The Forged Gallery Receipt

Defendant

Marcus Hale, gallery assistant

On the afternoon of 14 June 2026, the Ardmore Gallery recorded a cash sale of a painting — 'Tide Break' by Fiona Luss — for £4,200. Gallery owner Sandra Peel discovered the original receipt in the file had been replaced with a doctored copy showing a lower sale price of £600, with the difference never banked. Marcus Hale, the only staff member on duty that afternoon, denies altering any document and claims the receipt was already filled out when he found it on the desk. The prosecution argues Hale forged the receipt to pocket the difference. The question before you: did Marcus Hale forge the gallery receipt?

The rules

1. Four witnesses will give a statement. Each has their own angle.
2. Six exhibits sit on the table. Some corroborate, some don’t.
3. Render a ruling — guilty or not guilty — and name the witness whose word, taken with the evidence, settles it.
4. One submission. You can’t change your ruling.