Despite having done nothing of note lately other than scratch my balls and take my daughter to Ramboland (though not at the same time), I seem to find myself in the local and national press once again. I thought I had used up all my column inches and screen time last year when The Trash Whore Diaries and accompanying ‘Perjurer Wrote Blog From Prison Cell’ story graced the Press & Journal, News of the World and North Tonight. Now I’m back in print due to popular demand, or possibly due to it being a super-slow news day across the country. First up is today’s issue of The Times, where on page 27 the following column filler, entitled 'High Prais', can be found: ‘Three Indie pop musicians in Aberdeen named their band after the criminal lawyer who defended one of their friends in court. Edgar Prais, QC, was unable to keep Kai…, 23, from being found guilty of perjury in 2005, but the band was impressed enough with his performance anyway to officially adopt his name.’
Next up is the Daily Express, which under the headline 'Band name is music to QC's ears' reports: 'One of Scotland's top criminal lawyers has been honoured by having a band named after him...Mr Prais defended Kai..., 23, of Aberdeen, when he appeared in court in September 2005 accused of committing perjury in the trial of a man accused of two attempted murders....[The band] were so impressed by Edgar Prais QC's court room skills that they chose to honour him with the biggest gesture they could think of. And yesterday the respected advocate said he was delighted to hear he was now proving a big hit in clubs across the country.' Then we have The Sun, which opts for the headline 'It's songs of Prais' accompanied by a similar report. The Daily Record and The Scotsman also follow suit. The Press & Journal, naturally, expands on the story, devoting half a column to the astonishing revelation that a band should choose to name themselves after a man who actually exists. On page seven of today’s paper, the following account can be found: ‘One of Scotland’s top criminal lawyers has been honoured by having an Aberdeen band named after him. Members of indie pop band Edgar Prais chose to name themselves after the veteran QC after he defended one of their friends. Mr Prais acted for their friend Kai…, 23, [incidentally I must thank the press for shaving a couple of years off my age] when he appeared in court in September 2005. But despite [Kai] being found guilty of a perjury offence and sentenced to three years in jail his friends thought the Edinburgh-based QC did a “sterling job”. They were so impressed by Edgar Prais’s skills that they chose to honour him with the biggest gesture they could think of. Yesterday the respected lawman said he was delighted to hear he was now proving a big hit in clubs across the country. Edgar Prais QC said: “I can’t imagine a finer compliment. I know the band are from Aberdeen and that they are something called an ‘indie band’…although I don’t know what that means. I only hope their music is better than their taste in band names!”’
Prior to my imprisonment in September 05, the nascent Edgar Prais band - at that point unnamed - had begun practising at my rehearsal studio. Their drummer, Christy, had attended my perjury trial and was wowed by the flamboyant Edgar Prais’s skill as a rhetorician. (Sadly the jury weren’t quite so enamoured with his oration, although I suspect their majority verdict had more to do with my inescapable guilt than any failings on his part.) When I learned, while in prison, the name that the band had decided to adopt, I was mildly amused. I never thought much more about it however and certainly never envisaged that it would become a talking point (albeit on a snail’s paced news day) in the media.
The story really began to gather momentum last week when I bumped into my solicitor in town. He asked if I knew the band Edgar Prais and why they had chosen to name themselves after the Edinburgh QC. The real Edgar Prais had been sent a gig poster with his namesake printed on it, and was curious to know how this had come about. According to my solicitor, word was going about in legal circles that after Edgar Prais succeeded in acquitting a man charged with murder, the exonerated defendant proceeded to form a band in his honour. The real version of events - that it was a convicted perjurer, not an acquitted murderer who inspired the band name - was far duller. It seemed the Edgar Prais story was destined to be retold and embellished until it became the stuff of urban legend.
For the final word on the Edgar Prais story, we must go back a few months to when I was still in Craiginches. I was sitting in the education department one morning chatting to another inmate when he informed me that he was due for a meeting with his defence advocate, Edgar Prais, to discuss his forthcoming trial. The accused had yet to meet EP, and asked me if I’d ever heard of him. I explained that Edgar Prais was widely regarded as being among the top three advocates in Scotland and that he usually handled the most serious cases - rapes and murders. That he had failed to secure an acquittal in my trial was through no fault on his part. ‘I think Edgar Prais specialises in cases that involve sexual assault, but he seems to cover a lot of other stuff too’ I concluded. ‘So what is it you’re charged with anyway?’ ‘Rape’ replied the man. Ah, rape. So that’ll be an alleged rapist I’ve been sitting next to in the education department for the past few weeks. Thank you for telling me so soon. Funnily enough, when the case came to trial, Edgar Prais succeeded in acquitting the man of the double rape allegation. Consequently, it would appear that one of two inferences can be drawn from this: Either the man really was innocent, or maybe, just maybe, Edgar Prais was so damn good at his job that he got the dirty beast off with rape. One thing’s for sure - I might have chosen the right QC for my trial, but I chose the wrong offence. Next time I need to summon the help of Edgar Prais, I’ll see that it’s not for perjury but for his speciality - the old ultra-violent in-out.
Next up is the Daily Express, which under the headline 'Band name is music to QC's ears' reports: 'One of Scotland's top criminal lawyers has been honoured by having a band named after him...Mr Prais defended Kai..., 23, of Aberdeen, when he appeared in court in September 2005 accused of committing perjury in the trial of a man accused of two attempted murders....[The band] were so impressed by Edgar Prais QC's court room skills that they chose to honour him with the biggest gesture they could think of. And yesterday the respected advocate said he was delighted to hear he was now proving a big hit in clubs across the country.' Then we have The Sun, which opts for the headline 'It's songs of Prais' accompanied by a similar report. The Daily Record and The Scotsman also follow suit. The Press & Journal, naturally, expands on the story, devoting half a column to the astonishing revelation that a band should choose to name themselves after a man who actually exists. On page seven of today’s paper, the following account can be found: ‘One of Scotland’s top criminal lawyers has been honoured by having an Aberdeen band named after him. Members of indie pop band Edgar Prais chose to name themselves after the veteran QC after he defended one of their friends. Mr Prais acted for their friend Kai…, 23, [incidentally I must thank the press for shaving a couple of years off my age] when he appeared in court in September 2005. But despite [Kai] being found guilty of a perjury offence and sentenced to three years in jail his friends thought the Edinburgh-based QC did a “sterling job”. They were so impressed by Edgar Prais’s skills that they chose to honour him with the biggest gesture they could think of. Yesterday the respected lawman said he was delighted to hear he was now proving a big hit in clubs across the country. Edgar Prais QC said: “I can’t imagine a finer compliment. I know the band are from Aberdeen and that they are something called an ‘indie band’…although I don’t know what that means. I only hope their music is better than their taste in band names!”’
Prior to my imprisonment in September 05, the nascent Edgar Prais band - at that point unnamed - had begun practising at my rehearsal studio. Their drummer, Christy, had attended my perjury trial and was wowed by the flamboyant Edgar Prais’s skill as a rhetorician. (Sadly the jury weren’t quite so enamoured with his oration, although I suspect their majority verdict had more to do with my inescapable guilt than any failings on his part.) When I learned, while in prison, the name that the band had decided to adopt, I was mildly amused. I never thought much more about it however and certainly never envisaged that it would become a talking point (albeit on a snail’s paced news day) in the media.
The story really began to gather momentum last week when I bumped into my solicitor in town. He asked if I knew the band Edgar Prais and why they had chosen to name themselves after the Edinburgh QC. The real Edgar Prais had been sent a gig poster with his namesake printed on it, and was curious to know how this had come about. According to my solicitor, word was going about in legal circles that after Edgar Prais succeeded in acquitting a man charged with murder, the exonerated defendant proceeded to form a band in his honour. The real version of events - that it was a convicted perjurer, not an acquitted murderer who inspired the band name - was far duller. It seemed the Edgar Prais story was destined to be retold and embellished until it became the stuff of urban legend.
For the final word on the Edgar Prais story, we must go back a few months to when I was still in Craiginches. I was sitting in the education department one morning chatting to another inmate when he informed me that he was due for a meeting with his defence advocate, Edgar Prais, to discuss his forthcoming trial. The accused had yet to meet EP, and asked me if I’d ever heard of him. I explained that Edgar Prais was widely regarded as being among the top three advocates in Scotland and that he usually handled the most serious cases - rapes and murders. That he had failed to secure an acquittal in my trial was through no fault on his part. ‘I think Edgar Prais specialises in cases that involve sexual assault, but he seems to cover a lot of other stuff too’ I concluded. ‘So what is it you’re charged with anyway?’ ‘Rape’ replied the man. Ah, rape. So that’ll be an alleged rapist I’ve been sitting next to in the education department for the past few weeks. Thank you for telling me so soon. Funnily enough, when the case came to trial, Edgar Prais succeeded in acquitting the man of the double rape allegation. Consequently, it would appear that one of two inferences can be drawn from this: Either the man really was innocent, or maybe, just maybe, Edgar Prais was so damn good at his job that he got the dirty beast off with rape. One thing’s for sure - I might have chosen the right QC for my trial, but I chose the wrong offence. Next time I need to summon the help of Edgar Prais, I’ll see that it’s not for perjury but for his speciality - the old ultra-violent in-out.
1 comment:
"I know the band are from Aberdeen and that they are something called an ‘indie band’…although I don’t know what that means."
love it!
let me know if you're ever down in 'the smoke' again.
adie.x
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