Remember also, please, that you are considering the most serious charge that can be levelled against anyone. It is levelled here against a man of hitherto good character who has never faced a criminal charge before, and you may think he is entitled to ask you to give more than usual weight to his good character when deciding whether or not the prosecution has satisfied you of his guilt, and that last matter which I have just mentioned is something that I have got to turn to in a little more detail.
You have heard as I say that Mr. Park is a man of good character, not just in the sense that he has not got criminal convictions, but witnesses have spoken about his positive qualities. His son Jeremy Park called him a big softie, and he, Mrs. Fisher, Vanessa, and Rachel Garcia, the three children all spoke of his positive qualities as a single parent. Mrs. Walmsley said he had never used violence towards her. The present Mrs. Park, Mrs. Jennifer Park, said the same. Mr. Paul Shaw, his friend of 50 years standing said that he could not countenance the idea that Mr. Park had used that ice axe in the dreadful manner that might be being suggested in this case.
Mr. Ernie Shaw, who saw the one incident of a violent nature. Of course it is not said that Mr. Park was using violence, other than restraining his wife. He said that he had never seen Gordon Park use violence, even when he, Mr. Shaw, perhaps had given him reason and upset him. There are other examples, but they illustrate the point.