Silent Witness (1996) s07e08 Episode Script

Beyond Guilt (2)

Glad you could make it.
Case number three.
Brian Morris - found dead at the bottom of the stairs - July 1996.
Denise Morris currently serving life for his murder.
I'll come down as often as I can.
Claimed she found him when she came in, but Sachs' time of death meant she was in the house at the time.
Alan Look, I got this letter this morning.
From Mr Grant.
Your solicitor? He thinks there might be a lot of publicity.
Are you going for another appeal? No, it's not an appeal.
The body was moved after death, and received a second blow.
But this is great.
.
.
I knew they'd realise it was all a mistake.
How many more cases do we have to dig up to prove Sachs' incompetence? Say what you really think(!) I am as suspicious of him as you are.
I still like to keep an open mind.
Keep it open too wide, and your brains'll fall out.
They've found Eddie Doyle.
Who? Our missing witness.
The fact he was placed inside a chimney breast has meant that currents of dry air have prevented bacterial decomposition and putrefaction.
A hairline fracture is evident over the right eye, and into the skull.
I would estimate that seven or eight teeth have been broken .
.
as has his nose There's evidence that the ears have been tornand burnt.
His right arm has been broken in three places.
There's Coloured copper electrical wire has been attached to both wrists suggesting that the arms were tied together.
Similar wire has been tied round both ankles, indicating He was a close friend? We worked together.
I ran the show, and he was operating undercover.
This isn't your fault, you know.
Katie, hurry up.
I don't know what she does in there.
They found Eddie Doyle's body.
When? Today.
Someone must have told them.
That's good, isn't it? For us.
You told them?! No.
Lisa? Get off me.
I thought you weren't like him.
Lisa, I wouldn't hit you.
You hurt me! Did you tell them? I thought they were going to let Nev out.
What else was I meant to do? Tomhold me.
Oh, it's all right.
Sh! Sh! Sh! It's all right.
Sh! Sh! What are you going to get from him, I wonder, apart from some bloody awful disease.
The body of Brian Morris.
Interred six years ago.
In the latter stages of decomposition.
Alan, what are you doing back here? They've dug up Dad's body.
I know.
I'm not going to Uni this week.
What are you talking about? If Prof Sachs has probably made more than one mistake.
You can't NOT go.
They're going to look at the house again.
Who are? I want to be there.
Secondary fissures run into the surrounding bone, mainly away from the direction of the force, indicating from which direction the blow has been struck.
Very good.
I bet Sachs was teaching when he did this postmortem.
You can't go back.
It'll be too upsetting.
No, it won't.
I've been saying you were innocent for years and now, at last, I'm going to be proved right.
Did Brian Morris lose an eye in his attack? No.
According to these photographs from the original postmortem, both eyes were intact.
And your point is? What's this doing here, then? Mortician's wax.
Thomas Anderson? What do you want with him? Where is he? I don't know.
I have here a warrant to search these premises.
Katie! .
.
For God's sake! Lisa Roberts, I'm arresting you on suspicion of being concerned in the death of Edward Doyle.
You do not have to say anything Where you going? To answer a few questions.
.
.
later rely on in court.
I jsut want you to use some muscle.
The Home Office can't be seen to influence the outcome of a murder trial.
We've got new evidence.
Which is? Eddie Doyle's body - found in the house Anderson renovated.
He was undercover on the man.
All circumstantial.
I know.
That's why I'm trying to get your help.
Give us time to find the evidence we need.
We all regret the loss of any serving police officer, but, Colin, you mustn't get this out of proportion.
He was just one man.
Sachs could affect hundreds.
You'll have to excuse me.
You want this trial to collapse, don't you? So you keep Sachs under pressure.
Wait here.
What about it? You worked there.
Five-six months ago.
Renovation job.
Yeah.
Maybe.
Can we check your books, perhaps? I think that was cash in hand.
Undeclared income, Tom? You and Nev, was it? If you want to question me, you can do it when my solicitor's present.
A witness who saw your brother pursuing Craig Proctor was found behind the fireplace.
Nice bit of plastering(!) Did you see the body? Saw what your brother did? I assume it was Nev who knocked his teeth out, burnt him, ripped his skin with wire.
What do you want from me, eh? Nev was just a labourer, a mixer, a carrier.
But you, Tom you're the artist, the fixer, the smoother, the finisher.
I've got nothing to say.
"You telling me about his affair "only confirmed what I have known for some years.
" This is the part that hurt poor Enid so much.
"I did my best, "but I have failed Jeremy as a wife, "I have failed you and Dad as a daughter ".
.
and now I am going to fail God.
"Please try to forgive me.
"Your loving daughter, Zoe.
" You lose a child.
You bury her in newly consecrated ground.
You imagine that, like Christ, her soul is risen, that she's with God.
That was the only comfort afforded to me, but now I wanted to believe she'd been murdered.
Taken from us.
But no - she killed HERSELF.
She asks for forgiveness.
I know.
I was wrong about Jeremy.
It's time to ask for his forgiveness.
That's what Enid wanted.
I wonder if I could ask Professor Sachs to help me.
I know he's very busy.
To do what? Speak to Jeremy.
I went to see him recently.
I could go again.
Would you? Showing Lisa Roberts a note found on my car with the words "Eddie Doyle, 15 Crompton Road.
" on it.
Do you recognise it, Lisa? Never seen it before.
Do you know anyone called Eddie Doyle? No.
Does Neville Anderson know anyone called Eddie Doyle? Ask him.
Does his brother Tom know anyone called Eddie Doyle? There's no need You'll have to ask him.
I have.
The night Proctor was murdered, you went to A&E, and Neville was taken to Brentford Police Station for the night.
What happened when he came out? I've told you.
He was in bed all day.
Did you have sex with him? Don't answer that.
What?! Did it turn you on? Shut up.
.
.
This is inappropriate.
Does Nev know about you and Tom? Showing Lisa Roberts a photograph taken four days ago.
That's very good.
Can you draw him, too? Anything to say, Lisa? Bad news, I'm afraid.
The prosecution have decided not to call Professor Sachs in the Neville Anderson case.
What'll happen to his evidence on time of death? We're going to ask for an adjournment, but the defence will most likely ask for Anderson to be set free.
There's more to the case than time of death.
It's all circumstantial.
I mean, WE know he did it.
Lisa knows he did it.
Probably even the jury knows he did it.
But without Sachs' evidence, we can't convict.
What about Eddie Doyle? Doyle was almost certainly killed because he witnessed Proctor's murder.
Question is - when? I mean, Anderson - he was in custody within 24 hours.
If we proved Doyle was murdered before Anderson was arrested He's been dead for seven months.
You'll be lucky to get his time of death within a week.
We need it down to a day.
Zoe's father wants me to help him make up with Jeremy.
It's not your responsibility.
His wife's just died.
He's just discovered his daughter wasn't murdered, but committed suicide.
He needs someone.
Why you? Are you ready? Yeah.
What do you know about the Quadrant Foundation? Not much.
Medical research.
Transplant technology.
That kind of thing.
Does Sachs say anything about them in his book? I don't know.
Why? It says here they're being investigated in the US for the illegal import and export of human organs.
What's that got to do with Sachs? I just tapped in his name and up came all this stuff about Quadrant.
I think I might give them a ring later.
We know Sachs took samples.
That just proves he was doing a very thorough job, not that he was doing anything crooked with Quadrant.
Professor Ryan! This is an unexpected surprise.
Didn't you get my message? No.
Mind you, you know what these places are like.
So, have you come to see Peter? He's giving a lecture in the library.
I DID ring.
Don't worry.
He won't mind you disturbing him.
It's on the other side of the quad.
Now, most of you have got all these right, which is very impressive.
So, who can answer me this one? Two plus two equals? Who can answer me that? Someone? Anyone? It's not a trick.
Four.
Very good.
The answer's four.
Two plus two equals four.
Now I hated maths at school.
I'm sure you were all brilliant.
A series of sums, and a series of fixed answers.
This simple equation - the way it is written, the answer it provokes - is dangerous.
Why is it dangerous? Because all it requires is a rigid method of thinking.
You are either right or wrong.
Pass or fail.
So, what if I ask you this - "Four equals?" Again, it's not a trick.
Professor Ryan? Infinity.
Brilliant.
There are an infinite number of possibilities.
Two plus two, three plus one, ten minus six, The work we do here is not about answers.
It's about questions.
It's about possibilities.
It's about examining what we do and challenging it.
Essentially, we are not looking for the right answers but searching for the right questions.
Excuse me, are you Dr Dalton? Yes.
I'm Alan Morris.
Can I come in with you? What for? It was Professor Sachs' evidence that helped convict my mother.
She didn't do it.
.
.
I want to know what happened in there.
Bye.
Thank you, sir.
See you next week.
Time of death? What about it? Is that the right question? It's a question I've been asking for the last 30 years.
With Craig Proctor, Brian Morris and Zoe Adams, you seem to have come up with some very precise answers.
And I stand by them.
Are you going to show me how? Is that why you're here? Is this one excited colleague sharing a discovery with another excited colleague, or is it all part of your inquiry? Does it make a difference? I want to share this with you, Sam, because I trust you and I feel you'll understand what I'm trying to do.
Have you got something to hide? Hide? Oh, no.
But protect - yes.
A method of estimating time of death? Not estimating.
Pinpointing.
Soone excited colleague to another is that a deal? Maybe it's best if you stay out here.
That's just what my mum said.
.
.
a terrible accident.
I want you to wait out here.
I came home from school.
She said there'd been an accident.
The ambulance is on its way.
She told you it had just happened? No.
That an ambulance was on its way.
But you didn't go in? You didn'tsee your father? This is the first time I've been back here.
Mum! 'It was the day after her birthday.
.
.
I'd given her flowers.
' What have you been told about how your father died? That my mother murdered him.
Happy Birthday.
But you don't believe that? No.
She came home.
She found him dead.
She wouldn't lie to me.
Let's take a look, shall we? How can the college afford all this? They can't.
Various big-money corporations help out.
In return for what? The days of the philanthropist are over - if they ever existed.
So, why are you here? To see your work.
One excited colleague to another.
So, why ARE you here? Eddie Doyle.
He was found earlier today.
It is believed he witnessed Anderson murdering Craig Proctor, and was then murdered himself.
By Anderson? Is the question.
And you've come to ME for an answer? I need time of death.
A more precise one than you're capable of giving yourself? Yes.
Well, this method I have been using is still in its embryonic stage.
But you've already used it on at least FIVE cases.
Wouldn't you have done? No.
I wouldn't.
I can give you an exact time of death on Eddie Doyle.
So how do I substantiate it? I saw what Anderson did to Craig Proctor.
Now, Anderson has a girlfriend, am I right? Yes, Lisa.
And a daughter.
And he attacked Lisa the same night that he murdered Craig Proctor.
In a few years, this method will be common practice, and we'll be wondering what all the fuss was about.
All I need is a sample from the body.
I'm not sure I can do that.
Then Anderson walks free.
According to your mother, this is where she found him.
She thought he'd fallen down the stairs.
Evidence suggests he was hit with a heavy object.
You can get those injuries from falling down stairs.
There were two wounds.
One that killed him and one inflicted a few hours later.
That's an opinion.
I've read all the court papers.
Blood on the stairs and the front room suggest the body was moved.
It was locked.
Hmm? That door.
Was it? Why? I don't know.
Won't you read to me? What does she want? Would you mind if I came in for a minute? PHONE RINGS Excuse me.
Hello.
Hello.
Will you read to me? All right.
Are these all yours? Yep.
Is this your dad? In jail.
It's not like that really.
He gets to wear his own clothes and that.
You must miss him.
Course I do.
This is Mum.
That's lovely.
Is she always as happy as this? Not always.
Were you awake the night she had her accident? Mum came home and she was crying.
Then I heard Dad.
He had a shower.
At two in the morning? Is that where she had her accident? In the bathroom? Dad doesn't like it when other men look at Mum.
But what can she do? She's really pretty.
Yes, she is.
I done this one for you.
Are you sure? Carry on reading.
I'll be back to tuck you in.
Thanks.
That was Tom's mother on the phone.
They want to hold him overnight on charges of conspiracy to murder, but they've got no real evidence.
Did you know about Eddie Doyle? DI Lloyd thinks you might have put a note under his windscreen.
Shows how stupid he is.
Has Neville ever hurt Katie? Course he hasn't, he's not an animal.
If he had anything to do with the injuries on Eddie Doyle's body, I wouldn't be too sure about that.
I've done all I can.
It's not up to me any more.
'I'm sorry.
Have a nice day.
' Sam.
Sam.
"Roosevelt University, Florida.
" Sachs' department at Oxford and the medical department at Roosevelt Have a big exchange programme.
Did you know the laboratory? Is part funded by the Quadrant Foundation.
Whom I have just phoned, and they are making out they've never heard of him.
Proving what exactly? Something is not right.
What about the mortician's wax? What about it? I found some in Morris, you found some in Proctor.
Neither lost an eye.
Why is it there? I don't know.
That's it? What? In the video, in Sachs' postmortem, Alice must have brought something like this with her.
What is this? It's for collecting samples.
Did Sachs give it to you? It's a new method of transporting and preserving tissue samples.
So what's the holding solution? I'm not sure.
What exactly Leo, just leave it with me, OK.
'Has Neville ever hurt Katie? We know who did it, the police know who did it.
He's not an animal.
'Even the jury knows who did it.
It's not up to me any more.
All I need is a sample.
'I'm not sure I can do that.
Then Anderson walks free.
' SQUELCHING You've been told about this letter? The fact Enid saw me that morning.
How nice of her to finally tell someone.
Did she have any idea what I've been going through in here? She blamed you for Zoe's death.
Did I tell her about the affair? Did I screw her up so she couldn't have relationships? I don't know.
But Laurence has asked me to speak to you.
What does he want to do - blame me for Enid's death as well? No.
He wants to forgive you.
He wants to forgive me? What have I done? To forgive and be forgiven.
I went back to the old house.
It was so weird being back there.
I remembered the dining room door was locked, but I don't know why.
I'm going to change my plea.
What do you mean? I'm going to tell them the truth.
I DID kill your father.
But you didn't Yes, I did.
I lied.
To you.
To the police.
To everyone.
I didn't want people to think you were bad because of what I'd done.
You hit him? Yes.
Twice? Yes.
You killed him and then you moved him? That's why the door was locked.
What kind of a mother? I wanted to make it look like an accident.
I panicked.
All these years I've believed you were innocent.
How can you do this to me? I understand you changed your plea, Mrs Morris.
Can I ask why? I've lived with it for too long.
There was every chance of your case being reviewed.
Have you ever had to live with a lie? Not as serious as murder, no.
And anyway, Alan is old enough now to know the truth.
Professor Sachs stated at your trial that Brian had been killed between 11 and midnight.
He came home around 11.
Where is he? No.
He's only a child! I was used to dealing with him, but that night II really thought he was going to hurt Alan.
No, don't you touch him.
Just try and stop me.
No! Brian! Don't do it! No! I helped him up He wasn't dead? Not then.
He collapsed, and I just left him there.
When did you move him? Alan went to school as normal and I went to work, and I knew Brian's body was in the dining room but part of me thought it hadn't happened.
When I came home, his body wouldn't be there, he wouldn't be dead.
But when I did get back there he was.
I thought I'd try and make it look like an accident.
I dragged him back into the hall.
AndI slammed his head against the hall table.
Sowhenwhen you first hit Brian, he was going up the stairs away from you? I didn't mean to kill him.
What did he say? He was upset, understandably.
He has every right to be.
Did you ask if I could see him? It's going to take some time, Laurence.
I know, but I want to make it right with him.
You and Professor Sachs have been very kind.
I appreciate it.
When he was dealing with Zoe and we asked him to look after her as much as he could.
The gun had done such awful damage.
He didn't ever ask you if he could take any samples or anything from Zoe, did he? Yes.
We said no.
He was fine about it.
You're not happy about something? I want to go back to the house.
PHONE RINGS Osbourne.
Superintendent, it's Dr Cunningham.
I wonder if you could help me find a consent form.
KNOCK ON DOOR The Anderson trial's collapsed.
I'm sorry.
So am I.
There still might be something we can do.
Yeah, we can pray for a miracle.
What time is he being released? Neville Anderson is available for work from two o'clock today.
That's great.
Thanks for letting us know.
Mum? Your dad's coming home.
Great! Tom, Dad's coming home.
Yeah.
What are we going to do? What else can we do? We'll go pick him up.
I thought you were going to phone.
Eddie Doyle died between nine and ten on the morning of the 17th of March.
Anderson was arrested for Craig Proctor's murder on the 18th.
Which means Anderson could have killed Eddie Doyle.
It's certainly enough for the police to detain him.
If I tell them.
And why wouldn't you? This information is very dangerous.
It has the power to stop Neville Anderson from walking the streets and killing again.
Anderson.
Well, I have to say that it's been a great pleasure doing business with you.
When's he coming out? Won't be long now.
Elephant juice.
What? Nothing.
What's elephant juice? Just Tom being stupid.
Open sesame! Dad! I got home.
Stand still! Stand still! What's going on? I'm arresting you for the murder of Eddie Doyle on 17th March 2003.
You do not have to say Bastards! 'A police spokesman has announced the arrest of a man in connection with the murder of Edward Doyle.
'His body was discovered after a seven-month investigation.
' Anything you do say may be used in evidence.
'.
.
Working on a drugs inquiry involving Neville Anderson.
'He was to be released from prison today, after his trial for the murder of Craig Proctor collapsed.
' How did they know that the body was in there? Who else knew about it? They found the body, but they don't know who killed him.
Do you reckon Lisa told them? Why would she do that? You see, I still don't get why you did it.
He saw me with Craig Proctor.
Why go after Proctor? Because you told me he sent those messages to Lisa.
I didn't think you'd kill him.
Who says I killed Eddie Doyle? Another pathologist.
Professor Ryan.
She read me a story.
I drew you another picture.
At least somebody loves me.
Elephant juice.
What? That's what you say when you love someone.
What are you talking about? If you say "Elephant juice" it looks like you're saying "I love you".
Watch Come on.
At lastwe're safe.
Dr Dalton? I've just been to see your mother.
She's changed her plea.
I know.
.
.
Keep the change.
You believe everything and then it's like She's been lying to me.
I'm not convinced that she has been.
No, no, she's told me The evidence is contradictory.
What does that mean? Your mother says she was in the hallway when she attacked your father as he was going upstairs.
If you're your father, and I'm your mother.
You OK with this? Yes.
She grabbed the vase and she hit him on the back of his head.
Only, we know from the fracture that the blow landed on the front of his head.
The vase wasn't there.
How do you mean? It was Mum's birthday.
I bought her some flowers.
She put them in a vase on the upstairs landing.
Alan? He was walking up the stairs towards me.
Your father? I heard them from my bedroom.
Arguing.
Shouting.
It was about me.
And then they were near the top of the stairsand, then Leave him, Brian.
He's sleeping.
Leave him alone! Will you get off me! Please, Brian Go on.
No! I can see him .
.
falling away from me.
Alan! It was me.
I killed him.
Good news, Jeremy.
The appeal committee have looked at your case and they are unanimous in finding your conviction unsafe.
So we have some forms for you to fill in and sign and after that, you're free to go.
Yeah.
I killed Craig Proctor.
Eddie Doyle saw me.
.
.
So I had to kill him too.
You know who helped me Your brother, Tom.
He's a good plasterer, is Tom, you know.
You'll stand by this? In court? I can't wait.
You asked me for Laurence Parkin's consent form.
You found it? Now, what are you looking for? Exactly this.
Thank you.
You used an untried method to prove time of death? Sachs did, yes.
If Sachs has been unethical, where does that put us? We know he was right about time of death.
And what does he do exactly to get these magical results? Something to do with eye tissues.
He analyses the amount of potassium in the eye fluid.
After death, the potassium in the red blood cells breaks down and passes into the vitreous fluid.
There has always been problems with this method.
Sachs has developed a new chemical that preserves the eye for longer.
It hasn't been tested.
It works.
How can he be examined if we don't know how he got his conclusions? OK, what would you have done? Osbourne got me the organ consent form filled in by Laurence Parkin.
He gave permission.
No, he didn't.
Sachs got samples from Quadrant.
They didn't get consent either.
You used samples supplied to you by the Quadrant Foundation? Yes.
I told you I did.
Do you know from whom they obtain them? I also said the days of the philanthropist From children.
Do the parents knowthat parts of their dead children are being used? I'm sure official permission was sought.
You said that when you open a war grave you treat each victim as an individual with a history.
Yes.
Yet, you cannibalise human organs without compunction.
Wherever they're from.
Whatever the history.
Every care is taken to ensure consent is obtained before any organ is used.
Laurence Parkin said no.
I wasn't aware of that.
Someone forged his signature.
Well, if you think that had anything to do with me You knew he said no.
You knew how he felt about Zoe.
I accept a mistake has been made.
The mistake has been mine.
It's all very well opening a watch to find out how it works .
.
but when it comes to a human being Why didn't you tell them it was me? You were just a child, a little boy trying to protect his mum.
You've been in here all of this time because of me.
How can you ever forgive me? How can you forgive me? Jeremy thank you for allowing me to meet you.
Not much luggage, then? I'm glad you're here.
At last, my report on Zoe Adams.
Without doubt, my finest work to date.
Thanks.
And there's the report on Brian Morris.
Excellent.
I've made some recommendations.
So have I.
For what he did to Zoe Adams, he should be disciplined.
He should be struck off.
There should be a full investigation into his work at the college and his links with the Quadrant Foundation.
Professor Ryan.
I wonder if we might have a word? I was about to collate our reports and send them to you.
Maybe I can save you the trouble.
Professor Sachs has decided to remove his name from the list of Home Office pathologists.
You mean you've kicked him off it? He's taking up a professorship at the Roosevelt University, Florida.
What action will you be taking against him? I wouldn't want to prejudge your report, Professor.
Sachs has misled the courts, his research methods are unethical All those points will be taken into consideration Have you any idea what people have been through? Shall we? What I am keen to avoid, as we all are, is more families having to go through the trauma of exhumations.
And the courts collapsing under the weight of people demanding a retrial because of Sachs' evidence.
As far as I am aware, Sachs was accurate in each time of death.
But the means he used to get those results He has resigned because he felt he made a mistake.
I suggest we draw a line under it.
Although, I look forward to reading your report with great anticipation.
Tom's go! KNOCK ON DOOR Left hand, yellow.
Tom! Tom! What do you want? I'm arresting you on suspicion of being involved with the murder of Eddie Doyle.
You do not have to say anything You'll be OK? Neville's looking forward to his brother joining him.
You knew about this.
If it's any consolation, Gibbs had this inquiry sewn up before we even started.
We were the muscle by which Sachs could be levered out.
Oh, come on.
What did you expect? It's not that bad.
Sachs has gone, Neville Anderson has got life, and those wrongly convicted have been set free.
Now I know how you made Detective Superintendent.
And why you're still a butcher.
I thought instead of burying Zoe again, we should have her cremated.
Yes.
I'd much prefer that.
Good.
Do you remember how fond of those woods she was? It's the first place she took me.
Did she show you where I built her tree house? It was destroyed in the great storm.
She was so upset.
So angry with the wind and rain.
You should have seen her.
I promised I'd rebuild it for her.
It wasn't the same.
I tried and failed.
Nothing's the same.
You took her away.
And And no matter how hard I've tried Christ, what are you? Laurence, don't.
I want to forgive youbut I can't.
NO! I liked his suit.
Who, Gibbs? Mm.
I'd never wear a suit like that.
Why not? It'd be too big for a start.
Mm-hm.
Ah.
The jokes have started.
What time is it? Drink time.
I think so.
.
.
Sam? What would happen if our report was accidentally published on the Internet? You wouldn't do that, would you? I wouldn't put anything past her.

Previous EpisodeNext Episode