A labourer in his mid-forties contacts the police to report that he has killed someone with a hatchet. He refuses legal representation, insisting he is responsible. So why does a jury hesitate to convict him of murder, and how can a judge describe the defendant's actions as understandable?...
Read moreThe Line Between Violence and Intent / Sarah & Jonathan Wicks
A 999 call came in from a man who said that his wife was unresponsive on the floor. He told the call handler that she had fallen and her lips were blue. The man was assured that help was on the way, and in a voice choked with emotion, he was heard saying: "Come on. No, no, you can't die, not over a fucking argument"...
Read moreForce & Frailty / Donald Burgess / PC Stephen Smith & PC Rachel Comotto
In the quiet corridors of a seaside care home, on an ordinary weekday afternoon, a 92-year-old man sat confused in his wheelchair, gripping a butter knife he'd been using to eat his lunch. Within minutes, two police officers would arrive at his door after being alerted that it was vital for them to attend the scene quickly, as someone’s life had been threatened…
Read moreThe Last Fare / David Wilkie & The Miners’ Strike - Part 2
A taxi driver was simply doing his job during the miners' strike in 1984, when an object was hurled onto the motorway, crushing his car and killing him in the process. Three men had been charged with murder. However, one insisted to the police that he had played no part in the crime. Against the backdrop of the bitter clash between miners and the government, the trial was set to begin. No one could predict how the legal proceedings would end… (Part 2 of 2).
Read moreThe Last Fare / David Wilkie & The Miners’ Strike - Part 1
The winter of 1984 forced miners to confront impossible choices. Families faced a dilemma that would tear at the fabric of the country’s tight-knit communities. Miners could continue to strike, pushing them to the brink of poverty, or return to work to put food on the table… (Part 1 of 2).
Read moreBlackout / Natalie Shotter / Mohamed Iidow
Two officers from the Metropolitan Police were already dealing with an incident when they were asked to come and assist an unconscious woman lying on a park bench. They refused, leaving her alone, a decision that would have devastating consequences...
Read more