Murder Most Foul

What's all this?

You may choose, members of the jury,

to believe the prisoner -

that returning from a walk,

he found the hanging Mrs McGinty

and was about to release the rope

when Police Constable Wells

appeared on the scene.

On the other hand, you may think

the accused intended

to cover manual strangulation

of Mrs McGinty

for motives of greed,

with clumsy attempts to make

his mean crime appear to be suicide.

Madam, either

you will have to cease knitting

or I will have to cease judging,

which shall it be?

It helps me to concentrate, m'lord.

- It does not help me, madam.

- Oh.

Very well.

Thank you.

Ah, yes.

If what I have said

is the truth of the matter,

then the prisoner was delayed in

the execution of his evil subterfuge

by the desperate fight of his victim.

Those scattered banknotes,

that pathetic crushed rose

torn from her dress...

He was delayed, I say, long

enough for the timely intervention

of the alert Police Constable Wells.

Summing up

for a conviction, Inspector.

- Stand you a beer afterwards, Wells.

- Thank you.

..had every opportunity

of knowing that the unfortunate widow

kept her life savings there

instead of in the bank

and that Harold Taylor was bent

on securing her meagre fortune.

If the facts as presented to you

admit of any reasonable doubt,

then the accused is entitled

to the benefit of that doubt.

Members of the jury,

if you have been convinced by the

evidence beyond all reasonable doubt,

that the accused

committed this heinous crime,

then it is your solemn duty

to return a verdict of guilty.

You will retire

and consider your verdict.

Might just have time

for that beer, Wells.

There's absolutely

no doubt in my mind he's guilty.

He was caught

red-handed by the policeman.

Prisoner at the bar,

have you anything to say...

Not yet, m'lord,

the jury is still out.

Surely the time is more appropriate

for a very dry Martini, Johnson?

Very good, m'lord.

- Not more tea?

- No. They're coming back.

Are you agreed upon your verdict?

No, sir.

What did you say?

We're not able to reach

an agreement, m'lord.

Silence. I will not have

my court turned into a bear garden.

I suggest you retire for longer.

I'm afraid

it would be a waste of time, my lord.

I see.

Very well. There will be

a retrial at a later date.

Jury dismissed.

If ever there was

an open and shut case, this was it.

One jury member

was deliberately perverse.

Many more than one,

Inspector, I assure you.

Oh?

That woman's made a mockery

of my one and only murder.

No! No! No, Mr Swanbridge!

You mustn't turn your back

on the audience.

I want them to see

the surprise on your face.

Allow me.

Just once more, Miss Rusty, please.

Right.

Ah, our lady president.

Carry on, please.

Try again.

Do please try harder, Mr Swanbridge.

My arm's getting awfully tired.

A little rough at the moment,

but it'll be all right on the night.

- Tea?

- No, thank you.

You found him guilty, of course.

They did. I did not.

Miss Marple, surely...

Remember our play for the renovation

fund, The Lodger's Dilemma?

Unforgettable.

You remember, Mr Stringer,

that the victim in that play

wore a rose to receive her paramour.

He murdered her

and the lodger was blamed.

Exactly. Mrs McGinty

wore a rose on the fatal night.

Oh!

Was it to receive her lodger

when we have no evidence

of any dalliance between them?

- I hardly think so.

- Then she wore it for someone else.

- Her murderer, you think?

- I do.

Excuse me, Mr Stringer.

I'm sorry, but he still keeps

turning away. What can I do?

We'll have to recast him.

Rate this script:(0.00 / 0 votes)