The story of Bad Bart

Ross Woods, 2019

Tom, Dick and Harry were sitting and talking in Tom’s house when Bad Bart burst in. Tom, Dick and Harry all said: Hello, Bad Bart.

Bad Bart shouted to Tom, I seriously dislike you!, pulled out a gun, blasted a bullet at Tom, and ran out. Tom slumped in his chair, badly wounded and unconscious.

Dick said, Stay with him, Harry! I’ll call an ambulance. Dick grabbed his phone, dialed the emergency number, and raced outside to wait for the ambulance.

The police came as well as the ambulance. They immediately split up Dick and Harry, interviewed them separately, and took full statements of events. The police also interviewed the next door neighbor, Mrs. Ethel Kerfopps, who heard the shot and noticed the exact time.

Later in hospital, the police also interviewed Tom as soon as he was conscious and able to answer questions, and took a full statement.

They soon arrested Bad Bart, but he had already disposed of the gun and the police could not find it.

At trial, the judge did not accept Tom’s, Dick’s, or Harry’s statements as evidence, because none of them could read. They had only made their marks on their statements instead of a signature. The judge said they could not have known exactly what police had written.

The prosecutor established that Tom, Dick, and Harry could not have colluded to create a story. Immediately after the shooting, Harry was waiting with Tom, who was unconscious, while Dick was outside waiting for the ambulance.

Tom, Dick, and Harry were examined and cross-examined as witnesses. Their testimonies were extremely consistent. It seemed conclusive that Bad Bart had intentionally shot Tom.

The defense lawyer then stood up. His main defense was: Bad Bart could not have done it. He did not fill in a form at the time.

Moral of the story: Interview evidence is real evidence, and can be sufficient evidence.