Briefs s01e02 Episode Script

Tuckers criminal law firm
does more legal aid work
than any other in Britain.
Why did you go in a second time?
I don't know.
I don't even know where the shop is.
For more than 12 months
we've had unprecedented access
to their lawyers and their clients.
The most important question is,
did you pick up a hammer?
No, certainly not.
The taxpayer spends more than
a billion pounds every year
on criminal legal aid.
He hit me first
because he thought I was flirting
with another guy.
At a time when the legal system
is under increasing scrutiny
this is how justice really works.
I'm just looking for the place
where I was caught on CCTV
having a cigarette.
It's right in front of me there,
so I'll just take a quick look.
Will Jenkins has just become
a Tuckers client.
According to the police
it had already been burgled twice
prior to my arrival.
I didn't touch or do anything.
I just had a cig.
This is it.
August 9th, 2011,
rioters overrun
the centre of Manchester.
The police say Will Jenkins
is one of them
and this is the shop he burgled.
It's the first time
other than the CCTV
that I've seen this place.
I've never been in
other than that night.
The police are alleging
that I've burgled this shop.
I've no recollection of being here.
I was drunk.
It holds no memories at all for me.
I leave the shop
not touching anything.
I then enter back in.
I'm off-camera
for a few seconds only.
I come back still
having not touched anything,
not stolen anything.
did I intend to go
and burgle a shop
or anything or steal any items
whatsoever.
Why did you go in the second time?
I don't even remember going in.
You don't remember going
in the first time? No.
However, by going in that shop
First time curiosity.
Second time it's more than that.
That's what they will say.
You choices are, Will,
plead not guilty on the basis
that you went in there,
but didn't have the requisite intent
to steal.
The problem with that
and I'll be honest with you, Will.
I'm not gonna bullshit anyone.
They've been finding people guilty
of just being in Manchester
that night
let alone being in the shop
that was burgled.
They're saying reasonably minded
people would have got out of there.
For their own saftey.
What do you think I should do
in your professional opinion?
Plead guilty.
If you want an honest
no messing about answer.
You will be found guilty
after trial
and then you would get
a significantly higher sentence.
I could have told him
he was walking,
book yourself a holiday,
don't worry about anything,
but then when they are found guilty
rightly he'll come back to me
and say, 'Hey, you.
You told me I'd be walking.
I'm rotting away in Strangeways.'
You can't give people false hopes.
I don't think it's fair to do so.
I'm 40 years old, from Liverpool,
living in Manchester now.
I joined the Army when I was 17.
Did tour of Iraq,
which is pretty horrific.
Went to Northern Ireland
for three years.
I left that. Went to university,
got into project management.
Got made redundant, left my wife.
Homeless and here I am
in Manchester.
When I met Rob first initially
he's a charming bloke,
put you at ease,
so I felt happy I've got someone
I can speak to and trust.
He put it on the line.
He didn't flannel anything
or fluff it up.
So I'm expecting
worse case scenario.
Anything less than that
pretty much won the lottery.
Rob Martini is one of 136 lawyers
working for Tuckers.
He told us earlier
that it's Salford Magistrates.
You don't remember
biting her in the head?
They handle more than 10,000 cases
a year
most of them funded by legal aid.
We need shoplifters.
We need repeat offenders.
Well, you're the client. If you want
me to do it, I'll do it.
They earned ?10m in legal aid fees
last year,
but with legal aid being cut back
the firm's worried about its future.
There's less cases
and more firms.
Or the same amount of firms
fighting for work
and you have to try to get a bit of
a commercial advantage.
Key rings, lighters and beer mats.
Hence we've got
all our wonderful things.
Our Tuckers umbrellas.
Our Tuckers beer mats,
which people find in pubs
far and wide
through our country.
All sorts of things.
If it doesn't give us business
at least it creates jealousy
amongst the other firms.
Franklin Sinclair runs the firm's
Manchester office.
He himself brings in business
in the most unlikely way
for a lawyer.
It's that time again.
It's just after 10.00.
It's Tucker's Solicitors
Presents Law and Soul
the one you've been waiting for.
On Peace FM.
Lovely way to start. That's
Copeland Green, Unconditional Love.
If you can love unconditionally
then you're lucky I think.
What's today's show about?
It's about domestic violence.
It's a community radio station
covering south-central Manchester.
It's a paid-for slot.
The idea is to get publicity,
get more clients.
It's a good catchment area
obviously for us.
Also I love doing the show.
I used to be a disc jockey in
the 80s. Worked in the nightclubs,
but this is the first time I've
actually done a proper radio show.
Doobie-doobie-do.
Right, I'm just going to see
the client.
A new client has shown up at Tuckers,
accused of fighting
with his boyfriend in public.
Paralegal Beth Somers is sent
to get his details.
He hit me first because he thought
I was flirting with another guy.
Whilst you were out?
Whilst we were out. OK.
When the taxi came to the apartment
we started brawling
out in the street.
Oh, gosh. So you were kind of
getting the better of each other?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Unfortunately I bit him
in several places.
Right, OK.
We both had quite a few injuries.
It's a relatively new relationship.
Tim Eagle had previously
been married.
Do you have any children?
Two.
Do they live with you?
No, they live with their mum.
But do you still see them?
I do, yes. On a regular basis.
So how long have you two
been together for?
Seven months.
Right.
Everything usually OK
up until that night?
We've had some arguments in between
where it has resulted
in calling the police.
Who usually calls the police?
Myself.
It's you that usually calls
the police? Yeah.
I'm 29 and he's only 19.
Oh, I see. Right, OK.
So he's only 19.
All right. Well, I'll walk you
back upstairs.
Just make sure you're there tomorrow
at 9.30, 9.45.
It won't be me.
It will be one of our solicitors.
That's fine.
You'll know who it is who's going.
OK.
Asim Ali is assigned to the case.
Hello, Tim. It's Mr Ali calling
from Tuckers Solicitors.
I'm just at court at the minute.
How long are you going to be?
OK, see you shortly.
I'm just outside.
All right, thanks. Bye.
It is very annoying cos you end up
losing a lot of your day waiting.
Tim turns up with the boyfriend
he's accused of brawling with.
Morning. Tim?
Yes. Hi, Tim
Mr Ali. Are you OK?
Yes, I'm fine.
Let's just pop into court and we'll
take it from there. That's fine.
Tim's looking for work with the NHS,
so he's keen to limit the damage.
He's trying to get it reduced
to a caution
and from what he was saying
I think that will happen.
I found Tim to be quite
a typical type of client.
Alcohol seemed to be a feature
in this case,
as it is in a lot of other cases.
It clearly didn't necessarily
agree with him
and didn't bring out
the best in him.
Tim eventually gets 40 hours
community service
and Tuckers expect never to see him
again.
Stephen Stewart is one of Tuckers'
regular clients.
He's notorious in his neighbourhood
for the night he stopped the traffic
on a busy motorway.
Things got to me
and I got a bit upset.
I decided one night I'd have my say,
so I decided to do
a peaceful protest.
I actually climbed on top
of the motorway bridge
with my quilt.
Unfortunately they had to shut
all the motorway down
just in case I decided
to do anything stupid
like jump.
That wasn't my intention.
His bridge protest over a dispute
with Social Services
earned him nine months probation
and a course in thinking skills.
But now he has another matter
for lawyers Beth Somers
and Claire Parrot to deal with
an assault on his ex-partner
and a male lodger.
She states that due to your drinking
that you've become violent
and have been punching and kicking
her in numerous incidents.
That's actually incorrect.
Yeah, I've been moody.
We've had arguments,
but certainly no violence.
She says that when she arrives
back home you're there.
She went into the kitchen and
immediately you've started shouting,
'You're taking the (BLEEP) piss.
Get out of the house.'
I actually said to her I needed
to have a word in private.
She said underneath the area
where you put the coats
she said she had a black-handled
hammer on the floor.
She says that at this time you
suddenly stormed into the kitchen,
went up to the hammer,
picked it up with your right hand,
came over to her,
leant her against the wall
and then with your left hand
grabbed her by the throat.
No, I didn't do that.
But she's indicated she was
in the living room, hasn't she?
It's immaterial.
The important question is,
did you pick up a hammer?
Certainly not.
You've apparently started shouting
and calling her a liar,
saying she was having an affair.
You've then said you would put
a tracker on her car,
so you could see where she went.
There's already one on her.
There is a tracker on her car now?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Does she know that's there? Yeah.
Right. Also any text messages
or calls she makes
come up on the computer.
She knows about it cos I showed her.
This is the 22nd matter that Tuckers
have handled for Stephen Stewart,
most of them involving
disorderly behaviour.
I've known Claire and Beth
for a long time.
I get on well with them.
I can phone them day or night.
Any concerns about the case
or things in general.
They're more like family.
So the worst is six months.
That's the worst.
You would do half of that.
Sometimes I speak to him every day
or every other day.
Sometimes I speak to him
at the weekend
or he gives me a text at the weekend
or leaves me a voice-mail at night.
Right. Bye, Stephen.
See you tomorrow.
See you later.
See you later. Bye.
Take care.
He's trying to say the argument's
not about jealousy etc,
but then he's said he's put
a tracker on the car.
I'll maybe try and not ask him
that question!
The following month the magistrates
find Stephen Stewart guilty
of assaulting his ex-partner
and their lodger.
He's later sentenced
to a year's community order
and 120 hours unpaid work.
In the winter of 2011
Tuckers become involved in a case
that horrifies Britain.
I'll miss her anyway
as a good friend.
They'd snatched her bag
with the money in.
There has been a level of violence
used.
Clearly Nellie's ended up
on the floor
and as a result of those injuries
she's now passed away.
Nellie Geraghty was mugged
in an Oldham alleyway.
Her handbag contained the ashes
of her late husband.
She was found still clinging on
to the strap.
Two boys were seen near the alley.
We went outside to do
a bit more free running.
My friend got a call
on his mobile phone off his mum
and said, 'There's police
at the door. Can you come home?'
I went with him
and two police came in
and said,
'You're under suspicion of robbery.'
We got took in the cells.
We got told to go to the desk.
So I went to the desk
and the duty officer told me
I was under suspicion of murder.
I didn't feel myself at all.
I felt sick and angry
because the police
had got nothing on us.
They blamed us.
I was shocked to hear
that an old woman had been mugged.
I just wouldn't really do
anything like that.
There's just no point.
Steven's me rock.
My husband's disabled.
We've got two disabled kids.
Other than me Steven's the only one
who's not disabled.
He's me rock.
It was just like my world
had fallen apart.
'I will chop you both up
into little bits.
I'm gonna find out where you both
live and set your gaffs alight.'
I can't really walk around
in my streets at the moment.
People were all over Facebook.
I got death threats like
'I'm gonna burn you alive,'
and stuff like that.
You might as well
just keep in cover.
At first Steven is represented
by a local duty solicitor,
but his mother calls in Tuckers
and Michelle Seager is on the case.
The witness said they'd seen
two boys leave the scene
and then we got called
that we were near the scene.
Right.
You got seen 50 minutes before,
didn't you? Yeah.
50? 5-0? 50 minutes before?
Yeah.
I think if people knew that actually
it was purely based on the fact that
kind of an hour
before it all happened
you were near an area.
We had eggs thrown at the window
on the Sunday.
After it all came out.
We had people coming past
shouting stuff.
What's happened with school then?
Have you been able to stay
at the same school?
I have been off
since it's been calming down
and on this Friday that's coming up
I'm going in for the day
and spending the day with them.
Right. So it'll be like
a structured sort of day?
Yeah, it's testing the water to see
if he's going to be safe enough
and see if he's gonna be all right.
He's not going to be able
to go up to town for his dinner
cos it's too dangerous.
So when he goes there
he'll have to stay in there, have
his dinner in there and come home
until it all proper calms down.
All right. See you later.
Bye-bye. Bye.
We're not entitled to see anything
at this stage.
All I can do is support the family,
liaise with the officer
and try and push them
and make sure they are aware
that these lives are sort of
on hold
until the case is finalised
for them.
Hi, I'm calling
from Tuckers Solicitors.
I'm ringing in relation to a Tim
Eagle you've got with yourselves.
As Christmas approaches
a familiar name appears
on the office whiteboard.
Tim Eagle, who Tuckers had helped
three months earlier
when he brawled with his boyfriend,
has been arrested.
He wants a lawyer to represent him
at the police station.
Lorna Wincote
is the solicitor on-call.
Yet again a fight with his boyfriend
is at the heart of his problem.
You were arrested at 5.00
this morning. You're on a curfew.
I know. How many times
have you breached your curfew?
That'll be my second time.
Right.
Well, there's two allegations
you're here for
one's criminal damage
and one's fraud.
I'll start with the fraud
cos it's the easier one.
Do you know what this is about?
You had a buss pass on you
and you made
a significant statement.
Basically you made a comment
in custody and it's been recorded
and the comment was,
'It's not mine.
I found it,
but I have been using it.'
That's recorded as evidence now
because it was when you were
in custody. Can you remember that?
I can remember saying it, yeah.
The other of fence you've been
arrested for is criminal damage.
Bit worried about this
because this seems to be your thing
when you and Kieran have a row
and you're wracking them up
at the moment.
Basically you and Kieran go out,
get drunk, have a row
and something happens where
one or both of you is arrested.
You and Kieran were staying
at The Renaissance last night,
go out around 2.30 this morning.
About 4.15 Kieran's
come back to the hotel
and he's said to the staff,
'You know me boyfriend?
Don't let him back in, He's been
very aggressive towards me.
He's punched me in the face.'
Things have gone wrong
cos 20 minutes later
you've arrived saying,
'I spoke to the member of staff
who said I couldn't come in
and to go outside
and phone Kieran from outside.'
Whilst you were outside they've
basically heard smashing glass.
A window of a restaurant
which is next door to
The Renaissance called Rustica
has been smashed.
It turns out he failed to carry out
his earlier community service order
and has been punished
with a suspended prison sentence.
Lorna's worried this new of fence
will trigger the prison sentence,
so she introduces Tim to the concept
of the 'no comment interview.'
So basically I'm happy for you
to confirm who are, where you live
and that you understand the caution
and general pre-lim stuff.
Anything about the actual of fence,
about your comment,
the reason for your arrest
is what I need you to reply
'no comment' in relation to.
We're gonna have a little practice
of that.
The first thing she might say is
you've been arrested
for criminal damage
at whatever time this morning.
Is that correct?
No comment.
Then she might say, you were
arrested at 5.00 this morning.
Aren't you meant to be on a curfew?
No comment. Can you confirm
when you came into custody
you said
in relation to the bus pass,
'It's not mine. I found it,
but I've been using it'?
No comment.
Is Kieran your boyfriend?
No comment.
Can you confirm what you look like?
No comment.
You've got blonde hair, haven't you?
No comment.
Why won't you describe
what you look like?
No comment.
Are these your trainers?
No comment.
Is that your footprint?
No comment.
Right, OK. So all the way through.
With Lorna's help Tim gets bail.
He's due in court within the week.
Will Jenkins, the Gulf War veteran
charged with burglary
during the Manchester riots,
is due in court.
His case,
like those of all the rioters,
will be heard in the Crown Court,
but first it has to pass
through the Magistrates
where his lawyer is Claire Parrott.
She's sympathetic to his pleading
'not guilty.'
You're maintaining
you didn't go in there
with any intention?
No.
In that case you should pursue
the matter to trial.
We've discussed sentence.
I think it's looking likely
that if you were convicted
you would get around two years
custodial sentence.
I'm not pleading guilty
to something I haven't done.
No.
I didn't steal anything.
And you didn't intend to steal
anything? No.
That is the issue -
whether you intended to.
Absolutely not, so
Most of Tuckers' work
is legally aided criminal law.
But they also specialise
in civil actions
against the police.
Junaid Mayet, a former fireman,
is suing West Yorkshire Police.
He says four years ago
they wrongfully arrested him,
assaulted him
and maliciously prosecuted him
after he was stopped
for a routine motoring enquiry.
The police say Junaid
was uncooperative and threatening.
These officers pinned me down,
were banging my head
on the footpath.
The other officers jumped
onto my back
and punching me in my back.
They've dragged me up,
and leant me over this wall with
the handcuffs on, legs wide apart.
Tuckers are going to represent him
in court.
Keiron Walsh is his solicitor.
We've got to move onto the offer
really and discuss the offer.
A week before the trial opens
the police offer ?8,000
to settle the case.
Keiron and barrister Hugh Barton
need to get Junaid's response.
I get the impression you want to see
it out in court and slug it out.
There are risks.
I'm just saying.
I know. I understand.
So do I take it from that
you don't want to accept the offer?
Would you like to put forward
an offer?
I'm going to court.
I understand the risk. I understand
all the advice you've given me.
I understand everything.
But I'm telling the truth
and the truth always comes through.
They've accused me of making death
threats to them and their families.
I don't take those allegations
lightly. I know you don't.
Whether it's 60,000 or 160,000
I'd rather have my day in court
and watch them
answer these questions.
OK. So
Our response is
'thanks but no thanks.'
Yeah.
We'll wait and see
if there's any reaction to that.
Tuckers are fighting this case
on a no win, no fee basis.
If Junaid gets a big win
they'll benefit.
If he loses they don't get paid.
In your life this is a big moment
for you.
You won't be involved
in another case like this.
It's not just a
Hopefully not.
This is big
and it can go disastrously wrong,
so it can be devastating for you.
We'd lose as well if you lose.
So there's more reason
not to lose then!
See you later.
Have a nice weekend.
It would have been nice
if he had given us a figure,
but he obviously wants
his day in court.
He comes across well
and he always has
when he's spoke to me
about the incident. I believe him.
I have faith in him. But it's not me
he's got to convince
it's the jury.
Tim Eagle has a suspended
prison sentence hanging over him.
It could be triggered this morning.
He's due in court in Warrington
for breaching a curfew.
They're quite minor of fences,
but I hadn't got an easy punishment
when we first met in Salford.
It was just 40 hours,
but it's hard to keep to them.
It's hard to get out of bed
in the morning and work for free.
I didn't stick to those
and unfortunately I committed
another of fence in Manchester.
But I really don't want to go to
prison because I've got two children
and I really want to try and
do more with them in the New Year.
I feel more nervous today
and it's only a breach.
We've got a really strong
relationship.
We've been going out
about 11 months now.
I'm quite young minded.
I think that's a problem.
I tend to
I should be more
I should knuckle down
and think first
instead of acting first.
Appearing before
Warrington Magistrates,
Lorna Wincote manages to keep Tim
out of prison.
The Magistrates impose
more unpaid work
for breaching his curfew.
First step. Brilliant.
I'm really happy.
I couldn't be happier.
I'm really happy.
All right, guys.
Have a safe journey home.
Speak to you later.
Thanks. Bye.
But Tim still has one more
court appearance to come
in Manchester for smashing
a restaurant window.
There's been a development
in the civil action
Junaid Mayet is bringing against
West Yorkshire Police.
The police have increased the offer
to ?12,000 to settle the claim.
The police described it
as a final offer.
I think we should be seen
to be doing something
because then if it doesn't turn out
exactly how we want
at least we can show
we made some attempt
to negotiate at a reasonable level.
I do think you've got to make
a sensible offer.
If you don't want to do so
that's fair enough.
My advice to you is do not do that.
The counter offer he wants to make
is ?250,000
or the two officers sacked.
He's ridiculous.
I understand he's upset
about what went on,
but he's got to take the advice
of his lawyers.
I think to make that sort of offer
is going to be counter productive.
You're old, Jimmy Butler.
You always were.
Gerard, your dad's nothing
but a dirty,
rotten, filthy, stinking
whore-master!
My mother's name for you.
The first words I remember.
No wonder I'm a poet.
Gerard Butler is a Tuckers client.
I am a part-time performance poet.
I do it for the love of it.
It's something I do to keep my paws
in showbusiness, if you like.
Jimmy's a dead-end kid,
blistered by the fists of drunks
who babysit their sons
and daughters, telling
bedtime stories of prison hits,
page three tits
and the purity of scag.
The performance poetry I do
isn't work.
I will admit
to occasionally being paid.
I will put my hands up to it,
but it's so sporadic
and the gigs are so far apart
that it's never what I consider
to be an income.
It's Laurel Goss
from Tuckers Solicitors.
I don't know if you'll be able to
help. It's regarding Gerard Butler.
He's been on benefits
for quite a long time.
Many years actually
on the basis of sickness.
The benefits agency found out
that he's been doing this work
and getting paid for it.
He has quite a good case because
it's arguable if this is work.
I just wanted to get an update.
This has been hanging over Mr Butler
for a while now.
In the last three years
they say he's earnt ?14,000
on top of his benefits
which he hasn't declared.
So that's enough
to make a substantial amount
of overpayment
just on the fact of working
and not declaring it.
I haven't earnt ?14,000
in any way, shape or form.
Look where I live.
I live in a town block in Hulme.
I don't have any curtains.
I don't have any luxuries
or anything.
I live quite frugally.
This is I think
the ultimate live art moment.
I'm being done for benefit fraud,
being filmed for that
and I'm on stage in a theatre.
Which you won't get paid for!
Which I won't get paid for.
The benefits agency has worked out
that Gerard's had ?4,000 too much
from them
and he's agreed to pay it back.
But now he's waiting to hear
if he'll also be prosecuted.
Tim Eagle has a suspended
prison sentence hanging over him.
So far Tuckers have managed
to keep him out of jail.
Now he's due to appear
before Manchester Magistrates
charged with taking a bus pass
and damaging a restaurant window.
He and boyfriend Kieran
have come into Tuckers
to meet Franklin Sinclair.
Hello.
Hiya.
Well, I thought we would never see
you again. I know.
You seemed like
- Not that you're not a nice guy
but you seemed such a nice guy
and I never thought you'd get
involved with the criminal justice
system again.
As I said to the court,
it was like handbags at dawn.
It was.
So the situation as I understand it
when it was left
is that the theft is effectively
banged to rights, yeah?
You're guilty, aren't you?
You've admitted it. Yes.
So I'm not worried about that.
I don't think that's a problem.
I'm worried about the criminal
damage because the value I've read
is ?500 to a window
and I'm worried because
it's a similar kind of of fence.
It's you two squabbling again
and then smashing glass
after an argument
between you two roughly,
isn't it?
That's right. I'd like to think
I can persuade the magistrate
that you're not the type of person
they should send to jail.
It's a waste of time,
although it's a shame that the
suspended sentence hasn't worked.
I know.
It is a shame.
And how are you two getting on?
Really good.
Until you get drunk?
Unfortunately, yes.
We're supposed to be getting married
sometime this year.
OK.
Marriages don't always work out,
Kieran.
I can tell you that
from personal experience.
They seem - if I can say that -
the perfect couple.
But obviously
when they've had a few drinks
they start having lovers' tiffs
in a dramatic fashion.
Unfortunately that's all really
that gets them into trouble
and I just hope we can keep him
out of jail really.
Franklin asks the court to send him
on an alcohol course
rather than to prison.
The magistrates retire
to consider their decision.
Tim enjoys a moment of freedom.
Hopefully they'll see that I've
had a good past in employment.
I've never got in trouble.
I'm a very positive guy.
I'd like to think I'm gonna be
walking out the front door
in the next ten minutes.
But Tim's luck runs out.
He got six weeks,
so he'll be out in three weeks.
He's very upset and so am I.
I really thought we'd done enough
to persuade them.
It felt good.
It felt like I was convincing them.
It felt good,
but it fell on deaf ears.
That's my job and now
to a police station right away.
I've got to turn off now.
All the best.
You too. Cheers.
In strictly legal terms
it wasn't a harsh sentence
and he did well.
However, I was disappointed
because I thought we gave the court
a good opportunity
to do something positive
to try and keep Tim
from reoffending.
Six weeks in jail,
which will be three weeks in jail,
will not keep Tim from reoffending.
No agreement has been reached
in Junaid Mayet's action
against West Yorkshire Police,
so the trial is going ahead.
Junaid gets ready for court.
I've always been honest
and truthful.
My story has never changed.
It's OK.
Honesty has been my driving force
and I know I will get justice.
I've been looking forward to it.
This is what I've been waiting
four years for.
It might have taken four years
to get to court,
but the case is over
before it begins.
It turns out that Junaid has been
stopped by the police before
and that officer has come forward
with a notebook
which paints Junaid
in an unhelpful light.
The notebook entry
referred to the fact that
Mr Mayet was uncooperative
and abusive.
If this new evidence
was heard by a jury in court
it would not have assisted
Mr Mayet's case.
I must admit I wasn't prepared
for a notebook like that.
But it's what happens
and you've got to take it
on the chin.
It was a disappointment
to receive that notebook entry.
The case is settled out of court
in Junaid's favour.
West Yorkshire Police
don't accept liability,
but they agree to pay him ?12,000
and his legal costs.
It's not what he wanted though.
I still feel like I've won,
and I have won.
Obviously I wasn't best pleased, but
I had to take advice from counsel.
I followed their advice to be fair.
Had it been in my hands
I would have gone all the way.
It's good news in rural Oldham.
The investigation
into Nellie Geraghty's death
takes a surprising turn.
The police drop Steven and the other
boy from their enquiries.
His parents break the news to him
that is case is NFA -
no further action.
You've been NFA-ed.
Good.
All over. Good.
Is that it?!
Good.
Come here.
The nightmare's over.
I'm clear.
Three months of living hell.
And you.
I'm crying again.
Second time I've cried today.
When was the first?
When Michelle told me.
Nellie's family
I feel really, really sorry
for them.
They were searching for the bag and
I would have loved to have helped,
but I couldn't cos my son
was involved in it.
It's a case of I feel so sorry
for that poor family
and what they're going through,
but my son didn't do it.
A 37-year-old man
has since been tried
and found guilty
of the murder of Nellie Geraghty.
It's just pleasing for me
because I felt these boys
had been arrested in a hasty way.
At the end of the day
you feel for these people,
especially young people
personally for me.
And mums.
I'm a mum myself.
I can't imagine what it would
feel like myself
to know that my son
hadn't done something.
Three weeks after his conviction
Tim Eagle is released
from Strangeways Prison.
It was a terrible experience.
Not a recommended place to go.
I was on one of the roughest wings
in the prison,
so it was just
I wouldn't say hell.
It was worse than hell.
We only had seven channels
on the telly which was not good.
I'm a quiz master now.
I've watched so many quizes
and property programmes.
I can build a house
from scratch now.
Boyfriend Kieran turns up.
You look pale. I know.
You don't see much sun in there!
Well, I'm going to take you
to breakfast
and take him to a sunbed
and get his hair cut.
We might go to the casino.
You've not been there in a while!
The poet Gerard Butler
has heard from the benefits agency.
He's to be prosecuted for fraud.
Solicitor Caroline Wilbraham
will represent him in court.
If we do enter our guilty plea
the prosecution then stand up
and read out the facts of the case
what the overpayments are,
what the period of overpayment is.
It will then be my turn to put
forward what you have to say
and hand out your letters
with regard to your ill health.
Gerard accepts that he got money
for performing,
but says he also had to pay
other artists out of it.
Yes, you have had various payments,
various grants,
but some of the grants
have been money
you've paid to other performers
with regards to stage plays
and things like that.
Most of it.
Yes.
This might sound a little trite,
but I'm not a bad one.
I'm some two-bit alcoholic,
drug (BLEEP) poet
who just did this little thing
and it just seems a little much.
On the morning of his court case
Gerard has decided how to plead.
I'm gonna plead guilty.
All I want is this to be over with.
I want to lie down on my couch
and eat soup and talk
to my friends about old times.
That's all I want.
That's what gets you better.
Being dragged through court
doesn't get you better.
It makes you worse.
The court imposes a six month
community order on Gerard.
He is also fined ?250
and tagged for four weeks.
The trial of Will Jenkins
- Charged with burglary
during the Manchester riots -
is about to start.
The former soldier
is feeling far from brave.
I'll be candid with you.
I'm crapping it.
It's not an environment I'm used to.
Hopefully I can just portray myself
as best I can.
The jury watches the CCTV
and is asked to decide if he intended
to burgle the shop or not.
After five hours and 16 minutes
they are unable to reach a verdict.
It's wasted my time,
the jury's time, tax payer's money.
Prosecuting for nothing.
For standing in the shop
having a cig.
It's outrageous.
I'm annoyed.
I am. I'm annoyed,
but happy if that makes sense.
Seven weeks later Will Jenkins
is acquitted at a retrial.
He is a free man.