Part Nine
When John emerged through the door behind the Judge's bench, he took a moment to look round at his court. There was Jo, stood at the defence's end of the bench, Neumann Mason-Alan at the prosecution's end of the bench, and Lauren Atkins in the dock opposite him. The press bench was packed to overflowing, and the gallery looked likewise. He could see Karen sitting next to George in the front row, next to two women he didn't recognise. He could also pick out his two antibiotic-resistant followers from the LCD, Sir Ian Rochester and Lawrence James. He might have known they'd be here. After he was seated, and everyone else followed, he waited as the jury were sworn in and the charge read out, followed by Lauren Atkins plea of not guilty. But before Neumann Mason-Alan could begin his opening speech for the prosecution, John decided that a word or two wouldn't go amiss. "Before council for the prosecution makes his opening speech," He began. "I would like to say a few words. This trial has attracted and will continue to attract an enormous amount of media attention and speculation from the general public. As a result of this, it has been extremely difficult to find a jury who have not previously formed opinions as to the guilt or innocence of the defendent. I must therefore demand, that there be no unauthorised interruption of the proceedings, so as to enable the jury to reach a conclusion by the facts and the facts alone. I will not tolerate any form of audience participation from the public gallery, especially from any barristers who may be present. Those who choose to infringe this demand will find themselves before me on a charge for contempt of court. I hope I have made myself clear." In the gallery, George quietly scowled, knowing that this warning had been meant almost entirely for her benefit. Further thought was then postponed when Neumann Mason-Alan rose from the prosecution bench and turned to face the jury.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, throughout the course of this trial, you will see and hear many things I'm sure you'll wish you hadn't. Defence council would have you believe that this is an extremely complex case, but I can assure you it most certainly is not. The defendant you see before you, is without doubt, reasonable or otherwise, guilty of the crime with which she is charged, that on the fifth of October 2003, she did, with an enormous amount of premeditation, murder James Fenner, a law-abiding citizen who, until his untimely death, was a principle officer of Her Majesty's Prison Larkhall. Lauren Atkins did, for six weeks, stalk James Fenner, Lauren Atkins did abduct James Fenner at gunpoint from outside his own house, and Lauren Atkins did kill James Fenner in a most inhumane and brutal fashion. These unquestionable facts will be borne out by the four witnesses I will bring before you. The witnesses for the prosecution will run as follows: The first being Professor Samantha Ryan, the pathologist who conducted James Fenner's postmortem. She will make it abundantly clear to you exactly what Lauren Atkins did to James Fenner, the details of which will no doubt haunt you for some time to come. My second witness will be Dr. Thomas Waugh, a qualified and practicing psychiatrist who currently holds the position of senior medical officer at Her Majesty's Prison Larkhall. He has thoroughly examined Lauren Atkins, and can determine no possible, or plausible, psychiatric or psychological cause for her actions during the autumn of 2003. My third witness will be Detective Inspector Sullivan, the senior police officer in charge of Lauren Atkins' arrest. My fourth and final witness, will be Diane Barker, a close colleague of James Fenner's and who was, for some time before his death, James Fenner's lover. I shall endeavour to prove beyond all reasonable doubt, that Lauren Atkins is nothing less than a cold blooded killer, who should be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure for the foreseeable future. She is not in any way mentally disturbed, no matter how much defence council may attempt to convince you of this. Lauren Atkins carried out her actions with sincere malice of forethought, perhaps finally showing the true colours of those who have raised her. I simply ask you, members of the jury, to listen to the facts of the case, and to find Lauren Atkins guilty of the charge of murder."
As Neumann Mason-Alan sat down, Nikki took a breath to object to the not so subtle insult that had surely been aimed at Yvonne, but Karen gave her a warning look which quelled her for the moment. Mentally putting her hands to her head, Karen realised with a feeling of half dread half resignation, that Nikki was going to be as difficult to verbally restrain as Yvonne and Cassie put together. Nikki had been prepared for it, but she still couldn't prevent herself scowling at the utterance of Dr. Waugh's name. Thomas had come back to work at Larkhall almost a year ago, and being the resident shrink, had been asked to perform a psychiatric assessment on Lauren by an order of the court. George, on the other hand, relaxed. Far too many times during that opening speech, she'd thought that Neumann Mason-Alan was about to deliver the shocking details of Fenner's death there and then. But thankfully, he had done exactly what Jo had thought he would. But whilst knowing that Jo wasn't about to discuss the details of Fenner's death either, George was all too aware that they would be brought out for all and sundry to examine some time that afternoon. Having virtually never seen Karen react to any kind of enormously emotional shock, George had absolutely no idea what Karen might do. But this was what Jo had put her there for, to deal with any eventuality that might arise.
When John emerged through the door behind the Judge's bench, he took a moment to look round at his court. There was Jo, stood at the defence's end of the bench, Neumann Mason-Alan at the prosecution's end of the bench, and Lauren Atkins in the dock opposite him. The press bench was packed to overflowing, and the gallery looked likewise. He could see Karen sitting next to George in the front row, next to two women he didn't recognise. He could also pick out his two antibiotic-resistant followers from the LCD, Sir Ian Rochester and Lawrence James. He might have known they'd be here. After he was seated, and everyone else followed, he waited as the jury were sworn in and the charge read out, followed by Lauren Atkins plea of not guilty. But before Neumann Mason-Alan could begin his opening speech for the prosecution, John decided that a word or two wouldn't go amiss. "Before council for the prosecution makes his opening speech," He began. "I would like to say a few words. This trial has attracted and will continue to attract an enormous amount of media attention and speculation from the general public. As a result of this, it has been extremely difficult to find a jury who have not previously formed opinions as to the guilt or innocence of the defendent. I must therefore demand, that there be no unauthorised interruption of the proceedings, so as to enable the jury to reach a conclusion by the facts and the facts alone. I will not tolerate any form of audience participation from the public gallery, especially from any barristers who may be present. Those who choose to infringe this demand will find themselves before me on a charge for contempt of court. I hope I have made myself clear." In the gallery, George quietly scowled, knowing that this warning had been meant almost entirely for her benefit. Further thought was then postponed when Neumann Mason-Alan rose from the prosecution bench and turned to face the jury.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, throughout the course of this trial, you will see and hear many things I'm sure you'll wish you hadn't. Defence council would have you believe that this is an extremely complex case, but I can assure you it most certainly is not. The defendant you see before you, is without doubt, reasonable or otherwise, guilty of the crime with which she is charged, that on the fifth of October 2003, she did, with an enormous amount of premeditation, murder James Fenner, a law-abiding citizen who, until his untimely death, was a principle officer of Her Majesty's Prison Larkhall. Lauren Atkins did, for six weeks, stalk James Fenner, Lauren Atkins did abduct James Fenner at gunpoint from outside his own house, and Lauren Atkins did kill James Fenner in a most inhumane and brutal fashion. These unquestionable facts will be borne out by the four witnesses I will bring before you. The witnesses for the prosecution will run as follows: The first being Professor Samantha Ryan, the pathologist who conducted James Fenner's postmortem. She will make it abundantly clear to you exactly what Lauren Atkins did to James Fenner, the details of which will no doubt haunt you for some time to come. My second witness will be Dr. Thomas Waugh, a qualified and practicing psychiatrist who currently holds the position of senior medical officer at Her Majesty's Prison Larkhall. He has thoroughly examined Lauren Atkins, and can determine no possible, or plausible, psychiatric or psychological cause for her actions during the autumn of 2003. My third witness will be Detective Inspector Sullivan, the senior police officer in charge of Lauren Atkins' arrest. My fourth and final witness, will be Diane Barker, a close colleague of James Fenner's and who was, for some time before his death, James Fenner's lover. I shall endeavour to prove beyond all reasonable doubt, that Lauren Atkins is nothing less than a cold blooded killer, who should be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure for the foreseeable future. She is not in any way mentally disturbed, no matter how much defence council may attempt to convince you of this. Lauren Atkins carried out her actions with sincere malice of forethought, perhaps finally showing the true colours of those who have raised her. I simply ask you, members of the jury, to listen to the facts of the case, and to find Lauren Atkins guilty of the charge of murder."
As Neumann Mason-Alan sat down, Nikki took a breath to object to the not so subtle insult that had surely been aimed at Yvonne, but Karen gave her a warning look which quelled her for the moment. Mentally putting her hands to her head, Karen realised with a feeling of half dread half resignation, that Nikki was going to be as difficult to verbally restrain as Yvonne and Cassie put together. Nikki had been prepared for it, but she still couldn't prevent herself scowling at the utterance of Dr. Waugh's name. Thomas had come back to work at Larkhall almost a year ago, and being the resident shrink, had been asked to perform a psychiatric assessment on Lauren by an order of the court. George, on the other hand, relaxed. Far too many times during that opening speech, she'd thought that Neumann Mason-Alan was about to deliver the shocking details of Fenner's death there and then. But thankfully, he had done exactly what Jo had thought he would. But whilst knowing that Jo wasn't about to discuss the details of Fenner's death either, George was all too aware that they would be brought out for all and sundry to examine some time that afternoon. Having virtually never seen Karen react to any kind of enormously emotional shock, George had absolutely no idea what Karen might do. But this was what Jo had put her there for, to deal with any eventuality that might arise.