05x02 - Safe from Harm

[bunniefuu]

In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups the police, who investigate crime, and the Crown Prosecutors, who prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

I could have left you.

I could have walked away .

.

and you'd still be sick.

But I didn't.

Even though it was wrong.

Because I want you.

I don't care what the law says.

I've always wanted you.

Philip Gardner.

Child psychiatrist.

50 years old.

He's married.

Two kids.

Lives just round the corner.

The cleaner found him this morning.

She's downstairs, in tears.

All right.

Thank you.

Excuse me, Neil, mate.

Morning, Joy.

All right, Ronnie? So, we've got multiple s*ab wounds to the chest and stomach.

The wounds are deep, so we're looking for a large blade, possibly a serrated edge.

But at this stage Too early to tell.

You guessed it.

Yeah, well, someone's had a proper go at him, haven't they? Certainly have.

Ronnie Yeah? In a sec, Joy.

What we got here, then? And you say he treats kids? What is this? A place to sleep? Or a place for sex? I was helping my son with his homework.

He's behind on his history project, so we worked on it together till quite late.

Then I had a bath and went to bed.

And were you expecting your husband home? His hours can be very erratic.

Sometimes he sleeps in the office.

Right.

Whereabouts does he sleep? On the couch, I suppose.

This morning, I had to get the kids to school.

And then I walked the dogs around Regent's Park.

We're gonna need to speak with your children, I mean, just to confirm that.

I haven't even told them yet.

Just let us have a little time to adjust, please.

Of course.

Mrs Gardner, you said this morning you took your dogs for a walk round the park.

What did you do after that? Then I came back .

.

and now you're here.

Mum! They let us come home early! So I missed the French test! Mum? DS Brooks, this is Jonathan Shale.

He'll be examining Dr Gardner's patient files for us.

He'll be able to answer any questions without breaching patient-doctor confidentiality.

Really? So we're not allowed to look into the files ourselves, but you can and then tell us what's in there? Well, not everything, of course.

But I'll help as best I can.

It is how it is, Ron.

Right.

So, he just worked with kids, yeah? 13 and upwards.

Dr Gardner specialised in children with deep emotional issues.

If that's your criteria for finding a suspect, you've got your hands full.

Ron.

Come and look at this.

This is some of the stuff we pulled from the hidden room in Dr Gardner's office.

I've got a loyalty card from a cafe here, this face cream which costs 200 quid What, for moisturiser? Yeah, I know.

And er And this.

What's that? Soap? No, no.

This stuff is skateboard wax.

And this coffee place is next door to The Undercroft, on the South Bank.

Yeah.

That's a skate park.

No, no.

It's THE skate park.

Is it really? THE skate park? Very good.

Let me tell you, Joe, that stuff could belong to any number of kids.

Wait.

This a good lead.

Yeah? We're not even gonna do down there? And what are we gonna look for, then? A skateboarder with perfect skin? No.

This is a rich girl.

You don't know that's a girl.

How long was I at Child Protection? This is a Jane, not a John.

I guarantee it.

This is a rich girl, emotional issues, right? Hangs out with the skater boys.

It's got to be worth a try.

Look, if you're worried, I'll hang back, you can go and dazzle the kids with your skating skills.

Yeah? Maybe chuck a few ollies, maybe a few grinds? What do you reckon? Well, you've got some front, I'll give you that.

OK.

And where is she, you say? Over there.

The one in the burgundy hat.

In the hat? Yeah.

OK.

Does she have a name? Anna.

Anna? Yeah.

OK.

Thanks, lads.

Thank you.

Joe? Any luck? I'm starting to think this wasn't such a good idea.

Really? I thought you was gonna charm them all with your cool talk.

Cool talk? Yeah, you know, being down with the kids.

I don't even know where to start with that.

Well, that's OK.

Because Anna does, don't you, Anna? Well, don't just stand there.

Hey! Oi! Police! Stop.

Hey, stop there! Hey! Hey, slow down! Hey! Come on! No! Get away from me! You can't make me go back.

I'm not gonna go back! Calm down.

I'm not gonna hurt you.

You can't make me go back to her! I am not going back to her! I can't watch her day and night.

No, no, Mrs Sands, I am not judging, I just need to know where Anna was last night.

I told you, she was staying with a friend.

She's been there all week.

She doesn't like my boyfriend.

She doesn't like any of my boyfriends.

So when was the last time you spoke to Anna? Well, she won't pick up the phone when she knows it's me.

How does she get on with Dr Gardner? Does she see him a lot? Philip.

The wonderful Philip.

Yes, she's just fine with him, but when you're throwing bricks through pub windows and burning the curtains, you need all the help you can get.

So, yeah, she sees him twice a week.

Costs me a small fortune and somehow I'm still a bloody bitch.

No, I'm sorry, I just don't know why I'm here.

So I skipped school.

So what? Hello, Anna.

I've just been talking to your mum.

Whatever she says, it's bollocks.

Well, she was telling me about Dr Gardner.

Yeah? And? Well, what's he like? He's the best.

We found some of your things in his office.

Is this about me staying at Philip's? I thought you were staying with your boyfriend? OK, wow, you got me.

Look, he told me not to tell anyone.

So I Why? What did he do? Nothing! Jeez, you've got such a dirty mind.

So why keep it a secret? Look, he had strict rules about behaviour and a curfew and all that stuff.

Don't tell me that he's in trouble about this, cos that's just totally unfair.

Dr Gardner d*ed last night, Anna.

He He was m*rder*d.

No.

No.

What No.

Did he ever talk to you about any of his other patients? You're lying! I know you're upset, OK? And I know that he was very, very special to you.

But you can help him now, by helping us find out who did this.

Anna, this is for Dr Gardner now.

Please.

Think.

Well Well There was this this boy.

I think it must have been one of his patients or something.

And he was He was gonna bring a Kn*fe into school.

But Philip sorted that out, so I don't He can't be dead! He can't be! Paul? Paul, for God's sake open the door! Can I try? Be my guest.

Paul? Hello, mate, it's DS Hawkins.

Listen, I know you've had a real shock, right, but it's very important that we talk to you about Dr Gardner, OK? So we just Dad? Dad, Paul's on his webcam.

And now the police are here.

They're saying that Dr Gardner's been m*rder*d.

I-I don't believe it.

I trusted him.

He said everything was gonna to be OK.

But now it just feels like everything's gone black again.

Jesus! sh*t! Just let me die! Just let me be with Philip! Stay calm! Stay calm.

Ssh, that's it.

I wanna be with Philip! I don't wanna do it any more! Mr Downing, was Paul with you the whole night Dr Gardner d*ed? Well, no, he was Since he was taken off the medication, he goes out for walks at night to clear his head.

What do you mean, sorry? Dr Gardner took him off the medication.

I know he's a very good psychiatrist, but that scared me.

And that's why I stopped the sessions.

And how did Paul feel about that? He went ape.

Right Er, they're transferring your son to the psychiatric ward now.

What do you reckon? Well, Paul seemed pretty upset when we told him Gardner was dead.

Yeah, he did.

I just don't like the way all them kids love that doctor so much.

You think he was abusing Paul? I don't know.

Maybe.

Paul's got no alibi, though, Joe.

You take a mentally unstable lad, mess with his pills, what happens then? I think it's completely irresponsible.

Paul can't survive without a certain level of medication.

I'm just not a fan of kids being doped if it can be avoided.

Nor me.

But if you study Paul's case notes, you'd see there's no other option.

Why Dr Gardner decided to throw it all out the window is beyond me.

Paul seemed to like his methods.

He's a child.

He's a teenager, but he's still easily influenced.

So Dr Carey, you don't think Dr Gardner's methods helped Paul at all? No, I don't.

Kids love doctors like Gardner because they break the rules.

But it's irresponsible, and Paul's breakdown is all the proof you need.

How do you think Paul would react, then, if Dr Gardner had told him he was gonna get better, then he didn't? Not well.

Where were you two nights ago, Paul? I was just walking around.

Thinking.

Did you go and see Dr Gardner? I just walked in circles.

My head gets so busy.

Is that because Dr Gardner messed up your treatment? He didn't mess with anything.

Tell us what we've got wrong, then.

'I am a rock in a sea of chaos.

' Philip taught me that.

It's what I say to myself.

I go walking in the dark and I say it over and over.

He helped calm me down.

Don't you feel calmer now that you're back on your medication? I suppose.

But I feel sh*t.

You took a Kn*fe to school, Paul.

I went to the school and my brain was on fire and I was just going to s*ab everyone, just s*ab them all, but But I remembered what Philip had taught me.

I'm a rock in a sea of chaos.

And it stopped me.

He saved me, see? Where's the Kn*fe now, Paul? I gave it to Philip.

He locked it in his desk.

To keep us all safe.

If there had been a Kn*fe, our guys would have found it during the original search.

No, you're right.

Oh, and, er, CCTV picked up Paul wandering around the park, so he's in the clear.

Right.

OK.

Joe! Well, no Kn*fe, but what have we got here? Clare.

Right 'The taste of your skin, of your perfect, unblemished body .

.

made me forget about everything.

It didn't matter if people could see us through the glass.

I don't care what they say.

I want you.

I want YOU.

I have to have you, whatever the consequences.

' Who is this Clare? We don't know.

There is no Clare listed among his clients and she doesn't speak on the tape.

Not once? To be honest, guv, we're not really sure what these tapes are.

Or who she is.

We've just got a Christian name and a rough age group.

If she was underage, he'd have wanted to hide her.

Look, guv, we can always go back and re-interview all of his female clients, see if Clare's a nickname for one of them.

Good luck with that.

What else? We're still not able to see his kids.

What, his wife's in the way? Yeah.

Strange, that, because they're the ones that can confirm her alibi.

It don't add up, Wes.

I think she's lying.

She won't like it.

I don't care.

Do it.

- Whatever Mum said.

- OK.

It would be good to hear it from you, though.

Riley? Hey, Riley's an unusual name.

It's my mum's maiden name.

Sorry? It's my maiden name.

Oh.

Original.

Er, so, anything else can you tell us about that night? We just did my homework together.

It took ages.

And then I went to bed.

That's good.

That's helpful, Riley.

What time was it? That's pretty precise.

How do you know that? It all happened just like Mum said.

Well, that's really helpful, Riley.

Thank you very much.

I'd like to talk to Lisa now, if that's OK? Erm, I'm afraid she's still at school.

She wanted to get some things, be with her friends for a while.

If you come back No, that's fine, we'll go to the school, talk to her there.

I'll come with you.

That's OK.

Thanks, Mrs Gardner.

We can handle that.

I was in my room.

Mum and Riley were downstairs.

Doing his homework? Lisa? Yes.

Doing that.

See, I don't think so.

Now, why are you lying to us? What did Riley say? Look, Lisa, you've gotta help us out here.

He came into my room.

OK, when was that? I don't know.

Late.

He'd gone to bed, and he woke up.

He gets these nightmares and he was looking for Mum.

And? And he couldn't find her, so we went looking together.

You didn't find her, did you? Do you think What? Do you think she did it? Your daughter made a statement.

You forced her to.

Where were you on the night of the m*rder? My client answered this.

Did it bother you that he was spending so much time with young, impressionable girls? It was his job.

Who's Clare? I don't know.

Why is there a secret room in your husband's office? I don't know! I think you do.

I'm going to play you a tape recording that we found.

'I am willing to break every rule and every vow for you.

Nothing else matters.

How can it when our feelings are so strong -' TURN IT OFF! Rock in a sea of chaos.

I am a rock in a sea of chaos.

I am a rock in a sea of chaos.

I am a rock in a sea of chaos.

I am a rock in a sea of chaos Jonathan, how far back does the list of patients go? I've got over 20 years of cases here.

Could you show me the first ones, please? Yep.

Brilliant.

Ta.

Great.

Alison, were you a patient of Dr Gardner? Have you ever been a patient of Dr Gardner? What's that? Is that my file? How old were you when he treated you? That's my file.

He can't see that, he's not allowed.

Were you young? I was 15.

And did you fall in love with him whilst he was treating you? I really don't want to talk about this.

Well, you reacted very strongly when we played that tape.

Was it because it reminded you of your experiences with Dr Gardner? Is he doing it again? Replacing you with a younger model? He doesn't love her.

And she doesn't love him.

And how do you know this? He's just acting without control or discipline.

You've heard these tapes before! The actions of a diseased mind.

I don't understand.

No, but there's no point trying to make him better.

What did you do? Alison? You k*lled your husband because you knew he was abusing a teenage girl.

Didn't you? That's right, isn't it? Your silence isn't helping you, Alison, you know that? You think it is, but it isn't.

You are wrong.

I'm arresting you on suspicion of the m*rder of Philip Gardner.

Hello.

You gone mad? You can't start waving a patient's case file around.

Guv No, no.

This is confidential information.

They're gonna kick this straight out of court.

I didn't use any confidential information.

And Wes, I just asked questions, she answered them.

Right, Joe? Yes, OK, but the file was in your hand.

What, Wes? Oh, I'm sorry, what, this file? Yes.

This isn't Alison Gardner's file.

I just picked this up on my way through to the interview room.

Why? Did it seem like it was her file? I'm sorry.

You still need to find Clare.

Morning, Jake.

Vijay.

We're up against each soon.

I'm defending Alison Gardner.

Yes, I saw that she'd hired you.

I look forward to it.

Me too, Jake.

Me too.

'I can't believe the daughter has changed her statement.

How did they get the girl to retract? She's 16 and she loves her mum.

Won't have been hard to persuade her that she got her dates muddled.

So now we have no witness to contradict Alison Gardner's alibi.

No witness, no w*apon, she's still maintaining her innocence, and we're no closer to finding Clare, whoever she is.

Without Lisa's evidence, we're stuffed.

I'm reassured.

I'm working on it.

What else? The police have look at Alison's phone records.

She made only one call the morning after Dr Gardner d*ed.

To her mum.

I know it must be difficult, Mrs Riley I have nothing to say to you.

No, but Mrs Riley She's a good girl now.

Mrs Riley, the phone call, the morning after when she She didn't do it.

Philip had put an end to all that.

She must have caused you a lot of worry, with the trouble she'd got into, yeah? That's a nice way of putting it.

She still blames me.

But I wasn't the one out all night, blind drunk with my legs in the air.

But Dr Gardner helped her, though, yeah? No, he saved her.

Everyone tutted because she was so young - I mean she was just 15.

But the shame of that, of them, that I could live with.

Did they ever fight? No more than any other couple.

The phone call, the morning after, did she seem distressed at all? Well, you can hear for yourself.

I'm sorry, I don't understand.

I wasn't in when she phoned.

She left a message.

It's on the machine.

You know, Lisa, we were very surprised when we heard that you'd changed your statement.

I just got things muddled up.

It's just, you seemed very clear when we spoke to you before.

I just got things wrong.

That's all.

I understand that you want to protect your mother.

It's a good instinct.

But I'm not like the police, Lisa.

I have to fight for my cases.

And if you won't speak, then I'm gonna have to call your brother to the witness box.

I don't think Riley would cope very well, all alone in court, having to see his mother in the dock.

Do you? I don't know what to do.

It's OK, Lisa.

Just tell me what really happened.

It's all my fault! I found the tape in Dad's office.

I was snooping.

Stupid because his patients often have really cool things and I played it and it was disgusting.

It freaked me out.

I tried to hide it, but Mum came in and she saw I was crying and I shouldn't have let her hear it.

I know what she's like.

If I'd have just put it back It's all my fault.

'Hi, Mum.

It's just me.

I wondered if you'd heard from Philip.

He didn't come home last night.

Hope you're OK.

Bye.

' I'm sorry, how is this helpful? Listen in the background.

'Hi, Mum.

It's just me.

I wondered if you'd heard from Philip.

He didn't come home last night.

Hope you're OK.

Bye.

' That doesn't sound like Regent's Park.

No, it doesn't.

Well, she can say what she likes, but cell site towers show Mrs Gardner was nowhere near the park.

She was somewhere around St Pancras.

Forensic audio have managed to isolate and enhance some of the specific sounds from the tape.

This 'Hi, Mum.

It's just me.

' .

.

is a train.

Also - and this is a bit odd they've picked up what sounds like a winching noise.

Around St Pancras, you say? Yeah.

I need two officers stationed each side of the bridge, that side of it now.

Joe? They've got her on closed circuit, walking away from Goodsway Bridge.

Guys, we're gonna to have to look further along, yeah? Joe, do us a favour, mate.

Stop fidgeting, will you? You should put this time to good use anyway.

Like? Like thinking of a way we can find this Clare.

I've searched all the national databases for missing persons, I've talked to all of his patients.

We now have the Kn*fe whose serrated blade and size could have caused the wounds on Dr Gardner's body.

Could have? A Kn*fe that we can prove was in Dr Gardner's office.

It was recovered close by where Mrs Gardner was seen on CCTV.

Does it show her holding this Kn*fe? It shows her in the vicinity and not in Regent's Park, as she previously claimed.

What DNA is there to link my client with this Kn*fe? Because we all know the water will mean you have no real evidence.

I'm satisfied that we have more than enough.

So am I.

It's all circumstantial.

We've convicted on less.

A jury's gonna wonder why Mrs Gardner lied to the police.

And we'll point out just how often she did.

Look, I appreciate your disclosure, but really - I was r*ped.

I was 15.

And he r*ped me.

Hang on When I found out he was going to do it again, all over again, I couldn't breathe.

This is not - I was so scared of what would happen to Clare.

I felt sick, so I ran to him to confront him and to stop him.

But then, I don't know, I just, I lost control.

I stabbed him.

Mrs Gardner, do you understand the implications of what you're saying? Of course she doesn't! It wasn't m*rder.

You want to change your plea to guilty of manslaughter? No! Yes.

Yes, that's right.

I do.

I can't believe they thought we'd just go for a manslaughter plea.

Is it really such a bad idea? At least we'd avoid the trial and the cost.

There's less damage to the children.

You'd accept her plea? Over loss of control? Yeah, I would.

The repeated r*pe clearly qualifies as a trigger, and the jury's gonna empathise with her.

So you think Dr Gardner r*ped her? I do, yeah.

Oh, come on! A mattress in a secret room? It's not right.

She stabbed him.

Over and over and over and over.

Seven times.

Not once or twice.

Seven.

Loss of control? Maybe.

But she must have been covered in blood.

Yet she walked away, changed her clothes and had the presence of mind to dump them somewhere, we don't know where.

Like the tape she heard.

Precisely disposed of.

And then she sent that message to her mother and took her children to school.

Made them lie on her behalf.

And then, only because we finally found the Kn*fe, did she change her story.

I understand why you feel like that.

Alison's a very sympathetic figure.

But she knew exactly what she was doing.

But we have to make the jury see it's m*rder.

Could you tell the court where you were on that evening? I was at home.

And what were you doing at home? We had dinner, Mum and Riley, like we always do.

And then I did my homework and stayed in my room.

All night? No, I I was on my computer, chatting to friends and stuff, and then Riley came in.

And what did he want? He wanted to know where Mum was.

And where was she? We couldn't find her.

When did you notice she was gone? About ten, I think.

And when did she get back? I don't know.

Lisa? I didn't see her till the morning.

But your mother said that she was with you the whole time.

Your Honour.

Mr Thorne, is there an actual question you would like to ask the witness? Thank you, Your Honour.

No, Your Honour, she's said everything she should.

It's OK, my love.

I love you, Lisa.

I love you too, Mum.

Please, Mrs Gardner, I cannot allow - I'm sorry.

Sorry.

I need to get this to Mr Prasad.

Thank you.

Mr Prasad? Yes, Your Honour, I'm sorry.

Um Yeah.

OK, right.

Lisa, tell us about the time that your mother planted lilies in your front garden.

I don't want to.

It's OK, it's fine.

Mrs Gardner, please! Lisa? Mum planted flowers, two rows all the way from the gate to the door.

But when Dad came home, he was really angry.

And what did he do? He ripped them up.

Why? Why did he rip them up, Lisa? Dad said that she didn't have permission.

He treated me like a child, didn't he? Mrs Gardner! I am being as patient as I can in these circumstances.

I'm sorry.

But I will not have this case overrun by you.

You will respect this courtroom or you will be removed from it.

Is that clear? Mr Prasad.

Thank you, Your Honour.

Is it correct that you were the person who found the tape? Yes.

And you showed it to your mother? Yes.

And how did she react when she heard the recording? She went quiet and locked herself in the loo.

Thank you, Lisa.

One last question, Lisa, and then you're done.

Did you ever hear your mother tell your father that she loved him? Yes, of course.

Lots of times.

What do the jury make of it? I think they like her.

They love her! There's something else.

The defence have called up a child psychiatrist, Dr Anthonia Carey, to give evidence in support of Alison.

Saying what? Emphasising the ongoing trauma of childhood abuse in adult life.

Oh, no, this is bad.

Yes, that's what I thought.

We're going from guilty of m*rder with a life sentence to manslaughter on grounds of loss of control.

With good behaviour She can be very well behaved when she needs to be.

.

.

I can see her being back out in two years.

What do we know about this Dr Carey? She is smart and principled.

When we brought in the lad who'd tried to k*ll himself, she made it very clear she had no time for Philip Gardner's methods.

You think this is personal? She just felt the boy in her care had been mistreated.

But the guy's dead, I don't know why she wants to tread the dirt in.

Her motivation isn't important.

Will she damage the case? She'll convince the jury.

She comes across very well.

She does, doesn't she? No news of Clare? Joe's out now trying all the homeless shelters, hostels.

When we know, you'll know.

I appreciate your efforts, Ronnie.

OK.

I think I can help you.

Dr Gardner abused the privileges of his profession.

There is never an excuse for sexual relationships with your patients.

It is an absolute betrayal of trust.

If you break that trust, then your behaviour can have tragic and even violent consequences.

Even much later on in life? Absolutely.

Thank you, Dr Carey.

Dr Carey, do you have examples of these cases where v*olence followed the sexual interaction between doctor and patient? I do.

And of these cases, how many of the abused patients went on to marry the adult with whom they had sex? I don't know of any, but - How about those where doctor and patient remained married for 20 years and raised two happy and well-balanced children? None.

But Dr Gardner was in a position whereby he could convince Alison she was in love with him, even if this wasn't true.

So are you certain that Dr Gardner crossed a line when he had sex with Alison? Yes, it's unforgivable.

Have you ever done the same? Of course not.

Never? No.

When you were much younger, quite early on in your career, is it right that you used to counsel members of the legal profession after traumatic cases? I did.

Did you ever sleep with a patient? How about a young solicitor who was deeply affected by a harrowing case involving the death of a key witness? I Yes, but only once and I should stress that the man was not a child.

He was 31.

But you betrayed his trust all the same, surely? Dr Carey? Weren't you worried about the tragic and violent consequences that may follow? That was a low blow.

She's guilty of m*rder.

You're certain of that, are you? My team are.

And I trust them.

Well, you should have warned me.

How? How could I? Those were private moments between us.

We managed to keep them a secret for this long.

I remembered them fondly - until today.

I can't let her walk free, Anthonia.

And what if she's telling the truth? She isn't.

My parents trusted him, so when he took me away for days at a time, they never questioned it.

The first time, he drove me to a cottage in the middle of the countryside.

And there he forced me to have sex with him.

I let him because I wanted to please him.

But it hurt.

When I said that I'd tell someone, he'd laugh.

He said no-one would believe a screw-up like me and I'd end up in the loony bin.

And then he would touch me and tell me we were in love.

After a few years .

.

the sex felt normal.

My behaviour was better in public, so I told him I wanted to go to college.

And he went crazy.

He drove me to a mental institution.

He parked opposite, where I could see the gates, and he said he would have me committed if I tried to leave him.

And then he forced me to have sex with him right there, in the car.

He said he was turned on by the idea that someone might see.

Yeah.

Oh, hello, Joe.

It's me, yeah.

Are you near a computer? I dropped out of school.

My parents didn't seem to care.

And then, not long after, he announced that my .

.

therapy had been a success.

For a moment I thought I was free.

But then he told me that we were getting married.

Well, look in the other file.

Yeah, keep looking.

Hi.

I need access to exhibit 17, the Crown versus Gardner case.

Quick as you can, thank you.

Yeah, sure.

Really? That's great.

Well done.

'You looked at me and began to unbutton your blouse.

We were parked right opposite the hospital.

It was so blatant and forbidden.

' Kate! 'We couldn't help ourselves.

' Kate! I think I've found something.

I've found Clare.

I heard him talking on the tape, and it was all the same, the same games, the same tricks But now he was doing it to someone else.

I don't remember walking to the office.

I don't remember leaving the house.

I'd seen the Kn*fe before in his desk, and he was lying on the sofa.

And I stabbed him.

No further questions, Your Honour.

Why didn't you go to the police when you heard the tape? Clare would never speak against him, so nothing would happen.

And why did you say that you loved him? I-I said what I was expected to say.

Would it be fair to say that his actions were not threatening? Wasn't he trying to help you? Mr Thorne? Mr Thorne? Yes, yes.

I just need Yes.

You mentioned that Dr Gardner drove you to a country cottage.

Could you tell the court about this? II don't really remember.

He took me to lots of places.

But the first one.

What do you remember about that? It was about an hour's drive from my parents.

Very remote.

There was a small town nearby, but otherwise we were completely isolated.

And what was the name of that town? II can't remember.

Your Honour, with your permission, may I play an excerpt from one of the tapes for the court? 'And you laughed.

You looked at me and began to unbutton your blouse.

We were parked right opposite the hospital.

It was so blatant and forbidden, but we couldn't help ourselves.

I'd become part of your disease and I knew right then that I had to be your doctor for life.

' 'We were parked right opposite the hospital.

' You said you and he had sex right outside a mental institution.

No! He's describing YOU, isn't he? No! What was the name of that town, Alison? I I don't I can't The town was called Clare.

It's the name written on all these tapes.

I think - You thought he had betrayed you.

But the tapes are actually a memoir.

Dr Gardner named them after the town that you and he first went together.

These tapes are a testament of his love for you.

Isn't that right? There is no other girl.

No betrayal.

No repeated offence.

No Clare.

There was only you.

Alison? Oh, Philip! Philip! He never r*ped you, did he? He fell in love with you, and you with him.

But you were so scared that he was going to leave you, that you k*lled him.

I am a rock in a sea of chaos.

A rock in a sea of chaos.

Did he abuse you, Alison? Alison? No! No.

He loved me! He promised he would save me, and he did.

And I loved him! I loved him.

What do I do now? What do I do? What do I do now? Time for a drink? You won.

You too.

Well spotted.

It was more Ronnie than me.

Look at us both trying not to take any credit.

You were right.

She was very convincing.

The jury would have gone with her.

We got lucky.

Do you feel lucky?