Innocent

Time.

All rise.

Will the foreman stand, please?

Have you reached a verdict on which at least ten of you agree?

No.

Do you think if I gave you more time you would be able to reach a verdict on which at least ten of you agreed?

No. I'm sorry.

In which case, I am obliged to call the trial to a halt and discharge you, the jury.

Having consulted with the prosecution in anticipation of such an outcome,

it is my duty to tell you, Mr Collins, that the prosecution intend to offer no further evidence.

As such, given this was the third trial for the same offence,

you are now formally acquitted of all charges and are free to leave.

Court will now adjourn.

You killed her, you bastard!

You murdered my sister!

It's not fair. Oh, Tara!

- How are you feeling about your brother-in-law? - Excuse me. - Do you still think he did it, Alice?

Can we go, please, driver?

DCI Beech, what is your reaction to Mr Collins's release?

My thoughts right now are with Tara Collins' family... her mum, her dad and her sister.

- Do you have any new leads? - We'll be reviewing all the evidence we have.

- Are there any other suspects? - Are you looking for anyone else? - No, we're not.

OK. I'm gonna get our car to come round the back. It's insane out there.

Come on.

David?

No. No.

Hey! David!

What would you like to say to your sister-in-law, David?

- What would you like to say to Tara's family? - Will you be suing them for negligence?

Will you be suing the police?

Seven years ago I was sent to prison for something that I did not do,

for a terrible crime that I did not commit.

Overnight, I lost...

my wife,

I lost my liberty,

and, most importantly, I lost my kids.

Why?

Because of the Forensic Science Service's criminal negligence

and because of a police investigation that bent every bit of evidence

to fit a theory that was clearly wrong.

And more important than that,

much worse,

was that ordinary people lied.

They lied for their own ends,

and if they are watching this now,

I want them to know that I will expose them.

I will expose them for what they have put me through.

I've had seven years of my life stolen,

and now I want justice.

I want my wife's real killer found,

I want those that lied brought to book,

and I want my children back.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

- No more questions. - Excuse me. Thank you. Excuse me.

No more questions.

We should have been more honest with the children.

- We should have told them this was a possibility. - What would we have said, Rob?

Just what?

It's not just a question of having an open mind, DCI Beech.

We have to be seen to have one.

It was a stupid thing to say, obviously.

It's just that we all know he was released on a technicality, so...

I've never worked on a case that explored more possibilities, sir.

There was no-one else. It was him.

Well, I hope so.

The public hardly need another reason to distrust us, do they?

Which is why I know you'll understand my need now for a fresher pair of eyes.

DI Hudson.

Yes, sir.

No.

No. No!

- It's all right, darling. - No!

Why, Mum? Why?

'In March 2015, the Forensic Science Service laboratory,

'which handled the original evidence,

'was found to have routinely broken standard storage protocols...

'.. making it impossible for the court to discount cross-contamination.

'With this, the third such collapse...

- Louise. - 'I presume you've seen the news.

Why don't you come over later, see the kids?

We can have a chat.'

I want you to pick a team completely unconnected to the original investigation,

and then I want you to start again

to investigate this case as if she were killed yesterday.

- You think you can do that? - Yes, sir. Why not?

Oh, there are about 50 reasons "why not" walking the corridors of this station alone, DI Hudson.

But we need to send a message out that, despite DCI Beech's remarks this morning,

- we take the court's decision very seriously indeed. - Yes, sir. Of course.

Good.

Keep me up to speed on any new developments. I've got the Home Office breathing down my neck.

What about the other evidence?

Well, in the end, the jury must have decided that the other stuff was just too circumstantial.

- What's "circumstantial"? - It means that...

it was helpful for the original case

but not on its own enough to prove guilt.

- But her blood was on his coat. - It was.

But the jury believed it might have got there by accident at the forensic laboratory.

But... what about all the other stuff he did to her?

- Hitting her and... the threats he made to you? - Again, darling, it doesn't prove he murdered anybody.

What was he talking about when he said people had lied?

Well...

if he wants people to believe him, he's going to have to say we all lied, isn't he?

Did you?

Of course not, Jack.

So you still think he did it?

Well, you know, in the end I think it's probably best not to dwell on our own opinions.

The truth is we'll probably never know one way or the other.

This is so fucked up.

- Jack, I know this must be... - Just leave him, love. Let him have some time on his own.

What's to stop him just taking us back?

Lots, Rosie. There is lots to stop him.

- I bet he's gone to live with Uncle Phil. It's only 15 minutes away. - No.

- He could come and take us! - That's not going to happen. - When we're outside school!

He killed our mum, and he could kill us!

Here we go.

How long have you been here?

Er... about six months.

The old place was too big, really, and...

well, your case took up a fair amount of time.

Both gave me the excuse to chuck in my shite job and take one that I actually enjoy.

For which, my dear brother, I am eternally grateful.

Sorry. Erm...

I didn't know how today was gonna go.

Obviously I'll clear all this out now.

Phil...

Shut up.

I don't know how I'm ever gonna be able to thank you.

- You would've done the same for me. - No, I bloody wouldn't have.

Right.

I'm gonna stick the kettle on.

There's a few boxes of stuff from the old house there.

I managed to get in before Alice took everything.

- Are they still just outside Halesham? - Yeah.

I drive over every now and then just... just to see the kids.

What, "see" see them? Have you...

- Have you spoken to them? - No, no. From a distance.

I've taken a few photos over the years. They're in there too.

Milk and sugar?

Hey.

Hi.

- Listen, I had no idea he was gonna give me the case. - I know.

- And obviously I've got no choice. I had to say yes. - It's all right. It's all right.

I'm pleased for you. Of course I am.

And I'm here for you if you need any help, genuinely.

- Listen, he knows you got it right. - Does he? Didn't sound like it to me.

- Jesus, maybe there IS someone else out there. Maybe I did get it wrong. - No, you didn't get anything wrong.

You know that. Everyone knows that.

I'm just gonna do what I'm told and do what's required of me,

and I have absolutely no doubt that I will come to exactly the same conclusion

that you did seven years ago, OK?

Everything's gonna be fine, babe.

Look.

- These arrived this morning. - Oh.

- I thought maybe we could have a look over the weekend. - OK. - If you're about. - Yeah.

- That's nice. - That is nice. - Only two bedrooms, though. - Yeah.

Steve? Mari-Luz? Can I see you both in here, please?

Graham, can I see you as well?

So these are copies of the original Tara Collins case file.

Please take one each, digest, and tomorrow first thing we start again.

And just...

We probably won't find anything which puts Collins back inside.

The CPS have never sanctioned a fourth trial for the same offence.

But what we might find, if we give this our very best efforts,

is evidence which proves conclusively this time what actually happened that night,

and I think we owe Tara's family that, at the very least.

OK. Thanks, guys.

Sorry. I expected you earlier. They're both asleep now.

It took me back, watching all those news reports.

- I can't manage on what you give us, Tom. - That's what the courts decided was fair.

Courts can get it wrong, though, can't they?

- What were you thinking? - Another five a year.

I can't afford to pay you another £5,000 a year, Louise.

Really?

But you're a consultant now.

And all that private work.

All those pretty young milfs who pay you to peer between their legs.

How is your new wife, by the way?

Yeah, it took me back, Tom.

It took me right back.

Yes, I'm sorry to say that in certain circumstances special guardianship can be revoked.

But the key thing here, if it went to court, what the judge would want to know more than anything else,

and actually what both sets of parents should want to know,

is what do the kids want?

Well, they'll want to stay with us. Of course they will.

OK. So you've already spoken to them about this?

No, not directly. It's all happened so fast. But we don't need to. We just know.

They hardly remember their father. Jack was eight, Rosie was five. He'd be a stranger to them.

Now all their friends are here, their family, their school. Everything's here.

- None of this even takes into account what they still believe he did. - Absolutely.

And all of those are very powerful arguments.

But I also imagine that, in time, they'll come to accept the fact that he's been acquitted.

And, notwithstanding all the other points you make, they are still his kids.

All I'm saying is, if he does apply for an access order, they'll take it very seriously.

Given that, my advice to you is to start a dialogue with him.

- What, with David? - I know that might seen impossible right now,

but, trust me, going to court is not only incredibly expensive,

it's traumatic for everyone, especially the kids.

But if you can talk and find some compromise,

there might just be a way forward that works for everyone.

I will never get over what that man did to my family.