years before, Garry showed no emotion as the verdict was read out. He stared impassively ahead of him as if the jury foreman’s voice was just background noise.
Over the next few days Garry’s son Gareth was foundnot guilty of disposing of evidence from the Potters Bar house. In Paula Fiddes’ case, the jury failed to reach a verdict on the allegation that she helped Malone, but she was later given a fine and an 8-month suspended sentence for perverting the course of justice by lying to police.
A week after the original verdict was reached, Malone was back in court to receive a life sentence. ‘You are a manipulative, calculating and deceitful man,’ Judge Stephen Kramer told him. For Harry Clinch and the rest of Sharon’s family it was the outcome they’d been hoping for although it did little to fill the jagged hole left in their lives by Sharon’s death. ‘I have got to get some answers,’ Harry pleaded outside the courthouse. ‘I want to know why he did it.’
But the legacy of Garry Malone’s crime extends far beyond his victim’s family. Anyone who saw that original TV appeal, who watched a cold-blooded killer play the part of a desperate husband with such consummate ease will have been left with a bitter aftertaste. If the very person who swore to love and honour could go on to commit murder and then lie about it so well and with so little conscience, what’s the point in getting close to someone? Do you ever really know what the person who shares your life and your bed is capable of?
And that’s the worst thing about crimes such as Garry Malone’s: they force us to ask that most destructive and hurtful of all questions – can we ever really trust anybody?
CHAPTER FOUR
PAID FOR HIS OWN DEATH
Y vette Luffman nervously counted through the stack of money in front of her. She’d already been through it at least twice before but she wanted to make sure it was all there. Plus, she needed to have something to do to take her mind off the enormity of what she was doing. To be honest, there was a big part of her that still didn’t believe she would really go through with it. It was as if she was watching a film – only the lead actress was herself. Things like this just didn’t happen in real life did they? Still, if it was a film then she could just switch it off at any time and walk away, couldn’t she? And everything would go back to how it was.
Once again her shaky fingers sorted out the sheaf of notes into piles. Yes, it was all there. She got out an envelopeand stuffed the money inside. It was amazing how thick the bundle seemed. The envelope was so full, the flap would barely close over the top.
One thousand pounds. It was such a lot of money. Just think of all the things she could do with that amount of cash. She could get the kids the bits and pieces they were constantly asking for and buy some new clothes; she could even put some money down on a holiday somewhere exotic. She wouldn’t care where it was as long as it was well away from the Midlands.
Not that Boston – where she’d lived up until then – wasn’t a decent place to live. With its historic buildings, vast parish church and busy market, the attractive town was a great place to bring up children. Now she’d met new boyfriend Wayne, however, she’d been spending much more time in his hometown of Bulwell, Nottinghamshire, which wasn’t at all as picturesque. Besides, since her marriage break up and all the rows that had followed it, every place seemed to carry some bitter memory. A thousand quid would get her well away from here.
Still, it was no good thinking like that, she told herself sternly, sealing up the envelope and smoothing it down decisively. She knew she couldn’t spend a penny of that money; she just had to bide her time and wait. Before long she’d have loads of money and then she could do all the things she dreamed of – have the holiday of a lifetime if she wanted to. She remembered when she’d got the
Over the next few days Garry’s son Gareth was foundnot guilty of disposing of evidence from the Potters Bar house. In Paula Fiddes’ case, the jury failed to reach a verdict on the allegation that she helped Malone, but she was later given a fine and an 8-month suspended sentence for perverting the course of justice by lying to police.
A week after the original verdict was reached, Malone was back in court to receive a life sentence. ‘You are a manipulative, calculating and deceitful man,’ Judge Stephen Kramer told him. For Harry Clinch and the rest of Sharon’s family it was the outcome they’d been hoping for although it did little to fill the jagged hole left in their lives by Sharon’s death. ‘I have got to get some answers,’ Harry pleaded outside the courthouse. ‘I want to know why he did it.’
But the legacy of Garry Malone’s crime extends far beyond his victim’s family. Anyone who saw that original TV appeal, who watched a cold-blooded killer play the part of a desperate husband with such consummate ease will have been left with a bitter aftertaste. If the very person who swore to love and honour could go on to commit murder and then lie about it so well and with so little conscience, what’s the point in getting close to someone? Do you ever really know what the person who shares your life and your bed is capable of?
And that’s the worst thing about crimes such as Garry Malone’s: they force us to ask that most destructive and hurtful of all questions – can we ever really trust anybody?
CHAPTER FOUR
PAID FOR HIS OWN DEATH
Y vette Luffman nervously counted through the stack of money in front of her. She’d already been through it at least twice before but she wanted to make sure it was all there. Plus, she needed to have something to do to take her mind off the enormity of what she was doing. To be honest, there was a big part of her that still didn’t believe she would really go through with it. It was as if she was watching a film – only the lead actress was herself. Things like this just didn’t happen in real life did they? Still, if it was a film then she could just switch it off at any time and walk away, couldn’t she? And everything would go back to how it was.
Once again her shaky fingers sorted out the sheaf of notes into piles. Yes, it was all there. She got out an envelopeand stuffed the money inside. It was amazing how thick the bundle seemed. The envelope was so full, the flap would barely close over the top.
One thousand pounds. It was such a lot of money. Just think of all the things she could do with that amount of cash. She could get the kids the bits and pieces they were constantly asking for and buy some new clothes; she could even put some money down on a holiday somewhere exotic. She wouldn’t care where it was as long as it was well away from the Midlands.
Not that Boston – where she’d lived up until then – wasn’t a decent place to live. With its historic buildings, vast parish church and busy market, the attractive town was a great place to bring up children. Now she’d met new boyfriend Wayne, however, she’d been spending much more time in his hometown of Bulwell, Nottinghamshire, which wasn’t at all as picturesque. Besides, since her marriage break up and all the rows that had followed it, every place seemed to carry some bitter memory. A thousand quid would get her well away from here.
Still, it was no good thinking like that, she told herself sternly, sealing up the envelope and smoothing it down decisively. She knew she couldn’t spend a penny of that money; she just had to bide her time and wait. Before long she’d have loads of money and then she could do all the things she dreamed of – have the holiday of a lifetime if she wanted to. She remembered when she’d got the
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