Witness for the Prosecution Page #8

pure conjecture on Janet McKenzie's part.

Let me put it this way.

You formed the opinion

that Mrs French thought

Leonard Vole was a single man?

- Have you any facts to support this?

- The books that she ordered.

A life of the Baroness Burdett-Coutts,

and the one about Disraeli and his wife.

Both of them about women that married

men years younger than themselves. Oh!

- I knew what she was thinking.

- I'm afraid we cannot admit that.

- Why?

- (laughter)

Members of the jury, it is possible

for a woman to read The Life of Disraeli

without contemplating marriage

with a man younger than herself.

(laughter)

Were you aware of the arrangements Mrs

French made to dispose of her money?

She had her old will revoked

and a new one drawn up.

I heard her calling Mr Stokes,

her solicitor.

He was there at the time.

The prisoner, I mean.

You heard Mrs French

and the prisoner discussing her new will?

Yes. He was to have all her money,

she told him,

as she had no near relations nor anybody

that meant to her what he did.

- When did this take place?

- On October 8.

One week to the day

before she was murdered.

Thank you.

That concludes my examination.

Not just yet, Miss McKenzie.

Would you...? Thank you.

Miss McKenzie, you have

given evidence about two wills.

In the old will, that which was revoked,

were you not to receive

the bulk of Mrs French's estate?

That's so.

Whereas in the new will, except for

a bequest to you of a small annuity,

the principal beneficiary

is the prisoner, Leonard Vole.

It'll be a wicked injustice

if he ever touches a penny of that money.

It is entirely understandable

that you are antagonistic to the prisoner.

I'm not antagonistic to him.

He's a shiftless, scheming rascal.

But I'm not antagonistic to him.

(laughter)

I suggest you formed this opinion

because his friendship with Mrs French

cost you the bulk of her estate.

- I've never liked him.

- Your candour is refreshing.

Now. On the night of October 14

you say you heard the prisoner

and Mrs French talking together.

- What did you hear them say?

- I didn't hear what they actually said.

You mean you only heard the voices?

- The murmur of voices?

- They were laughing.

What makes you say

the man's voice was Leonard Vole's?

- I know his voice well enough.

- The door was closed, was it not?

- Aye, that's so.

- You were in a hurry to get the pattern

so you probably walked

quickly past the closed door,

yet you are sure

you heard Leonard Vole's voice?

I was there long enough

to hear what I heard.

Come, I'm sure you don't wish to suggest

to the jury that you were eavesdropping.

It was him in there.

Who else could it have been?

What you mean is that you wanted it to

be him. That's the way your mind worked.

Now, tell me, did Mrs French sometimes

watch television in the evening?

Yes. She was fond

of a talk or a good play.

Wasn't it possible when you

returned home and passed the door,

what you really heard was the television

and a man and woman's

voices and laughter?

There was a play called Lover's Leap

on the television that night.

- It was not the television.

- Oh, why not?

Because the television was away

being repaired that week, that's why.

(laughter)

(gavel)

Silence! Silence!

Odd. It's not time yet.

If my learned friend has no further

questions, I'd like...

I have not quite finished.

You are registered, are you not,

under the National Health Insurance Act?

Aye, that's so.

Four and sixpence I pay out every week.

That's a terrible lot of money

for a working woman to pay.

I am sure that many agree with you.

Miss McKenzie, did you recently apply

to the National Health Insurance for...

- (quietly)... a hearing aid?

- For... for what?

I protest against the way

in which this question was put!

I will repeat the question, my lord.

I asked you in a normal tone of voice,

audible to everyone in open court,

did you apply to the National Health

Insurance for a hearing aid?

Yes, I did.

- Did you get it?

- Not yet.

However, you state that you walked past

a door, which is four inches of solid oak,

you heard voices,

and you are willing to swear

that you could distinguish the voice of...

(quietly)... the prisoner, Leonard Vole.

Who? Who?

(murmuring)

No further questions.

Och, maybe you could help me,

Your Lordship.

Six months ago I applied for

my hearing aid, and I'm still waiting for it.

My dear Miss McKenzie, considering

the rubbish that is being talked nowadays,

you are missing very little.

You may stand down now.

(laughter)

(Myers) Call Police Constable Jeffries.

- Police Constable Jeffries.

- Police Constable Jeffries.

I swear by Almighty God

that the evidence I shall give

shall be the truth, the whole truth

and nothing but the truth.

Mr Myers, does that conclude your case?

No, my lord. I now call the final witness

for the prosecution, Christine Helm.

- Christine Helm!

- Christine Helm.

Christine.

I swear by Almighty God

that the evidence I shall give

shall be the truth, the whole truth

and nothing but the truth.

My lord, I have the most serious objection

to this witness being summoned,

as she is the wife of the prisoner.

I call my learned friend's attention

to the fact that I summoned

not Mrs Vole, but Mrs Helm.

- Your name, in fact, is Christine Helm?

- Yes. Christine Helm.

And you have been living

as the wife of the prisoner, Leonard Vole?

- Yes.

- Are you actually his wife?

No.

I went through a marriage ceremony

with him, but I already had a husband.

- He's still alive.

- Christine, that's not true!

There is proof of a marriage

between the witness and the prisoner,

but is there any proof

of a so-called previous marriage?

My lord, the so-called previous marriage

is, in fact, well-documented.

Mrs Helm, is this a certificate of marriage

between yourself and Otto Ludwig Helm,

the ceremony having taken place

in Breslau on 18 April 1942?

Yes, that is the paper of my marriage.

I don't see any reason why this witness

should not be qualified to give evidence.

You're willing to give evidence against the

man you've been calling your husband?

Yes.

You stated to the police that on the night

that Mrs French was murdered,

Leonard Vole left the house at 7.30

and returned at 25 minutes past 9.

Did he, in fact, return at 25 past 9?

No. He returned at ten minutes past ten.

Christine, what are you saying?

It's not true. You know it's not true!

(murmuring)

Silence!

I must have silence.

As your counsel will tell you,

Vole, you will very shortly

have an opportunity of

speaking in your own defence.

Leonard Vole returned, you say,

at ten minutes past ten.

- And what happened next?

- He was breathing hard, very excited.

He threw off his coat

and examined the sleeves.

Then he told me to wash the cuffs.

- They had blood on them.

- Go on.

- I said "What have you done?"

- What did the prisoner say?

He said "I've killed her."

Christine! Why are you lying?

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