Almost Murder

By Gary Tindall

Most readers hear about a crime from a news source, paper or broadcast, presented through the eyes or a reporter who may have personal prejudices, This story is presented through the eyes of some one attending, like the jury, hears the actual admissible facts. Judge for your self what crimes were commited. The author attemps to present them in the order they would be presented in court.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gary Tindall
• Release date: Dec 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9780988026728

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Almost Murder

By G Tindall

© 2012 ,Otter Point Books

ISBN 978 0 9880267 2 8

Smashwords Edition

License Notes

This e book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All rights reserve

This book is a work of fiction. Names, Characters, Places and Incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locale is entirely coincidental.

Courtroom 3~A Spectators view

We were waiting in the Main Courthouse one morning, in Victoria, A buddy and me had had gone there at the request of a friend of ours. `Moral Support`, he called it, We were standing around about 9:30 in the morning, in the hall on the 2nd floor, outside of Court Rooms 3 and 4, I was reading the case list for the day’s schedule, posted on the wall, when a Sheriffs Officer came along and posted an amendment to the list, the case we had come to see, had been canceled for some unexplained reason.

My buddy and I had planned on being there for the day anyway, so we decided to sit in on another case, as spectators. I wanted to see what happened in a real court, not the TV version.

We sat in the back row, close to a door, in case we decided to leave if it was boring. The name of the accused,’ Hunter`, had been on the list in the hallway, but meant nothing to us. The charge however was Attempted Murder and Rape and Sexual interference with a minor.

The lawyers, in their black robes, sat at two long tables in the front of the Courtroom, facing the Judge`s dais, Two Court Clerks, also in black robes, were seated between the Lawyers and the Judges bench, and one of them was wearing earphones, To hear the recording of the proceedings, I guessed.

There was a kind of noise, between a whisper and background hum, for a few minutes, spectators talking, like a buzz in the room. The acoustics of the room seemed to amplify everything. A Sheriffs Officer opened a door at the back of the room and looked in. Two uniformed Sheriff’s officers were standing against the far right wall, behind the man seated in a small prisoners` dock`, as it was called, an oak paneled cubicle about six feet square on the right side, and a similar Jury Box, larger of course, with a dozen theater type, padded chairs, was on our left.

About 5 minutes after 10:00, a door near the back left corner of the room was opened by a Sheriff’s Deputy and a dozen men and woman filed in and took seats in two rows, in the Jury Box. A couple of minutes later another door, in the back wall was opened by a Sheriff’s Deputy, who called out, All rise as the black robed Judge came in from a door in the back wall and climbed up and took his seat behind the `bench`, raised above all others in the room.

He called from `the bench`, Be seated, please.

Next a Clerk stood up and announced the name of the case. Regina versus Hunter

The accused in the dock, stood up, at a signal from his lawyer, as did a Court Clerk

who read, in a solemn voice, The Charge against the accused is Attempted Murder, again , his name, Hunter but the name still did not mean anything to us, By assaulting and attempting to Murder a certain Female Person by Causing her to be thrown or fall off a Highway bridge, at or near the Community of Port Renfrew, in the County of Vancouver Island, in the Province of British Columbia, with intent to cause her death. The Clerk paused, How do you plead to the Charge?

Not Guilty, M` Lord, his Defense Council, Mr. Hills, replied.

The Judge could be seen writing something in a large book on his desk in front of him on the bench.

The Clerk continued with Charges of `Rape` of a juvenile female, to which Mr. Hills also replied `Not Guilty,` on behalf of his client, and a charge of sexual interference and supplying alcohol to a minor, a relatively minor offense, compared to the first two. Hills entered `Not Guilty` pleas to both of them. When the Clerk had finished, the Judge addressed the Prosecutor

Mr. Bauman, are you Ready to proceed?

The Lawyer, closest to the Prisoners dock, stood up, Yes My Lord, if it Pleases the Court,

Bauman was a short, fair haired man of about 35, he spoke quite softly, but distinctly, he opened a file in front of him on the table, and glanced at it for a minute, he turned towards the Jury and addressed them.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, the Crown intends to prove that the Accused, with criminal intent, did Attempted to cause the Death of a 13 year old girl, by willfully throwing her off a bridge, or causing her to fall from that bridge, located on Highway 14, near the Village of Port Renfrew, in the County of Vancouver Island, on a date certain, following her rape, and abduction, and unlawful confinement.

We will lead evidence, to convince you beyond a reasonable doubt, that he intended her death at that time, and attempted to cover up all trace of the deed, and escape his due punishment. The fact only, that she survived, by a miracle, is the only thing that saved him from a Murder Charge."

The Judge interceded when Bauman paused for a moment, Mr. Hills you appear for the defense? Before the defense lawyer could say any thing the judge asked him Do you have anything to say before we start?"

Hills barely stood up, from a crouch he answered, No my Lord, I will reserve my remarks.

Do proceed Mr. Bauman, call your first Witness. The judge said, obviously to curtail a long address and possibly prejudicial address.

The Crown calls `Harold Fiver`. At that point the clerk stood, again up to repeat the name, but an elderly man, who appeared to be peaking in the door from the hall, stepped in and shuffled down the isle to a swing barricade bar like gate, separating the spectators from the proceedings at the front of the room, He was dressed rather curiously in a Long Stanfields gray woolen top, tucked under red suspenders holding up faded blue jeans tucked into worn leather boots with the laces flopping as he walked. The Sheriffs officer directed him to the raised witness box and he stepped up and stood facing the Prosecutor.

State your name please and address please, Bauman said to him once he was settled into the witness box. Obviously the Prosecutor was not used to witness appearing in such dress.

Had `Feever`, West Coast road, up Stone Creek, he replied, with what sounded like a southern accent.

Excuse me is `Had` your actual name, I have `Harold` written here in my file. Bauman said.

"It’s what people call me, have most of my life,