The defendant was on trial for attempted murder.
There had been a lot of public interest in the case and as a consequence the courtroom was packed. Emotions were running high and the judge had needed to use his gavel several times.
The prosecutor rose. “Members of the jury, I put it to you that what we are dealing with here is a particularly distasteful crime. You have heard the testimony of the witness; that he saw the defendant deliberately cast the poor, helpless animal down the shaft to what may well have been its death.”
He waved his arm across the court. “Had it not been for young…” he glanced down at a paper, “…young Tommy Snout, seeing this atrocity and rushing forward to rescue the animal from the aforementioned well, before any real harm was done, there can be no doubt that the cat would have drowned.”
He picked up and held another document. “You’ve heard the testimony of the farmer, who has indicated the value he placed on the animal; in his opinion, it being an excellent ‘mouser’.”
He turned and glared at the accused in the dock.
Johnny Flynn squirmed.