Beyond Innocence

by Barrie Turner

  Chapter 29

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  The following day, the London Independent formally lodged their appeal in the libel case against Timothy Harris. The lodging of the appeal caused a sensation, but that was nothing compared to the interest generated by the London Independent. As the information filtered into the public domain, the resultant storm slowly gathered strength, it reached hurricane level when it became clear that Timothy Harris had lied to, and misled, parliament. There was no need for any baying hounds from the opposition benches this time. The Prime Minister was the first to react to the news. The errant MP was swiftly summonsed to the Prime Minister’s private office in the commons, there he was told in no uncertain manner he was being sacked, and removed from office with immediate effect. This time, no amount of pleading by Timothy would allow the Prime Minister to relent. Neither was he content to leave his decision in abeyance until such time as the London Independent News appeal was heard.

  In all the press, editorial comment on his dismissal followed the same pattern, ‘Good Riddance to a bad apple, rotten to the core.’ For a change, MPs, on all sides of the political spectrum were united in their condemnation of a man who had let the House down in such dramatic fashion. This was mirrored by party supporting newspapers, praising the Prime Minister to the hilt for acting so decisively and with such speed in getting rid of him. Although Timothy Harris was rank bad news, the baying hounds could smell blood; now they wanted blood.

  In no time at all it was the day of the libel case appeal. People had come to the courts from all over the country and many had slept out overnight in order to ensure they got a seat. So great was demand, limits were placed on the press allocation and when the court opened it was soon packed to capacity. There was a loud and continuous buzz of excited conversation as everybody waited eagerly for the case to begin.

  The appeal was being heard before His Lordship Sir Campbell McKenzie the judge who presided in the original libel trial. Once again the London Independent’s lawyers were Robert Jackson QC and Elizabeth Collins QC. With Jerome Jerome and co. acting for Timothy Harris the stage was set for the finale.

  “All rise,” intoned the dull monotonous voice of the usher allowing Sir Campbell McKenzie to stride purposefully into court. Today, it was quite apparent he wasn’t very pleased, and that was an indication to all concerned not to get the wrong side of him.

  Without wasting any time, and, equally anxious not to suffer the wrath of this judge, Robert Jackson QC opened the case for the appeal, “My lord, this appeal has been brought before you on the basis that, in the previous libel case, the witness Harris lied on oath and perjured himself, in order to secure the verdict against my clients. During that trial, the defendant Harris denied he had been in the company of Angela Clarkson on or about the night she died. We now have evidence which we shall lay before you, that this was the first lie, perpetrated by Harris. Harris also stated, in his evidence, he had not given Angela Clarkson the gift of a watch, and he allowed a watch to be produced as evidence here before you, knowing that was also untrue. Before I go any further, I should like to point out this new evidence, which is now before you, has been provided by the defendant himself, when he sought to extricate himself from the murder enquiry into the death of Angela Clarkson. So, there can be no doubt whatsoever about the authenticity, or, the validity, of my client’s case.”

  Sir Campbell’s face had a look like thunder, and it was clear the source of his displeasure lay in the defendant Timothy Harris. Before anybody could speak, and, in order to silence anybody who dared, his gavel came down with an almighty crash. “Silence!” he ordered, “Silence in this court.” He fastened his gaze upon Timothy Harris, then his gravel filled voice filled the room as he spoke, “Mr Harris, these are very grave and serious charges you are facing, and before this case continues any further, I feel it only fair to warn you that I don’t have much time, or sympathy, with those who come before me and perjure themselves. Let there be no doubt in your mind, if that is the case here, you will be facing a long custodial sentence. After your victory in my court, I can recall the jury awarding you a record sum in damages, and should you suffer any reversal here I will be mindful of that, when I make any award against you. As a result of this and, for the duration of this case, I am going to make an order, before this court, freezing all of your assets. Do you understand?”

  Whilst Timothy nodded, Jerome was on his feet. He asked the judge for permission to approach the bench. The judge gave his approval to this request, and both counsel made their approach.

  “Well man, what is it? The judge snapped impatiently.

  “Your honour I was wondering if we might be able to have a word in chambers about this. My client is fully aware of the wrong he has committed, and he is most anxious to put matters to rights. Even to the extent of admitting his guilt here, and now. He is acutely aware, with his police statements in the possession of the defence, he cannot possibly defend these allegations against him. He would also like to state this is something he will always have to live with and, to his everlasting shame, it is something that he will always regret. In mitigation, he simply wishes to say all this stemmed from his wish to keep his name out of the papers during the police enquiry into the death of the poor Clarkson girl, because of his position in public life. He is most genuinely sorry he did not come into the open at the time, and he now realises, had he done so, none of this would have happened and, whilst he might have had to resign his position in government, he would at least have earned some respect for doing so, even if it meant he sacrificed his career.”

  Sir Campbell listened to this impassioned plea, without a trace of emotion, or any change in his facial expression. Announcing a recess whilst he conferred with both parties in his chambers a hush descended on the courtroom as they hurriedly left the court.

  Once in the privacy of the Judge’s chambers, Jerome continued from where he had left off, “Your honour, it goes without saying, my client will repay the sum he was awarded in damages, together with accrued interest, and he will also pay the full legal costs of both hearings. Furthermore, if we can reach some agreement here, then there will be quite a considerable saving in costs, but if we have to go through a lengthy, and protracted hearing, there will be a dramatic escalation in costs, which might mean my client would not be able to meet all his obligations.”

  Sir Campbell McKenzie looked inquisitively at Robert Jackson QC. and posed the question, “What do you think about this. It’s your clients who have brought the action, and if they will be satisfied with the offer, it’s up to them. However, personally, I don’t think that is the end of it. Is it Mr. Jerome? If you, and your client are thinking this will square matters then, you’d better think again. In the first place, this man had the temerity to come into my court and commit perjury. I don’t mind the two parties striking a fair deal, but there will be no negotiations on any other matters. Do I make myself clear, Mr. Jerome.? Once this hearing is concluded, the papers will be passed to the Director of Public Prosecutions in order to ascertain whether a charge of perjury should be brought against your client.”

  A nod from the judge indicated to Robert Jackson QC. that it was his turn to make a contribution to the hearing. He quickly responded, “On behalf of London Independent Newspapers may I say that, if the offers mentioned were put on the table, together with a public apology, then, I don’t think my clients will object. If this case went the full distance, my clients would not benefit by another penny piece, and as we have just been advised, there may not be a big enough pot if the case is prolonged. In that case, if you will let me confer with my clients on that basis I will see what I can do to secure their agreement.”

  Sir Campbell was, at last, beginning to mellow, “Well Mr. Jerome,” he said quietly, “I think you’d better go and have a word with your client as well. Tell him what his options are and ensure he fully understands the future which awaits him. Then, we’ll reconvene after lunch.” With a dismissive wave of the hand,
Sir Campbell allowed both men to leave for their own consultations.

  When the court reconvened after lunch, it was a very different man who appeared in the dock before his Lordship. Timothy Harris looked a completely broken man. He knew before the hearing started that the future for him looked bleak to say the least, but he hadn’t expected it to be as bad as Jerome senior had painted it. By the time this hearing was over, he would be lucky to have any money left at all, added to which there would still be the divorce costs, together with whatever settlement was made.

  During the recess, both parties had come to an agreement covering all financial matters. All that remained was for the judge to confirm his agreement to the details. He coughed slightly before he began his address, “Ladies, and gentlemen, in the case of London Independent Newspapers versus Timothy Harris, agreement has been reached with the plaintiffs for the repayment of the sum of two million pounds damages, plus accrued interest. In addition, the defendant Timothy Harris, has agreed to pay all of the costs of the plaintiffs covering both hearings and amounting to one million two hundred and fifty pounds. Mr. Harris has also agreed to issue a public apology to all concerned. All monies were to be lodged, and deposited, with these courts offices within the next seven days. Any non compliance of such agreement will be met with the issue of a warrant for immediate arrest.”

  Before bringing this case to a conclusion, I have to point out that the papers are being sent to the Department of Public Prosecutions in order to consider whether, or not, to bring charges of perjury against the defendant Harris. Coming to the end of his speech, he motioned to the usher that proceedings were drawing to a close, and the usher’s familiar cry of, “All rise,” echoed around the courtroom.

  This prompted a mad scramble from the assembled press and television reporters to convey their stories to the waiting public. Timothy Harris was now very big news indeed, but for all the very wrong reasons.

  The conclusion of the hearing dominated the news and the whole of the national press for quite some time, and it certainly gave the Prime Minister more than a few anxious moments in parliament.

  However, this was only the tip of the iceberg. The West Yorkshire police force had descended on Merseyside but this was not to be they easy whitewash they had at first anticipated. Now the file was out in the public domain, some very serious and embarrassing questions were now being posed. Almost immediately, it was announced that the Chief Constable was being suspended on full pay until such time as the investigation was concluded. The same treatment was given to Detective Inspector Taylor as well as Detective Sergeant West. In turn, this led to even more embarrassing questions being put to the government, and the Home Secretary.

  Over the next few weeks the press had a feeding frenzy, during which time they devoured every morsel which came their way. Never before had so many had so much to write about because these topics covered greed, corruption, sex, lies and genuine sorrow. Even so, each revelation seemed to add a dimension of its own. Interest in the three suspended police officers had waned a little after it was announced that they had all been certified sick, and too ill to attend the enquiry when summonsed. The feeling amongst the general public at large was with the passage of sufficient time, this would peter out, and the principals concerned would retire to oblivion.

  Just as everybody had resigned themselves to a normal life, suddenly, the glare of publicity erupted again. Once again, the spotlight was on Timothy Harris. He was to be tried for perjury, and this was to take place in three months time before his Honour Sir Campbell McKenzie. Following the announcement of this news, Timothy Harris held a series of urgent consultations with Jerome Jerome. He was told, in no uncertain manner, his position from a legal standpoint was almost hopeless, and he should spend his time up to the trial putting all his personal affairs in order, and to prepare himself for the worst.

  As a result of the furore caused by the news surrounding the Merseyside police enquiry, no less a person than Lord Chief Justice Stanhope had been in contact with Irene Yarwood. As he had insisted upon sending the transcripts of the appeal hearing to the authorities for investigation, he felt morally obliged to keep himself fully informed of all developments surrounding the case. As a result, he had studied a copy of the secret prosecution file, and he had been appalled at what he saw. As soon as he had read the contents he could see the allegations made in his court concerning perjury, and the false confession, possessed more than a ring of truth about them. If that were the case, then leave to appeal to the House of Lords should have been given to the defence at that hearing. First of all, he communicated with the two judges who had also heard the appeal, and once they confirmed their own agreement that they concurred with this decision, he wasted no time communicating this to the defence.

  This news came as a tremendous surprise to Irene, and the defence team. She began by submitting the defence application to that body, citing, under Article Six of The Human Rights Act, the rights of Harry Thompson had been abused when his DNA sample was wrongly used for comparison without his permission being obtained. In support of the application, she also included the evidence of malpractice by the Merseyside Police.

  Chapter 30

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  Today, Irene was keeping an appointment with Matron Edith Farrell. She felt she owed this lady a personal visit, and she also knew this visit was long overdue. She was going to return the letter which the matron had written concerning Mrs. Harris, and she was determined to do this in person in order that Mrs. Farrell would then be completely reassured that her secret was entirely safe, and she had no need to worry herself any further about the contents being divulged to anybody.

  She reached the building and began to climb the wooden stairs. From the light of the single bulb, she could see the peeling paintwork on the ceiling, and she felt she could almost taste the nicotine which coated the once pastel painted walls. As she reached the second flight, she tried to avoid holding the varnished handrail, which was sticky to her touch, and she felt herself shuddering at the thought of so many young women who had ascended those stairs in days gone by, and the harrowing stories, and heartache, which lay behind the visits of them all. Eventually, she reached the first floor, and found herself outside the door marked ‘Manchester and District Children’s Adoption Society.’ She obeyed the instruction on the sign which read, “Please Enter” to find herself at a bare counter, which housed a sliding glass panel. As she tried to acquaint herself with her surroundings, this panel was suddenly thrust open and a thoroughly bored voice, enquired “Yes?”

  She turned round to face the person and answered, “I have an appointment with Mrs. Farrell.”

  “Take a seat,” the voice urged, “and I’ll see if she’s free.”

  The panel closed almost immediately and Irene did as requested. On the small table in front of her there were a number of magazines and to pass a few moments she idly gazed at them. One such magazine caught her eye; it was an old edition of The Cheshire Times. It contained all the gossip among the county farming and country set. There were announcements of Hunt Balls, Point to Point race meetings and society weddings. Her eyes were inextricably drawn to the personal and advertisement columns where she spotted a notice announcing the funeral of Anthony Harris. Intrigued rather than curious she began to read it. It said quite simply, ‘Anthony Harris aged 27 years born January 1961 died September 1988, dearly loved son of Paula Harris and Timothy Harris MP. The funeral will take place at St. Martyns Church, St. Martyns under Peover, on Friday 2nd February at 3 pm. No flowers and no members of the press admitted. Admittance Strictly Limited to Family. Close friends by personal invitation only. Members of the public are asked to respect the wishes of the Family.’

  In her mind’s eye she found herself picturing the sad scene. The grieving family including the despicable Timothy Harris, but alas no place for Mrs. Harris the poor mother of the deceased. She pictured the quaint country parish church where, no doubt, all the locals knew one another, the green fiel
ds surrounding the church, the vicarage, and the olde worlde village. Her thoughts were swiftly interrupted with the yellow glass panel being thrust open once again and the voice proclaiming, “Mrs. Farrell is free now would you like to come straight in?”

  She entered the room where she was warmly welcomed by Mrs. Farrell who escorted her to the privacy of her own office. “Good Morning,” she said, “My name is Irene Yarwood. I spoke to you earlier on the telephone and you said it would be convenient for me to call to see you today.” Whilst continuing to talk she had already extracted the letter which she was returning from her brief case and now she carefully handed it over saying as she did, “I thought, in view of the contents of this letter that it would be far safer in your hands. As you have probably heard Mrs. Harris has made some slight improvement and, as a result the threat of switching off the life support system has been lifted so there was no need to involve anybody else.”

  Matron Farrell took the letter and Irene could see instantly the relief which flooded her face friendly face which became transformed with a warm smile. “I would like to say thank you very much indeed I really do appreciate this and if there is anything I can do to help in the future please don’t hesitate to let me know. You know I was really at my wits end when I wrote that letter. All I could think about was that poor dear woman just lying there unable to move and I felt that I had to do something.”

  “Well, Mrs. Farrell, because of the situation my colleagues and I who are handling the defence of Mrs. Harris’s son have not told him anything about this up until now so you have no need to worry about there being any breach of the confidentiality code operated by the society. Although now that her doctors have achieved this breakthrough it is more than likely that she will wish to have some communication with her son but we appreciate that confirmation of this will have to come from Mrs. Harris herself.”