Contrary Mary

A.N. Wilson, London Evening Standard, 28 January 2002, page 15

I DON'T think he feels remorseful," said the intrepid Lady Archer on Radio Four last week. "I think he feels, as we all do, that the whole process was very overblown and the result was ridiculous." Dr Archer seems to be overlooking the reason that her husband is in prison. By an act of gross perjury Jeffrey Archer got half a million pounds in libel damages.

A large reason for his success in that trial was said by some to be the effect of the famous "fragrance" of his wife upon the learned judge.

When Archer himself was nicked, Mary came to his defence in the witness box with her clear memories of his using a desk diary, which the jury decided had been faked to fool the jury in the libel trial. Her claim to have given away all £500,000 of the damages, when examined by the Crown was shown to be inaccurate. And yet she continues to say that she and her husband have been "wronged". Does she, we begin to wonder know what "wrong" is?

Clarion Notes

Clarion took the text above directly from a printed copy of the newspaper.