The 3rd in a series of 3 posts ona true murder story. Here are the 2 prequels

http://open.salon.com/blog/jonmagee/2010/05/31/it_was_murder_literally_a_personal_experience

http://open.salon.com/blog/jonmagee/2010/06/02/it_was_murder_part_2_the_london_bombing_connection

The months have gone by since the summer of 2005. Those months have been full since first getting the phone call about the attack on aunt Winnie, and subsequently her death.

Months of many journeys between Scotland and London. Months of meetings with media and TV crews. Months of meetings with Police and solicitors. Now, it is January 2006, and we stand in front of the Old Bailey. The Old Bailey, a building that has seen some of the worst criminals in the land standing trial, but this time we were to see the legal system being exercised against the man who has pleaded guilty to the killing of our aunt Winnie. Killed because he needed money to feed his drug addiction, and all she had on her was £26.

The Old Bailey, also known as Justice Hall, the Sessions House, and the Central Criminal Court, was named after the street in which it was located, just off Newgate Street and next to Newgate Prison, in the western part of the City of London. Over the centuries the building has been periodically remodelled and rebuilt in ways which both reflected and influenced the changing ways trials were carried out and reported.  

However, before we got to the court room itself my life was to be educated a little more. The British Police have a system of family liaison officers attached to the families of the victim. Police officers trained to care in a sensitive way as the case was developed. The two officers met us at the entrance, signed us in past the security system that was in place, and then began to give us atour that few people in the general public could ever have.

Walking through the corridors they showed us the most magnificent murals  painted on the walls and ceilings. Each painting depicted revealed something of London life through the ages. During the London blitz these paintings were damaged, and so an artist was commissioned in the 1950's to repair these paintings from the past, and then to add one more painting related to the 1950's.

"Look closely at the paintings" said the officers as they pointed out a specific matter of interest. The artist of the 1950's was a bit of a character, it seems. As he repaired each painting, and added his new painting, he put an additional character in each one, himself. Not easy to detect as he placed himself blending into the scenery.

What a lesson in the midst of this famous place of criminal law, but to make a judgement on the events of life it comes best when we are prepared to place ourselves, in a sense, at the scene of the crime.

For those who wish to read more of my writings, the details of my book can be seen in the link to the left. See the cover design below.