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- Eleven year old Julian Morgan has been in a coma and seems unlikely to recover after being seriously injured at home. The Prosecution argue that his mother Linda Morgan had a history of beating him and inflicted the catastrophic injury. However she says it was a terrible accident as he slipped down the stairs. Her former husband testifies against her and Mrs Morgan did not challenge him divorcing her on the grounds of her past treatment of Julian. She argues though that she did not challenge the grounds for divorce as she was desperate to escape a bullying husband.
- Rock musician Lance Porter is suing his father Reverend Fortescue Porter in a civil case. He composed a rock opera called "Jesus, Baby!" about the nativity. He promised his father the copyright to the show on the understanding that if he fell on hard times he would receive part of the proceeds. However his father then spent all the considerable revenue on charitable causes even though he strongly disapproved of the content and style of the show. Reverend Fortescue says he did nothing wrong. At the time neither he nor his son expected the production to make money. In his view Lance has not fallen on hard times and has no need for any share.
- Charles Oldbury died in the bathroom of the old people's home where he lived. Dr. Fulmer who attended the scene thought he had suffered a heart attack and then drowned in the bath; she tried to resuscitate him without success. However the owners of the home - Margaret and Kenneth Povey - are now on trial accused of his murder and of defrauding his estate of £30 000 with the aid of convicted solicitor's clerk Leonard Saxton. The prosecution claim that they fabricated a change to his will for their benefit and then killed him in the bath, trying to make his death appear to be one of drowning. Both defendants deny all charges. They insist the change to the will was genuine and Mr. Oldbury's death was a tragic accident.
- Sophie Mannering, editor of the radical magazine "Tell", faces the rare charge of seditious libel. It is alleged she knowingly published an article which urged readers to "kill the pigs". This was distributed at a demonstration which involved violent clashes with the police. Miss Mannering insists the edition found at the demonstration was a fabrication planted by an agent provocateur. She and her colleagues and her supporters admit they are unhappy with what they see as police brutality but assert they deplore violence and would never advocate its use. Unusually Miss Mannering dismisses her counsel Mr. Salter during the trial, arguing that as her publication is "for the people" she should conduct her own defence.
- Unemployed plasterer Frank Hanlon stands accused of burgling at night a shop called The Jewel Box and stealing a watch and a ring. He was arrested in the company of a young woman with whom he was having an affair - Marion King - and found to be in possession of identical items to those stolen and a screwdriver which the Prosecution claim he used to force open the door. Hanlon denies the charge. He says he did not break into the shop or steal the items - he had bought them from a peddler and had used the screwdriver for repairs at his mother's home. His mother backs his case, as do Miss King and his wife despite his admitted infidelity.
- Kenneth Eden, a wealthy man, did voluntary work with his wife helping youngsters at a local children's home. However he now finds himself accused of stealing a necklace from and indecently assaulting teenager Barbara Brown. The Prosecution say he was found in possession of Barbara's necklace and molested her when she visited his house. He denies both accusations, arguing Barbara left behind the necklace and the assault claim has been invented by Barbara and her care workers.
- Faith healer Peter Croft is seeking damages for libel against Harry McDonald. In a radio interview McDonald described Croft as a fraud who exploited patients. McDonald's wife had consulted Croft after being paralyzed - it seemed permanently - following a riding accident. The defendant says that Croft promised a miracle cure but it was soon evident this would not occur and a deeply depressed Mrs. McDonald then killed herself with an overdose of pills. McDonald and his defence team argue that Croft - whose main work is as an antiques dealer - has no training or ability as a healer and the negative comments are true. However Croft insists he has genuine gifts and his services are entirely honest and benevolent, often conducted for minimal or no charge at all.
- Arthur Barnard is warden of a hostel for homeless women. John Wragg and Richard Livesey wrote a letter and issued leaflets alleging that Barnard sexually harassed Mr. Wragg's wife who was staying at the hostel and that he generally managed the hostel in an unpleasant way with the aim of forcing residents to leave. They also claimed that magistrate Lady Corrie Stott failed to properly oversee Barnard's performance and acted in a biased manner. Barnard and Lady Stott are now suing Wragg and Livesey for libel, arguing that all the allegations are false.
- Gerald Peck is a self-confessed former drug addict with a number of previous drugs convictions. He is now accused of possession and dealing of drugs in connection with his role as manager of the Mandala Club. Police claim that Peck allowed the club to become a centre for drug use and dealing and that he was found with drugs in his office drawer. Peck does not deny that drugs were found in his office but says they were confiscated from a customer. He admits that he thinks soft drugs should be legalised but insists he does not condone drug use because of the legal implications for those who get caught.
- Researcher Francis Galway faces the rare charge of inciting the police to disaffection, specifically towards strike action. He had been working for a right-wing pressure group who were campaigning against what they saw as "threats to democracy". The prosecution allege that Galway tried to fabricate evidence of subversion by a left-wing workers group and invited a police inspector to a meeting of fascists in Italy. Galway and his defence team say that his actions have been misunderstood. They deny he had any intent to encourage disaffection and that his motives have always been simply to conduct research and encourage new thinking.
- This unusual trial centres on an alleged assault in the courtroom at the end of another case. Harold Phillips is accused of striking his wife at the close of a trial where her new partner, barrister Jeremy Halstead, had been prosecuting. The prosecution he struck her in anger. Phillips does not deny that he was annoyed at the break-up of his marriage and that he wanted to speak to Halstead. However he insists his wife ran towards him and collided with him by accident. The defendant decides to take over from his own counsel and the case reveals a tale of open relationships and "wife-swapping" parties.
- At an earlier trial Sylvia Turner was acquitted of soliciting on Fulchester High Street. However she now finds herself on trial accused of perjury. The Prosecution claim that Miss Turner lied when she said in court that she was not soliciting on that occasion - she is a known prostitute and propositioned a man. She does not deny that she has worked that area as a prostitute and continues to engage in prostitution but says she no longer works the streets and her exchange with the man on that day was banter and not a sexual invitation.
- Jacques Denver and Agnes Lisle, a couple of St Lucian heritage, are accused of abducting their son Ashley from the care of the local authority. Ashley had been taken into care and sent to a residential school for children with learning difficulties. The Defence case is that Denver and Lisle thought that Ashley was in danger of psychological harm and that the decision to take him into care was affected by unfair intelligence testing which ignored his background as a patois speaker. The Prosecution insist the local authority's decision was fair and only motivated by Ashley's best interests, the couple having no right to take him from their care.
- Sandra Ling has to deal with an emergency at her factory when a worker suffers life threatening injuries when equipment malfunctions and sprays him with the dangerous chemical phenol. The malfunction was no accident and was caused by another worker's sabotage. Meanwhile both Jo Longhurst and Shirley Brent are having uneasy relationships with more senior staff. Jo feels constantly criticised by Sister Ashton while Shirley's motives for working on the Psychiatric Ward are questioned by Dr. Berry.
- Shirley Brent is having great success connecting with the patients on the geriatric ward, showing a liking for such work unlike most of her colleagues. However things are going anything but smoothly for the previously accomplished Alison Salter whose erratic performance is giving cause for concern, perhaps because she has matters other than nursing very much on her mind.
- Squatters from the university occupied what they thought was an empty holiday home and changed the locks to prevent the owner's re-entry. It was in fact the permanent home of Edward Lumsden, an elderly man. When he returned home to find himself locked-out he called his daughter Vera Chadwick who came to the house to resolve the matter. She took a shotgun along with her. This gun was ultimately fired and one of the squatters - John Worsley - was shot and permanently blinded in one eye. The prosecution assert that Mrs. Chadwick deliberately wounded him but she and her defence team maintain that the shooting was an accident.
- GP Dr. Thanet is suing Winifred Phelps for libel. She published material accusing him of distributing the contraceptive pill to underage girls - including her then 15 year old daughter Linda - on demand and being "an evil influence" in the community. Linda has since disappeared. Dr. Thanet disputes the claims. He is unwilling to break patient confidentiality by revealing his treatment of Linda but insists that he would never prescribe the pill "on demand" and urged Linda to consult with her mother.
- In a bizarre and protracted case Cosmic Planning Consultants are suing the Rosenberg Research Foundation for libel. The latter accused the former of irresponsibility in building an old people's home at the top of a Himalayan mountain with the toilets sited three thousand feet below. The plaintiffs insist their unusual choice of location was the right one and they have been unfairly maligned.
- Student Nurses Longhurst and Rutherford both have clashes with authority. In an appraisal, Sister Easby accuses Nurse Longhurst of getting too involved with patients and lacking detachment. She takes these accusations very badly, feeling that she has been misjudged and victimized by an unfair appraisal system. Meanwhile, Nurse Rutherford is irritated by what she sees as unnecessary, irrelevant teaching, and nursing lecturer Miss Windrup targets her for her perceived lack of attentiveness.
- Student nurses are starting their courses at St Angela's Hospital. Flighty upper middle class Patricia Rutherford seems to have the biggest transition to make. Maureen Morahan has a much more earnest approach and has travelled from rural Ireland. The newcomers struggle to get to grips with their practical rather than fashionable uniforms. By contrast second year students Jo Longhurst and Shirley Brent go about their work on the wards with confidence and good humour.
- Tipskill Manor, a large derelict, abandoned house burned down while retired teacher Millicent Conway watched on. At the scene Miss Conway, who once worked at the Manor, appeared to confess to a police officer that she set fire to the house. An empty can of paraffin was found at the scene and she had also made a purchase of paraffin from a local shop even though she had never done so before and owned no paraffin heater. However Miss Conway now denies the offence. The defence argue that there is no proof that she started the fire or that the fuel found by the house even belonged to her. They assert she was merely a bystander.
- Derek Easton is charged on five separate counts relating to the abduction and rape of minors by an escaped prisoner with mental health issues. Statements relating to the crimes are heard, with Easton pleading not guilty to any involvement.
- Scottish nationalist campaigners Hamish Stewart-Mackenzie and Davidina McLeod stand charged with the theft of an oil tanker that was taken from Services near Kendal. The Prosecution allege that Stewart-Mackenzie drove the vehicle away after Miss McLeod had distracted the driver Peter Telfer who had been giving her a lift. Stewart-Mackenzie doesn't deny taking the tanker but argues he was justified because its cargo of oil belongs to Scotland. Miss McLeod, who is a folk singer, argues she was simply on her way to a gig - she had nothing to do with the taking of the vehicle and has been framed.
- Sylvia Spencer visited Dr. Jonathan Francis seeking to terminate her pregnancy - she had been deserted by her boyfriend and wanted to conceal her condition from her brutal, disapproving father. Dr. Francis told her that an abortion was not possible and persuaded her to continue the pregnancy and release her baby for adoption. She took this advice and immediately after birth the child was placed in the custody of Mrs. Hine who had been unsuccessfully trying to become pregnant for years. However the prosecution allege this was no legal or proper adoption case. Both women were patients of Dr. Francis and the prosecution argue that Mrs. Hine was tricked into paying £2000 to adopt the child under the pretext of extortionate charges for care of Miss Spencer during a "difficult" pregnancy. The doctor faces trial for obtaining money by deception but insists he is innocent - the costs were entirely legitimate and in no way payment for adoption.
- Dr. William Ranford and John Meetham are accused of responsibility for illegal experiments on animals by their cosmetics company. The prosecution has been brought by an animals rights organisation that says the experiments were cruel and unnecessary; the defendants say their actions were justified and required for international sales
- Emma Lakeland stands accused of smuggling Grigori Petrov, a suspected terrorist, from France into Britain. The prosecution allege that she sympathised with his activities, was his lover and willingly helped him escape from the French authorities, picking him up at sea and taking him back to her home in Fulchester. Both her father and a former friend - who had been Petrov's lover before her - testify for the prosecution. However she argues he physically attacked her, came to Britain of his own accord and then forced her to harbour him.
- Colin Tiler is a popular and respected teacher at a comprehensive school. However he is now in court charged with the indecent assault of one of his pupils, fifteen year old Kevin Anderson. Kevin comes from a troubled background but developed a good relationship with his teacher but did Tiler then take advantage of that relationship? The prosecution think so and argue that Tiler was sexually attracted to Kevin and used an opportunity when they met one evening for inappropriate and unwanted physical contact. Tiler admits that he is gay but insists he would not engage in sexual conduct with a pupil and that any inappropriate contact was accidental.
- Gerald Elliot, a retired senior police officer, formed a neigbourhood watch programme with Leonard Dugdale and Anne Sutcliffe. They apprehended a local youth - David Bodger - whom they suspected of committing vandalism. They then took Bodger to Mrs. Sutcliffe's home for "questioning" before referring him to the police. All three are now on trial accused of actual bodily harm - Bodger alleges he was doing nothing wrong and was beaten up by them. The defendants all protest their innocence. They argue that Bodger was drunk and attacked them; they only struck him in reasonable self-defence.
- Annie Robertson, a socialist and benefits rights campaigner, is suing social security officer Stephen Ash for libel. She alleges that he falsely and maliciously stated in a report that she was close to alcoholism, mentally unstable and cohabiting with Edward Rimmer and therefore ineligible for benefits. She denies all these claims and argues that Ash invented them when she resisted his sexual advances. By contrast Ash asserts that his comments were professional, honestly made and broadly true.
- Sixth former Sam Tait signed a confession to police admitting that he set fire to his school. He has now retracted that statement and asserts that he was pressurised by police into admitting arson. The prosecution argue that Tait has a long record of disobedience and disaffection at school and his school file shows him as having been punished for starting a fire two years earlier. However he denies the offence and says he has an alibi that he had been in a lesson until moments before the fire. He then went to smoke in the toilets with a friend and would have had no time to start the blaze which occurred elsewhere in the school.
- Clifford Grant stands accused of various macabre offences including desecration of corpses and church property and making threats to the church's vicar and a detective investigating his case. He does not deny that he is a follower of witchcraft but insists he is only concerned with doing good and has no interest in black magic, Satanism or depraved rituals as the prosecution allege.
- Jo Longhurst has chosen Mr. Collins for her case history but has she made a wise choice? He is an extremely difficult patient, very bitter at his illness and snapping angrily at the nurses and fellow patients, especially Mr. Slingsby who remains upbeat and seems to delight in talking about his treatment in graphic detail.
- George Mitchell, a prisoner on a release programme, was found by a police officer in possession of a cashmere coat containing items of jewellery. The coat and jewellery all belonged to members of the wealthy Cunningham family with whom he had been staying while Mrs. Cunningham offered him rehabilitation support. Mitchell admits to stealing the coat but argues that he is innocent of the other alleged thefts. He insists the items were planted and he is the victim of a frame by a member of the Cunningham family.
- Life on the psychiatric ward can be a trial for everyone, with the patients frequently at each others' throats. Shirley sees this as her vocation but Pat Rutherford mocks her involvement and Shirley herself starts to wonder if she is really cut out for such work.
- Joseph Kiernan, a scrap metal dealer from a traveller background, is accused of the theft of a copper cylinder from the shed of Ronald Sibley. The Prosecution say that Kiernan was seen after midnight in the garden of Mr. Sibley and the next morning was seen by a police officer hiding the cylinder under his lorry. Kiernan does not deny handling the cylinder or being in Mr. Sibley's garden but says the cylinder was planted to incriminate him and he was simply retrieving it - the case against him is motivated by hostility towards travellers.
- Borstal inmate Steven Fisk is accused of stealing items from a shop while he was on an unsupervised visit to the town centre. It is accepted that Fisk took the goods and then handed them in to police. The prosecution contend that Fisk stole the items with the intention of selling them and using the proceeds to cement his position as a "daddy" or dominant figure within the borstal. He asserts though that far from being one of the leading inmates he was being threatened by others; he had no intention of stealing and handed in the goods with the intention of being transferred to a safer institution.
- Pat Rutherford tries to arrange a wedding ceremony for Mrs. Sheppard who is terminally ill but her well-intentioned plan meets a number of obstacles. Jo and Sita have their work cut out dealing with the prickly Keith Aldiss, a very well-informed but awkward patient. Sister Bodinetz gives Jo a run as nurse in charge but being in authority has its pitfalls as well as its benefits.
- It's the end of the nursing year and a time for the student nurses to look to their future. For some of them it's a look forward to a career as a staff nurse or towards a future specialism. However for one of them an incident with a notoriously difficult patient may mark the end of her career before it's barely begun.
- Two schoolboys visited a funfair looking for a fifty pence piece that one of them had dropped. While there they met a man who offered them the same amount each if they would perform indecent acts with him. The boys reported the matter to the police and they identified Reginald Barton as the offender. The Defence do not deny an offence took place and Barton admits to a long criminal record for sexual offences against boys. However he insists he is innocent on this occasion and is the victim of mistaken identity.
- The older patients attend a concert but it is not for all of them an enjoyable time. Jo Longhurst replaces Shirley Brent on the shift and finds it an eye-opening experience. Shirley is away sharing an evening with a male friend who is about to go away but will it prove a night to remember?
- Long serving prison officer William Hogarth, a strict disciplinarian, is accused of wounding with intent Johnson, an unpopular inmate. Johnson was found injured in the toilets where he had gone in search of secreted drugs. Hogarth insists his innocence and argues that the assault was actually committed by another inmate who then tried to frame him for the offence.
- Sister Young accuses head porter Harry Jamieson of carelessly transporting a patient. In protest he calls all the porters out on strike. The incident is witnessed by junior nurse Ruth Fullman and places her in a very difficult position, amplified by her desire to be promoted to the position of staff nurse for which she will need her Sister's recommendation.
- Jasper Fortesque and Sir Harold Dupuis have been at odds for years. However matters escalated dramatically when Sir Harold objected to a letter about the future of Gibraltar from Fortesque and when to his home to confront him - this confrontation ended with Sir Harold suffering stab wounds from Fortesque's dagger. Fortesque faces a charge of GBH but insists Sir Harold was wounded by accident. Lady Dupuis witnessed events and plays a curious role in the relationship between the two men.
- Roddy Maitland, the rising if temperamental star of British tennis, stormed off court during a Wimbledon semi-final. He then drove up to Fulchester to confront Dr. Holt-Matthews, the father of his pregnant girlfriend Gail. On being told that that her pregnancy was now over he attempted suicide in a hotel room by slashing his wrists. However it is Maitland who is now on trial for criminal libel after writing a letter in which the Prosecution allege he maliciously and falsely claimed the doctor to be "an abortionist" and "a murderer". The Defence case is that Dr. Holt-Matthews's callous attitude led him to such a conclusion and that there is no proof Gail had a genuine miscarriage.
- The nurses are working with elderly patients, encountering a range of characters and experiences. Pat Rutherford develops a close relationship with Dodie but other patients prove rather more difficult to handle. In one instance one of them suffers a broken leg, apparently when being moved, and the possibility of negligence or even abuse rears its head.
- Joe Plowman seemed due for release from a hostel for recovering alcoholics but after a late-night incident he was left dead from a stab wound. Resident social worker Nancy Church is now charged with his murder. She insists her innocence. The Defence case is that Plowman was prone to violence and was in the process of attacking Miss Church - he was accidentally stabbed and killed when falling on the knife she was using to warn him away.
- Elspeth Durrant, a temperamental woman with a history of mental illness and suicide attempts, is found dead in her bed after taking a large number of pills and alcohol. Shortly before she had told her husband Frank that she was going to commit suicide. However the prosecution insist this was not a genuine suicide but a case of murder - he was tired of her behaviour and asphyxiated her by turning her face into her pillow while she was unconscious.
- College student Walter Demmis died when his car crashed after being involved in an incident with a vehicle driven by lecturer Bernard Watson. Watson now stands trial accused of murder. The prosecution contend that he was angry with Demmis who had earlier damaged his car; on seeing Demmis driving away he followed in his own car and set up a high-speed chase with the intention of running him off the road, oblivious to the likely loss of life. Watson denies the charge. He admits he was angry with Demmis over the damage but merely wanted to catch up with him. They also assert that Demmis was a willing participant in the car chase which he saw as a test of driving nerve called "dicing".
- MI6 interpreter Kenneth Gould stands accused of passing secrets onto the KGB, in one instance resulting in the deaths of two British agents. The evidence of a Soviet defector is vital to the prosecution case but the defence argue that this man is in fact still working for the KGB and is an unreliable witness. The prosecution also assert that Gould, a man of working class origins, is a communist sympathiser but he insists he has no political allegiance and is the victim of dark forces in British intelligence.
- Four year old Leonie Klein was seriously injured after falling from a fire escape at the home of unregistered child-minder Sylvia Kelly. Mrs. Kelly is now on trial accused of ill-treating and neglecting Leonie. The prosecution argue that Mrs. Kelly was trying to look after six children and was unable to properly care for Leonie. They allege that she was annoyed with her and sent her out onto the balcony even though she knew it was unsafe. Mrs. Kelly denies the charges. She says she was properly caring for Leonie who got on to the balcony unexpectedly, her fall being a dreadful and unpreventable accident.