Day 276 - 09 Jul 96 - Page 41
1 Q. You brought up about the witness statements being served
2 which the plaintiffs claimed once we received their witness
3 statements in this case we would realise that the whole
4 fact sheet is untrue. If you cast your mind back to that
5 period when there was an exchange of witness statements, I
6 think it was the summer of 1993, can you remember what our
7 reaction was at this time? Were we disappointed,
8 downhearted, or exhilarated or what? Did we feel we had a
9 substantial case, did we feel we had --
10 A. I remember being exhausted. But I do remember feeling
11 that, you know, we had a good case and that we had managed
12 to get about 70 witness statements, despite the fact that
13 we had only had three weeks to get them in. And I think
14 that we both felt that that was a reflection of how willing
15 people were to come forward to defend the criticisms that
16 had been made.
17
18 Obviously, they were not the people making the
19 criticisms in terms of being the leaflet. But in terms of
20 sort of exworkers criticising the pay and the conditions,
21 and in terms of nutritionalists talking about the links
22 between diet and ill health for example, that yes, that if
23 we had managed to get that many statements in just three
24 weeks then clearly, you know, it was obvious that we had a
25 good case.
26
27 It was not like we had to sort of rummage around
28 and scrape the bottom of the barrel to, you know, in
29 desperation and take ages trying to drag somebody out of a
30 hat or something like that. These were people who were
31 willing to come forward and it was not that hard to find
32 them.
33
34 Q. Since that time, as the case has now started and
35 progressed, listening to the evidence in the case, has it
36 confirmed or undermined your -- or how, when we have
37 discussed the matters, have we felt confirmed or undermined
38 in our belief in the truth of the fact sheet?
39 A. I personally am convinced that the criticisms made of
40 McDonald's are true. And every time I have ever discussed
41 it with you, you have given every indication that that is
42 your view as well.
43
44 Q. But listening to the evidence in the case, have we felt
45 that we have -- have our beliefs been strengthened or
46 weakened as a result of hearing the evidence in the last
47 270 days?
48 A. Strengthened.
49
50 Q. Moving away from that for a minute, you said that you would
51 have, regarding the allegation that I was somehow involved
52 in the production of the fact sheet complained of, that you
53 would have known if I had been involved because at that
54 time we were living in the same house in Tottenham?
55 A. Well.
56
57 Q. Why would you have known? Would I have kept it secret or
58 what?
59 A. I actually said that at the time we were living in the
60 same house in Tottenham and that I did not see any
