** JUNE 10TH - 1991 **

*** SHADWELL MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON - 10:05 AM ***

Timothy and Gordon Smart walk towards one of the many interview rooms at the prison for their meeting with Ben. They are being escorted by a screw and are both slightly intimidated by the fortress-like jail.

Timothy West:

I've never liked jails, Gordon. You know that I prefer the civil side of the law, why have you gotten me involved in this petty little rape case?

Gordon walks a few paces behind the tall, lean barrister.

Gordon Smart:

Because our client specifically requested a silk and you're one of the best in the business.

Timothy sighs as they reach the door.

Timothy West:

Well I hope he appreciates it. So long as he pays well I don't really care.

Timothy and Gordon enter the room and greet Ben. They sit down opposite him and Gordon offers Ben a cigarette. he slips the cigarette from the packet, Gordon lighting it.

Ben Prior:

Any developments?

Gordon nods his head.

Gordon Smart:

This is Mr West. He'll be representing you in court.

Timothy looks at Ben rather snobbishly.

Timothy West:

Pleased to meet you.

Ben nods in reply.

Ben Prior:

I trust my solicitor has explained this mess to you.

Timothy is about to reply when Gordon cuts in.

Gordon Smart:

I've told Mr West the particulars of your case. I also came across something that should help us a lot in court but I'll leave it up to Mr West to explain it to you.

Timothy frowns at his colleague.

Timothy West:

I trust that we will be putting forward the defence that the victim in this case, a certain Miss...

Timothy searches through a pile of papers underneath his arm before continuing.

Timothy West:

Miss Polly Page is psychologically incapable of distinguishing between common assault and rape.

Timothy peers at Ben for conformation.

Ben Prior:

One of you gonna fill me in here? I mean, no-one's gonna buy that she wouldn't know the difference.

Timothy sighs.

Timothy West:

If you would just let me finish, Mr Prior. My colleague has been conducting some research and I am happy to tell you that we have found something that will create grave doubts about the accuracy of her testimony.

Timothy pulls several photocopied sheets from under his arm and hands them to Ben to read.

Timothy West:

It appears that Polly Page has a past.

Timothy waits patiently as Ben reads through the documents. After several minutes, Ben looks up with a grin on his face. Timothy gives him a weak smile in return.

*** JUNE AND VIV'S FLAT - 7:00 PM ***

June and Viv are sitting at the table eating a delicious meal. They are opening their mail while chatting.

WPC Ackland:

Anything from a tall, dark handsome man in that lot, Viv?

Viv scoffs, glancing at a credit card statement.

WDC Martella:

I wish, this is getting ridiculous.

June groans her agreement.

WPC Ackland:

All I seem to get nowadays is letters asking me to insure my life. I think it's a bit too late for that.

June continues to shuffle through her mail then puts it aside with a disappointed look on her face. Viv giggles, chewing on another mouthful of dinner as she tears opens the final official-looking envelope.

WPC Ackland:

That one looks a bit more interesting, Viv. Maybe you've been promoted?

Viv skims the typed letter quickly, sighing as she frowns back up at June. She looks back with interest.

WPC Ackland:

Well come on Viv, have you made DCI yet?

Viv reads through the letter again, stuffing it back into the envelope.

WDC Martella:

I've been called as a defence witness by Prior's barrister.

June is silent for a few moments as she slowly eats her dinner.

WPC Ackland:

By the defence? Are you sure about that, Viv? Why on earth would Ben Prior call you as a witness?

Viv shakes her head slowly.

WDC Martella:

How should I know but I don't like it one bit. This has got character reference written all over it.

June toys with her food then reaches out for the letter.

WPC Ackland:

Let me have a look. I'm surprised that they called you as a witness considering that you hardly know the girl.

June skims through the letter, shaking her head every now and then.

WPC Ackland:

Well what do you think they might ask you? It was partly her fault that you got stabbed, remember.

Viv thinks for a few moments.

WDC Martella:

Well, I guess but that's hardly related to this thing with Prior. You might be right, I guess but her lack of concentration when I got stabbed was due to the assault. So it's hardly going to help the defence.

June snorts.

WPC Ackland:

Especially not after what he did after he was released on bail. Assaulting her in the section house, poor girl. As far as I'm concerned, that's an admission of guilt.

WDC Martella:

You'd think so, wouldn't you. I dunno, what good am I to the defence for heaven's sake. I'm not even with uniform, let alone had anything to do with this case.

June speaks in a quiet tone of voice.

WPC Ackland:

Yes but you've come into contact with Polly before all this, haven't you Viv. We both have.

Viv nods, resting her chin in her hand.

WDC Martella:

That's what worries me. What if it's got something to do with all that?

June sighs.

WPC Ackland:

Poor Polly, this might turn out to be tougher on her than we first thought. Talk about bad memories.

WDC Martella:

Yeah, chances are they drag all that back up again. Or worse still, they'll get me to.

WPC Ackland:

You think? Well just tell it like it was and I'm sure things will work out for the best, Viv.

Viv drags herself up from the table, collecting the plates and cutlery.

WDC Martella:

I guess, like it was, eh? You remember just how bad that was.

June sighs again.

WPC Ackland:

How could I forget. When's the trial scheduled for?

WDC Martella:

Starts Monday.

WPC Ackland:

Have you spoken to Polly about it?

Viv shakes her head quickly.

WDC Martella:

Not really. You?

WPC Ackland:

I tried to but she seems very withdrawn nowadays. I think this is really beginning to affect her, Viv. Even if everything goes to plan and Ben is found guilty I doubt whether she'll be able to keep working at Sun Hill.

WDC Martella:

I know what you mean, what with all the gossip and people who are his mates. She'll have to change reliefs at the very least.

WPC Ackland:

Well she'd be welcome on A Relief. The lads seem to have taken a bit of a shine to her, especially Tony and Dave.

Viv nods with a small grin.

WDC Martella:

Those two'd take a shine to any blonde thing in a skirt. But it's something to think about.

WPC Ackland:

I think I'll suggest it to Mr Monroe.

June gives Viv a thoughtful look and the two women continue to clean up after dinner.

** JUNE 15TH **

*** CANLEY CROWN COURT - 9:45 AM ***

Norika and Polly are standing nervously outside the courtroom biting their fingernails.

WPC Datta:

Are you okay Poll?

Polly nods glumly.

WPC Page:

I suppose. I just hate all this waiting and uncertainty.

WPC Datta:

Don't worry, you know you're in the right and he's a lying bastard so you have nothing to worry about. And you have a female judge so she'll be sympathetic hopefully.

Norika pats Polly's arm reassuringly. Polly spots her barrister, Renata Stone and heads along the corridor with Norika.

WPC Page:

Hi. This is WPC Norika Datta. Nori, this is Ms Stone.

Renata smiles at the two women and shakes Norika's hand. She then turns to Polly.

Renata Stone:

Are you all prepared for today, Polly?

Polly nods quickly.

WPC Page:

Anyway, I won't be called on until later, will I?

Renata shakes her head pettily.

Renata Stone:

Nothing much happens on the first day of the trial. You probably won't be called until the second or third day.

WPC Page:

I figured as much. What about Nori?

Renata shrugs.

Renata Stone:

Depends on how quickly we get through the witnesses. Also, it depends on the judge.

WPC Page:

What's she like?

Renata Stone:

Justice Margaret Swit? Well, you know how you hear about most judges being male chauvinist pigs?

Polly narrows her eyebrows curiously.

WPC Page:

So?

Renata Stone:

Well Justice Swit is the biggest male chauvinist pig of them all. She's as ruthless and cold-blooded as they come.

Polly sighs, glancing over at Norika.

WPC Page:

So we've got our work cut out for us then.

Norika frowns.

WPC Datta:

Surely she can't be that bad.

Renata chuckles.

Renata Stone:

However bad you think she is, trust me, Justice Swit is probably worse. There's some rather amusing graffiti about her in the ladies loo that's bang on target.

Renata gathers up her notes and heads back down along the corridor.

** JUNE 16TH **

*** THE COURTROOM - 11:30 AM ***

Norika walks cautiously into the courtroom, bowing her head to the judge and sidling over to one of the seats in the public gallery. She looks up and smiles at Tony standing in the witness box. He is in the middle of giving evidence.

WPC Page:

He's only just be sworn in.

Renata nods at her solicitor and asks Tony a question.

Renata Stone:

So describe to the court exactly what Mr Prior said to you that night, Mr Stamp.

PC Stamp:

He basically made it common knowledge that he'd slept with Miss Page. He was quite embarrassing about it too, even when she and Miss Datta entered the pub, his comments didn't stop. Then, later in the evening, as we were getting a taxi home, he continued providing specific details, that'd they had sex in the WPC's locker room. He was very hostile towards her, talking about her like she was a tart or something. He was pretty worked up about it all.

Renata Stone:

So he admitted to having sex with her in the WPC's locker room?

Tony stares coldly across at Prior.

PC Stamp:

Yes, he did.

Renata pauses to let the full impact of Tony's words hit the jury.

Renata Stone:

Did he ever give you the impression that she was an unwilling partner?

Tony clears his throat.

PC Stamp:

He said that he had to 'warm her up a bit'. That was all.

Renata Stone:

And what did you think he meant by that exactly?

PC Stamp:

Well, it suggests that she wasn't a willing participant.

Renata Stone:

And when you spoke to Mr Prior a few weeks later, he confirmed this?

PC Stamp:

Yes, when I heard about the allegation, I asked him again, if it was true about the locker room. He said it was.

Renata smiles at the judge.

Renata Stone:

No further questions your honour.

Renata sits down and Ben's lawyer stands up.

Timothy West:

Mr Stamp, are you a close friend of my client?

Tony takes a breath.

PC Stamp:

We're on different reliefs, however, we have spent a fair bit of time together over the past few years. I'd say so, yes.

Timothy West:

Alright then. Do you fancy Polly Page, Mr Stamp?

PC Stamp:

No.

Timothy smirks.

Timothy West:

Then why did you start up a book with a PC David Quinnan betting on the first person who would be able to get her into bed?

Tony sighs, shaking his head.

Timothy West:

Well Mr Stamp?

PC Stamp:

Firstly, that wasn't my idea and secondly, it was a joke. For a laugh and no-one but the mates ever knew about it.

Timothy West:

Mr Stamp, the whole of Sun Hill police station knew about it. Again I ask you, if you didn't fancy Miss Page then why were you so keen to have sex with her?

PC Stamp:

I may have initially fancied her. So I asked her for a date. When she never showed, I was angrily at first, because I thought she'd stood me up. Then I realised, she never showed, because she was being assaulted in a locker room at the time.

Timothy smiles and smoothly moves on to the next question.

Timothy West:

So you admit that you did fancy her. You were angry and annoyed when you discovered that instead of going out on a date with you, Miss Page was busy having sex with my client at the time. Were you perhaps angry enough to want to hurt my client?

PC Stamp:

No, of course not. Initially I was angry at Polly, for standing me up. But now I realise, it wasn't her fault.

Timothy West:

I think you're lying Mr Stamp. You've already lied about not fancying Miss Page. I think your testimony is a pack of lies created because you are angry at my client. Is this not so?

PC Stamp:

No, you asked me whether I fancy her. To which I answered, "no", because I don't anymore. I never lied.

Timothy West:

Whether or not you have lied is up to the jury to decide. No further questions, your honour.

Timothy sits down and a relieved-looking Tony leaves the stand.

*** THE COURTROOM - 2:10 PM ***

Norika takes several deep breaths, as the prosecution finishes and the defence barrister gathers his notes. Timothy glares at Norika.

Timothy West:

Miss Datta, we have heard your account of the night when Miss Page came back to the section house with several bruises. You feel strongly about the issue of sexual assault don't you?

WPC Datta:

Of course I do. It's particularly common in the police force as well.

Timothy raises his eyebrow.

Timothy West:

You sound like you speak from personal experience, Miss Datta.

WPC Datta:

I doubt there's a female police officer in all of London who hasn't had some sort of experience with it.

Timothy West:

And yourself? Have you ever been sexually assaulted?

WPC Datta:

Yes.

Timothy smiles briefly.

Timothy West:

Can you describe to the court what happened?

Renata gets to her feet.

Renata Stone:

I object, your honour. How is this in any way relevant to the present case?

Timothy West:

It is relevant because it calls the accuracy of a witness into account.

Timothy continues as the judge waves Renata's objection aside.

Timothy West:

Well WPC Datta?

WPC Datta:

Back in February of this year, I was assaulted by a fellow officer while on duty. I didn't report it at the time, because I thought he'd taken the hint that I wasn't interested and I assumed that that would be the end of it. A few days later, he assaulted me in my dorm at the section house. A week after that, the officer committed suicide.

Timothy falls silent for a few moments as Nori's words sink in. A lady on the jury wipes her nose with a hankie.

Timothy West:

We all sympathise with your traumatic experience, WPC Datta. Would you say that it affected you?

Norika is wary of the barrister's question.

WPC Datta:

Yes but it was awhile ago now. You deal with things.

Timothy West:

How have you dealt with it?

WPC Datta:

You put it behind yourself. He was a one-off. Or so you'd think at the time.

Timothy West:

Are you still angry at him for what he did to you?

WPC Datta:

No, he wasn't a well person.

Timothy West:

Oh come on WPC Datta. He was never arrested or charged with any crime. Do you expect us to believe that you were happy about that?

WPC Datta:

He paid for it with his life. That was a harsher sentence then any court could give!

Timothy West:

Rubbish. You were angry with him, weren't you? You couldn't hurt him because he is dead so you decided to help your colleague WPC Page didn't you? You thought that by helping her you could somehow get back at the man who assaulted you!

WPC Datta:

No, that's not true.

Timothy West:

It is true, WPC Datta. You and WPC Page concocted this story out of thin air! Why didn't you report the bruises when you first saw them?

WPC Datta:

Because WPC Page wouldn't tell me anything! I had no idea what had happened.

Timothy speaks sarcastically.

Timothy West:

Yet now you expect us to believe that she trusts you as her best friend? Pull the other one WPC Datta, you're lying, admit it! There were no bruises on WPC Page when you saw her that night.

Norika raises her voice slightly.

WPC Datta:

Oh yes there was! She had extensive bruising on her forehead and arms.

Timothy West:

Is there any proof of this apart from what you supposedly saw on that night?

Norika sighs.

WPC Datta:

No, there's not.

Timothy West:

Then it is an unsubstantiated allegation. I'm sure the learned judge will tell the jury that such circumstantial evidence is not sufficient to prove a man guilty.

The judge nods her head slowly.

Judge Swit:

That is correct, members of the jury. A man must be found guilty beyond all reasonable doubt.

Timothy West:

Thank you your honour. No further questions.

Timothy sits down, frustrated but triumphant.

*** SECTION HOUSE - 11:00 PM ***

Cathy, Rosie and Norika are sitting in the kitchen slowly going over the day's events in court.

WPC Datta:

Tony went really well. He stuck to his guns and didn't waver once. I think I did okay too, although I'm not sure. They're saying I made up seeing the injuries. The psychological work-up helped a lot. They pointed out how the trauma of the attack coupled with the new job, meant Polly didn't wanna say anything. And that led to the suicide attempt.

To Be Continued...