Letting out the Worms: Guilty or not? If not then the alternative is terrifying (Kitty Thomas Book 1 by Sue Nicholls (primary phonics .txt) 📕

Fitzsimmons: Thank you, Mr Thomas.

You saw Mr Owen-Rutherford in Chelterton one day, when you were with your friends Mr Adu and Mr Roman, is that correct?

Thomas: Yes.

Fitzsimmons: But you lied to them, didn’t you? You told them he was a neighbour.

Thomas: I did but…

Fitzsimmons: Thank you.

Now, moving on to Mauritius if I may. You discovered that Mr Owen-Rutherford was in a relationship with your ex-wife and that they were going on holiday together, so in fury you purchased a highly priced ticket and followed her with the express purpose of murdering her.

Thomas: I did not have any intention of murdering her.

Fitzsimmons: But you couldn’t help yourself.

Thomas: I did not murder Fee

In cross-examination, Porterhouse began unpicking Fitzsimmons’s case.

 Porterhouse: When you began your sessions with Mr Owen-Rutherford, did you find him helpful?

Thomas: Yes. It took a while, but eventually I realised that I was as much at fault as Fee. He showed me how to manage my anger. I’m a better man because of Max.

Porterhouse: That’s very magnanimous of you, considering you tell us that the man murdered your ex-wife.

Thomas: You asked me the question and I am telling you the truth. If you asked me how I feel about him now, I’d…

Porterhouse: Thank you, Mr Thomas. Just answer my questions if you would.

What did you and Max talk about?

Thomas: To start with I was mad with Fee, I think I ranted quite a bit. Max kept asking me questions, trying to get me to think about our relationship from Fee’s point of view, and eventually I got what he meant.

Porterhouse: And what was that?

Thomas: I was a selfish ba…, idiot and did nothing much to contribute to our marriage.

Porterhouse: He told you that?

Thomas: No. I worked it out for myself.

Porterhouse: Would you mind telling me what else you and Max talked about?

Thomas: Everything, more or less. I’d tell him what’d happened since our last meeting. He’d ask me questions about how I reacted and felt about situations, and about the other people I knew.

Porterhouse: Like who?

Thomas: Well, everyone really. Millie, Twitch, Fee, Kitty, the woman next door to Fee, friends, parents, anyone.

Porterhouse: And did you ever feel he was asking for irrelevant information?

Thomas: Not at the time, but with hindsight I realise that I fed him too much about Fee and the others in that house.

Porterhouse: The house in Crispin Road, where they lived?

Thomas: Yes. He knew what they looked like, their personalities, what cars they drove, their interests, you name it.

Porterhouse: Did you have any reservations about telling him all that?

Thomas: I might have been naïve, but no. I trusted him, and I liked him. He’d helped me.

Porterhouse: Let’s go back to the day when you and your neighbour had a disagreement. Tell me about it, would you?

Thomas: Kitty and I went to the supermarket.

Porterhouse: Kitty is your daughter, yes?

Thomas: Yes.

Porterhouse: How old was Kitty at this time?

Thomas: Seven

Porterhouse: Thank you. Please continue.

Thomas: OK. So, I bought Kitty a video and some other bits. After that we had lunch in McDonald's and then went back to my flat. Kitty wanted to watch the film, so I set it up for her to keep her occupied while I put the food away.

That’s when the noise started. I mean, it wasn’t just a bit of music; it was like, thump, thump, thump. The dog was frightened, and Kitty couldn’t hear her program.

Porterhouse: So, what did you do, Paul

Thomas: I went round there and knocked on the door, but the noise was so loud that they couldn’t hear me, so I kicked the door in.

Porterhouse: That was a violent act.

Thomas: Yes, I suppose it was, but my kid and dog were terrified, and I wanted to make them feel better.

Porterhouse. OK. Go on. What did you find inside the other flat?

Thomas: It stank for a start. Of dirt and cigarettes and drugs.

Porterhouse: Who was in there?

Thomas: Two blokes, snorting coke, practically comatose.

Porterhouse: What did you do?

Thomas: I yanked out the plug from the music player.

Porterhouse: The item from which the noise was coming?

Thomas: Yeah. And told them to keep the noise down because it was upsetting Kitty and Topsy

Porterhouse: Topsy is your dog, is she not?

Thomas: Yeah.

Porterhouse: What did you do next?

Thomas: I went back, and everything was fine for a while. Then it started again.

Porterhouse: The noise?

Thomas: Yes. That’s when I lost it.

Porterhouse: You became angry?

Thomas: Yes. I went back again and hit one of the blokes and threw the music player down the stairs.

Porterhouse: How do you feel now, about your actions

Thomas: I wish I hadn’t done it. Kitty was frightened afterwards, and the police were called so I had to get her home as quickly as possible before she saw me arrested.

Porterhouse: You ran away?

Thomas: I did, but afterwards, when Kitty was safely back with Fee, I went straight to the police and told them what had happened.

Porterhouse: Police records show that you were not arrested.

Thomas: No. The other blokes didn’t press charges. In fact, I think they were arrested for possession.

Porterhouse: Would you say you have a short temper, Paul?

Thomas: I can get angry when weak people are threatened, you know, frightened or something.

Porterhouse: Like the couple