Silent Witness

Hey.

Are we OK to...?

Yeah.

Are you Murder Squad?

Yeah, DI Ryman. Dr Chamberlain.

This is Dr Alexander.

And the victim? An imam.

This was his mosque.

Name's Amir Aziz.

One of his congregation was attacked here about a month ago.

Racially motivated?

Possibly.

Did you get the person who did it?

No, but we're thinking it could be connected.

So, he has got grazes, cuts and bruising to the face and head,

possibly from a fall.

From the top of the stairs?

No, I don't think the injuries are bad enough for that.

No CCTV in here or outside.

Uh! OK.

Check across the road, will you?

Ma'am.

Shall we?

One... two... three...

He's been stabbed.

Good morning!

Something you all should see.

Right, then,

we have got blood.

Really? Where?

Traces here.

So, he was attacked in here and, what,

tried to get away and fell partway down the stairs? Yeah.

Or was pushed.

And blood on his mobile, too.

He made a call?

Yeah. Just before he was found. He hung up before it connected.

What number?

Me?

'Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to London.

'Please remain seated, with your seatbelt securely fastened,

'until the captain turns off the seatbelt sign.'

He's been such a good baby! He's been cramped up for ages.

Hello! Hello!

After you. Are you sure? Yeah. Thank you very much.

Mr and Mrs Rachid, this is Dr Alexander and Dr Chamberlain.

I'm so, so sorry about your brother.

Can we see him? Of course.

There is just something we need to run past you first, if that's OK.

We are not required to obtain next-of-kin's permission

for a postmortem, but... Islam doesn't allow it.

No, I understand... Except for where the death may have resulted from

a criminal act.

Amir wouldn't want it.

I understand that what we're asking isn't easy,

but this is a murder investigation. We need all the evidence we can get.

The alternative could be that we miss something vital

and your brother's killer gets away with it.

I don't think any of us wants that.

Thank you. This way.

There is one more thing...

When were you last in Amir's office?

Yesterday, both of us.

We are going to need your DNA and prints, too, if that's OK?

Claire?

Little man.

Come in.

We already have his prints from the previous case. We needed to screen

people locally and he led by example.

Are you OK, being here?

So, he knew you well enough to have your mobile number?

Yeah. Well, like I said, he was incredibly helpful.

Why would he call you direct, rather than 999?

Rigor's not yet begun to set in, so time of death estimated

at no more than three hours ago.

Bruises and abrasions to the face

and on the costal margin, possibly from the fall.

But it's likely to have been the stab wounds that killed him.

Why would anyone want to target him?

I mean, specifically, him.

Take your pick.

He was anti-fundamentalist and wasn't afraid of saying so.

Then, there is the usual suspects who just hate him,

because... because that's what they do.

Sorry, my friend.

Hmm.

Knife tip.

'OK, so, '

this is from a security camera at the end of the street.

The mosque is here,

just out of shot.

And this taxi was parked there from around five past five,

for 20 minutes or so. This morning?

Mm. Would have been around the time Amir Aziz died.

We are checking the licence plate now.

All right, there is no sign of the knife in or around the mosque.

Prints? In his office - plenty.

Parishioners, probably,

if that's what you call them.

And... this chap - I ran him through the database - John Sutherland.

Previous for affray, on an English Defence League march.

Cheers.

We have got a trace on that numberplate.

That's him.

John Sutherland.

The same guy.

He's the taxi driver.

I wouldn't touch him.

Wouldn't want me hands to smell of curry.

This was your taxi at eight minutes past five this morning,

parked outside the Bridge St mosque.

What were you doing there?

Waiting to speak to Amir Aziz.

First prayer.

So you knew him?

How come my prints are in his office, if I didn't?

How did you know him?

Everybody knows him, don't they? What were you doing in his office?

He invited me in, to talk.

Brave guy. Me?

Him.

When? When was I in there?

Yesterday, about nine.

What did you talk about? Islam.

Like what, about Islam?

Like whether the Wahhabi interpretation of the Koran

has any validity or whether it should be dismissed out of hand.

'But you didn't go into the mosque this morning?'

'No.'

'You just hung around outside?'

'Yeah.'

'Hmm. Why?'

Just to let him know I was there.

To intimidate him?

I was reminding him. Of what?

That there are consequences to what we do and what we say.

I just liked him to know I was watching him.

So... while you were...

sitting there... this morning...

..what happened?

What did you see? People coming and going.

One guy running.

What did this "guy" look like?

Like they look - brown, with a beard.

Is that it?

That's it.

Found this in your wallet.

Your son, right?

Ollie.

Where was this taken - Helmand?

Mmm.

Can't have been far from where he was killed, then. Taliban, IED.

How did that make you feel?

Like killing every Muslim you ever set eyes on?

Including Amir Aziz.

They undermine this country's role,

your son's role in that war, am I right?

He stood up and said we shouldn't have been there. What was it?

"Every death...

"was a complete waste.

"A failure."

Your boy died for nothing.

That's what he said.

Yeah?

A Muslim man.

Is that why you had to terrorise him?

I have principles, Ms Ryman.

And I stick to 'em.

But I'm not a stupid man.

If I'd wanted to hurt him...

..you wouldn't get to know about it.

Get your hands off of him!

All right, calm down, just trying to help.

We're done.

Pleasure.

'An attack on one of us is an attack on us all.

'And building trust again takes time,

'but people need to know that we're at the heart of this community.

'We have to reach out and make connections with people,

'whoever they are.

'Don't let hatred ruin our lives.'

That was Amir about a month ago.

Though, what he said, who wants to fall out with?

Excuse me.

He had no partner, no wife?

No.

Do you? Me? No.

And you're straight, are you?

Why?

Just...

..if you wanted to make a connection...

that would be OK with me.

The second independent postmortem's been done, so we can release

the body to the family, if you're happy with that? Yeah, great.

Yeah, good.

What? Hey, all right! Take it easy!

I embarrassed you. No, no.

But?

What, a woman's never come on to you before? Well...

I'm sorry, patience isn't my virtue.