- 6 months ago
Janet Godfrey (Elizabeth Spriggs) and Paul Flood (David Battley) are both charged with the manslaughter of 17 people, who died as the result of a fire at a Fulchester nightclub of which Mrs Godfrey was the owner and Mr Flood its general manager. The deaths are claimed by the prosecution to be the direct consequence of gross negligence.
Caroline Blakiston returns as the scary prosecution counsel, Kathleen Fenton QC and is perhaps best known for her appearance with Joan Hickson as Miss Marple in "At Bertrams Hotel". Both Caroline and Leslie Schofield (Bill Reynolds) appeared in the Star Wars films.
Elizabeth Spriggs will be familiar to fans of "Shine on Harvey Moon" and "Jeeves & Wooster" in which she played the formidable Aunt Agatha.
Pamela Salem (Juliet Parkinson) is known to Doctor Who fans as Toos in the Tom Baker adventure "Robots of Death", amongst other TV series.
Caroline Blakiston returns as the scary prosecution counsel, Kathleen Fenton QC and is perhaps best known for her appearance with Joan Hickson as Miss Marple in "At Bertrams Hotel". Both Caroline and Leslie Schofield (Bill Reynolds) appeared in the Star Wars films.
Elizabeth Spriggs will be familiar to fans of "Shine on Harvey Moon" and "Jeeves & Wooster" in which she played the formidable Aunt Agatha.
Pamela Salem (Juliet Parkinson) is known to Doctor Who fans as Toos in the Tom Baker adventure "Robots of Death", amongst other TV series.
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TVTranscript
00:00:00The case you're about to see is fictional, but the procedure is authentic.
00:00:11The characters are played by actors, but the jury is selected from members of the public.
00:00:16It began with somebody shouting, a man shouting.
00:00:20He sounded so really scared, frightened.
00:00:23His voice was high-pitched, like a screech.
00:00:25What did this man shout, Miss Chadwick, do you recall?
00:00:28He shouted, I thought he shouted, fight, there's a fight.
00:00:33Then I saw all these people running across the bar.
00:00:35You mean the customers present in the first floor bar?
00:00:38Yes, the guests.
00:00:39Suddenly the whole place was chaotic.
00:00:42People were frantic.
00:00:44I thought they must be running from a fight.
00:00:46But you soon realised this was not so.
00:00:48Yes, this smoke, thick black smoke, came belching into the bar like a big mushroom cloud.
00:00:55You realised there was a fire?
00:00:56No, just this horrible black smoke.
00:00:59From which direction did the smoke come?
00:01:01Poured in through the revolving door of the top floor bar.
00:01:04Now, Miss Chadwick, would you be good enough to step across to this model
00:01:08and indicate where you were standing in relation to the revolving door
00:01:12when the smoke you described swept through?
00:01:14Following one of the worst fire disasters in the history of Forchester,
00:01:37Janet Helen Godfrey, a local businesswoman, public figure and proprietress of several nightclubs
00:01:43and restaurants in the city, has been jointly charged with manslaughter.
00:01:47Her co-defendant, Paul Reginald Flood, was general manager of the Sycamore Grove,
00:01:51the nightclub owned by Mrs Godfrey.
00:01:53I was coughing and even with the smoke.
00:01:56I could hardly see with it.
00:01:58Lorna Chadwick, a teacher to Forchester Comprehensive,
00:02:01is the ninth witness to give the court an account of the events inside the nightclub
00:02:05when fire broke out.
00:02:07Were attempts made to escape from the bar?
00:02:09A crowd of people were trying to get an exit door open,
00:02:12but it were locked.
00:02:13They were smashing a table against the door to get it open.
00:02:16Would you indicate the position of the exit door on the model?
00:02:19Here, just here.
00:02:20Miss Chadwick, how was it possible for you to determine that the exit door was in fact locked?
00:02:25Well, it was obvious.
00:02:26One man was hysterical, shouting his head off about it being locked,
00:02:30and a crowd of them trying to break the door down.
00:02:32Were they successful?
00:02:33I didn't wait to see.
00:02:35What did you do?
00:02:36James, he were yelling at me, screaming at me.
00:02:39James?
00:02:40My brother James.
00:02:42I see. Carry on.
00:02:43Well, he pushed me across the bar through the double doors out into the passageway.
00:02:51You referred to the two double fire doors?
00:02:54Yes.
00:02:54Can you recall if these doors were open or were they closed?
00:02:57They were open, both lots.
00:02:59Held open or were they fixed back against the walls?
00:03:01They were up to the walls.
00:03:03Nobody stood there holding them.
00:03:05So, what have we, Miss Chadwick?
00:03:08Given the fact that the fire began in the ground floor bar,
00:03:11the thick volume of smoke you described admitted from the ground floor was provided free access,
00:03:17was it not sweeping upstairs past the open fire doors of the lobby,
00:03:21flowing freely into the skylight bar?
00:03:24Was that a question, Mrs. Fenton?
00:03:27Yes, my lord.
00:03:28Well, could you put your questions more simply?
00:03:31Can you remember if these same doors were open when you arrived at the club earlier that evening?
00:03:36I don't remember that.
00:03:38So, Miss Chadwick, with assistance from your brother, you reached the first floor lobby.
00:03:42Yes.
00:03:43We made our way to the stairs at the end of the passageway, here.
00:03:48Suddenly, everything went dark, black.
00:03:52The lights had failed.
00:03:53Did the lights come on again?
00:03:55Did any lights come on?
00:03:56There were no lights.
00:03:57What happened after the lights failed, Miss Chadwick?
00:04:01James, you were gripping my arms, guiding me down the stairs.
00:04:06I could feel myself stepping on these bodies, and I looked down and...
00:04:12Oh, God.
00:04:13I was stepping with me eye-eels on this man's face.
00:04:17I remember screaming.
00:04:18You were still on the stairs at this time?
00:04:20Yes.
00:04:21Somehow we got down to the ground floor bar.
00:04:24And what was the scene you encountered?
00:04:26I could see this fire coming at us like a ball of flames, like a huge wave.
00:04:33All around me there were people screaming and crying and yelling, clutching at one another, fighting, fists pouring the air.
00:04:43It was like a madhouse.
00:04:44Quite.
00:04:45Can you say where the fire was most concentrated?
00:04:47Um, the far side of the ground floor bar was completely ablaze.
00:04:52Would you indicate which area on the model?
00:04:55Here, where the bar stood.
00:04:57And flames dancing across the ceiling.
00:05:00And this hissing, a terrible hissing, like snakes, like a pit of snakes.
00:05:06I saw this girl running through this raging inferno, screaming.
00:05:13Wild she was.
00:05:14Her air was ablaze.
00:05:16Were any attempts made to quell the fire?
00:05:18A man was holding an extinguisher.
00:05:21He was swearing and yelling.
00:05:23He kicked out the extinguisher because, because he couldn't make it work.
00:05:26The extinguisher wouldn't work.
00:05:28My lord, the witness stated the man could not make the extinguisher work, which is not to assert.
00:05:33Yes, Mrs. Fenton, you mustn't put words into the witness's mouth.
00:05:37My lord, did the man eventually get the extinguisher to function, Miss Chadwick?
00:05:41I, I didn't see.
00:05:43The roof beams over me broke away from the ceiling and crashed down towards me.
00:05:49Suddenly the floor was alight.
00:05:52I could feel this burning.
00:05:54A terrible burning pain.
00:05:57I screamed so, and, and then I must have passed out.
00:06:05Give the witness a chair.
00:06:08And a glass of water.
00:06:20Miss Chadwick, would you like a few minutes to gather yourself?
00:06:23I'm, I'm sorry, I...
00:06:24I'm quite prepared to adjourn the court for 15 minutes.
00:06:27Don't apologize.
00:06:28No, please.
00:06:30I'm okay now.
00:06:31Are you sure?
00:06:37Miss Chadwick, did you often go to the Sycamore Grove?
00:06:41The first time I'd ever been there.
00:06:43I went with my brother, James, and my boyfriend.
00:06:47We'd been invited to a 21st birthday party.
00:06:50The Skylight Bar had been specially booked.
00:06:52Whose birthday party was it?
00:06:54Tom Worsley's.
00:06:56We'd all known him from school, my lord.
00:06:5921 that day.
00:07:00Key to the door and all that.
00:07:02But he died.
00:07:04Do you know how many of your fellow guests at the party died?
00:07:07Uh, 17.
00:07:08Friends of mine, mostly.
00:07:12Yes, Mrs. Fenton.
00:07:14And what of your brother, James, Miss Chadwick, and your boyfriend?
00:07:19A beam fell on James and knocked him out.
00:07:21He was badly burnt and taken to hospital.
00:07:24Where did you next see your brother?
00:07:25At Fullchester General.
00:07:27I was in the same hospital receiving treatment for burns.
00:07:30What was his condition?
00:07:32Very critical.
00:07:33How severely was he burned?
00:07:35All over.
00:07:37He died an hour later.
00:07:39I see.
00:07:40Yes.
00:07:42On December 18th.
00:07:44Just in time for Christmas.
00:07:47And your boyfriend?
00:07:49He was unharmed.
00:07:51That at least is something.
00:07:52Except he's not my boyfriend anymore.
00:07:54Oh?
00:07:55Well, who can blame him?
00:07:58I'm not as pretty as I was.
00:08:00Thank you, Miss Chadwick.
00:08:01I regret the distress my questions must have caused you.
00:08:05Please, will you remain where you are?
00:08:08Can I stand up now?
00:08:09Of course.
00:08:12Mr. Ellis?
00:08:14My Lord, I have no questions with this witness.
00:08:18Miss Parkinson?
00:08:18I shall not detain you any longer than necessary, Miss Chadwick.
00:08:25May I ask you to describe the reaction of your fellow guests, once it had become general
00:08:29knowledge that fire had broken out?
00:08:30Terrible.
00:08:31Shouting and screaming.
00:08:33Everyone was frantic.
00:08:34Would panic be an apt word?
00:08:36Absolutely.
00:08:37A most terrible panic.
00:08:39People were fighting at one another to get out.
00:08:42Scratching at the doors.
00:08:43It was horrendous.
00:08:44Now, Miss Chadwick, presumably at such a celebration, alcoholic drinks were available.
00:08:48There was plenty to drink.
00:08:49The wine flowed, so to speak.
00:08:51Everyone was having a good time.
00:08:53What time did the party begin?
00:08:558.30.
00:08:55What time did fire break out?
00:08:57Around about 11.
00:08:58Three hours.
00:08:59Quite a fair amount of alcohol would have been consumed during that period of time.
00:09:03Would you accept that the alcohol you consumed impaired the swiftness of your reactions?
00:09:07Well, it would be reasonable to conclude so, would it not?
00:09:10Possibly.
00:09:11The combination of high spirits and alcohol would surely have slowed the reactions and
00:09:16dulled the senses of yourself and your fellow guests.
00:09:18The fire and the panic soon woke us.
00:09:21Now, turning to the matter of the thick black smoke.
00:09:24I believe you told my learned friend here that this smoke affected your eyes.
00:09:26I could hardly see with it.
00:09:28The muck got down me throat.
00:09:29I was retching.
00:09:30I nearly threw up.
00:09:31Right.
00:09:32Now, you told the court that at one point after the fire had broken out, the lights were extinguished.
00:09:36Well, that's correct.
00:09:37How soon after you realised there was a fire did the lights fail?
00:09:40Three or four minutes, I suppose.
00:09:42But the fire, you say, was accompanied by thick black smoke which stung your eyes, obscuring
00:09:46visibility.
00:09:47How could you tell if the lights had been extinguished when you were so engulfed?
00:09:50The place went black, snapped just like that.
00:09:52The place was in darkness.
00:09:55Then again, you describe how you stepped on some poor creature's face.
00:09:59Was it the face of a man or a woman?
00:10:01I've said it was a man's face.
00:10:02Now, you are certain?
00:10:04I shall never forget it.
00:10:05How can you be so certain, Miss Chadwick, if, as you say, the premises have been thrown
00:10:09into darkness?
00:10:09I saw that poor man's dead face.
00:10:12I put it to you, Miss Chadwick, that you couldn't possibly have seen unless the house lights
00:10:15had remained on, according to safety regulations.
00:10:18The place was pitch black.
00:10:19The lights went out and none came on.
00:10:21I suggest that is a conclusion made in hindsight, Miss Chadwick.
00:10:23I was there.
00:10:24You weren't.
00:10:25Just answer the questions, please, Miss Chadwick.
00:10:28How did your brother die, Miss Chadwick?
00:10:30Was it as a result of the burns he received?
00:10:32No, not the burns.
00:10:34They said he died from the smoke fumes.
00:10:36Oh, I see.
00:10:38Well, of course, we've already read, prior to these hearings, your vivid description of
00:10:41a young lady running through the raging inferno with her hair ablaze.
00:10:46The young lady in question, did she die as a result of the fire, do you happen to know?
00:10:50Survived.
00:10:51Still with us, then?
00:10:52Horrific, though your description of her condition surely was.
00:10:55I told what I saw.
00:10:57Indeed, Miss Chadwick.
00:10:59Well, of course, readers of the Daily Globe and their millions will be familiar with your
00:11:02version of accounts.
00:11:05Nightclub Holocaust.
00:11:06My lord.
00:11:07Lorna tells of a night of horror.
00:11:09My lord, the Sycamore Grove fire has attracted the widest possible attention in the media.
00:11:14The invitation of much of that report has been disadvantageous and the extreme to my client.
00:11:18I have already instructed the jury, Miss Parkinson, as you know,
00:11:21that they should totally disregard all they may have read or heard about this case before
00:11:26the trial began.
00:11:27I'm interested in examining, my lord, to what extent ulterior motives may have coloured this
00:11:32witness's account of the events.
00:11:34Yes, that is a rather different point, which you may pursue.
00:11:37I'm obliged, my lord.
00:11:38Why did your article with your byline appear in the Daily Globe, Miss Chadwick?
00:11:44They gave me a contract.
00:11:47Of an exclusive nature?
00:11:48Yes.
00:11:49I didn't get that, Miss Chadwick.
00:11:50Shall I repeat the question?
00:11:52An exclusive contract?
00:11:54I put it to you that your evidence here today has been exaggerated to support and enhance
00:11:58your newspaper story.
00:11:59That is not so!
00:12:00No accident that the sensational tone of your newspaper account has found its way into this
00:12:04court.
00:12:05You've merely stuck to a highly coloured version.
00:12:07No words could ever describe the horror of that night.
00:12:10Well, Miss Chadwick, you've certainly made a good stab at it.
00:12:13How much did the newspaper pay you?
00:12:16Answer that, would you please.
00:12:19£500.
00:12:20£500.
00:12:22And is this article all you agreed to provide?
00:12:25No.
00:12:26No.
00:12:26Would you kindly elaborate?
00:12:28The newspaper.
00:12:30They want my impressions of the trial when it's over.
00:12:33And how much will you be paid for these impressions?
00:12:37£500.
00:12:38And is this additional journalism subject to any proviso?
00:12:41I don't understand.
00:12:43I'm sure you do.
00:12:45Does your contract with the Daily Globe contain any rider?
00:12:48Is it subject to any particular outcome of this court?
00:12:51If the accused are found guilty.
00:12:54And if found guilty, Miss Chadwick, do you stand to make any further financial gain?
00:12:57No, I don't think so.
00:12:59You don't think so?
00:13:01Come now, Miss Chadwick, are you certain?
00:13:04Haven't proceedings for damages been instituted against the accused?
00:13:08Yes.
00:13:09On your behalf?
00:13:10Not so.
00:13:10And if successful, you stand to gain a considerable amount of money?
00:13:14Possibly.
00:13:14Several thousand pounds, at the very least.
00:13:17That, Miss Parkinson, will be for another court to decide.
00:13:20My lord.
00:13:21In any event, Miss Chadwick, your thousand-pound payment for journalism will be very small beer.
00:13:26But, should the defendants be found guilty in this court,
00:13:29is it not the case that your suit for damages will be considerably enhanced?
00:13:32I don't know.
00:13:33Offering you the possibility of a very much larger sum in settlement.
00:13:36Not for me to say.
00:13:38Put it to you, Miss Chadwick, that the version of events you've offered this court
00:13:41has been calculated to aid your suit for criminal liability against the defendants.
00:13:45Don't I deserve something?
00:13:47What do you deserve, Miss Chadwick?
00:13:48Compensation?
00:13:50I've been scarred for life and me looks ruined.
00:13:53All won't be now.
00:13:54So you need to make future provision for yourself.
00:13:57That's one way of putting it.
00:13:58And in order to do so, I put it to you that the content of your evidence
00:14:01has been couched in highly prejudicial terms.
00:14:04Would you describe the events which led up to the outbreak of the fire?
00:14:17I was just here, serving behind the ground floor bar in the Melody Lounge.
00:14:22We were busy as hell, customers standing five deep, people shouting orders.
00:14:26I turned away to the till to change a fiver, when suddenly I heard somebody, a woman I think, screaming.
00:14:34I turned round and suddenly saw this blaze at the far side of the bar, just here.
00:14:39Flame shooting up the wall to the ceiling.
00:14:41Suddenly the place was alight.
00:14:43Where was the fire concentrated?
00:14:44Just here, behind the bar.
00:14:46Behind the bar.
00:14:47Was the club installed with a fire alarm system?
00:14:50Yes, it was tested once a month to make sure it worked.
00:14:52And where were the facilities for activating the fire alarm system?
00:14:55There were two switches, one behind each of the bars, on each floor.
00:15:00When the fire broke out, did you attempt to sound the fire alarm?
00:15:03Oh, the heat was so intense, the flames.
00:15:07Suddenly the whole bar was ablaze.
00:15:10Was the alarm sounded on the first floor, in the skylight bar?
00:15:13I believe not.
00:15:15How did the fire spread?
00:15:16It was just like a wave breaking over the bar.
00:15:19The smoke was very heavy.
00:15:21People were passing out and rolling down the stairs.
00:15:24The fire spread so quickly that some customers were engulfed in flames where they sat.
00:15:28What did you do?
00:15:30I put a handkerchief over my mouth and ran for the exit door here.
00:15:36Was the door marked exit?
00:15:37Yes.
00:15:38There was an exit sign illuminated over the door.
00:15:40Yes, go on, Mr Reynolds.
00:15:42I got about halfway across the bar when suddenly the place went black.
00:15:46The lights failed.
00:15:47I tripped over somebody and fell to the floor and several people tumbled on top of me.
00:15:52But I managed to crawl to the door and then the emergency lights came on.
00:15:56Are you sure about that?
00:15:57Yes.
00:15:58But they failed a few minutes later.
00:16:00I wonder why that was.
00:16:01Well, the fire burns out the emergency generator, I should think.
00:16:04How did you eventually manage to escape from the premises?
00:16:07I got out through this exit door here to the street.
00:16:11There were several men in their shirt sleeves standing on the pavement.
00:16:14They were screaming that their wives were still inside.
00:16:18Have you any notion at all, Mr Reynolds, as to how the fire might have started?
00:16:21None.
00:16:22It just seemed to appear from nowhere.
00:16:23One final point.
00:16:25Did you see Mr Flood anywhere on the premises during the outbreak?
00:16:29No, I didn't.
00:16:29Had you seen him at all during the evening?
00:16:32Earlier on, just before we opened.
00:16:34Yes, thank you.
00:16:34Would you please return to the witness box?
00:16:36Now, as head barman of the ground floor bar, the Melody Lounge, what, apart from service to the customers, did your duties entail?
00:16:47When I arrived in the evening, I'd open the bar, stock the tills with cash, and make sure my staff had turned up before we opened for business.
00:16:55Who laid down what your duties were?
00:16:56Mr Flood.
00:16:57You're referring to the defendant, Paul Flood, who was the general manager of this establishment?
00:17:01Yes.
00:17:01Whose responsibility was it to ensure that the exit doors on the ground floor were unlocked?
00:17:06Mr Flood did that.
00:17:07Every night?
00:17:08Yes.
00:17:08And who was responsible for it when Mr Flood was away on holiday?
00:17:10Oh, he never took a holiday.
00:17:12We were constantly short-staffed.
00:17:14He could never be spared.
00:17:15Ah.
00:17:16Did the same arrangement apply to the Skylight Bar?
00:17:19Did Mr Flood undertake to unlock the exit door each night on the first floor?
00:17:24I don't know about that.
00:17:26You don't know?
00:17:26But surely that must have been common knowledge amongst the staff?
00:17:29I suppose so.
00:17:30You suppose so?
00:17:32In any event, the exit doors on the ground floor on the night in question were indeed unlocked.
00:17:36Yes.
00:17:37But not, as it turned out, the exit doors on the first floor?
00:17:39Apparently not.
00:17:41Was Mr Humphreys, the head barman of the Skylight Barn, due to this particular night?
00:17:45Yes.
00:17:46He died in it, poor beggar.
00:17:47Several witnesses have testified to the effect that the double fire doors on the first floor corridor were both open, hooked securely to the wall.
00:17:56Could you offer any reason why this should be so?
00:17:59Somebody must have fixed them that way, I should think.
00:18:01Why were the fire doors left open, Mr Reynolds?
00:18:04I've no idea.
00:18:05We had clear instructions to keep all fire doors closed.
00:18:08Who instructed you so?
00:18:09Mr Flood.
00:18:10Have you any notion as to who might have opened them?
00:18:13Customers would often hook them back to let some fresh air into the top floor bar.
00:18:17But were not fire notices fixed to the doors with clear instructions to all that the doors should be kept closed at all times?
00:18:23Originally there were, but some students pinched them one night.
00:18:26Were they not replaced by new fire notices?
00:18:28No.
00:18:29No, they weren't.
00:18:30And when were the fire notices removed?
00:18:32Early part of the autumn.
00:18:33The university had a party in the skylight bar.
00:18:37That night the notices went missing.
00:18:39Mr Reynolds, were you and the rest of the staff ever put through any paces in terms of fire drill?
00:18:45There was never a fire drill.
00:18:47Can you recall any arrangements made by the management to lessen the danger in the event of fire?
00:18:52Well, we had a code, a phrase that would be spoken over the tannoy in the event of a fire breaking out.
00:18:58Something innocuous that wouldn't panic the customers.
00:19:01What phrase was employed for this?
00:19:03Yes?
00:19:06Muffin the mule.
00:19:09Muffin the mule.
00:19:11And who chose this portentous expression?
00:19:14My lord.
00:19:15Mr Flood.
00:19:17Would you say that Mr Flood took his responsibilities for fire prevention seriously?
00:19:22Very seriously. He took everything seriously.
00:19:24And what ever became of dear old Muffin the mule?
00:19:26But there was just no time to pass the word.
00:19:28The fire was raging across the bar, burning up the furniture, the decorations, everything.
00:19:31The decorations?
00:19:32Well, yes, there was an artificial hardboard ceiling suspended over the bar and hanging from it were various draperies, decorations, fabrics, sacking, artificial palm tree branches, that sort of stuff.
00:19:44All the lights in the bar were concealed in half coconut shells, sort of fancy lampshades.
00:19:51Was this material fireproofed?
00:19:52Not as far as far as I know.
00:19:55Well, what were the decorations for?
00:19:57Well, I suppose they were meant to give the place a moody atmosphere.
00:20:00Whose concept was this?
00:20:02I've no idea.
00:20:04Thank you, Mr Reynolds. Please, would you remain where you are?
00:20:07Mr Reynolds, you informed my learned friend that you'd been employed at the Sycamore Grove nightclub for the past five years.
00:20:15To whom did you apply for this post initially?
00:20:18Mr Flood.
00:20:20And who interviewed you?
00:20:21He did.
00:20:22And who appointed you?
00:20:24Him again.
00:20:25Was anyone else present at the interview?
00:20:27No.
00:20:29How experienced a barman were you at the time?
00:20:31Never done the job before.
00:20:34Did Flood take up your references?
00:20:36He didn't ask for references. I had none.
00:20:39So you were appointed to this position without any previous experience and without the support of references?
00:20:44Mr Flood needed somebody quickly.
00:20:47I see. How well did you get on with Mr Flood?
00:20:50Quite well. He's a nice bloke.
00:20:55Too much of a worrier.
00:20:57What would he worry about?
00:20:58We were constantly short-staffed.
00:21:00Why was that?
00:21:01The staff wages were too low.
00:21:03Yet is it not the case that you yourself remained in this post for some five years?
00:21:07I had to get a lunchtime job serving behind a bar to make up the money.
00:21:11How frequently did Mrs Godfrey visit the club?
00:21:15Once or twice a week.
00:21:16Were you aware of Mrs Godfrey involving herself at all in the day-to-day running of the club?
00:21:21No. She left that side of it to Mr Flood.
00:21:23Did Mrs Godfrey familiarize herself with the staff?
00:21:27No way.
00:21:28Madam Godfrey was too subtle for that.
00:21:31Very possibly.
00:21:31But what I am trying to establish was whether Mrs Godfrey imposed herself as your employer.
00:21:37No. She could have been just another customer.
00:21:39I see. Thank you.
00:21:41In what way did they conduct their business relationship, Mrs Godfrey and Mr Flood?
00:21:46He was a pushover as far as she was concerned.
00:21:48Any other bloke would have slung his up the way she treated him.
00:21:51Yes, yes, yes. Now, let us turn to the question.
00:21:53Since you've raised the matter of the owner-manager relationship, Mr Ellis, I, for one, would like to hear the witness out on this.
00:22:00My lord?
00:22:02She was tight-fisted.
00:22:05You mean thrifted?
00:22:06I mean mean.
00:22:08We used to call her Lady Cutback.
00:22:11Every single department in that club was full of tat.
00:22:14The furniture was cut-priced nasty.
00:22:16The kitchen equipment was army surplus.
00:22:18She wouldn't even pay for a decent bog roll in the staff lavatory.
00:22:21Now, that's another thing.
00:22:22One lavatory stuck out in the backyard for men and women.
00:22:25That's how thrifty she was.
00:22:27And she had a flood by the throat.
00:22:29He genuinely wanted to make improvements to the place, but no, she wouldn't wear it.
00:22:33Took the lot and gave nothing.
00:22:35Well, one day something was going to go wrong, and it did.
00:22:39So if you're looking for somebody to blame, there she sits.
00:22:42Madam Bloody Godfrey.
00:22:43The case of the Queen against Flood and Godfrey will be continued tomorrow in the Crown Court.
00:23:07The case of the Queen against Flood and Godfrey will be continued tomorrow in the Crown Court.
00:23:37The case you're about to see is fictitious, but the procedure is authentic.
00:23:46The characters are played by actors, but the jury is selected from members of the public.
00:23:50In the case of the Queen against Godfrey and Flood,
00:23:53the prosecution has suggested that a fire in the Sycamore Grove nightclub, which killed 17 people,
00:23:58was the direct result of gross negligence on the part of its proprietor,
00:24:01Mrs. Janet Godfrey, and her general manager, Paul Flood, both of whom are on trial for manslaughter.
00:24:07The court is now hearing evidence from Rex Meredith, a local self-employed electrician.
00:24:13Mr. Meredith, did you, during the summer of last year,
00:24:17have occasion to visit the Sycamore Grove nightclub in pursuance of your trade?
00:24:21Flood wanted some work done.
00:24:22It was he who approached you?
00:24:24He phoned me at home. I work from home, you understand.
00:24:27Did you discuss this engagement with anyone else at the club?
00:24:30Just Flood.
00:24:32What did the work involve?
00:24:34He wanted some new fixtures in the bar and in the ladies' loo.
00:24:37In which bar?
00:24:39The Melody Lounge, whatever it's called.
00:24:42The bar on the ground floor.
00:24:44He wanted some faulty sockets replacing.
00:24:46Did you supply an estimate for the projected work?
00:24:49I did.
00:24:49Written or verbal?
00:24:51Well, I told him how much the work had cost after I'd had a look to see what was needed.
00:24:55Did you form any opinion regarding the overall condition of the electrical wiring in these premises?
00:25:00Yeah, it was fine, generally speaking, except for those sockets, the light switch in the ladies' loo,
00:25:07and a faulty fan behind the bar.
00:25:09Behind the bar in the Melody Lounge?
00:25:11Yeah.
00:25:12In what way was it faulty?
00:25:13Well, the fan was pretty ancient and decrepit.
00:25:16It had been there for years.
00:25:18And when you shoved the plug into the socket, it made a crackling noise and there were sparks.
00:25:23You say sparks flew?
00:25:25That's what I did say.
00:25:26I mean, the wiring was corroded, rotting.
00:25:29Hadn't been looked at for years.
00:25:31The plastic holder of the plug was cracked and loose.
00:25:34I mean, the whole thing, the plug and all, needed replacing.
00:25:37And were you then commissioned to install a new fan?
00:25:40No.
00:25:41Do you know why?
00:25:42Because Flood wouldn't have it done.
00:25:44Did he give any reason?
00:25:45Well, apparently, Mrs. Godfrey wouldn't pay for it, and he could only afford to replace the sockets and the light switch.
00:25:53Leaving a fan, which was the worst for wear, still in existence behind the bar.
00:25:56That's right.
00:25:57The faulty plug of which tended to give off sparks, and in your professional view, was a danger.
00:26:01I told Flood.
00:26:03I said, you need a totally new fixture there.
00:26:06No, he said.
00:26:07And this dangerous electrical equipment was situated in the precise location behind the bar in the Melody Lounge, where the fire subsequently broke out.
00:26:15Thank you, Mr. Meredith.
00:26:16How much would it have cost to replace this fan, Mr. Meredith?
00:26:22Sixty pounds, plus the labour.
00:26:25And you claim the workers refused because of the cost?
00:26:28I don't claim anything.
00:26:30That's a fact.
00:26:30So you may say, Mr. Meredith, but I put it to you that you were, in fact, instructed to replace that fan.
00:26:37That's not true at all.
00:26:38And that, in hindsight, you've sought to cover your reputation by fabricating this whole account of yours.
00:26:44Look, I offered to replace the damn thing, but Flood said no.
00:26:48No, he said.
00:26:49There was no money left in the kitty, and that was that.
00:26:52I put it to you that you're lying, Mr. Meredith.
00:26:56How long have you been engaged in this type of work in a self-employed capacity?
00:27:01Three years now.
00:27:02Before that?
00:27:04With Crispin's Electrical Wholesale, Fullchester.
00:27:07How long were you there?
00:27:09Six months.
00:27:10Why did you leave after such a short time?
00:27:13Had a disagreement.
00:27:14Oh?
00:27:15With the boss.
00:27:16You mean you were sacked?
00:27:17Wouldn't put it quite like that.
00:27:19How quite would you put it?
00:27:21I was asked politely to move along.
00:27:25How many firms had you been with prior to Crispin's?
00:27:28Two or three.
00:27:30Two or three?
00:27:31Isn't five the correct figure, and I remind you, you are under oath.
00:27:34I didn't keep a list.
00:27:36What training did you receive?
00:27:39I started out as an apprentice.
00:27:41I learnt my trade on the job.
00:27:43Isn't it a fact, Mr. Meredith, that your position as a self-employed jobbing electrician results from the fact that you are unemployable by any reputable Fullchester electrical company?
00:27:51Who told you that?
00:27:53Your standard of workmanship is so sloppy and amateurish that employing you would be something of a liability.
00:27:58I'm never out of work, you know.
00:27:59I'm a busy lad.
00:28:00Isn't it true that you carry a manual about with you in your back pocket, which you proceed to consult whenever you are unsure of an electrical task confronting you?
00:28:09I've yet to have a dissatisfied customer.
00:28:11Hasn't that something more to do with your economic level of accounts?
00:28:15Oh, no.
00:28:16I don't charge what the big companies have to because I don't have their overheads.
00:28:19I put it to you, Mr. Meredith, that the reason Mr. Flood employed you was because you were cheap.
00:28:24And given the paucity of his budget, he couldn't afford an electrician of greater skill.
00:28:28Well, that's rubbish.
00:28:30No further questions.
00:28:35Several inspections are made in the course of a year to meet the requirements of different acts.
00:28:39The last inspection at the Sycamore Grove was made in August 1980 in connection with the Music, Song and Dancing Act.
00:28:45Did you meet a representative of the club when you called there?
00:28:48Yes, Mr. Paul Flood.
00:28:50How did the efforts of the club to meet your requirements impress you?
00:28:54A license was granted.
00:28:56The fire extinguishers were working, were they?
00:28:58The legal requirement is for licensed premises to make their own annual checks and to overhaul the extinguishers.
00:29:05Had this been done?
00:29:06The club records indicated so.
00:29:08Who had undertaken the checks?
00:29:10Mr. Flood.
00:29:11Were you satisfied that Mr. Flood was competent to undertake this task?
00:29:14We always prefer fire prevention specialists to do this task.
00:29:20Now, would you explain why it is necessary for such establishments to ensure that their fire doors are kept closed?
00:29:27To stop the smoke from spreading to other parts of the building.
00:29:30And our fire notices to be displayed, indicating that the doors should be kept closed at all times.
00:29:35That's what the law stipulates.
00:29:36Have you read the pathologist's report on the victims of the Sycamore Grove fire?
00:29:41I have.
00:29:42How do you react to the analysis offered of their deaths?
00:29:45No deaths were caused by burning.
00:29:48The deaths were caused by the inhalation of smoke fumes.
00:29:51And all the victims occupied the skylight bar at the time fire broke out.
00:29:56Can you describe what happened?
00:29:57The fire doors on the first floor corridor were left open on this particular night.
00:30:05And the smoke came pouring upwards from the ground floor, fatally affecting many guests on the top floor.
00:30:10If the fire doors had been closed, the smoke would not have passed through into the skylight bar.
00:30:16Is it a legal requirement, Mr. Stavica, that all exit doors should remain unlocked?
00:30:22When members of the public are on the premises, many deaths are caused in fires by the exit facilities being inadvertently locked.
00:30:29Have you had the opportunity to inspect the records of the Sycamore Grove nightclub for the night of December the 13th last?
00:30:35Indeed. The records were retrieved from the office on the night of the fire.
00:30:39Including those relating to the number of guests admitted?
00:30:43107 guests were admitted to the club that evening.
00:30:46What is your comment on this?
00:30:47The club contravened its statutory obligation to admit no more than 100 guests to their premises at one time.
00:30:53The law was broken?
00:30:54That's correct.
00:30:55May the witness be shown Exhibits 7 and 8, please.
00:31:04Do you recognise these items?
00:31:06I do.
00:31:07They consist of materials used to decorate the Melody Lounge of the Sycamore Grove nightclub.
00:31:12How did these exhibits come into the possession of the authorities?
00:31:15They retrieved from the premises after the fire had been put out.
00:31:18Given that a worn-out fan, the plug of which was sparking, was in use behind this bar in close proximity to these decorations,
00:31:26would you say that that is the root cause of the fire?
00:31:28It's highly probable, certainly.
00:31:30But has the exact cause of this fire yet been determined?
00:31:33No, my lord.
00:31:35The building was virtually destroyed.
00:31:37It's proved impossible to establish absolutely the root cause of the fire.
00:31:42As fire prevention officer of the Fultister County Council,
00:31:46what is your comment on the use of such decorations in places of public entertainment?
00:31:51I would advise against it.
00:31:53And did you offer any such advice to the management of the Sycamore Club?
00:31:56I did.
00:31:57To whom specifically?
00:31:59To Mr. Flood.
00:32:00And with what result?
00:32:02My advice was unheeded.
00:32:04I'm obliged.
00:32:06Mr. Stavica, with whom did you normally deal on your visits of inspection of the Sycamore Grove?
00:32:14With Mr. Flood.
00:32:16And were you ever involved in any discussion with the club's owner, Mrs. Janet Godfrey?
00:32:21No, sir.
00:32:22Was she ever present, in fact?
00:32:24I never saw her.
00:32:25No, no, no, quite.
00:32:28Thank you, Mr. Stavica.
00:32:34Mr. Stavica, in whose name was the Sycamore Grove licensed?
00:32:37Mrs. Janet Helen Godfrey.
00:32:40And whose specific legal responsibility is it to ensure that the conditions of the license are fulfilled?
00:32:44The owner and proprietor, in this case Mrs. Godfrey.
00:32:48When you inspected the premises last, was there a fire certificate on display?
00:32:52Yes, in the foyer.
00:32:54As required by law?
00:32:55Yes.
00:32:56Were the fire doors closed and the exit doors open?
00:32:59Yes, everything was in order.
00:33:00Fire notices were displayed on the fire doors?
00:33:03They were.
00:33:04Now, on the question of fire extinguishers, does it mean that if they failed to work they had not been subjected to a proper inspection and overhaul?
00:33:11Not necessarily.
00:33:12Not necessarily. Fire extinguishers, particularly the dry powder sort, often seize up. They're liable to corrosion.
00:33:19There's no legal obligation to conduct regular fire drills on premises such as these, is there?
00:33:24None.
00:33:25The license granted to the Sycamore Grove, that was not subject to your advice being followed concerning the decorations in the Melody Lounge, was it?
00:33:33No such rider as stipulated.
00:33:35Is it not common practice for such establishments to decorate their premises in this way?
00:33:39Unfortunately, it's often so.
00:33:41There's nothing illegal about it?
00:33:43No.
00:33:47Unless your lordship has any questions of this witness, that is the case for the prosecution.
00:33:52Thank you, Mr. Stavaker.
00:33:54My lord.
00:33:56Mr. Ellis?
00:33:58My lord, I call Janet Helen Godfrey.
00:34:01Mrs. Godfrey, how long have you resided in the county borough of Fulchester?
00:34:24All my life. I was born here.
00:34:26And was your late husband, Samuel Godfrey, a man who during his lifetime undertook some degree of public responsibility?
00:34:34He was a city councillor for 20 years and served a term as mayor.
00:34:38And have you, Madam Mayor, asked and involved yourself in similar public enterprise?
00:34:42I'm a magistrate and city councillor.
00:34:45Is that the total extent of your contribution to public life?
00:34:47No, I'm also chairperson of a Fulchester charity concerned with the welfare of underprivileged children.
00:34:55Now, turning to the matter of the Sycamore Grove nightclub, Mrs. Godfrey, how did you come to acquire it?
00:35:01Oh, I didn't.
00:35:03My husband bought this property, owned a number of similar establishments in Fulchester.
00:35:08Which, I take it, you inherited following his most untimely death?
00:35:11Yes.
00:35:12When did your husband's death occur?
00:35:15Well, he was killed in a road accident five years ago.
00:35:18So, you were left with the burden of administering a string of these entertainment establishments?
00:35:25Yes.
00:35:25Yes, I inherited two nightclubs, of which the Sycamore Grove was one, and four restaurants.
00:35:31I've appointed general managers to take entire charge of their affairs.
00:35:34And what is the extent of their responsibility?
00:35:38Oh, total.
00:35:39They only come to me if they have a problem which they themselves cannot solve.
00:35:43Do they administer through a fixed budget?
00:35:46Oh, but my budgets aren't fixed.
00:35:48I mean, they're flexible.
00:35:49It's that sort of business.
00:35:50So, there are no restrictions placed upon your manager's budget-wise?
00:35:54No sensible restrictions.
00:35:55No, I understand.
00:35:56No, whatever.
00:35:57Would you describe how the appointment of Paul Flood as general manager of the Sycamore Grove came about?
00:36:07Well, he'd worked for my husband for some years.
00:36:11He'd successfully managed two of Sam's restaurants, and after Sam died, Paul seemed the obvious choice.
00:36:18Do you now regret the appointment of Paul Flood?
00:36:21Well, I think perhaps, on reflection, managing restaurants was a rather less complex matter than a nightclub.
00:36:30As things turned out, the job proved too much for him.
00:36:33But I blame myself for this, naturally.
00:36:36How involved were you in the day-to-day running of the club?
00:36:39Hardly at all, which was perhaps a mistake.
00:36:43I signed the checks and kept a weather eye, and that was all.
00:36:46Did Mr Flood ever discuss his budget?
00:36:49Well, it never came up.
00:36:53He appeared happy or unhappy with your provision?
00:36:56It was never discussed.
00:36:57Well, I assume, therefore, that he was satisfied that the budget was adequate.
00:37:01Well, he certainly never complained.
00:37:03And how would you have reacted had he so complained?
00:37:06Well, naturally, if justified, the budget would have been adjusted.
00:37:10What is your reply to Mr Reynolds' accusation that you were penny-pinching in your funding of the club,
00:37:18and that you domineered and bullied your manager?
00:37:21Well, he isn't telling the truth.
00:37:23And how do you respond to his suggestion that you refuse to pay for the replacement of an electric fan?
00:37:29It's utterly absurd.
00:37:30Mrs Godfrey, do you feel in any way responsible for this tragedy?
00:37:40I cannot.
00:37:43My involvement with the club was minimal.
00:37:46That is why Paul was employed in the first place to cope.
00:37:51And he clearly failed to cope.
00:37:52But, Mrs Godfrey, it might be argued that as the owner and proprietor of this establishment,
00:38:00the ultimate responsibility for the safety of the clientele was yours.
00:38:05But one must delegate.
00:38:07It's impossible to check that a person is doing their job to total satisfaction.
00:38:11One must trust one's employees.
00:38:15With certain reservations, I trusted Paul.
00:38:17Misplaced, I now grant.
00:38:19But I really cannot accept responsibility for what has occurred.
00:38:26A drunken train driver, after all, is criminally liable for a train crash.
00:38:31Not the board of the British Rail.
00:38:34Yes.
00:38:35Thank you so much, Mrs Godfrey.
00:38:36Please remain where you are.
00:38:39Miss Parkinson, are you going to begin?
00:38:49Indeed, my lord.
00:38:50Yes, well, let's get on.
00:38:53Mrs Godfrey, would you describe yourself as a thrifty woman?
00:38:56Well, careful, certainly.
00:38:58One has to be these days.
00:38:59Quite so, Mrs Godfrey.
00:39:00But it has been suggested that you were parsimonious in your funding of the Sycamore.
00:39:04But I absolutely deny that.
00:39:07If a larger budget had been required, Paul would have advised me so, which he did not.
00:39:12How much did you pay, Mr Flood?
00:39:14£4,500 a year.
00:39:16£4,500 a year?
00:39:20It's not much to support himself, his wife and two children on.
00:39:23Well, many manage it.
00:39:24And Paul certainly never complained.
00:39:26Is he the complaining type?
00:39:28No, no, not at all.
00:39:30But jobs are scarce, particularly in these parts.
00:39:34A man of his age would find it difficult to get another job.
00:39:37So, it was a question of take it or leave it.
00:39:39I didn't mean to imply that.
00:39:41Simply that these are difficult times for everyone.
00:39:44Is it not a fact that you bullied this man mercilessly?
00:39:47You browbeat him.
00:39:48You dominated him with total cynicism.
00:39:51Not only did you refuse him a living wage,
00:39:52you refused him the funds to run the club as he wanted.
00:39:55But that's a complete distortion.
00:39:57There's not a word of truth in it, as I'm sure you know.
00:40:00You held Paul Flood in a stranglehold.
00:40:03You threatened that if he left your employment,
00:40:05you would use your powerful social position
00:40:07to ensure he failed to find employment anywhere else.
00:40:09That's nonsense.
00:40:11Why should I bother?
00:40:12Because you were aware you could not possibly
00:40:14obtain the services of another manager
00:40:15for the amount you were prepared to pay Mr Flood.
00:40:19Given the man's obvious shortcomings,
00:40:22he was lucky to have the job.
00:40:23I see, Mrs Godfrey.
00:40:28Yes, you've made your attitude perfectly clear.
00:40:31And I put it to you that you are trying to evade liability
00:40:34for this tragedy by hanging the blame on your employee.
00:40:39Mr Flood is your client, Miss Parkinson.
00:40:42No doubt that is the impression you would wish to create of me.
00:40:45Your attitude here today suggests a shoddy, shoddy picture
00:40:49of someone trying to wriggle out of their responsibilities.
00:40:53That's all.
00:40:54You're aware, I'm sure, Mrs Godfrey,
00:40:58that the Sycamore Grove was an entertainment establishment
00:41:01licensed in your name?
00:41:02Yes, of course.
00:41:04And that consequently you were charged
00:41:05with a legal responsibility for its constitution?
00:41:11Well, Mrs Godfrey?
00:41:13Well, in general terms, quite so.
00:41:15What does that mean?
00:41:16I should have thought my client's answer
00:41:18was perfectly clear, my lord.
00:41:19On the vague side, my lord, I think.
00:41:21Yes, Mrs Godfrey would be good enough to elaborate.
00:41:25Certainly.
00:41:25I accept responsibility
00:41:27for the overall constitution of the club.
00:41:30But not the detailed day-to-day management of it,
00:41:33which I delegated to another.
00:41:34So the position, in fact, is, Mrs Godfrey,
00:41:36that you do not accept ultimate responsibility?
00:41:39Well, not given the wide-ranging terms
00:41:41you place before me.
00:41:42Where exactly did you see your responsibility ending,
00:41:45Mrs Godfrey?
00:41:45Well, I tried to see that the club was run
00:41:48on the right lines.
00:41:49Which implies, does it not,
00:41:50ensuring adequate management?
00:41:51Well, that certainly would come into it.
00:41:53Was Mr Flood, in your view, adequate?
00:41:56Well, given hindsight, obviously not.
00:41:58But prior to the catastrophic events
00:42:00which have brought us all here today,
00:42:02would you say that Mr Flood
00:42:03was up to the job of manager?
00:42:05Well, I would hardly have continued to employ him
00:42:07if I was convinced otherwise.
00:42:09So if I may put it like this,
00:42:10his failure was also your failure.
00:42:13But I surely cannot be blamed
00:42:15for unforeseen failures in employees.
00:42:18Unforeseen failures, Mrs Godfrey?
00:42:21Did you not express an answer
00:42:22to both my learned friends
00:42:23certain dissatisfactions you harboured
00:42:25with regard to Mr Flood?
00:42:27I would like to say
00:42:28that my reservations about Paul
00:42:30at this time were slight.
00:42:34I repeat, the British Rail cannot be blamed
00:42:36for a...
00:42:36Oh, no, please, Mrs Godfrey,
00:42:37we've already heard you
00:42:38on the matter of the British Rail.
00:42:39I think there is another analogy
00:42:40which might be more appropriate.
00:42:42That of the American president
00:42:43who said the buck stops here.
00:42:45Don't you think perhaps, Mrs Godfrey,
00:42:46you're passing on your share of the buck?
00:42:48No, not at all.
00:42:49What exactly were Mr Flood's shortcomings,
00:42:51Mrs Godfrey?
00:42:53Well, he could never hold down staff.
00:42:55Wasn't that perhaps because
00:42:56your wages were somewhat less than adequate?
00:42:58But my other nightclub and restaurants
00:42:59have nothing like the turnover in staff
00:43:01experienced at the Sycamore Club.
00:43:03Did you personally pay the bills
00:43:05for services rendered
00:43:06to all your establishments?
00:43:08Well, I signed the cheques.
00:43:09Why was that?
00:43:10Well, it was my responsibility.
00:43:12You spoke of delegation, Mrs Godfrey.
00:43:13Surely delegation means
00:43:14letting those responsible do their job.
00:43:16But I didn't prepare the accounts
00:43:18or write out the cheques.
00:43:19I merely signed them.
00:43:21Rather important,
00:43:21if not a vital function.
00:43:23Why was it that there were
00:43:24only one set of lavatories
00:43:25for the public on the premises?
00:43:28Well, they seemed perfectly adequate.
00:43:30That was your opinion?
00:43:31Absolutely.
00:43:31Well, the premises are not that large.
00:43:35I decided that it was perfectly acceptable
00:43:38for customers in the Skylight Bar
00:43:40to descend the stairs
00:43:41to use the downstairs toilets.
00:43:43Well, that can hardly be described
00:43:45as a hardship.
00:43:46You say you decided this?
00:43:47Absolutely.
00:43:47So you did involve yourself
00:43:48in the actual running of the club?
00:43:50I...
00:43:50Decisions were imposed by you.
00:43:52Not imposed.
00:43:53We discussed the matter.
00:43:57Did you also discuss the matter
00:43:59of the Mr. Meredith's estimate
00:44:02for electrical repairs?
00:44:04Well, I left all such matters
00:44:06as this to Paul.
00:44:07Such matters as what?
00:44:08Well, the hiring of tradespeople
00:44:10for minor tasks.
00:44:11You regarded the safe installation
00:44:12of electrical equipment
00:44:13as a minor consideration?
00:44:14No, no, of course not.
00:44:16The need for safety was a triviality.
00:44:17But you're twisting my words.
00:44:19You refused to meet the cost
00:44:20of replacing the fan
00:44:21behind the Meredith Lounge bar,
00:44:22did you?
00:44:22But it was never put to me.
00:44:24And as a result,
00:44:25a faulty plug giving out sparks
00:44:26was left unrepaired,
00:44:27causing a risk to life and limb.
00:44:29I knew nothing of it.
00:44:30But you paid the bill,
00:44:31did you not?
00:44:31I signed a cheque.
00:44:34To all intents and purposes,
00:44:35you paid the bill.
00:44:36And I suggest to you
00:44:37at the same stage,
00:44:39determine how much
00:44:40that bill would be.
00:44:42Thus you endangered
00:44:42the lives of your customers
00:44:44by not permitting
00:44:45adequate electrical installation.
00:44:46Well, at the cost
00:44:47of a mere 60 or 70 pounds,
00:44:50this is nonsense.
00:44:52When did you last visit
00:44:54your club before
00:44:55the night of the fire?
00:44:56Oh, a few evenings before.
00:44:58Did you visit the skylight bar?
00:44:59Yes.
00:45:00Were the fire doors
00:45:01in the passageway
00:45:02outside closed?
00:45:04I believe so.
00:45:05Don't you know?
00:45:06Well, my visit
00:45:07was a social one.
00:45:08I didn't notice particularly.
00:45:09Did you observe
00:45:10that there were no fire notices
00:45:11on display?
00:45:12No, I did not.
00:45:13Another minor matter,
00:45:14another triviality.
00:45:15Well, I was with friends.
00:45:16I was not on a tour
00:45:17of inspection.
00:45:17You denied authorization
00:45:19for new fire notices
00:45:20to be purchased.
00:45:20No authorization
00:45:21was sought.
00:45:23Really?
00:45:23On such an essential matter?
00:45:24Because Paul is the manager,
00:45:25not me.
00:45:26He had full authority.
00:45:28Then why did he neglect the task?
00:45:30You would do better
00:45:31to ask him.
00:45:34Were the fire extinguishers
00:45:36regularly checked
00:45:37and overhauled
00:45:38by a fire prevention company?
00:45:40I believe not.
00:45:41Why so?
00:45:41Well, Paul undertook the task.
00:45:43Because you refused
00:45:44to pay for specialized services?
00:45:46I repeat,
00:45:47all such management details...
00:45:49Details?
00:45:49We are talking
00:45:50about the safety
00:45:50of your customers,
00:45:51Mrs. Godfrey,
00:45:52the people you made
00:45:53your profit from.
00:45:54I employed Paul Flood
00:45:56with a specific brief
00:45:57of handling
00:45:58all such day-to-day matters.
00:46:00Was a member of staff
00:46:01engaged specifically
00:46:03to check up
00:46:03on fire safety
00:46:04to ensure that exit doors
00:46:06were unlocked
00:46:07and fire doors opened
00:46:08that the fire alarm system
00:46:10worked and so forth?
00:46:11Well, it was Paul's job
00:46:12to undertake
00:46:13or delegate
00:46:13these responsibilities.
00:46:14My question was...
00:46:15There was no one
00:46:15additionally employed.
00:46:17Was the club
00:46:18not understaffed?
00:46:21Not that I was aware.
00:46:23Were you not asked
00:46:23to engage
00:46:24an additional member
00:46:25of staff
00:46:25to execute these duties?
00:46:27I received
00:46:27no such request.
00:46:28But in his statement
00:46:29to the police,
00:46:30Mr. Flood said
00:46:31he made several
00:46:31such requests.
00:46:32He's simply lying.
00:46:34Did you not see
00:46:34the necessity
00:46:35of such an engagement?
00:46:36But it's not my place.
00:46:38You own this establishment,
00:46:39Mrs. Godfrey.
00:46:39As I am aware.
00:46:41Did you not then consider
00:46:42an extra staff member
00:46:44necessary to ensure
00:46:45safety facilities
00:46:46were properly ordered?
00:46:47It was Paul's job
00:46:49to tell me
00:46:49what was needed.
00:46:51Had he done so,
00:46:52I would have complied.
00:46:53I put it to you,
00:46:54Mrs. Godfrey,
00:46:54that you refused
00:46:55to pay for necessary
00:46:56electrical installation,
00:46:58denied funds
00:46:59for new fire door notices,
00:47:01failed to underwrite
00:47:02the cost of extinguisher
00:47:03overhaul
00:47:03by fire prevention specialists,
00:47:06and rejected
00:47:06repeated requests
00:47:07for the engagement
00:47:08of an additional
00:47:09member of staff.
00:47:10That's not so!
00:47:11It was your absolute
00:47:12responsibility
00:47:13to ensure
00:47:13that, first,
00:47:15Mr. Flood
00:47:15was up to the job.
00:47:17Second,
00:47:18that he was executing
00:47:19it adequately.
00:47:20Third,
00:47:20that funds were available
00:47:22to ensure
00:47:22that safety
00:47:23was maintained.
00:47:24You failed
00:47:25in this lamentably,
00:47:27and I therefore submit
00:47:28that you are jointly
00:47:29responsible
00:47:29with Paul Flood
00:47:30for these tragic deaths.
00:47:37Mrs. Godfrey,
00:47:38please return
00:47:39to the dock.
00:47:59The case
00:48:00of the Queen
00:48:00against Godfrey
00:48:01in Flood
00:48:02will be concluded
00:48:02tomorrow
00:48:03in the Crown Court.
00:48:09Mrs. Godfrey,
00:48:10she has not judgement
00:48:14The case which you're about to see is fictitious, but the procedure is authentic.
00:48:44The characters are played by actors, but the jury is selected from members of the public.
00:48:48Janet Godfrey and Paul Flood are jointly charged with the manslaughter of 17 people who died as a result of a fire in a Fulchester nightclub, of which Mrs. Godfrey was the owner and Flood, its general manager.
00:49:00The deaths are claimed by the prosecution to be the direct consequence of gross negligence.
00:49:05Council for Paul Flood has called her first witness, Dr. Joseph Wilmer, of Fulchester Institute of Technology.
00:49:11The type of easy chairs used in the club were upholstered with plastic polyurethane foam.
00:49:17This became lethal within seconds of catching fire, and the victims died from inhaling fumes containing poisonous cyanide gases.
00:49:25Doctor, do I understand you to be saying that polyurethane foam once ignited amidst cyanide gases?
00:49:31You understand me, absolutely, yes. The fire started on the ground floor, and the smoke which contained this poison rose to the top floor bar and entered the mouths and lungs of the victims.
00:49:41Does death from such poisonous gases occur frequently?
00:49:44On average, a hundred people die in this country every year from inhaling these lethal gases.
00:49:51A fire in the Manchester branch of Woolworths, in which ten people died, first drew public attention to this problem, but in fact it's been with us for many years.
00:50:00Since the end of the war, in fact.
00:50:02I'm much obliged to you, Doctor. Thank you.
00:50:05I have simply one point, Doctor, on a matter of clarification, if you will bear with a layman's ignorance.
00:50:12I'll try.
00:50:12The polyurethane foam contained in the upholstery of chairs used in the Sycamore Grove nightclub, would you comment on its general use in furniture?
00:50:23In recent years, 95% of all chairs and sofas have contained polyurethane foam.
00:50:29So furniture upholstered in this particular material would not necessarily be cheap or inferior?
00:50:34Not at all. I mean, most people are sitting on bombs in their own living rooms. You can find this foam in almost anybody's house.
00:50:40I see. Yes. But that's all I have for you, Doctor. Thank you.
00:50:46Doctor, would you agree that before gases of the nature you describe may be emitted, there must first be a fire?
00:50:53Well, obviously.
00:50:54And that your evidence, however fascinating, does not affect this central issue. Fire broke out, inadequate safety facilities existed, and as a consequence, many died. The cause of their deaths has relevance only in this context.
00:51:06Had it not been for the existence of these lethal gases, could it have been the case that many, if not all, the victims might, in fact, have been with us today?
00:51:15That's absolutely true. Of course, one can't swear there would have been no death. Some may have perished by suffocation, but certainly nothing like the toll that resulted.
00:51:23So this suggests a tragedy which was the result of misadventure. Thank you.
00:51:28Thank you, Doctor. You may step down.
00:51:32My Lord, I call Paul Reginald Flood.
00:51:36Mr. Flood, though jointly charged with manslaughter, you are, of course, separately represented in this court.
00:51:51I believe Mrs. Godfrey was of the opinion...
00:51:53Mr. Flood, you really must speak up, you know, so that everyone can hear you.
00:51:57I'm sorry.
00:51:58Yes. Please direct your voice towards the jury. It's by them that you could wish to be heard.
00:52:04Mrs. Godfrey felt that I was to blame, and in any case, it was impossible. I could never afford the kind of legal representation she has engaged.
00:52:13With all due respect to you, Miss Parkinson, I just mean...
00:52:16It's quite all right, Mr. Flood. Money can't buy everything.
00:52:19How do you answer Mrs. Godfrey's accusation?
00:52:22Well, I really don't believe that the fire was my fault. I can't see any way in which I could have prevented what happened.
00:52:29Do you then consider Mrs. Godfrey to possess any degree of responsibility?
00:52:32No, no, I don't. Not really. There have been so many accusations and counter-accusations. People have been so ready to rush into judgment.
00:52:39How can Mrs. Godfrey be held responsible? I just can't see it.
00:52:42And if the fault lies anywhere, to whom or to what do you point?
00:52:45Fate. It was fate.
00:52:47How have you responded to public reaction over this case?
00:52:50Well, it's understandable, certainly, but there have been so many threats. I've seen phone calls, abuse, poison pen letters. It wasn't safe to send my children to school.
00:53:00Did you ask the police for protection?
00:53:01I really don't believe the police were prepared to take this matter seriously.
00:53:04An allegation of some import, Mr. Flood.
00:53:07I found myself friendless during this business. Both I and my family have been pilloried.
00:53:12My lord, I've been terribly patient, but the story of Mr. Flood's sad and loveliest life is hardly relevant to this matter.
00:53:19My lord, his defendant has been crucified in the press. The man and his family have been subject to a McCarthy-style witch hunt.
00:53:27Not only has he been turned into a scapegoat, but he's been characterised in some quarters as a kind of public enemy.
00:53:33Yes, Miss Parkinson, but you have made this justified point on a number of occasions. Please don't labour it.
00:53:39You will, my lord.
00:53:41Mr. Flood, would you describe your professional relationship with Mrs. Godfrey?
00:53:45Our relationship was very formal. I felt very much the employee in her presence. A hireling, if you understand me.
00:53:51Which you were, her employee?
00:53:53Yes, an employee.
00:53:54Were you happy with the budget you were allowed?
00:53:56It became a source of considerable anxiety. The Sinkabor Grove was, what shall I say, somewhat starved of funds.
00:54:03Would you give specific instances?
00:54:05Furniture had to be bought from second-hand and cut-priced shops. There was dry rot, woodworm, damp in every room in the place.
00:54:13The interior partitions were made of plywood.
00:54:16Did this pose a fire hazard?
00:54:17Well, the place was like a tinderbox. I wanted the interior partitions rebuilt in brick, but this was denied.
00:54:24Toilet facilities for the first floor bar had drawn up in terms of plans and planning permission, only to be squashed by Mrs. Godfrey.
00:54:31Also, there wasn't any money available for new interior decorations. We had to put up with something that had been there for five years or more.
00:54:38You were referring to the coconut lampshades and the other decorations adorning the melody lamps?
00:54:42Yes.
00:54:43Did it occur to you that these materials might be a fire hazard?
00:54:46I regret not. I simply saw it as a means of making the place more attractive to the customers, even though it was beginning to get a bit tatty after all this time.
00:54:54What would you say that Mrs. Godfrey's major consideration with regard to the Sycamore Club was?
00:54:59To make as much money as possible.
00:55:02Now, whose responsibility was it to ensure the exit doors were unlocked?
00:55:06I myself would unlock the exit doors on the ground floor. The exit doors to the Skylight Bar were unlocked by the head barman.
00:55:14The late Mr. Ted Humphreys?
00:55:16Yes, that's a responsibility I delegated to him.
00:55:18Why was that?
00:55:19My office was on the ground floor and most of my duties kept me on the ground floor. And since Mr. Humphreys opened up the top floor bar each evening, it seemed sensible to have him also open the one exit door in the bar.
00:55:32Which it would appear he failed to do in the night in question.
00:55:35I'm afraid so.
00:55:36Did you make periodic checks to ensure that the exit doors were unlocked and the fire doors closed?
00:55:40Yes, whenever possible. I felt we needed someone on the staff specifically for these duties but Mrs. Godfrey didn't agree.
00:55:47Nobody was regularly available for these tasks and I was always heavily involved with administrative work.
00:55:53Which took up most of your time.
00:55:55Very much so.
00:55:56How do you account for the absence of fire notices on the fire doors?
00:55:59Well, the old ones were missing and Mrs. Godfrey felt unable to invest in new ones.
00:56:04She flatly refused?
00:56:05Well, she said she'd reconsider the matter at the end of the financial year.
00:56:09Which would have been when?
00:56:10End of December.
00:56:11Rather late in the day, it would seem.
00:56:14Why was a broken down fan with corroded wiring and a faulty plug left unreplaced in the Melody Lounge?
00:56:20Mrs. Godfrey wouldn't pay to have it be replaced.
00:56:23She did pay for other electrical repairs, didn't she?
00:56:26Well, she felt the electrician concerned was trying to make more work for himself.
00:56:29Did you agree?
00:56:30My opinion was not invited.
00:56:33How frequently did you check to see that the fire extinguishers were in working order?
00:56:38Annually, each April.
00:56:39You overhauled them yourself?
00:56:41I'm no expert, but yes, I did.
00:56:43Why weren't fire prevention specialists engaged for the task?
00:56:46Mrs. Godfrey...
00:56:47Look, I don't want to keep pointing the finger...
00:56:48Please...
00:56:49Would you answer the question?
00:56:50Mrs. Godfrey was unwilling to pay for specialists.
00:56:55Now, where were you precisely, Mr. Flood, when the fire broke out?
00:56:59I was in the kitchen adjoining the Skylight Bar.
00:57:01I suddenly heard all this screaming and shouting coming from the bar.
00:57:05What did you do?
00:57:06At first, I thought it was high spirits, some tumfoolery.
00:57:09Then a man, one of the party guests, came staggering into the kitchen, tearing a bow tie from his neck and retching horribly.
00:57:16I ran down the passageway to the bar and...
00:57:19I couldn't believe it.
00:57:20Describe it, Mr. Flood.
00:57:22Well, the bar was full of thick bilious smoke.
00:57:25There was this terrible commotion among the guests.
00:57:27One awful mad panic.
00:57:28The floor was littered with bodies.
00:57:31People were collapsing everywhere.
00:57:32How did you react?
00:57:33I shouted, control yourselves or we'll all get killed.
00:57:36Keep calm and we'll get out of here.
00:57:38Did anyone hear you?
00:57:39I doubt it.
00:57:40People seemed to have a disregard for everything and everybody.
00:57:44I saw women thrown down and trampled on.
00:57:47I was horror-stricken.
00:57:49It was so ugly and brutal.
00:57:51It was like seeing a lot of wild animals.
00:57:54You mean, don't you, that there were living beings in danger of losing their lives?
00:57:57They were looking for safety, weren't they?
00:57:59I appreciate that people do not behave like thinking human beings in a situation like this.
00:58:04Do you think that the degree of panic contributed to the many deaths?
00:58:07I'm convinced of it.
00:58:09What was your next move?
00:58:11I went back into the kitchen.
00:58:12There was a young man lying on the floor.
00:58:14A girl was kneeling beside him, holding his hand.
00:58:17He seemed to be dying.
00:58:19I went over to him, unbuttoned his shirt, tried mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but it was no good.
00:58:27He died in a few minutes.
00:58:29Mr. Flood, you expressed your apparently sincere belief in the fact that Mrs. Godfrey could in no way be blamed for the tragic events of last December.
00:58:52Do you still stand by that statement?
00:58:54It wasn't her fault.
00:58:56Then who?
00:58:57Oh yes, forgive me, you did tell us, didn't you?
00:59:00Fate, it was fate.
00:59:02Unfortunately, Mr. Flood, this court must subject these events to a more deterministic consideration.
00:59:08Mr. Ellis, are we now to have a metaphysical discussion?
00:59:11I trust not, my lord.
00:59:13So do I.
00:59:15Mr. Flood, having released Mrs. Godfrey of culpability in a rather transparent refusal to speak ill of her,
00:59:23you then proceed to inform my learned friend that she had been a less than model employer.
00:59:28I simply answered with a fact.
00:59:30I suggest, Mr. Flood, that you wish to have your cake and eat it.
00:59:33On the one hand, you say, oh no, not Mrs. Godfrey's fault.
00:59:37On the other, you tell us that she refused to pay for that.
00:59:40Stopped you doing the other.
00:59:41What a stingy, hard-hearted lady.
00:59:43Look how avaricious she was.
00:59:45It was all her fault, really.
00:59:47I didn't say that.
00:59:48Are you seriously suggesting that Mrs. Godfrey, a proprietor of considerable means,
00:59:54actually refused to pay for the replacement of an electric fan costing a mere 60 pounds?
01:00:02Two fire notices and to employ a fire prevention specialist whose services would be required but once a year?
01:00:09That is the truth.
01:00:10Is it credible, Mrs. Godfrey would place her professional enterprises at such risk
01:00:15over such comparatively small items of expenditure?
01:00:19The fact is she did.
01:00:20Isn't it the case, Mr. Flood, that your negligence and maladministration created these fire safety hazards?
01:00:27What do you expect me to say to that?
01:00:28I will tell you what I do not expect you to say.
01:00:31That is that you have fabricated this alleged parsimony of Mrs. Godfrey
01:00:35in an attempt to acquit yourself of responsibility.
01:00:38I did my best within the budget she provided.
01:00:41Then why did you remain in Mrs. Godfrey's employ if you were so dissatisfied?
01:00:45I can't really answer that.
01:00:46Oh, but do try, Mr. Flood.
01:00:49I mean, wasn't it your duty to resign if you felt that the good order of the premises was being jeopardized?
01:00:55Mrs. Godfrey insisted that I stay.
01:00:57Insisted?
01:00:58How could she insist?
01:00:59Well, she threatened me.
01:01:00She said she'd see to it that I was unemployable anywhere else in Fulchester.
01:01:04Why should she do that?
01:01:05Were you indispensable?
01:01:06I was cheap, that's all.
01:01:07The fact is, isn't it, that your lack of organizational abilities excluded the possibility of similar employment elsewhere?
01:01:14She made me stay and I had a wife and family to think of.
01:01:17I suggest that you were unemployable elsewhere.
01:01:20You were totally dependent upon the patronage of Mrs. Godfrey.
01:01:23She depended on me.
01:01:24I suggest you were very well aware of your own inadequacies and knew that you were lucky to have the job that you did have.
01:01:31Some luck.
01:01:32I put it to you, Mr. Flood, that you have attempted to color Mrs. Godfrey's motives in such a way as to enable you to deny the responsibilities with which you were entrusted.
01:01:42That is just not so.
01:01:45Your evidence in this regard, I submit, has constituted a pernicious, if somewhat subtle, attempt at the character assassination of your employer.
01:01:58I have no more questions, thank you.
01:02:03How do you look upon the events which occurred in the Sycamore Grove nightclub in December last year?
01:02:07It was a terrible tragedy, an unbelievable thing to happen.
01:02:11Clib words, Mr. Flood.
01:02:12They are deeply felt.
01:02:14Do you regard yourself as in any way responsible?
01:02:17Well, who knows?
01:02:19Nobody can predict a disaster like this.
01:02:21Maybe, maybe if I'd done something differently.
01:02:24But I seriously and honestly believe that I did my best with the facilities available to me and it's easy to be wise after the event.
01:02:32Do the deaths of 17 citizens of this city play on your conscience?
01:02:36I don't know how to answer that, I really don't.
01:02:38It's a perfectly straightforward question.
01:02:39No, it isn't.
01:02:40It is not at all.
01:02:42The faces of those dead men and women will haunt me for the rest of my life.
01:02:47Nobody can recover from something like that.
01:02:49And bad to say, Mr. Flood, nor should you.
01:02:52Presumably, however, your plea of not guilty implies that you consider yourself to be free of blame.
01:02:57Well, of course I blame myself. Who wouldn't?
01:02:59A motorist who kills a pedestrian through no fault of his own will analyze the incident over and over again and never feel entirely free of guilt.
01:03:06Why were 107 members admitted to the club on the night in question when your license stipulates a customer capacity of no more than 100?
01:03:14It's very difficult to keep within the number of specified guests with people coming and going during the course of a busy working evening.
01:03:21Didn't this constitute an illegality?
01:03:23Strictly speaking, yes.
01:03:24What other way of speaking of it would you have?
01:03:26Well, I mean, we admitted seven members above our quota, all right.
01:03:30But if we'd admitted 70, then I could understand this.
01:03:33Seven or 70 who still broke the law?
01:03:35Not intentionally.
01:03:38Why do you suppose a number of witnesses in this trial have testified that three fire extinguishers failed to work during the crisis?
01:03:45Extinguishers must have seized up.
01:03:47All three?
01:03:48Well, there's no other explanation.
01:03:49Well, that you failed to overhaul them properly is one explanation.
01:03:52I overhauled those extinguishers annually as ordered by the justices.
01:03:58How competent were you in the use of the instruments needed to overhaul these instruments?
01:04:03Well, a company supplying the extinguishers was satisfied with my checks.
01:04:06And what proof is there that these checks were regularly made?
01:04:09Club records.
01:04:10Were these subject to independent scrutiny?
01:04:12Every year when the license came up for renewal.
01:04:15By whom?
01:04:16Fire.
01:04:17Prevention authority.
01:04:18But we only have your word that these overhauls were actually conducted and logged by you.
01:04:22Come now, Mr. Flod, you pencilled in that log while admitting to conduct the required overhaul.
01:04:26Isn't that the truth?
01:04:27You said you were overworked, understaffed.
01:04:29That is an appalling suggestion.
01:04:31Is it?
01:04:32Er, did you not admit an illegal number of customers on the night of the fire?
01:04:37Why should your account of the extinguishers' overhaul inspire greater confidence?
01:04:40Because I didn't falsify the extra number of customers we let in that night.
01:04:43How else would you know about it?
01:04:45I was scrupulous about maintaining club records.
01:04:48Now, if...
01:04:49Let's press on.
01:04:51If Mrs. Godfrey had refused to underwrite the cost of replacing a decrepit fan which had a faulty electrical plug, why did you continue to use it?
01:04:58Well, we had to use it. The atmosphere in the bar became so smoky and hot.
01:05:02Such ventilation you considered more vital than safety.
01:05:05Well, I told Mrs. Godfrey over and over again that the fan was on its last legs.
01:05:09And that satisfied your sense of responsibility?
01:05:12Despite the fact that the plug attached to this fan was faulty and emitting sparks, in close proximity to your inflammable decorations?
01:05:19It was a matter for Mrs. Godfrey.
01:05:22Did you not consider replacing the faulty plug?
01:05:24Impossible. The wires were corroded. The fan itself should have been pensioned off long before. The whole job lot needed to be replaced.
01:05:31Mr. Flood, why were the double fire doors on the first floor corridor secured in an open position on the night in question?
01:05:40I cannot explain it.
01:05:41Who opened them?
01:05:42Well, customers were always hooking them back.
01:05:44Because there were no fire door notices instructing the public that the doors should be kept closed?
01:05:48I told Mrs. Godfrey.
01:05:50Yes, you do seem to have spent a lot of time in conference with Mrs. Godfrey.
01:05:54Don't you think that your efforts might have been better spent in improvising temporary fire notices?
01:06:00My job was to report the missing fire notices. I had no time to knock up temporary ones.
01:06:06No, nor the inclination.
01:06:08You appreciate, don't you, that had it not been for these open fire doors, many if not all of the victims might have survived the fire.
01:06:15It is a terrible fact, but I must resist the suggestion that I am to blame.
01:06:20Did you make it your practice to go to the club and inspect the premises every night?
01:06:25I went there every evening.
01:06:27Did you inspect the premises?
01:06:28Well, it would depend on my other commitments.
01:06:30Did you not regard it as an absolute necessity regularly to conduct such an inspection?
01:06:34I had to manage the club single-handed. I had no assistance. I asked Mrs. Godfrey for assistance, but she refused.
01:06:40And did you inspect the exit door attached to the Skylight Bar on the night in question to ensure that it was open?
01:06:47No.
01:06:48Did anyone so check this door on the night?
01:06:50This is a responsibility I delegated to the head barman of the Skylight Bar.
01:06:55He's dead, of course.
01:06:57I believe, sir.
01:06:58That's a fact, isn't it?
01:06:59Yeah.
01:07:00Conveniently, Mr. Flood, I suggest.
01:07:02My lord.
01:07:03Mrs. Stenton, please frame your questions in terms that the defendant may answer.
01:07:07My lord.
01:07:08I put it to you that you did not delegate the responsibility for unlocking this exit door to the late Mr. Humphreys.
01:07:16You forgot to unlock that door yourself, didn't you? You failed to unlock that exit door.
01:07:20No.
01:07:21And now you seek to plant the blame for this criminal omission on the reputation of a dead man.
01:07:25A man who can no longer speak for himself, who cannot answer back.
01:07:29That's a terrible accusation.
01:07:30My lord.
01:07:31The witness is obliged to answer proper questions, but not to be subjected to a brutalising barrage of distressing imputations.
01:07:39Mrs. Parkinson, as you are aware, counsel for the prosecution has a duty to press the defendant on matters which, in her view, are pertinent.
01:07:48Mr. Flood, if you accepted responsibility for unlocking the exit doors on the ground floor, now how is it that this was not extended to the first floor?
01:07:57Because most of my duties kept me on the ground floor.
01:07:59Even though you were in the kitchen on the first floor on the night of the fire?
01:08:02I did, sir. I never went up to the first floor.
01:08:05If you had this arrangement with the late Mr. Humphreys, why was Mr. Reynolds, the head barman of the Melody Lounge, not required to open the exit door on his bar?
01:08:12I have explained. On opening up the premises, I would unlock all the exit doors on the ground.
01:08:18Why was no member of the staff other than yourself aware of this arrangement, you allege, between you and the late Mr. Humphreys?
01:08:25Well, why should they know about it? I told Mr. Humphreys I didn't announce it over the Tannoy system.
01:08:29I put it to you that you're lying.
01:08:31I'm not lying. I promise you I'm not lying.
01:08:32You're using Mr. Humphreys' tragic death as a convenient escape hatch.
01:08:35I'm incapable of such guile, such despicable behaviour.
01:08:38Are you, Mr. Flood?
01:08:42When fire broke out, did you attempt to lend any assistance to its victims?
01:08:46It was so chaotic.
01:08:47And so you fled to the kitchen?
01:08:48It was a hellhole in that bar.
01:08:50In an attempt to save yourself?
01:08:51I tried to save a young man's life.
01:08:53You put your own safety before that of your customers.
01:08:56How was I to know all that was going to happen?
01:08:59That, Mr. Flood, begs the question.
01:09:04Mr. Flood, did you do everything in your power to manage the Sycamore Grove nightclub with all reasonable consideration as to the safety of the clients?
01:09:14Everything possible, believe me.
01:09:16Did you make every effort to advise Mrs. Godfrey as to the shortcomings of the fundings of the said nightclub?
01:09:21I told her, I warned her.
01:09:24Unless you have any questions, that is the case for poor Flood.
01:09:30Return to the dock.
01:09:42The crime of manslaughter means an unlawful killing.
01:09:47The elements of the offence are identical to those of murder, except that here there is an absence of malice of forethought.
01:09:56If you find that either or both of the accused have committed a grossly negligent act or omission, then you must find for the prosecution.
01:10:06That the deaths were caused inadvertently, or that the accused failed to recognize the danger, is no defense.
01:10:14The prosecution does not have to prove that the accused knew their actions were unlawful or dangerous.
01:10:21What you, as reasonable and sober citizens, have to consider is whether the accused should have been able to recognize the danger.
01:10:31However, it is not enough for the prosecution to assert that Mrs. Godfrey was parsimonious.
01:10:38That would not be a ground for criminal liability.
01:10:42You must be satisfied beyond all reasonable doubt that she was at fault in particular instances.
01:10:51Did she refuse to grant funds for a new electric fan and fire door notices?
01:10:57Did she reject applications for another member of staff?
01:11:01Why did the fire extinguishers fail to work?
01:11:05Was it the result of negligence by Mr. Flood?
01:11:09Or because Mrs. Godfrey would not employ fire prevention specialists?
01:11:14Or was it for some other reason?
01:11:16Remember, you must consider the evidence against each defendant separately.
01:11:22They are jointly charged, but you may find one of them guilty, or both of them guilty, or neither of them guilty.
01:11:37Members of the jury, will your foreman please stand?
01:11:41Have you reached a verdict upon which you are all agreed?
01:11:44We have.
01:11:46Do you find the defendant, Janet Helen Godfrey, guilty or not guilty of the charge of manslaughter?
01:11:53Guilty.
01:11:55Do you find the defendant, Paul Reginald Flood, guilty or not guilty of the charge of manslaughter?
01:12:02Not guilty.
01:12:04Flood, you may stand down.
01:12:15Having heard all the evidence, I am quite satisfied that this is a case of gross neglect of essential and elementary precautions.
01:12:25This is a most serious offense.
01:12:28However, I have taken into account your previous good character.
01:12:33Mrs. Godfrey, you will pay a fine of two thousand pounds.
01:12:44Mrs. Godfrey would cry to the U.S.
01:12:50Suzie Mmm...
01:12:56Mrs. Godfrey homes with meet the demon.
01:13:00Mrs. Godfrey isp Vs.
01:13:06Mrs. Jesus Christ only with 401K.
01:13:10Transcription by CastingWords
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