Day 250 - 15 May 96 - Page 37

     
     1        the purpose of this line of questioning is.  Otherwise
     2        I will rule that it must stop, because I do not understand
     3        its relevance.
     4
     5   MS. STEEL:   Then, on the day of the protest on 16th October
     6        1989, you went along to the picket about 20 minutes after
     7        it had started?
     8        A.  Roughly, it is a long time ago, and it was about 15, 20
     9        minutes afterwards, yes.
    10
    11   Q.   Right.  And you left work at about 6 o'clock?
    12        A.  Just after.
    13
    14   Q.   Just after.  Is that the usual time you leave work?
    15        A.  Most evenings, yes.
    16
    17   Q.   Right.  You did not stay on late especially, or anything
    18        like that?
    19        A.  No.
    20
    Q.   Right.  So can you tell us what it was that you saw on that
    22        day?
    23
    24   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  No, I am sorry.  The time has come, really,
    25        to challenge what you disagree with.
    26
    27   MS. STEEL:   With respect, this statement is made very recently,
    28        and it is apparently not made from notes.
    29
    30   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Start the witness off where you want to
    31        start.  What I do not want to do is take a long time with
    32        the witness just going through everything again.
    33
    34   MS. STEEL:   When you came to observe the protest, where were
    35        you standing and what did you see?
    36        A.  On the first occasion I was in the ground floor lobby,
    37        looking through the window with the white card on it, and
    38        I was in the company of a Special Branch officer.  What
    39        I saw were a number of demonstrators outside the window;
    40        there were two large banners; there were a number of small
         placards being carried; there were about 3 people, I think
    42        handing out leaflets to both pedestrians and car drivers,
    43        immediately outside the office; there was, I think, at that
    44        time one on the other side of the road, and one down at the
    45        underground station, which was your normal way... Sorry,
    46        not yours, London Greenpeace's normal way of distributing
    47        leaflets outside of our office.  You covered the
    48        underground, you covered the other side of the road and you
    49        covered immediately in front of the office.
    50 
    51   Q.   So that is what happens on every picket? 
    52        A.  Yes, all those that I have seen. 
    53
    54   Q.   Right.  You stayed in the office for how long watching this
    55        and were you talking to this Special Branch officer at the
    56        time?
    57        A.  Yes.
    58
    59   Q.   Right.  How long were you there for?
    60        A.  At the most ten minutes.