your daughter reply?

00:30:05She said, well, they'll take notice of this.

00:30:08She said, they'll take notice of this?

00:30:10Yes.

00:30:11Now, answer me very carefully, Mr. Lumsden.

00:30:13At any time, did your daughter say anything which indicated to you that the shotgun was loaded?

00:30:20No, never.

00:30:22Now, Mr. Lumsden, did your daughter say anything else that might be taken as threats against the squatters?

00:30:28No, she didn't.

00:30:29Are you sure?

00:30:31I think carefully.

00:30:32Your daughter banged on the front door of your house, did she not?

00:30:36And she told the squatters to come out?

00:30:41Yes.

00:30:43And when they refused, did she not say, you'll regret this lady, I will see to that?

00:30:53I don't know.

00:30:55But she made that remark, did she not, to the woman of the two squatters, Miss Margaret Stone?

00:30:59Well, she was entitled to.

00:31:01That woman, she tried to take my house off me.

00:31:06Cold-hearted bitch.

00:31:07Well, in other words, Mr. Lumsden, your daughter did make that threat.

00:31:11No, it wasn't a threat.

00:31:14Well, then, what would you call it, Mr. Lumsden?

00:31:17Well, I don't know, but it wasn't a threat, though.

00:31:23Right.

00:31:24Thank you, Mr. Lumsden.

00:31:28How long have you lived at Church Cottage, Mr. Lumsden?

00:31:31More than 40 years.

00:31:34Vera was born there.

00:31:38Yes.

00:31:38And you're a widower, I believe.

00:31:40How long have you lived on your own?

00:31:42Oh, it's five years now since my wife passed on.

00:31:47Yes.

00:31:47Do you live alone by choice?

00:31:49Yes.

00:31:50Oh, Vera's always telling me I ought to go and live with her and Frank.

00:31:55But I, I like my independence.

00:31:58Yes.

00:31:58I don't like being beholden to anybody.

00:32:01Mm, mm.

00:32:02You're a self-reliant sort of man.

00:32:04Yes.

00:32:04It's the best way.

00:32:07Now, when you telephoned your daughter after your, no doubt, uncomfortable night in your own garden shed,

00:32:13what exactly did you want her to do?

00:32:15Well, I, I, I, I don't really know.

00:32:21You see, I didn't want to be a nuisance, but I couldn't think what to do.

00:32:25I thought, and the police were no help at all.

00:32:28Well, I thought I, I might have a word with, er, Frank.

00:32:33Yes, your son-in-law.

00:32:35Yes.

00:32:36But he wasn't there.

00:32:37So I told Vera, I wish I hadn't.

00:32:43Well, now, please, don't distress yourself, Mr. Lamsden.

00:32:46Now, when, when your daughter told you that she was going to drive over and join you, did she mention a shotgun?

00:32:55No.

00:32:57So evidently she decided at the last minute, hmm, between talking to you on the telephone and jumping into the car.

00:33:03Oh, really?

00:33:04Really, your honour.

00:33:04Yes, all right, I withdraw that question, your honour.

00:33:08Now, Mr. Lamsden, when your daughter arrived at Church Cottage and you saw that she was carrying her husband's shotgun,

00:33:15did you then, or at any time subsequently, believe that the gun would ever be fired?

00:33:20No.

00:33:21I mean, did you even think it was loaded?

00:33:23No, I didn't.

00:33:25Why not?

00:33:26Well, Vera never fired that gun.

00:33:29She never touched it.

00:33:31It was Frank.

00:33:32He was the only one that used it.

00:33:34And he kept it for the rabbits.

00:33:37Yes, I see.

00:33:38Now, is, is your daughter a hot-tempered person?

00:33:42No.

00:33:43No, she isn't.

00:33:46She's always been a quiet girl.

00:33:48Never quarrels with anybody.

00:33:51Would you say she was a vindictive sort of person, the sort of person who,

00:33:55to, make a point of getting even with someone?

00:33:57No, no, no.

00:33:58She's not like that.

00:33:59And finally, Mr. Lamsden, from what you know of your daughter,

00:34:02is she capable of deliberately injuring another person?

00:34:06Oh, no.

00:34:08If, if you knew her, you'd know she couldn't do it.

00:34:14She's a little lamb.

00:34:16Has been ever since she was a little girl.

00:34:25Now, Miss Stone, you were one of a group of university people, were you not,

00:34:36who formed a squatters' association?

00:34:39Yes.

00:34:39The idea was simply to find accommodation for homeless families

00:34:42in property that was standing empty

00:34:44or not being used to meet genuine housing needs.

00:34:47And in pursuance of this aim, last August,

00:34:50this group turned its attention to holiday cottages

00:34:53in the rural area north of Fulchester.

00:34:55Yes.

00:34:56There are several that stand empty there most of the year,

00:34:59and some of us regard that as an obscenity,

00:35:01when there are families with no decent home of any sort.

00:35:04Yes, well, evidently you feel very strongly about this.

00:35:07But how did Mr. Lamsden's cottage come into your sphere of operation?

00:35:11It was a mistake.

00:35:12We were told about Church Cottage, Mr. Lamsden's house,

00:35:16and when we scouted around there,

00:35:18there was obviously nobody living there.

00:35:20But, in fact, we'd been told about the wrong house.

00:35:23There's another place about two miles away

00:35:25called Church House.

00:35:27That is a holiday cottage.

00:35:29I see.

00:35:29And you moved into Church Cottage on August 12th?

00:35:33Yes.

00:35:33On that day, members of the group moved into five empty houses.

00:35:37John Worsley and I moved into Church Cottage.

00:35:39I see.

00:35:39And on the following day, the 13th,

00:35:41Mr. Lamsden came back to his home to find you installed.

00:35:45Yes.

00:35:46At no time did Mr. Lamsden ever say,

00:35:48or John and I ever realise,

00:35:50that this was truly his home.

00:35:52It was a failure of communication.

00:35:57Moving on to the events of August 14th,

00:36:01on the morning of that day,

00:36:03you became aware of a car driving up the cottage.

00:36:06Did you not?

00:36:07Yes.

00:36:08What time is that?

00:36:09About half past nine,

00:36:11or a little before.

00:36:12We were expecting some friends from Fulchester

00:36:14to drive out bringing a family

00:36:16to take over the cottage,

00:36:18but not as soon as that.

00:36:20So when I had the car,

00:36:21I remember looking at my watch,

00:36:23thinking that they were arriving early.

00:36:24And was it your friends?

00:36:26No.

00:36:27Anything but.

00:36:28The car pulled up and a woman got out.

00:36:31She was carrying a shotgun.

00:36:33And do you see that woman in court now?

00:36:35Yes.

00:36:36The prisoner.

00:36:37Mrs. Chadwick.

00:36:37Mm-hmm.

00:36:39Yes.

00:36:39And what happened then?

00:36:41Well, of course,

00:36:41at that time we had no idea who she was.

00:36:44Except that she was obviously a friend of the old man,

00:36:46Mr. Lamsden.

00:36:48Because of the way they greeted each other.

00:36:50They talked for a bit.

00:36:52Then they walked up to the house.

00:36:54To the front door.

00:36:55I see.

00:36:55And was Mrs. Chadwick still holding the gun?

00:36:57Oh, yes.

00:36:58She kept hold of it all the time.

00:37:00I was keeping a very wary eye on it

00:37:02from the upstairs window.

00:37:03Mm-hmm.

00:37:05Please continue.

00:37:06Well, she, Mrs. Chadwick,

00:37:09banged on the front door with her fist

00:37:11and started cursing and making threats.

00:37:15I told her she was breaking the law,

00:37:17but she took no notice.

00:37:18What threats did she make?

00:37:20She said,

00:37:21if we didn't get out of the house,

00:37:22we'd be sorry.

00:37:23I told her that we weren't coming out,

00:37:26but it was obviously no good reasoning with her.

00:37:28She was in a fury.

00:37:30She said,

00:37:31you'll regret this, lady.

00:37:33I will see to that.

00:37:34And did you take the threat seriously?

00:37:36Oh, yes.

00:37:37We were obviously dealing with a very aggressive person.

00:37:40I felt quite sure,

00:37:41and so did John,

00:37:42that she would dearly love to get her hands on us.

00:37:44And she handled that shotgun

00:37:46as if she knew all about guns.

00:37:48In fact, John thought we ought to ring the police.

00:37:50I see, sir.

00:37:51It was Mr. Worsley who said,

00:37:53that he thought you should telephone the police.

00:37:55Yes.

00:37:56But you didn't.

00:37:58No.

00:37:59I realized it would be a mistake.

00:38:02In what way?

00:38:03Well, it was probably just what these people,

00:38:06Mrs. Chadwick and her father, wanted.

00:38:08If we rang the police

00:38:09and told them there was going to be trouble,

00:38:11it could have given the police

00:38:12just the excuse they wanted

00:38:13to force an entry and get us out.

00:38:16Ostensibly to prevent a breach of the peace.

00:38:18I see.

00:38:19And what happened then?

00:38:21Well, eventually,

00:38:23Mrs. Chadwick stopped hammering and cursing,

00:38:25and they both went back to the car.

00:38:27They went behind the car into some trees

00:38:29so that we couldn't see them.

00:38:32Then, about 15 minutes later,

00:38:35Mr. Lumsden appeared again on his own

00:38:37and walked up to the front door.

00:38:39He was carrying a heavy stick.

00:38:41There was no sign of Mrs. Chadwick.

00:38:46Obviously, she'd crept round

00:38:47to the back of the house undercover.

00:38:48Miss Stone, you must confine your evidence

00:38:50to that which you actually witnessed.

00:38:54Miss Stone, what happened then?

00:38:57Mr. Lumsden started beating on the front door.

00:39:00We went downstairs

00:39:01and pushed a chest of drawers behind the door.

00:39:04Then we had a crash at the back of the house.

00:39:07I told John to stay by the front door,

00:39:09and I ran through to the kitchen.

00:39:10And when you reached the kitchen,

00:39:12what did you see?

00:39:14The back door was falling in.

00:39:16She'd bashed it off its hinges.

00:39:18Mrs. Chadwick.

00:39:19The door swung open, and in she came.

00:39:23Now, Miss Stone,

00:39:24I want you to answer this very carefully.

00:39:27Was the accused holding the shotgun

00:39:29when she came into the house?

00:39:31Yes.

00:39:32And how was she holding it?

00:39:34When the door swung open

00:39:35and she was still outside,

00:39:37I saw that she was holding the gun

00:39:38the wrong way around

00:39:39with a butt-end towards me.

00:39:41As if she'd used it to batter on the door?

00:39:44Yes.

00:39:45But then, as she stepped into the kitchen,

00:39:48she reversed the gun

00:39:49so that she was holding it in the usual way.

00:39:52Pointing it at me, in fact.

00:39:54I felt sure she intended to shoot me.

00:39:55Miss Stone, you mustn't tell us what you felt.

00:39:57You must tell us only what you saw or what you heard.

00:39:59Now, do you understand that?

00:40:00Yes, I see.

00:40:01Miss Stone,

00:40:02what did you do?

00:40:05I shouted at her.

00:40:07I don't remember exactly what I shouted.

00:40:09Something like,

00:40:09get out, I think.

00:40:11Then John came running into the kitchen behind me.

00:40:15I saw Mrs Chadwick turn towards him

00:40:17and raise up the gun.

00:40:19I shouted,

00:40:20don't shoot!

00:40:20And then I saw her pull the trigger.

00:40:24You saw her pull the trigger?

00:40:26Yes.

00:40:27She did it quite deliberately.

00:40:29That's not true!

00:40:30I didn't!

00:40:31Silence!

00:40:32It's a lie!

00:40:33Mrs Chadwick,

00:40:34you must be quiet.

00:40:35You'll have every chance to give your own account.

00:40:37But until then,

00:40:38you must neither speak nor intervene.

00:40:40Do you understand?

00:40:41Yes.

00:40:41Now, Miss Stone,

00:40:46you say you saw the accused.

00:40:52Point the gun at John Worsley

00:40:54and pull the trigger.

00:40:56Yes.

00:41:00And this was a deliberate act?

00:41:02Yes.

00:41:03Thank you, Miss Stone.

00:41:09Miss Stone,

00:41:09now you

00:41:12are what one might call

00:41:14the moving spirit

00:41:15in this sad case,

00:41:16are you not?

00:41:17I really don't know

00:41:18what you mean by that.

00:41:20I mean

00:41:20that but for your actions

00:41:22the grim sequence

00:41:23which has led to this courtroom

00:41:24would never have begun.

00:41:25An old man

00:41:26would not have been locked out

00:41:27of his own home

00:41:27and your young lover

00:41:29and disciple John Worsley

00:41:30would never have been maimed.

00:41:33An ordinary housewife and mother

00:41:34would not be facing grave charges.

00:41:38Well, Miss Stone,

00:41:39do you accept any responsibility

00:41:40for this chain of events?

00:41:42Certainly not.

00:41:44What, do you feel no guilt

00:41:45for your part

00:41:46in this sad affair?

00:41:46I do not.

00:41:48No remorse?

00:41:49Of course not.

00:41:51Well, what do you feel?

00:41:53As regards this case

00:41:54or your questions?

00:41:55Perhaps you'd care to tell the court

00:42:00your views on both.

00:42:03As regards this case

00:42:04I'm extremely sorry

00:42:07that John Worsley

00:42:08has been so badly injured

00:42:09and I hope that justice

00:42:11will be done.

00:42:12Yes, I hope so too

00:42:13and I intend to show

00:42:14if I can

00:42:14not only your responsibility

00:42:15for this affair

00:42:16but that your evidence

00:42:17regarding the shooting

00:42:18of John Worsley

00:42:18is a travesty of the truth.

00:42:20And that, of course,

00:42:21is what you're paid to do.

00:42:23Knowing that

00:42:23you are mistaken, Miss Stone

00:42:25but let's consider

00:42:25another of your mistakes.

00:42:27Your decision to squat

00:42:28in Mr. Edward Lumsden's cottage.

00:42:30Now, you were the brains

00:42:31behind the August campaign

00:42:32to squat in holiday cottages

00:42:33were you not?

00:42:34If you like.

00:42:35I'm certainly not ashamed of it.

00:42:37Yes.

00:42:37Well, you've been prominent

00:42:38have you not

00:42:39in a number of other campaigns

00:42:40involving direct action

00:42:41for instance

00:42:42two years ago

00:42:43when demonstrators

00:42:45at Fortchester University

00:42:46occupied the administrative block.

00:42:48The city?

00:42:50Yes.

00:42:50I took part in it.

00:42:51Oh, I fear

00:42:52you're too modest, Miss Stone.

00:42:53You had a leading part,

00:42:54didn't you?

00:42:55I suppose you would call it that.

00:42:57Yes.

00:42:59Yes, and last year

00:43:00were you not

00:43:01the member of a committee

00:43:02formed to prevent

00:43:03by forcible means

00:43:05a politician

00:43:06whose opinions

00:43:06that you found distasteful

00:43:08from speaking

00:43:09to a university society?

00:43:10Yes, I was.

00:43:12I don't believe

00:43:13that fascists

00:43:14are entitled

00:43:14to spout

00:43:15racialist poison in public.

00:43:17Now, Miss Stone,

00:43:18correct me if I'm wrong

00:43:19but on these two occasions

00:43:20these two demonstrations

00:43:21that I've mentioned

00:43:21some of the demonstrators

00:43:22were subsequently

00:43:23convicted

00:43:24in the magistrate's court

00:43:26on various charges,

00:43:28weren't they?

00:43:28Yes, that's true

00:43:29but I wasn't among them.

00:43:31Yes, yes, I'm aware of that.

00:43:32Yes, I find that

00:43:33most illuminating.

00:43:35Yes, you've admitted the fact

00:43:36indeed gloried in it

00:43:38that you've played

00:43:39a prominent part

00:43:39on these occasions.

00:43:40but you never figure

00:43:43in the casualty lists

00:43:44of these glorious battles

00:43:45do you?

00:43:46No, it's always

00:43:47someone else

00:43:47who gets hurt, isn't it?

00:43:48It isn't like that at all.

00:43:50Oh, isn't it?

00:43:51Isn't this sad affair

00:43:52the wounding of John Worsley

00:43:53merely the latest

00:43:54in the line?

00:43:55Wasn't John Worsley

00:43:56just another piece

00:43:57of cannon fodder

00:43:57in your private war

00:43:58against society, Miss Stone?

00:44:00That's utter about it.

00:44:00Your private war

00:44:01against society.

00:44:04Isn't that what

00:44:04you spend your life

00:44:05conducting?

00:44:06I want to change things

00:44:07certainly.

00:44:08Anyone whose mind

00:44:09is not utterly closed

00:44:10knows very well

00:44:11there are many things

00:44:12wrong with our society

00:44:13that demand

00:44:13to be put right.

00:44:15So you start

00:44:16by locking out

00:44:18a totally inoffensive

00:44:19old man

00:44:19out of his own home?

00:44:21I have already explained

00:44:22quite plainly

00:44:23that was a mistake.

00:44:25Oh, yes, yes,

00:44:26a failure of communication

00:44:28I think you called it.

00:44:28Yes, exactly.

00:44:29But by communication,

00:44:30Miss Stone,

00:44:31do you mean yourself

00:44:32talking and everybody

00:44:33else dutifully listening?

00:44:35Not at all.

00:44:35You didn't listen

00:44:38to Mr. Lumsden,

00:44:39did you?

00:44:39When he pleaded with you

00:44:41to let him into

00:44:41his own home.

00:44:42Yes, of course I listened.

00:44:44It just so happens

00:44:45that Mr. Lumsden

00:44:46didn't make the right noises.

00:44:48He never at any time

00:44:49said that the house

00:44:50wasn't his holiday cottage.

00:44:52He was practically incoherent.

00:44:55Well, perhaps that's

00:44:55not unexpected

00:44:56in a gentleman of 74

00:44:57who finds that his home

00:45:00has been snatched

00:45:00away from him.

00:45:01I do appreciate

00:45:02that you wish

00:45:03to distract the attention

00:45:04away from the fact

00:45:04that your client

00:45:05shot John Worsley.

00:45:07But is it absolutely

00:45:08necessary to target

00:45:09the jury's heartstrings

00:45:10quite so monotonously?

00:45:11Oh, don't worry.

00:45:12I haven't forgotten

00:45:13the shooting of John Worsley.

00:45:14No, we shall come

00:45:15to that very soon.

00:45:16But first, you see,

00:45:16I'm interested in

00:45:17your attitude to the law.

00:45:19Now, I mean,

00:45:19you're quite an expert,

00:45:20aren't you,

00:45:20on the laws

00:45:21regarding squatting?

00:45:23We were rather pleased

00:45:24with our performance.

00:45:25The laws on squatting

00:45:26are full of pitfalls

00:45:27for the unwary.

00:45:28Eh, but whatever else

00:45:29you are, Miss Stone,

00:45:30you're not one

00:45:31of the unwary, aren't you?

00:45:31You're very shrewd,

00:45:32very bright,

00:45:33very quick

00:45:33to see an advantage.

00:45:35I'm sure you don't mean

00:45:36any of that

00:45:37as a compliment.

00:45:37You told my learning

00:45:38friend here

00:45:38that when Mrs Chadwick

00:45:40holding a shotgun

00:45:41was knocking on the

00:45:42front door

00:45:42of her father's cottage,

00:45:43John Worsley

00:45:44wanted to phone

00:45:45for the police.

00:45:46But you vetoed

00:45:47that idea,

00:45:47didn't you, Miss Stone?

00:45:48That was your

00:45:48quick thinking,

00:45:49wasn't it?

00:45:50Because it might have

00:45:51given the police

00:45:51an excuse

00:45:52to eject you.

00:45:54But if the police

00:45:55had been called,

00:45:56then John Worsley

00:45:56would never have been

00:45:57grievously injured,

00:45:58would he?

00:45:59In a hypothetical

00:46:00set of circumstances,

00:46:01no one knows

00:46:01what would have happened.

00:46:02But you stopped

00:46:03John Worsley

00:46:04summoning the police.

00:46:05And then later,

00:46:06when Mr Worsley

00:46:06lay bleeding

00:46:07on the kitchen floor,

00:46:08your adroit brain

00:46:08began to work overtime.

00:46:10The question,

00:46:11was it not,

00:46:11was how to extract

00:46:13Margaret Stone

00:46:13from the situation

00:46:14with the least trouble.

00:46:16What you're saying

00:46:17has absolutely

00:46:17no connection

00:46:18with reality.

00:46:20The defendant,

00:46:21Vera Chadwick,

00:46:22did not know

00:46:22the gun that she was

00:46:23carrying was loaded,

00:46:24Miss Stone.

00:46:26John Worsley's shooting

00:46:27was a sheer accident

00:46:28with a major

00:46:28responsibility yours.

00:46:31Now, I suggest to you,

00:46:32Miss Stone,

00:46:32that your account

00:46:32of the shooting

00:46:33is cunningly designed

00:46:34to shift the blame

00:46:35away from yourself.

00:46:36Definitely not.

00:46:37Your evidence

00:46:37regarding the defendant's

00:46:39actions,

00:46:39the aiming of the gun,

00:46:40the deliberate

00:46:40pulling of the trigger,

00:46:43well, it's a complete

00:46:44fabrication, is it not?

00:46:45No.

00:46:46Just the latest example

00:46:47of your guiding principle.

00:46:48It doesn't matter

00:46:49who gets hurt

00:46:50or who carries the can,

00:46:52as long as it isn't

00:46:53Margaret Stone.

00:46:55The jury in this case

00:47:11is composed of members

00:47:12of the general public.

00:47:14The Queen against Chadwick

00:47:15will be concluded tomorrow

00:47:16in the Crown Court.

00:47:18of the

00:47:45Vera Chadwick is accused of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm

00:47:55to John Worsley, one of two young squatters who took over her father's cottage.

00:47:59The other squatter, Margaret Stone, is in the witness box

00:48:02where she's been facing along and searching cross-examination.

00:48:09Now, when the police carried out their examination of the shotgun,

00:48:12a great many of your fingerprints were found on it.

00:48:15Were they not?

00:48:16Yes, of course they were.

00:48:18Because after Mrs. Chadwick shot John, she dropped the gun on the floor.

00:48:22I picked it up and took it out of the house.

00:48:24I gave it to the police when they arrived.

00:48:26Did you make sure the gun was unloaded?

00:48:28No, I didn't.

00:48:30I don't know anything about guns.

00:48:32I simply made sure it was kept away from her, Mrs. Chadwick.

00:48:36I felt that one shooting was more than enough.

00:48:38Yes.

00:48:39But in fact, the police found that this double-barrelled gun was empty.

00:48:42One shot and one only had been fired,

00:48:43so in fact only one barrel had been loaded.

00:48:46Yes, I believe that is so.

00:48:48Yes.

00:48:48Oh, it was so, Miss Stone.

00:48:50Yes, we've the police evidence on that.

00:48:52It's rather odd, don't you think?

00:48:55In what way?

00:48:55Well, if Mrs. Chadwick had come roaring along to her father's cottage,

00:48:59intent on shooting up the squatters,

00:49:01and remember, she knew there was more than one,

00:49:03she'd have loaded both barrels, wouldn't you think?

00:49:05Your Honour, I really do object.

00:49:07My learned friend is asking the witness for guesswork,

00:49:10and tendentious guesswork at that.

00:49:13Quite so.

00:49:14You really mustn't ask the witness to speculate

00:49:17on the thinking of the accused, Mr. Ferguson.

00:49:21No, very well, Your Honour.

00:49:23Now, Miss Stone, you told my learned friend

00:49:25that when the defendant stepped into the kitchen with a shotgun,

00:49:28you told him,

00:49:29I felt sure she intended to shoot me.

00:49:32Yes.

00:49:33But she didn't shoot you, did she?

00:49:35No.

00:49:37She shot John Worsley.

00:49:38Yes, but at the time we're speaking of, Miss Stone,

00:49:40John Worsley had not entered the kitchen.

00:49:42You were alone with the defendant.

00:49:43Yes.

00:49:44So if she wanted to shoot you,

00:49:45there was nothing to stop her doing so, was there?

00:49:47Unless, of course, you seized the gun.

00:49:50No, I never touched it.

00:49:52Oh?

00:49:52Didn't you, Miss Stone?

00:49:53You told my learned friend,

00:49:54the door swung open and she came in,

00:49:56and my learned friend asked you

00:49:57how the defendant was holding the gun

00:49:59and you replied,

00:50:01the wrong way round,

00:50:02butt end towards me.

00:50:03Hmm?

00:50:03Yes.

00:50:05Well, there is a contradiction here, isn't there?

00:50:07I mean, first you tell us

00:50:08that the defendant entered the kitchen

00:50:10carrying the gun the wrong way round,

00:50:12butt end towards you.

00:50:13Hmm.

00:50:13Quite harmless.

00:50:14And then you claim

00:50:15that she was pointing the gun at you

00:50:17and you felt sure she intended to shoot.

00:50:21There isn't any contradiction.

00:50:23Except, of course,

00:50:24the one that you're trying to invent.

00:50:26She was holding the gun

00:50:27the wrong way round.

00:50:29Then she reversed it

00:50:30and pointed it at me.

00:50:33There's no contradiction.

00:50:34There's merely a time sequence.

00:50:36Oh, I see.

00:50:37Yes, a time sequence, yes.

00:50:40Yes, and of course,

00:50:40that sort of thing does take time,

00:50:42doesn't it, Miss Stone?

00:50:43Not a great deal of time, of course,

00:50:44but then we mustn't forget

00:50:45that you're a very quick-acting

00:50:46and quick-thinking person,

00:50:48as when you so quickly

00:50:49stopped your friend, John Worsley,

00:50:51from summoning the police.

00:50:53Well, I mean,

00:50:53do you see what I'm suggesting?

00:50:56I don't, quite frankly.

00:50:58Well, I'm suggesting

00:50:58that as Mrs. Chadwick

00:50:59stepped into her father's house

00:51:00with the shotgun reversed,

00:51:02you seized the gun

00:51:03and tried to take it from her.

00:51:04Definitely not.

00:51:05You saw your chance

00:51:06and you grabbed at the gun

00:51:06and you were still grabbing at it

00:51:08when John Worsley

00:51:08entered the kitchen.

00:51:09No, I never touched that gun.

00:51:11The defendant says

00:51:12that you dragged it from her.

00:51:13I expect she does.

00:51:14She says that you dragged it from her

00:51:16and during the struggle,

00:51:17the gun went off

00:51:18and John Worsley was hit.

00:51:21Now, isn't that what happened,

00:51:23Miss Stone?

00:51:24No, it isn't.

00:51:26I never touched that gun.

00:51:28Not till after John was shot.

00:51:30Mrs. Chadwick,

00:51:31she shot John.

00:51:39Well, Miss Stone,

00:51:42I have only two questions for you

00:51:45arising out of my learned friends,

00:51:49long and elaborate cross-examination.

00:51:53And these are both very simple.

00:51:56The first one is this.

00:51:59Do you have any feelings

00:52:00of personal animosity

00:52:01towards the defendant

00:52:02or her family?

00:52:03No, of course not.

00:52:06And the second question is,

00:52:08did you touch the accused

00:52:09or the shotgun she was carrying

00:52:11before Mr. Worsley was shot?

00:52:13No, I didn't.

00:52:14Thank you, Miss Stone.

00:52:16And that, Your Honour,

00:52:18is the case for the prosecution.

00:52:21Thank you, Mr. Unwin.

00:52:22You may leave the witness box.

00:52:31You are Vera Chadwick

00:52:33of Hilltop Farm

00:52:35near Potterton?

00:52:37Yes.

00:52:39Now, I'm sure the jury realise

00:52:40that this is an ordeal

00:52:42for you, Mrs. Chadwick,

00:52:43but try and give the answers

00:52:44to your questions

00:52:45as clearly as you can.

00:52:47Now, you are a farmer's wife

00:52:49and the mother of three children?

00:52:51Yes.

00:52:53On August the 14th,

00:52:55at your home,

00:52:56did you receive a telephone call

00:52:57from your father?

00:52:59Yes, about half-past eight

00:53:00in the morning.

00:53:01I knew straight away

00:53:02there was something wrong

00:53:03because I heard the pips go

00:53:04and the money go in

00:53:05and I wondered why

00:53:06he wasn't ringing from home.

00:53:07I'd made him have the phone put in

00:53:09a few years ago

00:53:10after my mother died.

00:53:11Yes.

00:53:12What did your father say?

00:53:14Well, he was upset.

00:53:16I couldn't make it out.

00:53:18Then he said something

00:53:18about some people

00:53:19taking his house.

00:53:21I couldn't grasp

00:53:22what he was saying.

00:53:24Then he said

00:53:24they were squatters.

00:53:26Well, then it dawned on me

00:53:27because there'd been something

00:53:28in the paper

00:53:29the night before

00:53:30about some squatters

00:53:31interfering with people's property.

00:53:33Yes.

00:53:33And what was your reaction?

00:53:35Well, I told him

00:53:36we'd get the police

00:53:37but my father said no.

00:53:38He'd already tried that

00:53:39and they wouldn't help.

00:53:41Yes.

00:53:41Was your father distressed?

00:53:43Yes, he was.

00:53:44He was really upset.

00:53:46Well, your father's

00:53:47an independent sort of a man,

00:53:48isn't he?

00:53:49He doesn't like to ask

00:53:50anybody for anything.

00:53:51He doesn't like to be beholden,

00:53:53you see.

00:53:53Yes.

00:53:53So when he came on the phone

00:53:54to you with this problem,

00:53:55you knew it was serious?

00:53:57Right away.

00:53:58And when he told me

00:53:59what had happened

00:53:59and that he'd had to sleep

00:54:01in the shed,

00:54:02well, I was disgusted.

00:54:04Did your father say

00:54:05how many squatters

00:54:06had entered his house?

00:54:08I asked him that.

00:54:09I said,

00:54:10how many are there?

00:54:11He said he'd seen two,

00:54:13a man and a woman,

00:54:14but he didn't know

00:54:15if there were any more.

00:54:16Yes, but you knew

00:54:16from your father's account

00:54:18on the telephone

00:54:18that there were at least

00:54:19two squatters, didn't you?

00:54:21Yes.

00:54:22Now, Mrs Chadwick,

00:54:23you said that your first thought

00:54:24was to bring in the police,

00:54:26but your father told you already

00:54:27that he had no success

00:54:28with this, hmm?

00:54:29Yes.

00:54:31Well, was there anyone else

00:54:32that you could turn to?

00:54:33What about your husband?

00:54:35He'd already left

00:54:36for the cattle market

00:54:37at Thelford.

00:54:37I had no way

00:54:38of getting in touch with him.

00:54:41I see.

00:54:41Now, did you leave

00:54:42the farm straight away?

00:54:43Yes, right up.

00:54:44No, wait a minute.

00:54:46I went out at back

00:54:47and locked up.

00:54:49That's when I thought

00:54:50of taking Frank's shotgun.

00:54:51Oh, no, wait a minute.

00:54:51No, we come to the shotgun

00:54:53in due course.

00:54:55Now, apart from locking

00:54:56the house up,

00:54:57I mean, did you do anything else?

00:54:58Did you change your clothes,

00:54:59for instance?

00:55:00No.

00:55:01I went just as I was.

00:55:03Well, I see.

00:55:03What were you wearing?

00:55:05Well, I had on my old penny.

00:55:06I'd just started baking,

00:55:07you see,

00:55:08when my dad rang up.

00:55:10Yes, that's right.

00:55:10You've three children,

00:55:12I believe.

00:55:12Didn't you have to make

00:55:14arrangements about them?

00:55:16No, they'd all gone off

00:55:17to school.

00:55:18The youngest is eight now,

00:55:20and I didn't know

00:55:21I wouldn't be coming back.

00:55:23Yes, I see.

00:55:25Yes, well, I'm sure

00:55:25the jury will take note

00:55:26of that, Mrs. Chadwick.

00:55:27Now,

00:55:30Mrs. Chadwick,

00:55:32tell us about

00:55:32your husband's shotgun.

00:55:35Well, he keeps it

00:55:36in his office.

00:55:37It's not really an office,

00:55:38not like a proper office.

00:55:40That's what he calls it,

00:55:41because he does

00:55:42his paperwork there.

00:55:44It was standing there.

00:55:46The shotgun?

00:55:47Yes,

00:55:48it was standing

00:55:48in an umbrella stand

00:55:49we had given to us

00:55:50when we got married.

00:55:51I saw it

00:55:52when I went past

00:55:53to look up at the back,

00:55:54and I thought

00:55:55I'd take it with me.

00:55:57Why?

00:55:59Like for protection.

00:56:01I didn't know

00:56:02who these people

00:56:02were in my dad's house.

00:56:04I didn't know

00:56:04how many there were

00:56:05or what they'd do.

00:56:07I thought

00:56:07if they saw the gun,

00:56:08they wouldn't start anything.

00:56:10Now, Mrs. Chadwick,

00:56:11did you load the gun?

00:56:13No, I didn't.

00:56:15So, in other words,

00:56:15when you picked up

00:56:16the shotgun,

00:56:17one barrel was loaded already.

00:56:19It must have been,

00:56:20but I didn't know

00:56:21that.

00:56:21Yes, are you used

00:56:22to handling this gun,

00:56:23Mrs. Chadwick?

00:56:23I've never touched it.

00:56:25Well, I've moved it

00:56:25now and then

00:56:26when I've been cleaning,

00:56:27but I've never had a go

00:56:28with it,

00:56:28never fired it or anything.

00:56:30So you're telling us

00:56:31on oath

00:56:32that you had no knowledge

00:56:33that the shotgun

00:56:33was loaded?

00:56:35Yes.

00:56:36And your sole purpose

00:56:36in taking it with you

00:56:37was as some sort

00:56:38of protection,

00:56:40a visual deterrent,

00:56:41if you like,

00:56:42against these

00:56:43possible rough treatment

00:56:44from these people?

00:56:45An unknown number,

00:56:47but at least two of them

00:56:48occupying your father's house?

00:56:50Yes.

00:56:50Now,

00:56:55Mrs. Chadwick,

00:56:55after the squatters

00:56:56refused point-blank

00:56:57to leave the house,

00:56:58you decided to break in

00:56:59at the back door?

00:57:01Yes.

00:57:01And you sent your father

00:57:02to bang on the front door

00:57:03as a sort of diversion?

00:57:04Yes.

00:57:05Did this plan of yours succeed?

00:57:07Well,

00:57:07I knew that door

00:57:08was practically

00:57:08off its hinges

00:57:09because I'd been on it

00:57:10in my father

00:57:11to do something about it

00:57:12the last time I was there.

00:57:13Yes.

00:57:14Now,

00:57:14to force the door in

00:57:15at the hinge side,

00:57:16you used the shotgun,

00:57:17didn't you,

00:57:18as a sort of

00:57:19battering ram?

00:57:19Hmm?

00:57:20Yes.

00:57:21Yes.

00:57:21You struck the door

00:57:22a series of heavy blows

00:57:24with the butt end

00:57:25of the gun.

00:57:26Yes.

00:57:28Well,

00:57:28that's an extremely

00:57:30dangerous thing to do,

00:57:31isn't it,

00:57:31with a loaded shotgun?

00:57:33I suppose it is,

00:57:34but I didn't know

00:57:35it was loaded.

00:57:36Exactly.

00:57:37You didn't know

00:57:38that it was loaded.

00:57:44Now,

00:57:46Mrs. Chappick,

00:57:46having forced the back door,

00:57:47you stepped inside the kitchen.

00:57:50Yes.

00:57:50Was anyone in the kitchen?

00:57:52Yes,

00:57:52that girl,

00:57:53that Miss Stone.

00:57:54Hmm?

00:57:54What happened then?

00:57:56Well,

00:57:56as I went in,

00:57:58she grabbed at the gun.

00:57:59I was still holding it

00:58:00backwards way round,

00:58:01you see,

00:58:02from how I'd been

00:58:02hit in the door.

00:58:04She grabbed hold of it

00:58:05and tried to take it off me.

00:58:06Well,

00:58:06Miss Stone tried to take

00:58:07the gun away from you?

00:58:08Yes.

00:58:09Why?

00:58:09Was the gun pointing at her?

00:58:10No,

00:58:11it was more pointing at me

00:58:12because of the way

00:58:12I'd been holding it,

00:58:13you see.

00:58:13I see.

00:58:14So she tried to take

00:58:15the gun from you,

00:58:16hmm?

00:58:16Then what?

00:58:18Well,

00:58:19she grabbed at it

00:58:20and it went off.

00:58:22It went off

00:58:23and then the young man

00:58:24was bleeding.

00:58:25He must have just come in

00:58:26as the gun went off.

00:58:28I hadn't seen him till then.

00:58:29I didn't know

00:58:30it was loaded.

00:58:31I wish to God

00:58:32I'd never seen it.

00:58:33I didn't know

00:58:34the young lad

00:58:35was going to get her.

00:58:37Yes,

00:58:37it's all right.

00:58:38Thank you,

00:58:38Mrs. Chetwick.

00:58:39Would you wait there,

00:58:41please?

00:58:45You know,

00:58:46this version of the affairs

00:58:47that you've been giving us,

00:58:48Mrs. Shadwick,

00:58:50is rather like

00:58:51that old song,

00:58:52isn't it?

00:58:53I didn't know

00:58:54the gun was loaded.

00:58:56It's true.

00:58:57And that is what

00:58:58you're asking us to believe?

00:59:00Yes,

00:59:00because it's the truth.

00:59:02And even if you

00:59:03had known it was loaded,

00:59:04you didn't deliberately

00:59:05aim and fire

00:59:06at Mr. Worsley.

00:59:07Now,

00:59:07is that the story

00:59:08that you're telling us?

00:59:11Yes,

00:59:12because it's the truth.

00:59:14But it isn't

00:59:15your original story,

00:59:15now,

00:59:16is it?

00:59:18You gave the police

00:59:19a completely different version.

00:59:21No,

00:59:21I didn't.

00:59:22What,

00:59:22do you deny

00:59:23then making a statement

00:59:24to Inspector Thompson

00:59:25just a few minutes

00:59:26after the shooting?

00:59:28I don't remember

00:59:29much about it.

00:59:30Really?

00:59:30Well,

00:59:31is your memory

00:59:31so short?

00:59:33I mean,

00:59:33Inspector Thompson

00:59:34did give evidence

00:59:35earlier in this case,

00:59:36did he not?

00:59:37Now,

00:59:37let me remind you.

00:59:39He told us

00:59:40how he found you

00:59:41in the kitchen

00:59:42beside the injured

00:59:43Mr. Worsley.

00:59:45I will quote

00:59:46what he said.

00:59:48I said to her,

00:59:49what has happened here?

00:59:50And she replied,

00:59:52I have killed him.

00:59:53Oh,

00:59:53God,

00:59:54I have killed him.

00:59:55Well,

00:59:57Mrs. Shadwick,

00:59:58tell us,

00:59:59is that what you said?

01:00:11Come now,

01:00:12Mrs. Shadwick,

01:00:13did you say

01:00:14to the inspector,

01:00:15I have killed him?

01:00:17I don't know.

01:00:19But you heard

01:00:19the inspector

01:00:20giving his evidence

01:00:20that you said it.

01:00:21Are you suggesting

01:00:22that he lied?

01:00:23No,

01:00:24I must have done

01:00:25but I didn't know

01:00:26what I was saying.

01:00:27You mean you didn't

01:00:27have sufficient time

01:00:28to think of a story

01:00:29that might save your bacon?

01:00:31No,

01:00:31if I said it,

01:00:32it was because

01:00:33I was confused.

01:00:34You were confused

01:00:35and yet,

01:00:37just a few minutes later,

01:00:38the inspector asked you

01:00:39and again,

01:00:40I will quote

01:00:41from his testimony,

01:00:43did you shoot him

01:00:44and she replied,

01:00:45yes,

01:00:46it was me.

01:00:48Well,

01:00:48now,

01:00:48Mrs. Shadwick,

01:00:49were you also confused

01:00:50when you said that

01:00:51to the inspector?

01:00:51I must have been.

01:00:52Well,

01:00:52then you admitted then

01:00:53that you said it.

01:00:54You said,

01:00:55yes,

01:00:55it was me.

01:00:57Yes,

01:00:57if the inspector

01:00:58says I did

01:00:58but I didn't know

01:00:59what I was saying.

01:01:00I was all upset.

01:01:02I didn't know

01:01:02what had happened

01:01:03or how it had happened.

01:01:04I was upset.

01:01:05I see.

01:01:05Well,

01:01:06you were in fact

01:01:07so upset,

01:01:08I suggest,

01:01:08that you told

01:01:09the plain sad truth

01:01:11which is that

01:01:12in anger

01:01:12you took your husband's

01:01:14shotgun,

01:01:15you loaded it

01:01:15and that later,

01:01:17still in anger,

01:01:19you fired it

01:01:19at one of those intruders

01:01:22in your father's house.

01:01:23No,

01:01:23it wasn't deliberate.

01:01:24But you took that gun

01:01:25and you loaded it,

01:01:26did you not?

01:01:27No.

01:01:28And in a moment of fury

01:01:29you aimed that gun

01:01:30and you pulled the trigger.

01:01:31No,

01:01:31I didn't.

01:01:32I didn't load it

01:01:33and I didn't know

01:01:33it was loaded

01:01:34and I didn't fire it

01:01:35on purpose.

01:01:36I see.

01:01:36Well,

01:01:36now,

01:01:37let us try to establish

01:01:38what you did intend

01:01:41to do on that day.

01:01:44Now,

01:01:45when your father rang up

01:01:46and told you

01:01:46what had happened,

01:01:47you were angry,

01:01:49were you not?

01:01:50Yes.

01:01:51Yes,

01:01:51well,

01:01:51that's a very natural reaction.

01:01:54Quite normal.

01:01:56Were you frightened?

01:01:58No.

01:01:59Ah,

01:01:59so on your own admission,

01:02:01you took your husband's shotgun

01:02:02in a mood of anger

01:02:04and not a fear.

01:02:05So,

01:02:06Mrs. Shadwick,

01:02:06you took that gun

01:02:07for attack

01:02:08and not for defence.

01:02:10I took it just in case.

01:02:12I suppose I was frightened,

01:02:13really.

01:02:14Well,

01:02:14Mrs. Shadwick,

01:02:15you know,

01:02:16first you say

01:02:16you weren't frightened

01:02:18and then you say you were.

01:02:19You know,

01:02:19you do adapt your story

01:02:21according to how you see

01:02:22your advantage,

01:02:23now,

01:02:23don't you?

01:02:24No.

01:02:24You get me mixed up.

01:02:26But you told us earlier

01:02:27that not only had you

01:02:28never fired that gun,

01:02:31but that you didn't even know

01:02:33how to load it.

01:02:35Yes,

01:02:36that's right.

01:02:38Well,

01:02:38you know,

01:02:38I find that

01:02:39an extremely surprising story,

01:02:41Mrs. Shadwick.

01:02:42I mean,

01:02:43here you are,

01:02:43a farmer's wife,

01:02:44sort of woman,

01:02:46who can turn her hand

01:02:47to any job about the farm,

01:02:49milks the cows,

01:02:50bakes the bread,

01:02:51drives a car,

01:02:53rings a chicken's neck,

01:02:54I shouldn't wonder.

01:02:55You do kill chicken,

01:02:56don't you?

01:02:57Well,

01:02:58I have done.

01:02:59Yeah,

01:02:59I'm sure you have.

01:03:00Yes,

01:03:01you're a sort of woman

01:03:02who can turn her hand

01:03:02at any job.

01:03:04And yet,

01:03:05you're asking us

01:03:05seriously to believe

01:03:07that you don't even know

01:03:09how to load a shotgun.

01:03:12I've never been interested.

01:03:13I've never wanted

01:03:14to shoot anything.

01:03:15Not even when you found

01:03:16your father's house

01:03:16occupied by squatters?

01:03:17No.

01:03:19Well,

01:03:19then,

01:03:19would you please tell me,

01:03:21Mrs. Shadwick,

01:03:22when you drove

01:03:23to your father's house,

01:03:25taking that gun with you,

01:03:27and you marched

01:03:28so boldly up to the door,

01:03:30and confronted

01:03:31these intruders.

01:03:33Just what did you

01:03:34hope to achieve?

01:03:35I don't know,

01:03:36really.

01:03:36I didn't stop

01:03:37to think about that.

01:03:38I was just so disgusted

01:03:39with these people,

01:03:40I wanted to give them

01:03:40a piece of my mind.

01:03:41Which,

01:03:41of course,

01:03:42you did.

01:03:42Yes,

01:03:42I did.

01:03:43I told them

01:03:44they were no better

01:03:44than thieves.

01:03:45I see.

01:03:45And did you tell them,

01:03:46Mrs. Shadwick,

01:03:46that if they didn't get

01:03:47out of your father's house,

01:03:49they would be sorry?

01:03:51I might have done.

01:03:52But I didn't mean,

01:03:53well,

01:03:53what I did mean

01:03:54was that I'd get the law

01:03:55onto them,

01:03:56something like that.

01:03:56But you didn't mean that,

01:03:57now did you?

01:03:58Because what you proceeded

01:03:59to do was to take

01:04:00the law into your own hands,

01:04:02now wasn't it?

01:04:02I just wanted

01:04:03to get in the house.

01:04:04They'd no right

01:04:05to keep my father

01:04:06out of his own house.

01:04:07I see,

01:04:07but did you understand,

01:04:08Mrs. Shadwick,

01:04:08that by using force

01:04:09to gain entry

01:04:12to this house,

01:04:14you were breaking the law?

01:04:15No,

01:04:16I didn't.

01:04:16I've heard that since,

01:04:18and I think it's ridiculous.

01:04:19It makes my blood boil.

01:04:21Somebody comes along

01:04:22and tells you

01:04:22you can't break

01:04:23into your own property.

01:04:24Yes,

01:04:24you're a strong believer

01:04:25in property rights,

01:04:26are you?

01:04:27Yes,

01:04:27I am.

01:04:28People work hard

01:04:29for their owns,

01:04:30and nobody's entitled

01:04:31to take it off them.

01:04:32I see,

01:04:32and so you decided

01:04:33to force your way in.

01:04:34But you know,

01:04:35wasn't that a remarkably

01:04:36bold thing to do,

01:04:38Mrs. Shadwick?

01:04:39How do you mean?

01:04:40Well,

01:04:40I mean,

01:04:41sure,

01:04:41you were taking

01:04:42a big risk,

01:04:43weren't you?

01:04:44I mean,

01:04:45here you are,

01:04:45a woman,

01:04:46aided by

01:04:47a 74-year-old man,

01:04:49proposing to burst

01:04:50into a house

01:04:51occupied by at least

01:04:52two people,

01:04:53possibly more

01:04:54than two.

01:04:56I didn't stop

01:04:57to think about that.

01:04:58I just wanted

01:04:58to get inside.

01:04:59You already knew

01:05:00that these people

01:05:00were no respect

01:05:01as a property.

01:05:02Now,

01:05:02why should they have

01:05:03any more respect

01:05:04for people?

01:05:05Hmm?

01:05:07What made you so brave?

01:05:11It was a shotgun,

01:05:12wasn't it?

01:05:12No.

01:05:13Yeah.

01:05:14You knew that gun

01:05:15was loaded.

01:05:15Now,

01:05:15didn't you,

01:05:16Mrs. Shadwick?

01:05:16No,

01:05:16I didn't.

01:05:17Mrs. Shadwick,

01:05:18you know,

01:05:18you really must.

01:05:19You really must

01:05:20tell the truth.

01:05:21I have told the truth.

01:05:23Well,

01:05:24surely the truth is

01:05:25that anger took hold

01:05:27of you,

01:05:27and we can all

01:05:28understand that.

01:05:29But you went

01:05:30for that shotgun

01:05:31and you loaded it.

01:05:33No,

01:05:33I didn't.

01:05:34And in a moment

01:05:35of terrible impulse,

01:05:36a moment of fury,

01:05:38a desire to punish,

01:05:40to hurt these people...

01:05:41It's not true.

01:05:42...you deliberately

01:05:42fired that gun.

01:05:44I wouldn't do

01:05:45a thing like that.

01:05:46When Margaret Stone

01:05:47said you did.

01:05:49She's lying.

01:05:50The wicked bitch

01:05:51is lying.

01:05:56Every now and then

01:05:57I go down

01:05:58the big field with it.

01:06:00I generally hit something.

01:06:02Rabbits, mostly.

01:06:03Yes.

01:06:04Yes,

01:06:04but on this particular

01:06:05occasion,

01:06:06Mr. Shadwick,

01:06:07you fired only

01:06:08one barrel.

01:06:09Yes,

01:06:10that's right.

01:06:11Did you hit

01:06:12your target?

01:06:13Yes,

01:06:13it was a

01:06:14fine big rabbit.

01:06:16So you fired

01:06:17one barrel only?

01:06:20Well,

01:06:20yes,

01:06:21we've got to be careful

01:06:22price cartridges

01:06:23out of these days.

01:06:25Yes,

01:06:25now then,

01:06:25Mr. Shadwick,

01:06:26are you normally

01:06:28careful

01:06:30with your shotgun?

01:06:32Oh,

01:06:33yes,

01:06:33you've got to be careful.

01:06:34There's kids about,

01:06:36you see.

01:06:37Only this time

01:06:38I slipped up.

01:06:40I've forgotten

01:06:40I left a cartridge

01:06:41in there.

01:06:42Oh,

01:06:42why was that?

01:06:43Why did you forget?

01:06:44Well,

01:06:44I just got back

01:06:46to the house

01:06:46and one of the kids

01:06:48came running up.

01:06:49He said one of the cows

01:06:50was badly.

01:06:52I just put the gun

01:06:53down and

01:06:54forgot about that cartridge

01:06:55and the excitement.

01:06:57Yes,

01:06:57yes,

01:06:58I see,

01:06:58yes.

01:06:59Now,

01:06:59Mr. Shadwick,

01:07:00your wife,

01:07:03has she,

01:07:04to your knowledge,

01:07:04ever fired

01:07:05your shotgun?

01:07:07No,

01:07:07never.

01:07:08Thank you,

01:07:11Mr. Shadwick.

01:07:21Now,

01:07:22Mr. Shadwick,

01:07:23you really love

01:07:28your wife,

01:07:29don't you?

01:07:29Well,

01:07:32yes,

01:07:32certainly.

01:07:34You go to some pains

01:07:35to look after her?

01:07:38Yes,

01:07:39I would.

01:07:41Do your best

01:07:41to keep her out of trouble.

01:07:44Yes.

01:07:47Save her from something unpleasant,

01:07:48if you could.

01:07:50Yes.

01:07:50such as a term

01:07:54of imprisonment?

01:07:56Well,

01:07:56um,

01:07:57well,

01:07:59yes.

01:08:00If necessary,

01:08:01would you,

01:08:02um,

01:08:02would you tell a lie

01:08:05on her behalf?

01:08:07Oh,

01:08:07no.

01:08:08Oh,

01:08:08no.

01:08:10No.

01:08:14Thank you,

01:08:15Mr. Shadwick.

01:08:15The vital elements

01:08:20of the offence

01:08:21are firstly

01:08:22that there

01:08:22must have been

01:08:23a wounding.

01:08:24Secondly,

01:08:25that that wounding

01:08:26must have been

01:08:27inflicted intentionally.

01:08:29And thirdly,

01:08:30there must have been

01:08:31an intention

01:08:32to cause

01:08:32grievous bodily harm.

01:08:34That is

01:08:35really serious harm.

01:08:38Now,

01:08:38certainly,

01:08:39Mr. Worsley

01:08:40was wounded

01:08:40and badly.

01:08:43The vital question,

01:08:44you may think,

01:08:44is whether the gun

01:08:45which wounded him

01:08:46went off accidentally

01:08:47or whether it was

01:08:48fired deliberately.

01:08:50Now,

01:08:50if it was fired

01:08:51deliberately,

01:08:52Mr. Worsley,

01:08:52you may think,

01:08:53though this is

01:08:54a matter for you,

01:08:56you may think

01:08:56that the accused

01:08:57intended to cause

01:08:59him grievous bodily harm.

01:09:01Because that is

01:09:02the almost inevitable

01:09:03result of such an act.

01:09:05Now,

01:09:06if on the other hand

01:09:06you think that

01:09:07although the accused

01:09:08pointed the gun

01:09:09at Mr. Worsley,

01:09:10she only intended

01:09:11to frighten him,

01:09:12then she would

01:09:14only be guilty

01:09:15of assault

01:09:16occasioning

01:09:17actual bodily harm.

01:09:19And lastly,

01:09:21if you think

01:09:22the accused

01:09:23did not point

01:09:24the gun at Mr. Worsley,

01:09:25that it did go off

01:09:27accidentally,

01:09:28then she is not

01:09:29guilty of any

01:09:30offence at all.

01:09:32Now,

01:09:32remember,

01:09:33the prosecution

01:09:34have the task

01:09:35of proving their case

01:09:36and of proving it

01:09:37beyond all

01:09:38reasonable doubt.

01:09:39And if they do not,

01:09:40the accused

01:09:41is entitled

01:09:42to be acquitted.

01:09:45Now,

01:09:45will you please retire

01:09:46and consider your verdict?

01:09:48All set.

01:09:56The prisoner will stand.

01:09:58will the form of the jury

01:10:03please stand.

01:10:05Just answer this question,

01:10:07yes or no.

01:10:09Have you reached a verdict

01:10:10upon which

01:10:10you are all agreed?

01:10:12Yes.

01:10:14Do you find the defendant,

01:10:15Vera Chadwick,

01:10:17guilty or not guilty

01:10:18of causing

01:10:19grievous bodily harm?

01:10:20Not guilty.

01:10:21Not guilty.

01:10:22Not guilty.

Crown Court - An Englishman's Home (1975)

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