the murder of mary jones

The court room is full for today's trial. Two young men, Simon Clark and
Dan Smith, stand up. The clerk asks, 'Are you guilty of the murder of
Mary Jones?' 'Not guilty!' they reply. But perhaps they are guilty. The
police found the murder weapon in their stolen car, and there was blood
on Simon's face. If the court finds them guilty, they will go to prison
for a very long time.
Can thelawyers find out the truth, by asking the right questions?
Everyone in court wants to know who murdered Mary Jones, especially her
mother, and her boyfriend, Jim. You can help to find the answer, too!
The Murder of Mary Jones
TIM VICARY
INTRODUCTION
This is a court in England. The people in the court are trying to answer
a question - did Simon Clark and Dan Smith kill Mary Jones, or not? It isa very important question, because in Britain, murderers usually go to
prison for life. You can see a picture of the court on page 2. Simon and
Dan are there, with two policemen, the judge, the clerk of the court, two
lawyers, and the twelve people in the jury. Witnesses come to the witness
box, and the lawyers and the judge ask them questions. The jury do not
say anything, but they listencarefully. At the end, they must answer the
question - are Simon and Dan guilty of murder, or not guilty?
There are two possible endings to the play, Scene 4 (Alternative 1) and
Scene 4 (Alternative 2). Read and discuss them, and decide which you like
best.
PERFORMANCE NOTES
Scenes 1 to 4: The courtroom
At the back of the room is the judge's table and chair. In front of this
there is achair and table for the clerk of the court. On the left of the
judge's table is a chair for the witnesses (the witness box). In front of
the clerk's table is a table with two chairs for the lawyers. Behind this
table there are four more chairs for Simon, Dan, and two policemen. On
the judge's left there are twelve chairs for the jury. There are more
chairs in the room for people to sit andwatch.
CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY
The judge;
The clerk of the court;
Ms Helen Wills, the police lawyer;
Simon Clark, a young man;
Dan Smith, a young man, Simon's friend;
Mr David Carter, Simon's and Dan's lawyer;
Jim Wilson, Mary Jones's boyfriend;
PC Norton, a policeman;
Dr Seldon, a doctor;
PC Moran, a policeman;
WPC Gray, a policewoman;
Mrs Lucy Symes;
Janet Nolan, a young woman;
MrsJones, Mary's mother;
The jury (twelve people);
The Murder of Mary Jones
SCENE 1
How did Mary die?

The jury, the lawyers, and the clerk of the court come in and sit down.
Then Simon Clark and Dan Smith come in with the two policemen. The judge
comes in and everyone stands up. The judge walks to his chair, looks at
everybody slowly, and then sits down. The people and the lawyers sit
down.Simon and Dan, the two policemen, and the clerk are standing up.
CLERK: Simon Clark, you are here because of the murder of Mary Jones. Did
you kill her, or not?
SIMON: No, sir. I didn't.
CLERK: And you, Dan Smith? Did you kill Mary Jones?
DAN: No, sir. I didn't. I'm not guilty!
SIMON: We didn't kill her!
CLERK: All right. Sit down. (They sit.)
Ms WILLS: (Standing up) My lord, I am HelenWills, the lawyer for the
police. David Carter is the lawyer for Simon Clark and Dan Smith.
JUDGE: Very good. Please begin, Ms Wills.
Ms WILLS: Thank you, my lord. Members of the jury, look at the photo,
please. There is a girl in the photo with a young man. She is Mary Jones,
and he is Jim Wilson, Mary's boyfriend. (The jury look at the photo.)
JUDGE: Ms Wills, I haven't got that photo.CLERK: Oh, I'm sorry, my lord. Here you are.
He gives the judge a photo.
JUDGE: Thank you. Please go on, Ms Wills.
Ms WILLS: On 12 August, Mary was in a disco in Trenton with Jim. At
midnight, she started to walk home along the road by the sea, and someone
killed her.
Now, please look at the second photo.
JUDGE: Excuse me, Ms Wills. (He holds up a photo.) This photo? The photo
of a dead girl?...