Day 8 the patience of truth.

 

Another morning of peripheral witness’s whose testimony is haphazard hazy and inconsistent with other testimonies. There is some hope when one witness names name’s of those giving and receiving punches with refreshing accuracy, however under minute cross examination from Michael Wigney it is quickly revealed that many of the names were learnt after the event and not known before.

A short lunch is called and after this adjournment we will hear the testimony of ‘second punch’ who being a central antagonist is eagerly waited by many. We are all however reminded, by Deputy State Coroner Hugh Dillon, in no uncertain terms of the stop publication order of identifying any Mullumbimby high school pupil past or present, involved in this case.

All through this case Deputy State Coroner Hugh Dillon has lead the proceedings with an extraordinary authority based on calm humanity with a humility and central strength that demands immediate respect. He has been strong where strength was needed and human where humanity was required; remembering, this is a case with many young people involved who have never confronted the judiciary before and thankfully probably never will again. Deputy State Coroner Hugh Dillon is also given ample assistance from an imposing seat above which is the royal crest of justice and beneath him sits the court clerk who is an imposing female figure who will clearly take no nonsense from anyone who even dreams of the act of court contempt.

So it was very interesting with this very imposing judicial figure in mind that when I went for lunch and trawled Woodlark street for a digestible sandwich. Suddenly I noticed Deputy State Coroner Hugh Dillon doing said same thing, all five feet 8 inches of him with a waist of 29 inches and the build of a matchstick with the wood shaved off. The strength and ability of this man is totally internal and my goodness we need more of them.

After Lunch ‘second punch’ gives his evidence, but even after two hours of questions and persistent cross-examination, with some interesting inconsistencies, his testimony sheds little new light on the event. From his point of view he put his head down and fought for his own safety, the net result being, he says, he neither saw whom he hit or vice versa.