Chapter Fifty-five
The address by the Crown prosecutor was brief, tinged with traces of legal instruction and homespun wisdom, and delivered with a pleasant smile. He professed sadness at the downfall of an officer thought to be an exemplary police detective, but he reminded the jury several times of their obligation to be impartial with their decisions. Pity was not a relevant emotion.
The defence elected not to make an opening address, a course they had followed in the Vandermeer trial. Oscar had once again counseled that it was unwise to reveal to the jury the defence case at the beginning of the trial. Drip feed them – keep them interested, was his belief.
Inspector Bill Etheridge was the first witness for the prosecution, and although he was really a non-contentious witness, Oscar
