Shepherds and Butchers Page #6

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That is enough!

Bailiff!

Why didn't you tell me?

Remove the accused

from the dock.

Order!

If I'd known what

you were going to do,

I would never have allowed

further questioning.

Court adjourned.

They pass these cases off

to the most junior advocates

because no one cares.

The judges hand

down death sentences

in the name of the law.

And the prison officials say

they're just witnesses,

it's the hangman

that does the killing.

It's denial of responsibility

all the way down the line.

What's the hangman's

excuse then?

It's gravity's fault,

i suppose.

Tell us in your own words

what you observed.

Mr. labuschagne,

the court is waiting.

What happened after you

nearly had

an accident with the minibus?

The quarry, Mr. labuschagne.

Tell us what you remember.

You followed them

up the quarry road

to magazine hill,

and once you

reached the dead end,

what occurred?

What happened, Mr.

labuschagne?

What did you see?

The noise.

You'll lead

the inspection in loco, weber.

Frankly, I'm

surprised Kathleen consented.

I would've expected

to close a case

like this by now.

Well, thank you, judge.

I'd like to start

by having the accused

stand next to

the door of the bakkie,

so that we can

measure the exact distance

from there to the minibus.

I'd now like

the accused to raise his arm

and point toward the minibus.

Can we agree that the distance

is no more than 10 meters?

Ten-and-a-half, I'd say.

- Anything else?

Leon.

Leon.

Why did you bring us here?

Judge,

we think this is the trigger

for an unconditioned

response in him,

that he acted unconsciously.

Something to do

with this door.

J.P., we would like the court

to take note of the

winding and undulating nature

of the track

leading to the quarry.

And the rocks in the roadway.

It would

require a very conscious

effort to drive

over such terrain.

Noted.

If there's nothing else, we'll

reassemble back at court.

Judge,

i have one further request

before we

terminate the inspection.

So, what are we here to see,

Mr. weber?

I wonder if

the warrant officer

would be kind enough

to throw the lever

and release the trapdoor.

Leon.

Leon,

what I did today...

I just wanted to explain...

I'm just so sorry...

...for what I've done.

I'm just so sorry.

This list of names

of men hanged

at maximum security prison

might look like

any list of names

and dates and numbers.

Nothing more than

an anonymous flock.

But to Leon labuschagne,

these were real people

who entered his life.

He processed them,

placed them in their cells,

woke them,

saw that they were fed,

took them to the showers

and the exercise yard,

met their families.

Searched them, touched them.

Read their mail,

led their Bible studies,

and then,

he took them to the gallows.

Some he was made to kill

with his own hands.

After which

he handled their dead,

naked bodies,

and buried them.

No, to Leon labuschagne,

this is not

an abstract list of names,

or an anonymous flock.

But the list is incomplete

because there's

a name missing from it.

And that name is

Leon Albert labuschagne.

That is ridiculous, Mr. weber!

Is it? He spent his whole time

locked in with them!

He shared every moment

of their last days with them,

and then he was

made to witness

the gruesome

details of their deaths

on a regular and

extended basis!

He has been sentenced to death

as surely as all the others!

That is

a ridiculous submission!

It is not ridiculous, my lord!

What is

ridiculous is the denial

of what we have

done to this young man!

My lord, gentlemen,

you cannot ask a man

to be both

Shepherd and butcher

at the same time.

Miss marais,

do you have a final reply

to the defense's argument?

My lord, gentlemen assessors.

May I remind the court

that this is a case of murder.

Murder seven times over.

And that the court

should declare it to be such.

Leon labuschagne,

trained in

the physical act of killing,

herded his victims

to a secluded area,

where he shot and killed them.

He has not been

a good witness,

but evasive and unresponsive.

And now he tries

the court's indulgence

with a farfetched

and unconvincing effort

to save his own life.

J.P. Says

they won't give

judgment tomorrow.

They apparently

need another day.

Wonder what that's about.

Perhaps one of the assessors

might not agree with

the proposed verdict

and the judge would prefer

a unanimous decision.

So, they're just being

careful, taking their time.

Bad news for you, then.

They take longer

with a conviction

than an acquittal.

J.P. Will want to write

an appeal-proof judgment.

Have a good evening.

And you.

Nice closing argument.

You want to talk?

Anne says you

disappear quite often.

Sometimes for days.

What is this,

one of your

cross examinations?

Tell me what's

going on, Pierre.

We're alone.

You're drunk enough.

What does it matter?

You're not on down-time,

are you?

You're running

an op somewhere.

We bombed a house today.

Is that what you want to hear?

It's your job, right?

Yes, it's my job!

I serve this country.

It is my duty,

and that is why I do it!

So, why are you drunk

and in a state about it, then?

Mr. labuschagne,

please stand up.

We are not united

in our findings of the facts

and there will be

a majority verdict.

I shall read

the judgment of the majority

and their verdict,

not the opinion of

the dissenting member,

will be

the verdict of this court.

Mr. labuschagne,

while your defense counsel

have put forward the argument

that your actions were not

conscious or voluntary,

as required by law,

this court

finds you guilty of

murder as charged.

However, due to

the extraordinary events

that led to your

actions at the quarry,

the court finds

extenuating

circumstances present.

You are therefore sentenced

to 20 years imprisonment

with the possibility

of early parole,

based upon your progress

in a program of

psychiatric treatment,

supervised by a state

appointed psychologist.

Well done.

Congratulations.

I wouldn't have thought

anyone could pull that off.

It won't be a popular decision

on either side.

Somebody once said,

"in the cycle of killing,

"there's no beginning or end,

just more killing."

Maybe we addressed

that on some level.

Take care.

Thank you, sir.

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