Pride
Part 26
The last time he'd been in a courtroom he'd been the one in the dock. He'd insisted on going on his own, telling his family and friends he didn't want them there. He'd never felt so scared or more alone in his life.
Then he'd heard his mam call his name, and when he'd turned around he saw they were all sitting in the public gallery. He'd been so pleased and relieved to see them. Then Jackson had turned up, giving him the extra ounce of courage he needed to tell the court what had really happened the night he'd punched him.
The walk to the witness box seemed endless, and he knew all eyes were on him, one set in particular. He wasn't going to look in Chris' direction though, not unless he had to.
He heard the door close behind him. His family, Jackson, were only the other side of that door, but they might just as well have been a thousand miles away now. He was once again alone and scared.
David Smith had only given him a vague idea of the questions he would be asking and the direction they would take, telling him he didn't want him to have his answers off pat. It wouldn't look good, and that it would make idle his brain, so that when it came to being cross examined he'd be left vulnerable.
Just minutes after taking the oath, Smith, now in the role of prosecuting counsel was on his feet and asking him if he could identify the man in the dock as Christopher John Davies.
He hadn't expected that, and it had thrown him already. He shifted uncomfortably before looking to his right towards the back of the room where the dock was situated. Chris was looking right back at him; he wasn't close enough to see into his eyes but he knew he wouldn't like what was there now.
Just in time he remembered Smith had told them all to look at the jury or Judge when giving their answers. He didn't know which was the most frightening. Deciding it best he start with the Judge he reluctantly made eye contact with him. "Yes, that's Christopher Davies."
The Judge was old; at least he looked old to him. Wrinkled and framed with graying hair and beard, his face was what Pearl would call 'lived in'. He was sitting on a raised and enclosed platform, just to his left, and was much too close for comfort.
"Can you tell me where you met the defendant?"
His eyes on the jury now Aaron said, "Bar West, it's a club..." 'Be open' Smith had said, "...a gay club." When he'd looked back at his counsel he'd given him a nod of approval, he'd gained a little confidence from that. He wasn't really alone; David Smith was on his side.
"Did he approach you?"
"Yes, sir." He didn't like this sir business, it reminded him of school, but if his solicitor thought it important, he'd go with it for now at least.
Smith then asked him to detail the events of that evening, there wasn't much to say apart from Chris had asked to see him again and more importantly detail his encounter with Jackson and how he'd tried to warn him about Davies.
"How did you know Jackson Walsh?"
He'd looked at the Judge and with some disbelief heard himself loudly and clearly state Jackson had been his first boyfriend.
"Were you together long?"
"No, and we weren't really together. I was having trouble accepting I was gay, my family didn't know, no one knew and because of that I...well it didn't work out."
Smith had then led him through the events leading up to the night of the assault. The defence counsel had stood up several times to object to certain questions. Although Smith had warned him they most probably would, Aaron found it unsettling. He'd had his first good look at Philip Morgan, Chris' barrister, and he'd taken an instant dislike to him, he sounded a right ladi! He wouldn't be calling him sir.
He was happy enough with how things had gone so far, thanks to Smith he'd got everything that needed saying, said. How Jackson had told Paddy about Chris. How he had come to move into Chris', and that he had slept in the spare room.
Smith also made sure he talked about how well they had got on the first few days he was at Chris', how much he'd liked and trusted him. Going on to have him explain the circumstances of Chris paying for car insurance, how he'd known nothing about it until presented with the car keys that Monday morning, which led on then to explaining why he'd walked out on his job.
Most difficult of all had been him explaining about his fear of intimacy with another man, how Chris knew that and had told him he understood. It had been hard to look anyone in the eye then, but somehow he'd managed it, zoning in on a jury member who reminded him of Lisa. He'd had his differences with her but she was still one of the kindest people he knew.
He'd breathed a sigh of relief when that line of questioning ended. Remembering just seconds later that worse was to come.
Smith was soon asking about the night of the actual assault.
It was so humiliating standing in front of strangers and telling them how Chris had wanted to have sex with him and wouldn't take no for answer. That he'd taunted him before turning violent.
He'd had to detail the assault, how he'd fought back making Chris angry and increasingly more violent. How an irate Chris had punched him leaving him stunned. How he'd taken advantage of that, partly undressing him before starting to remove his own clothes. Finally how on regaining his senses he'd seen a chance to get away and took it. He was shaking by the time he'd finished, just like he had been that night.
Then it was on to answering Smiths questions on what had happened after that and how he'd come to end up in the A&E dept the next night.
The jury and the Judge had then been given copies of the pictures taken by the doctor of his injuries in A&E. As they studied them David Smith read out the doctor's report, the final comment stating that in his opinion the injuries were consistent with his account of the assault.
He'd needed that break in questioning; he'd needed some time to ready himself for the next round. The cross examination by the defence counsel!
TBC