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Prisoner of Birth
Beth Wilson loved Danny, and out of that she conceived her first child. Danny took her to Dunlop
Arms restaurant in Chelsea on September 18th 1999 for marriage proposal, where Bernard, brother of Beth and childhood friend of Danny was killed in a quarrel with four unknown people, who also came there for celebrating the birthday of one of them. Danny was employed in Wilson garage owned and managed by Beth’s father George Wilson, Bernard too worked there and about to get control of it when his father retires by the end of that year.
The case Crown VS Danny Cartwright came to Old Bailey court. Arnold Pearson, QC, an experienced
lawyer represented the Crown, and Alex Redmayne, a young lawyer, fought for Danny Cartwright. In his dying statement to Beth, Bernard identified Craig as the killer. She reported the same as a witness. Spencer Craig was an established advocate, made his story, and with the help of other three friends and the barman was able to convince the jury with consistent witness account that Danny is the killer. He was convicted and sent to Belmarsh prison for 22 years jail term.
Danny met and got close with Nicholas (Nick) and Big Al as his room mates in the jail. Not only resemblance in face, Danny also had other similarities with Nick like height, voice, etc. Nicholas an educated, and a commander of an army group, was serving his eight years jail term for negligence in duty. Nick’s good conduct in jail for the last two years earned him a parole in eight weeks’ time. In those two years they stayed together, Danny passed out all six papers of GCSE examination with active help of Nick, and was looking forward to pursue A level.
Toby Mortimer, Craig’s friend, was present in Dunlop Arms, was brought in Belmarsh prison for serious drug offence. Toby confessed to a
prisoner his account of September 18th implicating Craig as the killer of Bernie. That prisoner recorded and gave the tape to Danny. Based on this fresh evidence, Danny’s lawyer Redmayne was able to open the case again, but the bench of three judges discarded the evidence on the ground of suspicion. Dejected Danny went back to the prison for the rest of his term.
Nick’s father died. He was permitted to attend the funeral under security. The guards allowed Nick to interact with his father’s lawyer Fraser Munro, who is now his lawyer too.
Just before two weeks of nick’s freedom, he was murdered in shower, and it was spread as a suicide. On hearing the news Big Al, who was in the jail hospital for treatment, took advantage of accessing the files of prisoners, and interchanged Nick and Danny’s papers creating an impression that Danny committed suicide. He convinced Danny to accept it and get out of jail as Nick Moncrief.
Danny became a freeman, but as Nick.
His uncle Hugo Moncrief tried to grab properties and a mammoth stamp collection of his brother (Nick’s father) through illegal means, but failed. Fraser Munro’s wise advice helped Danny to get hold properties and stamp collection. Mr. Coubertin, the chairman of the Swiss bank handed him the collection that he sold to one Mr. Hunsacker of Texas, US for 57 million US dollars.
Soon after Danny paid attention on Spencer Craig, Gerald Payne, and Lawrence Davenport for revenge. The fourth man of the musketeer group Toby Mortimer died horribly inside the prison Gerald Payne lost huge sum of money in a land deal initiated by Danny. Craig and Davenport also lost a million or two. Danny too had to forgo a million to create a just impression. The incident put Craig into qualm when he knew Beth is seeing Nick. It bumped into his mind that Nick is Danny. He tracked Danny’s movements and activities, and became certain. He called Fuller, the detective sergeant, who arrested Danny in Bernie murder case, and gave enough proof to arrest Danny again. He was arrested, five counts of charges; jail escape, stealing property, unlawful occupation, of stamp collection theft, and cheque fraud were imposed on him. In the Old Bailey court, Mr. Justice Hackett presided over the case, Arnold Pearson QC was the Crown lawyer with assistant David Simms, and Alex Redmayne the defendant lawyer with Mathew Redmayne his junior. Mathew is Alex’s father and a renowned retired judge.
Four counts of charges were dropped with powerful examinations and cross examinations of witnesses by Alex Redmayne. For the final charge of escaping from the prison, alex’s father Mathew interrogated and cornered Craig and Fuller with well knitted questions, and brought the subject of Bernie’s murder as relevant to the last charge. Judge could not deny him because he understood a miscarriage of justice had been done in Crown VS Daniel Cartwright case. Rejecting Pearson’s pleas he ordered all the transcripts of old and new case before him.
The court was in session again. The judge called upon three defendants; Spencer Craig, Gerald Payne, and Lawrence Davenport to go the dock. Then he asked each to plead guilty or not for respective charges. Craig and Payne pleaded ‘not guilty’. Davenport was counseled by his sister Sarah, a barrister, with whom he was staying after loosing his residence to Danny, broke down before the judge, and pleaded guilty of false evidence. That’s it.