The Trial - A Murder In The Family: A gripping courtroom drama

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The Trial - A Murder In The Family: A gripping courtroom drama

May 26, 2017 - 11:45
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In The Trial : A Murder In The Family, which aired across five nights, we got to watch a man put on trial for the murder of his ex-wife.  As this was a drama-documentary though, all was not as it seemed.

The Trial

By Caroline Dowse @toongirl83

In The Trial : A Murder In The Family, which aired across five nights, we got to watch a man put on trial for the murder of his ex-wife. As this was a drama-documentary though, all was not as it seemed.

It was fun watching people on Twitter tying themselves in knots trying to work out what was real and which parts were fake. Some thought the whole case was real, others thought the jury had been duped into thinking it was a real trial, and a few thought the defendant was the one who had been tricked into thinking he really was on trial for murder. Thankfully British TV isn't that cruel. Not yet.

As far as I can see, it went like this: the case was fictional, the defendant, Simon Davis, was an actor (Michael Gough), as was the victim, Carla Davis (played by Emma Lowndes) and some of the witnesses. The barristers, Max Hill (prosecution) and John Ryder (defence) were real lawyers with many years experience, as was the judge Brian Barker (now retired). The jury were also 'real' people, selected from around Newbury, where the case was set.

So to the case itself: Simon Davis was accused of strangling Carla in September 2015, shortly after she'd just returned from taking their kids to school. He claimed he'd arrived at their house and found her, something his own barrister, John Ryder, didn't seem to believe. There was a wealth of evidence against him: his DNA was found on the back of Carla's neck and witnesses, including his ex-wife, claimed he had been violent in the past. But there was also the curveball of Carla's boyfriend at the time, Lewis Skinner, an ex-policeman who had been thrown out of the force after being convicted of GBH. Carla had been having an affair with Simon and was pregnant with his child. A witness had also seen Skinner in the area at the time of her death. Could he have killed her instead?

The trial itself was quite interesting, if slow moving. We were able to watch the barristers in action, which for me was the best bit. Max Hill was methodical and dull, whereas John Ryder, who looked like a combination of Rowley Birkin and John Thaw, was a lot more charismatic and seemed to enjoy the performance side of things. If I'm ever in trouble, I'd like Mr Ryder on my side. We also got to see them away from the courtroom, in their chambers, discussing the case with their junior barristers. Likewise with the jury - we got to hear their opinions as the case progressed.

They were a diverse bunch. There was Cherry, who relied on gut instinct to make decisions. She claimed that her friends called her a 'witch'. I don't think they meant it as a compliment, mate. Simon was an ex-soldier who had very strict views and shouted everyone else down, and Martha was a retired health visitor who had decided Davis was guilty thanks to previous experiences with violent men in her job. Some jurors changed their minds over the course of the trial, some, like Martha, didn't especially when evidence came to light that Carla was planning to run away to Scotland with her children, leaving the two men behind.

On the final night, the jury gave their verdict and the truth about who killed Carla was revealed. I won't give anything away in case anyone wants to watch. All in all, it was a very interesting experiment from Channel 4 and a good insight into what it is like to be a juror. I, like many other viewers, had my own opinion on the case and when the killer was revealed...well, let's put it this way - I hope I'm not called up for jury service any time soon.