41
The public gallery had filled well before two o’clock. Theresa, keen to get things over and done with, had arranged for Roger to have the accused in the dock before the court reconvened.
Duncan had spent the break rehearsing his presentation and talking to the jurors. The latter was extremely irregular, but in the confines of Haver perhaps inevitable.
As the clock above Cromwell’s Tower chimed two, the excited chatter in the public gallery died. The young children who had been on the dais imitating the haka and poking out their tongues at Jasper and Greg were summoned to return to their seats.
The door behind the dais opened and Theresa, Duncan and Mark filed in. As soon as everyone had settled in their seats and was quiet, Theresa turned to the jury.
‘The defendants, Greg and Jasper, have both pleaded guilty to the appalling crimes of which they were accused. It will be the jury’s task, following submissions by the prosecution and defence, to decide the nature of their sentence. Once the jury has reached its decision, I as judge will determine how the sentence will be administered.’ She turned her attention to Duncan. ‘The prosecution will now make its recommendation for sentence.’
Duncan rose to his feet, swirled his gown and turned to address the jury. ‘Members of the jury,’ he began. One of the children in the public gallery whispered something to their mother, which prompted Duncan to depart from his prepared presentation, turn to the throng in the Great Hall and add, ‘and citizens of Haver …’ From that point on, he spent more time addressing the public gallery than the jury. ‘There can only be one punishment for the crimes these monsters have committed — the death penalty.’
There was a murmur of agreement from the public gallery. Cheryl and Bridget clapped, but stopped when Theresa glowered at them. Several members of the jury nodded in agreement. Rick did not hold back, puckering his lips in approval of Duncan’s words and nodding vigorously in turn to the judge, Mark, Jasper, Greg and finally to the public gallery.
‘Let us just remind ourselves,’ Duncan continued, ‘of the crimes that these monsters have perpetrated against our community, against our brothers, our sisters, our parents, our aunts and uncles, our cousins and our children …’
Mark found himself not only listening to the content of Duncan’s presentation, but also judging him as if he were judging a Toastmaster’s speaking competition. His cousin proved a much better speaker than he had expected. Duncan spoke with passion, but why wouldn’t he? Greg had killed his brother Cameron. Jasper had killed his cousin Warren. Both had pleaded guilty to killing his favourite aunt, the crippled, defenceless Aunt Margaret. Jasper had also admitted raping Duncan’s sister Jennifer and two of his nieces.
Duncan had obviously practised a few dramatic sweeping gestures and sweeps of his gown. Mark judged that to be a mistake. The gestures looked overacted and insincere. Duncan was at his best when he simply spoke from the heart.
His address was highly irregular. Jasper caught Mark’s eye several times and jutted out his chin as if demanding Mark intervene. Mark simply shook his head gently and held a finger to his lips. Even Theresa looked at him, the look on her face suggesting that if he objected, she would support him.
But Mark felt objections would do him little good. By objecting, he would only alienate the jury. The community at Haver had been denied a full trial by the guilty pleas. They felt cheated. They wanted justice restored, and Duncan reminding them of the terror the Chatfields had wrought upon them was providing them with a sense of closure.
Duncan presented the same evidence he would have done had he called witnesses, simply using the words he had prompted the witnesses to use when preparing for the trial. He also spent a lot of time detailing the crimes of Nigel and Damian, neither of whom were alive to stand trial.
Duncan led his relatives through the worst events since the outbreak of the pandemic. How Nigel and his sons had enslaved them while enjoying a life of luxury. He dwelt at length on the first execution, of Paul’s son Mathew, reminding the audience that he had run away, because he was being raped by Damian, and how Jasper and Greg were accessories to Mathew’s murder by standing by and watching Damian swing the axe.
He also reminded them that after Mark, Steven and the rest of the escapees had fled from Haver, Jasper and Greg stood by and watched again as Damian had beheaded their frail Aunt Margaret for saving Steven from becoming another of Damian’s victims.
He next outlined the massacre following Mark and Steven’s escape — in Mark’s mind the first relevant content in Duncan’s presentation — reiterating how Jasper and Greg had shot Cameron Steed and Warren Dalton in cold blood and how their actions had led in turn to Damian shooting Melanie Morgan and Charlene Dalton.
‘And they shot me too,’ Bridget yelled from the public gallery.
‘Of course,’ Duncan said, flustered by the interruption, ‘I was coming to that.’
Although it had nothing to do with the case in hand, he reminded his relatives of how much better life had been after Diana had overthrown the Chatfield tyranny. How the school had been established, how they had enjoyed the freedom of being able to play cricket and other games. Mark noticed the prosecutor was losing his audience.
However, Duncan recovered both his composure and his audience as soon as he related the events following Jasper regaining power.
‘And what did these monsters do as soon as they were back in charge?’ he asked. ‘They enslaved us once again. They murdered Diana and systematically raped every woman in this community.’
For once he was looking at the jury rather than the public gallery, his eyes dwelling on Jennifer, Susan and Kimberley.
‘Our wives, our mothers, our daughters and our sisters.’
He turned to Theresa, who had also been raped.
‘I rest my case. There can be only one sentence to be passed on these two monsters … these murderers, these rapists. I demand the death sentence.’
There was a spontaneous round of applause both from the public gallery and the jury. The only member of the jury who wasn’t clapping was Steven, but his face betrayed the fact he too fully agreed with Duncan’s sentiments.
Rick, who had suffered none of the events described, not only stood up and led the clapping, he went over to Duncan and shook his hand.
Mark looked at Theresa, his expression pleading with her to take control. Eventually she held up her hand and the commotion gradually died down. When all was quiet she turned to Mark and asked bluntly, ‘Given the prosecution’s presentation, do you still wish to make a plea for clemency?’ She obviously didn’t feel such a presentation was necessary.
‘Yes,’ said Mark firmly. Rick rolled his eyes in ridicule. ‘But before that I’d like a short recess please.’
‘Very well,’ Theresa said evenly. ‘Return the prisoners to the Punishment Room and have them back here for when we reconvene at four o’clock.’
42
Mark was the first to leave. He hurried across Flag Court, Lawn Court and out through the West Gate into Haver Park. He needed to be alone.
His task seemed impossible; should he even try? Maybe Duncan was right, perhaps it was better to rid the world of the Chatfield brothers. It would provide a new start. They were nasty characters, particularly Jasper. But Mark reminded himself that life always included nasty characters. Get rid of Jasper and someone else would become Mr or Ms Nasty. There was already a candidate waiting in the wings — Rick Hoff — but there were some, particularly the women, who thought Rick was charming. One thing was clear: it didn’t matter what Mark said, Rick was going to vote for Jasper and Greg’s execution. Since the sentence was to be agreed by the jury by a simple majority, Mark not only had to convince Theresa to grant his earlier request, he also had to persuade at least four of the remaining six jurors to reject the death penalty.
He walked down the hill towards the main gates of Haver Park and then through the valley known as The Gallops to Abbot’s Gate, before turning and making
his way up the gravel path back towards the West Gate. He passed the spot where the nightmare of Haver had begun for his son and himself — their ambush by Damian and Jasper. He recalled Damian firing at Steven and how Jasper had intervened, telling him not to shoot the prisoner. There was no doubt in Mark’s mind that Jasper had saved Steven’s life. It was time to try to repay the favour.
Everyone was back in the Great Hall waiting for the trial to begin by the time Mark walked through the West Gate. He hurried through the maze of corridors to the lobby at the foot of the Great Staircase from where the door led through to the dais in the Great Hall. Theresa and Duncan were waiting for him. Theresa’s face showed that she, like her mother, didn’t like to be kept waiting. It was a bad start.
Duncan handed Mark his gown, saying ‘We thought for a minute there that you had come to your senses and decided not to waste everyone’s time making this ridiculous plea for clemency.’
Mark took the gown and began to put it on. He had had time to fasten only one button before Teresa impatiently led the way into the Great Hall. Everyone rose including Jasper and Greg. Greg was red-eyed and had clearly been crying. Jasper’s face was stern. He held his head high but his arrogance had gone. The jury, with the exception of Rick, were grim-faced. Mark guessed they found condemning someone to death disturbing, however much they hated them. Rick stood, hands on hips, smirking at Mark, as if to say ‘Bring it on, buddy’.
Everyone followed Theresa’s lead and sat down. As Mark finished buttoning up his gown he had an idea — a refinement to his presentation.
‘The defence will now make its case for clemency.’
Mark barely heard the words. He had watched Duncan lose his way by departing from his prepared presentation, but …
He stood up and moved around to the front of his desk to be closer to the jury. He glanced briefly at the public gallery, but decided he would not look at them again until he had finished his presentation. He would ignore Rick and look at Duncan only if he needed to drive home a point. His eyes focused on the seven people who would decide the fate of Jasper and Greg — the other six jurors and the judge Theresa.
As he walked round the desk, he unbuttoned his gown, slipped if off and threw it on the desk.
‘I don’t have the right to wear that gown,’ he began, pointing at what was now a crumpled bundle. He sat down on the corner of the desk closest to Theresa. He was no longer towering over the jury, but looking directly at them.
‘I’m not a lawyer. I’m just one of you. I’m just your father,’ he said, looking at Steven. ‘Your brother,’ he continued, looking at Paul. He turned his attention to Susan, Jennifer, Kimberly and Theresa, ‘Your cousin. And like all of you — with the exception of Rick,’ he paused, savouring the dig for a moment, ‘I have suffered at the hands of Nigel, Damian, Jasper and Greg.
‘I, like many of you, was branded on the orders of Nigel.’ He pulled back his shirt to reveal the scarred outline of the number one at the top of his arm. ‘Before I escaped from Haver I spent more time than most of you on the punishment treadmill. And I spent many days locked in Cromwell’s Tower in fear of my life.
‘Nigel ordered, and Damian carried out, the execution of my nephew Mathew and my Aunt Margaret. Damian kicked my wife Allison …’ Suddenly he was fighting back the tears. He hadn’t expected this reaction. He composed himself and carried on. ‘… almost certainly causing her death — and there’s the rub.
‘I’m no lawyer, but although I chose not to challenge Duncan when he included the terrible crimes of Nigel and Damian, I know enough about the law to recognise that we are not here to judge, or pass sentence on, those two. We are here to pass judgement on Jasper and Greg. We can only consider the crimes Jasper and Greg committed themselves. They should no more be held accountable for the actions of Damian and Nigel than Steven or Paul should be held accountable for my actions, or Theresa and Susan for Diana’s actions.
‘Also, Greg should not be judged for Jasper’s actions or Jasper for Greg’s. We must treat each of them separately, and we owe it to them and to ourselves to do it fairly.’
There was a huff from Rick.
‘I wish I were a lawyer. I wish for your sakes that I were a lawyer,’ he said, looking at Theresa and at each member of the jury in turn, except Rick. ‘You hold the lives of these two men in your hands. Whatever decision you make today, that decision will live with you for the rest of your lives.
‘Condemning a man to death is not something that can be reversed. You can’t wake up in two years’ time with your conscience troubling you, and undo it.
‘So let me deal with Greg first. He has pleaded guilty to being an accessory to the murder of Aunt Margaret and Mathew Grey. He was an accessory to those murders in as much as he was there on the gallows with his father and Damian.
‘I suggest that Greg isn’t particularly bright. He is the son of a bully, a young man who had learned the hard way to do as he was told. And I suggest to you that if any of us had had Nigel as a father we would have been terrified of him too, and we would have stood on the gallows and watched as the sentences were carried out.
‘Standing there and watching, powerless, as Greg was, does not warrant his life being taken away.
‘He has also pleaded guilty to the murder of Diana Morgan. I will deal with her murder in more detail later. But again Greg was simply on the platform with Jasper, who had the real power. At most he was an accessory to her murder. He did not murder her.
‘He has also pleaded guilty to the murder of Cameron Steed. I have read the transcript of the original trial.’
He took a piece of paper from his pocket and read the words, even though he had memorised them.
‘Greg said “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do it. Jasper fired his gun and I just lost control”.’
He slowly folded the paper and returned it to his pocket before continuing.
‘I believe Greg. He should not have shot Cameron, but it certainly was not premeditated murder. Was it manslaughter, the spontaneous reaction of a nervous, frightened, clumsy oaf, whose father should never have put a gun in his hand? He is, as I have already said, not very intelligent.
‘Greg’s final admission is to the rape of four women. We all abhor rape, it is reprehensible, and it was a gross abuse of his power. Unfortunately, in times of war, and in extraordinary times such as those at Haver, these things happen. I am not defending those actions, and I’m not defending Greg’s actions.
‘We have all heard how Julie, Louise and Anne were subjected to rape in North America. These are extraordinary times. But even America, one of the few so-called civilised countries that still exercised the barbaric death penalty, did not prescribe the death penalty for rape.’
Mark stood up and pointed his finger at Greg.
‘Greg is an oaf, and not a very bright oaf. His actions have been appalling. They have been disgusting and are unacceptable, but I know he is deeply sorry for, and ashamed of, what he did.
‘I have suffered as you have suffered from the actions of him and his family, but I personally could not bring myself to condemn this … this oaf to death.’
He paused and walked away from the jury and back again, ensuring there was a gap between his submissions. He took a sip from his glass, giving the jury time to think about what he had said. The six who mattered looked serious. He knew he had got to them. Theresa was poker-faced; he couldn’t be sure how she felt. Rick was shaking his head ever so slightly, saying with his eyes, ‘I don’t care what you say, there’s no way you’re getting my vote.’
Mark sat down again on the edge of his desk.
‘Which brings us to Jasper!
‘I don’t like Jasper. He’s not an oaf. He’s an intelligent man. He is also, like his father, arrogant, and a snob who enjoys having the rest of us run around after him. But being lazy and a snob isn’t a capital offence.
‘Jasper, like Greg, has pleaded guilty to being an accessory to the murder of Aunt Margaret and Mathew. Unl
ike Greg, he probably had the wit to try to intervene on their behalf. It is his failing that he didn’t. In reality I don’t believe it would have made any difference had he tried. Those two murders lie squarely at the door of his father Nigel Chatfield.’
He took another sip from his glass. ‘The death of Warren Dalton is another matter. Jasper fired the shot that killed Warren. He may have been angry, he may have been frightened, he may simply have lost control, but undoubtedly he pulled the trigger and killed Warren. That is the one crime that rests squarely at Jasper’s feet.’
Mark was looking at Theresa when he uttered the next few words. He knew he was running a great risk.
‘And, of course, more recently Jasper killed Diana. Technically he didn’t murder Diana — I think we all know that she outwitted him and took her own life. However, he has pleaded guilty to her murder and I have no doubt that had she not outfoxed him, he would have ordered Damian to swing the axe. Had he done so he would have been guilty of murder. One way or the other, he was responsible for Diana’s death.
‘Murder, in a sense, can never be defended. Taking another person’s life …’ he paused, letting the words sink in. Then he repeated them to hammer home the double meaning of his words…. taking another person’s life, however it is taken, and for whatever reason it is taken, cannot be defended.
‘I do not condone Jasper’s actions, but I can understand the anger he felt at that time. He had discovered how his father had died. We all know Diana murdered Nigel. I can understand why Diana murdered Nigel — anger at, and revenge for, what he had done to both Theresa and herself the night before.
‘If Nigel had done what he had done to them to my wife or to my daughter, I too would have murdered him. And it is because I can accept my own capability to commit murder that I can understand Jasper’s anger and his wish for revenge when he discovered the details of his father’s death. Nigel’s death was barbaric. Diana drugged him, trapped part of his body in the woodworking vice, wired it up and set the workshop alight. He had to amputate part of his own body to try to save his life. Duncan and Paul never corrected any of you when you assumed it was the charred remains of Nigel’s thumb that was found in the vice.’ He paused for a few seconds. ‘It wasn’t Nigel’s thumb, it was his penis.’ There were gasps from both the jury and public gallery. Only when all was quiet did he continue.
Blood Roots: Are the roots strong enough to save the pandemic survivors? Page 27
