We had a fabulous time at Capital Crime over the weekend. Thank you to the team at Capital Crime and Karen Cole for inviting me to cover some of the events. The first one was The Anatomy of a Crime, looking at how a crime progresses through police involvement to trial. If anyone was expecting a serious discussion, then they didn’t get one! Authors who are also (or have been) police officers, crime scene forensic investigators, barristers and a judge took part. Our police officers were Graham Bartlett and Kate London, Kate Bendelow examined the forensic evidence, Helen Fields was the prosecution barrister, Nadine Matheson was the defence barrister and Nicola Williams was our judge. But what was the crime? Who was the victim and the suspect? As the court reporter, I can tell you everything. Well, everything that’s allowed to be reported!

 

There have been extraordinary scenes at St Paul’s Court today. The murder of Havid Deadley, owner of Silverston Books, has been a complex case for the police, led by Chief Superintendent Graham Bartlett. The crime scene was compromised by a cleaner and the paramedics who attended but forensic evidence was found that pointed to Fiona Cummins as a possible suspect. Today, she stood trial for his murder.

The prosecution, represented by Helen Fields KC, laid out its case against Ms Cummins. Her motive to murder Havid Deadley was that she had lost out on a lucrative book subscription deal – the Sterling book – that the victim ran. The deal was given to M.W. Craven instead. Craven referred to the defendant as the ‘boozy floozy’ and indicated she’d lost the deal due to her getting very drunk, behaving inappropriately and being removed from her own book launch at Silverston Books. He accepted he’d given Ms Cummins a copy of his book but denied writing a note addressed to her that was found stuffed in Deadley’s mouth.

The defence, represented by Nadine Matheson KC, suggested Craven had killed Mr Deadley himself. Craven denied this but did admit that he had paid for Mr Deadley’s three-acre garden to be astro-turfed.

Next up was Kate Bendelow, the crime scene manager. She explained Fiona Cummins’ fingerprints were found on a wine bottle and a book at the scene. The book was a proof copy of ‘The Mercy Chair’ by M.W. Craven and was believed to be the one gifted to Cummins by the author. Some of the pages, plus the note addressed to the defendant, were stuffed into Havid Deadley’s mouth. Crucially, her fingerprints were not on those pieces of paper. Nor were her fingerprints found on a fire extinguisher that had been used to hit Havid Deadley on the head. Bendelow admitted to the defence that the killer could have worn gloves and that the bottle and book could have been left at the bookshop on a previous occasion.

DC Kate London was the final witness for the prosecution. Alongside the forensic evidence, analysis of Fiona Cummins phone revealed two messages sent to Havid Deadley. They were:

‘You only get to cross me once.’

‘Havid and Michael sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G  –  wish it was killing.’

The phone was also found at a pub only two minutes away from the crime scene at Silverston Books. CCTV footage also showed a woman, the same height as Cummins, entering the crime scene. Under cross-examination, DC London revealed that not only did the footage not show Cummins face but that it had also been corrupted and was not available to view in court. She further admitted that the handwriting on the note stuffed in Deadley’s mouth had not been analysed. The prosecution rested its case.

The defence called Fiona Cummins to the stand. Since being accused of murder, she’s not been able to pursue her career as a writer and has turned to Only Fans, as Lady Fifi, to earn money. She claimed to be good friends with Havid Deadley and had bought him many expensive dinners. She had been overjoyed to receive the Sterling subscription and was annoyed when it was removed but she had got over it. When asked about being known as a ‘boozy floozy’, she said she was a happy, loving drunk, not an angry one. She also denied writing the messages to Deadley, saying that as her phone isn’t locked, anyone could have written them.

On the night of the murder, she stated she was in the pub close to the bookshop but was there to meet a friend.

 

Helen Fields KC asked Cummins about her launch party when she had become very intoxicated, was removed and, as a result, lost the subscription. Cummins said that everyone got drunk at launches and that she’d probably touched every bottle of wine there. She also thought she’d left the book, given to her by Craven, at the bookshop.

The defence then called A.J. West to the stand. He claimed to be with Fiona Cummins at the pub on the night of the murder and that they’d been discussing a book Fiona wanted to write, exposing Havid Deadley’s secrets. Under cross-examination though, he admitted he hadn’t been with Ms Cummins all evening as he had spent some time with a few dancers from the ‘Mamma Mia!’ show.

In the summing up, Helen Fields KC, for the prosecution, stated there were too many coincidences the jury were meant to swallow – Cummins’ fingerprints at the scene and her proximity to the bookshop on the night of the murder. Nadine Matheson KC, for the defence, maintained the evidence was circumstantial and as Kate Bendelow had admitted under oath that the murderer had probably worn gloves, anyone could be the killer – including M.W. Craven.

Judge Nicola Williams, who often had to remind the witnesses how to behave in court, instructed the jury she would accept a majority decision. The verdict – not guilty. Fiona Cummins was free to leave and continue her life as an author, or as Lady Fifi, or possibly both.

Joy Kluver – court reporter for Capital Crime