In the Old Bailey, Charles Gill QC continued to make the case against Robert Coombes and John Fox. He called PC Twort to the witness box. The constable described the events of Wednesday 17 July and read out Robert’s confession to murder. In reply to questions from Robert’s counsel, he confirmed that the boy was ‘very frank and open’ when he interviewed him: ‘he told me all he knew without my asking him questions’. Nor had Robert tried to hide the murder weapon, said Twort, or to dispose of all the valuables in the house. When Sherwood questioned him on behalf of Fox, Twort testified that Fox had sat in silence in the back parlour on the Wednesday afternoon. ‘There was a good deal of talk amongst the women,’ said Twort. ‘Fox took no part in it. He took no notice. He did not seem to take any interest or appreciate the situation.’ Harriet Hayward of number 39 gave her evidence about the events of Wednesday 17 July. On cross-examination by Grantham, she declined to describe Robert as ‘excitable’.
