A6 Rebooted

[cobalt]

Sherrard must have done a reasonably good job. The jury were out for ten hours and on one occasion asked the judge for advice. They also requested a transcript of the trial, which shows they were aware that the evidence had to be reviewed carefully, but this was denied. I think in vernacular Scots, the jury were ‘swithering.’ Hanratty, who’d spent a fair time of his short life in various docks, was of the opinion that Sherrard had served him well.

However, given the difficulty the jury had in reaching a verdict, it’s hard to deny that a more experienced barrister might have tilted the case Hanratty’s way. Hanratty presented himself as a self-confessed thief so it was inevitable the jury would have reservations over his ability to tell the truth. Changing his alibi could only have confirmed their suspicions. Yet had Sherrard made known the true relationship between Gregsten and Valerie Storie then her evidence may have been seen in a less favourable light. This relationship also opened up the possibility of motive and may well have given a jury pause for thought.

Badgering a woman in a wheelchair sounds like a poor tactic to me, but Sherrard could have introduced the nature of the relationship with the timeworn qualification, ‘This is not a court of morals.’

[OneRound]

I have just seen a BBC documentary on Youtube concerning capital punishment in the UK. It has been uploaded in three parts and I give the links below. It features Michael Sherrard as the "defence barrister" and although Hanratty's name is not mentioned, it is pretty that Sherrard is referring to him when relating his experiences of dealing with prisoner sentenced to death. The documentary also features David Lines who was the under-sheriff of Bedfordshire who was witness to Hanratty's execution.

https://youtu.be/3BeJrT9qqII

https://youtu.be/5tFsQHHjsx8

https://youtu.be/K2wXMmwHWzc

Hi Spitfire - thanks for the links to the documentary. Better than I expected - feared it would be all stuff too regularly seen but some of the clips were new to me.

Whilst Sherrard always comes over in these sort of programmes as decent and honourable, I do get moste's recent point that he needed more devil in him to get Hanratty off.

Best regards,
OneRound

[Spitfire]

On the other hand from the Daily Express of 11 July 1983

[Spitfire]

I have just seen a BBC documentary on Youtube concerning capital punishment in the UK. It has been uploaded in three parts and I give the links below. It features Michael Sherrard as the "defence barrister" and although Hanratty's name is not mentioned, it is pretty that Sherrard is referring to him when relating his experiences of dealing with prisoner sentenced to death. The documentary also features David Lines who was the under-sheriff of Bedfordshire who was witness to Hanratty's execution.

https://youtu.be/3BeJrT9qqII

https://youtu.be/5tFsQHHjsx8

https://youtu.be/K2wXMmwHWzc

[moste]

I think what Sherrard was discussing with the Home Office was a reprieve from hanging, as in the case of Steinie Morrison. He would still have been deemed guilty and sent to prison.

The mechanism the defence used to free Wallace was to argue that he should not have been tried. You could not have argued that there was insufficient evidence to bring Hanratty to trial, as Sherrard realised.

Strongly disagree. Even back in the magistrates court (Pretrial) they should have nipped the whole thing in the bud.When the prosecution gave all the details that they had on Hanratty, The police should have been sent out to find a strong candidate for Gregstens murder. Starting with Ewer! the clairvoyant from the high street.....’ Helicopters’ ! for the love of Pete ! Can’t you see what a crummy case for the prosecution Swanwick had to work with ? If Sherrard hadn’t had to step in as a substitute and a decent replacement had been found, I feel the prosecution would have been torn to shreds. Swanwick’s ‘In’ , was the sympathy of the Bedford jury for Storie. Sherrard was too scared to tamper with these feelings. Any top experienced defence Q.C would have (I don’t want to say harangued) ,heavily questioned Storie until the truth came out.