Ref: A00-300995 Case No. 871626 Macpherson II
Volume IV, Pages 40-45, Tuesday 13th June, 1989
(In the presence of the jury)
MR. TEMPLE: The next witness is Miss Cripps.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: There is no factual dispute is there,
Mr. Beckman?
MR. BECKMAN: No my Lord. I have already indicated to my learned
friend the witness is not required. I have covered all the
matters that need to be covered.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: I hope you do not think I am being
frivolous, ladies and gentlemen, but the other members we
heard and they are fresh in our nostrils.
MR. TEMPLE: I think, my Lord, since she is here she should be
called.
CHARLOTTE CAROLINE CRIPPS: Sworn
Examined by Mrs. Jessell
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: Are you in the middle of the exam?
A. No, I have got another one next week; I have just finished
one.
Q. You have come having finished one? A. Yes.
MRS. JESSELL: Is your full name Charlotte Caroline Cripps?
A. Yes.
Q. Would you give your address to the Court? A. Two Burdenshott
Avenue, Richmond, Surrey.
Q. Is it right you live there with your parents? A. I do.
Q. I want to ask you about events which probably seem a long
time ago now. In May 1987 is it right that after you had
been to a nightclub in the West End one Saturday towards the
end of March, you met, with three of your friends - that is
Barnabas Kindersley, Jake Clennell and Sophy Thompson - a man
in the street? A. Yes.
Q. By what name did you understand him to be? A. Commander
Nemo.
Q. Is it right that you went to a variety of places, hotels and
clubs with him? A. Yes.
Q. At his expense? A. Yes.
Q. I want to ask you about one visit. Having met him at the
Inter Continental Hotel when you met him with some other
people, you went back to St. John's Wood to a flat there; do
you remember that? A. Yes.
Q. When you got to that flat can you remember what floor in the
block it was and whereabouts? A. It was the top floor.
Q. Were you comfortable there? A. No, I felt uncomfortable.
MR. BECKMAN: I did not see the relevance of that before ---
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: I am not quite sure about it either, but
there it is. (To the witness): You did not want to stay
there? A. No.
MRS. JESSELL: One other matter, Miss Cripps, I would like to ask
you about is this: was there ever any talk about money
between you and Commander Nemo or did you ever hear him talk
about money? A. Yes, I didn't hear him talk about money; I
overheard a conversation where he was telling someone he was
short of money.
Q. Did he say anything else in relation to what he hoped to do
or anything like that? A. Not that I heard.
CROSS-EXAMINED BY MR. BECKMAN
Q. Miss Cripps, we have asked all your friends the details so I
will not detain you for too long; you can go back and study.
Just one or two matters; when you met him, almost straight
away he showed you a contraption which made a noise like a
dog barking? A. Yes.
Q. Dogs' voices vary is it a high pitched bark or a heavy woof?
A. I can't quite remember. I think it changes; I think you
can change the pitch of it.
Q. Was that the same contraption that could disguise one's
voice? A. Yes.
Q. It was the same one? A. Yes.
Q. Was it used and shown in rather a jokey fashion? A. Yes -
no. Well, it was the first occasion but other than that we
didn't really see it.
Q. You did not see it after that? A. Not really, no.
Q. I think the other things the others have seen as well. The
only thing I am going to ask you about possibly, if you will
forgive me, did you borrow from him the sum of £140?
A. No.
Q. You did not borrow? A. No.
(The witness withdrew)
(The statement of the following witness was read to the
Court:
ANDREAS CHRISTOFIDES )
MR. TEMPLE: My Lord, that is as far as matters can be taken
today and your Lordship has already indicated to the jury the
arrangements with regard to Thursday.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: Ladies and gentlemen, there is one other
thing I can usefully mention now. Eventually, probably some
time next week, when you go out to consider your verdict you
will need a foreman or forewoman, somebody to conduct your
debate and return verdicts in due course. There is no need
to worry about that at the moment, but as you are getting to
know each other it might be wise early next week to consider
who you might elect to be your spokesman. It is sensible to
do that in advance so he or she can be prepared to deal with
it when the time comes.
(The jury left the court)
MR. BECKMAN: My Lord, merely in order to assist your Lordship,
the problem we are facing at the moment is that the gentleman
from Portland Down is I understand it not in the country.
They are trying to trace him in Sweden in sufficient time to
give evidence on Friday at the latest. It is always possible
that he might not be here until Monday. The reason I mention
this is because at the earliest opportunity your Lordship may
want to tell the jury what days they may not be here and I
merely mention it now to assist your Lordship. It looks to
me like legal argument is likely to be on Monday, come what
may, and it will be a little while with the Portland Down man
and I would ask your Lordship - because a lot depends on what
answers he gives - to start legal argument on Monday clean
rather than deal with the matter immediately after he has
finished on Friday.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: Yes, of course, I would not make a start
on Friday afternoon.
MR. BECKMAN: I am obliged because a lot of my argument I want to
tidy up before. The authorities I am sure we will be able
to give you on Friday if not possibly ---
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: I have an enormous list, most of which
seem to me to be unhelpful. I do not know whose list it was.
MR. BECKMAN: Not ours.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: The prosecution list is stopping up
gaps.
MR. TEMPLE: It was the prosecution stopgap material with regard
to the previous trial.
MRS. JESSELL: My Lord, I hesitate to rise. If you have that
list I apologise. Those were the authorities we used before.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: Some of the cases were very (inaudible)
but seem to be concerned with a different prosecution. I do
not suppose legal argument will take very long.
MR. BECKMAN: Your Lordship has seen the extent to which we have
pared down this case to its finest element and legal argument
will take longer. It will take a day, at least a day.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: Probably we can tell them they need not
be here on Monday.
(The trial was adjourned until Thursday, 15th June, 1989)
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