‘I’ve dealt with a lot of people in my time and believe me, I’ve known the most unlikely people to commit the most horrendous of crimes.’
‘I don’t doubt it,’ said Gordon, ‘but John Palmer did not kill his daughter. I’m equally convinced that the police are not bothering to investigate the circumstances of this case fully. They don’t seem to have questioned his confession at all. Surely they have a duty to check?’
‘Mr Palmer is a well-balanced, intelligent, rational human being,’ said Roberts. ‘He has confessed to killing his child. There’s really no reason for the police to concern themselves any more than they have done over the case.’
‘But surely they’re duty bound to check out the details of what he says?’ said Gordon. ‘Motive for instance.’
‘Motive’ repeated Roberts.
‘Why did he kill her?’
‘Mr Palmer says that he feared that the quality of his daughter’s life would not be good enough in the long term.’
‘Rubbish,’ said Gordon. ‘John Palmer never thought that for a moment; he was always very positive.’
‘It’s what he said,’ insisted Roberts.
‘He obviously still thinks that Lucy did it. Have the police even bothered to pursue that line of inquiry? They must be able to pick holes in his confession if they really tried.’
Roberts looked at him as if he were a schoolmaster wondering how to go about teaching a particularly dim pupil some fundamental fact of life. ‘I’m afraid I’m not privy to police thinking,’ he said, ‘but what I do know is that the Crown Prosecution Office is not disposed to being unsympathetic in this particular case.’
Gordon suspected there was more to be taken from the statement than what had appeared at face value. ‘What exactly are you saying, Mr Roberts?’ he asked.
‘Consider the facts,’ said Roberts. ‘A baby has died, a severely handicapped child by all accounts with a questionable quality of life. Her father has admitted carrying out what could conceivably be deemed a mercy killing in popular parlance.’
‘Not many at Caernarfon the other day were taking that view,’ said Gordon. ‘They wanted to bring back hanging.’
‘They were not in full possession of the facts,’ said Roberts. ‘The press saw to that. When it suits them to change tack again, they will and then they’ll sway public opinion in the opposite direction.’
Gordon didn’t argue. Roberts was right about that.
‘It’s my feeling that the court will ultimately view the case with compassion and the prosecution will not oppose such leanings … providing things remain as they stand at the moment.’
‘But?’ prompted Gordon.
‘If Mr Palmer were to change his mind and alter his plea to not guilty then it’s my belief that the police would charge both him and his wife with murder and the prosecution would push for life sentences for them both.’
‘Without any hard evidence against them?’
‘Frankly, I don’t think they’d need any,’ said Roberts with a shake of the head. ‘Look at the facts. Mrs Palmer’s early rejection of the child, its very severe deformity, the fact that it was found buried in the Palmers’ own garden. What jury would think anything other than that the Palmers had killed their own daughter?’
With great reluctance, Gordon had to agree. ‘So if John Palmer admits to a crime he did not commit the police and the Crown prosecution service will go easy on him for having made life easy for them,’ he said.
‘I really must remind you that at no time has John Palmer even hinted at being innocent,’ said Roberts.
Gordon accepted defeat with a shrug. ‘Who will represent him in court?’ he asked.
‘One of James Throgmorton’s people; I’ve forgotten the name for the moment.’
‘Not the guy who got OJ Simpson off then?’
‘It’s a lady barrister I think,’ replied Roberts, ignoring the jibe. ‘Nice girl, very bright, but she only has to offer a plea of mitigation.’
‘Any
‘I don’t doubt it,’ said Gordon, ‘but John Palmer did not kill his daughter. I’m equally convinced that the police are not bothering to investigate the circumstances of this case fully. They don’t seem to have questioned his confession at all. Surely they have a duty to check?’
‘Mr Palmer is a well-balanced, intelligent, rational human being,’ said Roberts. ‘He has confessed to killing his child. There’s really no reason for the police to concern themselves any more than they have done over the case.’
‘But surely they’re duty bound to check out the details of what he says?’ said Gordon. ‘Motive for instance.’
‘Motive’ repeated Roberts.
‘Why did he kill her?’
‘Mr Palmer says that he feared that the quality of his daughter’s life would not be good enough in the long term.’
‘Rubbish,’ said Gordon. ‘John Palmer never thought that for a moment; he was always very positive.’
‘It’s what he said,’ insisted Roberts.
‘He obviously still thinks that Lucy did it. Have the police even bothered to pursue that line of inquiry? They must be able to pick holes in his confession if they really tried.’
Roberts looked at him as if he were a schoolmaster wondering how to go about teaching a particularly dim pupil some fundamental fact of life. ‘I’m afraid I’m not privy to police thinking,’ he said, ‘but what I do know is that the Crown Prosecution Office is not disposed to being unsympathetic in this particular case.’
Gordon suspected there was more to be taken from the statement than what had appeared at face value. ‘What exactly are you saying, Mr Roberts?’ he asked.
‘Consider the facts,’ said Roberts. ‘A baby has died, a severely handicapped child by all accounts with a questionable quality of life. Her father has admitted carrying out what could conceivably be deemed a mercy killing in popular parlance.’
‘Not many at Caernarfon the other day were taking that view,’ said Gordon. ‘They wanted to bring back hanging.’
‘They were not in full possession of the facts,’ said Roberts. ‘The press saw to that. When it suits them to change tack again, they will and then they’ll sway public opinion in the opposite direction.’
Gordon didn’t argue. Roberts was right about that.
‘It’s my feeling that the court will ultimately view the case with compassion and the prosecution will not oppose such leanings … providing things remain as they stand at the moment.’
‘But?’ prompted Gordon.
‘If Mr Palmer were to change his mind and alter his plea to not guilty then it’s my belief that the police would charge both him and his wife with murder and the prosecution would push for life sentences for them both.’
‘Without any hard evidence against them?’
‘Frankly, I don’t think they’d need any,’ said Roberts with a shake of the head. ‘Look at the facts. Mrs Palmer’s early rejection of the child, its very severe deformity, the fact that it was found buried in the Palmers’ own garden. What jury would think anything other than that the Palmers had killed their own daughter?’
With great reluctance, Gordon had to agree. ‘So if John Palmer admits to a crime he did not commit the police and the Crown prosecution service will go easy on him for having made life easy for them,’ he said.
‘I really must remind you that at no time has John Palmer even hinted at being innocent,’ said Roberts.
Gordon accepted defeat with a shrug. ‘Who will represent him in court?’ he asked.
‘One of James Throgmorton’s people; I’ve forgotten the name for the moment.’
‘Not the guy who got OJ Simpson off then?’
‘It’s a lady barrister I think,’ replied Roberts, ignoring the jibe. ‘Nice girl, very bright, but she only has to offer a plea of mitigation.’
‘Any
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