Slur: The Riverhill Trilogy: Book 1

by Heather Burnside

  ‘Well, she was standing on her own then, and we could understand her a lot better.’

  ‘Would that be when she was singing, “Show me the way to go home”, or when she was shouting at the top of her voice?’

  There were a few suppressed giggles around the courtroom following this last question. The question was a rhetorical one, designed for dramatic effect and for the benefit of the jury. Julie realised this and did not attempt to answer it, allowing the barrister to move on with his examination.

  ‘What was Mr Leslie Stevens’ reaction on seeing the state of Miss Morris?’

  ‘He was livid. He was shouting at her and wouldn’t even let us phone a taxi from his flat. He just hurled abuse at us and shut the door in our faces.’

  ‘Wouldn’t you say that his annoyance was justified given the state of his girlfriend and the hour that you arrived at his flat?’

  ‘I suppose so.’

  ‘Very well then, let’s move on. Can you please tell the court where you were on the night of Saturday the 30th of August?’

  This question was the one that disrupted Julie’s coping mechanism and she briefly hovered on the brink of hysteria, but managed to recover. Within the space of a few seconds she had held a conversation in her head, debating how to respond:-

  “Shit, I didn’t expect this!”

  “What do I say?”

  “Deny it?”

  “No, they’ll probably have proof.”

  “Admit it then?”

  “Yes, admit it, but justify myself.”

  ‘I was at Les Stevens’ flat,’ she said.

  She paused for a moment, allowing the spectators time to gasp in amazement. Then, speaking as quickly as possible, she began to describe her motivations for the break-in.

  ‘We knew he was dealing drugs because my boyfriend Vinny had spotted him in a nightclub. We thought his drug dealing had something to do with Amanda’s death but we couldn’t prove it ...’

  ‘Please keep to the question!’ the defence barrister interrupted repeatedly, once he’d spotted that Julie might have been gaining the sympathy of the jury, but Julie carried on, determined to tell her story.

  ‘We’d already been to the police to tell them about our suspicions but they wouldn’t take us seriously. They still thought me and Rita had made Amanda overdose. You’ve no idea what it’s like being accused of a serious crime that you didn’t do!’

  ‘Isn’t it true that you forced your way into Mr Leslie Stevens’ property?’ the defence barrister interjected, having to raise his voice above Julie’s to make himself heard.

  ‘Well, we needed to find evidence to prove him guilty, so we broke into his flat.’

  ‘Causing a great deal of damage in the process I believe,’ the defence barrister interrupted once more.

  ‘No,’ replied Julie. ‘Just a bit to his front door. It was the only way I could get it open,’ she replied innocently.

  There were a few sniggers in the public gallery following this last comment.

  ‘When you say ‘we’, do you mean that there were other people involved?’ asked the defence.

  ‘Vinny and my friend Rita were waiting for me outside, but it was me who did the break-in on my own. Anyway, I got into the flat and when I went into his bedroom he was there on his bed. I didn’t have a chance to find any evidence. He pinned me to the bed and started hitting me. Then he threatened to have his way with me and started pulling my skirt up.’

  The noise level rose in the courtroom as people began to whisper amongst themselves.

  ‘It was lucky that Vinny came to find me or I don’t know what would have happened.’

  The defence barrister had allowed her to relate the last few lines uninterrupted, knowing that the depth of public feeling would not welcome any break in the tale at that point. However, he now seized his chance to switch emphasis.

  ‘Isn’t it true that you were also hitting him, and that your boyfriend proceeded to attack Mr Stevens when he entered his premises?’

  ‘I was just trying to defend myself and get away from him, and Vinny was stopping him from hurting me.’

  The defence didn’t have anything to add regarding that night so he then asked, ‘What about Friday 22nd August? A man was reported climbing out of Mr Leslie Stevens’ bedroom following a similar break-in. Did you have anything to do with that?’

  ‘Objection!’ cried the prosecution, not wanting to give the defence barrister another opportunity to try to blight Julie’s character. ‘How can this possibly relate to the events of 20th June?’

  ‘Very well, objection sustained,’ ruled the judge.

  ‘That is the end of my examination your honour,’ said the defence sulkily, to Julie’s relief.

  As she made her way to the public gallery to take a seat next to Rita and Vinny, she felt her legs almost give way beneath her, and was glad that that particular ordeal was now over.

  --------------------

  Monday 8th December 1986

  ‘Well, how did it go then?’ asked Betty as soon as Julie returned home.

  In the background Julie could see her father and sister also awaiting her response.

  ‘Not too bad,’ she replied. ‘I’m just glad it’s out of the way. The jury seemed happy with what I said, and I managed to answer the defence’s questions without too much trouble, so let’s hope they find him guilty.’

  She decided to omit details of the break-in at Les’s flat. There was no need to bother them unnecessarily. Inside though she was harbouring other fears. She might no longer be a murder suspect but would she now be prosecuted for the break-in? It would be a lesser crime, but nevertheless, it would still leave her with a police record.

  “Oh I wish this whole bloody nightmare would just end,” she thought.

  Before she went to sleep that night she knelt and prayed for the first time since she had been a small child. ‘Please God let justice be done,’ she pleaded. It wasn’t just a wish, it was a need.

  Chapter 34

  Friday 12th December 1986

  By the Friday Julie was more tired than ever after another restless night. However, it was for her, potentially, the most alleviating day of the trial. She hoped that she would see justice carried out and an end to the tortuous last few months. She took her seat in the public gallery more eagerly than she had done on any other day of the trial. There was still an element of doubt in her mind though as she had no way of knowing how the trial was going to turn out. As a witness she wasn’t privy to any information about which way Les intended to plead or what evidence the prosecution had gathered against him.

  As Les stood in the witness box a surreal feeling came over her; he really was taking the stand. It wasn’t her on trial but him, Les Stevens, the one who had been the true culprit all along. While she waited for the prosecution to commence she looked across at Rita. Julie could see that her friend was captivated by the proceedings; it reminded her of that time when they went to see Flashdance and Rita couldn’t take her eyes off the screen.

  Once Les had sworn on oath, the prosecution began with the usual questions, verifying Les’s name and address before asking him about Amanda’s death.

  ‘Can you tell me about the events of the night of Friday 20th June 1986 Mr Stevens? What sort of condition was Miss Morris in when she returned home?’

  ‘She was in a right state, drunk out of her brain thanks to them two.’ He nodded his head in Julie and Rita’s direction and Julie felt a chill run down her spine as his wild eyes pierced through her. The rest of the courtroom observed her reaction.

  ‘Is it not true to say though, Mr Stevens, that Miss Morris was coherent by this stage?’

  ‘I suppose so but she was still plastered.’

  ‘Can you tell the court what happened once her friends had left?’

  ‘Friends? Huh!’

  ‘Answer the question please Mr Stevens.’

  ‘We had a few words about the state she was in, then I had to help her get to bed.�
�

  ‘A few words, Mr Stevens? Are you sure that’s all you had?’

  ‘Yeah, why?’

  The prosecution then made a great drama out of reading a piece of paper that he held in his right hand before continuing. Julie was amazed by the change in his character. He had seemed so affable when questioning her and the following witnesses, but had now become a ruthless zealot.

  ‘I have a statement here Mr Stevens from one of your neighbours claiming to have heard a tremendous amount of shouting and screaming on the night in question.’

  ‘We had a few words, but that was all. They’re exaggerating.’

  ‘Similar claims were made by several of your neighbours Mr Stevens. So tell us please, what happened next?’

  ‘What, after I’d got her to bed? I went myself, then that was it till I woke up and saw her the next morning.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘And I couldn’t wake her up. I knew there was something not right, so I dialled 999 straightaway.’

  ‘Can you explain why there were amphetamines found in Miss Morris’s body?’

  ‘No idea, unless they gave them to her.’ Les nodded once more towards Julie and Rita. ‘Maybe that’s why she was in such a state!’ he shouted.

  ‘Do you use drugs Mr Stevens?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Did Amanda Morris use drugs?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘The search of your flat following the death of Amanda Morris didn’t show that there were any drugs present.’

  ‘That’s because there weren’t!’ shouted Les.

  ‘However,’ asserted the prosecution. ‘A later, more thorough search following your arrest did find traces of amphetamine and other drugs in the carpet. Can you explain the reasons for that Mr Stevens?’

  ‘Dunno, maybe Mandy brought them in with her after she’d been out with them two.’

  ‘Very well Mr Stevens, what about the drugs that you were attempting to sell in these photographs?’

  The photographic evidence was passed along the members of jury. As Les noted their reactions, he began to panic.

  ‘I wasn’t selling drugs, I was buying them,’ he cried.

  ‘Aah, so you do use drugs Mr Stevens?’

  ‘Not often; it’s just a bit of fun now and again, that’s all.’

  ‘What about Miss Amanda Morris, did she ever use drugs?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Then why were there drugs found in her body? Come on Mr Stevens, I think that all the evidence is there for the jury to see.’

  ‘Well, maybe once or twice, but I swear I never gave her any that night.’

  The prosecutor’s voice was taking on a more aggressive tone. ‘Then why did police find drugs in the carpet; the same drugs that killed her, Mr Stevens?’

  ‘I don’t know, pleaded Les,’ becoming desperate. ‘We only took drugs a few times. We knew our limits. It was just a bit of fun, that’s all.’

  The prosecutor’s face was a picture of concealed satisfaction as though he knew he had him now; the contradictions were spilling out of him.

  Before he had a chance to continue, however, the court became distracted by a disturbance coming from the back of the public gallery.

  ‘Leave him alone!’ a pitiful voice whined.

  Julie turned round and noticed a scrawny looking woman who was staggering noisily to her feet. She bore the gaunt expression of someone old before her time, with dark shadows beneath her sunken, tired eyes.

  ‘Leave my son alone!’

  ‘Silence!’ shouted the judge but the woman refused to be cajoled. As she shouted and slurred inarticulately, Les became agitated.

  ‘Clear off!’ he shouted. ‘Get her out of here!’

  A policeman sped towards her and attempted to remove her from the public gallery. However, she put up a fight, waving her fists and shouting at him, and it took several minutes and the help of another officer before they managed to reach the exit. In the meantime Les was leaning out of the dock, his knuckles turning white as they gripped the rail while he yelled insults at her. ‘You fuckin’ bitch! You had to come, didn’t you? It’s all your fault. You ruined my life. Fuck off. Go on. Fuck off!’

  ‘Silence or I’ll charge you with contempt of court!’ bellowed the judge.

  While Les stood trembling with rage the prosecutor continued, capitalising on his emotionally charged state. ‘Nice girl Amanda, wasn’t she?’

  ‘Yes!’

  ‘A bit different to what you were used to, wasn’t she? Isn’t it true that you tried to control Amanda Morris and bring her down to your level through the use of drugs?’

  Julie could see the lines of fury across Les’s face. It was evident that he was having great difficulty controlling himself.

  ‘Well, wasn’t that the case?’

  ‘Objection!’ shouted the defence.

  ‘Objection sustained.’

  Satisfied that his questions were having the desired effect, the prosecutor continued. ‘Can you please tell the jury about the night Amanda Morris died? Did you both take drugs that night?’

  ‘No. I’ve told you, she wasn’t a user.’

  ‘A ‘user’ Mr Stevens; isn’t that terminology commonly used amongst the drug dealing community?’

  ‘No. I don’t know.’

  ‘Would you even be using that expression if you weren’t involved with drugs yourself Mr Stevens.’

  ‘No. I mean, I don’t know. I might.’

  ‘So, here she was, full of the party spirit. Didn’t she want to continue having some fun? That is, after all, the reason you both took drugs, wasn’t it Mr Stevens? To have a bit of fun?’

  ‘No, she asked me for some, but I wouldn’t let her have any,’ Les replied in despair.

  ‘Aah, so there were drugs in the flat that night?’

  Les hung his head in defeat. It was obvious he was in such a state after his mother’s performance that he couldn’t think straight and thoughts of Amanda were adding to his distress. His voice was low as he conceded and began to describe what had taken place on the night of Amanda’s death.

  ‘She wanted drugs, but I wouldn’t let her have any. She begged me for them and we ended up having an argument. She was getting hysterical, saying I had no right to keep them from her, ’cos she’d helped to pay for them. I managed to calm her down and we went to bed, but the next morning she wasn’t next to me. I went in the living room to find her, and it was a tip. It looked like someone had raided the place.

  ‘Then I saw her on the floor with the empty packet in her hand.’

  His voice began to crack as he relived his shocking discovery of the dead body of his beloved Mandy. The prosecutor gave him a moment to compose himself before allowing him to continue.

  ‘She must have found where I’d hidden the drugs. I panicked. I knew I’d get the blame so I cleared the flat out, and then rang 999. It wasn’t my fault,’ he pleaded, his voice rising in anguish. ‘It was ’cos of the state she was in. She’d never have taken that many if she hadn’t been so pissed. It’s their fault.’ He pointed angrily at Julie and Rita. ‘They’re the ones to blame, they got her pissed!’

  The judge urged him to calm down and suggested that the court should adjourn to give the defendant a chance to compose himself.

  --------------------

  When they returned to the courtroom the prosecutor had switched emphasis and Les was no longer on the stand. The prosecutor produced an exhibit, which he passed along the members of the jury. It was a hunting knife. There were stirrings and mutterings amongst the members of the public as they took in the implications of this revelation. Once the jury had taken sufficient time to examine the exhibit, the prosecutor disclosed that it had been found by a man walking his dog, buried in the woods.

  The prosecutor then produced photographs of the wounds on both the bodies of Jacqueline and Ernie and these were also passed to the members of the jury. Julie could sense that many people were getting restless as the prosecutor called two expert witness
es to the stand. The first one verified that the wounds on each of the bodies would have come from the same weapon and that the exhibit was almost certain to have been the weapon used for both murders.

  The second witness was a fingerprint expert. Julie noted the expression on Les’s face when the fingerprint expert confirmed that there were no prints on the handle of the knife and they had most probably been wiped from the handle. However, the expert was able to confirm that a tiny fingerprint had been found on the underside of the bolster. This is the part of the knife that separates the handle from the blade. On a hunting knife it is raised so that when the knife was wiped it is likely that the murderer had missed the print that was on the bolster.

  A court official then put some fingerprint images on a display board for the court to view. The prosecutor explained that the two images were of the print found on the knife and a print taken from Leslie Stevens. He then invited the fingerprint expert to highlight the obvious similarities between the two.

  While he gave the jury a few seconds to digest this information Rita whispered to Julie, ‘They’ve got the bastard now! Let’s see if he can squirm out of this one.’

  Although Julie was beginning to feel relieved, she couldn’t yet share in Rita’s joy; she was finding the whole event too stressful.

  Once the prosecutor was satisfied that he had presented sufficient damning evidence, he called Les back to the stand and recommenced his questioning, switching to the night of Jacqueline’s murder.

  ‘What can you tell me about Jacqueline Bartlett?’ he asked. ‘Were you responsible for her death?’

  ‘No,’ Les instinctively replied, but his defence was half-hearted, as though he realised that he was now fighting a losing battle.

  The prosecution once more drew the attention of the courtroom to a piece of paper he was holding.

  ‘I have a witness statement here stating that Miss Jacqueline Bartlett was seen leaving your premises on the night of Monday 18th August. Can you tell the jury the reason she was at your flat please?’

  ‘I don’t know. It was ages ago.’

  ‘Come on Mr Stevens, you must have some idea. Was she a regular visitor or was it just the once?’

  ‘Ah, I remember now. She did come round once, just to bring an LP of Mandy’s, but she was only there about five minutes and then she left.’