(i) David Hughes. Dr Wood and Dr Gabe 118. I have already dealt with the evidence of Dr Wood, the consultant physician who examined Bane in July 1984. It appears from the documentary record that Bane was also examined by another doctor, Dr Gabe, at King Edward VII Hospital in Midhurst, West Sussex, in or about August 1984. A letter dated 12 September 1984 from Dr Gabe to Bane records the results of various tests, including for venereal disease. With one minor exception, the results were all excellent and well within normal limits. In his witness statement Dr Gabe says that in 1984 he was senior physician at King Edward VII Hospital. He has no recollection of seeing Bane, and despite making the appropriate enquiries has been unable to trace the relevant clinical records. He is unable to say how Bane came to see him in Midhurst, some 50 miles from his home, but plausibly suggests that it might have been on the recommendation of Father Nicolic of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Lancaster Road, London W11, who was a patient of his. He confirms, on the basis of his letter of 12 September 1984, that all the blood and urine tests were normal, with the exception of the mean red cell volume which was slightly abnormal. 119. The fact that Bane consulted both Dr Wood in Scotland and Dr Gabe in Sussex about wholly illusory threats to his health in the summer of 1984 is an indication of the extent to which he was by then in the grip of delusions. It seems that he was also examined by yet another physician, Dr Tosxeghi, in July 1984 in London, and had another series of tests. On 25 July 1984 Dr Tosxeghi wrote to him, to say that the results were all “very normal indeed”, which raised the question “where are all your complaints coming from?” He suggested they should sit down together to discuss the way forward. Finally, it appears that in September 1984 Bane had a bottle of Taylor’s 1963 Vintage Port sent for analysis at a laboratory in Zug in Switzerland, presumably fearing that it was poisoned. The report dated 11 September solemnly records that it was tasted by many tasters, without any after-effects. Mr Evans 120. Mr Evans is a retired chartered accountant. Before his retirement in 2002 he practised under the firm name of Thomas & Howe in Wimbledon. I have already explained how in April 1988 Bane retained him to deal with his business and personal financial affairs, when he became mistrustful of his former accountant, Mr Homburger, and believed him to be engaged in a conspiracy against him. Mr Evans was unable to recollect whether Bane discussed the supposed conspiracy with him at the time, but thought that the subject might well have come up. Apart from that, Bane also felt that he was being overcharged, and as a suburban firm Thomas & Howe were able to offer their services at a lower fee than Blick Rothenburg. 121. Mr Evans acted as the auditor of Transtrade UK Ltd until it was put into members’ voluntary liquidation in 1989. He confirmed that the company was fully solvent, and funds of about £200,000 were distributed to Bane. He also confirmed that the company had undertaken no significant trading activity since about 1984, and had been losing money for some years before its liquidation.