Wed, Jan 1, 1975
Eric Flynn has brought a private prosecution against his wife Ethel for actual bodily harm. He alleges that at the last new year he was hit by her with a saucepan when he returned home unexpectedly late at night. As a result he required stitches in a head wound. Ethel denies the charges and the defence suggest that Eric was drunk at the time and has wrongly accused her. They say he was assaulted by someone else, possibly Ethel's mother or in the street by an unknown assailant.
Tue, Jan 14, 1975
Sophie Mannering, editor of the radical magazine "Tell", faces the rare charge of seditious libel. It is alleged she knowingly published an article which urged readers to "kill the pigs". This was distributed at a demonstration which involved violent clashes with the police. Miss Mannering insists the edition found at the demonstration was a fabrication planted by an agent provocateur. She and her colleagues and her supporters admit they are unhappy with what they see as police brutality but assert they deplore violence and would never advocate its use. Unusually Miss Mannering dismisses her counsel Mr. Salter during the trial, arguing that as her publication is "for the people" she should conduct her own defence.
Tue, Jan 21, 1975
Rosalind Fortescue was a resident until her death in an expensive care home where she developed a close relationship with her nurse Bridget Behan. Miss Behan told her she wanted to set up a care home of her own and Mrs. Fortescue paid her £10000 towards this end. However the care home was never established and the prosecution claim that Miss Behan deceived her resident and then spent the money on luxuries for herself. Miss Behan protests her innocence. Her case is that she always intended to use the money for the care home but was frustrated in her aim by Mrs. Fortescue's son who always resented her and only wanted to protect his inheritance.
Tue, Jan 28, 1975
Last year Jimmy Biddle was convicted of the electoral crime of personation: voting as eight different people who had recently died in a local election. Now he is a witness for the prosecution in the trial of businessman and councillor Harry Webb. Webb is accused of paying £250 to Biddle to impersonate these dead voters with the aim of winning a victory over his business and political rival Laurence King. Webb denies the charge. He says Biddle is an unreliable witness who is lying. He paid Biddle the money for building a garden wall and suggests he is the victim of a conspiracy to frame him.
Tue, Feb 4, 1975
At an earlier trial George Ross was found guilty of the murder of his business associate Jack Murphy but the jury could not come to a verdict on the same charge for his twin brother Sammy. Now Sammy is being re-tried for murder. The defence do not deny that Sammy killed Jack Murphy but allege that he was in effect under the mental control of his domineering brother with whom he has always a strong link - manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. A reluctant George is called to give evidence against his brother by the prosecution who assert that Sammy knew perfectly well what he was doing and took part in the murder on his own initiative.
Tue, Feb 11, 1975
Wealthy American Daniel Wolff, who has been previously investigated but not charged by the FBI for suspected drug-dealing, is charged with the attempted murder of scientist Edgar Dryden. Dryden is involved in research using satellite technology to track down drug crops. The method of the alleged attempted murder is remarkable - a rifle guided by a TV monitor and operated by remote control miles away from the victim who was working on an offshore base at the time. Wolff was arrested at sea and whether both his yacht and the offshore base are within British territorial waters become key to the case.
Tue, Feb 25, 1975
Industrial chemist Alec Parker stands accused of criminal damage, specifically of damaging a pump at the factory where he worked, resulting in repairs costing £20000. At the time there was a strike in the factory and the prosecution claim that Parker holds militant views and did this in order to avoid having to work on the shop-floor to replace the strikers as ordered by management. Parker's father was one of the strikers and Parker admits he sympathised with their action. However he says he would never have damaged equipment as this would have jeopardised his own research. He argues that his boss Garfield Lawrence wants to discredit him so he can take full credit for the research tasks on which the pair have worked.
Tue, Apr 22, 1975
In an unusual case, the Crown Court has to decide whether Megwyn Spiteri is fit to stand trial on the charge of murdering her five-year-old twins David and Maria. The defence accepts that the children died after Mrs. Spiteri gave them an overdose of dexedrine. However, it asserts that she was unable to cope with them - they were difficult and disturbed - and killed them while suffering from psychotic delusions that they were possessed by demons. Mrs. Spiteri says she believes the children are still alive and that she "saved them", and the defence argues that this proves she is unfit for trial. However, the prosecution - while accepting her difficult personal circumstances - says that she knew what she was doing at the time of their deaths and now, and has invented the delusions to avoid trial.
Tue, Apr 8, 1975
Racehorse trainer Howard Summers and owner Francis Wetson are charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by doping their horse "Las Vegas Lad". The horse previously had a poor record but in a race meeting at Fulchester displayed unusual speed and was hard to control. The horse eventually threw its jockey Joe Green and broke its leg in a fall and had to be put down. The Prosecution claim the horse was transformed by performance-enhancing drugs but the defendants insist that its improvement was a result of legitimate medical treatment and improved training techniques.
Tue, Apr 15, 1975
Joe Plowman seemed due for release from a hostel for recovering alcoholics but after a late-night incident he was left dead from a stab wound. Resident social worker Nancy Church is now charged with his murder. She insists her innocence. The Defence case is that Plowman was prone to violence and was in the process of attacking Miss Church - he was accidentally stabbed and killed when falling on the knife she was using to warn him away.