Dispatches from yesterday's resumption of the Raymond Scott trial focus on statements Scott made to police following his arrest.
The Independent reports that Scott told detectives he believes that "experts" are attempting to frame him for the theft of the Durham First Folio: "I am not saying that the experts are lying or that they are being deceptive but it rather looks as if their brief has been to compare the Cuban copy* with known records of the Durham copy and look for similarities. It is all a very cosy world. It is sort of like a conspiracy; they are ganging up against me."
Scott also reportedly asked detectives "Do you seriously think I'm going to walk into the foremost Shakespeare library in the world and using my own name and address, with my fingerprints all over it, hand them a copy knowing and believing that it's got a doubtful provenance? A book worth millions - that I'm going to walk into such a place with such a book and ask to see the head librarian? There is no way if I had any knowledge that this was the Durham folio or a stolen copy that I would walk into the Folger Library, show the book to the head librarian and then leave all my bank details, my own name and address and show them my British passport. To suggest I would do that; it is tantamount to walking into the Louvre in Paris with the Mona Lisa under my arm, ten years after it had been stolen."
Intriguingly, the report also includes the line "Scott has now accepted that the book he handed to the Folger staff was the stolen Durham folio."
There's another report today in the Durham Times (which continues to describe the Folio incorrectly as a manuscript). This one focuses on the £90,000 in credit card debt Scott had racked up prior to his appearance at the Folger in July 2008.
Estimates now have the trial lasting through next week.
* Scott has maintained that the copy of the Folio he took to the Folger for authentication had been found in Cuba.
