The Trial Defence Team

Paul Pagintons legal team consisted of Solicitor Robert Jones  & Litigation Clerke: Peter Tidmarsh. They worked for John W. Davies (solicitors) of Bridge Street, Newport, Gwent. Robert Jones is a well known solicitor in the Newport area and Peter Tidmarsh is more known as a former Newport Police Officer.

The instructed Barristers were: John Charles Rees (Lead Barrister) and Mary Parry Evans (acting as Junior to Rees on this occasion)

To cut to the chase here, I  believe that Paul Paginton told the above named that Matthew Thompson leaned out of the kitchen window at 8 Cormorant Way, Duffryn, Newport, Gwent on that fatal night. I  believe that Paul was told not to offer this as a part of his defence at the trial because it may do him more harm than good. I  also believe that Paul, frightened and trusting in his legal team, went along with that request, even though there is no hard evidence to support this.

The defence team state that Paul had never mentioned to any of them that Matthew may have leant out of the broken kitchen window. John Charles Rees goes even further and states that it was never put to him that Matthew Thompson could have impaled himself.

This is simply not true. I refer you to Dr. Keith Borer’s statement of the 2^nd December 1997 in which he states that “I remember floating the idea of self impalement in a statement”

This is a statement that was faxed to the offices John W. Davies on the 2^nd December 1997 between 4:21pm & 4:23pm by Dr. Borer.

Peter Tidmarsh was present when the fax arrived, he then took the fax and handed it to John Charles Rees (see Mr Tidmarsh statement)

Tidmarsh states:” and I was present when John Charles Rees spoke to Dr Borer over the telephone.”

Dr. Keith Borer was then told to amend that part of his statement as it did not fit in with Pagintons Defence.

[This latter part was told to me in person by Dr Borer during a telephone conversation on Wednesday 1^st May 2002.]

 An amended report dated the 2^nd December 1997 was faxed to Messrs. John W. Davies & Co by Dr Borer between 11:45am & 11:46am on the 3^rd December 1997.

This amended report was hand to John Charles Rees Q.C. by myself [Tidmarsh] on that same day. Paragraph 1 of page 2 of the original report was deleted as it was inconsistent with Mr Pagintons instructions (see Tidmarsh statement).

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I firmly believe that the possibility of self impalement by Matthew Thompson should have been fully explored by the defence. It seems incredible that this option was never advanced by the defence at the trial. All indications are that this is the most probable cause of death and any reasonable jury would have found it so had it have been an option presented to them at the Trial.

It never was and questions should be asked WHY it was not advanced.

I will leave you, the reader, to speculate and form your own opinions as to WHY and I will leave you to ponder WHY John Charles Rees Q.C. denies ever having been told of this possibility when he was clearly made aware of it by Dr Keith Borer.

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