‘What did you hear next?’
‘I heard the prisoner going downstairs.’
The Judge: ‘What do you mean? Could you see her?’
Witness: ‘No, sir. I heard her.’
Mr. Pollard: ‘She means she recognised the footsteps, my lord.’
The Judge: ‘Don’t interrupt me, please.’ (To witness) ‘Young woman, be careful. That is not the way to give evidence, as you know perfectly well. You mustn’t tell us that you heard the prisoner. You heard footsteps; that’s all.’ (A pause.) ‘Now, Mr. Pollard, you can go on.’
Mr. Pollard: ‘Did you recognise the footsteps?’
His lordship frowned and shrugged his shoulders.
Witness: ‘I thought it was Miss Owen.’
Mr. Pollard: ‘Well, now tell us what you did.’