Wed, Jul 2, 2008
In preparation for his trial Ben's case is given to a hot shot feminist barrister, Alison Slaughter, but the naive youngster is concerned that her only concern in getting him off the murder charge is to blacken the name of the victim in order to reduce the severity of the charge. He is unwilling to play along and she rejects his case.
Thu, Jul 3, 2008
Things look very bleak indeed for Ben as his Not Guilty trial proceeds and the prosecution lawyer tears him to shreds in the court. Trainee barrister Frances Kapoor now has his defence but she is letting her heart rule her head and will ultimately pay the price for it. Stone tries desperately to find a witness that will help the boy's cause.
Tue, Jul 1, 2008
Charged with the murder of the girl he slept with, Ben is remanded in custody to await his trial. He is a fragile boy in a very brutal world. Fortunately he is sharing a cell with kindly old-timer Hooch,who attempts to look out for him, but he is young and pretty and vulnerable and another recent remand, Milroy, exploits him in order to curry favour with the fearsome prison 'daddy', Freddie Graham.
Fri, Oct 9, 2009
Juliet eventually takes the stand and starts to be more forthcoming. She points out that whilst her second pregnancy was not the result of a rape Joe had sexual demands and would bully her into intercourse, punishing her if she refused. She had the knife under the pillow for her own protection but did not intend to murder him. Thus she is presented with pleading to the lesser charge of manslaughter and the episode ends on the verdict and Juliet's consequent sentence.
Fri, Jul 4, 2008
As Ben's defence looks shaky the jury seem indisposed to sympathising with him whilst Frances goes out on a limb at the expense of her own career,given her feelings for him. However it is inspector Harry Box who comes up with the clinching evidence that will set Ben free thanks to careful study of CCTV cameras which link the true murderer to other events on the estate that night.
Tue, Oct 6, 2009
Remanded in prison Juliet tells Jack that she was on anti-depressants but stopped them unbeknown to her controlling husband. She is pregnant. Ella is fostered with the Roses, parents of a school friend and social worker Norma Fredericks wonders if the placement should not be long-term,due to Juliet's 'violence'. Ella visits Juliet, to be told,"I did it for you" but rejects her mother. Joe dies, making the charge murder.
Mon, Oct 5, 2009
Juliet Miller lives an outwardly comfortable life with her barrister husband Joe and thirteen-year-old daughter Ella. But Joe regularly subjects Juliet to sexual violence and one night she stabs him, calmly phoning the ambulance to say "he's hurt" and walking away. Police, led by DCI Faber, investigate and initially believe Ella to be the attacker until Juliet arrives at the hospital in hysterics and is arrested. Sensible DS Flo Sexton interviews her with supportive lawyer Jacqueline 'Jack' Woolf and she confesses. Jack, however, suspects that Juliet's husband has raped Juliet.
Wed, Oct 7, 2009
Juliet has a baby girl. Jack and colleague Alice tell her the outcome of the trial will determine whether she can keep her. Flo questions Ella with her Inspector husband Chris, whom Flo accuses of grooming Ella to be hostile to her mother. Joe's clerk Saul tells Faber Joe was a saint, but Mrs.Rose believes Juliet was dominated by him and recalls miscalled phone messages from her on the night of the stabbing. Then Juliet's cell-mate Angela kills herself.
Mon, Jun 30, 2008
Ben Coulter, a naive young student, has sex in a council flat with a pick-up. When he wakes up before dawn he sees that the girl has been murdered. He panics and makes a run for it but is eventually arrested. All the evidence points to him as a killer though seedy duty solicitor Stone is on his side.
Thu, Oct 8, 2009
With the trial a week away Alice tells Jack the defence case is weak. After a visit from Ella to see the new baby, Juliet finally admits to Jack about her husband's control and abuse and says she will tell the court, for Ella's sake.Jack also hopes to use Joe's possible involvement with a drug pusher, though Chris Sexton disproves this to his own satisfaction. His wife and Faber, however, are more sympathetic to Juliet and Mrs. Rose thinks Joe was too good to be true. The trial begins and Ella convinces the jury that she worked with her father only to help her mother, who was otherwise a danger to herself. Jack, however,gets her to admit that her statement differs from things she told other people and her evidence may be confused because she has an idealized view of Joe.