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Kersley But why should she do that?
Sherwood ‘Mr Sherwood, you will live to regret this.’
Kersley Your words, not hers - because there’s no proof she ever said them.
Sherwood Ask any doctor at St George’s and they’ll tell you about Ms Mitchell’s reputation.
Kersley What a gallant fellow you are, Mr Sherwood, which would explain why you dumped her the moment she’d served her purpose.
Sherwood You can’t dump someone with whom you’ve never had a relationship.
Kersley Wouldn’t you describe having an affair for three months as a relationship?
Sherwood Yes, I would, but I wouldn’t describe one drunken kiss as having an affair.
Kersley But if you weren’t having an affair with Jennifer, why would she bother to go to Wellingborough to pick up those drugs for you?
Sherwood She didn’t go to Wellingborough to pick up those drugs until after I’d thrown her out of my office.
Kersley Or was it after you’d had ‘after-rounds sex’ with her in your office?
Sherwood You’ve crawled back into the gutter, Mr Kersley.
Kersley I’m searching for you, Mr Sherwood.
Sherwood Then you won’t find me there.
Kersley But I will find you in your flat pouring your wife a glass of wine. How did you get in? And then adding a sedative. How did you get in? And then leaving without your doctor’s bag. How did you get in? And then returning via the fire escape. How did you get in? And then injecting her with five ampoules of Potassium Chloride. How did you get in? And then leaving her to die a slow, painful and terrible death.
Sherwood Nothing could be further from the truth.
Kersley I cannot think of a more accurate summing-up of your entire evidence. No more questions, My Lord.
Judge Sir James, do you wish to re-examine?
Barrington My Lord, it would be a travesty of justice were I not to do so. My learned friend has suggested that if the Jury conclude that Mr Sherwood did have an affair with Ms Mitchell, then they must dismiss the rest of his evidence as a tissue of lies. I now intend to prove beyond reasonable doubt that no such affair ever took place. But to do that I must return to your love of sailing, Mr Sherwood. When the Falklands armada was being assembled, were you called up to join the fleet?
Sherwood Yes, in 1982 I was still on the Reserve list.
Barrington And in what capacity were you asked to serve?
Sherwood As a surgeon captain to the fleet.
Barrington And to which ship were you assigned?
Sherwood HMS Sheffield.
Barrington And were you on board that gallant vessel when she was hit by an Exocet and went down in flames?
Sherwood Yes, I was, Sir James, and most fortunate to be among those who survived.
Barrington And while you were in the water, Mr Sherwood, were you burned - which would account for the small scar on your right forearm, which Ms Mitchell referred to as intimate knowledge only a lover could have been aware of?
Sherwood Yes, Ms Mitchell is quite right about the burn.
Barrington Would you show it to the jury? (Sherwood takes off his jacket and rolls up his sleeve to reveal a small burn.) Now, she would have seen that every day in the operating theatre?
Sherwood Yes and whenever I was scrubbing up.
