My name is Henrietta Smith, people called me Henni. I'm seventeen years old and I live at number five South Street. I rent a room which I share with my sister Betty. I'm studying to be a teacher at the local college.
My sister Betty is one year older than me, she looks just like me, but much smaller. She stopped growing when she was thirteen, she cannot hear, she does not speak or read or write. We were brought up in a home, we are very close, we can understand each other.
No, I'm not responsible for Betty, I'm seventeen, I can't be a guardian. I pay the rent and buy food for the two of us, but Betty looks after herself.
Betty is not here, I tried to explain this court case to her, but she did not understand and she would not understand if she were here. Suing Betty is a waste of time, she has no money, she owns four dresses, two tutus and two that I made for her, that's all. I get a small student grant, but I'm broke at the end of the month.
Yes, Betty dances for the Four Crosses Carnival Club and wears a very elaborate and very expensive uniform, but it belongs to the carnival club. Let me repeat, Betty has no income, no money and no assets.
I was at the stadium with our friend Heinrich to watch the game that Sunday. It was a great game, Betty led the cheerleaders around the field during the breaks and also at the end. Then it happened, lots of bangs and smoke and stuff, Heinrich and me just wanted to get out of the stadium. I saw nothing, just smoke and one or two hooligans flying through the air. Later Betty brought Barbara back to our house and we looked after her.
My name is Barbara Klang, I'm eighteen and live with my parents in North Side, I'm training to be a doctor's assistant. I was one of the cheerleaders who performed at the stadium that Sunday, it was a great game and afterwards we paraded round the field.
We were almost back at the tunnel and then it happened, lots of bangs and smoke and stuff, I got confused and ran off in the wrong direction, silly me. I did not know where I was going. Two hooligans grabbed me and pulled off most of my clothes. It was awful, but Betty came.
The two young men tried to run away, but Betty picked them up and threw them into the air, I think that was very painful. Betty rescued me.
No, I could not identify them, the police showed me pictures, but my brain shuts down when I think of the hooligans.
Betty carried me to her home and looked after me. Betty and her sister Henni are wonderful. I met my new boyfriend there, Heinrich is wonderful too.
My name is Klara Klinge, I live in Knowtown in Rockweld Crescent. My son Jake has brought the case against Betty Smith, who lives here in Bigtown.
My son is not here today, I have a document signed by my doctor that Jake is suffering from trauma and two broken legs and unfit to travel or to speak out in front of a court. What I want to know is, why didn't the police arrest Betty Smith?
And that is why he is suing Betty Smith. She threw him into the air after the football match here in Bigtown and caused his suffering. How can he work with two broken legs? And the trauma?
No, actually at the moment he does not have a job.
No, actually he has never had a job; but how can he get one with two broken legs? And when Betty Smith has no money, then her sister can pay, she is responsible, she could stop that useless studying, get a decent job and give all her wages to my son.
You ask me if my son Jake has been in criminal court before. I don't have to answer that question.
My name is Marlon Snape and live at the hostel in Knowtown. Yeah, I was at the match. At the end there was lots of bangs and smoke and stuff, I got confused and there I was on the playing field. No fighting, really not.
I wandered about and this little girl just picked me up and she did flung me up through the smoke and I hit the ground and hurt my 'ead.
No, I don't know Jake Klinge. You know, it took me a week to get over it, that little girl should be locked up.
Yeah, I've been in court before, what of it?
My name is Jim Dean, I'm a police officer here in Bigtown. I was on duty at the football match. There was a very serious outbreak of hooliganism, violence and fighting at the end of the match, all under the cover of smoke.
No, the police did not stop the fighting until the smoke cleared. However by then the fighting had stopped and 33 hooligans, I mean young men, were lying on the ground and wailing. I saw Betty carry another girl through the tunnel.
I took the names and addresses of all of them, I recognised most of them, young men with previous convictions for hooliganism AND none of them from Bigtown. They all got a minor ticket for 50 dollars for being illegally on the playing field.
No, that's not true; what was in the newspapers is wrong. The police did interview Betty, I know, I did it the next day. I had been advised by Betty's sister to only ask simple yes/no questions. I asked if she had been at the match, she nodded. I asked if she had thrown young men in the air, she nodded. I asked her if she liked killing people, she threw her hands in the air, nodded and did a little dance.
No, I did not arrest her. Betty is above the law. It would be suicidal to arrest Betty and what prison could hold her?
I'm George Casement, I was the doctor on duty in emergency at Bigtown Hospital on the Sunday of the match. Suddenly I had a lot to do, seven broken arms, five broken collar bones, two broken legs and concussion. A group of stupid young men who said that they had been thrown in the air by a little girl, I ask you.
No, only two broken legs.
Yeah, and after the midday pause the judge summed up. Some of the witnesses had said that they had seen flying men, some had said that a little girl had thrown them, some had said that they had been thrown by a little girl and none had said that Betty had not done the throwing. And Betty herself nodded to the question.
There was no doubt that some or all of the thrown men had suffered, broken bones are very painful and recovery takes time. The judge said that he regretted that both Betty Smith and Jake Klinge were not in court. Perhaps Betty had wanted to punish the hooligans.
The judge decided against Betty and awarded damages and legal costs to Jake Klinge. There was booing in the court room.
The judge said that the amount of the costs were proportional not only to the suffering, but also to how much Betty could pay. As Betty had zero the awarded costs would also be zero.
Much cheering. Betty had won, she had nothing to pay and Jake Klinge's mother would be paying legal costs.