 Not only did the alleged manner in which Mrs Morrell met her death have to be proved by expert evidence, the police evidence offered at the trial depended for its accuracy on two statements made by Adams while not under caution in apparently friendly conversation with Hannam.Adams' first statement, that he had administered almost all the dangerous opiate drugs he prescribed for Mrs Morrell himself and that virtually none were left unused at her death, was critical to the prosecution's case on method, but was later contradicted by other evidence.Devlin considers that this admission was made in response to Hannam searching the doctor's house and surgery on 24 November 1956 and at the same time presenting Adams with a list of drugs prescribed for Mrs Morrell between 8 and 12 November 1950, the latter being the day before she died.