Steve was struggling. The vaguely familiar face,- was it himself or Nige? Prosopognosia was a real bummer. Dr Shah had suggested focussing on a distinguishing feature. For Steven it was hair,or the lack thereof. His own scalp was silky smooth, shaven each morning at Ali Barber’s; Nigel had locks that tumbled to his shoulders Some sufferers could not differentiate between a face and a car so the fact he could now recognise both his own face and the mirror, evidenced, he had been told significant progress.
“Two Peas, two pods” his mother would say when strangers remarked on the dissonant appearance of the non-identical twins,- different in height and physique, yet incongruously ditto-dressed with strangely duplicate faces. They dressed identically over the boundary-pushing teenage years, into adulthood and beyond into middle age . That and their penchant for wearing copy-cat beanie hats come rain, come shine, was their USP. Nigel, taller, red-headed, a beanpole, was the brawn and he, a Billy Bunter, the brains. Brawn, brains and sibling rivalry make for uncomfortable bedfellows. In adolescence Steven would invariably get the girl whilst Nigel, having been caught copying Steven’s homework, would spend the evening in after-school detention.
By their early 40s they had established a joint criminal career, Nothing much changed. Slow-witted Nigel would occasionally rebel and try to mastermind a job; at other times Steven would attempt the heavy’s part. Most likely that’s why their last bank heist failed. Steven had insisted on carrying a gun this time,- no idea how to discharge it. Nigel had misread the locked exit door numbers he had “extracted” (in earlier brawn mode) from the well-bribed security man.“Write it down”
So 01969 entered instead of 69610. Security alarms shrieked. Both men took shelter in the men’s lav. The windows were locked and military grade iron grilles had been affixed since their previous recce for a secondary escape route. Better death than surrender. Steven pulled the trigger.
The coroner pondered the verdict. There were clearly elements of both Accident and Misadventure.
1. Accidental. From the testimonies of the perpetrator, from Dr Amir Shah, Consultant Neuropsychologist, and Ali Barber it could be regarded an unintended and unexpected consequence resulting from Steven Grant’s condition, furthermore compounded by the deceased having had his head shaven that morning. “ He had found another bald patch” said Ali.
2. Misadventure. Steven Grant had voluntarily chosen to end his own life with the unintended consequence, due to his medical condition, of killing his brother.
3. A Narrative Conclusion was the only serviceable verdict. Steven Grant’s prosopagnosia diagnosis rendered it impossible to determine whether the death of Nigel Grant was accidental or intentional.
“The deceased Nigel Grant died of gun wounds from a firearm shot by his brother Steven Grant. Whilst we have heard evidence of a long-standing rivalry between the twins which had previously resulted in harsh words and violent acts between the two, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that his brother intended to kill him.
