Calling Down the Storm

by Peter Murphy

  ‘Taking this quite shortly, did you find that she had sustained a number of wounds inflicted with a sharp object?’

  ‘Yes. There were either six or seven wounds. The reason I put it that way is that there was what appeared to be one very large wound, the entry point being into the shoulder at the base of the left side of the neck. The blow had been struck in a downwards direction with a good deal of force, but the skin had been ripped sideways, and the width of the entry point was such that I could not determine with any certainty whether it was the result of one blow or two. If it was only one, the weapon was probably used also in a sideways direction, widening the area of impact.’

  Ben glanced in the direction of the jury, and saw them grimace.

  ‘I see. In addition to that wound, or those wounds, were there three blows to the chest or torso, also appearing to have been struck from above with a downwards motion?’

  ‘Yes, two of those wounds were slightly left of centre, and one slightly to the right, all broadly speaking just below the breasts, though one of the blows on the left had penetrated the left breast and done considerable damage to it.’

  ‘And finally, were there two wounds to the lower abdomen?’

  ‘Yes. These wounds had a direct frontal entry point, as opposed to a downwards motion.’

  ‘What conclusion, if any, did you draw from that?’

  ‘I concluded that the blows higher on the body had probably been struck while she was still standing, and that these two blows lower on the body had probably been struck after she had fallen to the ground – which would have been almost instantaneous, given the severity of the injuries.’

  ‘Dr Wren, my learned friend has indicated that there is no dispute about the cause of death, so perhaps you could state that to the jury in simple terms?’

  ‘Certainly. Each of the injuries I have described would have been fatal in itself, either because it caused catastrophic injury to a major internal organ, or because it resulted in haemorrhaging which could not be stemmed. I can’t say with certainty which blow caused Susan Lang’s death, but the combination of all of them was certainly fatal. Her heart, lungs and liver were fatally compromised, and two major arteries were severed. The haemorrhaging from the arteries alone would have resulted in death within a short space of time, quite apart from the damage to the organs.’

  ‘Did Susan Lang have any chance at all of surviving this attack on her?’

  ‘None whatsoever. Death would have followed the attack very quickly.’

  ‘With the usher’s assistance, I would like you to look at a knife. My Lord, it will be formally identified later, but if there is no objection, may this be Exhibit 2?’

  ‘No objection,’ Ben said at once.

  ‘Exhibit 2,’ the judge confirmed.

  It was the jury’s first glimpse of the weapon used by Henry Lang to kill his wife. As Geoffrey passed by the jury box, they peered at it curiously, and some turned towards the dock to look at Henry. Since saying that he was sorry just before lunch, Henry had remained silent, sitting quietly and following the proceedings without comment like a disinterested observer. If the jurors were expecting him to react when the knife was produced, they were disappointed.

  ‘Dr Wren,’ Andrew was saying, ‘have you had the opportunity to examine Exhibit 2 before coming to court today?’

  ‘Yes, I have.’

  ‘Can you say whether this was, or may have been, the weapon used to inflict the injuries you saw on the body of Susan Lang?’

  Dr Wren took the knife from the usher and peered at it.

  ‘I can say that the injuries I saw would be consistent with the use of this weapon, but –’

  Ben stood.

  ‘Again, my Lord, I can save my learned friend the trouble. There is no dispute that this knife was used to inflict the injuries.’

  Andrew and the judge exchanged looks.

  ‘Again,’ Andrew said, ‘I am obliged to my learned friend. In that case, Dr Wren, I don’t think there is anything else I want to ask you at this stage. Please wait there in case there are any further questions.’

  ‘Dr Wren,’ Ben began, ‘do I take it that you did all the usual tests for the presence of drug residues and other substances in the body?’

  ‘I did, sir.’

  ‘Your post-mortem examination was conducted on the day after her death, wasn’t it?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Did you find any evidence of recent sexual intercourse?’

  ‘No. I did not.’

  ‘Did you find any evidence of alcohol consumption?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘If she had consumed alcohol during the evening before, or the early morning of the day on which she died, would you have expected to find any evidence of it by the time of the post-mortem examination?’

  ‘Not unless she had consumed a very large quantity, or there were very unusual physiological circumstances. The likelihood is that any alcohol in her body would have dissipated. And if she had been drinking enough the night before to leave alcohol in her blood for me to find the following day, Mrs Cameron would almost certainly have noticed its effects during the meeting. She would have been in a bad way.’

  ‘She would have had a hangover?’

  ‘She might still have been drunk.’

  ‘I see. Did you find evidence of recent drug consumption?’

  ‘Yes, I did.’

  ‘Tell the jury about that, please, Doctor.’

  Dr Wren turned over several pages of his notes, one at a time.

  ‘I found evidence consistent with the recent consumption of both cannabis and cocaine.’

  ‘“Recent” in this context meaning what?’

  ‘Within 48 hours, and very probably within the 24 hours preceding death.’

  ‘Thank you, Doctor. Is it within your knowledge that one of the effects of the consumption of cocaine may be a feeling of well-being and euphoria, which may cause the user to behave in a more excitable and perhaps even more reckless way than she otherwise might?’

  Dr Wren nodded.

  ‘I might not put it exactly like that myself, but I wouldn’t disagree.’

  ‘Is that effect capable of continuing for up to 48 hours after consumption?’

  ‘Yes. Again, that depends on timing and quantity. But it would certainly be commonplace for it to continue for at least 24 hours.’

  ‘Thank you, Dr Wren.’ He glanced at Jess, who shook her head. ‘I have nothing further.’

  41

  Andrew consulted his notes, and looked up at the judge.

  ‘My Lord, I anticipate starting on the police evidence tomorrow morning. There is one short witness I can call now, and then I will ask your Lordship to adjourn for the day.’

  Mr Justice Rainer looked up at the courtroom clock. It was approaching 4 o’clock.

  ‘Yes, very well, Mr Pilkington.’

  ‘I am much obliged. Jack Farmer, please.’

  Jack Farmer, a tall, well-built man in his forties wearing a grey suit, made his way to the witness box and took the oath.

  ‘Mr Farmer, what is your occupation?’

  ‘I am a scenes of crime officer employed by the Metropolitan Police.’

  ‘Tell the jury, please, what a scenes of crime officer does.’

  ‘We are instructed to attend crime scenes and other relevant locations to secure the scene to the extent necessary; to identify items of evidence, to preserve and seize that evidence; and to work with the officer in charge of the case to ensure that evidence is then sent for forensic examination.’

  ‘And does that mean that you may deal with evidence such as bloodstains and fingerprints?’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘In connection with this case, did you receive a call in the early afternoon of 28 April this year, to attend a scene?’

>   ‘Yes, sir. Together with other officers, I was instructed to attend Harpur Mews WC1. We were told that a stabbing had taken place, and we were asked to attend to make a search for any evidence, and to assist the officer in charge of the case in any way we could.’

  ‘The officer in charge being DI Webb?’

  ‘That is correct, sir.’

  ‘On arrival at the scene, what did you notice?’

  ‘We noticed two things. One was that the weather was unfavourable. It was raining. In some circumstances, that can lead to contamination of an outdoor scene and to the potential loss of evidence. That meant that we had to start work as soon as possible. But the second thing was that when we arrived, the ambulance crew was still working, trying to revive the victim, and we were unable to approach the scene until they had left.’

  ‘Did that affect your work greatly in this case?’

  ‘Fortunately not, sir. DI Webb and other officers had already seized items of evidence and got them out of the rain. These included the weapon allegedly used in the stabbing, and the victim’s handbag. We recovered the clothing from the victim and the defendant later. There was a very large quantity of blood on all the clothing, and despite the rain, we were able to submit all of it for forensic testing.’

  ‘Mr Farmer, I don’t think there will be any dispute about this, and my learned friend will correct me if I’m wrong. Is it right to say that various items of bloodstained clothing from both Susan Lang and Henry Lang were sent for testing, and when compared to samples of blood collected by the ambulance crew from the body, the blood was found to be that of Susan Lang?’

  ‘That is correct, sir.’

  ‘And similarly with the knife, our Exhibit 2, which was recovered by DI Webb, did it prove to be the case that there was a sufficient quantity of blood remaining on the knife to permit a comparison to be made, and were the blood stains on the knife found to be the blood of Susan Lang?’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  Andrew turned to the judge.

  ‘My Lord, as there is no dispute about it, I now ask that the knife, Exhibit 2, be shown to the jury.’

  Geoffrey once again brought the knife within close range of the jury, but this time he did not walk on past them to the witness box. This time, he stopped in front of the jury box and allowed the jury to see the dark stains for themselves. They nodded grimly.

  ‘Mr Farmer, I’m going to ask you also to look at some other items. Usher, there are two cardboard boxes behind me. Can we begin with the one on the left, and my Lord, may this be Exhibit 3?’

  The box was bulky, but not heavy, and Geoffrey carried it effortlessly over to the witness.

  ‘Please tell my Lord and the jury what this is.’

  ‘These are the items of clothing recovered from the victim, Susan Lang. Each item is in a separate plastic bag, including her shoes. Her handbag is also included, but not its contents. The individual items have been marked as Exhibits 3A to 3K.’

  ‘Yes. And can the jury see for themselves the extent of the staining?’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘Actually,’ Andrew said, ‘if his Lordship will permit, would you please step down from the witness box and identify the individual items for the jury?’

  Ben stood.

  ‘My Lord, there is no need for the jury to have to see this. I have already made it clear that there is no dispute about the cause of death. My learned friend is indulging in a piece of pure theatre; he is simply trying to shock the jury while adding nothing of substance to the case.’

  ‘I don’t accept that, my Lord,’ Andrew retorted immediately. ‘The prosecution is entitled to show the jury how ferociously this defendant attacked Susan Lang. It is relevant to our contention that this was a very angry man who planned to kill his wife because he wanted to stop her getting custody of his children at all costs –’

  ‘My learned friend has already established the ferocity of the attack through Dr Wren,’ Ben countered. ‘We do not dispute it. There is no need to expose the jury to graphic evidence of this kind, which has no value except to prejudice them against the defendant.’

  Mr Justice Rainer nodded.

  ‘I understand the objection, Mr Schroeder, but I think the prosecution is entitled to ask the jury to look at the evidence and draw their own conclusions. You may leave the witness box, Mr Farmer.’

  ‘As your Lordship pleases,’ Ben said, resuming his seat.

  ‘Mr Farmer, without removing any item from its plastic bag, would you take each in turn from the usher and show it to the jury, please?’

  ‘Here we go,’ Ben heard Barratt whisper behind him.

  Piece by piece, Farmer held up for the jury’s inspection each item of clothing Susan Lang had worn, and the handbag she had carried, when she met her death. Even to Ben, the extent of the bloodstains was horrific. To the jury, it went beyond anything they had expected to see in the courtroom. One or two looked as though they felt rather sick. Others had turned pale; others held hands up to their faces.

  ‘It shouldn’t hurt us,’ Jess was whispering. ‘It’s just as consistent with a frenzy brought on by provocation.’

  Ben nodded. In theory she was right, but the jurors were looking towards the dock again, as they had when the knife was produced, and their looks were not kind.

  ‘I’m not going to repeat the exercise with the defendant’s clothing,’ Andrew said, once Farmer had regained the witness box. ‘But can you identify the second cardboard box, Exhibit 4, please, my Lord, as containing the clothing worn by the defendant, again each item in a separate plastic bag and separately marked as Exhibits 4A to 4G, and is it all available if the defence wish to refer to it?’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘Thank you. Exhibit 5 is an album containing ten black and white photographs. There are copies for the jury. What do these photographs show?’

  Geoffrey quickly distributed copies to the witness and the jury.

  ‘They show the scene at Harpur Mews after the victim’s body had been removed. There’s actually nothing very much to see except for the dark stains on the ground, from which we took samples, which were found to be the blood of Susan Lang.’

  ‘Thank you. Did you find any other evidence at the scene?’

  ‘No, sir, I think we’ve covered it all.’

  ‘All right. Let me come to the following day. Did DI Webb ask you to do something on that day?’

  ‘Yes, sir. The next morning, at DI Webb’s request, I went with DS Raymond to a flat at 36B Alwyne Road N1, which was identified to me as being the home address of Henry Lang. We were given a set of keys, and we were able to gain access without difficulty.’

  ‘Did you and DS Raymond search the address?’

  ‘We did, sir.’

  ‘Again, I don’t want to deal with matters that may have no importance, and my learned friend will be able to ask any questions he wishes. But did you find one item that struck you both as of potential value to the investigation?’

  ‘We did, sir.’

  ‘Exhibit 6, please, usher. Can you tell the jury what this is?’

  ‘Yes, sir. This is a set of kitchen knives with blades of various lengths, each with the same brown handle stained to give the appearance of wood. These knives were found in the kitchen, and were contained in this stainless steel rack, as you can see.’

  ‘The jury will see,’ Andrew said, ‘that one slot in the rack is empty.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  Ben stood. ‘Again, my Lord, there is no dispute.’

  ‘Be that as it may,’ Andrew insisted, ‘I would like the jury to see this. Would you please take Exhibit 2, the knife recovered by DI Webb from the scene, and tell the jury what you notice about it?’

  ‘Exhibit 2 appears to be identical to the other knives, apart from its size and the length of the blade, and it appears that Exhibit 2 fits e
xactly into the empty slot in the rack. When you insert Exhibit 2 into the slot it completes the set.’

  ‘And does Exhibit 2 appear to be the second largest knife in terms of the length of its blade?’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘What is the length of the blade of Exhibit 2?’

  ‘It is approximately five inches in length, sir.’

  ‘Did you feel the point to test its sharpness?’

  ‘Yes, sir. It is very sharp indeed.’

  ‘And does it have a serrated edge?’

  ‘It does, also very sharp. I would ask, sir, if members of the jury plan to handle it, that they be very careful.’

  ‘We will bear that in mind. Thank you, Mr Farmer. Wait there, please.’

  ‘No questions, my Lord,’ Ben said at once.

  Mr Justice Rainer looked at the clock once more.

  ‘Yes, well, we will leave it there. Be back for 10.30 tomorrow morning, members of the jury, please.’

  Feeling drained, they started to gather up their papers.

  ‘Let’s go down to the cells and see Henry,’ Ben said, ‘then back to chambers to go over the police evidence before we go home.’

  ‘I’m glad we’ve got the gruesome stuff over and done with,’ Jess replied, with obvious relief.

  Ben nodded. ‘But it’s not over for the jury. Some of them are going to have trouble enjoying their dinner tonight, and they’re going to want to blame it on Henry.’

  42

  Harriet dropped off her coat in the room she shared with Ben, and made her way along the short corridor to see her former pupil-master. She had phoned in to chambers before leaving the Old Bailey, to make sure that Aubrey was available. Merlin had confirmed that he was in his room, working on an opinion for a banking client. Her tone of voice told the senior clerk that she needed to speak to Aubrey urgently, and Merlin had passed this on. He had made sure that she would have his undivided attention when she returned to chambers.