The 'third' report is undated and unsigned. It is the corrected/amended version of the draft first report. Dr Ashton identified it as the version used at the Macpherson trial. Miss Postgate identified it as bearing the corrections requested by Mr Anthony Arlidge QC who later abandoned the defence brief during the second trial. Ashton confirmed that Arlidge had asked her to remove vital evidence from consideration in the third version and accepts this was done without the consent of the defendant. Recently discovered solicitor's correspondence indicates Ashton produced yet another version a few days before she gave evidence at the Macpherson trial, several weeks after Postgate's firm had withdrawn from the case. The phantom forth report remains undisclosed.
Due to what must have been a breakdown in communications between Nicosia and London, Doctors Sophocleous (bogus) and Evthokas were still trying to support Dr Bowden's diagnosis of serious mental illness (manic-depressive psychosis) long after his opinion had been discredited. Ashton's brief second report sought to refute those self-serving, retrospective diagnoses. (Amusingly, Sophocleous initially claimed he had treated Koupparis for schizophrenia then changed his diagnosis to manic-depression. Evthokas had started with 'pseudo-schizophrenia' then changed to obssesive compulsive disorder then, most recently, to paranoia.)
This extract from the trial transcript captures the moment the defence collapsed: when Justice Macpherson questioned Dr Ashton directly. It should be noted that Ashton claims she had presented 'involuntary drug-induced psychosis' at the trial. The transcript contradicts that view. In her letter she refers to 'hypomania (psychosis)', the two terms being synonymous. As it stands, the official transcript cannot be reconciled with the evidence or the witnesses' recollections.