Crown Court - Burnt Futures (1984) - video Dailymotion

Jezza

All 3 episodes of the "Crown Court" story "Burnt Futures". Samuel Tate is charged with setting fire to Fulchester Comprehensive School. John Nettleton and William Gaunt star.

Transcript

00:00:00Samuel Tate

00:00:16Samuel Tate, you are charged in an indictment containing one count of arson

00:00:20contrary to section 1, subsections 1 and 2 of the Criminal Damage Act 1971.

00:00:26The particulars of this offence being that you, on the 14th of October 1983,

00:00:32without lawful excuse, damaged by fire part of the premises of Fulchester Comprehensive School

00:00:37belonging to Fulchester Borough Council, intending to damage such property

00:00:42or being reckless as to whether such property would be damaged.

00:00:46How say you, Samuel Tate, are you guilty or not guilty?

00:00:50Not guilty.

00:00:53Samuel Tate is 17 years old.

00:00:56The Defence Council wishes to challenge the admissibility of a signed statement

00:00:59made by Tate on the day of the fire.

00:01:03My lord, my learned friend has been kind enough to inform me

00:01:06that he wishes to seek a ruling on a particular point of law.

00:01:10Oh?

00:01:11I have no objection myself, my lord.

00:01:14Oh, very well.

00:01:17Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

00:01:18it's going to be necessary for you all to retire

00:01:22while we discuss a point of law.

00:01:27The case you're about to see is fictional.

00:01:29The procedure, however, is legally accurate.

00:01:31The characters are played by actors,

00:01:33but the jury is selected from members of the general public.

00:01:35Well, Mr. Hurst?

00:01:38My lord.

00:01:39On the afternoon of the fire,

00:01:41Tate was taken to Fulchester Police Station

00:01:43where he signed a statement admitting that he'd started the fire deliberately.

00:01:47Yes, I've read it.

00:01:48It seems a perfectly straightforward statement to me.

00:01:51Do we really have to go into all this?

00:01:53I think it's important, my lord.

00:01:58And was Tate taken directly to the police station?

00:02:01Yes, sir.

00:02:02Now, Detective Sergeant Stafford,

00:02:04was there anything at all unusual about the interview

00:02:06on the afternoon of the 14th of October, 1983?

00:02:09No, sir.

00:02:10So, to summarise,

00:02:12you say the defendant's statement was made entirely freely,

00:02:15without provocation,

00:02:16and without inducement or inducements being offered?

00:02:19Yes, sir.

00:02:23So, how long had you been interviewing Mr. Tate

00:02:27before, as you claim, he admitted to the offence?

00:02:30It was at three minutes past six

00:02:32that he started making his verbal statements.

00:02:33Yes, and you'd started your interview at about 3.15?

00:02:37Yes, sir.

00:02:37So the defendant was denying the offence for about three hours?

00:02:40A little less than three hours, yes, sir.

00:02:41Thank you, yes.

00:02:42During this time,

00:02:43was the defendant offered anything to eat or drink?

00:02:45Oh, really, Mr. Fox,

00:02:46I hope you're not going to suggest

00:02:48that the defendant was starved into submission.

00:02:50Not exactly, my lord.

00:02:51Well, what then?

00:02:52May I continue, my lord?

00:02:55Very well.

00:02:56Detective Sergeant Stafford,

00:02:57was the defendant offered anything to eat or drink?

00:03:01We probably gave him a cup of tea at some stage, sir.

00:03:03Can't he be more precise?

00:03:04It's not the sort of thing I normally make a note about, sir.

00:03:06What?

00:03:06Was the defendant offered a meat pie?

00:03:08A meat pie, sir?

00:03:09Yes.

00:03:11Not as I recall, no, sir.

00:03:12Did you at any time that afternoon send out for meat pies?

00:03:15I don't think so.

00:03:16Did you keep a supply of meat pies at the station?

00:03:18No, sir.

00:03:18Did you ever send out for meat pies whilst on duty?

00:03:21It's not unknown, sir.

00:03:22And where do these meat pies come from?

00:03:24Well, there's a shop just down the road that sells them.

00:03:26Well, I put it to you that not only did you deprive Mr. Tate of reasonable sustenance,

00:03:30but you actually taunted him by eating and drinking in his presence.

00:03:33This is a most ridiculous line of questioning, Mr. Fox.

00:03:36I'm sorry, my lord, but I think you'll see what I'm getting at when Mr. Tate is called later.

00:03:40I hope you're right.

00:03:41And what happened to you after you were taken to the police station?

00:03:46They took me to this room.

00:03:49Yes, and then?

00:03:50They kept on asking me questions.

00:03:52They said I'd done it.

00:03:53Let's be quite clear about this.

00:03:54When you say they, who exactly do you mean?

00:03:56Sergeant Stafford and the other police officer.

00:03:58Detective Sergeant Stafford.

00:04:00Yes, sir.

00:04:01And they said that you'd lit the fire.

00:04:04I hadn't done it.

00:04:05I told them.

00:04:05But later on, you said you did do it.

00:04:08And you signed a statement saying that you were guilty.

00:04:11I was stupid.

00:04:12They made me do it.

00:04:14What do you mean?

00:04:15They kept me there for hours.

00:04:17They were asking me questions all the time.

00:04:19I got into a muddle.

00:04:21I wanted to phone my mum to tell her where I was, but they wouldn't let me.

00:04:24I knew she'd be worried about me, sir.

00:04:27Didn't they take you home to your mother afterwards?

00:04:30Yes, sir.

00:04:31Well, that was very kind of them, wasn't it?

00:04:35Wasn't it?

00:04:35How far is it from the police station to your house?

00:04:40Oh, half a mile, sir.

00:04:42Oh, they could have made you walk home.

00:04:44But they took you home in a car, didn't they?

00:04:47Yes, sir.

00:04:49Well, I should say that was very kind of them.

00:04:52Mr. Fox, have you made your point yet, or is there more?

00:04:54I've nearly finished, my lord.

00:04:56Well, get on with it.

00:04:59Um.

00:05:01Yes, now you were telling us how worried you were about your mother.

00:05:03Oh, come along, Mr. Fox.

00:05:05We've heard all this.

00:05:07Why did you suddenly decide to admit your guilt?

00:05:10They kept saying that they knew it was me and that everything would be all right if I admitted it.

00:05:15I'd be able to phone my mum.

00:05:16I'd get a fair trial.

00:05:18Then they got tea and something to eat for themselves.

00:05:21And there they were eating.

00:05:23They said I could have some if I admitted it.

00:05:24What were they eating?

00:05:26Meat pies.

00:05:27Oh, those pies again.

00:05:28Are you quite sure they were eating meat pies?

00:05:31Yeah.

00:05:32They smelled lovely.

00:05:33They were still warm.

00:05:35They said there was one for me if I said I'd done it.

00:05:37I was confused.

00:05:39I was worried about my mum and I was hungry.

00:05:42They tricked me into it.

00:05:43I never did the fire, sir.

00:05:45I'm innocent.

00:05:45Everyone knows I never done it.

00:05:47Not everyone, Mr. Tate.

00:05:51This is your signature at the foot of the statement?

00:05:55Yeah.

00:05:55Did the police officer read it to you before you signed it?

00:05:59Yeah.

00:05:59And did you understand that in this statement you admitted openly and freely

00:06:03that you and you alone set fire to Fullchester Comprehensive School that very afternoon?

00:06:09I understood what it said, but it wasn't true.

00:06:13I've listened with great patience to all this nonsense.

00:06:16I have no doubt that there was no meat pie offered and therefore no inducement.

00:06:21I have no hesitation in ruling that the statement can be used in evidence.

00:06:25Now, Mr. Fox, do you want some time to discuss the plea of not guilty with the defendant?

00:06:32That won't be necessary.

00:06:33Thank you, my lord.

00:06:35Very well.

00:06:36Get the jury back.

00:06:37I suppose we'd better get on with this.

00:06:42You are an assistant divisional officer with the Fullchester Fire Brigade?

00:06:45Yes, sir.

00:06:45Now, Mr. Stanley, will you show members of the jury on this ground plan of the school where the fire took place?

00:06:52Yes, sir.

00:06:52Well, as you can see, the school is divided into four house areas.

00:06:59Canute, Alfred, Baudisseur, and Elizabeth.

00:07:03The previous headmaster was something of a history man, sir.

00:07:07Now, the fire occurred here in King Alfred House's cloakroom.

00:07:10And how many cloakrooms are there in Alfred House?

00:07:12Two, sir.

00:07:13One for boys, one for girls.

00:07:14And in which cloakroom was the fire?

00:07:16The fire started in the boys' cloakroom.

00:07:18I think it's possible that a pile of paper towels and clothing was ignited in the corner here.

00:07:24Though it's difficult to be precise.

00:07:27Now, is there any possibility that the fire was started by accident?

00:07:30I mean, for example, by an electrical fault?

00:07:33No, sir.

00:07:33I think it's extremely unlikely that the fire was caused by an electrical fault.

00:07:37The wiring in the area of the fire was examined most carefully.

00:07:41And there's nothing to suggest that any electrical failure or fault could be the prime cause of the fire.

00:07:47So how did the fire start?

00:07:49Well, as I was saying, I'm as sure as I can be that the fire started here in the boys' cloakroom.

00:07:55We found the remains of a pile of anoraks and children's clothing in the corner just here.

00:08:02Now, the fire spread to the ceiling of the cloakroom.

00:08:06And then the fumes from the burning ceiling tiles and the foam-filled seats of the benches spread to form a dense and lethal smoke which spread throughout the King Alfred House area.

00:08:19And what time did the fire start?

00:08:21Our report states that the school fire alarm sounded at 12 minutes past 2 o'clock in the afternoon.

00:08:27Now, in view of the smoke produced by such a fire and the number of people passing through the area during the school day,

00:08:34I should say that the alarm sounded very soon after the fire took hold.

00:08:37Yes, but it would have been possible, wouldn't it, for this pile of coats and clothing that you've told us about

00:08:42to have been smouldering gently for quite a while without a lot of smoke being produced.

00:08:46Yes, sir, that would be possible.

00:08:47Yes, so to estimate a precise time at which this fire was lit, if indeed it was lit, would be very difficult.

00:08:55Well, my information is, sir, that the afternoon roll call is at 1.45pm,

00:08:59and that up until that time any number of people are around in the cloakrooms who'd be certain to notice even a small blaze or a...

00:09:05No, no, no, no, please, could you answer my question?

00:09:07Can you give us a precise time within a minute or two either way at which this fire was started?

00:09:12No, sir, not within a minute or two's tolerance.

00:09:14Then between what extremes of time was the fire started?

00:09:17Well, now then, I should say not before 20 minutes to two and not after 10 minutes past two.

00:09:23Yes, sir, the fire might have started at any time between 22.02 and 10 past two.

00:09:28Yes, sir.

00:09:29A period of half an hour.

00:09:30Yes, sir.

00:09:31Thank you, Mr. Stanley.

00:09:32Yes, sir.

00:10:02I went to my study along the headmaster's corridor.

00:10:05I was working there on some papers when the alarm bell sounded.

00:10:09Yes, what time did the fire alarm sound?

00:10:11It was at a quarter past two.

00:10:13And what did you do then?

00:10:15Well, there is a standard procedure for fire alarms.

00:10:18I left the building by the nearest exit and walked round to the playground area to oversee the efficient evacuation of the school.

00:10:24Yes, what exactly happens when the fire alarm sounds during school hours?

00:10:28Teachers lead their classes in single file out of the building by the nearest available exit.

00:10:34The class then goes to its allotted place in the playground area and form teachers check the names of the pupils against the list of pupils present at the most recent roll call.

00:10:43Yes, how long does it take to clear the building?

00:10:46Almost all the staff and pupils are out of the building within three minutes.

00:10:49Almost all?

00:10:50Well, there are always some pupils who are out of class for one reason or another, carrying messages, which we try to discourage, going to the toilet.

00:10:58But sometimes there is confusion about which lesson a particular pupil ought to be attending.

00:11:04Timetabling is extremely complicated at a large school.

00:11:07Yes, yes, quite.

00:11:08Now, how often do you have fire practices at your school?

00:11:13There is an official fire practice at the very start of each term, but for one reason or another, the fire alarm seems to sound at other times as well.

00:11:22Could you explain to the jury what you mean?

00:11:24There are glass-fronted fire alarms all over the school. It's very easy for a pupil to break the glass and disrupt the school for no proper reason.

00:11:33A false alarm?

00:11:34Yes.

00:11:35And how often are these false alarms at your school?

00:11:38Well, sometimes we go for weeks without any trouble. Then we get a plague of them. It becomes a fashion.

00:11:45I've known as many as six false alarms in a single day.

00:11:47Six?

00:11:48That was exceptional. But it's not uncommon for the alarm to go off two or three times a day.

00:11:55But does that mean that all 2,000 pupils and staff go trailing out into the playground every time there's a false alarm?

00:12:00I'm sorry to say it does. You don't know whether an alarm is false or not when the thing goes off. You can't take risks with people's lives.

00:12:07No, no, of course not. Now, let us return to the fire on the 14th of October.

00:12:11Now, how many false alarms have there been during the term in which the fire that concerns us took place?

00:12:16And there had been considerable disruption. In the week leading up to Friday the 14th of October, there had been seven false alarms.

00:12:23Seven false alarms in a week. And had the person or persons responsible been caught?

00:12:28Unfortunately not.

00:12:30And had the fire brigade been called to the school on each occasion?

00:12:33They did turn out in the first two occasions. This involved sending out two fire engines and alerting various ancillary services.

00:12:40But their journeys were entirely futile.

00:12:42Yes. Dangerous waste of time and money. Fire engines might have been needed at real fire.

00:12:47Indeed, they might. But it was not a false alarm on the 14th of October.

00:12:51No, sir.

00:12:52Now, were the fire brigade and police in swift attendance?

00:12:56Yes, commendably swift.

00:12:58Would you tell the court what led to the arrest of the defendant, Tate?

00:13:02If I may correct you, Tate wasn't actually arrested at the school.

00:13:06He was merely taken to Fulchester Police Station on suspicion. He was taken away for questioning.

00:13:11Yes, now, Mr. Stevens, um, Sam Tate was old enough to leave school at the end of the summer term of 1983, was he not?

00:13:26He was.

00:13:27So why do you think he chose to stay on at school when he could have left?

00:13:30I really don't know. I did my best to persuade him to leave.

00:13:33You did your best to persuade him to leave.

00:13:37My lord, my learned friend is following an entirely irrelevant line of questioning.

00:13:41You may be right, Mr. Hurst, but at this stage I'm inclined to let Mr. Fox continue.

00:13:45Thank you, my lord. Now, Mr. Stevens, how did you try to persuade Sam Tate to leave school?

00:13:50I mean, not exactly trying to persuade him to leave school,

00:13:53but pointing out to him that there was no point in him returning to school in the autumn term.

00:13:58No point in attending school? What do you mean by that?

00:14:00If he returned to school, we would have to find room for him in the lower sixth form.

00:14:07The lower sixth is academically orientated.

00:14:09Some pupils are starting their A-level courses.

00:14:12Others are finishing O-levels or re-sitting O-levels.

00:14:17Sam Tate fits into none of these categories at all.

00:14:20If he decided to come back, we would have to construct a special timetable for him,

00:14:25using up staff in a most unprotective manner at a time when our resources are stretched to breaking point.

00:14:30Nevertheless, Sam Tate has an absolute right to continue at school if he so wishes.

00:14:33Yes.

00:14:34Yes, and you, I mean, your school, the school where Sam Tate's been a regular attender since he was a small boy,

00:14:39has a statutory obligation to support his right to continue at school if he so wishes.

00:14:44That's right.

00:14:44Yes.

00:14:45In theory, at least.

00:14:46Yes, thank you, Mr. Stevens.

00:14:48Now, could you tell us, please, how many deputy headships are there at Folchester Comprehensive School?

00:14:52Four.

00:14:53Four? Good heavens, what do they all do?

00:14:55We all work extremely hard.

00:14:57Yes, I've no doubt.

00:14:58But doing what?

00:14:59One is responsible for timetabling, one for the curriculum, one for evening classes, and I'm responsible for pastoral care.

00:15:06Pastoral care.

00:15:07What's pastoral care?

00:15:08I'm responsible for the welfare of the students.

00:15:11I have to act the good shepherd.

00:15:13But didn't the good shepherd rejoice when one lost sheep was brought back to the safety of the fold?

00:15:18Precisely, sir.

00:15:19Yes, Mr. Stevens, who administers corporal punishment at your school?

00:15:25I do.

00:15:26And how often do you have to beat boys, Mr. Stevens?

00:15:28Only as often as is necessary.

00:15:29Well, how often is that?

00:15:31There are occasions when it is imperative to show a firm hand.

00:15:34Have you ever beaten the defendant?

00:15:36Yes.

00:15:36How often?

00:15:37Well, I can't remember exactly.

00:15:38All punishments are recorded in the punishment book.

00:15:40Well, have you beaten Mr. Tate on more than one occasion?

00:15:43I expect so.

00:15:44All boys seem to get punished at some time or other in their school career.

00:15:47Really? There are nearly 2,000 students at your school, Mr. Stevens.

00:15:51You must read a very active light.

00:15:52Hmm. Get on with it, Mr. Fox.

00:15:55Now, when an alarm sounds, you've told us that all staff and students proceed to their assembly points.

00:16:01Yes.

00:16:01So there must be nearly 2,000 students and staff milling around the car parks and the playgrounds outside the school building.

00:16:07That's right.

00:16:07Well, doesn't this lead to considerable chaos?

00:16:09Well, there is organized chaos.

00:16:12It's surprising how good the pupils are at this.

00:16:14They get too much practice, in my view.

00:16:16Yeah, but it wouldn't be all that surprising, would it?

00:16:18Especially at the beginning of the school year, if some of the students had a little difficulty finding their form teachers.

00:16:23Yeah, well, quite a few stray, but we soon round them up.

00:16:26Ah, quite a few stray, do they?

00:16:28Well, obviously, some do.

00:16:29So there'll be quite a number of students turning up a little late to meet with their form teachers.

00:16:34Yes, there'll be some.

00:16:35Yes, but on the day of the fire in question, you singled out one particular latecomer for special attention.

00:16:41I wouldn't say I singled out one particular person.

00:16:44What would you say, then?

00:16:45I picked out one person.

00:16:48And who was the person you picked out?

00:16:49Tate.

00:16:50The defendant?

00:16:51Yes.

00:16:51Yes, why?

00:16:51Why did you pick out Samuel Tate?

00:16:54As a senior pupil, he should have known where to go.

00:16:57I thought it would serve as an example to the younger pupils if they saw me putting a senior pupil in his place.

00:17:03But wasn't it possible that Mr. Tate had a perfectly good reason for being a little later than the others?

00:17:07He had been at school long enough to know that a fire alarm is a maximum priority event.

00:17:12But he might have been helping to evacuate a junior.

00:17:14He might have been assisting a form teacher.

00:17:16He might have had a perfectly good reason for being late.

00:17:19Not very likely, in my judgment.

00:17:21I see.

00:17:23Well, how many others were late at the assembly points?

00:17:26You've told us there were a few.

00:17:27How many is a few?

00:17:28Well, out of 2,000, there are bound to be 30 or 40.

00:17:32It's difficult to be precise.

00:17:33But out of all these students, you picked out Mr. Tate.

00:17:36Yes.

00:17:37Well, to make an example of him?

00:17:39In the first instance, yes.

00:17:41So you picked out Samuel Tate to make an example of him?

00:17:44In the first instance, yes.

00:17:46Well, you certainly succeeded, Mr. Stevens.

00:17:48There was smoke pouring out of Alfred House.

00:17:51There was a very dangerous situation.

00:17:53I'm quite prepared to be tough when the lives of my staff and pupils are at stake.

00:17:56And you also had on your mind a whole series of false alarms.

00:17:59Precisely.

00:18:00And you thought it was worth making an example of Samuel.

00:18:03Before being late at his assembly point, yes.

00:18:05Well, I put it to you that you saw a wonderful opportunity of finding a scapegoat for all the bother you'd been put to him.

00:18:10Not a scapegoat?

00:18:11I put it to you that you deliberately picked on Sam Tate because you didn't want him staying on at school

00:18:15and you wanted to make his life at school as difficult as possible.

00:18:17No, sir.

00:18:18Now, Mr. Stevens, where was Detective Sergeant Stafford standing when you were making an example of Sam Tate

00:18:26for the benefit of the younger pupils?

00:18:28He was a few feet away.

00:18:30So you were also humiliating Sam Tate in the presence of a police officer?

00:18:33I wasn't humiliating Tate.

00:18:35No, you were making an example of him.

00:18:37No, you could put it that way.

00:18:38No, sir, that's how you put it.

00:18:39You said you hoped it would serve as an example to the younger pupils.

00:18:43That is what you said.

00:18:45I suppose so.

00:18:50Detective Sergeant Stafford was on the scene very swiftly.

00:18:53He was at the school when the alarm was raised.

00:18:56Why?

00:18:57He was seeing me.

00:18:58You mean he was in your office?

00:19:00Yes.

00:19:00But you've just told us you were working on some papers when the alarm sounded.

00:19:03I was.

00:19:04Detective Sergeant Stafford was with me.

00:19:05You were working together?

00:19:07Yes.

00:19:07Yes, and was this meeting you were having with Detective Sergeant Stafford in any way relevant to this case?

00:19:12It's difficult to see how it could be relevant to this case, Mr. Fox,

00:19:16since the meeting took place before the fire even started.

00:19:19It is necessary for a man in my position to liaise with the police from time to time.

00:19:24I see.

00:19:24Well, let's return to the moment at the school playground when Sam Tate was handed over to the police.

00:19:30I didn't hand him over to the police, as you put it.

00:19:33What happened there?

00:19:34Detective Sergeant Stafford said he wanted to ask him some questions.

00:19:38I'm not sure what happened after that.

00:19:41The fire brigade had arrived and there was a lot going on.

00:19:43I rather lost contact with Tate at that moment.

00:19:45Nevertheless, after you had made an example of him, Sam Tate, a 17-year-old boy for whose pastoral care you're responsible,

00:19:52was led away by a police officer in front of the entire school.

00:19:56The prosecution's next witness is Mr. Longman, one of the school's physical education teachers.

00:20:05Now, Mr. Longman, we have heard that afternoon roll call is taken by form teachers at 1.45pm.

00:20:12Correct.

00:20:12Now, how long does it take for pupils to leave their respective form teachers and travel to their classes for the first lesson of the afternoon?

00:20:19Well, the first lesson of the afternoon is supposed to start at 1.55pm.

00:20:23Five minutes to two o'clock?

00:20:24Yes, sir.

00:20:24Now, I imagine that during the minutes leading up to five minutes to two o'clock, there's considerable movement around the school corridors.

00:20:31It is exceptionally busy. The corridors are really too narrow to cope with the traffic.

00:20:35And are the cloakrooms busy at this time?

00:20:37Very busy. Pupils arriving late, hanging up their coats, stuffing things into their lockers, visiting the lavatories.

00:20:43So if a fire were to start, even a small fire, before five minutes to two o'clock, do you think it would be noticed?

00:20:49It would be noticed at once, sir.

00:20:51And what do you suppose would happen?

00:20:53The fire alarm would be sounded immediately.

00:20:56But on the day in question, the fire alarm sounded at 2.12pm.

00:20:59Yes, sir.

00:21:00Now, on that afternoon, what lesson were you taking?

00:21:02It was a PE lesson for the lower sixth.

00:21:04P.E.?

00:21:06Physical education, my lord.

00:21:08I see.

00:21:09And was Samuel Tate supposed to be attending that lesson?

00:21:13Yes, sir.

00:21:14Where do the pupils gather for that lesson?

00:21:16There are changing rooms inside the gymnasium complex.

00:21:19I wait in the changing rooms for the boys to arrive from registration.

00:21:21And they're arriving about five minutes to two o'clock?

00:21:24Yes.

00:21:24Now, did Tate arrive on time that day?

00:21:29As far as I can recall, yes, sir.

00:21:30As far as you can recall, is your memory rather hazy, Mr. Longland?

00:21:35There are 26 boys in the class.

00:21:37It wouldn't be possible to remember the precise time at which each boy arrived.

00:21:40No, no, of course not.

00:21:41But was Tate present that afternoon?

00:21:43Yes, sir.

00:21:44So did he arrive early or late?

00:21:47I think he arrived at the same time as the other boys.

00:21:50All right.

00:21:50Did he take part in your lesson?

00:21:53No, sir.

00:21:53Ah.

00:21:54Tate failed to bring his physical education kit with him.

00:21:57Ah, so Tate failed to bring his kit with him and he didn't take part in the lesson.

00:22:03What's the matter?

00:22:03Does the defendant dislike physical exercise or something?

00:22:06No, I wouldn't say that exactly, sir.

00:22:08Well, if he didn't bring his kit, he can't be all that keen, can he?

00:22:11With respect, that doesn't follow, sir.

00:22:13Pupils don't necessarily turn up without kit deliberately.

00:22:15Oh?

00:22:17Sometimes there may be problems at home and there isn't any kit available to bring.

00:22:21Sometimes they genuinely forget what day it is.

00:22:23Sometimes they lose things in the cloakroom.

00:22:25You mean things go missing?

00:22:26Yes, sir.

00:22:27That's not unknown.

00:22:28But the defendant has had his kit in the past.

00:22:30Yes.

00:22:31So there's no reason to suppose that he couldn't have had his kit with him this time if he wanted to.

00:22:36He may have left his things at home in error.

00:22:38Or he may have contrived a situation where he knew he'd be left to his own devices.

00:22:43I think he genuinely forgot.

00:22:45Nevertheless, the fact is that he wasn't with you and the other boys in the gymnasium that afternoon.

00:22:50No, he was not with us.

00:22:52So what did he do?

00:22:53I don't know, sir.

00:22:54I took the boys into the gym at around two o'clock, five past.

00:22:58I never saw Tate after that.

00:22:59So you cannot account for Tate's whereabouts on the afternoon of the 14th of October after two o'clock?

00:23:06Five past two.

00:23:07Or five past two.

00:23:08So after five past two, he could be up to any sort of mischief.

00:23:12Oh, really, my lord.

00:23:13Sit down, Mr. Fox.

00:23:14The case of the Queen and Tate will be resumed tomorrow in the Crown Court.

00:23:41The Bulldog

00:23:59The case you're about to see is fictional.

00:24:14The procedure, however, is legally accurate.

00:24:16The characters are played by actors,

00:24:17but the jury is selected from members of the general public.

00:24:20In the case of the Queen and Tate,

00:24:22in which Samuel Tate is charged with setting fire

00:24:25to Fulchester Comprehensive School,

00:24:27Defence Council is cross-examining Mr Longham,

00:24:29one of the school's physical education teachers.

00:24:32And how long have you been a teacher at Fulchester Comprehensive School?

00:24:36Just over seven years.

00:24:37So how well do you know the boys of the lower sixth?

00:24:39Most of them very well.

00:24:40I've known them since they were first years.

00:24:42Well, is it usual for the defendant to turn up without his kit?

00:24:45It happens from time to time.

00:24:47If it happens to a younger boy, I mean lower down the school,

00:24:51I'd probably have set him some work to do.

00:24:53When it happens to a senior boy,

00:24:54I generally send them off to the library or something like that.

00:24:56Couldn't you have lent him some kit?

00:24:58I could have done, but I wouldn't do that.

00:24:59We have very firm rules in our department.

00:25:02Once the lads enter our part of the school, our rules apply.

00:25:05That means you bring your kit to our house.

00:25:06I see.

00:25:07Oh.

00:25:08There you are at five to two,

00:25:10waiting for your lads to turn up.

00:25:11In they come from all over the school in dribs and drabs.

00:25:14No, not really.

00:25:15They all come together from the lower sixth form room.

00:25:18Pupils are not put into different sets for physical education classes,

00:25:20so they come together as a complete class.

00:25:22Anyway, in they come.

00:25:24And then everybody's gossiping.

00:25:26It'll soon be the weekend.

00:25:27The atmosphere's light-hearted.

00:25:29Are you sure that 26 boys in this frame of mind

00:25:32can get changed in a mere five minutes?

00:25:35Well, more like ten minutes, I should think.

00:25:37Ten minutes?

00:25:38Well, that's a big difference, Mr. Longman.

00:25:41Why does it take so long?

00:25:42Well, I see a lot of those boys.

00:25:44Many of them are in the school football 11.

00:25:45Some are keen runners.

00:25:47We have plenty to talk about.

00:25:48So, that means you don't move into the gymnasium until five past two.

00:25:53At the earliest, could it even be later than five past two?

00:25:56A couple of minutes later, maybe.

00:25:58Yes, and whilst you're in the changing room,

00:26:00Sam Tate is still with you.

00:26:01Yes, sir.

00:26:02And while Sam Tate is still with you

00:26:03until maybe as late as seven or eight minutes past two,

00:26:06he can't be over in Alfred House

00:26:08setting fire to a pile of paper towels and anorex, can he?

00:26:10That's comment, Mr. Fox.

00:26:13I'm sorry, my lord.

00:26:16So, Sam Tate was with you until eight minutes past two.

00:26:20I should think that's about right.

00:26:21Now, how long would it take someone to walk

00:26:22from your changing room to the Alfred House cloakroom?

00:26:26Three or four minutes.

00:26:28Three or four minutes, as long as that.

00:26:30I've never actually timed it, something like that.

00:26:32Well, then, what if someone, someone not especially athletic,

00:26:35someone like the defendant, for instance,

00:26:37were to run flat out from your changing room

00:26:40to the Alfred House cloakroom?

00:26:41How long would that take him?

00:26:43At that time of day,

00:26:44we're talking about just after five past two.

00:26:47Pupils would still be on the move around the corridors.

00:26:50Anyone running flat out would be likely to not someone flying.

00:26:53Also, we have strict rules about running in the corridors,

00:26:55and teachers would shout,

00:26:57stop running, or come here, boy, something like that.

00:26:59I see.

00:26:59Well, despite that useful and very important information,

00:27:02how long would it take him flat out?

00:27:04Someone like Tate.

00:27:05A minute, a minute and a half,

00:27:08if no one got in the way and he wasn't stopped.

00:27:09And is there a quicker route around the outside of the building?

00:27:13He's still got to get out of the building and then in again.

00:27:16I don't think even under ideal conditions

00:27:18he could do it in less than a minute.

00:27:20Someone like Tate would be completely knackered on arrival.

00:27:23Knackered?

00:27:25Completely out of breath, my lord.

00:27:28Mr Longman, are you quite sure

00:27:30that the defendant was with you

00:27:32until about eight minutes past two?

00:27:34Yes, my lord.

00:27:35I remember seeing Tate sitting looking very sorry for himself

00:27:38as we went off into the gym.

00:27:40I told him to get away to the library fast.

00:27:43May the witness be shown as a bit too, my lord.

00:27:46Certainly, Mr Hurst.

00:27:47The final prosecution witness is Detective Sergeant Stafford,

00:27:53who's been asked to read out the statement

00:27:55that Samuel Tate signed at Fulchester Police Station

00:27:58on the afternoon of the fire.

00:27:59After dinner time was over at two o'clock.

00:28:01My class was down for a gym period.

00:28:03I'd forgotten my kit,

00:28:04so Mr Longman, the PE teacher,

00:28:06wouldn't allow me to take part

00:28:07and told me to go to the library.

00:28:09I didn't want to go to the library,

00:28:10so I went to Alfred House Cloakroom,

00:28:13where I saw a pile of rubbish lying in one corner.

00:28:16I threw a lighted match into the pile of rubbish.

00:28:18It quickly caught fire.

00:28:20I was frightened and ran away.

00:28:22I didn't mean to cause so much damage.

00:28:24It was a silly thing to do.

00:28:26Signed, Sam Tate, 14th of October, 1983.

00:28:29My lord, may copies of Exhibit 2

00:28:31be distributed amongst members of the jury?

00:28:33Certainly.

00:28:34Thank you, my lord.

00:28:35Now, Detective Sergeant Stafford,

00:28:36would you describe briefly

00:28:38the events leading up to the defendant

00:28:39making that statement?

00:28:42On the afternoon of the 14th of October,

00:28:44I was making a routine visit

00:28:46to Fulchester Comprehensive School

00:28:47to see the deputy headmaster, Mr Stevens.

00:28:50The fire alarm sounded

00:28:51and the school buildings were evacuated accordingly.

00:28:54I was with Mr Stevens in the playground area

00:28:57where the pupils congregate on these occasions.

00:29:00The defendant, Tate,

00:29:02was one of the pupils arriving late on the scene

00:29:04and Mr Stevens gave him a good ticking off.

00:29:08Tate wasn't giving satisfactory answers

00:29:09to a whole series of questions

00:29:11and Mr Stevens...

00:29:12No, this is a most unsatisfactory answer, my lord.

00:29:14We can't have the officer's opinion

00:29:15without knowing what the answers were.

00:29:18Can you remember the questions and answers?

00:29:21No, my lord.

00:29:22Aren't they in your notes?

00:29:24No, my lord.

00:29:27Then, members of the jury,

00:29:29please disregard the last part of the officer's statement.

00:29:32Thank you, my lord.

00:29:35What happened next?

00:29:37Mr Stevens asked me

00:29:38whether I should like to question Tate further.

00:29:40I said I would.

00:29:41Sir Tate was taken to Fulchester Police Station

00:29:43for further questioning.

00:29:44And did questioning commence

00:29:46as soon as you arrived at the police station?

00:29:48Yes, sir.

00:29:49And was any other police officer present

00:29:51during the interview?

00:29:53Police Constable Fellows was present throughout, sir.

00:29:55And how long did this interview last?

00:29:56Some time, sir.

00:29:58How long?

00:29:58Well, a little less than three hours, sir.

00:30:04Now, Detective Sergeant Stafford,

00:30:05why did you decide to take Sam Tate

00:30:07to the police station for questioning?

00:30:09I think I've already answered that question, sir.

00:30:11Tell us again.

00:30:12When the deputy headmaster, Mr Stevens,

00:30:14was asking Tate why he was late

00:30:16arriving at the assembly point,

00:30:18Tate's answers seemed unsatisfactory.

00:30:21Is that all?

00:30:23What do you mean, sir?

00:30:24Well, look, there are 2,000 excited schoolchildren

00:30:28watching part of their school burn to the ground.

00:30:30The fire brigade's on its way,

00:30:32teachers are rushing around counting heads,

00:30:33some of them carrying fire extinguishes

00:30:35into a burning building.

00:30:37There are, as we've already heard from Mr Stevens,

00:30:39quite a number of students

00:30:40arriving late in the playground for whatever reason.

00:30:43And who out of all these is singled out?

00:30:45Who's made an example of?

00:30:47Who's whisked off to Fulchester Police Station?

00:30:49Sam Tate.

00:30:50Why?

00:30:51Why?

00:30:52I had reason to be suspicious of Tate's.

00:30:54Ah, so you knew Sam Tate before this incident?

00:30:59I'd rather not answer that question, sir.

00:31:00You'd rather not answer the question?

00:31:02No, sir.

00:31:02Why not?

00:31:02It may not be in the best interests of your client, sir.

00:31:04Well, I think you'd better let me be the judge of that.

00:31:06Mr Fox, you're treading on dangerous ground here.

00:31:10Now, if you persist,

00:31:11there's a chance that evidence may be introduced to this case

00:31:14contrary to the best interests of the defendant,

00:31:17evidence that might not otherwise be heard by the court at this stage.

00:31:20Yes, thank you, my lord, for that advice.

00:31:21I'm aware of the risk I'm taking,

00:31:23but I do wish to pursue the question.

00:31:26Well, don't complain to me later that you weren't warned.

00:31:29Thank you, my lord.

00:31:31Now, Detective Sergeant Stafford,

00:31:32did you know Sam Tate before this incident?

00:31:34I knew of him.

00:31:37Has he ever been to Fultrister Police Station before for questioning?

00:31:40Not as far as I'm aware, sir.

00:31:41Has Sam Tate ever been convicted of any offence?

00:31:43No, sir.

00:31:43Oh, well, that's good news.

00:31:45And yet you tell us that you knew of Sam Tate.

00:31:48Yes, sir.

00:31:49How? How did you know of Sam Tate?

00:31:51From Mr Stevens, sir.

00:31:53Ah, Mr Stevens, our deputy headmaster responsible for pastoral care.

00:31:57You were, in fact, visiting Mr Stevens on the afternoon of the fire.

00:32:02Yes, sir.

00:32:03Why?

00:32:04There had been a whole spate of minor fires and false alarms at the school, sir.

00:32:08This was seriously inconveniencing the fire brigade, the local police,

00:32:12and in addition was a serious threat to life and limb.

00:32:15As the officer responsible, I was quite correctly treating the situation with the utmost seriousness.

00:32:19So what was your meeting with Mr Stevens principally concerned with?

00:32:23It was necessary to compile a list of suspects.

00:32:25You mean a list of students at the school who might have been responsible for setting off the school fire alarm?

00:32:29Yes, sir.

00:32:30Yes, how did you do that?

00:32:31We made lists of all pupils who'd been in trouble with the police,

00:32:35pupils who'd been in regular trouble with the school authorities,

00:32:38pupils who were poor attenders at school, that sort of thing.

00:32:40Then we did a cross-reference with various categories of possible suspects,

00:32:45arriving in a list of about 75 pupils.

00:32:47And where did all this information come from?

00:32:49From the school records.

00:32:51You mean the school files?

00:32:53Yes, I suppose that's what I mean, sir.

00:32:54Mr Stevens gave you complete and free access to the school files?

00:32:59Yes.

00:33:02But you didn't read through 2,000 different files, surely?

00:33:05No. Mr Stevens was a great help there.

00:33:07For example, we could check through the school punishment book

00:33:09and from there go to a particular file and check its contents.

00:33:12Are you aware that even parents don't have legal right of access to their own children's files?

00:33:16I think I probably was aware of that, yes.

00:33:18Well, it's a very vague answer.

00:33:19No, parents might be allowed to see academic records of their own children,

00:33:22but they don't necessarily have access to more sensitive materials,

00:33:26such as social workers' reports, psychiatric reports, that sort of thing.

00:33:30Now then, what sort of thing were you allowed to see in this file?

00:33:34Oh, details of achievements at school, or lack of them,

00:33:37information passed from one school to another,

00:33:40reports from teachers,

00:33:41and sometimes information provided by the social services.

00:33:44And was there, in some instances,

00:33:46confidential information of a domestic and medical kind?

00:33:49In some cases, yes, sir.

00:33:50But I must stress that everything that I read

00:33:52was treated with the strictest confidence.

00:33:54Are you aware that the revelation that you have been given

00:33:58complete and free access to these private school files

00:34:00will cause an uproar amongst probation officers, social workers, doctors?

00:34:05The police aren't allowed to see medical records at a hospital or a doctor's surgery,

00:34:09and yet it seems that you've gained access to such material

00:34:12through the back door, so to speak.

00:34:14My concern was with the protection of life and property at the school, sir.

00:34:18The ethics of providing the police with free access to the school files

00:34:22are not a matter for this court.

00:34:24However, the Educational Authority, the Social Services,

00:34:28and other interested bodies will now no doubt take note of this information

00:34:31and pursue the matter further, if they so wish.

00:34:35Please confine yourself to questions that are directly relevant to the case in hand.

00:34:39That is exactly what I intend to do, my lord.

00:34:41Now, was Mr. Tate included on your list of 75 suspects?

00:34:44Yes, sir.

00:34:45Why?

00:34:46He had been involved in an incident at the school about two years ago, sir,

00:34:49in which a pile of rubbish was set on fire.

00:34:51How do you know this?

00:34:52There was a note in his file to that effect.

00:34:54And who was this note written by?

00:34:56I believe it was by a teacher, sir.

00:34:57And what did the note say about this alleged incident?

00:35:00I believe it said that Tate was with a group of pupils

00:35:02when a pile of rubbish caught fire.

00:35:04The teacher thought that Tate was probably responsible.

00:35:07Probably responsible.

00:35:10It's just gossip, isn't it?

00:35:12Well, it was in the file.

00:35:13Were the police involved in this alleged incident two years ago?

00:35:17No, sir.

00:35:17Sir, a teacher sends in a report of an incident with his or her suspicions.

00:35:21This gets filed away without ever being tested or fairly examined.

00:35:25And two years later, a piece of scribbled gossip is used to blacken someone's good name.

00:35:30Well, that's your interpretation, sir.

00:35:31Well, if someone's accused behind their back and the information is placed in a secret file

00:35:34to which neither pupil nor parent has access,

00:35:37how can the truth and validity of such gossip be fairly and justly tested?

00:35:42I warned you, Mr. Fox, but you wouldn't listen.

00:35:45It's no good complaining now if you don't like what you hear.

00:35:49I shall, of course, advise the jury in due course to pay no attention to gossip.

00:35:53But that will be in my own time and at the proper moment, Mr. Fox.

00:35:57Thank you, my lord.

00:35:59Now, you've already told the court that Sam Tate's interrogation lasted a little under three hours.

00:36:04Yes, sir.

00:36:05Did he at any time ask to phone his mother?

00:36:07I believe he may have done.

00:36:08That's a very vague answer.

00:36:09Did he ask to phone his mother?

00:36:11I believe he did.

00:36:12I put it to you that soon after arriving at the police station,

00:36:15Mr. Tate asked to phone his mother.

00:36:17He may have done, sir.

00:36:17Oh, really?

00:36:18You're just hedging an embarrassing question, aren't you?

00:36:20No, sir.

00:36:21If the witness's memory needs jogging,

00:36:23he's already had permission to refer to his notes.

00:36:26Thank you, my lord.

00:36:26I put it to you that Mr. Tate asked repeatedly to phone his mother

00:36:29and you told him he'd have to wait until later.

00:36:32I don't remember saying anything of the sort, sir.

00:36:33You wanted to put as much stress on the boy as possible, didn't you?

00:36:36You wanted to wear him down with worry.

00:36:37I wanted to get at the truth, sir.

00:36:39I see.

00:36:41Did you offer him anything to eat or drink during the course of your interrogation?

00:36:45I think we may have given him a cup of tea, sir.

00:36:48You think you may have given him a cup of tea?

00:36:50You're being deliberately vague.

00:36:51It's a simple question.

00:36:52Did you offer him anything to eat?

00:36:54No, sir.

00:36:55I'm glad you're sure of something.

00:36:56Did you eat anything in the boy's presence?

00:37:00I may have eaten a biscuit.

00:37:02I can't remember.

00:37:02Mr. Tate had a biscuit as well.

00:37:04I suppose he may have done, sir.

00:37:06But you've just told us he wasn't offered anything to eat.

00:37:08I thought you were referring to something substantial, sir.

00:37:10Like what?

00:37:11Well, like something substantial to eat, sir.

00:37:13A meal.

00:37:13Do you normally offer suspects under interrogation a meal?

00:37:16If the suspect is at the station for long enough, yes, sir.

00:37:18And where's the food come from?

00:37:20We send out.

00:37:20Where to?

00:37:21We get sandwiches or pies from a shop down the road, sir.

00:37:26Now, did you at any time during your interrogation of Sam Tate eat a meat pie?

00:37:31No, sir.

00:37:31Did Constable Fellows who was with you eat a meat pie?

00:37:34No, sir.

00:37:34Did you or Constable Fellows send out for or cause to be sent out for any food whatsoever during the interrogation of Sam Tate?

00:37:41No, sir.

00:37:43Well, I think this is a very good moment to adjourn for lunch.

00:37:54I call the defendant, Samuel Tate.

00:38:11Take the testament in your right hand and read aloud the words on the card.

00:38:19I swear by Almighty God that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the old truth, and nothing but the truth.

00:38:28You are Samuel Tate and you live at 72 Pinkerton Buildings, Fairfield, Fullchester.

00:38:32That's right, sir.

00:38:33And you're a student in the lower sixth form at Fullchester Comprehensive School.

00:38:38Yeah.

00:38:38May the witness be shown exhibit two, mother.

00:38:41Now then, Mr. Tate.

00:38:48Did you sign this statement saying that you'd set fire to the school?

00:38:52Yeah.

00:38:53And did you set fire to the school?

00:38:55No, sir.

00:38:56So why did you sign this statement?

00:38:57They made me.

00:38:58Who made you?

00:38:59The police.

00:39:00How?

00:39:01How did they make you?

00:39:02They got me confused.

00:39:03I was worried about my mother.

00:39:06All right.

00:39:06Now let's go back to the start.

00:39:07What happened when you were taken from school to the police station?

00:39:11They took me away in a police car after Mr. Stevens had finished making a fool of me in front of my friends.

00:39:17And I did say to one of the policemen, can I phone me, ma'am?

00:39:19And he said, later.

00:39:21Anyway, they took me into this small office.

00:39:24There were desks and shelves.

00:39:26And they told me to sit in this chair.

00:39:28Then the one who asked most of the questions, he sat opposite me.

00:39:30And the other one sat to one side.

00:39:32So I knew there were two pairs of eyes on me the whole time.

00:39:35But I could only see one at a time myself.

00:39:37Can you see either of these policemen in court today?

00:39:40One of them.

00:39:41Would you point him out?

00:39:43He's the one who was in charge.

00:39:45He asked most of the questions.

00:39:47With the court note that the witness has identified Detective Sergeant Stafford.

00:39:50Now what sort of things did the officer ask you?

00:39:53He was nice at first.

00:39:55We know he did it.

00:39:57Oh well, we caught you this time, son.

00:39:58That sort of thing.

00:40:00As though it was a game.

00:40:01I said I haven't done anything.

00:40:03And I kept on saying it.

00:40:05And then he got nasty and started saying bad things about me.

00:40:08What was I doing stopping on at school anyway?

00:40:11Wasn't doing any exams and that.

00:40:13Why wasn't I trying to get a proper job?

00:40:15He said I was a skiver.

00:40:17Of what?

00:40:18He said I was skiving.

00:40:19Being lazy and that.

00:40:21I told him about my woodwork.

00:40:22But he took no notice.

00:40:23And he just went on and on at me.

00:40:24And I knew my mum would be worried about where I was.

00:40:26And he wouldn't let me contact her.

00:40:28All right, all right.

00:40:28Now look, just answer each question simply and briefly.

00:40:33So you signed this statement because you were worried about your mother?

00:40:37Yeah.

00:40:39And I was hungry.

00:40:40They made me hungry.

00:40:42How did they make you hungry?

00:40:43We'd been there for hours.

00:40:45I told them that my mum would have my tea ready at home and she'd be worried.

00:40:48And then they got cups of tea and said I could have mine later.

00:40:50And they got meat pies and started eating them.

00:40:54And they smelt lovely.

00:40:55They said I could have mine if I signed.

00:40:57They said I could phone my mum and tell her I was all right if I signed.

00:41:01So I signed.

00:41:03Really stupid thing to do.

00:41:06Yes, it was.

00:41:08Never mind.

00:41:09Now, what did you do when Mr Longman and the rest of your class went into the gym for their PE lesson?

00:41:16Well, I forgot my kit so I couldn't join in.

00:41:18I went back to my house cloakroom and went into the toilets.

00:41:20And which is your house?

00:41:22Canute.

00:41:22Canute house?

00:41:23Yeah.

00:41:24So you went straight to Canute house cloakroom at eight minutes past two o'clock.

00:41:29I'm not exactly sure of the time.

00:41:30Oh, never mind.

00:41:31What did you do there?

00:41:32I went into one of the toilets and I struck up.

00:41:35Struck up?

00:41:35I had a smoke, sir.

00:41:38A cigarette?

00:41:39Yes, sir.

00:41:41So you were in one of the toilets smoking?

00:41:43Yeah.

00:41:44Have the door locked?

00:41:46Yeah.

00:41:47Anyone else know you were there?

00:41:48Only one person.

00:41:49Who was there?

00:41:50Tommer.

00:41:51Tommer?

00:41:52Mickey Thompson.

00:41:55So you say you were smoking in the toilet when the fire alarm sounded?

00:41:59Yeah.

00:42:00How do you light your cigarettes?

00:42:01With matches.

00:42:02With matches?

00:42:03So you carry matches with you around at school, do you?

00:42:06Yeah.

00:42:07How many years have you been smoking for?

00:42:10Since I was about nine years old.

00:42:12And have you always carried matches around with you since you were nine years old?

00:42:16A lot of the time.

00:42:17But not all the time.

00:42:19Do you normally carry matches with you around at school?

00:42:22Yeah.

00:42:24You ever been caught smoking?

00:42:25A few times.

00:42:27What happens to you when you're caught?

00:42:29Depends on the teacher.

00:42:30What sort of things happen to you?

00:42:33Sometimes I take your cigarettes and matches away.

00:42:36Sometimes I give you the gym shoe.

00:42:39Sometimes I send you to Mr. Stevens.

00:42:40Yes, what happens when you're sent to Mr. Stevens?

00:42:42He gives you the cane.

00:42:45How many times have you been caned by Mr. Stevens?

00:42:47Oh, really, my lord.

00:42:49What's the matter now, Mr. Fox?

00:42:50You yourself asked Mr. Stevens how many times he'd caned the defendant.

00:42:55You raised the matter in the first place.

00:42:58Carry on, Mr. Hurst.

00:42:59Thank you, my lord.

00:43:00So, how many times have you been caned by Mr. Stevens?

00:43:03Quite a few times.

00:43:06I thought you'd have remembered being caned better than that.

00:43:08It's not something one forgets, as I recall.

00:43:12How many times?

00:43:14Six times.

00:43:15In how many years?

00:43:17Four years.

00:43:18Six times in four years.

00:43:20What a mischievous pupil you must be.

00:43:22Other lads have had it worse than me.

00:43:24How much worse?

00:43:25Quite a few lads get it two or three times a term, sir.

00:43:28I see.

00:43:29What sort of things have you been beaten for?

00:43:35Being late for school, smoking, fighting.

00:43:40Didn't you once get Cain for setting fire to a pile of rubbish?

00:43:45Yeah.

00:43:45I see.

00:43:46But I never set fire to it.

00:43:48It was one of the teachers who got me into trouble.

00:43:49I had matches on me, but I never set fire to it.

00:43:54Do you like Mr. Stevens?

00:43:55I hate him.

00:43:56Hate him?

00:43:57Why do you hate him?

00:43:57He's a right bastard.

00:43:59We'll have no foul language in this court.

00:44:01Sorry, sir.

00:44:04Would you like to get your own back on Mr. Stevens for all these canings?

00:44:07I used to want to.

00:44:09But the way I feel now, I don't reckon he's worth a bother.

00:44:12But you used to want to.

00:44:14Setting fire to the school would be marvellous revenge, wouldn't it?

00:44:18No.

00:44:18Well, you had the matches in your pocket, strictly against school rules.

00:44:22How easy it would be, in a moment of bad temper, to strike a match and drop it into a basket of paper towels.

00:44:27But it wouldn't take a second.

00:44:29You could run away and watch the fun.

00:44:31I've never done anything like that in my life.

00:44:32I suggest that you were in a very bad temper when you weren't allowed to join in with the other boys in the gymnasium.

00:44:37That's a laugh.

00:44:38Why do you think I forgot my kit?

00:44:40I hate P.E.

00:44:42It's woodwork I'm good at.

00:44:44You hate physical education.

00:44:45You hate Mr. Stevens.

00:44:47You hate quite a lot of things, don't you?

00:44:50Now, you tell me this.

00:44:52Why on earth did you decide to stay on at school?

00:44:57I could have left, but there wasn't a job for me.

00:44:59What about the government schemes?

00:45:01I taught things over with me woodwork teacher.

00:45:04He said that if I stayed on another year, he'd teach me all he knew about woodwork.

00:45:08Joinery and that.

00:45:10I reckon that that was me best chance.

00:45:12I'd end up being really good at something.

00:45:14Not just quite good like the other lads, but excellent.

00:45:17That way, I'd stand a better chance of getting a job at the end of the year.

00:45:21And Mr. Redley's a very good teacher.

00:45:24He's fair.

00:45:25He respects you no matter who you are.

00:45:27He had other classes to take.

00:45:29He couldn't teach you all the time.

00:45:31I used to open him in the workshop.

00:45:33There's always tidying up to do.

00:45:35And the other kids were really impressed by the things I was making.

00:45:38They reckon if I could do it, maybe they could as well.

00:45:40I'd never been happier at school.

00:45:42And then all this happens.

00:45:44It's broken me up, sir.

00:45:48This is your signature at the bottom of the statement?

00:45:51Yeah.

00:45:52And you did read the statement before you signed it?

00:45:54They read it to me, and then I signed it.

00:45:57Did you understand what the statement said?

00:46:00Yes, sir.

00:46:02It's a confession of guilt, isn't it?

00:46:06Yes, sir.

00:46:07I have no further questions, my lord.

00:46:12The case of the Queen and Tate will be concluded tomorrow in the Crown Court.

00:46:35The case of the Queen and Tate will be concluded.

00:46:37It is.

00:46:38It is.

00:46:39It is.

00:46:40It is.

00:46:41It is.

00:46:42It is.

00:46:43It is.

00:46:43THE END

00:47:13In the case of the Queen and Tate, Samuel Tate is charged with setting fire to Fulchester Comprehensive School.

00:47:20The defence has called Mr. Headley, a woodwork teacher, to the witness box.

00:47:24And you're the woodwork teacher at Fulchester Comprehensive School?

00:47:27Yes, sir.

00:47:28Sam Tate, a good woodwork student?

00:47:30He's an outstandingly good student.

00:47:32Did you persuade him to stay on at school?

00:47:34I certainly influenced his decision.

00:47:36Well, how did you do that?

00:47:38Well, at the end of the summer term, we sat down and had a good talk about things.

00:47:42Since we considered all his options, if he left school, the best he could hope for was to be placed on one of the government schemes.

00:47:49His chances of getting a job outright were practically nil.

00:47:52If he stayed on at school, I told him that I could arrange a special course for him and teach him all I could.

00:47:56And did your offer go down well with the school authorities?

00:47:59No, it didn't.

00:48:01Woodwork has always been one of those Cinderella subjects on the curriculum.

00:48:04But I believe it's just as important to produce fine young craftsmen and craftswomen as it is to produce excellent mathematicians.

00:48:11Indeed.

00:48:11But you got your way with the school authorities in the end.

00:48:14Oh, they had an obligation to accept Tate back at school if he chose to return.

00:48:17Unless, of course, they could find some reason for excluding him.

00:48:20Now, did they try to find some reason for excluding him?

00:48:24Yes.

00:48:25You're quite sure of that?

00:48:26Quite sure.

00:48:27The matter was raised at a meeting of heads of departments.

00:48:29In what way was it raised?

00:48:31A number of teachers felt that he shouldn't be permitted to return.

00:48:33Why?

00:48:35Well, in their eyes, he wasn't a good enough student.

00:48:37Not academic enough.

00:48:39Some of the heads of department remember the old grammar school days.

00:48:42They've never liked having to work under a comprehensive regime.

00:48:45So they've guarded the sixth form as their special preserve.

00:48:48The sixth form at Fulchester has produced many outstanding students, I believe.

00:48:53Yes, my lord.

00:48:53Many of your pupils have gone on to the universities.

00:48:56That's true, my lord.

00:48:57It's quite understandable that senior staff should want to preserve excellence where it clearly exists.

00:49:02Oh, of course.

00:49:03But a school must cater for more than the minority of academically advanced students, my lord.

00:49:09Basically, if you have...

00:49:09Yes, well, we won't debate that now.

00:49:11Carry on, Mr. Fox.

00:49:12Thank you, my lord.

00:49:13Now, Mr. Headley, was the defendant mentioned specifically at this meeting of heads of department?

00:49:17Oh, my lord, that sounds like gossip to me.

00:49:19My lord, I merely wish to establish whether the witness has had to defend Sam Tate's position at the school.

00:49:25I suggest you ask him that question, if that's what you want to find out.

00:49:29Mr. Headley, was it necessary to defend Sam Tate's decision to return to the school?

00:49:33Yes, I did have to do that.

00:49:35Why?

00:49:35Why was it necessary?

00:49:37Because some of the senior staff wanted him excluded.

00:49:39But why should they want him excluded?

00:49:41Because his academic standard was thought to be too low for the sixth form work.

00:49:45Not because of any misdemeanor?

00:49:47Nothing like that was specifically mentioned.

00:49:50So, you saw Sam every day?

00:49:52Yes, he was able to work in the workshop whilst I was taking other classes.

00:49:57He was very useful, as a matter of fact.

00:49:59Was he happy?

00:50:00Yes, he was very happy.

00:50:02Did Sam Tate ever give you even the slightest indication that he was capable of a serious offence such as setting fire to the school?

00:50:08None whatsoever.

00:50:09Thank you, Mr. Headley.

00:50:11Mr. Headley, when you encouraged Tate to stay on at school,

00:50:14what sort of reaction did you get from fellow members of staff?

00:50:18Well, in a school as big as ours,

00:50:20staff are primarily concerned with their own problems.

00:50:23I should think half of them were quite unaware of what was happening anyway.

00:50:25But if staff encouraged pupils to stay on at school as unpaid helpers in their classes,

00:50:31one might even say pets.

00:50:32That might prove to be administratively undesirable and indeed professionally questionable.

00:50:37I resent your use of the word pets.

00:50:39Just try to answer the question, Mr. Headley.

00:50:41Well, there's clearly a difference between a teacher who spends his working day in the same workshop as I do

00:50:48and a teacher who has to travel round from classroom to classroom.

00:50:52In my case, it poses no administrative problem to have one or two students with me most of the time,

00:50:57regardless of which class I'm taking.

00:50:58But did the fact that Tate was encouraged to stay on at school cause friction with the staff?

00:51:04Not with staff in general.

00:51:06Only some of the senior staff and Mr. Stevens, of course.

00:51:09Oh, you mean those with substantial authority in the school?

00:51:13I mean exactly what I said.

00:51:14Some of the senior staff and Mr. Stevens objected to Tate returning to the school.

00:51:17But they are in authority in the school, are they not?

00:51:20Yes, and so am I.

00:51:21Yes, Mr. Headley, we know you're the woodwork teacher.

00:51:25I am also a head of department and have the same authority within the school structure

00:51:30as do other heads of departments.

00:51:31But you were in conflict with your colleagues in this matter, were you not?

00:51:35I was in conflict with some, but not all of them.

00:51:38I put it to you that you were undermining the authority of those in charge of running the school.

00:51:43I don't agree.

00:51:45Would you like to see the school run differently?

00:51:47Yes, I would.

00:51:48How differently?

00:51:49Very differently.

00:51:50Mr. Hurst, I don't want to listen to a debate about education.

00:51:53Please come to the point.

00:51:54I put it to you that you were using Tate to challenge the authority of those entrusted with the good management of the school.

00:52:00That's absolute rot.

00:52:01Mrs. Tate, were you very worried when Sam failed to return from school?

00:52:08Of course, very worried.

00:52:10I phoned the school, you know, but they told me there was an emergency on, couldn't help me.

00:52:14So I phoned the hospital to see if he'd been run over.

00:52:17I even went round to his friends to see if he'd stopped off there.

00:52:20Was Sam ever late for his tea?

00:52:22Well, if he was ever going to be late, he used to phone me up to tell me.

00:52:26I had that phone, I had it put in special.

00:52:30There's only me and Sammy at home now, you see.

00:52:33And he's a very good boy.

00:52:36And I'm proud of him.

00:52:38And I'm telling all of you, he never done this crime.

00:52:41And what I want to know is, why wouldn't them police let him phone me up and tell me what was happening?

00:52:45Yes, yes, that's something we'd all like to know, Mrs. Tate.

00:52:48Now, could you tell us, please, what sort of relationship have you had with the school over the years?

00:52:52Well, I've had to go up there and bang on a few doors.

00:52:55What do you mean?

00:52:56I believe in sticking up for your own.

00:52:58And when things haven't seemed right or fair, I've gone up there and stuck up for our Sammy.

00:53:03That Stevens has had it in for him ever since he went there.

00:53:06That Stevens is a proper swine, if you'll pardon the expression, my lord.

00:53:09Don't get too carried away, Mrs. Tate.

00:53:12Do you attend parents' evenings at the school?

00:53:14Oh, yes, I always go.

00:53:16I want to know who's teaching our Sammy and what they think of him.

00:53:19And I sometimes tell them what I think of them and all.

00:53:22There's some of them up there, they're shaking their shoes at the sight of me, I can tell you.

00:53:26And that includes that Stevens.

00:53:30Mrs. Tate, when your son was a boy, did he ever play with matches?

00:53:35No, never.

00:53:35Oh, come on, Mrs. Tate.

00:53:37Most children play with matches sometime or another.

00:53:40Well, I've never seen him.

00:53:42Did he enjoy bonfires in the garden?

00:53:44What are you on about?

00:53:47Where do you think we live?

00:53:48Buckingham Palace.

00:53:49Spent me life three floors up.

00:53:52My God, I wish we'd had a garden to have a bonfire in.

00:53:55Uh, yes.

00:53:58Uh, Mrs. Tate, are you good at looking after yourself?

00:54:01Of course I am.

00:54:01I've got to be, haven't I?

00:54:02And does your son know that you're quite capable of looking after yourself for a few hours?

00:54:07Of course he knows it.

00:54:08There's no reason to suppose, then, is he?

00:54:10If he arrived late one evening, that you'd be unduly worried.

00:54:14We've got a way of doing things in our family.

00:54:17If he's going to be late, he phones us up and tells us.

00:54:20I cook his tea.

00:54:21He's not the sort of lad that lets his tea get cold without telling his ma'am.

00:54:24I knew there was something wrong the day they took him in.

00:54:27Oh, come on, Mrs. Tate, if you'd known straight away that he was up at the police station,

00:54:30you'd have been up there like a shot.

00:54:32Well, of course I would.

00:54:33Wouldn't any mother do the same?

00:54:35But you listen here, when our Sammy never came home and the school couldn't help,

00:54:39I went up to that police station to see if they knew anything.

00:54:42And the man behind the desk said he couldn't help me.

00:54:45And he was there all the time.

00:54:47Mrs. Tate, are you sure you're telling the truth?

00:54:50Our Sammy, he was there all the time.

00:54:52And them buggers, they knew it.

00:54:53That's quite enough foul language.

00:54:55I'm sorry, my lord.

00:54:56Now, let's get this clear.

00:54:58You're saying that the police told you that they didn't know where your son was?

00:55:02The policeman at the desk.

00:55:04He said he didn't know where Sam was.

00:55:06I shall instruct the police to check the records

00:55:08to confirm the truth of what you're telling the court.

00:55:11I warn you that telling a lie under oath is a very serious offence.

00:55:16I'm telling your lordship the truth.

00:55:17The final defence witness is the defendant's friend, Michael Thompson.

00:55:29And, er, which year are you in at school, Mr. Thompson?

00:55:33Fourth year, sir.

00:55:33Studying for any examinations?

00:55:35Yes, sir.

00:55:36How many?

00:55:37I'm doing seven CSEs.

00:55:38What does CSEs stand for?

00:55:44I can't remember, sir.

00:55:48Er, my lord, doesn't it stand for Certificate of Secondary Education?

00:55:52Correct.

00:55:54I'm much obliged to my exceptionally learned friend.

00:55:56Now, Mr. Thompson,

00:55:57what were you doing on the afternoon of the fire

00:56:01between two o'clock

00:56:02and the sounding of the fire alarm at 2.15?

00:56:05Right.

00:56:05Well, after afternoon registration,

00:56:07I went to art.

00:56:08That's in the art room.

00:56:10Mr. Mitchinson, the teacher,

00:56:12sent me to the central stores to get drawing pins.

00:56:15Now, luckily, I caught Mrs. Riddle at the central stores

00:56:17and I got the pins quicker than expected.

00:56:19So I decided to take a few more minutes off class

00:56:21and I went to the toilets off Canute House.

00:56:23And what did you do there?

00:56:25I went into one of the toilets and locked myself in.

00:56:27And was this for any other reason than personal hygiene?

00:56:31I went in for a smoke, sir.

00:56:32Yes.

00:56:33And when you went in for a smoke,

00:56:34were you aware that any of the other cubicles were occupied?

00:56:37Well, when I went in, they were all empty.

00:56:39But the seconds after I got sat down and lit up,

00:56:41someone else came in

00:56:41and I could hear them going into one of the toilets and locking the door.

00:56:44And was the arrival of someone else the cause for some concern?

00:56:47If it was a teacher, it might be.

00:56:49But teachers don't use the toilets.

00:56:51They'll lock themselves in.

00:56:52So when I heard the bolt on the toilet door,

00:56:54I knew it wasn't a teacher.

00:56:56What happened then?

00:56:58There was a flood, sir.

00:56:59A flood? What sort of flood?

00:57:00Well, sir,

00:57:02you know the place for the boys?

00:57:03Stand up and winkle.

00:57:06Stand up and winkle?

00:57:07Well, what's the polite word?

00:57:09I think the word you want is urinal.

00:57:11Thank you, my lord.

00:57:12The place for the boys stand up and urinal.

00:57:16You carry on.

00:57:17Well, it got blocked up.

00:57:19And when the flushes started to work and all the water was washing down it,

00:57:22instead of all the water going down the plug hole,

00:57:23it started flooding across the floor.

00:57:25So there I was sitting in my toilet and the water started coming at me under the door.

00:57:30And then I heard this voice from two toilets along saying,

00:57:32Go back, I command you, go back.

00:57:35And I says,

00:57:35Who the hell do you think you are?

00:57:36King Canute?

00:57:37And he says,

00:57:38Is that you, Tom?

00:57:39And I says,

00:57:40Yeah.

00:57:41And it was Sam Tate.

00:57:42He's a mate of mine.

00:57:43I would have made a few jokes and then the final line went off.

00:57:46And he says,

00:57:47What a place this is.

00:57:48If they can't drown you, they burn you to death.

00:57:50So Sam Tate was in the toilet of Canute House until the time the fire alarm went off.

00:57:56Yes, sir. Definitely, sir.

00:57:58How long have you known the defendant?

00:58:01Who? Sam Tate.

00:58:03Years.

00:58:04Years and years.

00:58:05You live near each other?

00:58:07Not far off.

00:58:08How near?

00:58:09Round the corner along the street a bit.

00:58:11You see a lot of each other?

00:58:13Quite a lot, yeah.

00:58:14Is he your best friend?

00:58:16He's one of my mates.

00:58:19Have you been in any tight scrapes together?

00:58:22Oh, my lord.

00:58:22I hope my learned friend is not inviting the witness to incriminate himself.

00:58:26Yes, I think Mr. Hurst should make it clear that he doesn't mean scrapes of a criminal nature.

00:58:30Oh, of course I didn't intend that, my lord.

00:58:33Let me rephrase the question.

00:58:34Have you had any adventures together?

00:58:37I know what you're driving at.

00:58:38And I can tell you that we're not villains, either of us.

00:58:40No, that's your interpretation of my question.

00:58:44Now, you've told the court that you were smoking in the toilets of Canute House

00:58:47at the time when the fire alarm sounded.

00:58:49Yes.

00:58:50How do you light your cigarettes?

00:58:51Well, at school, I had my own lighter.

00:58:53But it ain't worth carrying a light around in school in case you get caught and have it taken off you.

00:58:58So I always carry matches instead.

00:58:59You always carry matches with you around in school?

00:59:02Yeah.

00:59:03Well, you've got to if you smoke, haven't you?

00:59:04That is, of course, strictly against the school rules.

00:59:07Yeah.

00:59:08And you have no hesitation in breaking the rules, if you choose?

00:59:11I don't break many rules.

00:59:12I'm good, mate.

00:59:13But I do smoke.

00:59:15I wish I didn't.

00:59:15It costs a fortune.

00:59:16But I do.

00:59:17And that's all there is to say about it.

00:59:18But smoking at school requires deceit and cunning.

00:59:21Come on, sir.

00:59:22It's not the end of the world.

00:59:26Have you been in trouble with Mr. Stevens?

00:59:28Everybody has from time to time.

00:59:30Have you been in a lot of trouble with Mr. Stevens?

00:59:33No worse than anyone else.

00:59:34What sort of things has he camed you for?

00:59:38Smoking.

00:59:39Missed his school a couple of times.

00:59:41Being late for morning assembly, nothing very much.

00:59:43Nothing very much?

00:59:44That sounds like the beginnings of a substantial list of misconducts to me.

00:59:48I bet for you as a boy at our school, you get into trouble from time to time.

00:59:51Just answer the questions.

00:59:53So you've seen Tate quite often since his present troubles began.

00:59:58Quite often, yeah.

00:59:59So you've had plenty of time to concoct a story and get him off the hook.

01:00:02I'm just telling the truth, sir.

01:00:03Now, I put it to you that you've invented this childish alibi as a good term for a friend.

01:00:08No, sir.

01:00:09Well, you're used to deceiving the school authorities, aren't you?

01:00:12Taking days off school, breaking the school rules when you so choose.

01:00:15You're used to deception, aren't you, Thompson?

01:00:18Me, sir.

01:00:18No, sir.

01:00:21Would you consider it right to tell a fib to protect a friend?

01:00:25Well, this is just a hypothetical question.

01:00:27I think it's worth asking.

01:00:29Carry on.

01:00:30My lord.

01:00:30Well, would you tell a white lie to help a friend?

01:00:35It just depends on circumstances.

01:00:37So you might tell a lie?

01:00:39It just depends.

01:00:40Have you heard the expression schoolboy honour?

01:00:42No, sir.

01:00:43Well, let me tell you what it means.

01:00:45It means that a boy is perfectly justified in telling a lie to protect another boy from the school authorities.

01:00:50Do you believe in the principle of schoolboy honour?

01:00:56Well, I think it will depend on the seriousness of the situation.

01:00:59Is setting fire to the school a serious offence?

01:01:04Yes, sir.

01:01:05And if you knew who'd done such a thing, would you tell the school authorities who the offender was?

01:01:11I'm not sure about that.

01:01:13Well, it's a very serious offence, isn't it?

01:01:15Yes, it is.

01:01:16And yet you say you might conceal the culprit?

01:01:19I don't know.

01:01:20Conversely, if the culprit was a friend of yours, you might take the witness box to provide a carefully prepared alibi to protect...

01:01:26I'm telling the truth.

01:01:27I want to make something quite clear to you.

01:01:30Yes, sir, my lord.

01:01:32To tell a lie under oath in a court of law is a very serious offence.

01:01:36If you're found to be lying for whatever reason, you're likely to be punished.

01:01:42I'm not telling lies.

01:01:45What happened when you heard the fire alarm go off?

01:01:48We left the toilet somewhere outside.

01:01:50You leave immediately?

01:01:51Well, we had to pull us tracers back up and pull us fags out.

01:01:54Then we went out to the corridor and outside.

01:01:56And you were with Tate at this time?

01:01:58Yes, sir.

01:01:58Corridor's crowded.

01:02:00Yes, sir.

01:02:01Everyone was doing the same thing, sir.

01:02:02Getting out of the school as fast as possible.

01:02:04So there was no delay between the time the fire alarm sounded and you and Tate leaving the school buildings?

01:02:10No, sir.

01:02:10You go straight to the assembly point?

01:02:12Yes, sir.

01:02:13You sure?

01:02:14Yes, sir.

01:02:16Then how do you explain the fact that Tate turned up late at his assembly point?

01:02:21Did he turn up late?

01:02:22Yes, yes, Mr. Thompson, he did.

01:02:24Mr. Stevens has told us so, and so has Detective Sergeant Stafford.

01:02:27No, my lord.

01:02:28Detective Sergeant Stafford has not, in fact, told the court back.

01:02:31It was clearly established near the beginning of this case that the defendant had indeed turned up late at the assembly point.

01:02:37I don't remember anyone challenging that.

01:02:39Carry on, Mr. Hurst.

01:02:40Thank you, my lord.

01:02:41Now then, Thompson, would you like to explain why your evidence contradicts evidence we have already heard, even from the defendant himself?

01:02:50My lord, it isn't true that the witness's evidence contradicts any evidence heard in the case so far.

01:02:54My learned friend is simply trying to confuse the witness.

01:02:57Mr. Fox, please don't interrupt me when I'm about to speak.

01:03:01I am sorry, my lord.

01:03:05The witness should try to answer the question.

01:03:10What was the question?

01:03:13We have heard that Tate was late turning up at the assembly point.

01:03:19You say you were both on time.

01:03:21How do you explain this?

01:03:22Well, I'm in the fourth year, sir.

01:03:26My class meets on one part of the playground.

01:03:29Sam's more than a year ahead of me, sir.

01:03:32His group had to meet in a different place, sir.

01:03:36It may have been late getting there.

01:03:37I remember they were all in games clothes.

01:03:41All his mates were.

01:03:42They'd run over from the gym class, sir.

01:03:45They were all in shorts.

01:03:46They ran over, that's why Sammy seemed to be late.

01:03:49And he stood out in his ordinary clothes and all the others were jumping up and down in the shorts and vests.

01:03:53That's why they picked him out, because he was different.

01:03:58Ladies and gentlemen, the jury.

01:04:01I think it should be clear to everyone by now that Tate is indeed guilty.

01:04:05I suggest that the defendant set fire to his school, endangering the lives of staff and pupils in a heartless and indiscriminate manner.

01:04:17Now, you've heard how he admitted his guilt to the police on the day of the fire.

01:04:21You've all read his signed statement.

01:04:23Surely there can be no doubt in your mind that he knew quite well what he was signing.

01:04:27He's not stupid.

01:04:30He has shown himself in court to be an alert and intelligent person.

01:04:35Surely it's reasonable, suppose, that he knew perfectly well the serious implications of his signed confession of guilt.

01:04:44But I also suggest to you that during the trial he has shown himself to be an accomplished, an artful liar.

01:04:52I trust that none of you will be deceived by his blatant denials of guilt.

01:04:59I know he's young, but please don't let his youthfulness influence your decision in his favour.

01:05:07As for the evidence of young Thompson, well, in what sort of thieves' kitchen was that little deception cooked up?

01:05:14Thompson actually said, under oath, that although setting fire to the school was a serious offence, he might still conceal the culprit.

01:05:22Well, that lets the cat out of the bag.

01:05:25I suggest that telling lies to protect his friend is exactly what he has been doing in this court.

01:05:30I put it to you that what really happened was that Tate left the changing room at the gymnasium at about five minutes past two.

01:05:40He then went to Alfred House, started the fire.

01:05:44He then hid in Cnut House toilets.

01:05:46And any fair-minded person cannot but be disturbed by the events leading up to Sam Tate being driven off to the police station.

01:05:56He's the boy Mr. Stevens doesn't want at school.

01:05:58He's the boy who's been singled out to be made an example of in front of the entire school.

01:06:03And he's the victim of an inaccurate piece of gossip taken from a supposedly private school file.

01:06:08Don't go on about that, Mr. Fox. I advised you at the time not to bring that up.

01:06:13My lord, the way those files have been opened up to the police is a matter of major professional and public concern.

01:06:18Get on with it, Mr. Fox.

01:06:21Now, when Sam Tate was taken away, why wasn't he allowed to phone his mother straight away?

01:06:26I suggest to you that the police were trying to put him under as much stress as possible to confuse him and to undermine his confidence.

01:06:33It's no fun being interrogated by two highly experienced and professional interrogators.

01:06:37Even strong men and women crack up under that sort of strain.

01:06:40How would you have coped if that had been you?

01:06:43Yes, he did sign the statement.

01:06:45Yes, he was very silly.

01:06:46He's told you so himself.

01:06:48But that statement does not contain the truth.

01:06:51The truth, as you've heard, is that Sam Tate left the changing room by the gymnasium at eight minutes past two.

01:06:58And he went straight to Cnut House toilets for a smoke.

01:07:00When the alarm sounded five minutes later, he and young Michael Thompson made their way, quite correctly, to their assigned assembly points in the playground.

01:07:09And then, as you've heard, Sam Tate's nightmare began.

01:07:13There are two distinct areas for your consideration.

01:07:20Firstly, there is the statement signed by Tate.

01:07:24Now, that is a very damning piece of evidence against the defendant.

01:07:27The defense has tried to discredit that statement.

01:07:31But I'm bound to tell you that Tate's confession still stands as substantial evidence against him.

01:07:38The police officers concerned did their jobs properly, according to the evidence we have heard.

01:07:44The fact that Mrs. Tate was not informed of the whereabouts of her son until seven o'clock in the evening is unfortunate.

01:07:52And it's emerged that Mrs. Tate did indeed go to the police station, where she was informed in error by an officer who'd just come on duty that the whereabouts of her son was not known.

01:08:05But those circumstances do not of themselves undermine the validity of Tate's statement as evidence.

01:08:12Do you really think it likely that a young man would incriminate himself for a meat pie?

01:08:19And the police officers concerned have given evidence consistently and strenuously that no meat pies were involved at any time.

01:08:29Now, if that is the case, Tate has been lying to you in this court.

01:08:34So, if you accept the defendant's written statement as a truthful account of what happened,

01:08:39I suggest you will have no option but to find him guilty as charged.

01:08:45However, there is a second area for your consideration, that of alibi.

01:08:53In all likelihood, the fire was not alight until after two o'clock.

01:08:59Now, you need not doubt where the defendant was until seven or eight minutes past two.

01:09:03You need not doubt that he was indeed in the changing rooms with Mr. Longman and the other boys from two o'clock until seven or eight minutes past two.

01:09:12Did he then run to Alfred House, set fire to a pile of paper towels and anoraks,

01:09:19and then run to Cnut House and lock himself in the lavatories for a nerve-settling cigarette?

01:09:26He might then still have had time for his conversation with the witness, Michael Thompson.

01:09:31You may decide that the close relationship between Tate and Thompson itself undermines the validity of Thompson's evidence.

01:09:39If there is reasonable doubt in your mind, and I stress reasonable doubt,

01:09:46then you should find the defendant not guilty.

01:09:50On the other hand, if you accept the defendant's statement as a truthful account of what happened,

01:09:56signed on the very day of the offence,

01:09:59then you may feel you have no alternative but to find him guilty whether you want to or not.

01:10:06Will you please retire, elect a foreman to speak for you, and consider your verdict.

01:10:21Members of the jury, will your foreman please stand?

01:10:25Will you answer this question, yes or no?

01:10:28Have you all reached a verdict upon which you are all agreed?

01:10:30Yes.

01:10:31Do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty?

01:10:34Not guilty.

01:10:35Next week, you can join another jury when our cameras return to bring you a further case in the Crown Court.

Crown Court - Burnt Futures (1984)

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