Captain Moonlight: In brief, not quite a gentleman

THE THING about George Carman, QC, is that he has what used to be called 'The Common Touch'. Carman, as has been seen throughout the case of the EastEnders star, the Sun, the lay-by, the pancreatitis, the video and the sausage, talks to the jury, not in their own language, but in the words and the manner which television has led them to expect. The Gillian Taylforth case has provided another splendid example of this, during his summing-up: 'It may be, members of the jury, that the unfortunate words of Gillian Taylforth, uttered, no doubt in jest, on a film which she never thought would see the light of day - 'I give good head' - may summarise what happened that night. It may be her epitaph.' There you also see his willingness to refer directly to what other members of the Bar would more likely paraphrase their way around. And that is the thing about George Carman, what makes him good: despite the grave manner and dapper dress, he is not quite a gentleman. From Blackpool, parents in trade. Doesn't live in Barnes. Likes publicity. In short, George goes for it. His fellows are not entirely sure about him. As a more traditionally minded member of the libel Bar once put it to the Captain: 'I would be delighted to have him on my side. But I'm not sure I would be happy if he started paying attentions to my widowed mother-in-law.'

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