Toxic Town (2025) s01e04 Episode Script

1
'Cause we were
Really gonna swing tonight ♪
I could already see her face ♪
And touch her long red hair ♪
-I drank 15 beers ♪
-[Roy] Fifteen beers ♪
That's a whole lot of brew
In one night ♪
When you try to drown a memory
From your mind ♪
[Tracey humming]
It took me 15 beers to get here ♪
I don't know how many till I leave ♪
-Hey.
-[chuckles]
Take my change in tears ♪
And drink 15 beers ♪
-Bring it on ♪
-[speaking indistinctly]
-I drank 15 beers ♪
-[Dani laughs]
And that's a whole lot of brew
In one night ♪
When you try to drown a memory… ♪
[Susan] Connor! Come on, now.
Final warning. Out of bed now.
I don't know how many more
Till I leave ♪
-I'll take my change in tears… ♪
-[Dani] This is it.
Kids, you've got five minutes.
My 15 beers ♪
-How many of you are six or seven? ♪
-[laughs]
Fifteen beers ♪
Just keep bringin' 'em, son ♪
Fifteen beers, that's what I need ♪
Bring me that 15 beers ♪
-[wind gusting]
-[country song fades out]
[Des] The evidence is pretty compelling.
And I think a settlement
is the wisest course for all parties.
We've prepared terms
which we think could be acceptable.
[Roy] Uh…
First of all, I'd like to say
how sorry I am
that these women
have had such a hard time.
[Des] Your standard opening line.
-You're not even gonna read--
-[Roy] Secondly…
we are prepared,
and we've seen what you've got,
and I don't think any of us on our side
find your evidence compelling.
So as grateful as we are
that you have prepared terms,
we will not be settling.
I'm sorry?
We're happy to wait for court.
I have published studies.
[Roy] Now, we've all got studies.
We've all got friendly professors
and doctors and such who'll agree with us.
[Des] These mothers
have been through hell.
Let's not play games here.
-A settlement now--
-[Mark] Will be a mistake.
And a costly one
for Corby Borough Council.
[Roy] What you've done is
you've assembled a lot of people
from a lot of walks of life
who agree with you.
But that doesn't mean
right is on your side.
I say the people of this town
have right on their side.
Corby Council won't buy your lies.
[ominous music playing]
[wind gusting]
[knocking on door]
-Hi.
-Hi.
-Have you, uh, got a minute?
-Yeah.
[Tracey] Are you all prepared?
Is it like an exam?
Do your revision, hope the questions
come up the way you're expecting?
Look, Tracey, um…
I've got something to tell you, and, uh…
Well, you're the one
that's good with words.
Go on, love, spit it out.
We can't…
[sighs]
We…
We haven't included you.
You're not a claimant in the trial.
What?
To make this work, it was explained to us
that we have to be able to show
consistency across the pregnancies.
And the most consistent disability was…
with limb difference.
What?
We have to be able to prove
with 95% certainty
what the pollutants could have done
to a fetus within the right time window.
The right time window?
And Shelby Anne doesn't… didn't…
I'm really sorry, Tracey.
[somber music playing]
She had her ear.
[Des] It's not an upper
or lower limb difference.
And she died.
Why didn't you tell me sooner?
I thought that we'd get settlement
and that things could be worked out.
But the council are proving intransigent.
You know, if we win,
that… you're part of that winning.
-You know that.
-No.
[whimpers] No, I'm not.
You just told me I'm not.
She died.
And you won't give her justice.
Shame on you.
[sobbing]
[somber music fades]
No.
-This shirt?
-Mum, I don't know what women should wear.
-You know what's smart.
-Do I?
[sighs] Right, okay.
What about these shoes?
-They are shoes.
-Would you wear them?
No. I'm 12.
You're no use.
Right. This top. Them boots.
For court. Trust me, I'm right.
Why would I trust the babysitter?
He still goes to sleep with his thumb
up his bum and you ain't got a clue.
When were you in court?
[scoffs]
Anyone for a cuppa?
[tense music playing]
[Des] You're late.
You do know the judge won't wait.
I couldn't choose my shoes.
-I texted Trace.
-Yeah. Tracey won't make it today.
What? Why? She didn't tell me.
I'm sure she's got a good reason.
Just get on the bus.
[Susan] Okay.
[cell phone chimes]
[Des] Right. A few reminders.
Now, it may be the first day of the trial,
but for you,
today is about press and press only.
Two, go through your statements.
Today, tomorrow, every day
until you're on the stand.
Our case rests on your words.
Three,
we're gonna win, so don't be nervous.
Have you told her? About Tracey?
[quietly] No.
Not my finest hour.
[sighs]
Shall we sing?
The wheels on the bus
Go round and round ♪
Mum!
Everyone's being miserable.
[Connor] Doesn't mean
you have to be embarrassing.
Someone's got to be embarrassing.
Look, I know you're nervous,
but you don't have to be.
The wheels on the bus
Go round and round ♪
All day long ♪
Right. I'm not going anywhere
unless you lot cheer up.
We're gonna win this thing.
-[Susan continues indistinctly]
-Are you okay?
Yeah. Yeah, fine. Just, uh…
I've just found out that the council
haven't taken out insurance.
On what?
Insurance on the possibility
of them losing.
They decided it was too expensive.
[scoffs] Well, they're stupid.
Or they know something we don't.
[Susan] Des!
Got any songs for us?
You're okay, Susan.
Killjoy.
I'm no singer. But I won't have glum.
Just sit down.
[sighs]
Fine.
The mothers in the bus go no, no, no ♪
[together] No, no, no, no, no, no ♪
The mothers in the bus go no, no, no ♪
All day long ♪
[group laughs]
-[excited chatter]
-[camera shutters clicking]
-[woman] Come on, now.
-Holy shit.
Just do what you do.
-And what is it that I do?
-[Des] You tell them what they did to you.
What they did to your kids.
You tell them the truth.
[quietly] Right.
You okay? Right.
[reporter] Tell us why you're here today.
Uh, hello. I'm Susan.
This is my son Connor.
Uh, my son was born with limb differences,
and he was born that way
because of the negligent behavior
of Corby Borough Council.
[reporter] This case is the first
to try to prove a link between
atmospheric toxins and birth defects.
-Audacious, wouldn't you say?
-First, my son's different, not defective.
And secondly, we're the first,
but we won't be the last.
Because nobody cares
about the working class in this country,
and somebody bloody needs to.
[tense music fades]
These young people,
some have missing or undeveloped fingers
or no fingers at all.
And three have deformities of their feet.
Why?
Because whilst pregnant, their mothers,
through no fault of their own…
I know what they've been keeping from us.
[barrister] …soup of toxic materials…
Go on.
They have an alternative equation
for the spread of dust.
[man] And why did this happen?
Their equation says the dust couldn't have
spread far enough to reach our women.
[barrister] …Corby Council
did not sufficiently manage…
Our equation says different.
Exactly. And if they can
cast doubt on that…
We will prove Corby Council
had knowing negligence.
We will prove these mothers
were infected by that negligence.
I need to find out what maths
they're using and find fault with it.
…were damaged by it.
Otherwise, we're sunk.
We will prove just cause for our case.
[indistinct chatter]
[Maggie] Let's get you home.
[Susan] You okay?
You look like you swallowed a wasp.
Yeah. Yeah, just an anxious day.
Have a drink.
Can I, uh, talk to you?
-Yeah.
-Um…
It… It's about
why Tracey wasn't here today.
-Have I done something to upset her?
-No, no.
Uh, look, unfortunately… when it came
to building a strong enough case,
we had to reduce,
because of medical advice,
the… the number of mothers taking part.
You haven't.
I, um… I told Tracey how sorry I was,
but that if we included Shelby Anne,
it would seriously impact
our chances of winning.
None of us would be here without Tracey.
I wouldn't be here without her.
Susan… the law is a complicated beast,
and… and sometimes in order to win--
Why you making it sound like a game?
Well, no, but sometimes the tactics…
sometimes tactics require--
You should've told me this morning.
You should've told me as soon as you knew.
[tense music playing]
I thought she'd tell you.
-I didn't want to do it.
-But you did.
[unsettling music playing]
Connor.
[sighs] It just doesn't make sense.
My equations were right.
I had the flow right.
Their expert thinks you're wrong.
Why do they need to write so many words?
We need to prove
that they've misunderstood
the way these particles spread.
The dust spread.
And we have days, not weeks.
[music fades]
[knocking on door]
Is she here?
Uh, it's… it's not a good time.
[Susan] I didn't know. I just found out.
[Marc] All the same, love. Another time.
[Susan sighs]
[door closes]
[music ends]
[Maggie] When did he move here?
It's quite something, isn't it?
He had a team working on it last summer.
I didn't know…
or, I… I didn't know he made this much.
Well, we're getting a piece too, Mags.
He says he's taking me with him.
Put this shit heap round the side,
would you?
Make room for the Bentleys.
God, you look beautiful, Maggie.
[car door closes]
[sighs] I can't stay.
-Yeah, you can.
-No, I can't.
Look, it'll be a fun party.
And… And you look so nice.
No, you stay. I'll drive home.
You're embarrassing me, Maggie.
You know what?
Des has asked me over and over again,
"Can Derek give evidence?"
"Can he tell people
what happened at the site?"
And I've always said,
"No, he can't. It'll cost him his job."
But looking at all of this…
Jesus, Derek, this can't be right.
You want me to speak at the trial?
[clears throat] I don't know.
Look, no rush getting home. [sniffles]
Someone will give you a lift.
Everyone likes you.
[Derek sighs]
[string quartet playing lively tune]
-[man 1] Here's champagne.
-[woman] Champagne!
[man 2] Good man.
[man 3] Cheers.
Well… didn't think I'd find you here.
Oh, don't let me stop you.
[Pat] Leader of Corby Council
standing on his own.
A man who likes to talk
as much as our Roy does?
You know, I've decided I like cigars.
Fancy a puff?
[Roy] I won't.
All this? String quartets?
You're pushing it a bit, aren't you, Pat?
[exhales]
Thinking about your case?
I have a lot more to worry about
than a court case.
Well, I'm a bit worried.
What?
Disclosure, exposure.
It's a dangerous game, all that.
What they might find out.
New liabilities, etcetera.
Corby Council's on the stand,
not Rhodes and Miller.
-You should be grateful for that.
-For now.
Till someone says something stupid,
and then my business is pulled apart.
We're gonna win, Pat.
Their calculations are based
on statistics without foundation.
You're not listening to me, Roy.
What if I don't care
whether you're gonna win?
I care whether I lose.
Take the settlement, Roy.
Which, from what I gather,
the other side are very keen on.
And then we can all breathe
a little easier.
You're a horrible bastard.
-I'm a necessary bastard.
-You've cut corners when you shouldn't.
-Ruined decent men.
-Oh, come on, now.
Not that decent.
I stand by the work I've done.
For you.
People expect perfect nowadays.
Nothing can be perfect.
But good enough.
Corby was built on good enough.
The steelworks.
Not perfect, some people got hurt.
But good enough.
And I will fight these fuckers
all the way down the street.
Corby would sink under their watch,
and all they'd do is tut.
Well, fuck them, and fuck you!
Trying to stop me fight them.
[lively string music continues]
There's no doubt
that all of these substances,
cadmium, chromium,
nickel, PAHs, and dioxins,
can cause birth defects in animals
of a similar, or not dissimilar, type
to most of those
reported by the claimants.
Where's the literature to support
the claim that a human fetus
would be affected this way?
It's not possible ethically
for experiments to be carried out
on human embryos.
[barrister] So, this is your theory.
I can state with 95% assurance
that these women were affected
by these toxins
while the babies were in the womb.
Dr. Anthony Emerson
is the clinical director
at St Mary's Hospital,
and he said there is
no clearly established case
for what you're trying to prove.
I've read his evidence,
and I disagree with Dr. Emerson.
You believe your theory. He believes his.
Maybe you're both 95% sure.
[tense, percussive music playing]
[Roy] …scientific data pertaining
to toxic waste in the atmosphere.
What we saw today was the fact
that their case is without foundation.
Full of bad science,
manipulating the women involved.
-[Des sighs]
-[Roy] They've already rejected…
-Mr. Collins!
-[Des] I'm sorry.
[rhythmic music continues]
It's no going well.
[quietly] Holy shit.
They've got their experts,
you've got yours. Tit for tat.
-I don't think the judge is convinced.
-We're at the beginning of the case.
So, I'm here asking whether I can help.
[sighs]
Have you got any more files for us?
No.
Can you prove that the theory
they're using is wrong?
See? See, you're laughing at me now.
But my offer's sincerely meant.
Okay, those files you gave us,
where are they from?
I told you I cannae tell you now.
Look, the papers are good,
but we need testimony.
Evidence of what was happening
on those sites.
You can't give it, you weren't there,
but someone can.
Give me them and…
[sighs]
Then this case will start going
very well, indeed.
[knocking on door]
[Susan sighs]
I come in peace.
It's just a quick briefing
before you give your evidence.
Are we winning?
I think so.
And that barrister? Wilby. He seems good.
Yeah. Well, he's one of the best.
He's been quite poorly actually,
but… he wanted to do this.
On a reduced rate.
Some people are just better, aren't they?
But their guy's also good.
He is, yeah, but I… I think we're…
Using the right tactics?
You want to come in? Cup of tea?
-I don't want to take up too much time.
-Are you frightened of me now?
[sighs] No.
Mum, Daniel's eaten
all the best cereal again.
Then eat the okay cereal
and leave him the bad.
There's been some confusion
from some of the other mothers
about the location of the Sunday markets.
It's about where the dust
could have affected you.
And, um… I wondered…
[sighs] Tracey's due on the stand
the same day as you, and I might--
That's why you're frightened.
I am not ashamed of what we did
for the benefit of the case.
It might seem duplicitous to you,
but it was necessary.
You've practiced that.
You use long words when you've practiced.
You pretend you don't understand
long words when you do.
He put something in the okay cereal.
-Now it tastes weird.
-Connor! Go away!
[Des] Tracey's evidence
about what happened at ElectraGen,
because it was so near to the ponds…
it might be vital.
But she won't talk to you.
No.
She's not answering my calls either.
But I'll try her again.
[sighs]
[Susan] Thanks for coming out.
[Tracey] Thanks for helping me miss
bath time.
[Susan] Peter has my two.
Peter?
Yeah, he's been helping out a bit.
Is that okay, do you think?
Well, we all choose our compromises.
Yeah.
When did you know?
End of the first day.
He didn't tell you till then?
I think he was frightened
he'd lose his press opportunity.
-Fucking hell.
-I think he was probably right.
You know me, I'd have made a scene.
And not done my bit with the press,
and he needed me, so…
So you're on his side, then?
No.
I am fucking heartbroken.
You not being part of this case
is so wrong.
But I tried to make myself think
what I would have said
had he given me the choice,
lose with Tracey or win without her.
And I decided…
I decided I'd choose the winning.
Does that make me terrible?
[sighs]
No.
It just makes you honest.
Like you've always been.
Love, don't… forgive me just yet.
I'm not…
This is not without, uh…
We need your help.
The things you have to say,
the court needs to hear.
-What things?
-About the dust.
About how it worked. About where you were.
I'm sorry, but you are still
the heart of this case.
[bright music playing]
[Tracey] I worked in Corby for nine years.
The office backed
onto the toxic pond site.
The road was muddy and mucky,
and the dust was everywhere.
[Wilby] Tell us about the dust.
You couldn't open the window
in the summer.
We joked that it sometimes looked
like a sandstorm outside.
My car was always covered
in this sand, grit stuff.
What trucks would you see
coming along the Brunel Road?
[Tracey] Open trucks, carrying muck.
They were never sheeted, so…
debris often fell from the back of them.
And there were
these huge petrol tanker trucks with hoses
that leaked out a dark sludge
as they traveled along.
Um, when it was wet,
it looked like a potter's wheel.
When dry, a dust bowl.
Could you tell the judge
about Shelby Anne?
Yeah, I can.
She was born with a deformed ear.
And her heart only had two chambers
rather than four.
Her kidneys weren't formed, so
blood was running straight into her lungs
instead of her heart.
She fought as hard as she could,
but she died.
[Wilby] Thank you, Tracey.
Anything from the defense?
Just to remind the court that this case
is not about dead children.
[Tracey] No, it's not.
It should be, but it's not.
My girl isn't included in this trial,
but other children are.
And I'm here for them.
And the damage my council did them,
in case you needed reminding of that.
[Sam] Excuse me. Do you know if he's in?
Owes you money, does he?
His dad was salt of the earth, you know.
But him… Jesus.
I just need a word, you know.
Keeps himself to himself.
Sometimes I think he's moved out.
Then I see the bin left out,
full of bottles.
Good luck, pal.
-[Wilby] Can you confirm your name?
-[Susan] Susan McIntyre.
[Wilby] Can you confirm
the name of your son, Susan?
Connor McIntyre.
Connor was born
with a limb difference, is that right?
And a dodgy immune system.
When you were pregnant with Connor,
you were living where in Corby?
Dumble Close.
[Wilby] Whilst you were pregnant,
did you see
lorries transporting the waste?
[Susan] Every day.
No one thought anything of them, really.
I used to go see my mum
on the Exeter Estate, and
walking there from Dumble Close,
the lorries would roar by.
Tell me about the lorries.
They were filthy.
They always left sludge. The air was foul.
How's Connor doing now?
[Susan] He's doing well.
He's a good boy.
But it's amazing what you need a hand for.
Writing well.
Using a computer.
Playing in the park too.
But it's more than that.
There hasn't been a year
where something hasn't happened.
An operation.
An infection.
Something that meant he missed school.
Missed making friends.
Missed things that matter.
My son has been in pain his entire life.
And it wasn't his fault.
And I don't like that.
No further questions.
Hello, Susan.
Do you mind if I ask a few questions?
If you want to.
You have a history of depression.
Is that right, Susan?
Yeah.
You were diagnosed in 1996.
Yeah.
[barrister] Were you on medication?
[Susan] Yeah.
I've taken… uh, diazepam, reboxetine,
Prozac, and temazepam.
Are you aware that those medications
have side effects?
I didn't take them
while I was pregnant with Connor.
[barrister] What's your relationship
with alcohol?
My Lord, this question feels
unnecessarily intrusive.
I'll allow it.
I like alcohol.
But if your question is did I drink while
I was pregnant with Connor? No, I didn't.
And I didn't smoke either.
You may think what you want
to think about me.
But I wanted my kids to be healthy.
We all want our children to be healthy.
[somber music playing]
[reporter] Germany and France
came out of recession.
We are now in the longest
and deepest recession
since the Second World War.
The idea that there was a plan
to get us through this recession is--
How is it?
I can't tell.
Look, the thing is, I can't…
What if you lose, Maggie?
What if I give evidence, and you…
we lose?
Because I can't do anything else.
And Pat, you know he'll stop me getting
any other building job there is.
He's vindictive like that.
Don't get me wrong, I can't forgive
myself for harming Samuel.
For hurting my own boy.
[crying] I'm sorry.
[Maggie] It's okay. Come here.
I'll speak for the both of us.
Come here. I love you. I love you.
Okay.
Okay. It's all right. I love you.
[gentle music playing]
How was it?
Susan had it harder than me.
What did they ask you?
What are we doing tomorrow?
I don't know. It's a school day,
and I've got work, and…
Talk me through it.
What?
What will we give the kids for breakfast?
Uh, toast.
-And?
-Trace.
Tracey, it's okay to be upset.
And we'll chop up an apple
to give them with their toast.
And then we'll do their teeth after.
And then you'll put them in the car.
And drive them to school.
Yeah. And we'll be late.
'Cause we always are.
And that Mrs. Hendrix will give me a look.
Like she always does.
It'll be normal.
A normal day.
[gentle music fades]
Right, that's me.
Daniel wanted another ten minutes
on his phone, so I said he could have it.
I'm a good mother, aren't I?
What?
I don't know why I'm asking you.
[Peter] You're bloody great.
I never drank.
I never smoked. Not when I was pregnant.
-I didn't even take my happy pills.
-You did all you could.
Beautiful kids from a beautiful woman.
The lawyers come after you, did they?
Yeah, they do that.
Yeah, they just…
You're Susan fucking McIntyre.
[laughs]
Here you are.
You're a great mum.
With a great arse.
With a great couple of kids.
You're great all over.
[Susan] This is new.
Where's this from?
Ah, just battle scars.
Best forgotten, love.
[somber music playing]
[tense, rhythmic music playing]
Ted.
Hi, Sam.
Into my third night now.
You don't leave your house much.
Know the one thing they don't tell you
about living in a car?
The light.
It's so bloody light all the time.
Um…
My father would be so ashamed.
Oh, for pity's sake.
Shame is only shameful
if there's truth behind it.
Pull yourself together.
What, like you have?
You lonely old bastard.
Oh sure, I am old.
I'm lonely. I'm a bastard.
But I'm no afraid of what people say.
Everyone's looked down on me for years.
I take it as a compliment.
These men?
They're in the gutter.
So their down must be my up.
The trial needs you, Ted.
That's why I'm here.
I don't think my dad would like me
betraying his mates.
What, you think these men
are your dad's mates? Eh?
Ah, well, you've got to do a lot better
than your dad would, that's for sure.
You've got a choice.
Abuse or make.
They think they're still making.
With working-class credentials
slung across their middle like a belt.
But they'll become the abusers, Ted.
They need facing down.
[quietly] No.
It's not for me.
This has cost me enough, Sam. I'm done.
Hi, Tony.
I managed to find the section on which
the council's expert's analysis is based,
on the traveling of particle sizes.
I tried to reproduce it in a spreadsheet.
That didn't work.
-Tony, how much coffee you had?
-I haven't had much sleep, actually.
Look, the equation doesn't balance.
Her findings are flawed.
I think there's a digit missing.
-That's great.
-Yeah, but…
I don't know quite how to prove it.
What do you need from us?
The paper she uses is from a coal study.
Now, the coal study seems
to use a German paper
that I can't quite get hold of.
-What's it called?
-It doesn't matter what it's called.
I can't find it.
[carousel playing jolly tune]
[Peter] Great chips.
The fish… got to say, I don't trust.
We're a long way from the coast here.
It's nice.
When I was in Norfolk,
I had fish down there… perfect.
When were you in Norfolk?
We should go night fishing sometime.
I used to love that with my dad.
A few tins. Crisps.
A riverbank we're not supposed to be on,
you know?
I'm not the best fisherman.
Have you, um… thought about
what you're going to do
when this is all over?
What's over?
School.
The trial.
Trial will be over before school.
I've had an idea for… a… a small garage.
Repairs and all that sort of stuff.
There's a growing market nowadays
in classic cars.
I'm not much of a mechanic either, eh.
Maybe you can manage it.
Me and Daniel,
we'll be the ones getting greasy,
and your mum too.
She was a dab hand
with her dirty moped back in the day.
-Don't understand what you mean.
-I don't want you to waste it. You know.
The money.
McIntyre and Co.
And classic cars, I tell you.
-I haven't even got the money yet.
-Well, you will.
I've got more ideas
if you're not keen on cars.
You have the last chip.
Too late! [laughs]
You div. You absolute div.
[Wilby] What size truck
did your husband drive?
A 32,000-kilogram tipper truck.
A dump truck is how most people call them.
And how many loads
would he transport a day?
On a good day, something over 40.
He was paid six pound extra
for every load over 40,
which over a week,
could amount to a good amount
because my husband was a very good driver.
[Wilby] So, the drivers
were rewarded for speed?
Oh yes. Yes, it was all about how fast
the muck could be moved.
Covering the trucks
would've taken too long, you see.
You poured it in,
you bombed across town, you poured it out.
All the drivers were the same.
My husband was… is not a reckless man.
He's a good man, in fact.
But this is what he was expected to do,
you understand.
He did as everyone else did.
[unsettling music playing]
[Derek] You were incredible.
Thank you.
-[music fades]
-[Susan humming]
[Connor] Is he staying?
-Sorry?
-It's just he's been here a while now.
Staying over, I mean.
[Susan] You mean Peter?
You don't want him to stay?
He keeps talking about what I should do
with my money if we win.
What?
Business this, business that.
But… I mean, I don't mind
if he makes you happy, I guess.
[scoffs] It'll be your money.
I've never had a single interest.
Yeah, thing is… he's not you, Mum.
I thought I'd make my famous pancakes.
Fancy it, Con?
The secret is too much butter.
I just like cereal.
Okay. Susie?
No.
You know, I think you should go.
Get breakfast out somewhere.
What's brought this on?
She just wants you to go.
-Anyone ask you to stick your beak in?
-Don't talk to him like that!
He's my son.
And he's a cheeky bastard. And…
-[scoffs] I just want to make pancakes.
-But Mum's asked you to leave.
Fucking hell.
-Now there's three of them.
-Yeah, my family.
Come on, Peter.
Peter?
I'm your dad.
Funny-looking dad.
These kids, both of them.
The behavior. Who dragged them up?
You're not babysitting no more.
-You're not seeing them.
-You can't do that, can you?
Try me. I'm good at law. And you?
My son is not a piggy bank.
[Peter] I never thought that.
I never said that.
And you're not his dad.
You haven't earned it. Now fuck off.
Get out of it.
You want me to stay, and you know it.
You know what?
I really don't.
[tense music playing]
Fuck off.
Hey.
Right.
Okay.
German. German. German.
[line ringing]
Hello. Uh, guten Tag.
Yes. Do you speak English?
No, um…
Sprechen Sie Englisch?
-Uh…
-[keyboard clacking]
[reading German translation]
Yes. Okay.
The man who gave me the files.
Here's his address.
Is he willing to be a witness?
No… you can force him, right?
-You can't force him? A subpoena?
-[sighs]
We can issue a summons for him,
but a reluctant witness can be risky.
They can end up helping their case
a lot more than ours.
Look, I… I need him
to back up those files. Unless I can…
Look, the thing is,
he doesn't want to be on our side.
But that doesn't mean
he won't tell the truth.
[sighs] So it's just summons and hope?
I believe in him.
If that counts for anything.
And you're no the only one
taking risks for this trial, Mr. Collins.
[cell phone vibrating]
[Des] Yes?
[Dani] Des, I've got it.
I've got the paper.
What does it say?
The council's equation was taken
from a government-sponsored report
on the coal industry.
It's a long report, but we managed to find
the section on which
Heasman's analysis is based.
And what did you see in this report?
Occasionally in our field of work,
an equation is relied upon
without questioning.
In this case, Leslie Heasman,
as an expert witness for the council,
based her equation on a series of graphs
looking at how far dust
of different particle sizes can travel.
Graphs from a German research paper.
File two, Exhibit 12.
And unfortunately,
she missed a digit in that equation.
A vital digit,
as our comparison document will show.
-[Wilby] That's File two, Exhibit 31.
-[speaking indistinctly]
My Lord, before cross-examination,
we will need time
to analyze these figures.
Of course. Please take the time.
I'm right. They're wrong.
[scattered chuckling]
Thank you, Professor Cox.
Is it enough?
[clears throat] Well, it's a sizeable blow
when they concede it.
-Which they will.
-Yes!
Jesus, Des.
But… if you're asking
for my professional judgment,
I'd say no, it's not enough.
-What else do we need?
-[Wilby] You need knowledge.
You need to show that they knew
the risks weren't being managed.
It's not enough to pollute,
one has to have culpability.
Jesus, Des, you're making me jumpy too.
-He's tired.
-[Dani sighs]
I can pull in Sam Hagen.
He can only report on hearsay.
-We can put Roy Thomas on the stand.
-No, it wouldn't be helpful.
The man who leaked the Council files
is Ted Jenkins.
Sam Hagen says
we can trust him to tell the truth,
but he won't come in unless compelled.
You haven't even talked to him?
He could either not turn up,
or turn up and back the council 100%.
Or he could be the evidence
that shows the council's culpability.
Yeah, it's a risk.
The question is, is it one worth taking?
[tense music playing]
Oh, I…
It's certainly not my decision.
I call Edward Jenkins.
[suspenseful music intensifies]
I, Edward Jenkins, do solemnly,
sincerely, and truly declare and affirm
the evidence I shall give
shall be the truth,
the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth.
I think you are,
by profession, an engineer.
Is that correct, Mr. Jenkins?
Yes, I have a BSc from Northampton,
and I was employed by Corby Council
as a senior engineering technician.
And you were working mainly
on the reclaiming of the steelworks.
What… What did that involve?
Initially, soil reports, level survey,
contamination analysis.
[Wilby] Did you discover contamination?
[Ted] Steelmaking is a toxic process.
There wasn't a square foot of the ground
that wasn't… contaminated by it.
Our job was to make the land
fit for redevelopment.
[Wilby] Right, and did you succeed?
Honestly, I don't think anyone knows.
Trouble is there were so many backhanders
floating about at the time
that what was fit and not became confused.
My Lord, we are not examining
maladministration in this case.
We are examining practice.
Yes, but maladministration matters
if it impacts… practice, right?
Well, this did.
I'm not sure this supposition
is helpful, My Lord.
No, I agree. Mr. Jenkins, could you be
more specific in what you're saying?
[tense music playing]
Those files the council gave you
are full of lies, and I'll tell you why.
[scattered gasps]
I flagged health and safety concerns
at numerous sites,
and every single time that I tried,
the report was taken from me.
-[Wilby] What would you have flagged?
-[Ted] It's a list and a half.
They manipulated pH numbers
in the soil reports.
Geotextile membranes that were supposed
to be securely fitted over the waste
were very poorly made.
Noxious leachate that was left untreated,
it drained into nearby brooks and streams.
Trucks were supposed to have covers
fitted over the tops,
and their wheels washed
as to not spread this toxic waste.
But instead of being handled properly,
it was traveled at speed
along public roads
slopping over the sides of the vehicles.
For the firm and the council involved,
having these sites clear for redevelopment
as fast as possible was all that mattered.
They broke every rule.
Or most of them.
That toxic waste dried
on the public roads,
and that's…
that's how Corby made toxic dust.
[Wilby] Did you raise your concerns?
[Ted] I raised them with every level
of the council.
[Wilby] And what did they tell you?
[hesitates] They told me that
I didn't understand how Corby works.
No further questions, My Lord.
Mr. Jenkins, you were fired
by Corby Borough Council, am I right?
Yeah, but I'd already been
leaking documents to Sam Hagen
for six months by then. Ask him.
Why were you fired?
They accused me
of fiddling my car expenses.
-But the truth is they just wanted me out.
-So you didn't fiddle your expenses?
No, I did.
It was because I was young,
and… everyone told me to,
and I didn't know any better.
What I did cost a few quid, yeah.
But what they did cost far more.
I'm not proud of much in my life,
but one thing that I am proud of
is every single thing I gave to Sam Hagen.
Every single thing that I said
and every single thing I gave him
is absolutely true.
[tense music playing]
[justice]
The epidemiological evidence showed
that there was an unexplained cluster
of birth defects
to the children of mothers living in Corby
during much of the relevant period.
[children chatter excitedly]
The toxicological evidence
demonstrated that there were,
from the reclamation sites
being worked on by CBC,
contaminants which could realistically
cause the birth defects in question.
[suspenseful music builds]
The fetal medicine evidence
showed that it was feasible
for those contaminants to cause
most of the birth defects in question.
These facts, supported
by the waste management evidence,
proved that there had been
continuing breaches of the duty of care
owed to the claimants
on the part of Corby Borough Council.
Those defaults led to the distribution
of contaminated materials.
Materials which damaged the claimants
and the children inside them.
It is for these reasons
that I find for the claimant.
[group cheering]
[triumphant music playing]
[music fades]
You know the difference
between brownfield and greenfield land?
Yes?
So much more expensive
to build on brown than green land.
'Cause you've got to clean it up first.
But so vital, 'cause otherwise--
You had enough time
to make your case in court.
[Roy] Don't you see?
All you've done is made sure
towns like ours don't survive.
Health and safety. Needless red tape.
Not needless,
but sometimes there are other needs.
-Yeah, profits over people.
-Oh, fuck off.
People say that you're an honest man.
Well, read that judgment carefully,
because you will honestly see that a town
that is made by burning up red tape
and using it as fuel does so much damage--
Yeah, what's your take?
What's your percentage?
I can tell you how much
I get for my job. Fuck all.
You've accused me of being
an ambulance chaser through this,
and do you know what's funny?
I didn't even get legal aid.
All this has been at my risk.
And the things that I did,
the things that I had to do,
you have no idea.
And I did it,
I did all this, because it mattered.
Because I believe
that people need protecting.
And my question to you, Councilor…
is when did you forget that?
[sighs]
-["Bulletproof" playing]
-Until it's cheap ♪
Been there, done that, messed around ♪
Having fun, don't put me down ♪
I'll never let you
Sweep me off my feet… ♪
Absolutely not.
This time, baby ♪
I'll be ♪
Bulletproof ♪
This time, baby ♪
I'll be ♪
Bulletproof… ♪
To partnership?
You did well.
We all did.
-Come here.
-[chuckles]
Your dad would be proud of you.
I don't know your dad, to be honest,
but he should be too.
Thank you.
He's okay, your dad? Not a wrong'un?
You never know with men these days.
You're all right. [laughs]
Thanks.
Cheers.
[upbeat pop music ends]
Too much for you in there?
[chuckles] Not enough.
I'm ready to smash champagne bottles
over my head and go limbo dancing,
but Des is more boring.
No.
Hey. It's nice.
I just…
I just need to find Tracey.
You should phone her.
I did, but she didn't answer.
She's not at home.
But I know where to find her.
Oh, why are you so kissable tonight?
Mwah!
It's 'cause you're rich.
-We are.
-You are.
Well, you won it.
Because I wanted you to have it.
It's yours, Connor.
For you, for your life.
-I don't know what I'll do with it.
-Good. You shouldn't. Not yet.
But you will.
Maybe soap wouldn't be
a bad first investment.
-When did you last clean your ears?
-Who cleans their ears?
-You've got things living in there.
-Yeah, maybe I want them to be.
Go sneak a drink.
I'll see you later.
I love you.
Love you.
-Piss off.
-[chuckles]
[gentle music playing]
[Tracey] Go away, please.
Seriously, go back to your party.
And miss this?
How did you know I'd be here?
Where else would you be?
We won.
We showed them bastards.
We told them to sit up.
And they had to sit up.
Because of us.
Because of you.
None of this happens without you.
Or you.
Oh, yeah. I was vital.
There's no denying that.
But you were just as vital.
Almost as vital.
-[chuckles]
-Slightly vital.
Thirteen years of a fight.
I can't even remember how it started.
In a labor ward.
Yeah.
So, what's next?
[laughs] Oh, fuck off.
-I'm done.
-[chuckles]
Shit.
I'm done.
-We're done.
-Yeah.
Yeah. [chuckles]
["High Hopes" by Paolo Nutini playing]
But my eyes ♪
Can't believe what they see, no ♪
Oh, give me something to believe ♪
Give me something to believe ♪
Oh, lucky in life ♪
I got plenty to eat ♪
And I saw this world ♪
As one big pool of opportunity ♪
Oh, but there's
Too much mind corruption ♪
Too little remedy ♪
Or that's how it seems to me ♪
Yeah, we need a moral education ♪
To set the young minds free ♪
So let us change what we can
And accept what we can't ♪
And import some of the wisdom
From the tried and tested man ♪
Oh, there's no harm in being wrong
You know, no in fact to me ♪
It's common ground, yeah ♪
So take that feather from you cap, sir ♪
And pass that feather around ♪
Yeah ♪
My hopes are high ♪
But my eyes ♪
Can't believe what they see ♪
Oh, give me something to believe in ♪
Give me something to believe, yeah ♪
[upbeat folk music continues]
Oh, my hopes are high ♪
But my eyes
Can't believe what they see ♪
Oh, my hopes are high ♪
Oh, give me something
Give me something to believe ♪
Oh, my hopes are high ♪
But my eyes
Can't believe what they see ♪
Oh, my hopes are high ♪
Oh, give me something
Give me something to believe ♪