Unfaithful (41 page)

However, when the case was called there was a small murmur of interest throughout
the thronged courtroom as the two accused answered the charges against them. This was the first time that most people had had the opportunity to get a good look at Savannah as she was led forward by two prison officers; on pure face value, she certainly did not seem like a likely assassin.

Mark half-heartedly stepped forward. Even at that early stage he certainly had no wish to stand beside his co-accused. They both st
ood and stared straight ahead while the charges against them were read aloud. There was a brief pause which allowed them to say whether they were guilty or innocent. The crowd was beginning to have an inkling of the extent of the allegations but couched in dry legal terms the full impact of the case still hadn't been made.

When Savannah a
nd Mark had denied the charges being made against them, Edward Clifford, the State's senior barrister, stood up and cleared his throat to begin his opening speech.

“
The jury has a right to know exactly what they are letting themselves in for,” he began, addressing Judge Charles Enright. “This will be a long and complex trial and we estimate that it will take a month. I will run through the main points of the case so the jurors know what they will be facing.” Judge Enright raised an eyebrow at the barrister’s dramatic tone but nodded his consent. As Mr. Clifford’s speech progressed and the details of the case were outlined, everyone stared at Mark in shocked curiosity but he gazed straight ahead and ignored their interest. By the time the barrister finally resumed his seat, the room was agog and the chances of finding a jury who would stay the distance had just increased exponentially!

The
legal teams began their negotiations the following day and it was standing room only in the courtroom. It was quite a small room on the second floor of the courthouse as nobody could have foreseen the amount of interest which the case would generate. It was modern and unimposing with large windows overlooking the River Liffey. Although the traffic was muted by double-glazing, the windows gave an impression of a world outside. However, the courtroom did not accommodate in any real or practical way the hoards of witnesses who were jostling for space with reporters and the families of the victims and the accused. Space rapidly became limited.

Savannah sat next to the door with a prison officer sitting on either side of her. Mark sat on the same bench with police officers and detectives. Then came Penelope, Shona and Rebecca; the victims of the appalling conspiracy. They were sitting beside the Public Relations
advisor who they'd hired for the proceedings and were surrounded by the reporters who had managed to fight their way to some seats. The temperature was rapidly rising in the cramped surroundings as Judge Enright appeared.

T
he defence teams waited while Mr. Clifford once again took the floor to continue his opening speech for the Prosecution. He repeated the main facts of the case but this time went into much more detail. He described the robbery of the computers and paintings at the offices of M&R Photography and gave an account of the strained relationship between Mark and Rebecca following the revelation of his affairs some months previously. The emails between “devils-revenge” and “assassin_hire” were read aloud to give an accurate idea of the depths of the conspiracy before the jury. Mr. Clifford highlighted the flirtatious tone of the emails and ran through the main witnesses who the jury would be hearing from. The reporters scribbled frantically in their notebooks while the two accused sat still, staring straight ahead in the oppressive heat.

When t
he judge sent the jury to lunch, everyone else got stiffly to their feet. The room quickly emptied as people poured into the corridor outside, enjoying the fresh air and the ability to stretch their cramped legs. They seemed slightly dazed from a morning of being bombarded with information, but there was plenty more to come.

After lunch the spectators gathere
d again and were taken through the remaining emails by the barrister. Lined up against the back wall, squashed onto the only bench available for non-legal people, were the two accused. They sat uncomfortably close to their intended victims, who were listening intently to the litany of evidence which was piling up.

Mr. Clifford
then moved on to the terms of the contract and the cut price “bargain” deal which was coldly negotiated for the murder of three people. The co-conspirators and their victims didn’t betray even a flicker of emotion as the reporters glanced back and forth between them, looking for some colour for their columns.

The hours dragged by. The heat was stifling in the airless room and still the opening speech wore
on. “My apologies for the length and detail of my speech,” Mr. Clifford was finally reaching the end. “I realise that I have given an unusually detailed account of the evidence against the two accused but we wanted to demonstrate the strength of our case. The stories told by both accused are lies and confabulation.”  The courtroom clock was chiming five o'clock by the time he finished and the day's proceedings had came to a close. The jury went home that night with an idea of what was ahead of them but for Mark and Savannah it was a daunting first day. There hadn't been a single witness yet but the newspapers painted a damning picture indeed.

Chapter 12

The following day t
he courtroom was still as hot and overcrowded as it had been for the opening speech and it was decided that one of the main courtrooms on the ground floor would be better suited to the trial. Space was no longer at a premium downstairs and the victims were spared having to sit on the same bench as the accused. Savannah arrived, laughing and chatting with the prison officers, and took her seat at the far end of the bench while Mark sat at the opposite end. Penelope, Shona and Rebecca sat two rows behind the barristers while behind them the public galleries were full of reporters and police. They craned forward to hear what was going on as the lawyers studiously ignored the microphones placed on their table to counteract the room's less than perfect acoustics.

Daniel Williams
was the first witness to be called by the Prosecution and his evidence was vital to the case. He sat quietly while the barristers argued but he was secure in the knowledge that he had full immunity. His nerves became more and more apparent as the days dragged on. Savannah was noticeably aware of his presence, knowing exactly what was coming when he took the stand. Every now and then, she glanced surreptitiously at him. When he finally took the stand it was to a packed courtroom. Everyone knew that this was the main event, the most damning witness in the Prosecution's arsenal.

The
courtroom quickly filled with people as word spread like wildfire about the bizarre and gripping opening speech of the previous day. Everyone was talking about the incredible allegations and the conspiracy to murder which had begun to unfold. There was a hum of excitement as the crowd took their seats and waited for the next installment. The courtroom was already gripped and the momentum was flowing as Daniel Williams took the stand. Given the spectacular reference to poison in the previous day's opening speech the evidence from Savannah Kingston's accomplice was bound to be dramatic, compelling and of paramount importance. The star witness didn't fail to deliver as he coolly told the court that he and Savannah had manufactured ricin in their home in London and had then transported it to Ireland. However, very few of those in attendance were prepared for the sensational details that were about to be revealed.

Daniel took to
the witness box with a great show of humility. Wearing black trousers and a grey shirt with his dark hair gelled back he steadied himself before speaking quietly into the microphone in front of him. He barely glanced at his former lover, all his attention was focused on the barrister as he led him through his evidence. His voice was calm as he laid out the incriminating evidence against Savannah and Mark. The entire courtroom was on the edge of their seats listening to every word he had to say.

London native, Daniel Williams
, long-term partner of Savannah Kingston, gave evidence over a two hour period. The jury was advised that Mr. Williams had been given immunity from prosecution in the case on the basis that he would give evidence in the trial and that the decision was unconditional and irrevocable. He was questioned and cross-examined at length and his replies were always delivered in a monotone, giving the impression that he was almost bored by the entire situation. The line of questioning became intense at times and he was accused of being a fraudster and a liar. However, nothing seemed to perturb him and he kept his cool throughout, remaining categorical in his sometimes bizarre assertions.

"What is the nature of your relationship with Savannah Kingston?"
Mr. Clifford began his cross-examination.

"We met in London
in 2005 where Savannah was a hostess for the nightclub which I frequented," Daniel replied calmly. "We moved in together a few months later."

"Was this an intimate relationship?"
Mr. Clifford asked.

"Yes."

"Have you ever previously visited Ireland?"

"Yes. I
was in Ireland last April with Richard Delaney, Savannah’s friend. We were supposed to kill Penelope and Shona. Savannah had a website, Assassin for Hire. She received a contract from Mark to arrange a contract to kill his wife and the two women. They corresponded and he sent her a deposit."

The enti
re courtroom listened in stunned silence to Daniel's evidence. The evidence had been mentioned in the opening speech to the jury but it was even more real to hear it directly from a key civilian witness who had been close to one of the defendants.

"Did you see any of the email correspondence?"
Mr. Clifford continued.

"Yes, Savannah showed me the emails."

"Were there telephone calls between Mark and Savannah?"

"Mark called her several times and she called him back."

"Did you hear Mark speaking on the telephone?"

"I heard his voice. He had a strong Irish accent and spoke very fast. Savannah had to ask him to slow down so she could understand."

"What was the email address?"

"
It was “devils-revenge”."

"Was a package sent to your house in
London?"

"Yes, but I was at work when the money arrived. Savannah signed for it."

"What happened next?"

"The next stage was Savannah getting in contact with Richard and organising the hit."

"How was this going to happen?"

"The plan was that Richard would poison the two women. I travelled to Ireland at the end of April and Rich
ard arrived a day later. We walked to the street where M&R Photography was located. Richard wanted to know exactly where the business was situated and we knew where to find it from Mark's directions. Richard had his own plans for completing the job. He had several pills which could cause a heart attack or kill. The medication could easily have been put into a drink and been undetected but he decided that the plan wasn't feasible and he left the next day. I stayed in Ireland for a few more days and then I went to France."

Mark McNamara, who was sitting in the dock, seemed increasingly uncomfortable as
he listened to Daniel’s evidence. His usually composed, confident facade was beginning to slip. He wrote furiously on a notepad as the witness told his story and then handed his notes to his legal team. It was plain to see his concern was mounting as the unstoppable Mr. Williams continued.

"Why did you go to France?"
Mr. Clifford asked.

"
Savannah wanted me to look around and verify the information about the location of the apartment.”

"Who owned the apartment
?" Mr. Clifford probed.

"It was t
he McNamaras' apartment in St. Malo," Daniel answered promptly.

"Where was Savannah?"

"She was still in London. I was in constant communication with her and reported everything back. She wanted me to verify that there was an internet cafe located in St. Malo, so I checked out the area. Eventually, I found it and sat outside the cafe which faced the apartment. I was hoping to see Mark or Rebecca. I bought a drink and kept an eye on the tower, searching for a familiar face from the photographs which Mark had sent. I developed a headache and began to feel ill and increasingly uneasy. Maybe it was jet lag or nerves, but the full weight of what we were planning came crashing down on me, so I went back to the hotel. I stayed for a while in the air-conditioned room before packing and checking out. The whole idea of killing someone was starting to get to me so I decided to return home to London."

"What was Savannah's reaction when you returned to
London?"

"She was furious."

"What happened next?"

"
She went back to France and later we travelled to Ireland together."

After a while the barrister’s questions
took a sudden turn into darker waters. He had reached the poison evidence which made everyone sit up and take notice.