Davina Harris was proving to be worth her weight in gold.  She didn’t once try to pressurise her client into extended visitation and she could stand up to any JP any day.  She argued that since the Comprehensive Risk Assessment had not yet been completed, the situation was effectively at stalemate.  Therefore it would not be possible to make any further decisions regarding residence and contact of Jason and Jessica.  She also pointed out that due to the complexities of the case it would be wise for all concerned if matters were handed over to a judge to decide further outcomes.  Sarah couldn’t help thinking that the reason this case was so complicated was because of the behaviour of protected porky Potter.  The point being that there shouldn’t even be any court proceedings.  He is a child abuser, woman batterer, animal torturer and an all-round general criminal.  He should be wilting behind bars.  This was not to mention the phenomenal cost thus far for the taxpaying public.

            Regarding the official reports concerning the intervention of the EWO with Kim and Lee when they were younger, Sarah continued to meet resistance.  Davina was doing her best but was just as frustrated as she.  Davina remarked, “If there was nothing alarming in them, the other side would be throwing them at us by now.”

            Later on in County Court, Davina informed Sarah that she shouldn’t have signed the undertaking because she’d never been guilty of harassing Greg.  She also informed her client that Kelvin Boor had been telling her that Kim’s and Lee’s old school didn’t want to get involved.

            “That’s a lie,” Sarah hissed.  “Miss Jones told me that I have her support.”  Sarah was urged to ask Miss Jones to contact her solicitor. 

            “The other side keep going on about the psychiatrists’ reports,” added Davina.

            “Tell them to get lost,” spat Sarah.  “They can show me their social services reports on Kim and Lee first.”

            “Well, I’ve already made it clear that there will be no reports until the end of the assessment and that, in any case, since they concern David and Anna and not Jason and Jessica, they will not automatically be available for scrutiny.  We’ll play them at their own game, shall we?” crowed Miss Harris, with a glint in her eye.

            The judge tried to give Davina a hard time but Miss Harris wasn’t having any of it and remained un-phased.  She explained that her client had been badly advised by her previous solicitor and had agreed to PR and contact arrangements thus far due to unacceptable pressure.

            “You are aware aren’t you, Ms Harris, that I can send your client to jail for being unreasonable about arrangements concerning her children?” boomed the judge.

            “My client has always respected the court’s decisions,” replied a cool Miss Harris, whilst the opposition sat in court stewing and seething and exchanging the distinctive look of men who constantly wheel and deal and generally get up to no good.

            The judge instructed the women to enquire about all official documentation with their welfare officer.

            “I’ve already done that,” whispered Sarah.  “Val said we have to get the judge to order them.”

            “Ask her again,” Davina said.  “But this time tell her it’s on the judge’s orders.”

            “Flamin’ hell, talk about taking the p….” Sarah sneered.

            “That’s the courts for you,” sighed her solicitor.

The court welfare officer was reluctant to chase up the reports, preferring to accuse Sarah of being bitter and bloody-minded towards her ex and insisting that information on Kim and Lee was none of her business.

            Sarah asserted, “This is not about my feelings towards him or about insults perceived or otherwise; this is about hard facts.  Gregory Potter so maltreated his other children that head-teachers and staff and neighbours were extremely concerned for their safety.  He is the father of my babies.  He wants substantial contact with them.  Don’t tell me that his parenting record is none of my business.  As such an EWO was called in to make in-depth investigations and reports were filed.”

            Val cut in, “The EWO was called in to see your kids too.”

            Sarah maintained, “There is a world of difference between an EWO making a routine visit to a home-educating family, as is the case with all children who learn at home, and an EWO being called in to investigate serious child abuse.”

            Val had no response to that.  Her only comment was that she’d pretty much given up on this case and that as far as these parties were concerned, she couldn’t make head not tail of any of it any more.

            ‘Shouldn’t be doing the job then,’ thought Sarah, biting her lip.

PC Rupert Madding showed up to badger her about whether she’d decided to accept a Police caution for her son’s gat gun ‘offence’ or whether she wished to be taken to court.

            “Did you find the report that you’d made on the shooting of the baby’s pram?  I’d like a copy of it please.  Oh and by the way, what was the man’s name, did you say?” Sarah enquired.

            “I told you, I’m not concerned about what your son did, I’m bothered by the fact he had a loaded weapon....”

            “Yes, so you keep saying.... What’s the man’s name?”

            “I don’t know,” said an agitated PC.

            Sarah grinned, “Why did you make up the story about a man and a baby?  Greg’s behind this, isn’t he?  Why are you lying?  You know you’re lying....”

            The PC exploded, “Are you calling me a liar?”

            “Yes I am,” said Sarah.

            And with that the PC’s pupils narrowed, his face tightened, he stormed towards his panda car and then, revving it with fury, disappeared in a flash.

Miss Jones of Dingleton High telephoned Davina Harris to express her worries for the well being and safety of Sarah’s children whilst in their father’s care.  She spoke about the neglect Kim and Lee suffered, the batterings their mother took, the gun at their mother’s head, the excessive, tyrannical motherly role Kim was expected to take on, the withdrawn, unhappy disposition of Kim and Lee when their mother was forced to flee, the upset because of Greg’s harmful, controlling influence and because he’d prevented them having any contact whatsoever with their mum.... She even recalled that Greg had begged her not to pass Cara’s letters on to her children.  Miss Jones told Davina that their schoolwork was abysmal and their attendance low.  She said that Lee had been involved in truancy and vandalism and she said that Greg’s mother had recently phoned her to insist that all reports relating to Kim and Lee are private and confidential and that they are not to be disclosed to anyone without their permission.  [Miss Jones had earlier told Sarah that Greg’s mother had, during that conversation, rabbited on about Sarah’s older children always getting up to mischief - letting out and injuring horses and people’s pets.... and that David and Anna were naughty kids; always in trouble with the police and social services....]

Val did eventually contact Miss Jones only to report later that the EWO Nora Smallwood does not remember the family and that all documentation pertaining to them had been destroyed.

            “Cover-up” blasted Sarah when she read the report.

            Val then told Sarah that she was unwise pursuing the testimony of Miss Jones when the case goes to trial.  She also urged Sarah not to request a copy of Miss Jones’ statement which had been prepared at the time of Greg’s divorce from Cara and which related to residence and contact issues of Kim and Lee.  Val’s reasoning was that it could all quite easily blow up in her face and be turned against her.  The judge might form the view that despite what he would term the idle gossip from Miss Jones and years old reports, it was Greg Potter who had been awarded custody of his children and it was his ex-wife who was denied all contact to them.

            “Yes, because of heinous corruption,” bellowed Sarah.

            “You can’t prove that,” said Val.  “And in any case if you keep that tone up, you will lose your children.  The judge will think you’re crackers.”

            “Christ it is so bloody unfair.... so effing outrageous.  Social services records should be kept on file until kids are eighteen and they should be available for solicitors’ scrutiny.  That Nora Smallwood has been ordered to tell porkies.  I bet she does remember Greg Potter and his kids.  You would remember a bloke living alone bringing up kids - one a girl - even if you only made one visit because he lived in such a remote spot out in the sticks.  Most people got lost trying to find his place.  Anyway she must’ve made a few visits, surely.  She’d made out a report, so she must’ve seen that family quite a few times.  She’s lying.

            I wonder how many other women and children are going through this exact same thing.  When are we going to have full accountability at the top to protect children, not maleficent men and their malefactor bodyguards?” Sarah wailed into an unresponsive telephone line.

Even Sarah’s barrister Annie Parry supported Val’s view.

            “I’m not happy about subpoenaing Miss Jones,” she said.  “It bothers me that the Chair of Governors will not allow her to write a statement.  It’s a bad omen.  I don’t think she’ll say enough about what she knows - she won’t want to risk libel.  And what she does say might just strengthen the other side’s case.  Her testimony will be crushed mercilessly by Boor when she’s in the witness box.  I’ve seen it happen so many times before.  You’re going to have to be very smart about this.  I think that when the final hearing is set, rather than letting the matter go to trial, you should strongly consider offering a couple of overnight stays per week.  At least that way you’ll be guaranteed to keep the children.  If you let the court decide the final outcome, it could swing either way.  Your reasons about blocking contact and your ‘proof’ is not strong enough.  Give it some thought.”

            Sarah seethed, “It is so easy to see why evil flourishes in this sick world.  Greg’s ex-wife is still terrified of that heinous creature.  Miss Jones told me that she’s been so badly damaged by him and suffered such violence that even now she won’t challenge him; she won’t help me because she’s petrified of the repercussions.  For Christ’s sake, why didn’t anyone help her?  The authorities have got some explaining to do and by God will they pay a hefty price some day.  She also told me that teachers aren’t allowed to ask a kid if he/she is being hit.  They have to wait for a child to volunteer information.  Bloody hell, abused kids are too terrified to talk.  The last thing their gonna do is tell the truth.  They know what’s coming to them if they do - more beatings.  I gave Miss Jones a copy of the statements that Kim and Lee had recently written for court.  She says that both Greg’s kids are telling a pack of lies.  They’re lying to save their wicked father’s neck.  THAT’S how controlled, terrified and emotionally messed up THEY ARE.  Miss Jones asked Social Services for their records on Greg’s kids when his ex fled.  She was told to mind her own business.  They wouldn’t disclose anything to her.  They said they’d had referrals and were dealing with it.  Social Services are agents of Satan.”

By now Sarah had learned that the DSS were still pursuing her for almost seventeen thousand pounds.  She only discovered this, when months after her second interview with Joseph Drinkwater, she received demands for payment of three years council tax.  A summons to attend her local magistrates court was also served [which included a thirty pound charge] at the same time!  Sarah had hoofed it down to the Citizens Advice Bureau whereby it emerged that Jimmy Oliver hadn’t lodged her appeal after all.  He had written to the DSS tho to request the relevant appeal form.   

         The Appeals section hadn’t received it back, completed or otherwise, Davina has not seen it, either blank or filled in and Jimmy O simply cannot remember it.  The DSS say that it is now too late to appeal and they refuse to negotiate.  So, because of a vicious, vengeful viper called Gregory Potter, Sarah is lumbered with a huge debt whilst Jimmy Oliver remains sitting pretty and seemingly unanswerable.  It is so unbelievable, so sickeningly disgusting.  Davina promised to look into the legalities to see if Sarah has a case against her old solicitor for negligence.  She has a horrible feeling though that such action would not be legally funded.  Sarah wasn’t holding her breath for a favourable outcome.  She was no longer that naive.  She had come up against a collaboration of influential, ill-natured, ill-willed, wily men.  They cared not one whit about the law or what was right and proper.  They were interested only in the protection of themselves, no matter what the cost to others.

Sarah and David were brought before sergeant Wilyman so that David could receive a formal reprimand for the gat gun ‘offence’.  Sarah wondered why Rupert Madding wasn’t present.  Could he not bear to be called a liar again?  Could he not bear to look her in the eye?  There was no point arguing with Wilyman; he was determined to have David’s signature on one of his official police papers.

            Sarah asked about the shooting incident.  Could she have details of what exactly happened.... where.... what time?  No, that wasn’t possible; the sergeant did not have such information before him and in any case the police weren’t concerned about that aspect.  Why wasn’t her son being charged with assault on the baby?  There was no answer, the point being that the police did not intend to pursue such criminal charges.  His only offence was being in possession of the gun [loaded] in a public place.  Could she have a copy of PC Madding’s statement?  No, that wasn’t permitted either.  But sergeant Wilyman did read it out to her. The report was a glaring afterthought.  It was stated that a man who wished to remain UNIDENTIFIED reported to the police....

            ‘Say no more,’ thought Sarah.  She knew that they’d dream up some more rubbish that would suffice for their ‘statement’.  Christ, they must be worried.  Were their feathers a little ruffled?!