Masefield Avenue: Episode 14,033

CHAPTER 5: COURTROOM

TONY LONDON:
Mr Troughton, You've provided us with the rental agreement for Number 5 Masefield Avenue, along with showing us who pays the rent owed to Landowner your mother Julia Troughton why was your brother Barney on the agreement but didn't pay much let alone anything between the years 1985-1992.

OLIVER TROUGHTON:
He was a trainee doctor. And as a duty of being an honourable man, i moved him from the pub to Number 5. Otherwise, he'd have to have paid university accommodation with money he didn't have. My dad Luther Troughton is not a nice man subjected all of my brothers to beatings he even raped my mum and that's how i came to be.

TONY LONDON:
Who is your current employer, Mr Troughton.

OLIVER TROUGHTON:
Bill Corgan, of Corgans land management, I've been there since March 1976, i can remember my first paycheck i brought home. i showed it to my dad, and he said "your a disappointment Oliver, you always have been you always will be," and I'm so sorry, dad, you were so right.

TONY LONDON:
Did you harbour any grudges towards Mr Rutherford?

OLIVER TROUGHTON:
I hate him for the fact that despite his criminal background, he's walking free he committed nothing short of Rape. The only crime I've committed is love for Ms Bates, I'm a broken man from a dysfunctional family from Wimbledon South-West London, but I've made the best of a bad situation.

(He tears up)

TONY LONDON:
Did you spend the day with Ms Bates.

OLIVER TROUGHTON:
Yes, and I've spent every moment i can since the 4th January 1995 with her, I've never bought Malcolm off with football tickets, i never bought Rhiannon off with Jewellery and i never bought Caroline off with a sticky toffee pudding.

TONY LONDON:
No further questions, your honour.

HELEN TATE:
Mr. Troughton, you've been through a great deal today, and I appreciate your candour. I'd like to take a moment to discuss your previous marriage to Lucy Scunthorpe, formerly Carmichael. You were married from 1987 to 1994, is that correct?

OLIVER TROUGHTON:
Yes, that's correct.

HELEN TATE:
Let's start with the happier times. Can you tell the court about your engagement to Lucy in Weston-super-Mare?

OLIVER TROUGHTON:
Weston-super-Mare... it's a place that holds a lot of memories for me. My family used to frequent it-it's a sort of Troughton heartland if you will. Lucy and I got engaged there in the summer of 1987. It was a beautiful time. We were so in love, full of dreams for the future.

HELEN TATE:
And in 1992, you and Lucy welcomed your son, Toby. Can you describe that time in your life?

OLIVER TROUGHTON:
The birth of my son... Toby... it was the happiest moment of my life. Lucy and I were overjoyed. He was our little miracle. I remember holding him for the first time, thinking how perfect he was. Finally, everything seemed to be falling into place.

HELEN TATE:
But then, tragedy struck. Could you tell the court what happened to Toby?

OLIVER TROUGHTON: (Voice trembling)
Toby... he was taken from us. Kidnappers in that maternity ward. It was a living nightmare, a living hell. We did everything we could to find him. The police... they searched everywhere. But in the end, they told us to prepare for the worst. They presumed he was dead. It broke us... broke our marriage, broke me.

HELEN TATE:
It's clear that this tragedy had a very profound impact on your life, Mr. Troughton. But during that time, you made some personal mistakes, didn't you?

OLIVER TROUGHTON:
Yes... I did.

HELEN TATE:
Specifically, you had an affair with Maxine Tanner, Alan Tanner's daughter. Can you explain to the court how that came about?

OLIVER TROUGHTON:
After Toby was taken... I lost myself. I didn't know how to cope. Lucy and I... we couldn't comfort each other. We just grew further apart. And I started to drink heavily and smoke. And then I met Maxine. She was young, full of life, and I was weak. I was looking for an escape from the pain, and I made the worst mistake of my life. I cheated on Lucy. I betrayed her.

HELEN TATE:
Mr. Troughton, did your affair with Maxine Tanner... did it come from a place of malice or anger towards your wife?

OLIVER TROUGHTON:
No, it wasn't out of malice. It was out of despair. I was a broken man, looking for something-anything-to numb the pain, I didn't do drugs or drink till i needed a liver transplant. But I knew, deep down, that it was wrong. And when Lucy found out... that was the end of our marriage.

HELEN TATE:
You mentioned earlier that your father, Luther Troughton, was a harsh man. How did his influence affect your actions during that time?

OLIVER TROUGHTON:
My father... he always made me feel like I was never good enough, like I was a failure. After Toby was taken, those feelings just... consumed me. I had to work with my ex-wife in the company, and I think I was trying to prove to myself too much and that I wasn't completely worthless, son. It was my biggest flaw. But all I ended up doing was hurting the people I loved, i made everyone like Mr Tanner hate me, and i let my family down.

HELEN TATE:
Mr. Troughton, given everything you've been through-the loss of your son, the breakdown of your marriage, your strained relationship with your father-do you believe that you were capable of premeditated violence against Justin Rutherford

OLIVER TROUGHTON:
No, Ms. Tate. I'm not a violent man. I've made mistakes everyone in this room has, yes. But I've never intentionally hurt anyone. The only thing I've ever wanted was to protect the people I care about. After everything that's happened, I've learned that violence doesn't solve anything. It just creates more pain.

ALAN TANNER:
You're a disappointment Oliver, you've never been sorry in your life.

OLIVER TROUGHTON:
all I've wanted to be in this life is accepted by people, i didn't want to be a rockstar or celebrity. I wanted to be someone who could be a good man.

JUDGE DUNSTABLE:
Take Mr Tanner him out of court.

ALAN TANNER:
Take your stinking hands off me.