Day 267 - 21 Jun 96 - Page 45
1
2 Q. At that time?
3 A. Yes.
4
5 Q. Did you know whether or not it was a criminal offence if
6 you were going to put them back?
7 A. If it was a criminal offence I probably would not have
8 done it. In fact, I know I would not have done it.
9
10 Q. Well, what was your state of knowledge about the law in
11 this area at that time?
12 A. If it was wrong, I would not have done it.
13
14 Q. Well, what did you know?
15 A. I do not recall.
16
17 Q. So you just got on with doing it whether or not it was
18 legal?
19 A. If it was illegal I would not have done it.
20
21 Q. Well, how did you know it was not illegal?
22 A. Because subsequently, when discussing it with
23 principals and when it was photocopied, nothing was
24 mentioned that it was wrong. Therefore, I assumed it was
25 not.
26
27 Q. So at the time you took them you did not know whether or
28 not it was legal to take them?
29 A. At the time I took them I did not know, or I had no
30 belief, that what I was doing was wrong.
31
32 Q. So, you would not have a problem if someone went into your
33 house and took your letters. You would not have considered
34 that there was anything illegal in that?
35 A. If they were there uninvited, perhaps, yes.
36
37 Q. Well, you were not invited to take these letters were you?
38 A. I was there as a member of the group.
39
40 Q. You still were not invited to take the letters though, were
41 you?
42 A. Not verbally, no.
43
44 Q. So why should you think that what you were doing was not
45 illegal?
46
47 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Well, does it matter? I mean, you have
48 asked several questions about this. If you want to say to
49 me in due course he behaved badly and therefore I should
50 not attach weight to his evidence, then say it. You do not
51 have to go over it several times.
52
53 MS. STEEL: Well, did your employers say to you: "Go in there.
54 Get as many copies of letters as you can and do not worry
55 about it because if we put them back there is nothing
56 illegal about it."
57 A. I do not recall that, no. It may have happened. I do
58 not recall.
59
60 Q. So, you do not recall whether it was on your initiative or
