Line of Duty (2012) s06e06 Episode Script
Season 6, Episode 6
Operation Lighthouse.
Re the unsolved murder of Gail Vella on September 10th, 2019.
The Gail Vella murder weapon was never recovered.
Move in.
However, the cartridge and bullet were tailored ammunition.
The White Rock Unit is equipped with the exact machinery required for this process.
By the time of our inquiry in 2015, Thurwell had taken early retirement, believed to be living in Spain.
I wonder if Gail discovered the link between Thurwell and the Lawrence Christopher case.
I've been looking into other members of Thurwell's team.
Detective Constable Ian Buckells.
Inspector Philip Osborne.
I don't know where you're getting your figures from, - but I can assure - The figures come from your own office, Chief Constable.
The Chief's thrown me under a bus.
I'd been fighting his plan to scale back AC-12.
It's down to you now, Ted, in whatever time you've got left.
You want to talk about rats? Ask your boss.
Superintendent Hastings? Well, he told me there was a rat in our crew.
And that rat turned out to be an undercover copper.
John Corbett.
It's as easy as that, Jo.
It's best if you request a transfer.
Is this personal? I am Detective Chief Superintendent Patricia Carmichael.
Carmichael's taking command.
It's on the Chief Constable's orders, and we've just learned he could have been a beneficiary of Gail Vella's murder.
One more chance, Ryan.
- Drop it! - One more chance! No! Six Five to Control, on scene.
Stand by for sitrep.
Seven Six, unarmed, clear to approach.
Charlie Seven Two to Control.
Vehicle at scene.
Body on floor next to vehicle.
Standby.
Kate's car's missing.
Request urgent obs.
Alpha Charlie Five Two, Control, active message, request urgent obs.
Where is Kate? Seven Six, all clear, sir.
Unarmed, clear to approach.
Search this area! Check that body for signs of life.
Repeat, service vehicle, DI Fleming.
Preserve the scene, let them work! Alpha Charlie Five Two, Control, active message, State Six at Menton Road, one police major trauma, request urgent paramedic attendance and full forensic deployment.
Ryan Pilkington, two gunshot wounds to the chest.
- No pulse, he's well gone.
- Right.
If you hadn't withdrawn our bloody surveillance Given her OCG links, I think we have to assume that Davidson or her associates are the likely shooter.
DI Fleming was authorised to carry a concealed firearm for her own protection.
Go state 12, channel three.
Five Two, switching.
DI Fleming's vehicle.
Alpha Charlie Five Two, Control, on three.
Control, Service Vehicle registered to DI Fleming located Crowan Road.
Units report vehicle, service mobiles and radios abandoned, subject's not present at scene.
- Five Two, received.
- You know her best.
Where would she go? I'm sorry, ma'am.
I've no idea.
Issue an order for the arrest of Jo Davidson and Kate Fleming.
Consider them armed and dangerous.
Mother of God.
This is the back entrance to Steve's.
No-one's around this time of night.
Are you sure you can trust him? Steve? Totally.
Why wasn't there surveillance on Ryan and me? - It got suspended.
- On purpose? No, on the orders of the Chief and DCS Carmichael.
That's nothing to do with me.
Look, I haven't got the foggiest idea what's going on.
All I know is somebody's behind all of this.
Kate, you've got to believe me.
I had nothing to do with it.
No? You lured me there to be murdered.
- Kate - Didn't you? Now look where we are.
Ryan's dead, and I'm in the frame for it.
I'm sorry, Kate, that's the last thing I'd want.
You've got to believe me! - Let me prove it to you.
- How? Give me your gun.
Do you believe me now? Brilliant.
Nice one, Steve.
I always worried you were pretending.
Pretending? You know what I mean to lure me into trusting you.
We've got to get a move on.
Steve's been made a bloody DI, about time he got a grown-up car.
Yes? Any news of Kate? Er, sorry, sir, nothing yet.
DCS Carmichael has ordered me to update the Operation Lighthouse evidence.
Sorry.
You still won't answer.
Were you lying to me, Kate? This is about you, Jo, not me.
You said you wanted me on your team because I'm ex-anticorruption.
- Were you lying about that? - No! I thought it might help me resist what they were forcing me to do.
You never stopped manipulating the inquiry into the Gail Vella murder.
They control me! Ever since I joined the force! The more I did their bidding, the more they had over me.
- I'm not bent.
- Well, then, prove it.
You'll get Witness Protection if you tell us everything.
"Witness Protection"?! Even Tom No matter who it is, however powerful, when they turn, they get killed.
What chance do I stand? Just tell me everything you know, Jo.
Starting with your family, you nearly said his name, Tommy Hunter.
AC-12 found DNA in Farida's house showing you're related.
- So you already know everything.
- Hardly.
I need the truth.
My mum was Tommy's sister.
And my dad was bent, a police officer.
Right, well, the only way you're getting out of this is to prove you're not bent.
That's Gail Vella's house.
You want proof I'm not bent? You're about to get it.
End of the road, turn left.
DCS Carmichael.
Gaffer, Carmichael's on the move.
I'm not sure what's happening.
Well, let's not wait for the crumbs, son.
Pull up here.
This place used to be a front for the OCG.
And right across the street is Terry Boyle's flat.
Shit.
Tango Oscar Eight Six, Control, active message, visual of suspect vehicle, TA Market Street travelling at speed.
Oh, shit! - Brace! - Ugh! Go! Eight Six, Control, suspect vehicle failed to comply, initiating a pursuit.
NPAS Six Five, maintain obs and open microwave downlink.
Shit.
Armed police! Armed police! Armed police! Get out of the vehicle with your arms raised and your hands open, with palms facing towards me.
Armed police! Get back! Armed police, stay indoors! Get back! How have they managed to intercept us? Something's not right.
Get out of the vehicle with your arms raised and your hands open, with palms towards me.
Final warning.
This isn't your fault.
I'll say I forced you to drive me.
Get out of the vehicle with your arms raised, your hands open, with palms towards me! Kate, we don't have a choice! Control, sitrep, two occupants still in vehicle.
Control to Eight Four, received.
We have a visual link from helicopter, maintain sitrep.
Alpha Charlie Eight Four to Control.
Two occupants exiting the vehicle now.
Control to Eight Four, received.
We're police officers! - DI Fleming.
- DSU Davidson! Hands above your head! Open them, palms towards me.
I'm a police officer going about my lawful duty! Lower your weapons! Hands above your head! Open them! .
.
have verbally identified themselves as police officers.
Armed officers giving directions.
DCS Carmichael now on scene.
DCS Carmichael, you are ordered to surrender! Jesus Christ, Steve's in on it.
I'm taking out a pistol! I'll put it on the ground! DI Fleming, surrender your firearm! Jo, we're being framed.
This is your final warning, lay down your firearm.
Slowly.
Hands where we can see them.
We surrender! Kate Hand on weapon.
Ma'am, if I may This is Superintendent Hastings.
I can assure you you'll be treated fairly with the full protection of the law.
Steve told me some bad stuff about the gaffer.
This is my fault, sir.
DI Steve Arnott! I'm unarmed! - You bastard, Steve! - Stay there, Kate.
Take the gun out slowly.
Lay it on the ground.
You gave me up! You told them! Kate, I give you my word, I didn't.
That's bullshit.
How would they know what car I'm driving? Kate, listen to me.
I don't know how they knew.
If it came from me, I'd be straight with you.
That's how it is between us.
And I'm telling you, I didn't give you up, neither did the gaffer.
Come on, mate.
I don't know what the hell's going on either, why the Chief's ordered Carmichael to take over, but I promise you, I'll get you to safety.
Both of you.
She's cooperating! Lay it on the ground.
She's put the gun down! Second person has placed firearm on the floor.
Come on, mate, I'll walk you in.
Get behind me.
You too, ma'am.
Both persons are now walking with arms raised, with DI Arnott.
Check out the old OCG Print Shop.
Also, Ryan Pilkington confessed to the murder of Maneet Bindra and John Corbett.
Don't you worry, Kate, I'll see you're well looked after, or by Christ, they'll have me to answer to.
Arrest them both.
Put them in forensic suits, transfer them to dry cells.
Log the reg of the transport vehicle.
Alpha Charlie 96 to Control, both persons retained in handcuffs.
Weapons being made safe.
Will need a forensic recovery for the vehicle.
Ambulance, stand down.
96, received.
You should have shared Kate's whereabouts with me.
I didn't want to put you in a difficult position with Carmichael.
Kate told me Ryan Pilkington confessed to Maneet's murder.
Pilkington? He also confessed to the murder of John Corbett.
Ma'am.
Ma'am, the interviews with Davidson and Kate, DI Arnott and I will be involved, of course? We know the inquiry like the back of our hands.
Mmm.
DI Arnott, I've just learned that the vehicle was yours and keys to your home were found on DI Fleming's person.
We've got keys to each other's homes and vehicles in the event of extreme circumstances.
Oh, OK, yes.
I see.
What would constitute "extreme circumstances"? An unexplained disruption of the chain of command.
Superintendent Hastings has been informed of his impending retirement.
Ma'am, I must protest! That information was confidential! And so, to ensure a smooth transition, I've assumed command.
So from now on, DI Arnott, you'll be taking orders from me or face disciplinary action.
Right.
Is there anything else you're not sharing with me? I'm waiting.
Kate said we should check out the old OCG Print Shop, the front where John Corbett worked.
Very good.
Report back after Davidson's rest period to assist me in interviewing her.
- Dismissed.
Thank you.
- Ma'am.
I'll lead the interview and you can assist within the parameters set by me.
Do you think you can manage that? Very good.
I'll see you in the morning.
How did you know of Davidson and Kate's whereabouts? Oh, we put trackers on all AC-12 vehicles.
- What? - Mm, Chief Constable's orders.
Thank goodness we did.
My officers were going about their lawful duty.
Putting trackers on their vehicles was a flagrant breach of trust.
No, you're right, Ted.
The Chief and I don't trust you.
AC-12 interview of Acting Detective Superintendent Joanne Davidson in the presence of her solicitor, Police Federation Representative by Chief Superintendent Carmichael, Superintendent Hastings, Detective Inspector Arnott.
You remain under caution.
Following your arrest, a search of your registered address, Apartment G, 9 Croxford Street, was carried out under Section 18 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
Image 17 on screen.
Image 17 is a crime-scene photograph captured during the search of Apartment G, 9 Croxford Street.
Who is seen in Image 17? No comment.
Document 22 in your folders and on screen.
Document 22 is a scan of Samantha Davidson's passport.
The person seen in Image 17 is Samantha Davidson, correct? No comment.
Document 6 in your folders and on screen.
Document 6 is Acting DSU Davidson's police personnel record.
Next of kin is given as Samantha Davidson.
What is your relationship to Samantha Davidson? No comment.
Oh, God, give me strength, it's going to be a long day.
We carried out checks on Samantha Davidson.
The passport shown in Document 22 is the last one on record.
An interim death certificate was issued for Samantha Davidson on the 5th of January 1996 by the Glasgow City Coroner.
The subsequent inquest into Samantha Davidson's death recorded a finding of suicide.
You all right, Jo? The purpose of our questioning is not to trigger painful memories but rather to address an important aspect of our inquiry.
Document 33 in your folders.
Document 33 is a forensic laboratory report submitted on the 19th of November 2020, relating to DNA deposits detected during a search of 29 Stalton Drive conducted up to and including the 16th of November 2020.
Comparison of said DNA deposits found a 100% match with DNA held on the national database belonging to Joanne Davidson.
Further comparison with criminal databases found a strong partial match to John Thomas Hunter.
Are you related by blood to John Thomas Hunter? No comment.
OK, I just gave you an opportunity to declare whether or not you are familiar with what we're about to disclose.
If not, you may find the following information distressing.
- DI Arnott.
- Document 33A.
Further analysis of the DNA found at 29 Stalton Drive detected runs of homozygosity.
This is an indicator of a close blood relationship between the subject's mother and father.
In the percentage match to Tommy Hunter, it has been concluded that Hunter was your uncle and also your father.
No.
No, he He was my uncle, that's That That's not true! So, what is the truth? You can see my colleague's distressed.
Perhaps we could have a short break? It's a simple enough question for Acting Detective Superintendent Davidson to answer.
No comment.
OK.
I think we should pause this interview and return you to custody until such time, if any, you're willing to cooperate.
Ma'am, wait.
Please.
Jo, if you're bent, fine, if you want to run the clock down.
We'll charge you and with the evidence we've got, you'll go away for a long time, but if you're not bent, this is your chance to prove it.
These things we've learned about your family history.
No-one can be blamed for what they're born into.
Or the path it puts them on.
Now's the time to give your side.
No comment.
You were still only a teenager when you lost your mum.
That must've been very upsetting.
No comment.
If you think you're going to wear us down, Acting Detective Superintendent Davidson, you have got another thing coming.
DI Arnott.
The search of Apartment G, 9 Croxford Street, detected an article seized in evidence appearing on screen in Image 11.
Image 11 shows item reference PW-5, a laptop computer.
Whose device is this? No comment.
Forensic examination of PW-5 detected fingerprints and DNA deposits relating to one person only.
Said fingerprints and DNA are a match for Joanne Davidson.
For what purpose did you employ this device? No comment.
Document 56 in your folders.
AC-12's Cybercrime Department carried out an examination of PW-5's hard drive.
Their findings are fully summarised in Document 56.
There are numerous text conversations between the user of PW-5 and an Unknown User.
Who are the participants in these text conversations? No comment.
Our Cybercrime Department detected an IP address for the PW-5 user matching 9 Croxford Street.
The IP address for the unknown user is located in Spain.
No comment.
What was the nature of these text conversations? No comment.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the wee donkey, can we just move this thing along, before it drives us all round the bloody bend? DI Arnott.
Please refer to the screen which shows a text conversation which took place on the 22nd of November at 21.
42, between the user of PW-5 and an unknown user.
Can you tell us what is meant by the instruction, "Get rid of her"? No comment.
You agreed to lure DI Fleming to her death, that's about the top and bottom of it, isn't it? No comment.
Look, you could say "no comment" till you're blue in the face, but we know what's what.
DI Fleming made a call to DI Arnott just minutes before an illicit rendezvous took place between you and PC Ryan Pilkington.
No comment.
You lured her to that rendezvous and there is the evidence, up there on the screen in black and white! Conspiracy to murder, which as you know, Acting Detective Superintendent Davidson, brings with it a life sentence.
And that's before we get to the rest of the evidence.
Which I would describe as a mountain.
A mountain of evidence.
And we haven't even scratched the surface! I was asking about your mum.
Yes? She took her own life? Yes.
This must be very painful for you, but do you think you can speak about that? She was born into it, same as me.
Hated what her family stood for.
Her brother, Tommy what a piece of work he was.
Yeah, you don't need to tell us what he was capable of, believe you me.
He controlled Mum's life.
Did he control yours? Not at first.
My mum was still a girl.
Raped, she told me though I never knew the details.
Forced to go through with the pregnancy.
Tommy sent her away, back to Glasgow, under her mum's maiden name.
I had no idea about any of this, until Tommy came looking.
But that was later, yes? I'd just turned 16.
He'd heard I was doing well in school, never been in trouble, plus no-one knew me here.
He wanted me for the police, he said, to do his bidding, to be under his control.
My mum couldn't bear the thought of me being with Uncle Tommy.
She knew she couldn't protect me.
That's why she took her own life? Yes.
It's all right.
Take your time, take your time.
You're doing well, Jo.
So Tommy hid from you he was your real father? Yes.
Who did you believe was your father? This person, did he control you the same way Tommy Hunter did? We can all see my colleague finds this line of questioning extremely distressing.
In regard to coercion and control, my colleague should be treated as a vulnerable person.
We'll move on.
Tommy Hunter is no longer a person of interest.
He became an informant and was killed by his own organisation in 2014.
It wasn't simply that he was an informant, ma'am.
What do you mean? Tommy had cultivated relationships with corrupt police officers, but they started to turn against him.
He felt betrayed, so he threatened to expose them all.
So it was police officers who got Hunter killed? They were heavily involved.
As you know, your former officer, DI Matthew Cottan, he orchestrated the plan.
Cottan was a disgrace to the uniform.
He betrayed the trust of every single one of us that he worked with.
So someone took Tommy's place at the top of the organisation and he gave Cottan the order to kill Tommy? Tommy held it all together.
It broke up into disparate elements, smaller OCGs.
The only thing that united them was how much they stood to lose if Tommy carried out his threat.
Because they relied on corrupt officers to carry out many of their criminal enterprises? Yes.
And they wanted to be able to continue exploiting them.
Yes, well, the OCGs, they may not be working to one man but the bent coppers, that's a different story.
They're a network, aren't they? This Force has detected no evidence of institutionalised corruption.
We have identified a number of high-ranking figures in a clandestine network of corrupt police officers.
Hypothetical network.
One such high-ranking figure, once erroneously code-named H, we now refer to as the Fourth Man, is he running the show? No comment.
We're here to examine DCI Davidson's offending, no-one else's.
Alleged offending.
Are you taking your orders from him? Who is the Fourth Man? I don't know.
- I don't believe you! - Let's move on.
Turning to Operation Lighthouse, the inquiry into the murder of Gail Vella, opened on the 10th of September 2019.
You became Senior Investigating Officer when? The following month.
6th of October.
Your predecessor was removed allegedly due to the inquiry's slow progress.
How did you come to be appointed? I'm an experienced murder investigator.
Image 24 on screen.
What is shown in Image 24? No comment.
Image 24 shows Item Reference FD-8 seized in evidence during a search of Apartment G, 9 Croxford Street.
Document 39 in your folders.
Document 39 is a photocopy of the contents of FD-8.
You will see that FD-8 contained documents relating to Operation Lighthouse.
Now, these documents were not present at Hillside Lane Police Station on the 4th of November of this year when AC-12 seized all files relating to Operation Lighthouse.
Why were these documents in your apartment? No comment.
These documents reveal for the first time that Detective Superintendent Ian Buckells noted that your predecessor as SIO was pursuing the line of inquiry that Gail Vella's murder was a contract killing carried out by organised criminals.
However, Detective Superintendent Buckells then wrote a memorandum suggesting that the SIO was failing to make any progress and that a new SIO be appointed.
Buckells mentions you by name.
Had you ever worked together? Not to my knowledge.
Hm, so what motivated Ian Buckells nominating you to be the Senior Investigating Officer on the Gail Vella murder? You'd have to ask Ian Buckells.
Yes, well, we did, and he denies all knowledge of the documents.
The same way he still claims no knowledge of the missing Operation Lighthouse files subsequently found hidden in his service vehicle.
Did you or someone close to you engineer your appointment, with Buckells as the convenient stooge? No comment.
You see, the last thing that organised crime would want is Operation Lighthouse coming knocking on their door.
So they had to put in a new SIO to suppress that line of inquiry in favour of a random act of violence, perpetrated by a disturbed individual acting alone, a Frame that neatly fits Terry Boyle.
I refused to charge Terry Boyle.
Why not? There was just about enough evidence.
Why did you not seek authority to charge Boyle? Was it because you couldn't go through with it? Is it because you just couldn't live with the idea of sending an innocent man to trial? Yes.
Good.
At last, we're getting somewhere.
OK, let's examine the other recent prime suspect identified by Operation Lighthouse.
Image 29 on screen.
Image 29 shows Terry Boyle on the right.
On the left, Image 29 shows Carl Banks.
Carl Banks was a known violent offender with lifelong links to organised crime.
On the night of the 26th of October, the Murder Investigation received a tip-off that an individual, who was almost certainly Carl Banks, had confessed to the murder of Gail Vella.
As a result of delays and leaks, Carl Banks was abducted and murdered and Terry Boyle installed in his place.
PS Farida Jatri was charged with leaking the information based on evidence seized from 29 Stalton Drive, the address where she claims the two of you lived.
Did you plant evidence against Farida Jatri? No comment.
You've already told us that you were coerced into a life of crime.
That you were forced to mislead and deceive.
Here, now, you have a choice.
A choice to tell the truth.
I planted the burner phones.
Farida's innocent.
Good.
Good.
Who leaked the information regarding the operation to arrest Carl Banks? I did.
And the armed robbery staged to coincide with the operation, you knew about that? It was a decoy I used to delay Banks' arrest.
And the mistakes in surveillance attributed to Detective Superintendent Buckells? I manipulated him into those.
It wasn't hard.
And the files that were planted in his service vehicle? I planted those.
What about the witness who came forward to incriminate Terry Boyle? Deborah Devereux.
All I know is we found out she was a former girlfriend of DSU Buckells.
And the false statement from Deborah Devereux, Buckells set that up? I don't know if he set that up himself or someone else did.
Why would he do that? He was worried the failure to solve the murder was making him look bad.
He was desperate for me to charge someone.
Let's be clear.
You have no evidence that Buckells was responsible for Deborah Devereux's false statement? Correct, ma'am.
And his desire to charge Terry Boyle was borne out of a legitimate fear for the advancement of his career? It appeared so, ma'am.
DI Arnott, can you bookmark the DIR? Significant testimony in determining whether the charges against Detective Superintendent Buckells should be discontinued.
OK, moving on, what can you tell us about the evidence against Terry Boyle? The images of Gail Vella found in his flat would seem to have been planted.
To the best of your knowledge, was Terry Boyle involved - in the murder of Gail Vella? - No, he was not.
To the best of your knowledge, was Carl Banks involved in the murder of Gail Vella? No comment.
Here we go again! We know Gail Vella attempted to make contact with Carl Banks' brother, Lee Banks, an inmate in Blackthorn Prison.
We believe Lee Banks informed Carl Gail Vella was investigating stories that the OCG were determined to suppress.
In regard to Gail Vella's investigative journalism, let's now examine your movements prior to your arrest last night.
DI Arnott.
On screen, Image 41.
Image 41 is a map showing telemetry from a tracking device attached to vehicle Victor, Oscar, six, nine, Golf, Kilo, Yankee in the early hours of the 24th of November 2020.
Victor, Oscar, six, nine, Golf, Kilo, Yankee is the vehicle in which you were a passenger at the time of your arrest.
Telemetry location two is the scene of Gail Vella's murder.
Telemetry location three relates to the derelict premises of the Kingsgate Printing Services.
Who is directing the movements of the vehicle? No comment.
A forensic search of Kingsgate Printing Services has been carried out.
Image 45 on screen.
Image 45 is a crime scene photograph captured at Kingsgate Printing Services showing the inside of the abandoned premises.
Image 46.
Image 46 is an item of evidence detected by the search team, Item reference TG-8.
TG-8 is a metal strong box.
The contents of TG-8 are shown in Image 47.
What is shown in Image 47? No comment.
Image 47 shows items references TG-11 and TG-12 - a laptop computer and desktop computer respectively.
Forensic examination of these devices detected fingerprints matching Gail Vella.
We believe these devices were stolen from Gail Vella's home around the time of her murder.
Now, the Operation Lighthouse files that you withheld relate in part to evidence of the theft of these devices.
This is crucial evidence you hid! I was leading Kate Fleming there to uncover the evidence, to prove Prove what? That I'm not bent.
Yes, but you hid this evidence for months! Not months, no.
That's not what happened.
I only began to suspect the evidence might be there after Terry Boyle's arrest.
The Print Shop had been long abandoned by the OCG, police searches concluded there 18 months ago and it was right across the street.
But you never ordered a search of the Print Shop.
Cybercrime examined the hard drives of both devices.
Passwords were input to access the stored files.
How would these passwords have been obtained? No comment.
Well, taking for granted the involvement of organised crime, I'd suggest an employee in the IT department at Gail Vella's news service was exploited using bribery, blackmail or intimidation.
No comment.
Numerous files were detected relating to Gail Vella's investigations into the links between organised crime and corrupt police officers.
We have found audio files of interviews with Jimmy Lakewell.
We have found research files confirming that Gail Vella was investigating the suppression of police inquiries into historic child sexual exploitation.
And we have found research confirming that Gail Vella was digging deep into police failure in the murder of Lawrence Christopher.
Did you know Gail Vella was looking into - the Lawrence Christopher murder? - No.
According to notes found on Gail Vella's devices, she visited Lee Banks on the 26th of August 2019 in Blackthorn Prison.
Now, as you know, Lee Banks is Carl Banks' brother.
It appears from Gail Vella's notes that Lee Banks declined to furnish any information regarding the murder of Lawrence Christopher.
We believe Lee informed Carl Banks and this was in large part the motivation for her murder.
Do you really expect us to believe that you didn't know this? I didn't.
I'll give YOU "I didn't"! One of the suspects in the Lawrence Christopher murder is your cousin, Darren Hunter! I, erm I mean, maybe if Darren had been arrested, he would have squealed.
He would have given up Tommy Hunter.
He would have given up you.
I didn't know.
The initial inquiry into Lawrence Christopher's murder was led by DCI Marcus Thurwell.
Do you know that name? No comment.
On screen, Image 75.
Who is shown in Image 75? No comment.
On screen, Image 77, the last-known image of the same individual.
Who is that? No comment.
Image 77 shows Marcus Thurwell.
What's your relationship to Marcus Thurwell? No comment.
Files detected on Gail Vella's computer prove that she was investigating not just Thurwell's role but the role of other officers in the inquiry.
Notably, Detective Constable Ian Buckells and Inspector Philip Osborne.
The interviewee has repeatedly claimed she doesn't know about any of this.
It's a dead end.
So let's focus on events surrounding the killing of PC Ryan Pilkington.
Ma'am, this is significant evidence crucial to the wider inquiry into institutionalised corruption.
Yes.
And I would prefer to confine ourselves to the set parameters of the anti-corruption inquiry in front of us.
DI Arnott, if you wouldn't mind, let's chivvy things along, shall we? Ma'am.
On screen, Images 62 to 65 inclusive.
Crime scene photographs of PC Ryan Pilkington's body.
How did Ryan Pilkington meet his death? No comment.
Document 60 in your folders.
Document 60 is the forensic pathologist's postmortem report on Ryan Pilkington.
"Cause of death was two gunshot wounds to the chest.
"At postmortem, two Parabellum 9x19mm rounds "were recovered from the thoracic cavity.
" Ryan Pilkington was fatally wounded by a firearm.
Describe what happened.
No comment.
DI Arnott.
DI Arnott.
Document 78 in your folders.
Document 78 is a report issued by NABIS on the 24th of November 2020.
Please refer to page two, paragraph six.
"Both Parabellum rounds recovered from the deceased "show markings consistent with being fired from a Glock 17 pistol, "serial number 277531.
" "277531 is the firearm lawfully issued "on the 20th of November 2020 to Detective Inspector Kate Fleming.
" Fingerprints matching DI Fleming were also detected on 277531.
Did DI Fleming shoot dead Ryan Pilkington? No.
No? Who, then? I did.
Hmm.
That doesn't square with the forensic evidence, I'm afraid.
Naturally, Kate's prints were on the firearm.
She'd handled it repeatedly.
But you'll also have found my prints on the firearm.
That's correct.
We did.
Because she was forced to hand it over to me.
Ryan had her at gunpoint.
I turned Kate's firearm on Ryan.
At the time of your arrest, Fleming had her firearm, you had Pilkington's.
I returned Kate's firearm.
I picked up Ryan's.
Forensic analysis of clothing worn by DI Fleming detected a dense distribution of gunshot residue on the right-hand sleeve, a finding commonly associated with the discharging of a firearm.
Kate was in the process of handing me the firearm when I turned the firearm on Ryan and discharged the fatal shots.
Kate's sleeve absorbed the gunshot powder.
Joanne Davidson, to be clear you are confessing to the murder of Ryan Pilkington? No, ma'am.
Pilkington was about to fire on DI Fleming.
At the time of the incident, I was a serving police officer.
Under Common Law, Section 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967 and Section 117 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, I am permitted to employ lethal force to prevent an imminent threat to life.
My colleague was acting lawfully.
I think you'll find that's for a court to decide.
You weren't in league with Pilkington? Ryan Pilkington was imposed on MIT against my will.
I was fully aware of his OCG connections.
He was there to intimidate me into misleading Operation Lighthouse.
So who was giving Pilkington his orders? Was it Marcus Thurwell? No comment.
We have presented clear evidence that you were getting your instructions from Spain.
We also know from our inquiries that Thurwell was in Spain.
Is this the person running the show, yes? No comment.
Marcus Thurwell was SIO in the Lawrence Christopher murder inquiry.
Now, we believe that he deliberately misled that inquiry to protect Darren Hunter, Tommy Hunter's son, on the expressed orders of Tommy Hunter.
No comment.
Lawrence Christopher, he was an architect.
He was a model citizen.
He had his head smashed in with a piece of lead piping by a bunch of racist thugs, one of whom was your cousin! Superintendent, your questioning is oppressive.
I'll give you "oppressive"! That lad had his whole life ahead of him, just like Gail Vella! They both died horrible deaths.
I dread to imagine what they suffered.
Yes.
Well, then, give them justice! Tell us who's giving the orders! I can't.
I'm sorry.
Is it Thurwell? Is it someone else? Is it Osborne? - I think we'll leave it there.
- Is it the Chief Constable?! Thank you, Superintendent Hastings.
Joanne Davidson, do you have anything further to say? No.
Joanne Davidson, I have been in consultation with the Senior Prosecutor at the Complex Case Unit.
Nothing you have disclosed during this interview has impacted on those discussions, and therefore I am authorised to charge you with the following offences.
Perverting the course of justice and malfeasance in a public office.
I will consult further regarding conspiracy to murder DI Kate Fleming and any charges relating to the death of PC Ryan Pilkington.
You will be remanded in custody.
Interview terminated at 11.
43.
You take care of the custody, son.
Just leave this one to me.
I'm sorry.
Yeah.
Me, too.
You and I both know that Jo Davidson is the best chance we've ever had of blowing wide open the network of corrupt police officers in league with organised crime.
Goodness me.
I must've been in another interview because every other answer I heard was "no comment".
You let her off the hook, ma'am.
And as for shutting down all my questions about the Fourth Man Superintendent, you are bitter about AC-12 being merged.
Who wouldn't be? It's got nothing to do with that! Enquiries into Jo Davidson will continue.
If she has more to reveal, we will get there, in time.
I don't have time.
Sir? Sometimes you don't lose, son you just run out of time.
As you were.
The Crown Prosecutor's gullible enough to consider proceedings against Jo Davidson alone in the death of Ryan Pilkington.
Thank you very much, ma'am.
Two shots to the chest.
Double tap.
Like a firearms-trained officer.
Davidson's not firearms-trained, is she? You are, though, aren't you, Kate? That's correct, ma'am.
So you'll provide a first account for my team, and then you're free to go.
I'm not gullible, Kate.
But I am pragmatic.
All right? All right? Thought we'd got rid of you.
No such luck.
You sure you're OK? I know nobody's coming after you over Ryan Pilkington's shooting, but if you ever need to talk about it.
Thanks, mate, I appreciate it, but I'm fine.
So, what did you get out of Jo? A lot less than we needed.
Did she say anything about her family history? She told me her dad was a police officer.
No.
Never even gave us that much.
She's scared, Steve, after what happened to Tommy, Dot, Lakewell, never mind John Corbett.
That's why we've got her on the VPU at Brentiss, security cameras monitoring access to her cell.
So what now? Well, we're into the forensics at the OCG workshop and, as I'm the senior detective left on Operation Lighthouse, I could be the point of contact between MIT and AC-12.
- Works for me, mate.
- Let's get this job done.
I'll drive.
Could be in the Red Lion by eight.
Nice work.
- All right, Chris? - Ma'am.
You remember DI Arnott? Sir.
Don't act like a tit, Sarge.
We're all in it together.
What you found? There's strong evidence of workshopping of firearms.
NABIS have given a preliminary report of matches between the machinery here and the markings on the firearms used in the Jimmy Lakewell ambush.
Forensics have harvested prints and DNA.
We're just waiting on the lab for any matches.
FC thinks they've covered the ground.
I'm going to call off the forensic deployment tonight.
No, you look at the weight of those.
No way were two OCG men on their own going to move them.
What was in their van? Tarpaulins, rope a couple of pickaxes, bolt cutters, a couple of wrenches, a socket set, Stanley knives, power tools, including power saws and power drills.
Right, let's call out the GPR, find out what's under that floor.
- Really? - Yeah, really.
Hiya.
Sorry, mate, my DI has requested GPR for White Rock.
Cheers.
- Chloe.
- Sir, we think we've found Thurwell.
We'll be right there.
They've located Marcus Thurwell.
Let's go.
Asigurarte el perimetro.
Capitan, estamos recibiendo la transmision de video y le escuchamos con claridad.
En espera de su informe.
Adelante, sin hacer ruido.
Ah, Kate, Steve.
The Spanish authorities are helping us in reference to apprehend Thurwell.
The Guardia Civil have received intel on this particular address.
Nos hemos asegurado que esta es la casa de Marcus Thurwell.
Las habitaciones estan vacias.
Entrar! Entrar! - Seguro.
- Nada.
- La casa parece estar desierta.
- Capitan, por aqui! Guardia Civil! Punetas.
In the name of God and his Holy Mother! Dos muertos.
Un hombre y una mujer.
Two dead, sir.
Male plus female.
Marcus Thurwell, Senora Thurwell.
Thank you, Captain.
We'll leave the rest to you.
Gracias, Capitan.
Dejamos que lleve los procedimientos necesarios.
Cambio y cierro.
It's just It's another kick in the teeth.
There's only so much a man can take! Wait there, please.
Sorry, wrong way.
God, this place is a maze.
For too long now, police officers have had to serve faceless, unaccountable bureaucrats.
We've even had to suffer political opportunists trying to win votes by vilifying police officers with false allegations of corruption.
We defend this constabulary from those who would obstruct us in serving the public.
Not only does this force face enemies without, there are enemies within.
I will personally see to it those enemies within are made to suffer the consequences.
Re the unsolved murder of Gail Vella on September 10th, 2019.
The Gail Vella murder weapon was never recovered.
Move in.
However, the cartridge and bullet were tailored ammunition.
The White Rock Unit is equipped with the exact machinery required for this process.
By the time of our inquiry in 2015, Thurwell had taken early retirement, believed to be living in Spain.
I wonder if Gail discovered the link between Thurwell and the Lawrence Christopher case.
I've been looking into other members of Thurwell's team.
Detective Constable Ian Buckells.
Inspector Philip Osborne.
I don't know where you're getting your figures from, - but I can assure - The figures come from your own office, Chief Constable.
The Chief's thrown me under a bus.
I'd been fighting his plan to scale back AC-12.
It's down to you now, Ted, in whatever time you've got left.
You want to talk about rats? Ask your boss.
Superintendent Hastings? Well, he told me there was a rat in our crew.
And that rat turned out to be an undercover copper.
John Corbett.
It's as easy as that, Jo.
It's best if you request a transfer.
Is this personal? I am Detective Chief Superintendent Patricia Carmichael.
Carmichael's taking command.
It's on the Chief Constable's orders, and we've just learned he could have been a beneficiary of Gail Vella's murder.
One more chance, Ryan.
- Drop it! - One more chance! No! Six Five to Control, on scene.
Stand by for sitrep.
Seven Six, unarmed, clear to approach.
Charlie Seven Two to Control.
Vehicle at scene.
Body on floor next to vehicle.
Standby.
Kate's car's missing.
Request urgent obs.
Alpha Charlie Five Two, Control, active message, request urgent obs.
Where is Kate? Seven Six, all clear, sir.
Unarmed, clear to approach.
Search this area! Check that body for signs of life.
Repeat, service vehicle, DI Fleming.
Preserve the scene, let them work! Alpha Charlie Five Two, Control, active message, State Six at Menton Road, one police major trauma, request urgent paramedic attendance and full forensic deployment.
Ryan Pilkington, two gunshot wounds to the chest.
- No pulse, he's well gone.
- Right.
If you hadn't withdrawn our bloody surveillance Given her OCG links, I think we have to assume that Davidson or her associates are the likely shooter.
DI Fleming was authorised to carry a concealed firearm for her own protection.
Go state 12, channel three.
Five Two, switching.
DI Fleming's vehicle.
Alpha Charlie Five Two, Control, on three.
Control, Service Vehicle registered to DI Fleming located Crowan Road.
Units report vehicle, service mobiles and radios abandoned, subject's not present at scene.
- Five Two, received.
- You know her best.
Where would she go? I'm sorry, ma'am.
I've no idea.
Issue an order for the arrest of Jo Davidson and Kate Fleming.
Consider them armed and dangerous.
Mother of God.
This is the back entrance to Steve's.
No-one's around this time of night.
Are you sure you can trust him? Steve? Totally.
Why wasn't there surveillance on Ryan and me? - It got suspended.
- On purpose? No, on the orders of the Chief and DCS Carmichael.
That's nothing to do with me.
Look, I haven't got the foggiest idea what's going on.
All I know is somebody's behind all of this.
Kate, you've got to believe me.
I had nothing to do with it.
No? You lured me there to be murdered.
- Kate - Didn't you? Now look where we are.
Ryan's dead, and I'm in the frame for it.
I'm sorry, Kate, that's the last thing I'd want.
You've got to believe me! - Let me prove it to you.
- How? Give me your gun.
Do you believe me now? Brilliant.
Nice one, Steve.
I always worried you were pretending.
Pretending? You know what I mean to lure me into trusting you.
We've got to get a move on.
Steve's been made a bloody DI, about time he got a grown-up car.
Yes? Any news of Kate? Er, sorry, sir, nothing yet.
DCS Carmichael has ordered me to update the Operation Lighthouse evidence.
Sorry.
You still won't answer.
Were you lying to me, Kate? This is about you, Jo, not me.
You said you wanted me on your team because I'm ex-anticorruption.
- Were you lying about that? - No! I thought it might help me resist what they were forcing me to do.
You never stopped manipulating the inquiry into the Gail Vella murder.
They control me! Ever since I joined the force! The more I did their bidding, the more they had over me.
- I'm not bent.
- Well, then, prove it.
You'll get Witness Protection if you tell us everything.
"Witness Protection"?! Even Tom No matter who it is, however powerful, when they turn, they get killed.
What chance do I stand? Just tell me everything you know, Jo.
Starting with your family, you nearly said his name, Tommy Hunter.
AC-12 found DNA in Farida's house showing you're related.
- So you already know everything.
- Hardly.
I need the truth.
My mum was Tommy's sister.
And my dad was bent, a police officer.
Right, well, the only way you're getting out of this is to prove you're not bent.
That's Gail Vella's house.
You want proof I'm not bent? You're about to get it.
End of the road, turn left.
DCS Carmichael.
Gaffer, Carmichael's on the move.
I'm not sure what's happening.
Well, let's not wait for the crumbs, son.
Pull up here.
This place used to be a front for the OCG.
And right across the street is Terry Boyle's flat.
Shit.
Tango Oscar Eight Six, Control, active message, visual of suspect vehicle, TA Market Street travelling at speed.
Oh, shit! - Brace! - Ugh! Go! Eight Six, Control, suspect vehicle failed to comply, initiating a pursuit.
NPAS Six Five, maintain obs and open microwave downlink.
Shit.
Armed police! Armed police! Armed police! Get out of the vehicle with your arms raised and your hands open, with palms facing towards me.
Armed police! Get back! Armed police, stay indoors! Get back! How have they managed to intercept us? Something's not right.
Get out of the vehicle with your arms raised and your hands open, with palms towards me.
Final warning.
This isn't your fault.
I'll say I forced you to drive me.
Get out of the vehicle with your arms raised, your hands open, with palms towards me! Kate, we don't have a choice! Control, sitrep, two occupants still in vehicle.
Control to Eight Four, received.
We have a visual link from helicopter, maintain sitrep.
Alpha Charlie Eight Four to Control.
Two occupants exiting the vehicle now.
Control to Eight Four, received.
We're police officers! - DI Fleming.
- DSU Davidson! Hands above your head! Open them, palms towards me.
I'm a police officer going about my lawful duty! Lower your weapons! Hands above your head! Open them! .
.
have verbally identified themselves as police officers.
Armed officers giving directions.
DCS Carmichael now on scene.
DCS Carmichael, you are ordered to surrender! Jesus Christ, Steve's in on it.
I'm taking out a pistol! I'll put it on the ground! DI Fleming, surrender your firearm! Jo, we're being framed.
This is your final warning, lay down your firearm.
Slowly.
Hands where we can see them.
We surrender! Kate Hand on weapon.
Ma'am, if I may This is Superintendent Hastings.
I can assure you you'll be treated fairly with the full protection of the law.
Steve told me some bad stuff about the gaffer.
This is my fault, sir.
DI Steve Arnott! I'm unarmed! - You bastard, Steve! - Stay there, Kate.
Take the gun out slowly.
Lay it on the ground.
You gave me up! You told them! Kate, I give you my word, I didn't.
That's bullshit.
How would they know what car I'm driving? Kate, listen to me.
I don't know how they knew.
If it came from me, I'd be straight with you.
That's how it is between us.
And I'm telling you, I didn't give you up, neither did the gaffer.
Come on, mate.
I don't know what the hell's going on either, why the Chief's ordered Carmichael to take over, but I promise you, I'll get you to safety.
Both of you.
She's cooperating! Lay it on the ground.
She's put the gun down! Second person has placed firearm on the floor.
Come on, mate, I'll walk you in.
Get behind me.
You too, ma'am.
Both persons are now walking with arms raised, with DI Arnott.
Check out the old OCG Print Shop.
Also, Ryan Pilkington confessed to the murder of Maneet Bindra and John Corbett.
Don't you worry, Kate, I'll see you're well looked after, or by Christ, they'll have me to answer to.
Arrest them both.
Put them in forensic suits, transfer them to dry cells.
Log the reg of the transport vehicle.
Alpha Charlie 96 to Control, both persons retained in handcuffs.
Weapons being made safe.
Will need a forensic recovery for the vehicle.
Ambulance, stand down.
96, received.
You should have shared Kate's whereabouts with me.
I didn't want to put you in a difficult position with Carmichael.
Kate told me Ryan Pilkington confessed to Maneet's murder.
Pilkington? He also confessed to the murder of John Corbett.
Ma'am.
Ma'am, the interviews with Davidson and Kate, DI Arnott and I will be involved, of course? We know the inquiry like the back of our hands.
Mmm.
DI Arnott, I've just learned that the vehicle was yours and keys to your home were found on DI Fleming's person.
We've got keys to each other's homes and vehicles in the event of extreme circumstances.
Oh, OK, yes.
I see.
What would constitute "extreme circumstances"? An unexplained disruption of the chain of command.
Superintendent Hastings has been informed of his impending retirement.
Ma'am, I must protest! That information was confidential! And so, to ensure a smooth transition, I've assumed command.
So from now on, DI Arnott, you'll be taking orders from me or face disciplinary action.
Right.
Is there anything else you're not sharing with me? I'm waiting.
Kate said we should check out the old OCG Print Shop, the front where John Corbett worked.
Very good.
Report back after Davidson's rest period to assist me in interviewing her.
- Dismissed.
Thank you.
- Ma'am.
I'll lead the interview and you can assist within the parameters set by me.
Do you think you can manage that? Very good.
I'll see you in the morning.
How did you know of Davidson and Kate's whereabouts? Oh, we put trackers on all AC-12 vehicles.
- What? - Mm, Chief Constable's orders.
Thank goodness we did.
My officers were going about their lawful duty.
Putting trackers on their vehicles was a flagrant breach of trust.
No, you're right, Ted.
The Chief and I don't trust you.
AC-12 interview of Acting Detective Superintendent Joanne Davidson in the presence of her solicitor, Police Federation Representative by Chief Superintendent Carmichael, Superintendent Hastings, Detective Inspector Arnott.
You remain under caution.
Following your arrest, a search of your registered address, Apartment G, 9 Croxford Street, was carried out under Section 18 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
Image 17 on screen.
Image 17 is a crime-scene photograph captured during the search of Apartment G, 9 Croxford Street.
Who is seen in Image 17? No comment.
Document 22 in your folders and on screen.
Document 22 is a scan of Samantha Davidson's passport.
The person seen in Image 17 is Samantha Davidson, correct? No comment.
Document 6 in your folders and on screen.
Document 6 is Acting DSU Davidson's police personnel record.
Next of kin is given as Samantha Davidson.
What is your relationship to Samantha Davidson? No comment.
Oh, God, give me strength, it's going to be a long day.
We carried out checks on Samantha Davidson.
The passport shown in Document 22 is the last one on record.
An interim death certificate was issued for Samantha Davidson on the 5th of January 1996 by the Glasgow City Coroner.
The subsequent inquest into Samantha Davidson's death recorded a finding of suicide.
You all right, Jo? The purpose of our questioning is not to trigger painful memories but rather to address an important aspect of our inquiry.
Document 33 in your folders.
Document 33 is a forensic laboratory report submitted on the 19th of November 2020, relating to DNA deposits detected during a search of 29 Stalton Drive conducted up to and including the 16th of November 2020.
Comparison of said DNA deposits found a 100% match with DNA held on the national database belonging to Joanne Davidson.
Further comparison with criminal databases found a strong partial match to John Thomas Hunter.
Are you related by blood to John Thomas Hunter? No comment.
OK, I just gave you an opportunity to declare whether or not you are familiar with what we're about to disclose.
If not, you may find the following information distressing.
- DI Arnott.
- Document 33A.
Further analysis of the DNA found at 29 Stalton Drive detected runs of homozygosity.
This is an indicator of a close blood relationship between the subject's mother and father.
In the percentage match to Tommy Hunter, it has been concluded that Hunter was your uncle and also your father.
No.
No, he He was my uncle, that's That That's not true! So, what is the truth? You can see my colleague's distressed.
Perhaps we could have a short break? It's a simple enough question for Acting Detective Superintendent Davidson to answer.
No comment.
OK.
I think we should pause this interview and return you to custody until such time, if any, you're willing to cooperate.
Ma'am, wait.
Please.
Jo, if you're bent, fine, if you want to run the clock down.
We'll charge you and with the evidence we've got, you'll go away for a long time, but if you're not bent, this is your chance to prove it.
These things we've learned about your family history.
No-one can be blamed for what they're born into.
Or the path it puts them on.
Now's the time to give your side.
No comment.
You were still only a teenager when you lost your mum.
That must've been very upsetting.
No comment.
If you think you're going to wear us down, Acting Detective Superintendent Davidson, you have got another thing coming.
DI Arnott.
The search of Apartment G, 9 Croxford Street, detected an article seized in evidence appearing on screen in Image 11.
Image 11 shows item reference PW-5, a laptop computer.
Whose device is this? No comment.
Forensic examination of PW-5 detected fingerprints and DNA deposits relating to one person only.
Said fingerprints and DNA are a match for Joanne Davidson.
For what purpose did you employ this device? No comment.
Document 56 in your folders.
AC-12's Cybercrime Department carried out an examination of PW-5's hard drive.
Their findings are fully summarised in Document 56.
There are numerous text conversations between the user of PW-5 and an Unknown User.
Who are the participants in these text conversations? No comment.
Our Cybercrime Department detected an IP address for the PW-5 user matching 9 Croxford Street.
The IP address for the unknown user is located in Spain.
No comment.
What was the nature of these text conversations? No comment.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the wee donkey, can we just move this thing along, before it drives us all round the bloody bend? DI Arnott.
Please refer to the screen which shows a text conversation which took place on the 22nd of November at 21.
42, between the user of PW-5 and an unknown user.
Can you tell us what is meant by the instruction, "Get rid of her"? No comment.
You agreed to lure DI Fleming to her death, that's about the top and bottom of it, isn't it? No comment.
Look, you could say "no comment" till you're blue in the face, but we know what's what.
DI Fleming made a call to DI Arnott just minutes before an illicit rendezvous took place between you and PC Ryan Pilkington.
No comment.
You lured her to that rendezvous and there is the evidence, up there on the screen in black and white! Conspiracy to murder, which as you know, Acting Detective Superintendent Davidson, brings with it a life sentence.
And that's before we get to the rest of the evidence.
Which I would describe as a mountain.
A mountain of evidence.
And we haven't even scratched the surface! I was asking about your mum.
Yes? She took her own life? Yes.
This must be very painful for you, but do you think you can speak about that? She was born into it, same as me.
Hated what her family stood for.
Her brother, Tommy what a piece of work he was.
Yeah, you don't need to tell us what he was capable of, believe you me.
He controlled Mum's life.
Did he control yours? Not at first.
My mum was still a girl.
Raped, she told me though I never knew the details.
Forced to go through with the pregnancy.
Tommy sent her away, back to Glasgow, under her mum's maiden name.
I had no idea about any of this, until Tommy came looking.
But that was later, yes? I'd just turned 16.
He'd heard I was doing well in school, never been in trouble, plus no-one knew me here.
He wanted me for the police, he said, to do his bidding, to be under his control.
My mum couldn't bear the thought of me being with Uncle Tommy.
She knew she couldn't protect me.
That's why she took her own life? Yes.
It's all right.
Take your time, take your time.
You're doing well, Jo.
So Tommy hid from you he was your real father? Yes.
Who did you believe was your father? This person, did he control you the same way Tommy Hunter did? We can all see my colleague finds this line of questioning extremely distressing.
In regard to coercion and control, my colleague should be treated as a vulnerable person.
We'll move on.
Tommy Hunter is no longer a person of interest.
He became an informant and was killed by his own organisation in 2014.
It wasn't simply that he was an informant, ma'am.
What do you mean? Tommy had cultivated relationships with corrupt police officers, but they started to turn against him.
He felt betrayed, so he threatened to expose them all.
So it was police officers who got Hunter killed? They were heavily involved.
As you know, your former officer, DI Matthew Cottan, he orchestrated the plan.
Cottan was a disgrace to the uniform.
He betrayed the trust of every single one of us that he worked with.
So someone took Tommy's place at the top of the organisation and he gave Cottan the order to kill Tommy? Tommy held it all together.
It broke up into disparate elements, smaller OCGs.
The only thing that united them was how much they stood to lose if Tommy carried out his threat.
Because they relied on corrupt officers to carry out many of their criminal enterprises? Yes.
And they wanted to be able to continue exploiting them.
Yes, well, the OCGs, they may not be working to one man but the bent coppers, that's a different story.
They're a network, aren't they? This Force has detected no evidence of institutionalised corruption.
We have identified a number of high-ranking figures in a clandestine network of corrupt police officers.
Hypothetical network.
One such high-ranking figure, once erroneously code-named H, we now refer to as the Fourth Man, is he running the show? No comment.
We're here to examine DCI Davidson's offending, no-one else's.
Alleged offending.
Are you taking your orders from him? Who is the Fourth Man? I don't know.
- I don't believe you! - Let's move on.
Turning to Operation Lighthouse, the inquiry into the murder of Gail Vella, opened on the 10th of September 2019.
You became Senior Investigating Officer when? The following month.
6th of October.
Your predecessor was removed allegedly due to the inquiry's slow progress.
How did you come to be appointed? I'm an experienced murder investigator.
Image 24 on screen.
What is shown in Image 24? No comment.
Image 24 shows Item Reference FD-8 seized in evidence during a search of Apartment G, 9 Croxford Street.
Document 39 in your folders.
Document 39 is a photocopy of the contents of FD-8.
You will see that FD-8 contained documents relating to Operation Lighthouse.
Now, these documents were not present at Hillside Lane Police Station on the 4th of November of this year when AC-12 seized all files relating to Operation Lighthouse.
Why were these documents in your apartment? No comment.
These documents reveal for the first time that Detective Superintendent Ian Buckells noted that your predecessor as SIO was pursuing the line of inquiry that Gail Vella's murder was a contract killing carried out by organised criminals.
However, Detective Superintendent Buckells then wrote a memorandum suggesting that the SIO was failing to make any progress and that a new SIO be appointed.
Buckells mentions you by name.
Had you ever worked together? Not to my knowledge.
Hm, so what motivated Ian Buckells nominating you to be the Senior Investigating Officer on the Gail Vella murder? You'd have to ask Ian Buckells.
Yes, well, we did, and he denies all knowledge of the documents.
The same way he still claims no knowledge of the missing Operation Lighthouse files subsequently found hidden in his service vehicle.
Did you or someone close to you engineer your appointment, with Buckells as the convenient stooge? No comment.
You see, the last thing that organised crime would want is Operation Lighthouse coming knocking on their door.
So they had to put in a new SIO to suppress that line of inquiry in favour of a random act of violence, perpetrated by a disturbed individual acting alone, a Frame that neatly fits Terry Boyle.
I refused to charge Terry Boyle.
Why not? There was just about enough evidence.
Why did you not seek authority to charge Boyle? Was it because you couldn't go through with it? Is it because you just couldn't live with the idea of sending an innocent man to trial? Yes.
Good.
At last, we're getting somewhere.
OK, let's examine the other recent prime suspect identified by Operation Lighthouse.
Image 29 on screen.
Image 29 shows Terry Boyle on the right.
On the left, Image 29 shows Carl Banks.
Carl Banks was a known violent offender with lifelong links to organised crime.
On the night of the 26th of October, the Murder Investigation received a tip-off that an individual, who was almost certainly Carl Banks, had confessed to the murder of Gail Vella.
As a result of delays and leaks, Carl Banks was abducted and murdered and Terry Boyle installed in his place.
PS Farida Jatri was charged with leaking the information based on evidence seized from 29 Stalton Drive, the address where she claims the two of you lived.
Did you plant evidence against Farida Jatri? No comment.
You've already told us that you were coerced into a life of crime.
That you were forced to mislead and deceive.
Here, now, you have a choice.
A choice to tell the truth.
I planted the burner phones.
Farida's innocent.
Good.
Good.
Who leaked the information regarding the operation to arrest Carl Banks? I did.
And the armed robbery staged to coincide with the operation, you knew about that? It was a decoy I used to delay Banks' arrest.
And the mistakes in surveillance attributed to Detective Superintendent Buckells? I manipulated him into those.
It wasn't hard.
And the files that were planted in his service vehicle? I planted those.
What about the witness who came forward to incriminate Terry Boyle? Deborah Devereux.
All I know is we found out she was a former girlfriend of DSU Buckells.
And the false statement from Deborah Devereux, Buckells set that up? I don't know if he set that up himself or someone else did.
Why would he do that? He was worried the failure to solve the murder was making him look bad.
He was desperate for me to charge someone.
Let's be clear.
You have no evidence that Buckells was responsible for Deborah Devereux's false statement? Correct, ma'am.
And his desire to charge Terry Boyle was borne out of a legitimate fear for the advancement of his career? It appeared so, ma'am.
DI Arnott, can you bookmark the DIR? Significant testimony in determining whether the charges against Detective Superintendent Buckells should be discontinued.
OK, moving on, what can you tell us about the evidence against Terry Boyle? The images of Gail Vella found in his flat would seem to have been planted.
To the best of your knowledge, was Terry Boyle involved - in the murder of Gail Vella? - No, he was not.
To the best of your knowledge, was Carl Banks involved in the murder of Gail Vella? No comment.
Here we go again! We know Gail Vella attempted to make contact with Carl Banks' brother, Lee Banks, an inmate in Blackthorn Prison.
We believe Lee Banks informed Carl Gail Vella was investigating stories that the OCG were determined to suppress.
In regard to Gail Vella's investigative journalism, let's now examine your movements prior to your arrest last night.
DI Arnott.
On screen, Image 41.
Image 41 is a map showing telemetry from a tracking device attached to vehicle Victor, Oscar, six, nine, Golf, Kilo, Yankee in the early hours of the 24th of November 2020.
Victor, Oscar, six, nine, Golf, Kilo, Yankee is the vehicle in which you were a passenger at the time of your arrest.
Telemetry location two is the scene of Gail Vella's murder.
Telemetry location three relates to the derelict premises of the Kingsgate Printing Services.
Who is directing the movements of the vehicle? No comment.
A forensic search of Kingsgate Printing Services has been carried out.
Image 45 on screen.
Image 45 is a crime scene photograph captured at Kingsgate Printing Services showing the inside of the abandoned premises.
Image 46.
Image 46 is an item of evidence detected by the search team, Item reference TG-8.
TG-8 is a metal strong box.
The contents of TG-8 are shown in Image 47.
What is shown in Image 47? No comment.
Image 47 shows items references TG-11 and TG-12 - a laptop computer and desktop computer respectively.
Forensic examination of these devices detected fingerprints matching Gail Vella.
We believe these devices were stolen from Gail Vella's home around the time of her murder.
Now, the Operation Lighthouse files that you withheld relate in part to evidence of the theft of these devices.
This is crucial evidence you hid! I was leading Kate Fleming there to uncover the evidence, to prove Prove what? That I'm not bent.
Yes, but you hid this evidence for months! Not months, no.
That's not what happened.
I only began to suspect the evidence might be there after Terry Boyle's arrest.
The Print Shop had been long abandoned by the OCG, police searches concluded there 18 months ago and it was right across the street.
But you never ordered a search of the Print Shop.
Cybercrime examined the hard drives of both devices.
Passwords were input to access the stored files.
How would these passwords have been obtained? No comment.
Well, taking for granted the involvement of organised crime, I'd suggest an employee in the IT department at Gail Vella's news service was exploited using bribery, blackmail or intimidation.
No comment.
Numerous files were detected relating to Gail Vella's investigations into the links between organised crime and corrupt police officers.
We have found audio files of interviews with Jimmy Lakewell.
We have found research files confirming that Gail Vella was investigating the suppression of police inquiries into historic child sexual exploitation.
And we have found research confirming that Gail Vella was digging deep into police failure in the murder of Lawrence Christopher.
Did you know Gail Vella was looking into - the Lawrence Christopher murder? - No.
According to notes found on Gail Vella's devices, she visited Lee Banks on the 26th of August 2019 in Blackthorn Prison.
Now, as you know, Lee Banks is Carl Banks' brother.
It appears from Gail Vella's notes that Lee Banks declined to furnish any information regarding the murder of Lawrence Christopher.
We believe Lee informed Carl Banks and this was in large part the motivation for her murder.
Do you really expect us to believe that you didn't know this? I didn't.
I'll give YOU "I didn't"! One of the suspects in the Lawrence Christopher murder is your cousin, Darren Hunter! I, erm I mean, maybe if Darren had been arrested, he would have squealed.
He would have given up Tommy Hunter.
He would have given up you.
I didn't know.
The initial inquiry into Lawrence Christopher's murder was led by DCI Marcus Thurwell.
Do you know that name? No comment.
On screen, Image 75.
Who is shown in Image 75? No comment.
On screen, Image 77, the last-known image of the same individual.
Who is that? No comment.
Image 77 shows Marcus Thurwell.
What's your relationship to Marcus Thurwell? No comment.
Files detected on Gail Vella's computer prove that she was investigating not just Thurwell's role but the role of other officers in the inquiry.
Notably, Detective Constable Ian Buckells and Inspector Philip Osborne.
The interviewee has repeatedly claimed she doesn't know about any of this.
It's a dead end.
So let's focus on events surrounding the killing of PC Ryan Pilkington.
Ma'am, this is significant evidence crucial to the wider inquiry into institutionalised corruption.
Yes.
And I would prefer to confine ourselves to the set parameters of the anti-corruption inquiry in front of us.
DI Arnott, if you wouldn't mind, let's chivvy things along, shall we? Ma'am.
On screen, Images 62 to 65 inclusive.
Crime scene photographs of PC Ryan Pilkington's body.
How did Ryan Pilkington meet his death? No comment.
Document 60 in your folders.
Document 60 is the forensic pathologist's postmortem report on Ryan Pilkington.
"Cause of death was two gunshot wounds to the chest.
"At postmortem, two Parabellum 9x19mm rounds "were recovered from the thoracic cavity.
" Ryan Pilkington was fatally wounded by a firearm.
Describe what happened.
No comment.
DI Arnott.
DI Arnott.
Document 78 in your folders.
Document 78 is a report issued by NABIS on the 24th of November 2020.
Please refer to page two, paragraph six.
"Both Parabellum rounds recovered from the deceased "show markings consistent with being fired from a Glock 17 pistol, "serial number 277531.
" "277531 is the firearm lawfully issued "on the 20th of November 2020 to Detective Inspector Kate Fleming.
" Fingerprints matching DI Fleming were also detected on 277531.
Did DI Fleming shoot dead Ryan Pilkington? No.
No? Who, then? I did.
Hmm.
That doesn't square with the forensic evidence, I'm afraid.
Naturally, Kate's prints were on the firearm.
She'd handled it repeatedly.
But you'll also have found my prints on the firearm.
That's correct.
We did.
Because she was forced to hand it over to me.
Ryan had her at gunpoint.
I turned Kate's firearm on Ryan.
At the time of your arrest, Fleming had her firearm, you had Pilkington's.
I returned Kate's firearm.
I picked up Ryan's.
Forensic analysis of clothing worn by DI Fleming detected a dense distribution of gunshot residue on the right-hand sleeve, a finding commonly associated with the discharging of a firearm.
Kate was in the process of handing me the firearm when I turned the firearm on Ryan and discharged the fatal shots.
Kate's sleeve absorbed the gunshot powder.
Joanne Davidson, to be clear you are confessing to the murder of Ryan Pilkington? No, ma'am.
Pilkington was about to fire on DI Fleming.
At the time of the incident, I was a serving police officer.
Under Common Law, Section 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967 and Section 117 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, I am permitted to employ lethal force to prevent an imminent threat to life.
My colleague was acting lawfully.
I think you'll find that's for a court to decide.
You weren't in league with Pilkington? Ryan Pilkington was imposed on MIT against my will.
I was fully aware of his OCG connections.
He was there to intimidate me into misleading Operation Lighthouse.
So who was giving Pilkington his orders? Was it Marcus Thurwell? No comment.
We have presented clear evidence that you were getting your instructions from Spain.
We also know from our inquiries that Thurwell was in Spain.
Is this the person running the show, yes? No comment.
Marcus Thurwell was SIO in the Lawrence Christopher murder inquiry.
Now, we believe that he deliberately misled that inquiry to protect Darren Hunter, Tommy Hunter's son, on the expressed orders of Tommy Hunter.
No comment.
Lawrence Christopher, he was an architect.
He was a model citizen.
He had his head smashed in with a piece of lead piping by a bunch of racist thugs, one of whom was your cousin! Superintendent, your questioning is oppressive.
I'll give you "oppressive"! That lad had his whole life ahead of him, just like Gail Vella! They both died horrible deaths.
I dread to imagine what they suffered.
Yes.
Well, then, give them justice! Tell us who's giving the orders! I can't.
I'm sorry.
Is it Thurwell? Is it someone else? Is it Osborne? - I think we'll leave it there.
- Is it the Chief Constable?! Thank you, Superintendent Hastings.
Joanne Davidson, do you have anything further to say? No.
Joanne Davidson, I have been in consultation with the Senior Prosecutor at the Complex Case Unit.
Nothing you have disclosed during this interview has impacted on those discussions, and therefore I am authorised to charge you with the following offences.
Perverting the course of justice and malfeasance in a public office.
I will consult further regarding conspiracy to murder DI Kate Fleming and any charges relating to the death of PC Ryan Pilkington.
You will be remanded in custody.
Interview terminated at 11.
43.
You take care of the custody, son.
Just leave this one to me.
I'm sorry.
Yeah.
Me, too.
You and I both know that Jo Davidson is the best chance we've ever had of blowing wide open the network of corrupt police officers in league with organised crime.
Goodness me.
I must've been in another interview because every other answer I heard was "no comment".
You let her off the hook, ma'am.
And as for shutting down all my questions about the Fourth Man Superintendent, you are bitter about AC-12 being merged.
Who wouldn't be? It's got nothing to do with that! Enquiries into Jo Davidson will continue.
If she has more to reveal, we will get there, in time.
I don't have time.
Sir? Sometimes you don't lose, son you just run out of time.
As you were.
The Crown Prosecutor's gullible enough to consider proceedings against Jo Davidson alone in the death of Ryan Pilkington.
Thank you very much, ma'am.
Two shots to the chest.
Double tap.
Like a firearms-trained officer.
Davidson's not firearms-trained, is she? You are, though, aren't you, Kate? That's correct, ma'am.
So you'll provide a first account for my team, and then you're free to go.
I'm not gullible, Kate.
But I am pragmatic.
All right? All right? Thought we'd got rid of you.
No such luck.
You sure you're OK? I know nobody's coming after you over Ryan Pilkington's shooting, but if you ever need to talk about it.
Thanks, mate, I appreciate it, but I'm fine.
So, what did you get out of Jo? A lot less than we needed.
Did she say anything about her family history? She told me her dad was a police officer.
No.
Never even gave us that much.
She's scared, Steve, after what happened to Tommy, Dot, Lakewell, never mind John Corbett.
That's why we've got her on the VPU at Brentiss, security cameras monitoring access to her cell.
So what now? Well, we're into the forensics at the OCG workshop and, as I'm the senior detective left on Operation Lighthouse, I could be the point of contact between MIT and AC-12.
- Works for me, mate.
- Let's get this job done.
I'll drive.
Could be in the Red Lion by eight.
Nice work.
- All right, Chris? - Ma'am.
You remember DI Arnott? Sir.
Don't act like a tit, Sarge.
We're all in it together.
What you found? There's strong evidence of workshopping of firearms.
NABIS have given a preliminary report of matches between the machinery here and the markings on the firearms used in the Jimmy Lakewell ambush.
Forensics have harvested prints and DNA.
We're just waiting on the lab for any matches.
FC thinks they've covered the ground.
I'm going to call off the forensic deployment tonight.
No, you look at the weight of those.
No way were two OCG men on their own going to move them.
What was in their van? Tarpaulins, rope a couple of pickaxes, bolt cutters, a couple of wrenches, a socket set, Stanley knives, power tools, including power saws and power drills.
Right, let's call out the GPR, find out what's under that floor.
- Really? - Yeah, really.
Hiya.
Sorry, mate, my DI has requested GPR for White Rock.
Cheers.
- Chloe.
- Sir, we think we've found Thurwell.
We'll be right there.
They've located Marcus Thurwell.
Let's go.
Asigurarte el perimetro.
Capitan, estamos recibiendo la transmision de video y le escuchamos con claridad.
En espera de su informe.
Adelante, sin hacer ruido.
Ah, Kate, Steve.
The Spanish authorities are helping us in reference to apprehend Thurwell.
The Guardia Civil have received intel on this particular address.
Nos hemos asegurado que esta es la casa de Marcus Thurwell.
Las habitaciones estan vacias.
Entrar! Entrar! - Seguro.
- Nada.
- La casa parece estar desierta.
- Capitan, por aqui! Guardia Civil! Punetas.
In the name of God and his Holy Mother! Dos muertos.
Un hombre y una mujer.
Two dead, sir.
Male plus female.
Marcus Thurwell, Senora Thurwell.
Thank you, Captain.
We'll leave the rest to you.
Gracias, Capitan.
Dejamos que lleve los procedimientos necesarios.
Cambio y cierro.
It's just It's another kick in the teeth.
There's only so much a man can take! Wait there, please.
Sorry, wrong way.
God, this place is a maze.
For too long now, police officers have had to serve faceless, unaccountable bureaucrats.
We've even had to suffer political opportunists trying to win votes by vilifying police officers with false allegations of corruption.
We defend this constabulary from those who would obstruct us in serving the public.
Not only does this force face enemies without, there are enemies within.
I will personally see to it those enemies within are made to suffer the consequences.