May I start with one point of law. I wish to dispute the claim by the Prosecution that our action does not meet the criterion of addressing an ‘imminent’ threat to life. It is well-established in English law that ‘imminence’ does not only mean ‘that very night’ or the like.

Walking along the street the other day, I overheard a fragment of a conversation. A mother with a pushchair was saying confidently said to her friend, ‘You know me, I’d do anything to protect my kids’. 

It’s a variation of a phrase I have often heard but, just recently, the urge to interrupt and say something along the lines of ‘If that’s true, prove it’ has been getting stronger. 

Maybe you feel the same?