Jake Gardiner and his brother, Max, were wrestling
when Max strangled him.
Coroner's report?
Cause of death was manual asphyxiation, an accident.
Max Gardiner is a bully and a troublemaker,
but we have no real evidence that paints him as a murderer.
it's right at the end of the tape.
He cries for three minutes and then just drops the act.
What happened was an accident. None of this bullshit is gonna bring him back.
She's in denial. She's a grieving mother.
I reckon she'll crack if we push her. No.
My, uh, sister has been arrested. Heroin?
She needs help.
Andy Campbell will brief you on Mrs Wallace.
How many kids? Two. Drugged and smothered.
Shit. Sorry.
How long can we survive without water?
Three to five days.
And food? Four weeks.
Longer for me. I'm fitter than you.
You got the brawn, I got the brains.
I like your brain.
Erin could bring us supplies. Erin has a very big mouth.
Everyone would find out. Yeah. Trés scandalous.
What would Tracey say?
You could write me a sick note.
“Lina Badir has been struck down...
“..with a highly...
“..infectious virus...”
“..and is unavailable to work today.”
Oh, yeah, I could do that. Mmm. Mmm?
Especially if it means you're not gonna be seeing Sherlock.
Dylan Thorne? Mmm.
I'm not a serial cop rooter, Andy.
Well, just as well.
My gun's bigger th an an YWay_ Ohh!
I need him.
He's helping me keep society safe from the world's smallest psychopath.
That is a really shithouse alarm. I know.
I sleep through it daily.
OK.
Up you get. You can't hide forever.
We can try.
Hey, Harry.
Lydia's run away with Wickham.
Silly girl, bringing her family into disrepute.
I don't know. You gotta look at the parents before you blame the kids.
Not always, Harry.
Janefs not in yet, is she? Been here since 7:00.
Oh, shit!
They've been in there for some time.
Too much extracurricular activity to hear the alarm go off?
You? Moral high ground? No leg to stand on.
Serves you right for having sex.
- Who's having sex? No-one.
So the end of the police interview, Max... Sorry.
..switches off his grief.
Not exactly evidential gold.
True, but it's persuasive for a jury that he's faking it.
OK, so aside from whether there's enough evidence
for a jury to convict an 11-year-old,
the issue at the committal will be
whether Max knew what he was doing was seriously wrong.
Max is in state care, and Virginia is now split from Sean, living with Ella.
Really? That's new.
Husband trying to get your son put away for murder strains the marriage.
Yes, Harry?
What? Now?
No, OK. That's fine.
Thank you.
I think I'm going mad.
I keep reliving the past, where everything's the same... but different.
Ella had this blistering rash years ago when she was two,
and the doctor had no idea what it was.
He thought maybe it was... bullous impetigo. But...
Now I'm thinking, what if it wasn't? What if it was a burn?
I didn't...
see her get... burnt,
but what if...
I haven't been a good mother.
Virginia.
I drank when I was pregnant with Max, OK?
Not just a glass of wine at dinner.
We were on holiday in Mauritius. I didn't even know I was pregnant.
We were smashed for weeks.
Lots of mothers drink before they know. Did you?
Lots of mothers don't have affairs.
Lots of mothers don't allow their family to be...
completely and... utterly destroyed.
I miss Jake.
I miss him.
I miss him so much.
None of this is your fault.
What am I gonna tell this child?
Virginia.
Why are you here?
Max...
Max?
I keep all our family photos on my laptop, and last night, I found it in his room.
And what had he done?
He...
He'd erased Jake's face.
Somehow, he'd blacked it out in every photo.
I mean, maybe Max was...
Maybe he was...
I can't talk about this to anyone.
What would I say, to my mother, to my friends? I just...
There's nobody I can... nobody I can even...
If you're having doubts, any at all, then coming in was the right thing to do.
It is p... possible.
It's possible Max...
killed... Jake.
Deliberately.
But I'm not sure.
I'm not sure. How could anyone know?
But you do... Nobody could know.
You do think it's possible?
Virginia?
Yes.
Maybe.
So this guy, Mr Hush, right? He burns down his ex-wife's home.
Conrad is such a prick sometimes.
He's dropped his wallet, and there's a petrol can with his fingerprints on it.
You saw him. He ate all of my cereal. All of it.
And two witnesses saw him do it.
Did you hear me? I had no breakfast.
He's totally taking me for granted.
Um, no, he's not, Tate. He is.
I can't even remember the last time he said I was hot.
He said it this morning.
What? What if I'm not?
Hot anymore. Am I?
Uh...
Yes, you're...
you're very...
very...
nubile.
Well, you know what I mean.
Whatevs.
Sorry, what were you saying about Psycho Petrol Guy?
Nothing. Just that it's up for a mention today.
Well, at least you got something good.
When the Finch Grinch dies and is resurrected,
I hope she comes back as an STD.
I've got the most boring fraud.
When am I gonna get a juicy murder, or at the very least a manslaughter?
When you're Janet King. You're not Janet and you got a murder.
And he keeps getting good stuff.
Have you seen the Muffin Man? Uh, he was with David.
Check this out.
Tracey just gave me a trial listing notice for the Wallace case.
The kid-smothering mum. I thought she was in the loony bin.
Not anymore. Taking her to the Supreme Court.
Tony! See?
Our mother smotherer just got listed, so...
I was thinking I should start reviewing the chronology,
summary of the forensics.
That won't be necessary. I'm talking to Vernon.
We're working through a plea.
When did the defence offer a plea? They didn't.
But you just said that... No, I didn't.
OK, I don't understand.
So pretty, and yet not the brightest crayon in the box.
She smothered her kids, and you offered a plea to the defence?
Mrs Wallace will plead guilty to murdering her children,
and the DPP will make a recommendation to the judge
to reduce the sentence.
Easy. See?
This is the Cavafy homeless murder all over again.
Cavafy... Cavafy...
Yeah, you ran out of that one, remember?
No idea what you're talking about.
Did you get that defendant to change his mind too?
God help the next poor bastard who wants a fair trial.
You want to talk about backflips?
You're the one who was running around
saying Mrs Wallace was mentally impaired.
Well, she's not now. The hospital psych said she's healthy.
And the committal judge found she should be tried.
Do you really care about justice for the kids, Ben,
or is it more you just don't get a chance to dazzle the court
with all your McMahon brilliance?
We're taking the plea.
Well, I think you're wrong.
Tell it to someone who cares.
G'day, mate. When you on? Any minute now.
There's a big list. You?
Oh, covering that big trafficking case.
Court two.
Judge has been reading submissions for an hour.
OK, then.
You're kidding me.
10 bucks that's my defendant.
Determined to plead not guilty to three counts of arson.
Good luck, mate.
Oh, hey.
What's your take on Rosenberg?
The man drowned my phone.
Wait, Julie, please.
I would never want to upset you.
I know. I know.
Let's go.
I'd really like to sort this out.
You need to make a second statement to the police.
Detective Thorne can assist you, and he also needs to collect that hard drive.
But I've already made one.
Well, in your first statement,
you said that Max wasn't responsible for Jake's death.
Your new statement needs to outline everything you've just told us.
Essentially, that you believe it's possible
Max deliberately killed Jake.
Yes, but that's it. Possible. I'm not saying that I think it definitely happened.
You still need to make a statement.
Virginia, it's a brave thing you're doing.
The defence are gonna have a field day with the fact
that you made a prior inconsistent statement.
They're gonna try and discredit you as a witness
by arguing that your evidence is unreliable.
To counter this, we need you to be really firm with your answers.
Tatum, could you please show Mrs Gardiner out?
Virginia, one more question.
Did any of your children know that Sean wasn't Max's biological father?
Jake found out.
He overheard Sean and I arguing. But I don't think that Max knew.
We asked Jake not to tell him and Ella.
We didn't want him to feel any different from his siblings.
Thank you for coming in.
I appreciate this hasn't been easy.
So I guess we have a real chance of going to trial.
Still a far from persuasive case.
What'?
Am I suddenly a receptacle for all our staffs second-hand maternity clothes?
But surely Virginia's backflip and photos will strengthen the case.
Who in their right mind?
I'm having a child. I'm not turning into one.
Let's see what her statement says first.
Her evidence in court is what matters,
and the photos are, at the very least, arguable.
Is it strange for you?
What'?
Because Virginia's pregnant too.
No. Why would it be?
How would you like to help me prep the Gardiner brief for committal?
Uh, no, thank you. It's worth two bail apps and a mention.
Three bails, two mentions. Alright, fine.
- Oh! What a mess! - I know.
So Sean thinks Max should be prosecuted,
and Virginia was adamant he shouldn't but now thinks he should,
and to top it all off, they're both paying for Max's barrister.
Virginia said she wants him to have a fighting chance.
While she helps put him away.
Isn't that a bit sick?
You know she's having another boy? Mmm.
She's doing the right thing.
I know Janet's not convinced, but just between us,
she's wearing her mother hat, not her lawyer hat.
You're dead if she hears you say that.
See?
Creepy man-child eyes.
Really? I think he looks...
No, you're right.
Psycho Smurf.
God, can you imagine having to stand up in court
and give evidence against your own family?
Poor woman.
Much as Tariq has given me plenty of reasons to want to lock him up, no.
I can't imagine how horrific that would be.
How is our fiery young friend?
I've hardly spoken to him since graffiti night.
What's so urgent? I don't know. I haven't seen you in ages.
Can I have a hug?
Peace offering.
What am I, a cliché?
Just eat it.
So, what's been happening? I've been busy.
Doing what? I'm not in trouble, OK, Lina?
Alright. I wasn't having a go.
Tell me.
I don't know. Study. Work.
Salwa. Salwa?
My girlfriend.
Since when? A month.
Where? How?
She's, um, Fadi's sister.
Good Muslim girl, then? Yeah, of course.
Can I meet her?
Please? Yeah, OK.
We'll do dinner.
Tomorrow night.
Sounds good. Bring someone.
Like who? Are you still single?
You should find someone before your ovaries dry up.
Thanks. I'm just saying.
You're not so young anymore.
Kiss me, Erin.
Jimmy, what the fuck? Kiss me.
Are you on drugs?
Go away! Just one.
I'm not kissing you. You have before.
And then some. Not at work.
OK, then. Drinks.
I want to celebrate. Why?
Sorry. Classified.
Gar's Bar, my shout. I can't. I've got too much work to do.
No-one lies on their deathbed and wishes they'd worked more, Erin.
Goodnight.
Fine, but I'm not drinking tonight.
No, it's true. I would rather my child was murdered than become a murderer.
Seriously? Well, yeah.
Because as the parent, you'd forever blame yourself.
Yeah, but some parents give their kids everything and they still fuck up.
The Menendez brothers, that Nepalese prince who took out his family,
Matthew Wales...
You're talking about kids who had material wealth
but who were also under intense parental pressure
to do well academically and all that.
Max Gardiner just doesn't fit the profile of a child killer.
Everybody wants to blame the parents these days. It's boring.
Yeah, well, some parents are to blame.
That's a cop-out, Erin.
Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.
He's a child.
So was Jake Gardiner.
Tell you what, Ms O'Shaughnessy,
let's have a toast - to not talking about work.
Are you sure there's no alcohol?
Not a skerrick.
Ugh! Not as good as the real thing.
Sometimes a different taste can grow on you, if you give it a chance.
You are such a class act.
Mate.
Yeah. I told the subby I've got two sources.
One at the RTA, the other, can't say.
But trust me, mate. Story's watertight.
Yeah, nothing like a deviant judge to keep things interesting.
Alright.
Yeah, see ya, John.
Tell me. Which judge?
What? Who?
Jimmy, come on!
You're gonna have to work a little harder than that.
Jimmy Butcher strikes again.
“Serial driving offender and Supreme Court judge
“Justice Eli Rosenberg's vehicle
“was photographed going through a red-light camera at 2am
“at the intersection of Military Road and Belmont Road.
“After being issued with a $361 red-light infringement notice
“and the impending loss of his final demerit points,
“Justice Rosenberg has claimed a female friend
“was driving at the time of the of fence.”
Which friend? Doesn't say.
Naughty Rosie. I want to know who his lover is.
Clearly it's not his wife.
My money is on Annabel. His secretary?
Place your bets, people.
- Later. - I'm not betting. You rig it.
I never win. Why don't you ask Tony? Well, Tony can kiss my arse.
I don't want to bet. The odds are amazing, Erin.
Ben.
It's Julie.
Julie was with Rosie that night.
At 2:00 in the morning? There's no fuckin' way.
I thought you should know.
What, according to Jimmy Butcher?
What? ' Can't is" you.
This is fuckin' bullshit. What, you're saying that she's banging him?
You're jealous. What?
Well, we banged. So what?
Don't start spreading slanderous shit about Julie
just because you showed me your... lady bits.
You sleeping with him? Have you heard of knocking?
Are you sleeping with him? I am not answering that question.
Give it a go. Yes or no?
First of all, I am not sleeping with my judge,
and secondly, if I was, it would be none of your business.
How did you know it wasn't me? The 25th.
That was the Friday before the long weekend, yeah?
Yes.
And you said you were staying with your parents at the Blue Mountains,
so I cancelled dinner, you remember?
Yeah.
Because you were with him. No.
So, then, what's this?
How many times did you dump him to see me?
None, Ben. I've never lied to you.
I was at my parents', I swear to God.
So you're telling the truth about staying at your parents' place,
but you're lying about seeing him at 2:00 in the morning.
Why would you lie for him?
You've never even had a parking fine, Julie!
Did he force you? No, of course not.
So tell me why you'd perjure yourself, risk your job, your reputation, everything,
unless you were sleeping with him.
Hmm?
Give me something, Julie!
Were you fucking both of us during the Cooper trial,
or was I just an afterthought?
Leave it.
Ben, leave it.
I hope he was worth it.
You're such a prick sometimes.
You were there too, you know. Was I? Don't remember.
Can't have been too mind-blowing.
I am not just another notch on your bedpost.
I am a class act.
And you know what else?
I'm seeing Jimmy Butcher, and he's a guy with good intentions
who likes me a lot.
So shove that up your bit, Ben McMahon.
I don't understand why he had such a go at you.
Because he thinks the world revolves around him.
Do you think Julie really is having an affair with Rosie?
Jimmy's suss she is.
And you believe him? He's got no personal stake in it.
Why would he lie? Besides, he saw them having a lovers' tiff.
What? Hmm.
Text from Dylan. Swoon.
Shut up.
Well, you're allowed to look.
Tell Andy that.
Judgezilla would have to have rocks in her head to discharge the Gardiner case
now that we've got Virginia onside.
You got Hansby? She's vicious. I know.
Good luck. I've gotta run.
You OK? Mmm.
Erin?
Jimmy Butcher. What about him?
I'm not sure fraternising with the media is a great idea right at the moment,
now that David's managed to convince the court
to move the Quinn trial forward.
Right.
Erin... What?
If you're gonna continue seeing him,
you might like to be a little more discreet, that's all.
As the prosecutor for Quinn...
As David's sacrificial lamb, you mean.
I need to know that nothing will undermine the Crown case,
especially not more media attention.
Understood?
Oh, this has gotta be quick. I have so much to do for the Gardiner committal.
I'd never tell Lina this, but it wouldn't be a bad thing if it got chucked out.
It's just wrong seeing a child in the dock. I mean, he's 11 years old.
11.
And even though he probably meant to hurt Jake,
I just can't believe that he truly understood his actions.
If I were Virginia, I'd be moving interstate,
start afresh, get Max the help he needs.
Just pack the family up? Just the kids.
Well, what about the father? No. They're separated.
Right, so just leave him behind?
I'm suspicious of Sean's motives in wanting to go after Max anyway.
Because he's not Max's real father?
So unless a parent conceives a child,
they couldn't possibly have their best interests at heart?
Come on, Ash. The same does not apply to us.
OK.
So you can make concession for me, but not for your case?
This is a completely different scenario.
Virginia had an affair, and Sean's behaviour changed towards Max
from the minute he was in possession of that knowledge.
If you say so. Bub...
Let's just talk about something else.
Sorry to keep you waiting, Sean.
Ella admitted to me that Jake was goading Max the day that he was killed.
She said that Jake had been teasing him, telling him he was a bastard.
He said Max wasn't a true-blood,
and then Ella said that she warned Jake to stop telling.
So they all knew Max wasn't your child.
Yeah.
I haven't got Ella to sign this as a statement yet.
Yeah, well, I don't think she'll retract this time.
She... She feels safer without Max around.
Do you think the defence will use this to argue provocation?
If their “It was all an accident” argument falls flat, they might.
But on the other hand, we could use it for arguing motive
and therefore show intent.
But...
To do so, we'd have to prove that Jake's conduct
induced Max to lose his self-control.
Do you believe me now?
Now that Virginia's been in, do you believe me?
How much more does she want? A written confession in blood from Max?
Mmm. Could you get one?
I am a member of the CSIRO alumni.
Uh, good for you.
Something that might help change our fearless leader's mind.
Let me know how it goes.
Brain scans.
This study scanned the brains of known psychopaths,
and they all show reduced frontal cortex activity.
FMRI technology.
Max's bullying started when he was really young.
Difficult to prove. Well, his problems could be hard-wired.
It's a marker. Alright.
Say we have Max scanned and he matches the sociopathic profile.
What then?
Well it's further proof of the “born bad” argument.
We could use this science if we go to trial.
It doesn't solve our problem, Lina.
It wouldn't be proof that Max deliberately killed Jake, only that he lacks empathy.
And the impulse control that would have stopped him from killing Jake.
Do you remember my Estonian DNA matter?
Uh...
Yes.
Um...
The defence argued that the defendant had a genetic defect
that gave him a predisposition to violence he couldn't control.
By their reasoning, anyone can use their physical make-up as an excuse
for their behaviour.
This technology, it's seductive. I can see why you'd want to use it in court.
It's a compelling visual gateway into the psyche.
But think it through to its logical conclusion.
Where does it leave us?
We identify nascent psychopaths like Max.
And do what? Have them killed?
Treatment or quarantine.
It's neural eugenics, Lina.
A more advanced form of the old phrenology,
where we define difference using science.
I mean, I know the first one to mention the Nazis loses the argument,
but read up on Dr Mengele sometime.
A child and his brain are not raised in a vacuum.
Somewhere along the way, Sean and Virginia Gardiner could have intervened.
And they didn't. Sean tried.
Not hard enough, it seems.
Oh, and, Lina,
I wouldn't be too swayed by Detective Thorne's musings on this case.
Handsome though he is, we never take police briefings uncritically.
Mate, I can only go on what my sources tell me, but they're pretty reliable.
Ah! Here she is.
I'm late for court.
You could go to court, or you could tell me your side of the story.
I don't know what you're talking about.
What did Ben say?
I know it wasn't you in Rosie's car that night.
It was me. We were coming back from dinner in the city.
Julie, Rosie made you sign that stat dec for him.
I'm a reporter. Eyes and ears everywhere.
You owe me.
You'll never get inside a court again.
Full story's going in tomorrow's paper.
No. No, don't.
It'll be about his corruption. You're not to blame. My article will make that clear.
Can't you leave my name out of it?
Sorry. That man is in charge of people's lives.
Can't even keep his own hands clean.
Jimmy, please. Please don't do this.
You'll ruin us both. Just doing my job.
I received your email regarding the Wallace guilty plea.
Tony's right. We should accept.
Yep, I get it. Tony doesn't do dead kids.
Or mother smotherers.
I'll be recommending
something in the mid-range of a custodial sentence.
If the committal judge thought Mrs Wallace should be tried,
then shouldn't we be honouring the court's assessment?
We are.
By accepting the plea, we guarantee the outcome and avoid the cost and stress
of what could be a very long trial.
Don't you think we're better off securing a reduced sentence now
rather than putting her in front of a jury that might acquit her on the basis
that she's completely unstable or that she's suffered enough?
There's no specific deterrence, there's hardly any general deterrence, Ben.
You said so yourself.
People don't usually smother their kids.
There's enough to go on, David. She sedated her kids.
She knew what she was doing was harmful to them.
She attempted suicide, which indicates guilt,
and she locked the dog in the laundry, which implies intention.
The 18 carefully considered reasons Tony has given for us to accept the plea.
Mrs Wallace will still go to jail, Ben.
She'll get, what, 20 years.
More than the combined ages of her dead kids.
Now, it doesn't bring them back, but she's ruined for life.
So is her husband.
Now, you tell me.
Is Tony Gillies still wrong?
Alright, what's the big emergency?
These phone intercept transcripts for my Linton drug case tomorrow.
They're completely indecipherable.
You're the resident Tl expert.
I don't want to be known as the world authority on phone intercepts.
Please.
I want to be the world's most dazzling trial barrister.
A jurisprudential tour de force.
Beauty and brains all wigged and gowned
in one irresistible package.
Lovely. But what do I do with all these columns?
If I'm still doing this in five years time, please shoot me.
Only if you shoot me first.
Alright.
Could be worse. You could be Ben.
He's had to take...
a plea on his mother smotherer.
Sounds like that's not the only place he's had to take it.
Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
OK, watch, learn. Mmm.
Behold the mastery. Mm-hm.
Date, time, direction.
Yep, yep. What's... what's direction? Direction of the call.
So did Linton call the informer, or did the informer call Linton?
Here. Um...
Linton arranges for one of his runners
to drop three grand off to Lee.
Lee is in the car with Morgan,
who has two kilos of heroin.
If Linton has three kilos and Lee has four, how many does Morgan have?
Do you want my help or not? Yes.
Then...
They know.
They know that I wasn't driving, that I signed the stat dec.
It's gonna be in tomorrow's paper.
But I checked the red-light camera image of the car
at the Debt Recovery Office's website.
It's blurry. You can't see at all who's driving.
Just tell them it was a mistake. They'll understand.
They won't. Everyone trips up sometimes.
Not judges.
What are we gonna do?
Take this down.
“To whom it may concern,
“I am writing to offer my sincerest apologies.
“L was mistaken in my initial statement when I identified Julie Rousseau
“as being the driver of my vehicle.
“It was, in fact, Julie Rochester who was driving on the night in question.
“Julie Rochester is a friend of the family who has since returned to her," uh, um,
“backpacking tour of the world.
“We had all dined together in the city that evening when
Continue, please.
Julie.
Let's just finish this and be done with it.
Look at me.
Please.
When you asked me to help get your sister
into the diversionary program for her addiction,
I knew it was only because you had nowhere else to turn.
We look out for each other, don't we?
Help me, for the last time.
I promise I won't ask again.
I can't undo this now. It's too late.
Julie, please.
Please.
I'm so sorry.
Oh, I'm meeting Tariq for dinner. You want to be my date?
Oh, no, thanks. I'm all dated out after my date with Jimmy the Butcher.
Prosecuties!
You did not just say that. Just coming to find you.
I've got a craving for Margherita pizza.
Oh, sorry, we've already made plans.
You hitting the town? Oh, no, just dinner.
Girls only.
Oh, OK. No worries. Well, another time.
Right. Catch you later.
I can't take him.
Tariq would be a nightmare. Your grave.
Hey.
Lina, Salwa. Salwa, this is my sister, Lina.
Hi, sweetie. Oh.
Um...
Nice to meet you, Salwa.
So, Salwa,
Tariq's told me a bit about you.
What are you studying? Biology.
Oh. At Tariq's uni?
No, at year 11.
Great.
Great. That's... That... that's great.
Uh, year 11 is... it's...
a good year.
Make sure you do all your assessments. They... they really count.
Tariq said you're, like,
in the courts and shit?
Uh, yes, sometimes.
I'm... I'm... I'm a lawyer at the Department of Public...
oh, Prosecutions.
Can you take my coat, habibi?
Sorry I'm late, everyone.
Hey, man.
Hi, Salwa. Um, Mustafa, this is my sister, Lina.
Let's sit.
L...l didn't realise you were joining us, Mustafa.
Three's such a lonely number.
Would you like to see the wine list? God, yes.
First we'll start with a... red, and then we'll have a white, with...
Uh...
Just... just a mineral water for the table, thanks.
So, Lina, tell me about yourself. I hear you like to lock up bad men.
So after we left Iraq in '92, we came here.
My... my father was out of work for three years.
We were on government assistance, which he hated.
Eventually, he got work driving cabs at night,
but my mother thought this was too dangerous,
so he switched to cleaning offices.
Back home, he was a surgeon, one of the best.
Well, has he ever been able to work as one here?
No, unfortunately.
I'm sorry-Don't be.
At least we are all together, and alive, Alhamdulillah.
Would you like to dance?
Come on, Lina.
Can dance.
What the hell, Tariq? What?
Oh, what, what?
I do not need romantic assistance from you.
Mustafa is tops. You were so arctic. You don't have to be such an ice queen.
I was not! What's wrong with him?
He's smart, he's funny. He's a doctor.
Well, exactly. He'd be too busy for a girlfriend.
He's Muslim. That's not the only thing that matters.
And he's a good dancer. Yeah, but...
He's got a big nose.
And it's underlined. You are so shallow sometimes.
Oh, that's... that's really good coming from you.
Miss Under-Age Stripper over there. She's 17.
She's still at school.
You always judge people on the surface, Lina.
This is why you're single.
Salwa's great. Oh, and she's so Muslim.
Yeah, she is. Clearly.
Are you sleeping with her? This is why no man will have you.
It's 'cause you're an intense, uptight crazy motherfucker
who believes the worst of people, OK?
Fuck!
More.
So is it back, then? What?
The moustache.
I don't think it ever really went out in the Middle East.
Moustachafa was nice, though.
He was actually pretty lovely.
Mmm. Moustachafa sounds perfect, for someone else.
What about Jimmy? Oh, he scares me.
He's shifty. Tentacles everywhere.
He did more digging on Rosenberg.
Apparently Rosie signed a second stat dec
claiming it was a Julie Rochester and not Julie Rousseau
who was driving his car that night.
Methinks he doth protest too much. The police are looking for her.
He's claiming she's gone overseas.
It's all very dodgy.
God, I hope they find her.
Yeah, for Julie's sake.
She's still gonna get in trouble for signing the first stat dec.
Poor bastards. Look at them.
Nothing ages a person like a jaunt through our criminal justice system.
Sean really came through with the goods, though.
Talking to Ella. Her new statement's very compelling.
Do you have children, Dylan?
Only in Addis Ababa.
That's a strictly charitable relationship.
None of us would have to do this if we were in Norway.
The legal age for prosecution there is 15.
That seems a bit too far the other way.
Is it?
Mummy!
Max!
Oh, darling.
Darling, it's alright.
It's gonna be alright.
It'll be alright. It's gonna be alright.
You'd better... You go...
You go with the lady. No!
Max. No!
Max... Please, darling, go with the lady.
Max. Max, listen to your mother. Just go with the lady.
Shh. Come on. Darling.
Come on.
It's alright, darling.
Max?
I love you.
Are you Mrs Virginia Gardiner
of 168a Levick Street, Eastgardens?
Yes.
And could you please state
your occupation for the court, Mrs Gardiner?
Mother.
Are you the biological mother of Max, Jake and Ella Gardiner?
Yes.
You've made two statements to the police, correct?
Mrs Gardiner? Yes.
You've read both statements, and you wish to rely on your second statement.
Is that right?
The contents of your second statement are true and correct?
Mrs Gardiner, are the contents of your second statement true and correct?
Please answer the Crown's question, Mrs Gardiner.
Was that an answer?
Mrs Gardiner, you will answer the Crown's question.
I can't. Why not?
I'm his mother.
Your Honour must consider that Mrs Gardiner, as Max's mother,
is not compellable to give evidence
in criminal proceedings.
Did you tell Mrs Gardiner her rights prior to entering this courtroom?
Yes, Your Honour.
Any objection concerning compellability
must be made before the witness gives evidence,
or as soon as practicable once the witness is aware of the right to object.
Yes, Your Honour, but Section 18 of the Evidence Act...
Don't Section 18 me, Mrs Warden. That witness knew what she agreed to.
And she has waited until now to disrupt my court.
My duty is to ensure the interests of all parties are met at this hearing.
Your Honour, I am, to say the least, frustrated
that you will not let the witness...
She will remain where she is and she will give her evidence to the court.
Mummy!
I love you.
Mr Gardiner. Max, darling.
Please be quiet. Mummy, please.
Mr Gardiner, please be quiet. It's alright.
Your Honour cannot force Mrs Gardiner to give evidence.
It's unconscionable
and it's unfair to the witness.
Janet.
The Crown is in agreement with the defence over this issue.
Leave my mummy alone! Max!
I want to go home! Max! I'm coming.
Mrs Gardiner, remain in the witness box. I'm coming to get you, darling.
I want to go home now! I'm coming. Excuse me.
Please let me past! Mummy!
Get out of my way!
Mummy! Max!
This is an assault and contempt of court.
Virginia, please! Max!
Mummy! I'm sorry, darling.
Sorry. Don't pull me!
Max! Let go of me!
No, let her go.
Max! Please.
Mun“!
Max!
The matter is adjourned for one hour.
Let go of me!
At the DPP, it doesn't matter if we have conflicting views on cases.
It's inevitable.
But up there, we are always a united front.
Yes. I'm sorry.
Am I gonna be charged with assault?
No, the court officer will not be proceeding.
Oh! I'm so sorry. I have no idea what happened out there.
That's alright - we'll declare you an adverse witness
and you won't have to give evidence against Max.
Thank you.
So, what happens now?
We'll go back up and finish the committal.
So Rosie's been stood down by Chief Justice Gibson
while the investigation's on.
Police couldn't find Julie Rochester, hey?
No surprises there.
Apparently the cops have CCTV footage of Rosie filling up at a servo
and there was no passenger.
His hubris finally caught up on him, hey?
He's a better man than you.
He's an administrator of the law, Julie, and he broke it.
So did we, Ben. Or have you forgotten Cooper's trial?
I know you spoke to Jimmy about me.
I didn't say anything to Jimmy. I saw you.
I told him nothing.
He told me that your e-tag was clocked
going through the tollbooth that night on the way to the Blue Mountains
and that you and Rosie took the stat dec
down to the justice of the peace and had it witnessed.
The JP must have tipped off Jimmy.
Why didn't you tell me?
Because I thought that you and Rosie were...
He took all the blame, Ben.
He's a great judge, and he cares about what he does.
I helped him because he's been good to me.
Why, though? I don't... l don't get it.
The fine was nothing.
He might have lost his license for a few months,
but now he's likely to be tried for perjury,
attempting to pervert the course of justice...
Look, I don't know why.
But I know he doesn't deserve to lose everything because of one stupid lie.
You got your new judge yet? I'm waiting to hear.
Come to the pub. I'm meeting the others there.
I don't think I want to see anyone.
Hello. My name's Ben.
And I say inappropriate things in the heat of the moment
to people I care about.
If I buy you a drink, will you agree to stop the silent treatment?
You were awful.
You would never just be a notch on my bedpost.
I'm sorry.
Creep. I can't believe he named Julie.
You can buy me a Virgin Mary. As my lady pleases.
Are you gonna go running to David
every time you don't agree with one of my prosecutorial decisions?
Because if it comes down to you or me, I know who'll be staying at the DPP.
I never thought Judgezilla would commit Max to trial after you challenged her.
It's outrageous, wanting to proceed. She should be stood down.
OK, let's call it a night.
And thanks for all your help, you two.
'Night!
Lina. Judge.
There's nothing like a fall from grace to teach you who your friends are.
I'm so sorry.
I am the leper of the legal world.
Well, what will you do?
Spend some long overdue time with my family.
And Julie'?
Julie will be cleared. I've made sure of that.
My life's work.
Everything.
It will all count for nothing if they send me to prison.
Though I will be reacquainted with some old friends.
More than a few inmates will recall exactly who put them there.
People know the good you've done.
Even so, they will make an example of me.
Uh, keep in touch, Eli.
You were always one of my favourite advocates.
And remember, truth is truth, to the end of reckoning.
A drink to ease your troubled mind?
Yes. I'm thinking compressed grapes in a liquid form.
You know, if you do get drunk, I can't promise I won't take advantage.
I'd be offended if you didn't.
OK, alright. Um...
You go in, usual routine. Yep.
I'll follow in 10.
OK, sure. Sure.
Andy?
Are you sure?
We can't hide forever.