Our routine is set by now. We, the immediate family, arrive at the court together and meet up with Ronnie, Mark and his mother once there. Friends and once or twice my brother Paul and his wife have joined us. The media are still keeping their vigil, both inside the courtroom and outside on the concourse. We are well used to them by now.
There is an eerie atmosphere when we arrive today and, for no particular reason, I feel most uneasy. We are summoned into court one and see the prosecution and defence teams in deep conversation. The jury have not yet been called and we have already seen some of the police leaving in a hurry.
Kerry thinks she has heard the phrase ‘a fly in the ointment’ being bandied about. We are puzzled and a little afraid when she tells us this. Mr Marson addresses Judge Hooper to request that the jury not be brought in for the moment, since a problem has arisen. Whatever this problem is, it requires a discussion between the defence, prosecution and judge and will be heard in chambers. Court is dismissed and we all go outside in a most unsettled state.
Before too long, we are told that nothing will be happening today so everyone will be sent home. The trial is being held up for legal reasons. What a shock and what can these reasons be?
Seriously worried, we all file out and at length our barrister has a brief word with us. He seems much less buoyant than usual and can give us little information about the hold-up, aside from the fact that there isn’t just one fly in the ointment – there are three! He looks concerned but does his best to reassure us, saying that the first of the problems has already been addressed and the second is in the process of being so. As regards the third, we can only wait and see. It sounds ominous.
Ray is in a very bad way, so he is taken aside by the leading detective and given a brief resume of what is actually going on. After this, Ray seems a little easier in his mind but, since he has been sworn to secrecy, he is unable to take us into his confidence. All he will say is that, on balance, nothing has really altered. The facts remain as ever they did and he feels better for having spoken with the detective. Well, at least one of us does, then! Ray has a lot of integrity and, having been asked to keep the information divulged to himself, he will do so. We, in turn, would not attempt to ask him to break this promise – it would not be fair.
It has been a wasted and frustrating day. We had been expecting to see light at the end of the tunnel but instead we are faced with uncertainty and fear. Still, we can do nothing about it, so we return home.