Crownies (2011) s01e15 Episode Script
Episode 15
1 He thought we were nothing.
Dirt on his feet.
That bastard raped, abused, degraded, humiliated those two women and then he smears them as liars in court.
Direct indictment will get Quinn in the dock, and once he's there it's gonna look like ego on my part.
I'm leaving parliament and will not contest the next election.
Six months ago, I was diagnosed with lymphoma.
My specialists have given me less than a year to live.
His house collapsed.
That's why Richard's here.
Just seems a bit convenient.
No, not at all.
I'm back to having no place to live.
I've got hardly any clothes.
They're all burning in some asbestos incinerator somewhere.
Not convenient, Conrad, no.
The Abe Jackson matter? Yeah.
He had to call his wife and tell her their son was dead because he'd left him in the car.
That moment when you know what's happened and you just You just think, "Please, God, just let him still be sleeping.
â I mean, his negligence led directly to a loss of life, so, yeah, we have all the elements for manslaughter.
There's no dilemma about that.
And yet, is a conviction really in the public interest? He's already given himself a life sentence.
I will see your last week's flasher in a Santa suit and raise you my Linda Blair revisited.
Head spinning, projectile vomiting, Captain Howdy.
You've got an exorcism? Yep.
A genuine, âI cast you out, unclean spiritâ exorcism? Mm-hm, mm-hm, mm-hm, mm-hm.
Complete with juicy photos.
Oh, my God.
That's That's awful.
That poor girl.
Piper Burgess.
Third-year med student.
Not your typical fundamentalist fruitcake.
Hardcore atheist family.
So, where's the religious connection? Her boyfriend's a happy clapper.
His spiritual svengali, Alistair Hoy, put her non-belief down to the devil.
What, she believed him? Yeah.
She went along with it.
According to her statement, she thought, âWhat the hell?â Poor choice of words in the circumstances.
It's so depressingly sexist and archaic.
No, it's just case of the week.
No, it's about the subjugation of women by organised religion.
Haven't you ever wondered why it's always men who exorcise women and not wee verse'? You're channelling Germaine Greer.
Again.
'The Female Eunuch' was a seminal work, Ben.
Germaine, seminal.
Hold that thought.
You look exceptionally gorgeous today.
Going out? Who's the lucky guy? What do you want, Ben? Can you cover something for me tomorrow? No.
Come on! I can't make it.
It's just a plea hearing.
The rest is done.
Reschedule.
No facts are in dispute.
Full confession.
Got a date with a hottie that clashes? I'm offended.
Poor baby.
You can have my eternal gratitude.
And a shit-hot bottle of red.
How shit-hot'? Leave the file on your desk? How are you gonna get it past Tracey? I will sort Tracey.
Now, I'm gonna go interview Crazy Exorcism Girl.
So it was Spencer who took you to see Alistair? Right after we started dating, he took me to a sermon.
Did that make your relationship with Spencer difficult, your not being religious? Understatement.
That's why I went to Alistair for spiritual guidance.
So were you there when Spencer and Alistair had this talk? Yep.
I mean, we were all really open about it.
I told Alistair it wasn't just his religion I had a problem with.
I've got issues with every one of them.
How well did that go down? That's when he said there was something wrong with me.
Apparently my stubbornness was inviting in the evil spirit and it needed to be exorcised.
And you believed him? Of course not.
It didn't matter.
Spencer did.
He believed every word Alistair said.
So I thought, âHey, what the hell? Why not?â You know, Alistair said people always got the wrong idea when they heard the word 'exorcism' anyway.
Be just him and me and a day of praying.
On the first night, he tied me to a chair and forced all this water down my throat from a big cordial bottle.
He didn't care that I was gagging.
I could hardly breathe.
He was yelling all this stuff like, âThis is the blood of Jesus,â and, âGet that devil out of her!â And no-one else was there? Just you and Alistair? No-one.
I told him he was a maniac.
I said he had to let me go or I'd call the police.
I was swearing, I was trying to hit him, but the ropes were so tight.
He just said it proved that I was possessed.
He is a dangerous fucking sadist.
You have to make sure he goes to jail.
In Hebrews chapter 10, verse 9, the Bible says, âO God, he taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
â What does that mean for everyday people like you and I? How can we understand what Gods getting at? How can we see for ourselves the bigger picture? We want to have faith in the benevolent way God works, but that's not always easy.
Not when we're feeling loss and loneliness and regret.
If we think about John, chapter 14, verse 16, Jesus says he had to leave us.
He spoke about the Holy Spirit, and he said, âI will pray the Father, âand he shall give you another Comforter that may abide with you forever.
âHe shall give for you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.
â Is he your exorcist? That's the demon slayer, yep.
He's quite good-looking.
Uh, the Abe Jackson manslaughter.
That's tomorrow, right? Uh-huh.
I know it wasn't your preferred course of action, but David does have an argument for general deterrence.
Only a nut case agrees to an exorcism anyway.
Piper's got a brain.
She's on a scholarship studying medicine.
No-one with a brain believes in demonic possession.
The entire Catholic Church believes in possession.
I rest my case.
In the New Testament, the casting out of devils and unclean spirits is mentioned dozens of times in the first three Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, and four times in Acts.
You've set her off now.
You happy? Actually, it's not just the Catholics.
The Anglicans, Uniting Church, Christian Revival Crusade, they all perform exorcisms.
Of course, if you don't believe in spirituality, you won't believe in possession.
Look, Piper wasn't possessed.
Says you.
OK, Tony, even if she was, isn't the issue here consent? Which she gave.
To a day of praying.
Not to serious injury and false imprisonment.
You got anything in writing? Right.
Next time, I'll ask if he gave her the standard exorcism contract.
People always protest during an exorcism.
The devil doesn't like to lose.
You can't consent to something illegal.
You can't say, âOh, I give you permission to murder me,â so the murderer walks free.
Murder is still murder.
False imprisonment is still false imprisonment.
Consent only vitiates assault to a degree anyway.
So we've got a case.
Not for serious injury.
Rope burns on her ankles and her wrists.
She's not disfigured.
She hasn't lost a limb.
Ben, you haven't got a reasonable chance of conviction.
She had a rough couple of days.
She's got a few cuts and bruises.
My money's on the jury saying âShe got what she asked for âwhen she signed up for an exorcism.
â So Tatum knows your blind date? Conrad knows him.
They work out at the same gym.
At least he'll have a good body.
Why'd you say yes? The only people I ever meet are barristers and solicitors.
It's incestuous.
I need to try a different pool.
Someone who's got nothing to do with law.
Well, journalism's not law.
Jimmy? Jimmy's a court reporter.
Same pool.
Plus he's compulsively annoying.
Mrrrhm.
No, I like this guy being a carpenter.
Least it's creative.
Hey, remember that case with a carpenter who murdered three people and stuffed them into rubbish bins? Yeah, I was trying not to, but thanks.
You should come.
To a law lecture? It's criminal law and procedures.
It'll be fun.
Richard, our ideas of fun Guest speaker Judge Walker? You are such a suck! For you, an assault.
And that's a copy of the police file.
It's not much.
Oh, who'd be low enough to have a go at a Mr Creamy? It was Mr Creamy who did the damage.
Put two men in hospital.
We used to bolt down the street the second we heard that tune.
I used to get excited when Mr Creamy would come.
Disturbing mental image.
Weren't you gonna wear the red dress? I'm having second thoughts about even going.
You look too good to go home.
Sure you won't come with us for dinner? Gotta be better than a boring lecture.
I'll just grab something on the way.
Yeah.
See ya, mate.
Don't want to be late.
I thought you said you were a carpenter.
That's my job, but cage fighting is what I do.
Cage fighting? I mean, that's not, like, literally in a A cage, yeah.
Oh.
It's free-form fighting, so there's no rules.
None? Well, two.
No biting and, uh, no hits to the groin.
You don't look like someone who's into fighting.
Oh, but you never know.
I see it all the time at work.
Some guy who looks perfectly ordinary is actually a rapist.
Or a paedophile.
Serial killer.
Did you know that 80% of offenders in all major crime categories are male? I mean, do you ever feel ashamed to have a penis? Another drink? Mmm.
Go away, Jimmy.
I'm on a date.
Haven't seen him around the courts before.
He's a cage fighter.
Carpenter.
I'm trying a different pool.
What's wrong with the pool you're in? Why are you even here, Jimmy? How great is it you guys got Maxi Massey? Couldn't have got a nastier judge if you tried.
Quinn's fucked.
Did I mention I'm on a date? You take care in the new pool.
Don't show your bikini on the first date.
Of course he was the culprit! Clyde, that accountant of yours was skimming money all over the place.
For equipment they were never gonna use and R and D that was never gonna happen.
No, no.
He was terrified they'd find out he tried to set the factory on fire.
Archie Mangan.
He did those home invasions with the samurai sword.
Uh-uh-uh.
Come on.
If those gas cylinders had have exploded, it would have demolished the whole place.
Yeah, we're not Spanish.
Does it matter? You want me to think of Carlos Romero every time I look at our child? Should I know a Carlos Romero? He's a shopkeeper who bludgeoned his family in Glebe.
This was just last year.
Your client intended to set the factory on fire.
It's irrelevant whether or not he actually succeeded.
For a boy? Or a girl.
Works for both.
- It doesn't work for me.
- Janet King? Come through.
Well, yeah, try four years for the attempted arson alone, and then start adding six months for each of the 38 counts of obtaining property by deception, then we'll go back to talking a settlement.
I'm afraid we don't allow mobile phones.
Clyde, I've got to go.
This better happen fast.
I'm about to pee all over the place.
Do you want to find out the gender? No.
Yes.
Let's go to our room.
No, no.
No, I miss doing it on the fluffy rug.
What if Richard comes home? He's at some nerdy lecture sucking up to Judge Walker.
Actually, no, he's not.
Oh, shit.
Apologies.
You said you wouldn't be home for hours.
I'm sorry.
Hey, what happened? I got knocked off my bike and sprained my wrist.
I'm really sorry to interrupt.
No worries, man.
You're injured.
Yeah, but you two need your privacy.
And I'm always Shut up.
We want you to be here.
Five minutes ago, maybe we didn't, but I think it's time I got my own place.
No, you just need your own room.
Have (Don's.
Uh, my gym room? That's OK, isn't it? Yeah.
Or you could give him your clothes room.
But where would I put my clothes? Hey.
OK.
No, it's done.
Please.
Con's gym is yours.
We're all happy.
Sorry, man.
It's a new regimen.
100 reps and I'm done.
They're all straight.
Judge Massey.
How's that for starting on the right foot with the Quinn trial? Massey is good for us, I agree.
I wish I could say the same for our trial date.
Six months is too long.
It's far too long.
If Quinn really does have lymphoma David's convinced it's a sympathy trip.
We need to act on this today.
I want you to get this listed for special mention.
Ask the judge for an urgent hearing of the case.
To do that, we'll need Quinn's medical records.
To jump the queue, we have to prove he's terminal.
So we get them.
You don't expect 'em to just hand them over because we ask, do you? He does have privacy rights.
Then we subpoena them.
I don't care if he's dying or not.
I'm finishing this.
What happened to your arm? Uh, wrist.
Um, bike accident.
Shit! Should you be here? You look awful.
Thanks.
Why don't you take a sick day? Go home.
I'm avoiding the place.
I was sleeping on the couch, but Tatum misses having sex on the fluffy rug, and that was all rather awkward.
Now, apparently, I'm getting my own room, but Conrad wants to row at 5am, and Tatum's got more clothes than any other girl on the planet.
Richard, why don't you just leave? And go where? I've got no house, and besides, she won't let me.
Look.
I mean this in the nicest possible way, but your life is Tragic? Hey.
Sorry about this morning.
Conrad doesn't normally work out at 5am.
it's this new regimen.
Your Mr Creamy fans are waiting at reception.
Worth it, though.
His abs will look amazing.
Amazinger.
Tatum, this isn't gonna work out.
Yes, it will.
How long is the new regimen? Very well.
In the spirit of compromise, I will grant you a sublease over a portion of my clothes room.
But if you so much as touch my shoes, uh-uh.
So Toby, Angus.
What made you want to break into a Mr Creamy van? 'Cause it's a Mr Creamy.
You just thought it would be funny? Yeah, well, we were, like, standing in the line at Centrelink.
Everything takes so long in that place.
Fuck, yeah.
Yeah, and Angus, out of nowhere, says, âHow about later we break into a Mr Creamy?â It was so cool.
So cool.
Fuckin' cool.
Angus, you had the idea to break into Colin Brumfield's van, mostly just because it was a Mr Creamy? Are we gonna make him angry if we, like, take him to court? We're taking Creamy to court.
The dude's fucked in the head.
What were you both intending to do once you got in the van? Have an ice-cream.
What? According to the police, you threw a dozen or so ceramic garden gnomes through the van window.
Oh, you should have seen it, man.
There were gnomes flying everywhere.
Flying gnomes! And that's when Mr Brumfield came rushing out of the house, waving a cricket bat? The dude seriously freaked out.
It was freaky.
Like, it was dark and everything, but we could still see him.
He was wearing these short pyjamas, like a 4-year-old, you know? And he was running and screaming and swinging around this bat.
Well, you had already damaged his vehicle.
And his gnomes.
And you intended to steal his ice-cream.
Yeah, a fuckin' ice-cream, so the guy comes running at us with a bat? I got a concussion and 15 stitches.
Angus got 12.
Yeah, and two broken ribs.
Yeah, the guy's mental.
Is he gonna, like, know who we are? Are they gonna read our address and stuff in court? Police have charged Mr Brumfield with two counts of assault, but he's got no priors and you two did instigate the incident.
So how this goes in court really depends on We got creamed by Mr Creamy.
That's too good.
Alistairs not a criminal.
He's a servant of God.
Whatever he did, it was God's work.
Believe me, I'd love to hold the big man accountable, but he's not taking my calls.
None of this was a joke.
I'm not laughing.
Assault, false imprisonment There's something seriously wrong with Piper.
She wasn't normal.
And this.
This was supposed to help? I'd have done anything for her.
If there'd been any other explanation For what? I don't know what you call it.
Piper had these episodes.
She didn't tell you about 'em? No.
They worried her too.
Piper and I had a, um had a meeting with Alistair, last semester before our exams.
We were trying to figure out a way where we could get married without our parents going nuts.
Piper was telling Alistair how pissed off she was with everyone making it so complicated, and it happened again.
Her words just collapsed.
Voice went really high.
I mean, she was making sounds.
They were kind of like words, but they weren't words.
They were just these random sounds.
And Piper's looking at me like I should be understanding exactly what she's saying, but I was just watching her body start shivering, like she was freezing.
And then her feet totally gave way, and she collapsed.
Aren't you a medical student? You didn't think to take her to a doctor? Yeah, of course.
I took her to two, a GP and a neurologist.
Alistair sent her to a psychiatrist as well.
We did a million tests, everything you can think of.
They all came back normal.
Medically, there was nothing wrong with Piper.
So that's when Alistair suggested an exorcism? He was trying to help.
He was the only one trying to help.
No-one else got it.
But giving Alistair the OK to torture your girlfriend? I wasn't gonna lose her to the devil.
Well, that went well.
Well, he didn't take me home and knock me over the head with a hammer, so that's a plus.
So he didn't offer to show you his toolbox? No, he did not.
That's a pity.
I hear carpenters take great pride in their tools.
Jesse's great.
And cute.
I'm just no good at dating.
I'm a bad date.
Maybe occasional random sex is my calling.
Those are two of the most useless witnesses ever.
I couldn't get anything intelligible.
They just laughed the entire time.
Everything's pretty funny when you're stoned.
- Oh, come on, Richard.
- Erin? You have someone at reception.
I'm sure we all have things to do.
Jesse! What are you doing here? Oh.
You know.
Oh.
Serial killer? Thank you.
What time do you have lunch? Oh, we don't, really.
When do you eat? At our desks.
On the way to court.
I could make time now for a coffee.
I'm not that busy.
Well, I mean, I'm seriously busy, but We live in a constant state of seriously busy.
Coffee's allowed.
Ru just get my bag-Um, OK.
Nice.
Ben! Whoever bought you those spent some money on them.
You said a plea hearing.
Yeah.
You didn't say a dead baby.
This is the Abe Jackson manslaughter.
Do it with your eyes closed.
I don't want to do it.
I don't want to do it either.
You don't want to do anything.
Palmed your mention off to Lina, this off to me.
Is your ego too sore? David wants to prosecute this when you said not to? I don't agree with prosecuting Abe Jackson.
I didn't agree with prosecuting Mervich.
I still had to do it.
For months.
I fucking hate this job sometimes.
See, David's making out that this case is about deterrence.
That is just bullshit.
He's just sick of all the bad press on the A-G file.
He'll do anything to make us look good.
You're worried you're gonna cry in court.
You are, aren't you? Will you do it? You're a legend.
Thank you.
So when you said coffee, I kind of thought you meant sit-down.
Sorry.
Ben just dumped this on me.
Maybe we can hang out tonight.
Sure.
I've got a fight on.
You could come and watch.
OK.
I've never been to a real live cage fight.
So, what happens now when you go into court? Uh, well, it's a plea hearing.
This guy accidentally left his baby in a car all day and the baby fried, so we've got to recommend a sentence to the judge.
Then the defence gets to come up with a bunch of psych reports on his terrible childhood or whatever, and What? Oh, just the way you said that.
Said what? The baby got fried.
Sounded kind of callous.
Oh.
Well, that's somebody's baby.
I l know.
And it died.
I mean That's awful.
Yeah, of course it is.
It's hideous.
it's just, uh Well, you know, maybe he did have a terrible childhood.
Oh, no, that's an expression.
You can't make fun of that kind of stuff.
I wasn't.
It's just we deal with hideous stuff like this every day, and Well, after a while, you kind of get used to it.
There's plenty of scientific material on demonic possession.
A lot of psychiatrists believe in it.
It's only if you have no religious belief at all, if you don't believe in Satan or an evil power, then you'll have trouble believing in possession.
What led you to conclude that Piper was possessed? I saw the signs.
Her voice.
Sometimes it stopped being her own.
For no apparent reason, it would change into a little girl's voice.
And her arms.
It was close to a 40-degree day and Pipefs arms were freezing.
I touched them myself.
It was incredible.
They were like ice.
He's really good-looking.
Did you ever stop to consider there could be some other explanation? Medical, not spiritual? Ask anyone who knows.
Those signs, those are the recognised signs of possession.
Yes, I held her against her will for three days, but the possessed person loses control of their will.
Their decisions, their actions, they're initiated by the devil.
You think I was trying to hurt a beautiful, inquiring soul like Piper? I was doing everything in my power to save her.
And no matter what happens to me, at least HI feel satisfied that's what I've done.
Yeah.
I'd let him tie me up for three days.
Maybe Tony's right.
I can't prosecute this.
Every woman that sees the guy just stops listening to what he's saying and just checks him out.
Even Janet had a perve! Six females on the jury and he walks free.
Well, what's Piper like? She's smart.
She's angry.
She wants to take him on.
And she was never genuinely religious? No, she's too intelligent for that.
Sorry, I didn't mean Why do people think it's smarter to believe in nothing than something? You can't prove anything either way.
Evolution is slightly more convincing than Immaculate Conception.
Why? Because science can't explain it, it can't have happened? Science can't even fully explain a yawn.
But we know more than one person in the history of the human race has done it.
Why are you so anti-religion? Come on.
As if Mary didn't invent the virgin birth to save her arse from being stoned to death because she got pregnant out of wedlock.
And who's to say it was even Joseph? Oh Why are you so defensive? I mean, it's not like you're so devout.
Well, at least I have faith in something.
You're only a Muslim when it suits you.
Unless it's OK to drink alcohol and have sex before marriage now.
Look, I might not follow the Five Pillars of Islam or be a good Muslim.
But I'm a good person.
Next time you're too lazy to do your own work, ask someone else.
You're the expert.
How do you know for sure when someone's possessed? Well, just because someone says another person is possessed doesrft make it so.
A priest must first gather the facts, build his case, just like a lawyer.
He might consult doctors, even psychiatrists.
But let's say the priest thinks they are possessed.
What, is it usual for them to tie them up with ropes and refuse to let them go? No.
That sort of violence has no place during an exorcism, or any time.
So, what does happen, then? I can't say I've ever attended one.
Well, you lot must talk.
What's the gossip amongst the pews while you're waiting for your wafers? Don't underestimate the power of prayer, and don't confuse what happened to that poor girl with Christ's message of love for us all.
It may have been done in his name but never with his blessing.
Just hope she can find it in her heart to forgive them.
Remember, âForgiveness is the fragrance âthe violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.
â Is that the Bible? Mark Twain.
Wasn't Mark Twain an atheist? The Lord doesn't have a monopoly on quotable quotes, Ben.
I thought Ben McMahon was on this.
There was a clash with another mat Oh, my God! You're pregnant! I mean, I didn't know.
Rhys never mentioned.
Not that he Oh! Wow! Congratulations.
Thanks.
Rhys and I are thrilled.
I'll, um, see you in there.
Mm-hm.
I'll be with you in a minute.
Your Honour, throughout the duration of the day, the infant Tom Jackson remained unattended inside the defendant's locked vehicle.
Medical reports conclude the 6-month-old died of heat stroke and that this is most likely to have occurred within the first hour of Mr Jackson parking his car on Bourke Street.
Your Honour, it should be noted that when interviewed by police, Mr Jackson indicated his guilt and remorse immediately.
We recommend the defendant receive a conviction of manslaughter by criminal negligence but that any custodial sentence be suspended.
Ms Corvini, is there anything to say on Mr Jackson's behalf? Your Honour, I'm in a difficult position here.
My client has given me no instructions.
None whatsoever? No instructions and no plea material.
He refuses to cooperate with psychologists for assessment and has told me to say nothing in his defence.
Since the defence has made no submissions, we'll adjourn until 10am tomorrow.
Sorry.
Oh I'll be out of here in a minute.
Ow! You right? Mm-hm.
it's all so boring.
I hate choosing clothes for work.
You can never wear anything really exciting.
I won't be long.
Can you believe I've had to spend $45 on a ratings guide for babies equipment? I had no idea they had that kind of stuff.
Half the cots they sell, they don't meet Australian safety standards.
And then you've got to make sure the mattress isn't too soft, otherwise it's a SIDS risk, and that the sides measure 60cm from the base of the mattress to the top of the cot, unless you want your baby to fall out.
Don't suppose you can go with the one that looks best? Why didn't I think of that? Hey, can I just ask you about How did the Abe Jackson matter go? The judge had nothing to consider.
We'll get a sentence today.
Nothing to consider? Didn't Paula Ben, I didn't want to do this, but I said I'd do it, so I'm doing it.
Stop breathing down my neck.
Everyone's favourite today.
Hey, does $220 a week for a bedroom in Newtown sound like a lot to you? You're not serious? Shared accommodation? You realise no-one who actually knows these people can bear to live with them? No, this one sounds OK.
âL am quiet and tidy, vegetarian and meditate daily.
â Are you kidding? Buddha will tell you off every time you try to speak or eat steak.
Look, I'm running out of options.
Under my desk is starting to look pretty good again.
Man, your life is Tragic, I know.
Well, Quinn really is dying.
Three doctors confirm terminal lymphoma.
His prognosis, if he follows the recommended treatment, is one year, at best.
He was telling the truth about something.
With this, I'd be surprised if they didn't set a new trial date within the next month or two.
What time's the special mention? 2:00 this afternoon.
I'll let you know when we have a result.
Appreciate it.
I did notice one other thing.
It may be inconsequential, but Quinn has herpes simplex virus type 2 - genital herpes.
It's a fairly common STD.
But if either of the women share the virus Of course, it doesn't prove anything.
It can only help us.
Do we know? If either of them have genital herpes? We need to ask.
Because that won't be an awkward call or anything.
âHey, I'm sorry to bother you.
I just need to know.
Have you got any STDs?" He's got a fuckin' problem with me.
Who? David.
He keeps making me do things I don't want to do.
You don't want to do anything.
My witnesses are late.
Of course they're late.
They're stoners.
Probably wasted.
Whose room do you like better, mine or Con's? Tatum, I can only deal with one catastrophe at a time.
It's not a catastrophe.
It's called having options.
He's not answering.
Neither are you.
He's moving out.
Probably to live with a bossy vegan, but anyway Vegetarian.
Moving out? My work here is done.
I thought you liked living with me and Conrad? I do, but you don't really want to give up your dressing-room, and Conrad doesn't really want to give up his gym.
Hello.
I'm calling for Toby.
Toby Bowen.
No, no, no, I'm not Toby.
I need to speak with him.
He's gone shopping? Uh, where's Angus? He's gone shopping too? When will he be back? OK, brilliant.
Perfect.
Then that's what I'll tell Judge Walker.
âI'm sorry, Your Honour.
I apologise for the absence of my witnesses.
âBut, um, they popped out to buy some munchies.
" They're not coming? No.
They have to come.
Well, who are you calling? The police.
Why? Because that's what lawyers do when dodgy witnesses don't show up for court.
Well, the police aren't gonna go into their house, are they? They'll just wait outside? They won't go in? If they find pot in the house, that's their fault, Richard, not yours.
Ringing.
For you.
Me? Mmm.
Jesse's obviously persistent.
How was the cage fight last night? Didn't happen.
Jesse dislocated his elbow at training.
Or that was his excuse.
I think he's realised he's too nice for me.
A bikini? That's not nice, that's just sleazy.
Mmm.
Expensive brand, though.
Mmm.
Mmm.
Alistair Hoy's defence will concede to injury, but not serious injury, if we agree to drop the false imprisonment.
Take it.
He'll get four months, max.
Better than nothing.
Plus it'll damage his reputation, and your exorcism girl will feel vindicated.
It's a good result.
I reckon they're scared to go to trial.
Settle the case.
It's done! I'm sure I could get a conviction for false imprisonment.
No-one expects to be held for three days against their will.
It's entirely unpredictable what a jury might decide.
But no-one thinks false imprisonment is OK.
Your problem is it's a foreseeability debate.
When Piper gave her consent, did she know what she was in for or not? What would a reasonable person no, what would a highly intelligent person, a person with a university scholarship to study medicine, what would she expect when she says yes to an exorcism? You don't think a jury might be convinced this'd be on the cards? Maybe, maybe not.
But shouldn't we let a jury make that decision? Oh, you want to play it out in court? Bring 'em all in to the Alistair Hoy show? Have you seen this guy? Good-looking, serious charisma.
Look, that doesn't change the facts Facts? Don't worry about facts.
The defence will bang on about facts, especially the one about Piper freely giving consent.
She Freely giving consent.
Oh, look.
I think this guy's as big a dick as you do.
That's why I say take the deal.
Don't give him the chance to walk away acquitted of everything! Richard! What? Mr Creamy.
The police stuffed up the file.
This should have been in it.
These are all prior convictions.
Yeah, five pages of prior convictions.
1 O of them are violent too-.
Domestic violence, cruelty to animals, aggravated assault.
This is the kind of man they let sell ice-cream to children? You can't lose.
Well, it's not the right format.
Richard, I nearly ruined a heel getting this to you.
Go! Uh Your Honour.
I do apologise profusely, but this list of Mr Brumfield's prior convictions - and there do appear to be a large number of them - was not included in the police file provided to the DPP.
In fact, this list was only made known to me 12 minutes ago.
May I please see it? Of course.
If you could possibly overlook the presentation of that list, which I do realise is not in the correct format No, it is not.
Uh, but if you could see your way past that small inconvenience It is a large inconvenience.
Mr Stirling, I cannot make head or tail of this document.
If you wish me to consider these prior convictions, then they must be presented in chronological order.
Ll do apologise, Your Honour.
Perhaps you might agree to a small adjournment so that I may have time to type up the list to Your Honour's satisfaction? You are able to handwrite, are you not? Yes, of course I can write, although I have this Then you will handwrite a further presentment of this list of priors in the correct format for me now.
N ow? I will not be adjourning this case, and I do not intend to wait for that list to get lost in the public service system.
Oh, we have plenty of time.
I made sure to set you aside sufficient time for this matter.
How's uni going? They all think I'm crazy there.
That or a religious nut.
It's bizarre, considering.
Look, we might have the same problem if we take your case to a jury.
What, they'll think I'm mad or a fanatic? Either.
Both, maybe.
Whichever one, it's not so good.
You're not taking him to court, are you? You're letting that lunatic get away with it? He'll keep doing it, you know.
He'll do it to someone else.
If we take a plea of guilty, we know for sure that Alistair will serve time in jail.
I thought you were on my side.
Piper, in in a courtroom, it's what I can prove.
Alistair's lawyers will keep coming back to the fact that you gave consent, and in the end, that might be all they need to nail us.
I didn't have a choice! Legally, you did.
Look, I'm sorry, Piper.
I know this is not what you wanted Spencer was gonna kill himself.
Have you ever had someone say that to you? Someone you love, who you know really means it? Who says, "I'm almost a doctor, so I know how to do it properlyâ? He sent me this text, and I knew I just had to say yes or he would do it.
I was everything to him, and he was everything to me.
If I hadn't gone along with the exorcism, Spencer would be dead now.
Piper, hey! Hey! You're freezing! Piper! Help! Help! Tracey, help! Help! Help! Hey, hey, it's OK.
Piper! Piper! Hey.
Did the ambos say what's wrong with Piper? She gonna be OK? She's gone to hospital for tests.
It could be a few things, but they don't know yet.
Maybe she's possessed.
She never said anything about her boyfriend threatening suicide? Nope.
Hell of a boyfriend.
Don't ask me why she didn't call the psych ward when he did that.
Haven't you worked out anything about these two kids yet? It's called love, Ben.
Look it up.
Tony, the fact that he threatened her changes everything.
If it's not consent freely given, it's not consent.
Duress can negate consent, but you still have to prove it.
You're gonna have to get the boyfriend in here and make him agree to be a witness.
Reckon you can do that? If I do, you reckon you'll sign the presentment? If Piper genuinely believed her boyfriend was prepared to commit suicide if she didn't agree to the exorcism, then you could argue the agreement to the exorcism wasn't voluntary.
In legal terms, it could be as good as if she never said yes.
You might nail the prick yet.
That was a short plea yesterday.
I can only follow my client's instructions.
Those people, the ones with the flowers - are they Abe Jackson's relatives? No, a support group.
There are other parents who have done the same thing - left their kids in cars and killed them.
We all have to find ways of living with guilt.
50"')!- Spending 170 bucks an hour on a marriage counsellor puts me in a bad mood.
The death of a human being is always a matter of seriousness.
However, it is particularly heartbreaking when the victim is a helpless infant.
I have given careful consideration to the Crown's submission to suspend a custodial sentence.
However, I believe this to be a particularly serious of fence.
Mr Jackson's actions fell far short of the standard of care which a reasonable person would have exercised and involved such a high risk that death would follow that they merit criminal punishment.
Mr Jackson, will you please stand? Abe Jackson, for the manslaughter of Tom Jackson, you are sentenced to two years imprisonment.
I set a non-parole period of six months, with the remaining 18 months of your sentence to be suspended.
Six months? What, you think that's all Tom's life was worth? Excuse my client, Your Honour.
I need to go to jail.
I need to stay there.
Mr Jackson, I'm afraid your wishes are not driving my decision.
Well, he was my son.
My baby.
To look after, and I forgot him.
I left him there to die, slowly and painfully, alone.
Do you know how hot it got in that car? Did you think about what it must have been like for him to die like that? I did that to him.
I need to pay.
I need to pay.
You've suffered a terrible loss, Mr Jackson, but I can't see any good purpose for you or your family to suffer more.
Come on.
Mr Stirling, when do you imagine you might be finished? I apologise profusely, Your Honour.
Yes, you have a habit of doing that.
Normally, I'd write much faster, only I have a sprained wrist.
Well, since we have the time, may I ask how you came to suffer such an injury? A bike accident, Your Honour.
A student ran into me just as I was about to attend a lecture.
Your lecture, in fact, on criminal law and procedures.
Then it was you who required that ambulance.
I didn't really need an ambulance.
It was called by a concerned passer-by.
That ambulance dented my Prius.
I apologise, Your Honour.
Profusely? Mmm.
At least Mr Creamy won't be swinging another cricket bat for the next three months while he's in jail.
He would have got six months, but the defence argued that he performed a community service as Mr Creamy, and I couldn't argue that my clients were exactly model citizens, since they'd just been found in possession of half a truckload of marijuana.
Bossy vegans are no fun.
Vegetarian.
And it's more fun than living under my desk.
But you have your choice of two perfectly good rooms with us.
Tatum.
I'm leaving.
Alright.
Tonight I'll help you pack.
That's yes and yes to genital herpes.
Oh, and a request from Ben to please never have to make those sort of phone calls again.
He'll do what he's told.
Both victims having the same STD as Quinn, it doesn't in itself prove he had sex with them.
And the defence will argue statistics about rates of STD infection.
And genital herpes is one of the more common ones.
It'd have to be a much rarer disease to suggest that they contracted it from Quinn.
Unless they were virgins.
Do we know? If they were virgins? Yes, we do.
And, no, they weren't.
Good news.
We're on in six weeks.
Brilliant.
Do we still have Judge Massey? Unfortunately, no.
We had to change.
Still, Judge Watts isn't bad for us.
Michael Watts? Bloody hell.
Alright.
Six weeks.
You'd better get on with it.
Michael Watts wanted to be DPP, but David got the job.
So he won't be doing us any favours? Uh, no.
Janet, call for you on line one.
You asked to see me'? Why was Lina at the Underwood mention yesterday, and why was Erin doing the Jackson plea hearing? If you get given a case, you follow it through, do you understand? I don't care what it is, and I don't care how much you don't like it.
If this is about the Jackson plea, then You are so used to other people doing your dirty work, you think that's the way it's gonna be in here too? I didn't agree with prosecuting Abe Jackson.
Ben, you don't get to be a McMahon in here.
You don't get the privilege of picking and choosing.
That's my job.
And if I see value in a case, then you prosecute it and do a bloody good job.
Five children a day are being rescued from inside parked cars, Ben.
Five kids a day.
And you think him spending six months in jail is gonna change that? You think that's serving any justice? This is bullshit! What we do here, it's all bullshit! Prosecuting the Jackson case and a thousand others just like it is your job.
And there are plenty of other lawyers out there ready and waiting to take it from you.
Now get out.
Fuck! You have someone waiting at reception.
Can I be blunt'? Let me be blunt.
We need to stop pissing around here and help Piper.
What's that mean for Alistair? This isn't about taking sides.
That's exactly what it's about.
If I help Piper, I put Alistair in jail.
You said you loved her, you'd do anything.
Well, here's your chance, Spencer.
You need to say what really happened.
You threatened self-harm if she didn't agree to take that exorcism.
You cannot use the law to judge what happened.
Law and religion, they're entirely different.
Laws are put there to punish.
Religion is based on forgiveness.
He's not a bad man.
I have no doubt Alistair's religious beliefs are sincere and he was confident that that exorcism would help Piper.
But that confidence, that was the problem.
Alistair just didn't know enough about what he was doing.
You're a med student.
You know confusional migraine.
The hospital tests can't prove it, but they say it's a possibility.
It would account for Piper's speech.
That's what the specialist said, but he couldn't prove it either.
You knew it could explain your girlfriend's symptoms, but you refused to consider it? Confusional migraines are generally triggered by head trauma.
Piper hasn't had a head trauma.
Generally, but not always.
Isn't it at least as possible as being possessed? Spencer, this is not about your religion.
This is about telling the truth.
Piper did not agree to take part in that exorcism of her own free will.
You want me to put him in prison for trying to help us.
No, I want you to stand up for the girl you say you love! Spencer! I don't know shit about love, but what you're doing, it's not it.
Don't forget your pillow.
It's yours.
Consider it a house-warming gift.
It's just in there.
Ta.
Like it? Oh, my God.
I can't believe it.
You knew about this? I knew that Conrad took half the day off work to get the room ready, but So, what do you think? What about Tatum's dressing-room? I hope you appreciate the sacrifice I've made.
My clothes are now keeping company with the Nautilus machine.
They really don't have to.
And, look, that's in case you miss us now you're here on your own.
You've thought of everything.
We love you, man.
Hey! I'm in here.
They've passed every possible test.
There are no sharp edges.
And I've measured and double-checked everything.
These might just be the safest cots known to man.
But if you need to be sure I know you want to measure the space between the bars.
Thank you for choosing the cots.
But, you know, don't choose pink bedding for one and blue We're having a pink and a blue? Yeah.
I'm so sorry.
I ruined the surprise.
What'd you do? Race over here the second I hung up? Pretty much.
Thought you might be wearing the bikini.
Actually that's why I called.
Thanks, but you should take it back.
Don't you like it? It's not gonna happen, Jimmy.
You and I.
It's just not.
That's why you called me here? To tell me it's not gonna happen? Yes.
Dirt on his feet.
That bastard raped, abused, degraded, humiliated those two women and then he smears them as liars in court.
Direct indictment will get Quinn in the dock, and once he's there it's gonna look like ego on my part.
I'm leaving parliament and will not contest the next election.
Six months ago, I was diagnosed with lymphoma.
My specialists have given me less than a year to live.
His house collapsed.
That's why Richard's here.
Just seems a bit convenient.
No, not at all.
I'm back to having no place to live.
I've got hardly any clothes.
They're all burning in some asbestos incinerator somewhere.
Not convenient, Conrad, no.
The Abe Jackson matter? Yeah.
He had to call his wife and tell her their son was dead because he'd left him in the car.
That moment when you know what's happened and you just You just think, "Please, God, just let him still be sleeping.
â I mean, his negligence led directly to a loss of life, so, yeah, we have all the elements for manslaughter.
There's no dilemma about that.
And yet, is a conviction really in the public interest? He's already given himself a life sentence.
I will see your last week's flasher in a Santa suit and raise you my Linda Blair revisited.
Head spinning, projectile vomiting, Captain Howdy.
You've got an exorcism? Yep.
A genuine, âI cast you out, unclean spiritâ exorcism? Mm-hm, mm-hm, mm-hm, mm-hm.
Complete with juicy photos.
Oh, my God.
That's That's awful.
That poor girl.
Piper Burgess.
Third-year med student.
Not your typical fundamentalist fruitcake.
Hardcore atheist family.
So, where's the religious connection? Her boyfriend's a happy clapper.
His spiritual svengali, Alistair Hoy, put her non-belief down to the devil.
What, she believed him? Yeah.
She went along with it.
According to her statement, she thought, âWhat the hell?â Poor choice of words in the circumstances.
It's so depressingly sexist and archaic.
No, it's just case of the week.
No, it's about the subjugation of women by organised religion.
Haven't you ever wondered why it's always men who exorcise women and not wee verse'? You're channelling Germaine Greer.
Again.
'The Female Eunuch' was a seminal work, Ben.
Germaine, seminal.
Hold that thought.
You look exceptionally gorgeous today.
Going out? Who's the lucky guy? What do you want, Ben? Can you cover something for me tomorrow? No.
Come on! I can't make it.
It's just a plea hearing.
The rest is done.
Reschedule.
No facts are in dispute.
Full confession.
Got a date with a hottie that clashes? I'm offended.
Poor baby.
You can have my eternal gratitude.
And a shit-hot bottle of red.
How shit-hot'? Leave the file on your desk? How are you gonna get it past Tracey? I will sort Tracey.
Now, I'm gonna go interview Crazy Exorcism Girl.
So it was Spencer who took you to see Alistair? Right after we started dating, he took me to a sermon.
Did that make your relationship with Spencer difficult, your not being religious? Understatement.
That's why I went to Alistair for spiritual guidance.
So were you there when Spencer and Alistair had this talk? Yep.
I mean, we were all really open about it.
I told Alistair it wasn't just his religion I had a problem with.
I've got issues with every one of them.
How well did that go down? That's when he said there was something wrong with me.
Apparently my stubbornness was inviting in the evil spirit and it needed to be exorcised.
And you believed him? Of course not.
It didn't matter.
Spencer did.
He believed every word Alistair said.
So I thought, âHey, what the hell? Why not?â You know, Alistair said people always got the wrong idea when they heard the word 'exorcism' anyway.
Be just him and me and a day of praying.
On the first night, he tied me to a chair and forced all this water down my throat from a big cordial bottle.
He didn't care that I was gagging.
I could hardly breathe.
He was yelling all this stuff like, âThis is the blood of Jesus,â and, âGet that devil out of her!â And no-one else was there? Just you and Alistair? No-one.
I told him he was a maniac.
I said he had to let me go or I'd call the police.
I was swearing, I was trying to hit him, but the ropes were so tight.
He just said it proved that I was possessed.
He is a dangerous fucking sadist.
You have to make sure he goes to jail.
In Hebrews chapter 10, verse 9, the Bible says, âO God, he taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
â What does that mean for everyday people like you and I? How can we understand what Gods getting at? How can we see for ourselves the bigger picture? We want to have faith in the benevolent way God works, but that's not always easy.
Not when we're feeling loss and loneliness and regret.
If we think about John, chapter 14, verse 16, Jesus says he had to leave us.
He spoke about the Holy Spirit, and he said, âI will pray the Father, âand he shall give you another Comforter that may abide with you forever.
âHe shall give for you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.
â Is he your exorcist? That's the demon slayer, yep.
He's quite good-looking.
Uh, the Abe Jackson manslaughter.
That's tomorrow, right? Uh-huh.
I know it wasn't your preferred course of action, but David does have an argument for general deterrence.
Only a nut case agrees to an exorcism anyway.
Piper's got a brain.
She's on a scholarship studying medicine.
No-one with a brain believes in demonic possession.
The entire Catholic Church believes in possession.
I rest my case.
In the New Testament, the casting out of devils and unclean spirits is mentioned dozens of times in the first three Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, and four times in Acts.
You've set her off now.
You happy? Actually, it's not just the Catholics.
The Anglicans, Uniting Church, Christian Revival Crusade, they all perform exorcisms.
Of course, if you don't believe in spirituality, you won't believe in possession.
Look, Piper wasn't possessed.
Says you.
OK, Tony, even if she was, isn't the issue here consent? Which she gave.
To a day of praying.
Not to serious injury and false imprisonment.
You got anything in writing? Right.
Next time, I'll ask if he gave her the standard exorcism contract.
People always protest during an exorcism.
The devil doesn't like to lose.
You can't consent to something illegal.
You can't say, âOh, I give you permission to murder me,â so the murderer walks free.
Murder is still murder.
False imprisonment is still false imprisonment.
Consent only vitiates assault to a degree anyway.
So we've got a case.
Not for serious injury.
Rope burns on her ankles and her wrists.
She's not disfigured.
She hasn't lost a limb.
Ben, you haven't got a reasonable chance of conviction.
She had a rough couple of days.
She's got a few cuts and bruises.
My money's on the jury saying âShe got what she asked for âwhen she signed up for an exorcism.
â So Tatum knows your blind date? Conrad knows him.
They work out at the same gym.
At least he'll have a good body.
Why'd you say yes? The only people I ever meet are barristers and solicitors.
It's incestuous.
I need to try a different pool.
Someone who's got nothing to do with law.
Well, journalism's not law.
Jimmy? Jimmy's a court reporter.
Same pool.
Plus he's compulsively annoying.
Mrrrhm.
No, I like this guy being a carpenter.
Least it's creative.
Hey, remember that case with a carpenter who murdered three people and stuffed them into rubbish bins? Yeah, I was trying not to, but thanks.
You should come.
To a law lecture? It's criminal law and procedures.
It'll be fun.
Richard, our ideas of fun Guest speaker Judge Walker? You are such a suck! For you, an assault.
And that's a copy of the police file.
It's not much.
Oh, who'd be low enough to have a go at a Mr Creamy? It was Mr Creamy who did the damage.
Put two men in hospital.
We used to bolt down the street the second we heard that tune.
I used to get excited when Mr Creamy would come.
Disturbing mental image.
Weren't you gonna wear the red dress? I'm having second thoughts about even going.
You look too good to go home.
Sure you won't come with us for dinner? Gotta be better than a boring lecture.
I'll just grab something on the way.
Yeah.
See ya, mate.
Don't want to be late.
I thought you said you were a carpenter.
That's my job, but cage fighting is what I do.
Cage fighting? I mean, that's not, like, literally in a A cage, yeah.
Oh.
It's free-form fighting, so there's no rules.
None? Well, two.
No biting and, uh, no hits to the groin.
You don't look like someone who's into fighting.
Oh, but you never know.
I see it all the time at work.
Some guy who looks perfectly ordinary is actually a rapist.
Or a paedophile.
Serial killer.
Did you know that 80% of offenders in all major crime categories are male? I mean, do you ever feel ashamed to have a penis? Another drink? Mmm.
Go away, Jimmy.
I'm on a date.
Haven't seen him around the courts before.
He's a cage fighter.
Carpenter.
I'm trying a different pool.
What's wrong with the pool you're in? Why are you even here, Jimmy? How great is it you guys got Maxi Massey? Couldn't have got a nastier judge if you tried.
Quinn's fucked.
Did I mention I'm on a date? You take care in the new pool.
Don't show your bikini on the first date.
Of course he was the culprit! Clyde, that accountant of yours was skimming money all over the place.
For equipment they were never gonna use and R and D that was never gonna happen.
No, no.
He was terrified they'd find out he tried to set the factory on fire.
Archie Mangan.
He did those home invasions with the samurai sword.
Uh-uh-uh.
Come on.
If those gas cylinders had have exploded, it would have demolished the whole place.
Yeah, we're not Spanish.
Does it matter? You want me to think of Carlos Romero every time I look at our child? Should I know a Carlos Romero? He's a shopkeeper who bludgeoned his family in Glebe.
This was just last year.
Your client intended to set the factory on fire.
It's irrelevant whether or not he actually succeeded.
For a boy? Or a girl.
Works for both.
- It doesn't work for me.
- Janet King? Come through.
Well, yeah, try four years for the attempted arson alone, and then start adding six months for each of the 38 counts of obtaining property by deception, then we'll go back to talking a settlement.
I'm afraid we don't allow mobile phones.
Clyde, I've got to go.
This better happen fast.
I'm about to pee all over the place.
Do you want to find out the gender? No.
Yes.
Let's go to our room.
No, no.
No, I miss doing it on the fluffy rug.
What if Richard comes home? He's at some nerdy lecture sucking up to Judge Walker.
Actually, no, he's not.
Oh, shit.
Apologies.
You said you wouldn't be home for hours.
I'm sorry.
Hey, what happened? I got knocked off my bike and sprained my wrist.
I'm really sorry to interrupt.
No worries, man.
You're injured.
Yeah, but you two need your privacy.
And I'm always Shut up.
We want you to be here.
Five minutes ago, maybe we didn't, but I think it's time I got my own place.
No, you just need your own room.
Have (Don's.
Uh, my gym room? That's OK, isn't it? Yeah.
Or you could give him your clothes room.
But where would I put my clothes? Hey.
OK.
No, it's done.
Please.
Con's gym is yours.
We're all happy.
Sorry, man.
It's a new regimen.
100 reps and I'm done.
They're all straight.
Judge Massey.
How's that for starting on the right foot with the Quinn trial? Massey is good for us, I agree.
I wish I could say the same for our trial date.
Six months is too long.
It's far too long.
If Quinn really does have lymphoma David's convinced it's a sympathy trip.
We need to act on this today.
I want you to get this listed for special mention.
Ask the judge for an urgent hearing of the case.
To do that, we'll need Quinn's medical records.
To jump the queue, we have to prove he's terminal.
So we get them.
You don't expect 'em to just hand them over because we ask, do you? He does have privacy rights.
Then we subpoena them.
I don't care if he's dying or not.
I'm finishing this.
What happened to your arm? Uh, wrist.
Um, bike accident.
Shit! Should you be here? You look awful.
Thanks.
Why don't you take a sick day? Go home.
I'm avoiding the place.
I was sleeping on the couch, but Tatum misses having sex on the fluffy rug, and that was all rather awkward.
Now, apparently, I'm getting my own room, but Conrad wants to row at 5am, and Tatum's got more clothes than any other girl on the planet.
Richard, why don't you just leave? And go where? I've got no house, and besides, she won't let me.
Look.
I mean this in the nicest possible way, but your life is Tragic? Hey.
Sorry about this morning.
Conrad doesn't normally work out at 5am.
it's this new regimen.
Your Mr Creamy fans are waiting at reception.
Worth it, though.
His abs will look amazing.
Amazinger.
Tatum, this isn't gonna work out.
Yes, it will.
How long is the new regimen? Very well.
In the spirit of compromise, I will grant you a sublease over a portion of my clothes room.
But if you so much as touch my shoes, uh-uh.
So Toby, Angus.
What made you want to break into a Mr Creamy van? 'Cause it's a Mr Creamy.
You just thought it would be funny? Yeah, well, we were, like, standing in the line at Centrelink.
Everything takes so long in that place.
Fuck, yeah.
Yeah, and Angus, out of nowhere, says, âHow about later we break into a Mr Creamy?â It was so cool.
So cool.
Fuckin' cool.
Angus, you had the idea to break into Colin Brumfield's van, mostly just because it was a Mr Creamy? Are we gonna make him angry if we, like, take him to court? We're taking Creamy to court.
The dude's fucked in the head.
What were you both intending to do once you got in the van? Have an ice-cream.
What? According to the police, you threw a dozen or so ceramic garden gnomes through the van window.
Oh, you should have seen it, man.
There were gnomes flying everywhere.
Flying gnomes! And that's when Mr Brumfield came rushing out of the house, waving a cricket bat? The dude seriously freaked out.
It was freaky.
Like, it was dark and everything, but we could still see him.
He was wearing these short pyjamas, like a 4-year-old, you know? And he was running and screaming and swinging around this bat.
Well, you had already damaged his vehicle.
And his gnomes.
And you intended to steal his ice-cream.
Yeah, a fuckin' ice-cream, so the guy comes running at us with a bat? I got a concussion and 15 stitches.
Angus got 12.
Yeah, and two broken ribs.
Yeah, the guy's mental.
Is he gonna, like, know who we are? Are they gonna read our address and stuff in court? Police have charged Mr Brumfield with two counts of assault, but he's got no priors and you two did instigate the incident.
So how this goes in court really depends on We got creamed by Mr Creamy.
That's too good.
Alistairs not a criminal.
He's a servant of God.
Whatever he did, it was God's work.
Believe me, I'd love to hold the big man accountable, but he's not taking my calls.
None of this was a joke.
I'm not laughing.
Assault, false imprisonment There's something seriously wrong with Piper.
She wasn't normal.
And this.
This was supposed to help? I'd have done anything for her.
If there'd been any other explanation For what? I don't know what you call it.
Piper had these episodes.
She didn't tell you about 'em? No.
They worried her too.
Piper and I had a, um had a meeting with Alistair, last semester before our exams.
We were trying to figure out a way where we could get married without our parents going nuts.
Piper was telling Alistair how pissed off she was with everyone making it so complicated, and it happened again.
Her words just collapsed.
Voice went really high.
I mean, she was making sounds.
They were kind of like words, but they weren't words.
They were just these random sounds.
And Piper's looking at me like I should be understanding exactly what she's saying, but I was just watching her body start shivering, like she was freezing.
And then her feet totally gave way, and she collapsed.
Aren't you a medical student? You didn't think to take her to a doctor? Yeah, of course.
I took her to two, a GP and a neurologist.
Alistair sent her to a psychiatrist as well.
We did a million tests, everything you can think of.
They all came back normal.
Medically, there was nothing wrong with Piper.
So that's when Alistair suggested an exorcism? He was trying to help.
He was the only one trying to help.
No-one else got it.
But giving Alistair the OK to torture your girlfriend? I wasn't gonna lose her to the devil.
Well, that went well.
Well, he didn't take me home and knock me over the head with a hammer, so that's a plus.
So he didn't offer to show you his toolbox? No, he did not.
That's a pity.
I hear carpenters take great pride in their tools.
Jesse's great.
And cute.
I'm just no good at dating.
I'm a bad date.
Maybe occasional random sex is my calling.
Those are two of the most useless witnesses ever.
I couldn't get anything intelligible.
They just laughed the entire time.
Everything's pretty funny when you're stoned.
- Oh, come on, Richard.
- Erin? You have someone at reception.
I'm sure we all have things to do.
Jesse! What are you doing here? Oh.
You know.
Oh.
Serial killer? Thank you.
What time do you have lunch? Oh, we don't, really.
When do you eat? At our desks.
On the way to court.
I could make time now for a coffee.
I'm not that busy.
Well, I mean, I'm seriously busy, but We live in a constant state of seriously busy.
Coffee's allowed.
Ru just get my bag-Um, OK.
Nice.
Ben! Whoever bought you those spent some money on them.
You said a plea hearing.
Yeah.
You didn't say a dead baby.
This is the Abe Jackson manslaughter.
Do it with your eyes closed.
I don't want to do it.
I don't want to do it either.
You don't want to do anything.
Palmed your mention off to Lina, this off to me.
Is your ego too sore? David wants to prosecute this when you said not to? I don't agree with prosecuting Abe Jackson.
I didn't agree with prosecuting Mervich.
I still had to do it.
For months.
I fucking hate this job sometimes.
See, David's making out that this case is about deterrence.
That is just bullshit.
He's just sick of all the bad press on the A-G file.
He'll do anything to make us look good.
You're worried you're gonna cry in court.
You are, aren't you? Will you do it? You're a legend.
Thank you.
So when you said coffee, I kind of thought you meant sit-down.
Sorry.
Ben just dumped this on me.
Maybe we can hang out tonight.
Sure.
I've got a fight on.
You could come and watch.
OK.
I've never been to a real live cage fight.
So, what happens now when you go into court? Uh, well, it's a plea hearing.
This guy accidentally left his baby in a car all day and the baby fried, so we've got to recommend a sentence to the judge.
Then the defence gets to come up with a bunch of psych reports on his terrible childhood or whatever, and What? Oh, just the way you said that.
Said what? The baby got fried.
Sounded kind of callous.
Oh.
Well, that's somebody's baby.
I l know.
And it died.
I mean That's awful.
Yeah, of course it is.
It's hideous.
it's just, uh Well, you know, maybe he did have a terrible childhood.
Oh, no, that's an expression.
You can't make fun of that kind of stuff.
I wasn't.
It's just we deal with hideous stuff like this every day, and Well, after a while, you kind of get used to it.
There's plenty of scientific material on demonic possession.
A lot of psychiatrists believe in it.
It's only if you have no religious belief at all, if you don't believe in Satan or an evil power, then you'll have trouble believing in possession.
What led you to conclude that Piper was possessed? I saw the signs.
Her voice.
Sometimes it stopped being her own.
For no apparent reason, it would change into a little girl's voice.
And her arms.
It was close to a 40-degree day and Pipefs arms were freezing.
I touched them myself.
It was incredible.
They were like ice.
He's really good-looking.
Did you ever stop to consider there could be some other explanation? Medical, not spiritual? Ask anyone who knows.
Those signs, those are the recognised signs of possession.
Yes, I held her against her will for three days, but the possessed person loses control of their will.
Their decisions, their actions, they're initiated by the devil.
You think I was trying to hurt a beautiful, inquiring soul like Piper? I was doing everything in my power to save her.
And no matter what happens to me, at least HI feel satisfied that's what I've done.
Yeah.
I'd let him tie me up for three days.
Maybe Tony's right.
I can't prosecute this.
Every woman that sees the guy just stops listening to what he's saying and just checks him out.
Even Janet had a perve! Six females on the jury and he walks free.
Well, what's Piper like? She's smart.
She's angry.
She wants to take him on.
And she was never genuinely religious? No, she's too intelligent for that.
Sorry, I didn't mean Why do people think it's smarter to believe in nothing than something? You can't prove anything either way.
Evolution is slightly more convincing than Immaculate Conception.
Why? Because science can't explain it, it can't have happened? Science can't even fully explain a yawn.
But we know more than one person in the history of the human race has done it.
Why are you so anti-religion? Come on.
As if Mary didn't invent the virgin birth to save her arse from being stoned to death because she got pregnant out of wedlock.
And who's to say it was even Joseph? Oh Why are you so defensive? I mean, it's not like you're so devout.
Well, at least I have faith in something.
You're only a Muslim when it suits you.
Unless it's OK to drink alcohol and have sex before marriage now.
Look, I might not follow the Five Pillars of Islam or be a good Muslim.
But I'm a good person.
Next time you're too lazy to do your own work, ask someone else.
You're the expert.
How do you know for sure when someone's possessed? Well, just because someone says another person is possessed doesrft make it so.
A priest must first gather the facts, build his case, just like a lawyer.
He might consult doctors, even psychiatrists.
But let's say the priest thinks they are possessed.
What, is it usual for them to tie them up with ropes and refuse to let them go? No.
That sort of violence has no place during an exorcism, or any time.
So, what does happen, then? I can't say I've ever attended one.
Well, you lot must talk.
What's the gossip amongst the pews while you're waiting for your wafers? Don't underestimate the power of prayer, and don't confuse what happened to that poor girl with Christ's message of love for us all.
It may have been done in his name but never with his blessing.
Just hope she can find it in her heart to forgive them.
Remember, âForgiveness is the fragrance âthe violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.
â Is that the Bible? Mark Twain.
Wasn't Mark Twain an atheist? The Lord doesn't have a monopoly on quotable quotes, Ben.
I thought Ben McMahon was on this.
There was a clash with another mat Oh, my God! You're pregnant! I mean, I didn't know.
Rhys never mentioned.
Not that he Oh! Wow! Congratulations.
Thanks.
Rhys and I are thrilled.
I'll, um, see you in there.
Mm-hm.
I'll be with you in a minute.
Your Honour, throughout the duration of the day, the infant Tom Jackson remained unattended inside the defendant's locked vehicle.
Medical reports conclude the 6-month-old died of heat stroke and that this is most likely to have occurred within the first hour of Mr Jackson parking his car on Bourke Street.
Your Honour, it should be noted that when interviewed by police, Mr Jackson indicated his guilt and remorse immediately.
We recommend the defendant receive a conviction of manslaughter by criminal negligence but that any custodial sentence be suspended.
Ms Corvini, is there anything to say on Mr Jackson's behalf? Your Honour, I'm in a difficult position here.
My client has given me no instructions.
None whatsoever? No instructions and no plea material.
He refuses to cooperate with psychologists for assessment and has told me to say nothing in his defence.
Since the defence has made no submissions, we'll adjourn until 10am tomorrow.
Sorry.
Oh I'll be out of here in a minute.
Ow! You right? Mm-hm.
it's all so boring.
I hate choosing clothes for work.
You can never wear anything really exciting.
I won't be long.
Can you believe I've had to spend $45 on a ratings guide for babies equipment? I had no idea they had that kind of stuff.
Half the cots they sell, they don't meet Australian safety standards.
And then you've got to make sure the mattress isn't too soft, otherwise it's a SIDS risk, and that the sides measure 60cm from the base of the mattress to the top of the cot, unless you want your baby to fall out.
Don't suppose you can go with the one that looks best? Why didn't I think of that? Hey, can I just ask you about How did the Abe Jackson matter go? The judge had nothing to consider.
We'll get a sentence today.
Nothing to consider? Didn't Paula Ben, I didn't want to do this, but I said I'd do it, so I'm doing it.
Stop breathing down my neck.
Everyone's favourite today.
Hey, does $220 a week for a bedroom in Newtown sound like a lot to you? You're not serious? Shared accommodation? You realise no-one who actually knows these people can bear to live with them? No, this one sounds OK.
âL am quiet and tidy, vegetarian and meditate daily.
â Are you kidding? Buddha will tell you off every time you try to speak or eat steak.
Look, I'm running out of options.
Under my desk is starting to look pretty good again.
Man, your life is Tragic, I know.
Well, Quinn really is dying.
Three doctors confirm terminal lymphoma.
His prognosis, if he follows the recommended treatment, is one year, at best.
He was telling the truth about something.
With this, I'd be surprised if they didn't set a new trial date within the next month or two.
What time's the special mention? 2:00 this afternoon.
I'll let you know when we have a result.
Appreciate it.
I did notice one other thing.
It may be inconsequential, but Quinn has herpes simplex virus type 2 - genital herpes.
It's a fairly common STD.
But if either of the women share the virus Of course, it doesn't prove anything.
It can only help us.
Do we know? If either of them have genital herpes? We need to ask.
Because that won't be an awkward call or anything.
âHey, I'm sorry to bother you.
I just need to know.
Have you got any STDs?" He's got a fuckin' problem with me.
Who? David.
He keeps making me do things I don't want to do.
You don't want to do anything.
My witnesses are late.
Of course they're late.
They're stoners.
Probably wasted.
Whose room do you like better, mine or Con's? Tatum, I can only deal with one catastrophe at a time.
It's not a catastrophe.
It's called having options.
He's not answering.
Neither are you.
He's moving out.
Probably to live with a bossy vegan, but anyway Vegetarian.
Moving out? My work here is done.
I thought you liked living with me and Conrad? I do, but you don't really want to give up your dressing-room, and Conrad doesn't really want to give up his gym.
Hello.
I'm calling for Toby.
Toby Bowen.
No, no, no, I'm not Toby.
I need to speak with him.
He's gone shopping? Uh, where's Angus? He's gone shopping too? When will he be back? OK, brilliant.
Perfect.
Then that's what I'll tell Judge Walker.
âI'm sorry, Your Honour.
I apologise for the absence of my witnesses.
âBut, um, they popped out to buy some munchies.
" They're not coming? No.
They have to come.
Well, who are you calling? The police.
Why? Because that's what lawyers do when dodgy witnesses don't show up for court.
Well, the police aren't gonna go into their house, are they? They'll just wait outside? They won't go in? If they find pot in the house, that's their fault, Richard, not yours.
Ringing.
For you.
Me? Mmm.
Jesse's obviously persistent.
How was the cage fight last night? Didn't happen.
Jesse dislocated his elbow at training.
Or that was his excuse.
I think he's realised he's too nice for me.
A bikini? That's not nice, that's just sleazy.
Mmm.
Expensive brand, though.
Mmm.
Mmm.
Alistair Hoy's defence will concede to injury, but not serious injury, if we agree to drop the false imprisonment.
Take it.
He'll get four months, max.
Better than nothing.
Plus it'll damage his reputation, and your exorcism girl will feel vindicated.
It's a good result.
I reckon they're scared to go to trial.
Settle the case.
It's done! I'm sure I could get a conviction for false imprisonment.
No-one expects to be held for three days against their will.
It's entirely unpredictable what a jury might decide.
But no-one thinks false imprisonment is OK.
Your problem is it's a foreseeability debate.
When Piper gave her consent, did she know what she was in for or not? What would a reasonable person no, what would a highly intelligent person, a person with a university scholarship to study medicine, what would she expect when she says yes to an exorcism? You don't think a jury might be convinced this'd be on the cards? Maybe, maybe not.
But shouldn't we let a jury make that decision? Oh, you want to play it out in court? Bring 'em all in to the Alistair Hoy show? Have you seen this guy? Good-looking, serious charisma.
Look, that doesn't change the facts Facts? Don't worry about facts.
The defence will bang on about facts, especially the one about Piper freely giving consent.
She Freely giving consent.
Oh, look.
I think this guy's as big a dick as you do.
That's why I say take the deal.
Don't give him the chance to walk away acquitted of everything! Richard! What? Mr Creamy.
The police stuffed up the file.
This should have been in it.
These are all prior convictions.
Yeah, five pages of prior convictions.
1 O of them are violent too-.
Domestic violence, cruelty to animals, aggravated assault.
This is the kind of man they let sell ice-cream to children? You can't lose.
Well, it's not the right format.
Richard, I nearly ruined a heel getting this to you.
Go! Uh Your Honour.
I do apologise profusely, but this list of Mr Brumfield's prior convictions - and there do appear to be a large number of them - was not included in the police file provided to the DPP.
In fact, this list was only made known to me 12 minutes ago.
May I please see it? Of course.
If you could possibly overlook the presentation of that list, which I do realise is not in the correct format No, it is not.
Uh, but if you could see your way past that small inconvenience It is a large inconvenience.
Mr Stirling, I cannot make head or tail of this document.
If you wish me to consider these prior convictions, then they must be presented in chronological order.
Ll do apologise, Your Honour.
Perhaps you might agree to a small adjournment so that I may have time to type up the list to Your Honour's satisfaction? You are able to handwrite, are you not? Yes, of course I can write, although I have this Then you will handwrite a further presentment of this list of priors in the correct format for me now.
N ow? I will not be adjourning this case, and I do not intend to wait for that list to get lost in the public service system.
Oh, we have plenty of time.
I made sure to set you aside sufficient time for this matter.
How's uni going? They all think I'm crazy there.
That or a religious nut.
It's bizarre, considering.
Look, we might have the same problem if we take your case to a jury.
What, they'll think I'm mad or a fanatic? Either.
Both, maybe.
Whichever one, it's not so good.
You're not taking him to court, are you? You're letting that lunatic get away with it? He'll keep doing it, you know.
He'll do it to someone else.
If we take a plea of guilty, we know for sure that Alistair will serve time in jail.
I thought you were on my side.
Piper, in in a courtroom, it's what I can prove.
Alistair's lawyers will keep coming back to the fact that you gave consent, and in the end, that might be all they need to nail us.
I didn't have a choice! Legally, you did.
Look, I'm sorry, Piper.
I know this is not what you wanted Spencer was gonna kill himself.
Have you ever had someone say that to you? Someone you love, who you know really means it? Who says, "I'm almost a doctor, so I know how to do it properlyâ? He sent me this text, and I knew I just had to say yes or he would do it.
I was everything to him, and he was everything to me.
If I hadn't gone along with the exorcism, Spencer would be dead now.
Piper, hey! Hey! You're freezing! Piper! Help! Help! Tracey, help! Help! Help! Hey, hey, it's OK.
Piper! Piper! Hey.
Did the ambos say what's wrong with Piper? She gonna be OK? She's gone to hospital for tests.
It could be a few things, but they don't know yet.
Maybe she's possessed.
She never said anything about her boyfriend threatening suicide? Nope.
Hell of a boyfriend.
Don't ask me why she didn't call the psych ward when he did that.
Haven't you worked out anything about these two kids yet? It's called love, Ben.
Look it up.
Tony, the fact that he threatened her changes everything.
If it's not consent freely given, it's not consent.
Duress can negate consent, but you still have to prove it.
You're gonna have to get the boyfriend in here and make him agree to be a witness.
Reckon you can do that? If I do, you reckon you'll sign the presentment? If Piper genuinely believed her boyfriend was prepared to commit suicide if she didn't agree to the exorcism, then you could argue the agreement to the exorcism wasn't voluntary.
In legal terms, it could be as good as if she never said yes.
You might nail the prick yet.
That was a short plea yesterday.
I can only follow my client's instructions.
Those people, the ones with the flowers - are they Abe Jackson's relatives? No, a support group.
There are other parents who have done the same thing - left their kids in cars and killed them.
We all have to find ways of living with guilt.
50"')!- Spending 170 bucks an hour on a marriage counsellor puts me in a bad mood.
The death of a human being is always a matter of seriousness.
However, it is particularly heartbreaking when the victim is a helpless infant.
I have given careful consideration to the Crown's submission to suspend a custodial sentence.
However, I believe this to be a particularly serious of fence.
Mr Jackson's actions fell far short of the standard of care which a reasonable person would have exercised and involved such a high risk that death would follow that they merit criminal punishment.
Mr Jackson, will you please stand? Abe Jackson, for the manslaughter of Tom Jackson, you are sentenced to two years imprisonment.
I set a non-parole period of six months, with the remaining 18 months of your sentence to be suspended.
Six months? What, you think that's all Tom's life was worth? Excuse my client, Your Honour.
I need to go to jail.
I need to stay there.
Mr Jackson, I'm afraid your wishes are not driving my decision.
Well, he was my son.
My baby.
To look after, and I forgot him.
I left him there to die, slowly and painfully, alone.
Do you know how hot it got in that car? Did you think about what it must have been like for him to die like that? I did that to him.
I need to pay.
I need to pay.
You've suffered a terrible loss, Mr Jackson, but I can't see any good purpose for you or your family to suffer more.
Come on.
Mr Stirling, when do you imagine you might be finished? I apologise profusely, Your Honour.
Yes, you have a habit of doing that.
Normally, I'd write much faster, only I have a sprained wrist.
Well, since we have the time, may I ask how you came to suffer such an injury? A bike accident, Your Honour.
A student ran into me just as I was about to attend a lecture.
Your lecture, in fact, on criminal law and procedures.
Then it was you who required that ambulance.
I didn't really need an ambulance.
It was called by a concerned passer-by.
That ambulance dented my Prius.
I apologise, Your Honour.
Profusely? Mmm.
At least Mr Creamy won't be swinging another cricket bat for the next three months while he's in jail.
He would have got six months, but the defence argued that he performed a community service as Mr Creamy, and I couldn't argue that my clients were exactly model citizens, since they'd just been found in possession of half a truckload of marijuana.
Bossy vegans are no fun.
Vegetarian.
And it's more fun than living under my desk.
But you have your choice of two perfectly good rooms with us.
Tatum.
I'm leaving.
Alright.
Tonight I'll help you pack.
That's yes and yes to genital herpes.
Oh, and a request from Ben to please never have to make those sort of phone calls again.
He'll do what he's told.
Both victims having the same STD as Quinn, it doesn't in itself prove he had sex with them.
And the defence will argue statistics about rates of STD infection.
And genital herpes is one of the more common ones.
It'd have to be a much rarer disease to suggest that they contracted it from Quinn.
Unless they were virgins.
Do we know? If they were virgins? Yes, we do.
And, no, they weren't.
Good news.
We're on in six weeks.
Brilliant.
Do we still have Judge Massey? Unfortunately, no.
We had to change.
Still, Judge Watts isn't bad for us.
Michael Watts? Bloody hell.
Alright.
Six weeks.
You'd better get on with it.
Michael Watts wanted to be DPP, but David got the job.
So he won't be doing us any favours? Uh, no.
Janet, call for you on line one.
You asked to see me'? Why was Lina at the Underwood mention yesterday, and why was Erin doing the Jackson plea hearing? If you get given a case, you follow it through, do you understand? I don't care what it is, and I don't care how much you don't like it.
If this is about the Jackson plea, then You are so used to other people doing your dirty work, you think that's the way it's gonna be in here too? I didn't agree with prosecuting Abe Jackson.
Ben, you don't get to be a McMahon in here.
You don't get the privilege of picking and choosing.
That's my job.
And if I see value in a case, then you prosecute it and do a bloody good job.
Five children a day are being rescued from inside parked cars, Ben.
Five kids a day.
And you think him spending six months in jail is gonna change that? You think that's serving any justice? This is bullshit! What we do here, it's all bullshit! Prosecuting the Jackson case and a thousand others just like it is your job.
And there are plenty of other lawyers out there ready and waiting to take it from you.
Now get out.
Fuck! You have someone waiting at reception.
Can I be blunt'? Let me be blunt.
We need to stop pissing around here and help Piper.
What's that mean for Alistair? This isn't about taking sides.
That's exactly what it's about.
If I help Piper, I put Alistair in jail.
You said you loved her, you'd do anything.
Well, here's your chance, Spencer.
You need to say what really happened.
You threatened self-harm if she didn't agree to take that exorcism.
You cannot use the law to judge what happened.
Law and religion, they're entirely different.
Laws are put there to punish.
Religion is based on forgiveness.
He's not a bad man.
I have no doubt Alistair's religious beliefs are sincere and he was confident that that exorcism would help Piper.
But that confidence, that was the problem.
Alistair just didn't know enough about what he was doing.
You're a med student.
You know confusional migraine.
The hospital tests can't prove it, but they say it's a possibility.
It would account for Piper's speech.
That's what the specialist said, but he couldn't prove it either.
You knew it could explain your girlfriend's symptoms, but you refused to consider it? Confusional migraines are generally triggered by head trauma.
Piper hasn't had a head trauma.
Generally, but not always.
Isn't it at least as possible as being possessed? Spencer, this is not about your religion.
This is about telling the truth.
Piper did not agree to take part in that exorcism of her own free will.
You want me to put him in prison for trying to help us.
No, I want you to stand up for the girl you say you love! Spencer! I don't know shit about love, but what you're doing, it's not it.
Don't forget your pillow.
It's yours.
Consider it a house-warming gift.
It's just in there.
Ta.
Like it? Oh, my God.
I can't believe it.
You knew about this? I knew that Conrad took half the day off work to get the room ready, but So, what do you think? What about Tatum's dressing-room? I hope you appreciate the sacrifice I've made.
My clothes are now keeping company with the Nautilus machine.
They really don't have to.
And, look, that's in case you miss us now you're here on your own.
You've thought of everything.
We love you, man.
Hey! I'm in here.
They've passed every possible test.
There are no sharp edges.
And I've measured and double-checked everything.
These might just be the safest cots known to man.
But if you need to be sure I know you want to measure the space between the bars.
Thank you for choosing the cots.
But, you know, don't choose pink bedding for one and blue We're having a pink and a blue? Yeah.
I'm so sorry.
I ruined the surprise.
What'd you do? Race over here the second I hung up? Pretty much.
Thought you might be wearing the bikini.
Actually that's why I called.
Thanks, but you should take it back.
Don't you like it? It's not gonna happen, Jimmy.
You and I.
It's just not.
That's why you called me here? To tell me it's not gonna happen? Yes.