Perhaps one further matter I should recall to your attention was Mr. Brierley's evidence that when they were together, Carol Park continued to wear her engagement and wedding rings, he said. She tended to take one or both of them off at night, but wore them at all other times during the day. He said that Carol had adopted his surname which she used for work and for other purposes, and they were in effect like a married couple.
While on the subject of rings, Mrs. Park's, Carol Park's colleague Mrs. Weaver recalled the time in the late 1960's and in the early 1970's when they had been together as teachers. She recalled an occasion admiring each other's rings. Carol's engagement ring was larger than her own, she said, and she took it off to show Mrs. Weaver. Otherwise she recalled Carol always wearing her rings.
Well, at the end of the Summer 1975, Carol was back in Leece and Mr. Park told us that it was wonderful. They were picking up the pieces. He and his wife were back together again. He had his wife back and the children had their mother. He said it was a time of great hope. He said they had a circle of friends and neighbours who were loyal and supportive to them both. He said they still loved each other, it was working and they had some good times together. He said Carol did not work in the period up to Christmas, but got a job again at Aston at the primary school. He said she liked her job, it was what she liked doing and she was back being involved with people. He said that after her return and in the period up to July of 1976, he had not been aware of any matrimonial difficulties. He said their arguing was in the past, there was no violence between them and the children were wonderful. They were all happy again. He said he trusted Carol completely. They had their ordinary social lives together. Carol was free to do as she wished. She had the use of a car and friends of her own. All was well so long as he knew where she was going, and she was free to come and go as she pleased, as he put it, within reason. He told us that Carol socialised with her work colleagues. She had friends of her own and saw her family. He believed when Carol went out and told him where she was going, he believed what she said. He said he was not so sure of that now on reflection. He denied that he had any sexual affairs outside marriage at this time. He explained an earlier incident, I think it was, where there had been some groping, I think he called it with Mr. Foster's wife, but that was all, there was nothing else.