The Chairman Magistrate and his two colleagues heard the case against Elsie Tanner when she appeared in court on a charge of stealing from her employers, Miami Modes, in November 1969. The true culprit, who had confessed her guilt to Elsie just before leaving for the court, was her friend of many years Dot Greenhalgh. Supposedly off work ill, she had rung Elsie and asked her to collect two bags for her, one of which contained two stolen dresses. Mr Palmer, Elsie’s solicitor, tried to create an element of confusion about the evidence by questioning Dot as to exactly what she had said on the phone and to express doubts about her clarity as she had been ill. Similarly, his questioning of Elsie elicited the fact that she had been in a rush when she had taken the call and could have got the mes