A Shepherd direction is not required for a particular item of circumstantial evidence merely because it is strongly probative, where the prosecution case involves multiple circumstantial facts and the case would not necessarily collapse without that particular item. The test for whether a fact is an 'indispensable intermediate fact' may be assessed by asking whether, without evidence of that fact, there would still be a case to go to the jury. In directing on discreditable conduct evidence, precision and specificity in identifying permissible uses are desirable but a succinct identification will be sufficient where the permissible and impermissible uses are sufficiently distinct to avoid confusion.
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