Original subtitles

Poppy MacDonald, 18 months old. Now, her mother comes home and finds her

apparently unconscious in the bed at about 8 .30pm.

Poppy?

Poppy? She's got soapy water in her stomach. Quite a lot of it.

If you were to start with the supposition that she was held under her

until she drowned... I know.

Might save you some legwork.

Now, her nanny, Leanne Taylor, and the family car went missing at approximately

6 .30 p .m.

Can I help you? Hello, I'm Chief Superintendent Mike Walker.

Is Leanne Taylor all right?

Yes, she is.

Sorry, I mean, that's me. Why? We've just wasted a hell of a lot of bloody

chasing the wrong bloody woman.

Canada's resident.

I find it.

Someone make bruising.

Now, Poppy is dead.

Susie, she's not quite what she seems.

She got postnatal depression.

She ended up having ECT.

Can you believe it? In this day and age, they strapped her down and put

electrodes on her.

Her real name's Rachel Byrne. She's actually 24, not 80.

I'm arresting you on suspicion of the murder of Poppy McDonald.

Who's this?

I don't know.

What's found in your bag?

Do you recognize this woman?

That's Edie, isn't it? I'm sure it is.

Yes, of course.

We found this in her possessions.

Joe.

You shouldn't have come here.

Why are you doing this?

What am I doing, sir?

Joe died two years ago.

He died in his sleep.

Oh.

Thank you.

I didn't do it, you know.

Oh, they'll find out they've got it wrong soon enough, I guess.

Such a shame they're wasting so much time on me when the real murderer is

out there.

This looks lovely.

Thank you so much.

I'm starving.

Okay, we have two dead babies.

Rachel Burns with Nanny to both of them.

Now, we already suspect that she administered cannabis to Poppy McDonald,

need to know what the hell she's done to Joe Casper.

Um, Satch, did the post -mortem results come in?

Oh, yeah, there's no mention of cannabis.

Any other substances?

Any kind of abuse? No. I mean, and Joe was embalmed, so we're not going to find

any drugs now.

Did they test for hair?

Um, I don't know, Satch.

Um,

let me see.

Nothing. Sam, get a car ready, meet me in the yard. Will she collect all the

evidence, get in touch with the coroner, and get a warrant for the exhumation of

Joe Casper's body?

Mike! Mike!

Mike!

Mike, hold on.

Come on, you can't dig up that little boy. There is no requirement.

Of course there is.

That's all you're going to find with cannabis.

Your court is going to convict on that. It's proof of abuse.

It's a start.

Oh, come on, it's been two years.

You're just not going to find any more evidence. Mike, come on, an exclamation.

It's going to destroy the parents.

Roisin, who the hell knows how many children Rachel might have killed?

It's really important we find out what happened to that little boy. You go talk

to the coroner, I'll go talk to the cast boss.

I'm afraid we need to do a few tests on Joe's body.

He's been buried 18 months.

I know.

I would like your permission to exhume him.

No. How can you? We understand how you feel. You can't do that to him.

She killed a little doll, you say?

We believe so, yes.

But Joe had a post -mortem. Drugs get into growing hair from the bloodstream.

Once they're in, they stay in.

Every single one of Joe's hairs is a calendar to the drugs in his body. From

roots, the most recent, to the tips.

Hair grows a centimeter a month, give or take.

Each centimeter is a month's record.

Can you remember how long Joe's hair was when he died?

Two inches, I suppose.

Soft, brown hair.

We believe he was given cannabis. This is the only way we can find out for

I'm sorry, I can't agree to it.

No way! It's behind us now!

Mr Caspar, I'm afraid the coroner has powers to allow us to go ahead with or

without your permission.

Well, we'll see about that, won't we? Please.

There will be no exhumation. You'd better get out.

Take your time. There's no rush.

I'll give you a few moments.

Okay, do you want a plain one or a white one?

The white one is 120 quid, and you get brass handles.

Hey, look, the most popular bits of music for the

service. Oh, bury your child to the...

Who, this theme tune? Oh, no. Or Handle in the Wind?

Do you name it?

I forgot Bob the Builder.

Thanks again.

What are you doing up here?

Gina.

I don't want us to have anything more to do with the police.

But they might find out how he died, why he died.

Don't you want that? It's over.

Nice to see you, Mike.

I have just had a short, terse and very brutal phone call from the borough

commander, who just happens to be a close friend of Lee Casper's dad.

Mm -hm. Well, what did he say? You bloody well know what he said, because

he called you up to tear you off a strip about the exhumation, you washed your

hands of the whole affair.

Oh, come on, I didn't say it like that. He told me what you said, Roisin.

I strongly recommended we did not proceed.

Jesus.

Are you stopping the exhumation?

Of course he is, and he's got more sense.

It's tomorrow.

My little Mr. Casper obviously has no time for me. You will be holding their

hands.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Casper, I'm terribly sorry. Come on, Gina.

Oh, Satan.

How about I'm going to put Rachel Barnes behind bars for a very, very long time.

Traces of cannabis have been found in Joe Casper's hair. The Casper's do not

smoke it and neither do their friends.

Well, of course they say that.

The parents say their children were very calm with you.

That's because you dosed them up, didn't you?

No.

I need to have a smoke after some kids kicked off all day. But I'm not the only

one.

These parents, they all grow their own.

And they never put the kids out of the room.

Haven't you ever heard of passive smoking? The lab says that passive

doesn't cut it. Why not?

Smoke does stick to the outside of hair, but we are testing within the cells.

The only way to get it there is through the food. That was your job.

What about breastfeeding?

They're both breastfed. I know that.

Oh.

I should check your facts.

Rachel Burns, I am charging you with the murder of Poppy MacDonald. You do not

have to say anything, but it may harm your defense if you do not mention when

questioned something which you later rely on in court.

Anything you do say may be given in evidence.

Hi. I'm Rachel.

I'm on remand here, but they let me go when they find out they've got it wrong.

I just don't think that Rachel killed Joe. I really don't.

We're still going to proceed against her.

Listen, Gina's been through quite enough. The doctor said it was a cot

What about the cannabis?

But that doesn't prove murder.

You can't overdose on cannabis.

I looked it up on the internet.

In my view, she has a serious charge to answer.

Well, I'll be a character witness for her, then.

If you charge her.

I can do that, can't I?

Yes. Yes, you can do that.

What does Mrs.

Casper say?

Well, she's unhappy about it.

But she... Hello,

Rachel.

I'm Rex Stafford. I'm going to be acting as your barrister.

Are they treating you well in here?

Right, well, let me know if there's anything we can help with.

Now, to business.

First of all, the Casper baby.

I love that little boy.

Ah, well, you should be fine. They'll still have to charge you on that. And

what I've read, there may be no case to answer.

But there is a lot of evidence against you for popping at Donald.

The abuse, the frenulum, the Wharton family.

Susie was in the house too, you know.

The cannabis in her bloodstream, the cannabis in your bedroom, the boy who

the family car to speed off. The fact that you ran away and went into hiding.

know. It sounds bad. On the plus side, there's the man who sold you cigarettes

at the petrol station.

And we don't know what time Miss MacDonald returned to the house.

It isn't much, is it?

But you'll help me.

Oh, I can.

But if the facts had been different, I might have advised a different plea.

Like what?

If there'd been an accident.

A terrible, tragic accident.

What do you mean?

Courts understand accidents.

And panic.

They understand a young woman who discovered the accidental death of a

her care might, through sheer fear, run away. They wouldn't condone, but they

would understand.

Which might be reflected in their verdict and, of course, the sentence.

How long? A few years for this kind of manslaughter. Ten years plus for murder.

But you're asking me to lie.

When I left, Poppy was all tucked up in her bed, safe.

And when I came back to the house, it had all happened. I can't change that.

I would very much prefer that you did not lie to me, Rachel.

We got back home about 11.

Edie was on the... Rachel was on the sofa watching television.

I remember thinking she looked really tired, exhausted.

Then what happened?

We sat around, chatted a while, asked how Jo had been.

She said she'd checked on him an hour before.

Then I went upstairs to see him.

And I found him.

How long had Rachel been with you?

About six months.

Jo was four months when I went back to work.

And did she have any friends? I mean, anyone who might have visited her that

night? No.

She was a loner, really.

Did you ever notice her getting angry with Jo?

Never.

Mind you, we were both at work.

She was okay. Jo was happy with her.

Do you remember seeing any bruises on Jo?

No.

Okay.

Did anything go missing?

Money? Jewelry? No, she wasn't the sort.

I did lose that ring.

You lost it. She didn't take it. It was my engagement ring. It was really

precious to me. Yes, and you lost it.

Have you ever been in love with someone?

Oh, you maybe haven't had that.

It happened to me.

I've had that.

I'm lucky, I suppose.

If you lose it, if that person stops

loving you, you actually think you're going to die.

For ages, and ages afterwards, you think you're going to die.

It's terrible.

We just get so angry.

I gave Joe his bottle about

nine o 'clock.

He went to sleep while I was feeding him.

Then I put him to bed.

Then I had a bath.

and then I checked on him again about ten o 'clock.

Then I went downstairs and... I watched the TV till Lee and Gina got

home. That's what happened.

Did you go back upstairs again?

No. Did you give him cannabis that night?

No, I've told you all that.

I never gave him cannabis.

You know, you should speak to his mum and dad.

There are a right couple of druggies under all that we're so respectable

So how do you think he died?

It's so easy for a baby to die.

They're so small.

They're helpless.

You know, he could have rolled over in his sleep and got stuck against the

It's not the position he was found in.

Well, he might have pulled the blanket over his head and suffocated that way.

There were no blanket fibres in his lungs.

And no indications of prolonged suffocation.

Or if you wanted to, you could sit by his cot, and you could reach over, put

your hand over his face, like that, and you could suffocate him so easily.

Just by the weight of your hand.

It'd be so quick.

You wouldn't have to try at all.

Pretty good, isn't it?

Of course it's not!

I loved Joe.

Do you realise the pain that Joe's death cost Mr and Mrs Casper?

They will feel that ache for the rest of their lives.

Did you kill Joe Casper?

No!

You have got it so wrong.

You must be really stupid.

How did they let you two run a police department?

Kim Lee!

Kim Lee, can we have a word, please?

What is it?

You lied to us, didn't you?

I don't lie.

You told us Susie bruised Poppy's face.

I saw the injury.

No, you saw the bruises. You didn't see it happen.

And why didn't you tell us that you were best friends with Leanne?

I'm not.

Then why did you visit her in prison?

I didn't. You visited her in prison, didn't you, Kim Lee?

There's no law against that.

No, but there is a law against wasting our time.

How long have you been in the UK, Kim Lee?

Not long.

What visa are you on?

I don't have a visa.

Leanne knows.

She said if I don't help her, she'd tell immigration.

So Leanne got you to tell us that Susie bruised Poppy's face?

Yes. But I'm not her friend, okay?

What do you mean?

She scares me. She scares you? Why? What happened?

It's hard looking after kids all day.

You get tired, they make you cross.

We all get that.

But Leanne, she was different.

She used to get so angry when Poppy was naughty.

She had this thing that she said when she couldn't get Poppy to do what she

wanted.

She said this thing that she'd take her home and flush her down the toilet.

instead of giving her tea.

She was joking, but I didn't like it.

The thing is, Mrs MacDonald, we have to find that minicab driver.

The CPS needed to confirm that you actually got home when you say you did.

That's it.

I've told you all this.

I was hardly paying much attention. Why can't you find him?

What about the CCTV at the airport?

Yeah, well, we looked at that. We found you getting in, but... That only

confines the time that you left.

Unfortunately, the car's number plate was climbed.

What's that?

They use another car's number plate. It means I can drive around without

worrying about speeding fines or parking tickets.

Can you describe him?

He was foreign.

Middle Eastern, maybe.

What did you talk about?

Not a lot.

I was worried about getting home.

First of all, thank you for taking the time to come and see us, Mr. Burns.

I really need to know what's happened with my daughter.

This is Poppy MacDonald.

She's suffered a great deal of abuse.

She was administered cannabis.

And she was drowned in a bath.

And we believe your daughter was responsible for this.

Dear God.

Joe Cass by Mr. Burns.

Also in Rachel's care.

Also given cannabis.

He died in his cot.

The last time I interviewed your daughter, she described a fantasy in

suffocated a baby.

I cannot believe that my daughter would have done this.

When did you last see her?

She walked out nine years ago when she was 15.

And did she keep in touch with you?

She never phoned.

Not once.

She sent us two postcards from Cardiff and Toulouse, I think it was.

And did she keep in contact with her friends?

She was a bit of a loner, really.

Would you describe yourselves as a happy family?

There were four, I believe.

Me, Karen, my wife, Rachel and John.

He came along later on when Rachel was ten.

She found it very difficult.

In what way?

She had a temper.

She always seemed to get funny with other children.

Very.

Oh, she'd want them to play with her too much.

That sort of thing.

She's a lonely girl, but she's not a murderer.

Now, I want to go see her in prison. How do I do that?

Hello, Dad.

Nice to see you.

You treating you well?

Yeah, not bad, really.

Where's Mum?

Oh, she couldn't come. She's a bit upset.

You had any visitors?

What about Granny?

Do you see her?

She died, love.

A few years back.

She missed you.

She was always asking after you.

You look different.

Growing up woman, eh?

No, not older so much.

More happy than you used to.

I am happier.

That's sad.

Sad I'm happy? Why?

With all that's happened, you're happier.

Oh, this place, no.

I'll be out of here soon enough. I'm not talking about this place.

I suppose what we want to know, your mum and me...

She never got over it, you know. Where is she, anyway?

She couldn't come.

And I thought she was upset.

Why did you do that?

Is she coming later?

I don't think she will be, no.

How's my little brother?

He says hello.

Did you do it, Rachel?

No, I didn't.

You tell me the truth now.

I was poor little Petey.

I didn't.

I really didn't.

I'd better be off.

Don't go, Dad.

Are you Mrs. MacDonald?

Yes.

I'm Richard Byrne, Rachel's father.

What the hell do you want? I came to say I'm so sorry. I just wanted to speak

with you. You have nothing to say that I want to hear. I just thought that it

was the right thing to... Your daughter killed my baby!

She bloody well drowned her in the bath!

Now don't you ever dare speak to me again!

Mrs. MacDonald.

I didn't mean to upset you. Are you all right?

That bit in the park just completely freaked me out.

I can't believe he had the audacity to turn up at the door.

It's lucky, it's lucky I didn't... It's okay, it's okay.

I feel better.

It's okay.

I want it to.

Why did you go round to Miss McDonald's house?

Did you want to influence her in any way?

I didn't mean to upset her.

Have you got kids, Mr Walker?

A boy and a girl.

Teenagers.

We had such a nice life, really, when she was a little girl.

Do you think Rachel did it?

I'm afraid I do, yes.

Her own mother thought she'd done it. I can't believe it.

I still can't.

Even after...

Rachel was such a mummy's girl.

We had John late.

Rachel was ten when he was born.

Looking back, she took it very hard.

She was lovely with him at first. She wanted to help, but John was a difficult

baby.

Karen, my wife, used to get tired out. She didn't seem to have the time for

Rachel that she'd had before.

Terrible.

Rachel had told John to do it.

She said it would be all right.

She was his big sister.

He loved her.

He believed her.

I just keep thinking, if we'd handled it better when John was a baby, it

wouldn't have been like that.

After it happened, things were never the same at home.

We had to watch her all the time.

You know, you should have told us all this when you first came in.

Yes, I know, but it's just very difficult to talk about.

Yeah, well, don't be too hard on yourself.

Kids keep on hurting us, but we can't stop loving them.

Well, maybe we did with Rachel.

My son still can't use that hand, you know.

It's for a minicab driver. I've been having Adele. He's making up most of his

false number play. He's running up tickets like nobody's business.

Especially in one road, Molden Road.

Like down there, is it, bud? Yeah. I've got two of the lads down there now,

checking out local minicab offices.

Great.

The CPS view is we go for manslaughter.

There's a lot of problems.

We've no evidence of what time the mother got home. Yeah, we're still

find the minicab driver and we'll get him. She's clearly unstable.

Come on, she had postnatal depression. It was years ago. Then there's Rachel

Burns herself.

Look at her record.

Shoplifting, fighting in a pub. Come on, Ken, you can pick holes in this all

day. We have a damn good, solid case. We need to go ahead with it.

And we need to revisit Joe Casper's death.

Oh, haven't we covered that? Once and for all, it's impossible.

What's so impossible about it? There's simply no case.

You have no witness testimony. There's absolutely no medical evidence.

And the accused denies everything.

Okay, think about it.

What would the man in the street see if he took a look at it, huh?

Two dead babies.

One nanny.

Evidence of abuse in one, drug abuse in both. Come on.

Jeez, okay.

Okay, we will get out of your hair as far as the Casper baby is concerned as a

separate case.

We must be allowed to bring up Joe Casper as part of Rachel's history. I

like muddying the... Come on, Munger, get your head out of your arse! The jury

have to see this! Do not!

No to Joe Casper. Do you understand, Mike?

We'll give you Poppy.

But without that minicab driver, the defence will have a field day.

So you'd better find him.

Still think the exclamation was worth it?

I have two children, Roisin.

If one of them had died as a baby and there were suspicious circumstances, I

would have moved hell and high water to get to the truth.

Yeah, I'm here now.

Yeah. I didn't know it was dodgy

on it.

So what, you thought you'd just disappeared off the parking fine

you? Well, yeah, they think I was being a bit lucky.

You know, they never seem to follow them up. Oh, cut the crap, Ratty. I don't

care about that or the DSF. Yeah, sure you're not.

Look, what's it to you if I worked that night, anyhow? Little girl died that

night. We believe she was murdered.

How old was she?

18 months.

And you won't tell the DSF?

We're murder detectives, Ratty. We're really not interested.

Yeah, OK.

OK, all right. So it might have been me.

Where was the house again?

38 Talcorn Road. It was Tuesday the 15th of August. Was it you?

Hang on.

Er... I can't remember.

Oh, come on, it was weeks ago. Oh, well, don't you have a logbook? I mean,

someone must keep records of the jobs you do.

Christ.

Where are you from, Raddy?

Agadir. Morocco.

Do you follow football?

Yeah, sure.

England played Morocco on the 15th. How do you know that? Trust me, I've studied

that day. Did you watch the game?

Yeah, I watched it in the office.

I missed the first half because I was coming back from... Coming back from

Heathrow?

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember now. Yeah.

I picked up a lady, yeah, and I took her to her house.

And she goes inside, and the next thing I knew, this ambulance just screams up.

I knew you lot would be next, so I pissed off.

How long did it take you to get back here?

About ten minutes, fifteen at the most. Friday, this is crucial to our case. I

need to know exactly what time you dropped her off.

8 .30 p .m.? Yeah, I'll give or take five minutes.

I got back in time for the penalty, though.

Result?

Members of the jury, the defendant, Rachel Burns, faces trial on a single

charge. namely murder, contrary to common law.

The particulars of that offence being that on the 15th of August 2006, Rachel

Burns murdered Poppy MacDonald.

And so you came to a deserted house with a car missing and the front door

unlocked.

Can you describe your state of mind at this point?

I was terrified.

And what did you do?

I looked around downstairs quickly, and then I went upstairs to Pop...

Upstairs to Poppy's bedroom.

Where was she when you found her?

She was tucked up in bed.

She looked like she was asleep.

But when I went forward, I could tell there was something wrong. Poppy?

I picked her up and she was just limp.

She seemed to be unconscious.

Then I phoned the ambulance.

Was she or were her pyjamas wet in any way?

No. Are you sure?

The cause of death was established to be drowning and there was a considerable

amount of bathwater in her stomach.

She was dry.

It is true, isn't it, that you have found life very hard on occasions?

I suppose so.

Deserted by Poppy's father while you were pregnant, disputes about child

maintenance, bringing up a small...

Child, it can't have been easy.

It won't.

Juggling a job with a young child must have been more daunting still.

That's why I hired Leanne.

Sorry.

Rachel.

It's true, isn't it, that you couldn't have taken your job without Rachel's

help?

I suppose so.

It is also true that you have a history of mental instability.

I had postnatal depression. A lot of women had it. But very few women have it

badly that they have to undergo ECT.

That's electroconvulsive therapy, ladies and gentlemen, given generally as the

last measure when there is serious concern about self -violence or suicide.

is true, isn't it, that when you returned to your house, you suffered a

to that despair?

No.

You found Poppy left alone. You realised that you were not going to be able to

go on this very important business trip, that you'd been abandoned once again,

that your life was about to get very much harder once again. No.

Poppy was glad to see you, but you weren't glad to see her alone. Your mind

racing, you were desperately trying to imagine a way you could keep your job,

and Poppy felt rejected. She started to cry, and you couldn't think straight,

and she kept on crying, you got angry. If only she would stop crying, but she

wouldn't. She would only get louder and louder.

That's not what happened.

You say you returned home because you forgot your passport. You say you've

jewellery. You seem to have forgotten a lot of things lately. I expect you can't

even remember why you put Poppy in the bath.

That's not what happened.

Mr Stafford.

My Lord.

Miss Wildsmith, any re -examination?

Yes, my Lord.

Miss MacDonald, your ECT treatment was when exactly?

Four years ago.

And when exactly did you return to the house that evening?

About 8 .30. Look, I don't... I don't understand why I'm being asked these

questions. I have had my problems.

I would be the first to admit it.

But I have dealt with them.

And I loved my daughter more than anything in the world.

Either way, the jury looked at Susie.

Yeah. Oh, that's outrageous.

She was just a bloody game.

You know that.

Yeah, well, I'm not having it.

Susie, I... This is Katie.

I wanted to see where Poppy used to play.

You bastard.

Don't speak to him like that.

He said you were a nightmare.

You keep out of this. This has nothing to do with you.

It has everything to do with me.

You're pregnant.

You know, he cut my money off the minute Poppy died.

The minute.

Yeah.

We discussed it.

And did he tell you that he slept with me last Tuesday?

I discussed that, you fucking loser.

There was poor police work on a number of occasions, wasn't there?

Not at all. Gaps in the scene of crime records, gaps in the social service

records. The gaps you're talking about have no bearing on this case.

Over -reliance on a faulty watch.

Well, the lab tests proved that we could rely on it. This wasn't a very...

thorough investigation, was it? You made up your mind right from the start.

That is absolutely not true.

Let's see.

You held a house -to -house inquiry far too early. Well, no, not at all. I

ordered it when I felt it was necessary.

The minute you found out she had a previous conviction for shoplifting, you

jumped to your conclusions. In fact, this investigation has jumped to all the

wrong conclusions throughout.

Well, as you know, our conclusions were based on new evidence from the

exhumation... Of Joe Casper, a baby who was also in Rachel Burns' care when he

died. Thank you, DC. What?

Oh, my God. This is ridiculous.

This is a lie.

Ms. Burns, please.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, a matter of law has arisen.

I must ask you to return to your room.

Mr. Stafford, clearly the jury will have to hear the facts surrounding the

Casper baby's death.

I protest, my lord. DCI Connor deliberately introduced that material,

your lordship's previous ruling of it.

Well, Mr. Stafford, you must have known the danger in your question. I'm afraid

you opened up the area, and now the jury have heard DCI Connor's comments.

I'll give you some time to take instruction, but...

The jury will now have to hear the full details, so there's no danger of

speculation.

Unless, of course, you want to make an application to discharge this jury.

We can confirm there is no application to discharge the jury.

Your son was exhumed in order for various tests

to be carried out, is this correct?

Yes. And one of these tests...

detected the presence of cannabis.

Well, yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean... Mr. Casper.

My Lord, the Crown will be calling evidence later for an expert who will

the results of the tests showing high levels of cannabis, which the Crown say

can only indicate oral consumption of the drug.

Mr. Casper, did you or your wife ever use cannabis when your son was alive?

No, never.

Were you aware that Rachel Burns used cannabis when she worked for you?

No, the first I heard of it was when the police told me. Had you known this at

the time, would you still have entrusted your son to her care?

She was very conscientious.

She was looking after your son on the night he died.

Where were you and your wife at the time?

We were out for dinner.

So you were happy for Rachel to have what must have been close to 24 -hour

at that point. Yes, we trusted her totally.

Your wife had a valuable engagement ring, didn't she?

That's true, yes.

And that ring went missing during the time that Rachel worked for you? Yes,

Gina, my wife, lost it.

Do you know how it came to be lost?

Well, if I did, then it wouldn't be lost, would it?

Was a ring ever found?

No. Did she always keep it in the same place?

Yes, in a box in the drawer of her bedside table.

Was there a lock on this box?

No. Or to the drawer itself? No.

Did Miss Burns tell you that she had a previous conviction for theft?

No, she didn't. Would you have trusted her so implicitly if you had known that?

Maybe not.

I'm not sure.

Given the results of the post -exhumation tests, do you still accept

original coroner's verdict that your son died from natural causes?

Yes.

No, I'm not sure.

You bastard.

Miss Burns, please be silent. He gave me that ring. Miss Burns.

No more questions, my lord.

May I take instructions, my lord?

Are you ready, Mr.

Stafford?

May we take a moment further?

Mr. Stafford?

I do apologize, my lord. Mr. Katz, for one of your colleagues, Mr.

Jake Sumner.

Would you say you and he were close?

We talk.

We're not that close.

Mr Sumner has a flat in Waterfowl Terrace, doesn't he?

Yes.

Has Rachel ever been there?

Of course not.

Oh, dear God.

Is it true there is a red carpet throughout the flat?

Yes.

And is it also true there is a hand -carved wooden box...

on the bedside table with a plentiful supply

of condoms in it.

Mr. Casper?

Well, I wouldn't know. I've never been in his bedroom.

I see.

You assure me that Rachel Burns has never been to this flat. Can you explain

she was able to describe these details?

Let me help you.

It is right that you were having sexual relations with Rachel Burns, isn't it?

It is also right that you took her to the flat on a number of occasions where

you had sexual intercourse.

Remember you are on oath.

Yes.

It is also right.

But on more than one occasion, you told the defendant you were in love with her.

Yes. And she told you she was in love with you.

Yes.

And you made promises to her, didn't you? Quite substantial promises. You

promised that she could keep your wife's engagement ring. No. And you promised

you'd divorce your wife and marry her. I never said that.

Yes, you did.

You busted.

You said that you loved me.

And you said that you'd stopped loving her years ago.

And that you couldn't wait to leave her. Miss Burns.

And you also said that that ring was your promise. Miss Burns!

You're a fucking liar!

Mrs. Casper, I just wanted to... You did this through all of that for nothing.

For worse than nothing.

Why didn't you just leave us alone?

Poor souls.

Well, how the hell were we to know?

That bloody clan dropper in his trousers has probably lost us the case.

Don't talk to me. Gina, please. Why didn't you have the balls to tell me? I

scared. But I'd leave you when we're down, all right?

It was just a stupid... Stupid mistake. It didn't mean anything.

You're just pathetic.

I knew we should never have allowed the exhumation. Don't you dare try and say

it's my fault.

Don't you dare.

Sorry.

I'm so sorry.

So, now you've seen her in court.

Now you've blurted your guts out all over the courtroom.

Now you know what she's been accused of. Do you still love her? Do you still

want her to have my mother's ring?

Listen, we can sort this out.

I promise. Don't.

That bitch is on the stand tomorrow.

It might as well better be there.

Miss Burns, I have a copy of the CV you sent Miss McDonald.

Good qualifications, but none of them yours.

In fact, the CV isn't yours. Why is that?

Everyone exaggerates on their CV.

It doesn't mean anything.

But a completely fraudulent CV, that's a false identity.

I didn't think it mattered.

I needed the job and I wanted to make sure I got it. Is it because you knew

you'd be disappearing at some stage and wanted to make yourself as untraceable

as possible?

No, not at all.

It's not the best start to build trust.

But then, trust isn't so important to you.

Miss MacDonald trusted you.

At the very least, you stole from her.

Did you steal from your other employers?

No.

The police have spoken to some of your previous employers.

I have a list of items that vanished in your time with them. Shall I read it?

Okay. I did take a few things, but it was insurance.

I don't follow.

These women never pay you on time.

They're so rich.

They always rip you off. I always did loads of extra hours.

I was keeping it even.

Was the affair with Mr. Casper just another form of insurance?

We fell in love.

Was there a long -term conclusion to this affair in mind?

We were going to get married.

He was married already.

Did that bother you?

Yes, it did.

Not enough to stop you, though.

Did you wonder if the Casper's son would suffer from you breaking up his

parents' marriage?

Lee and I were in love.

We were made for each other.

You are a regular cannabis user.

Never with the children around.

And yet, traces of cannabis were found in both Poppy MacDonald and Joe Casper.

Medical experts have told us how Poppy was physically injured while in your

care.

Susie lived in that house too.

So you allege Miss MacDonald injured her own child?

Yes.

Yes, I suppose I do. Miss MacDonald never harmed Poppy, did she?

She loved her daughter. You didn't care for the children you looked after, did

you? You only cared about yourself.

I felt terrible when Joe died.

I'm sure you did. It meant you wouldn't see his father anymore. But did you feel

terrible when Poppy died?

Of course I did.

So why did you run away?

When the car got stolen, I had to walk back to the house.

And then when I got there and I saw the ambulance outside, I just knew something

bad had happened.

After Joe Casper, I knew the police would think it was me.

I got scared, so I ran.

And...

I didn't know what else to do. I was crying and crying.

At the spur of the moment decision, you panicked, perfectly understandable.

Yes.

So, when you knew she was dead, you vanished from view.

Did you know she was dead?

I guessed.

And I just couldn't face seeing Mrs. MacDonald.

I'm so sorry for that.

Then when the police did catch up with you, you abandoned another child in

to try to escape.

I got scared.

Again. Then when questioned about Poppy's death, you tried to throw the

Miss MacDonald. You say she killed her own child for reasons you can't explain.

It's the only thing that I can think of.

There's just no other way what happened could have happened.

Unless I... I forgot to lock the door.

Maybe somebody else broke in. I... Maybe that's what happened.

You invent multiple identities to get different jobs.

You steal money, property, a husband even, from your employers.

It's true, isn't it, that you abuse the children in your charge. You use drugs

around them. You abandon them.

Is there anyone you care for but yourself?

I suggest...

You're a selfish parasite with no conception of your duty of care to

What really happened was that you murdered Poppy MacDonald in cold blood.

For the same reason, you would slip another item of jewellery into your bag,

simply to further your own selfish ends.

You're all lying.

Why would I kill... Why would I kill her?

I loved Poppy.

I loved her.

I didn't fucking kill her!

There's some bad news. Your father said he will not stand as a character witness

for you.

Oh.

Right, okay.

It's a blow, but I think we'll survive.

So will my mum do it, then?

I'm sorry.

Yeah, it doesn't matter. It's fine. It's OK.

He wishes you well and hopes you understand.

It's alright.

Can I go to the toilet, please?

Willa? Just you give me a minute.

They were all lying and you just sat

there. Did you see the jury when Miss Wildsmith was cross -examining you?

They were lapping it up.

The thing is, Rachel, no one likes a child, Willa. But I'm not.

We're very close to that becoming a moot point.

What the hell does that mean?

Oh, God, can you not just speak English for once?

What it means, Rachel, is that you have to get yourself under control.

I'm going to change my play.

This won't look good.

I swear by almighty God that the evidence I shall give shall be the

whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Deja vu, anyone?

Miss Burns.

You've already given evidence. I understand you wish...

To change that evidence.

I want to say what really happened. You want to concentrate

on the hour in which Poppy MacDonald died?

Yes.

Please proceed.

Susie MacDonald left to go to the airport.

I put Poppy into the bath.

I went to get some towels.

And then my phone went.

It was a friend.

We'd had a fight earlier on.

We patched it up.

But it took a bit of time.

Then I remembered I'd left Poppy on her own in the bath.

The water was... so low.

It was just a few inches.

I thought she'd be okay.

But I rushed back in and she'd slipped

and her face was under the water.

I got out.

I went all dizzy and

And I couldn't breathe.

And then the next thing is I was... I was...

I was sitting on her bed, holding her in

my arms in a towel.

And she was dry by then, so... So I put her to bed.

I grabbed some cash and a jumper and I took the car.

I needed to have a cigarette, so I stopped at the garage and then the

car got stolen.

I didn't go back to the house as I said before.

I went to the tube and I went round and round

for a bit.

And then I went to see some friends, but they weren't in.

You've already taken a very serious oath to tell the truth.

But it's the second time you've taken the oath. Why has your account changed?

What I said earlier.

I was just burying my head in the sand.

And I can see now.

I can see now what that looks like, but what I've just told you, I promise,

I'm telling the truth.

I promise.

Do you really think a last -minute change of story, another feeble set of

will save you from the proper and just consequences of your actions?

Phil's story is accidental drowning.

Why, tell it now.

Can you explain the bruising on Poppy's arm, the abuse to her lips, the cannabis

in her blood? I can't, but it wasn't... If you are the sensitive person you are

now pretending to be, why didn't you call the ambulance?

How did you know Poppy was dead?

Perhaps there was a chance of saving her life.

That's because you never intended the child to live.

You wanted her dead.

And you have lied ever since to cover that up. I'm telling the truth now.

And I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

Do you feel well enough to continue, Miss Bell? Yes.

guilty and bad every day because I just ran away.

Because I was frightened.

But what I've just told you, I promise.

I promise it's the truth.

You okay?

I want it to be over.

How about you?

Moved out.

I'm sorry.

She's messed us all up so badly.

I know.

Just keep imagining him with her.

He says he's sorry.

Starts crying.

Can't pretend it.

Look, I'm not saying you're playing this, but...

We both know how manipulative she is.

I don't think I could ever trust him again.

Well, can you try?

Don't let her win.

Will the foreman of the jury please stand?

Answer my next question, yes or no.

Have you, the jury, reached a verdict on which you are all agreed?

Yes.

Do you find the defendant, Rachel Burns, guilty or not guilty of the murder

of Poppy MacDonald?

Guilty.

And is that the verdict of you all? Yes.

Rachel Burns, stand up.

You have been convicted of the murder of Poppy MacDonald.

I have listened with care to what was said on your behalf by Mr. Stafford.

There is only one sentence that I can pass for the crime that you have

committed.

Accordingly, I sentence you to life imprisonment.

You were entrusted with a very great responsibility.

The life of a small child.

And you abused that trust and responsibility in the most cold and

way imaginable.

You have lied to the family of the victim, the police, and this court.

And the recommendation I make reflects the utter lack of remorse

which you have shown for your crimes.

I recommend that you serve a minimum term of 15 years.

Take her down.

I hope that helps put your mind at rest.

It was the right verdict.

Poppy's dead and she's alive.

There's nothing right about that.

That judge was so horrible to me.

When I have kids, I'm gonna look after them properly.

Repair and Synchronization by Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0