The judge was bored, the jury listless, and the courtroom was hot and airless on a hot July afternoon, as the voice of the prosecutor droned on, reading out Edward Brown's confession of murder. The defence had made no effort to keep the confession from being admitted as evidence, so the trial was as good as over - Eddie Brown would hang. In the press gallery the reporting journalist hadn't bothered to make any notes, as he'd heard Eddie's confession before. But in the dock, the prisoner betrayed no sign that he was soon to drop a bomb and turn his trial into one of the most sensational ever witnessed.