Original subtitles

This programme contains some strong language and scenes which some viewers may find upsetting

Lucy, it's Sally Alden from chambers. Is Faith there?

Are you trying to get us both killed?!

Maybe she got ill or something's happened.

The amputation may have been surgical.

Could be the person's still alive.

They took a risk, delivering in person.

What's your wife's name? Faith Oscott.

I know Faith. Oh, Nikki.

She's formidable in court.

Say someone is keeping Faith alive, what do they want?

It's odd they haven't sent some sort of message.

You end up back inside,

we're done. Amber...

Customer!

This is David Whitley, our head of chambers.

Lucy got in touch to ask about Faith's earnings,

to obtain life insurance. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Do you recognise this man?

We believe he's been harassing Faith.

Police! Stay where you are!

Stefan Chirkov, I'm arresting you

on suspicion of kidnap.

Why's your DNA under Faith Oscott's fingernail? No comment.

His deleted history shows visits to a forum

where members share fantasies about eating

human flesh. Good God!

Delivery for you, Sally.

GASPS

SIRENS WAIL

Please step back.

REPORTERS CLAMOUR

Faith Oscott was a rising star here at Elm Court Chambers.

A brilliant junior barrister

working in the most challenging area of the justice system.

An incalculable loss.

But I want to pay tribute to Faith

not just as a valued colleague

but as a wife to Lucy...

..a mother to Josh,

and as a much-loved friend.

Thank you.

You OK?

I'm fine.

You know, I had to deal with a severed head once.

Dug up in a back garden.

Foxes had been at it.

Very grim.

It was back in the day when you had to prove

that you were as hard-nosed as the boys.

And I didn't even know the victim.

It's now routine to offer welfare support

to most services.

Most services.

Still not pathologists.

LAUGHS Well, you know doctors.

We're much better at telling other people

what's good for them.

True.

What I'm trying to say is,

if you ever feel the need

to talk to someone on your own account,

then just give me the nod.

I'll arrange it.

Whoever sent that box wants to shock, to derail.

Absolutely.

But it's not going to work.

The head is that of a well-nourished

Caucasian female.

Facial characteristics indicate

that it belongs to Faith Oscott.

The date on the box means Stefan Chirkov

could have arranged the delivery

before he was in custody.

Any evidence Faith was at his bedsit or allotment?

Not so far.

The tissue looks more red than normal.

Not quite cherry red, as in carbon monoxide poisoning.

More red due to haemolysed blood.

What does that mean?

Early decompositional change.

Or the head may have been frozen.

Like the hand and the ear,

the decapitation was done cleanly

with anatomical precision.

A sharp blade was used to cut the skin and soft tissue,

and a serrated blade to remove the head completely.

Severed with notable skill,

the decapitation was made

between the third and fourth cervical vertebrae.

Severed from the front?

With the perpetrator looking straight into her face?

Most likely, yes.

That'd be tough to do, wouldn't it?

Extremely. Although, surprisingly,

if you've got the skill,

it's the easiest way to carry out a decapitation.

There's some debris here in her hair.

What is it?

Vomit, I'd say.

Can you get DNA from that?

The acidity of the stomach will make it tricky...

..but it's worth a shot.

Whose DNA? Faith's?

Could be.

Or could lead us to her killer.

If the killer threw up,

perhaps face-to-face decapitation

wasn't so easy after all.

The fibres from this blue towel match those on the ear parcel

sent to Lucy Khan.

Can the towel be linked to Stefan?

No evidence of that.

Each dismemberment shows

a remarkable level of surgical skill.

Are we sure that Stefan has the ability?

He's a trained veterinary nurse with experience of theatre.

His work with animal prey shows butchery skills.

How did Faith die?

Do you know?

It's hard to say without the rest of the body,

but the conjunctival petechial and scleral haemorrhages

suggest an asphyxial death.

Possibly strangulation.

So the amputations happened after death?

Yes.

That's something, at least.

Why do you think the body's been cut up like this?

Well, it is peculiar

that the parts have been separated like this.

Dismemberment is typically done soon after death

so that the body can be disposed of more easily.

That doesn't fit

with the ear. No.

Usually, the body is separated into six parts -

the two upper and two lower limbs are removed first

to get them out of the way, then the head and torso.

There's also aggressive dismemberment,

where mutilations have been carried out in rage.

I think these dismemberments are too clean,

too controlled for that. Agreed.

There is also necromantic dismemberment,

where body parts are kept as a trophy,

a keepsake.

Or for cannibalism.

Faith is dead.

This is now a murder investigation.

No.

No! When did you last see her?

Stefan?

Last week.

Some time.

Which day?

The day she disappeared. Where?

By the river...near her office.

She likes to take a run before work.

You knew her routine?

I was arrested

for assaulting a client who racially abused me.

I couldn't afford a lawyer,

so Faith advised me on what to do, how to defend myself.

What happened at the river?

I'd had another letter saying my trial was delayed again.

Faith stopped

coming to the law centre.

Faith! Please, my trial has been delayed.

I don't know what to do. I'm so sorry...

And then she ran on. So sorry.

And what did you do?

I went after her,

to apologise for scaring her. No!

I never meant to scare her.

What did she say?

No!

She pushed me away.

And scratched my arm.

Look, I'm... I'm seen as a stranger in this country.

Justice isn't for people like me.

Faith tried to help when no-one else would.

I'd never hurt her.

Never.

TV ON

Sometimes they hunt alone, but usually in a pride,

working together,

stalk around to kill their prey.

Today, our teams are shopping here at this antiques fair

in Newark...

TV OFF

This ends now!

This has got to stop!

Faith! PHONE BUZZES

BUZZING CONTINUES

CALL REJECTED

CLATTER

OBJECT FALLS AND BREAKS

PURRS

SIGHS

Jasper.

Jasper...

What are you doing?

COMPUTER BEEPS

MOUSE CLICKS

MOUSE CLICKS

We've tested all the knives

recovered from Stefan's flat. Yes.

And if you look at the scan

of the decapitation alongside

the marks made by Stefan's knives,

you'll see there isn't the same defect

in the teeth of the blade. None of these knives

were used in the dismemberments.

I've got CCTV from the delivery company.

Nice one. From the date on the box...

..this is the sender here.

That's too grainy.

Run it again.

Mm-hm.

Look under his hat.

This guy has hair.

See if you can get clearer CCTV from surrounding streets.

Mm-hm. Boss...

..this guy's definitely not Stefan.

Bail him.

HARRIET SINGS

You must be able to recite it by now.

I don't want any more surprises in front of the jury.

Is that the MS murder?

I'm back in the witness box later.

Which feels more like a dock, I expect.

The silk will rip you to shreds

and then insist on buying you a drink after.

That was certainly Faith. Mmm.

Do you know my Alan was a barrister?

He could argue black was white, and I would believe him.

He used to drive me mad.

Well, this KC claims that the victim's MS

was a factor in her death.

I've checked and double-checked my findings,

but I can't see it.

A hyoid fracture.

Primarily caused by manual strangulation.

The KC quoted from a study

where a proportion of hyoid fractures

can be attributed to a fall.

The Dr Hawton paper?

I can't find peer reviews anywhere.

HARRIET CHUCKLES

I had the pleasure of Dr Hawton's company

at a Royal College dinner once.

He sent the lamb back twice.

It was charcoal before he tucked in.

CHUCKLES

HARRIET SINGS

Go on, admit it, Chopin's growing on you.

Yeah.

Like penicillium.

LINE RINGS

Dylan, rebook that 2pm

with Sharps solicitors in court.

SLOW PIANO MUSIC

Before you go - special delivery.

Go get 'em.

Do you accept, Dr Alexander,

there is an alternative version of events?

In fact, the long-standing GP to the family

has told this court that because of her MS,

Glenda Rose was prone to falls.

Maybe so, but in my view, a fall did not cause her death.

Were you there? Huh?

No, you fucking weren't!

You know sod all, you brainless cow.

GAVEL FALLS Mr Rose,

I will not tolerate abuse of witnesses.

Another word and you'll be back in a cell.

Do you need a minute, Dr Alexander?

I'm fine, thank you, my lady.

Remind us of your point, Mr Shah.

Is it not the case, Dr Alexander,

that each one of the deceased's injuries

could be linked back to her medical condition?

No. It remains my view

that the hyoid bone in Mrs Rose's neck

was fractured by force.

But we know the fracture could have been accidental

because of Dr Hawton's study.

A study that was discredited by peer review

in the New England Journal Of Forensic Medicine.

It only considered falls from a height.

Glenda Rose could not stand without help.

In my opinion,

her injuries were inflicted by someone else.

Dr Alexander!

Just wait.

I want to thank you.

For telling everyone what's really been going on.

Me and my sisters,

for years we've been trying to get my mum help,

get her away from him.

She was too scared to leave,

and no-one would believe how bad it was.

I'm sorry to hear that.

It won't bring her back, but...

..at least if that animal goes to jail...

..we'll get justice for our mum.

I hope so.

Thank you.

I've got a way better image of the guy who sent the box.

It's taken from CCTV

two streets away from the parcel drop-off.

Excellent. I'm smarter than you look.

Run it through RFR. Yep.

Hmm. Perry Lorne.

Convicted of GBH.

Released on licence six months ago.

Recent caution for vagrancy.

KEYBOARD CLICKS

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. Jack?

Uh-huh?

I've found something in Faith's voicemails.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Who's that?

Lucy.

Faith's wife.

ALERT TONE ON COMPUTER

Marcie, RFR alert on Perry Lorne.

He's heading west towards Bethnal Green.

Cheers!

Babe, is that your dad?

POLICE CALL OUT

Dad!

POLICE SHOUT

Get off! Come here!

Stop resisting!

Get off me! Get off me! Perry Lorne,

I'm arresting you on suspicion of the murder of Faith Oscott.

I'm sorry. I love you. It may harm your defence...

Thanks.

I need to take a swab for DNA.

Yeah, yeah.

Thanks.

Nice tat.

CLEARS HIS THROAT. It's my daughter.

EXHALES

What's in the box, Perry?

No comment.

It's a human head.

How did a human head get in that box?

I... I dunno.

I got chatting to some bloke. He paid me to post it.

Were you involved in this?

No, no, no. No, no way.

All I did was deliver a parcel to a house and then the box.

That's it.

If your DNA is on these body parts,

we will find it.

It was him.

Proper.

Trust me, I know mental.

They put me on the nutters' wing inside.

Why was that?

I got banged up for a fight.

I couldn't get legal aid.

Cou-Couldn't afford a brief, so I defended myself.

English law best in the world?

Fucking joke.

Describe the man who gave you the packages.

Tall, white.

I don't know. I'm not good with faces, am I?

Kit's located CCTV of Perry Lorne.

He was nowhere near Snaresbrook at the time Faith went missing.

Send him on his way.

You sure, boss?

He's said all he's gonna say. We've got nothing to keep him.

Then let's put him under obs.

You do know how much surveillance costs?

Why don't we run it by the commander?

Forget it.

With friends like that...

No, she's under a lot of pressure to cut costs

and still get a result.

Then she needs her best troops onside.

Let's discuss this with the client

before we go any further.

Give me a minute. Sure.

What are you doing back?

Driving myself mad at home.

That box was addressed to you.

What if you're in danger too?

I feel safer here - with everyone.

You need to get away. Until this is over.

Where will I go?

There's always my place in Como.

We've had such happy times there over the years.

We have.

And here.

Do you remember when we first came?

Grafting into the night.

Living off kebabs.

You hounding every solicitor in town to get me work.

You've no idea.

I'm grateful...

..how, even now...

..you still take care of every little detail here.

Why don't I come with you?

What about Julia?

Let me worry about that.

All right? Jack!

Look at this.

Is that Faith's car? Mm-hm.

Via ANPR north of Epping Forest.

I thought there were no more sightings.

Yes, because Faith's registration

was hidden by a HGV. Hmm.

From here, I plotted possible routes along back roads

without ANPR. Mm-hm.

The Vauxhall's picked up on a speed camera here

and then on CCTV,

only now, buckle in, it's not Faith driving the car.

It's an IC1 male.

Too low res for an RFR.

Wait. I'll keep going and I'll find more.

Back at it.

GATE CREAKS OPEN

I just, er...

They got me on CCTV.

I just need a little more cash.

You know? Just...

They've seen my face.

GATE CLOSES QUIETLY

Don't tell me - the other guy's mincemeat?

Up to the jury now.

PHONE CHIMES

Oh! ANPR alert.

Faith's vehicle is on the move.

No way. From where?

A village near Epping Forest.

Right.

SIRENS WAIL

Jack...

Jack, leave it.

The air team saw a man leaving the scene,

then lost sight in the forest.

The dog unit's en route to search the woods.

We've got a body?

Some remains, yes.

Is the head missing?

And the hands.

We've found her.

The head and hands have been disarticulated

through the joints.

Like the other parts?

It's difficult to say with the heat artifact.

Not quite as clean, though.

More rushed, perhaps.

But again the serrated blade.

We can scan the points of disarticulation

to see if they match.

It's a watch, I think.

Genitalia is heat retracted.

The body appears to be male.

Male?

The internal examination will confirm biological sex.

So who the hell is this?

We need to lift the body to check the underside.

Shall I hold it here? Yes, please.

There's preserved skin.

What colour? Can you tell?

Looks Caucasian.

I think there's a tattoo.

Looks like a word ending in...

..E-R.

Amber.

Do you recognise it?

It looked like this when new.

I gave it to my dad

the last Christmas he was home.

Can I see him?

I wouldn't advise that.

His body was very badly damaged in the fire.

Are you all right?

Can I get you some water?

I'm so sorry for your loss, Amber.

I kind of knew something like this was gonna happen.

Stealing and begging, it wasn't him.

If you'd met him, you'd know.

Have you ever seen your dad with this man?

No, I don't think so.

Take your time. Have a good look.

How about now?

Kind of looks like Liam.

Who's Liam?

He works for my boss at the salon.

Up until recently. Just...

They had an argument, so he got chucked out.

You think...

You think Liam did this?

We don't know yet.

Did your dad visit you at the salon?

A few times, yeah.

To be honest...

..I stopped him coming...

..because...

..because I was so ashamed.

SOBS

We should've had the resources to keep tabs on Perry.

This cash-strapped justice, I'm so done with it.

Seriously?

My girlfriend reckons I should quit, so...

Maybe she's right.

That would be a real loss.

Good news. We found the insurance black box

behind the dashboard of Faith's car.

Still in one piece?

Good enough to access the location data.

Where's the car been?

So, this was the last ANPR sighting here.

We know it then travelled a further three miles

to this CCTV spot, then nothing.

Looking at the data, it stayed put at a house

on this village street here.

Whose house? It's registered

to a Beverley Green. Liam Green

is logged on the police database.

What's his connection to Faith?

He was recently acquitted of murdering his girlfriend.

Faith was prosecuting counsel.

Armed police! Armed police!

Clear!

Clear!

Clear!

Clear!

Clear!

It's like some weird time warp.

This is some retro shit.

LIGHT SWITCH CLICKS

Blue towel.

Neighbour says Bev Green died a month ago.

Liam is her nephew...

Jesus.

We'll need LED scene lamps.

Scene lamps. Quickly, please.

Jack? Over here.

Jack!

And there it is.

Here...

What is it?

Looks like head of a Caucasian male...

..torso of a Caucasian female.

We've found Faith's body.

And her wedding ring. LUCY SOBS

Thank you.

It'll be a few weeks before we can release her to you.

Do you recognise this man?

No.

His name's Liam Green.

Does that mean anything to you?

Faith prosecuted him for a domestic homicide.

He was acquitted.

Oh... Uh...

Faith hated losing, but she was crushed by that one.

Some issue with a witness, I think.

Not guilty!

Mr Green, you're free to go.

Faith was convinced she should've turned it around.

I told her she was exhausted, needed a break,

but, as usual, she wouldn't listen.

We understand you left messages

on Faith's phone after she went missing.

Yeah.

To see where she was.

The last voicemail is one of you saying you were sorry.

What is it?

The reason Faith took on prosecutions

is because we have debts, huge debts.

OK.

Everyone thinks that barristers are rich.

But with cuts to legal aid,

Faith's defence work plummeted. She...

We maxed out our cards, we borrowed all we could.

So what did you do?

Faith's clerk, Sally,

she knew we were in trouble. She...

She suggested I go to this ex-client,

Travis Tait, for a loan.

We... We were about to lose our house. Josh's home.

So...

So, without Faith...

Without Faith knowing...

Um...

It's all right, take your time.

I borrowed enough to pay off our cards.

It was such a relief, to... ..to see a way out.

But then Travis was piling on the interest,

hounding me with messages, and...

..Faith found out.

What happened?

She was furious.

Do you have any idea what you've done?

What did you want me to do?

She said that Travis was part of this big crime family,

and I'd made her cross a line.

What choice did I have?

She'd... She'd left me to deal with everything alone.

I'm working all hours...

I'd had enough.

I told her to get out.

To leave.

Did Travis ever threaten Faith?

He swore all this was nothing to do with him.

As long as he gets his cash, he doesn't care.

I didn't tell you...

..because I thought he might come after Josh.

Travis Tait insists Liam no longer works for him.

I got the feeling Liam went rogue.

All right, thanks. No sign of Liam at his known addresses.

Anything from his aunt's house?

No. Looks like he's cut and run.

I did find this in Faith's bag.

What's on it?

A spreadsheet of court cases going back years

and encrypted legal docs.

Kit's trying to crack the passwords now.

Nice. We have a DNA hit

on our canal femur.

It's partial,

but it's enough to generate a match with Ahmet Sadik.

Last year, Sadik was due to give evidence

at a big cocaine import trial...until he disappeared.

Nobbled, no doubt.

A Matty Boyce was convicted of his murder

after a torso was found in a wood.

We know from the scans

that Ahmet's femur and Faith's dismemberment

show exactly the same defect on the blade.

So the same knife was used on both bodies.

If Matty Boyce is banged up, he can't have killed Faith.

No. But it's his MO.

So he might know how Liam was involved.

KEY TURNS IN LOCK

DOOR CLOSES

KEY TURNS IN LOCK

Thanks for coming, Matty. I'm DS Blake.

This is Dr Alexander, a forensic pathologist.

I've been examining the postmortem photographs

from your case.

I'm flattered.

The dismemberments I usually see are haphazard, chaotic.

However, the dismemberment of Ahmet Sadik's body

was carried out with expert precision.

If you say so.

These are images of two current cases.

The dismemberments are just as precise,

and I think carried out with exactly the same blade.

I look at them as an anatomist.

In terms of skill...

..I see an equal.

Nice and neat.

Oh.

A little slip here in the thyroid cartilage.

BOYCE TUTS

In too much of a rush.

Or just not enough practice...

..yet.

You know your anatomy.

I'm a keen student.

I've been doing some studying myself.

The role of the cutter.

Employed by gangs to dispose of bodies.

During your trial, it was suggested

that you had no connection to Mr Sadik.

You were just doing a job.

Do you know Liam Green?

Did you teach Liam how to dissect a body?

Pass on the trade?

Who's behind all this, Matty?

Is it Travis Tait? BOYCE SCOFFS

Come on. Same knife,

parts dumped in the same canal.

If not Travis, who's behind it?

Time to go.

This head was sent directly to someone.

Bold.

But with no message.

Wasn't the head message enough?

Do you think he trained Liam up?

The vomit.

The slips with Perry's body.

Liam has the knowledge, but maybe

he's still perfecting the craft.

What did he mean, the head was message enough?

Sally knew why she was sent it?

Faith compiled a list of cases

where witnesses either withdrew

or, in Ahmet Sadik's case, went missing.

Any connection between them?

According to her notes,

they all had links to organised crime,

and were all represented by Faith's chambers.

Lead counsel, David Whitley.

FOOTSTEPS APPROACH

Can you get the rest from downstairs, please?

Is there a problem?

I have a warrant to search your files.

On what grounds?

I believe they may contain

evidence of witness intimidation.

Sir, Faith did say too many cases had collapsed.

She was going to bring it up with Sally.

This is over. This has got to stop.

Faith... No, this has got to stop.

You need to calm down. No! It ends now.

You're overreacting. It ends now.

What's on your secure file system?

The chambers' accounts

and all the cases with vulnerable witnesses.

Who has access?

Just me.

And Sally. As senior clerk,

she sees every witness filed for trial.

Mr Whitley,

we understand you are standing counsel to the Taits,

an organised crime syndicate.

Kept us afloat over the years when our other income dropped.

We suspect someone in the chambers

is passing witness details to these clients.

THUD

Jasper?

Hello, Sally. GASPS

SIRENS WAIL

RADIO CHATTER

We've found Liam's body at Sally's flat.

Looks like she's fled in her car.

Where to?

David Whitley says she has a flight

booked from City Airport.

I'll get her registration and track via ANPR.

Let's go.

We're heading to City now.

This is David Whitley.

Please leave a message after the tone. Thanks.

David, it's me again. I'm at the airport now.

I'm going to have to meet you through security. Um...

Can you call me, please?

MESSAGE ALERT

PHONE FALLS TO GROUND

Come on, Sally, pick up.

LINE RINGS

You've reached Sally Alden. Please leave a message...

Keep trying.

PHONE RINGS NEARBY

LINE RINGS

Still no answer.

That's it there. Red Audi TT.

PHONE RINGS NEARBY

Wait...

RINGING CONTINUES

Oh, shit, no.

BREATHES DEEPLY

Sally?

Don't do this.

I never meant for Faith to get hurt.

You tell Lucy that, yeah? Please.

Come back over and we can talk everything through.

This isn't the answer, Sally.

The only good thing in all this...

..is that Liam's gone.

He can't hurt no-one else.

We hear you.

But just...come back down, yeah?

You know, he was only meant to scare Faith.

Warn her off.

She was hellbent on going to the police

and telling them everything.

SIREN WHOOPS Sally, it's OK.

All we want is for you to be safe.

Sally?

Is it all right if I join you?

Yeah?

I had no choice.

We would've sunk without the Taits' work.

We'd have sunk.

I had to give them whatever they wanted.

I hear you.

I hear you. I do.

Sally...

Just...give me your hand, yeah?

We can fix this.

All of it.

Come on, Sally.

That's it.

That's it.

I'm sorry.

Sally!

Sorry, boss.

I thought we were...getting through.

We just watched her put herself on the line there.

Go home, Marcie.

Tomorrow, I'm putting you forward for promotion.

Thanks, boss.

Wow.

There's no way you're quitting now, right?

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE The right to justice

is enshrined in the Magna Carta.

It is a vital principle

of a functioning and democratic society,

but now we face unacceptable barriers...

RECORDING MUTED

..unacceptable barriers

to the guilty facing punishment,

the innocent clearing their names,

and victims getting their day in court.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Faith Oscott.

Advocate, wife, mum and proud rebel.

I'm delighted and honoured to have been asked by Lucy

to give this first lecture in her memory,

and here, in this incredible building

that reminds us of the importance of heritage.

But Faith knew that tradition means nothing

until we all have fair and equal access to justice.

That was her life's work.