Silent Witness (1996) s02e03 Episode Script

Cease Upon The Midnight (1)

I'm just taking some blood, Mark, to check your viral load and your T-cell count.
I know.
OK.
Would you step on the scales, please? What does it say? HIV-positive for five years, with symptoms of AIDS for two.
Come and look into this, Mark.
Can you read from the chart for me, Mark? X LV BLIND(!) I can't go any further.
It's all right.
No, it's not "all right", actually! I just so happen to be going blind.
Testator Silens Costestes e Spiritum Silencium Hi, darling.
Hi, Mum.
Mmm! In dealing with bodies, you must remember you still have an ethical responsibility as a doctor.
You must be able to account for your actions with a dead person, as you would for a live person.
This is where the action is.
The bodies are stored in these drawers, andI'm going to hand you over to Fred now.
Thank you very much.
Have you all seen a dead body? If not, stand near me - I'm good at catching(!) He'll be home soon.
He had a hospital appointment.
Want a drink? No.
No, thanks.
Yes, OK.
Thanks.
Do you like punts? I can take them or leave them.
I'm going to take the baby on one.
Can you pole? Well, of the two of us, it'll have to be me.
Unless YOU come? My idea of a day off isn't poling you and your baby down the Cam.
So what IS? I've got to get those samples down to Toxicology.
Er, I was just passing - I've got a meeting, but afterwards .
.
d'you want lunch at the Riverside? Yeah, great.
Hi! Look who's here! Hello, Mark.
Hello, Craig.
I'll go and get the salmon.
Give here.
I was only You'll get it soon enough.
Are you any better? No.
I'm iller.
All right? Yes, I'm all right, Trevor.
Busy? .
.
Yes.
How was Peter Ross? You could have stayed and asked him yourself.
YeahI could.
Soyour little black dress wasn't a complete failure, then? There? Higher.
There? Lower.
Are you having me on? Never.
Liar.
HE WHEEZES Are you all right? Of course.
Maybe we should call it off? No! I want this party.
Why not wait? Smile.
It's a 40th birthday party.
I'm 40.
We've got all the drink, the banner's uplet's just do it.
Leo.
Hello, Doctor.
I brought him his present.
Come in.
Got a girlfriend? No-one special.
What happened to Anna? That was years ago.
Seen anyone from school? No.
You? I avoid people from Cambridge.
They're allwankers.
Eat a bit more, Mark.
I'm not hungry.
He has to eat 3,000 calories a day Mum! Classy! Leogo and put the kettle on.
Sohow are you? WHEEZES Spiffing.
Liar.
There.
Happy birthday.
Got a job? Yeah.
In forestry management.
Sowhat do you know about managing forests? I'm learning.
No, I can't believe you.
Why did Mum and Dad spend all that money on your schooling? Same as you.
So I could get a job.
As awoodcutter? What's the matter with you? Nothing.
So get a proper job! I've got a job.
One fitting your education, not being ordered about by some sweaty, rustic oik! She'll only have YOU Leave it, Mark! Well, why not say it straight? When I die When I die, she'll only have YOU! Yeah, of course! You're such a responsible son! Why are you dying, Mark? Is it anything I did? Or Mum did? Or was it something YOU did?! So now we have it.
My brotherwho hates queers.
Doctor Ryan.
Peter's been held up by his committee.
He asked me to apologise for him.
Never mind.
Why don't we have a drink, anyway? I'm sure you've better things to do.
No! What would you like? Mark! Did you HAVE to? I haven't got time for lies, Mum.
I didn't expect an argument.
I was telling him straight! Someone's got to tell him.
He's got to grow up.
It's something else.
What is it? Acomplication.
Yes, I know, I should have told you before(!) I've got CMV - it's a virus.
It can turn up anywhere in the body.
In my particular case it's in the eyes.
It means I'm going blind.
What was Peter like as a DS? Ambitious.
Clever.
Hmm, nothing changes.
We all change in 12 years.
We thought he'd be married by now.
Who's we? All the guys in our old nick.
.
.
Actually, girls.
He doesn't give much away.
No.
Married to the job.
I'm sure he has women friends, but he doesn't talk about them.
You know him well.
Only at work.
Mind you, we spend enough time there.
.
.
How do you find a man who puts up with your job? They don't tend to sleep very well at night! Well, this IS a surprise.
When did I last see you? Oh, I dunno.
Christmas? No, it was the one before.
Your brother brought that friend from London.
So how is he? He died.
Er, I meant Mark.
He's not wellyou know.
Yeah, I know.
Come through.
Are you going out? Yeah, a 40th birthday party.
It's all right, I've got time.
What'll it be? Whisky? Wine? What are you having? Lemonade.
Fine.
Mark's changed, Danny.
YeahI bet.
Is that why you came? .
.
He was never one for self-pity.
Ah, Craig, there are lots of stages.
Self-pity is one self-loathing another.
Expert, aren't I? It's my problem.
I have to deal with it, and I do.
So, why the tie? Got some gorgeous girl waiting for you? My mum.
It was a special lunch.
She had made a big effort.
Mm And you too? Andrew! Sarah! Ohh! Thanks for coming.
Ohh, they're LOVELY! I'll introduce you to everyone.
If you're married to a vicar you must be used to people dressing up! Are you OK? Never felt better.
Someone take this bloody chair away! Do you want a drink? No.
.
.
Have YOU had one? No.
Tonight is not a night on which to get drunk.
Tonight is a night to see through clear eyes, to smell every smell, hear every sound, feel every touch.
Come on, it's my birthday! Is that champagne decoration or what?! Open! I can't do this.
Yes, you can.
Here.
I meant live like this.
I know what you meant.
I'll help you.
Will you? Even when I hurt you? It's not like that.
Look how I was with Craig.
He'll understand.
No, he won't.
He doesn't know how.
I'm scared, Mum.
I'm eaten up with fear.
I don't want to go blind I don't want the pain I don't want my insides to fall apart I don't want to be poked and prodded like a lump of raw meat.
And that fear makes me angry.
Give this to Craig for me.
MUSIC: "Imagination" by Belouis Some .
.
Wonderful! Birthday boy! Ahh! I thought you weren't coming! Well Thank you.
But not now.
Who's THIS? Craig Tate.
Mark's brother? Yeah.
Same eyes.
Where IS the old misery? Oh, er, he's Ill.
Oh.
Sorry.
Don't worry! They're not ALL queer! Andrew the vicar's not.
He's brought his wife to prove it! You'll be safe with us.
I'm watching you(!) Dance, Leo! .
.
Stop teasing him! Relax! Get yourself a drink.
MUSIC: "The Key, The Secret" by Urban Cookie Collective RETCHING I'll write a death certificate.
Who's his next of kin? His parents live in Harlow.
I hate this stuff.
One size fits all.
Listen, Fred, Trevor and I can manage, you know.
No.
We've all got our jobs to do.
Sam? Hello, Andrew.
The Evans would like another moment with their son.
He's in the mortuary.
I think it would help them.
You're late.
My alarm didn't go off.
I'll talk to you later.
What are you doing here? You've GOT to see Mark.
We've tried! I'm sure he's sorry.
No, you're not, you just want him to be.
It's not the same.
Look, I'm late.
I've got to get on with my work.
We expected his death.
We were prepared or we thought we were.
Thank you for letting us do this.
It's what he would have wanted.
It's important.
We learn so much more about HIV and AIDS each time.
So SOME good may come out of his death? We must get on now.
Of course.
Have you ever lost someone close to you? Yes, I have.
We're very rational, our family.
I've never believed in an afterlife.
Anywaythere's no way you can prepare for the death of your son.
MR EVANS SOBS Thanks for letting us see him.
There are as many ways of grieving as there are people.
Yes.
It takes a long time.
Doesn't it just? Come on! Let's be having you.
Craig, hang on a minute.
You were late again this morning.
Ten minutes.
You were hung over.
This job is not working out for you.
Go to the office after work today - they'll have your cards made up.
How do they say he died? Sudden respiratory collapse.
There's bleeding into the eye and into the buccal mucosa, which would fit.
The body is emaciated, which is probably due to an AIDS-related illness.
He has widespread, patchy discolouration of the skin and lesions looking like Kaposi's sarcoma.
What do you think this is? Can't be a needle track? Will you hand me a lens, Fred? AIDS patients are like pincushions.
No, he had a Hickman line for intravenous medication.
Anyway, who injects in the foot? Drug addicts? There's something in here.
Looks like agritty deposit.
Seeds? I think we should contact the police.
Hello, David.
All right? Hot off the press.
Mm, great.
Now, there's a puncture mark.
It's very faint.
What do you reckon? Diabetic needle? Got to be.
There we are, Susan.
Tea bags, I'm afraid.
Thanks.
I never drank tea before I came to England.
How is everyone? Jane was asking for you.
I'll see her first.
Tony's better.
Brian says he wants to give up the AZT.
Oh I saw Mark Tate.
He's very low.
Would you go and see him? Yes, I will.
I'm arranging a service for Stuart Evans.
Of course I'm sorry.
It's funny.
I worry about their medicine, you worry about their spirit.
We fret over what we can't control.
We can't control any of it.
Oh, that's a thought which doctors are bound to reject.
Why? Because we intervene.
It's the nature of the job.
I'll drink this as I go round.
Come on, chop-chop.
Was he an intravenous drug user? No evidence.
Does using that needle imply expert knowledge? Not if you're a diabetic.
Is he? No.
If he were, he wouldn't inject his foot.
Could he have injected himself at all? AIDS made him weak.
Could it have been done when he was asleep? Maybe.
The needle prick wouldn't wake him? Maybe, but some substances are very fast-acting.
.
.
What's the point of using a diabetic needle? Exactly that.
The point.
Diabetic needles are very fine.
To avoid detection, you'd inject yourself here.
But they HAVEN'T avoided detection.
Only because his family donated his body to medical research.
That it? No.
We found some particles in his mouth.
Possibly seeds.
A meal? No, it didn't look like food and he hadn't swallowed it.
So, a man who is dying of AIDS is injected with we don't know what, his mouth is filled with seeds andthen he dies? Rachel, make some gentle enquiries about Stuart Evans.
The family? No.
If it had been them, they wouldn't have donated his body.
OK.
Keep it discreet.
See if there's a reason why someone would want to kill a dying man.
Um, I'm sorry about lunch yesterday.
Oh, that's all right.
Tomorrow? I'm warned for Chelmsford Crown Court.
Well I'll be away all week.
Yep, OK.
So, let's do it when I come back? Doctor de Groot? Yes? DI Rachel Selway.
Police.
What is it? I wanted to ask a few questions about Stuart Evans.
Not now.
Come back in the morning.
It won't take a minute.
How's that? Fine.
Push the button.
Hello.
My name is Mark David Tate.
This film is a sort of living will, a testimony about myself that I want to set down.
I have to make this tape and this statement now, before I'm incapable.
Thefuture for me is verybleak.
I'm going blind, which is humiliating for a photographer .
.
I'm in great pain.
I know what comes next - I've seen others die.
Soon I'll be unable to walk.
I have trouble keeping food down KNOCK ON DOOR CAR PHONE RINGS Hello.
Hi, it's me.
Hi.
We've got a result on those particles in Evans' mouth.
Go on.
Lavandula angustifolia.
Lavender seeds? That's right.
Anything else? There was alcohol in his system.
He held a party before he died.
And there were traces of a muscle relaxant - tubocurarine.
Not party stuff.
No.
And that's not all.
He was FULL of diamorphine.
No impurities.
So it came from a medical source? Yes.
The real stuff.
Stuart Evans had enough diamorphine in him to stun a rhino.
He couldn't have taken that himself.
Not without passing out.
Was there a syringe with the body? No, I don't think so.
Thanks, Trevor.
How was the case? Exhausting.
Where are you now? Nearly home.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Say hello to Wyn for me.
Daughter of Elysium Ray of mirth and rapture blended Godless to thy shrine we come By thy magic is united Custom, custom parted wide I didn't hear you! What are you doing? Singing.
I've joined a choir.
Some classes at the evening institute were free to the unwaged.
I had a choice between navigation, French and singing.
Which did you choose(?) I just wanted to get out and meet people.
Don't let me stop you.
No, you couldn't stick that noise.
Go on.
Don't mind me.
You'll only laugh at me.
I won't.
I'll make us a drink .
.
just in case we need it.
Mark wanted me to give you this.
He died this morning peacefully, in his sleep.
We're burying him tomorrow.
Mum, Mum, Mum WYN SINGS Wyn! I won't be a sec.
I'm washing my hair.
Go and have some breakfast.
It's free now.
Wyn, I have to get into the bathroom first.
I'm the one rushing to work.
Sorry.
I'll make you a cup of tea while you're in there.
Black tea.
You've used up all the milk.
Could you tell Trevor I'll see him at eight? Evans had many friends.
His closest was his neighbour, Leo Woodward.
How close? They weren't an item.
- Who benefits from his will? - His parents, an AIDS charity, all small potatoes.
How does Dr de Groot account for him having a needle mark in his foot? She can't, sir.
What's she like? A specialist.
She runs a team in an AIDS clinic.
OK.
Dig a bit more.
And get someone round to Evans' flat.
Sir.
But Stuart died in his sleep! He was well enough to hold a party.
It was his birthday! He was 40.
How long have you known him? Ooh, years.
Yeah.
How many? Ten.
I told Stuart when this flat came up for sale.
So you knew him before you came here? Yes.
Right.
You never considered sharing with him? Why would I do that? Well, eryou know, er Were you and Stuart Evans involved with each other? No.
We were just friends.
So who WAS involved with him? No-one.
Stuart knew he was HIV-positive for years and he was very responsible.
No-one was "involved" with Stuart except in the strictest sense.
People loved him.
And you arranged the party for Mr Evans? Yes.
We'll need a list of everyone who was there.
I don't think I Hang on.
This is a suspicious death, Leo.
You give DC Bolton the names.
OK.
Um Jim SpencerTom Colne Andrew Duffy The vicar? .
.
And his wife Sarah.
Were there any dried flowers here? You know, party arrangements? Stuart hated dried flowers.
Well, why lavender? Dunno.
Why was it in his mouth? Someone put it there? There was no sign of a struggle, no unusual bruising, unless He was asleep? Or it was an assisted suicide.
We found a muscle relaxant, professionally given.
Euthanasia? .
.
He had full-blown AIDS.
Who would do it? You'd have to look to the doctor.
Muscle relaxant, diamorphine, access to a diabetic needle It is illegal.
Not in Holland, it isn't.
Ah, yesthey do things differently there, don't they? Will we talk to her? It's not our place.
Have you mentioned this to Ross? He'll work it out for himself once he sees the lab report.
Look, I won't accuse another doctor of assisting in the suicide of a man dying in agony.
If the police want to, that's their business.
VICAR: O spare me a little, that I may recover my strength.
Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.
Please be seated.
Mark asked that we should read a poem at his funeral.
It's by John Keats and was especially important to him.
Isobel.
"Darkling I listen "and, for many a time, I have been half in love with easeful Death.
"Call'd him soft names in many a mused rhyme, "To take into the air my quiet breath "Now, more than ever, seems it rich to die, "To cease upon the midnight "with no pain" How is she? She needs to rest.
What's that? A few odds and ends of Mark's.
You know, I as good as told Mark he deserved to die.
That was the last conversation we had.
But you didn't mean it? How will HE ever know? "More things are wrought by prayer than this world knows of.
" Yeah, well so much for your Bible.
It's only Tennyson.
How long have you been treating AIDS patients? Since I worked in Amsterdam in the '80s.
Did you know Stuart Evans well? This work pushes people together - yes.
He held a party before he died.
Were you there? No.
Where were you when he died? Presuming he died during the night, I was at home asleep.
Were you alone? Yes.
Can you say exactly WHEN he died? I was called to see him at dawn.
When I got there, he'd been dead for some time.
Some time? You can't say when? That's the area of Forensic Pathology, Inspector.
I'm sorry, it's out of my field.
Well, she says she didn't do it.
Alibi? No.
Still, if you've done nothing wrong, you don't need one.
Why do we think she killed him? Opportunity.
She had the skills required.
No.
WHY? Profit? Pity.
Caring for her patient.
She'd see it as an extension of her job.
Then there must have been others.
She's worked in this field for years.
Dr de Groot's office? Hospital Registry here.
Hi.
Can you give me a list of the patients in Dr de Groot's clinic? .
.
Yes, thanks.
Oh, and for the last 12 months as well, please.
Is it about your mother? In a way.
You were good to her when she was dying.
You were able to help her.
Faith helped your mother, not me.
She was a believer.
And you? Medicine is about what's in the world.
I am a specialist in the tangible.
Flesh and blood, breathing or not - that's all there is for us to deal with.
But? You wouldn't BE here if there wasn't a "but".
It's not cut and dried.
It's not like a light switch - on and off.
Sometimes people are torn away before their business here is over, and sometimes we, the essential us, in here, are ready to die before our body is.
Yes.
Sometimes.
It's a very stark view, Sam.
It's meant to be.
The lines are very clear and they shouldn't be crossed.
You deal with the soul and doctors deal with the body.
I'm not sure I follow.
There is a huge temptation for doctors to play God.
However much she thinks she knows best, a doctor must operate within the legal constraints.
Which means? Whatever pressure she's under to do otherwise, she must not control the timing of a patient's death.
She? Yes.
Playing God? If you knew a doctor who was tempted to blur the lines, you'd be a very good friend if you urged her not to, no matter how much that offended her sense of humanity.
Stuart Evans' parents rang yesterday.
They're quite distressed.
Was there a problem with the postmortem? Yes.
Why? I'm afraid I can't say.
No.
No, of course you can't.
OK.
Do we understand each other, Andrew? Yes, I think so.
Sir Rachel, how's it going? Two of de Groot's patients died last week.
Stuart Evans and? Mark Tate, 29.
AIDS patient.
Then we need his body.
Er, he was buried this morning.
His brother, Craig, was at Evans' party.
A link between the two men.
Get him in.
OK.
I brought you some things.
Thanks.
Vitamin pills, ginseng, stuff like that.
Oh Great.
What's this? It's Mark's Well, WAS Mark's.
It's a herb pillow.
Lavender.
It'll help you sleep.
Police.
We're looking for Craig Tate.
Dope.
We've got some cannabis plants here.
Tony, come and look at this.
There's blood on it.
That's him! Come on.
- You'll have to lay off doughnuts.
- Yes, sir.
- I mean it! Who else is on the list? Here.
We still need Danny Thomas and Cliff Grace.
Well, get on with it.
Sir, Mrs Tate is in the interview room.
Sometimes I hate this bloody job! Wait outside.
Mrs Tate, do you know where Craig is? No.
Where does he work? He worked on the South Estate as a woodcutter.
Worked? They sacked him.
He doesn't have a job now.
About Mark, um you found his body, didn't you? Yes.
Was anyone else there? No.
We were alone.
What did you do? I rang Dr de Groot.
She came and saw him about half an hour later.
Thank you, Mrs Tate.
Do you know I have permission to exhume Mark's body? Yes.
Thank you.
De Groot wrote "respiratory failure" on Evans' death certificate.
Most people die of some sort of respiratory failure.
Not this one.
It isn't like de Groot to make mistakes.
We all make them! Even when the patient was full of diamorphine? She didn't know that! She was treating him for AIDS, she expected him to die soon.
Doctor de Groot isn't a policeman.
No, but someone with expert knowledge killed Stuart Evans, and by tomorrow we'll know if they killed Mark Tate.
I thought we were getting away from work.
Sorry.
Are we going to eat? Yeah.
I know a place up the road.
Where? It's new.
You'll like it.
Roses round the door.
A restaurant?! It's a cottageabout a mile and a half from here.
I bought it.
And you're going to cook for me? Look, I haven't stood still for 12 years, Sam.
I can fry an egg.
It's lovely.
It is.
Peaceful.
Yes.
The garden needs a lot of work.
Do you want to see the house? Hang on! Peter, when we were together before, I was in love with you.
I know.
No, REALLY in love with you.
I know.
And work got in the way.
It WON'T Hear me out! When you thought I'd screwed up that case, you walked away.
That won't happen again.
Sometimes you can't help it.
I can'thelpthis.
I promiseI will not allow my work to drive us apart again.
Mm? Hey! I promise.
Cross my heart, hope to die.
Trust me.
No! What time is it? Four.
SAM SNORTS I'm sorry.
We have an appointment.
Tea? I prefer coffee in the morning.
No, you used to like tea.
I used to be polite.
Thanks for coming.
That's OK.
- Do you want some chocolate? - No, thanks.
Andrew would you go to the cemetery for me? Of course, if that's what you want.
It is.
Go there and say a prayer for Mark.
Morning, Doctor.
Good morning.
Everyone all right? Yep.
Yes, OK, go! Make sure you get a good shot to show it's intact.
John, one of us has to come with you.
Tony? Yeah.
POLICEMAN TALKS ON RADIO Can we have you down there? Hello, Andrew! What are you doing here? Sorry.
This is DS Ross.
Peter Ross.
Andrew Duffy.
You're an early riser.
I came for the family.
Just to observe.
There's nothing to see.
I wanted to keep my promise.
Bye, then.
Bye.
You all right? Yes.
Breakfast? I've got to get home.
Room service.
Ugh! No sugar.
Can't get the staff these days.
Soare you going to tell me why you've been sleeping in my bed or are we going to pretend it didn't happen? Er you didn't come home last night.
Just as well.
Actually, I think I had too much to drink.
And my sister? She's got hollow legs.
Did she sing to you? No.
Should she have? Is it a problem that I came? No.
Of course not.
Sonice evening(?) I don't know why I'M embarrassed.
YOU stayed out all night.
All you have to do is lift the phone(!) I didn't want to disturb you.
Oh! I like him.
Who? Peter Ross! Wyn He's gorgeous.
I know.
Will you be all right driving to work? Yes.
I'll see you there, then.
Just checking.
OK, turn him over.
No obvious wounds.
Turn him back, please.
This is the body of a young adult male.
There is some degree of emaciation, probably due to an AIDS-related illness.
It's not extreme.
The body has a grey pallor.
It was exhumed this morning in my presence.
And, there's what appears to be Light and lens, Fred.
.
.
a puncture mark on the right foot, above a vein.
It's in the same location as the puncture mark on Stuart Evans.
I'm now taking nose and mouth swabs.
I don't expect much, allowing for contamination after death.
Thanks, Fred.
There's something here in the back of the mouth.
Lavender seeds? Which would be a very big coincidence.
Normal-sized brain.
No immediately apparent lesions.
Let's fix it for neuropathological examination.
Thanks, Fred.
The lungs areheavy and bulky, and look as though they've been hyperinflated.
He could have been smothered.
Yes, he could have been.
What about the needle track? First the injection, then the suffocation to be sure.
You broke the lock.
Sorry.
The police are looking for you.
I know.
What have you done? Nothing.
I'd better be off.
Gotcha.
It WAS a needle track? Probably.
Toxicology will tell us if there's something unusual in him.
For example? Diamorphine.
Used in the treatment of pain.
Use too much of it and you end your pain forever.
Just like Evans.
Bolton's nicked Craig Tate.
The brother.
Could HE have done it? I don't know.
He'd have to be well-read and confident.
Why? This method of killing requires some medical knowledge.
Knowledge unavailable to the layman? Few laymen would inject someone in the foot.
Are we looking for a doctor? There are signs of possible asphyxiation.
What conclusion can I draw from that? There may be friction between doctor and patient, but you wouldn't expect your doctor to suffocate you unless you'd REALLY upset her! Sothis points away from de Groot? Is she a suspect? If I said she was, I'd put you in a difficult position, wouldn't I? Is Craig smart? Well, we'll soon know.
Could a diabetic needle and diamorphine both have been part of Mark's treatment? It's possible.
- So if Mark had them - .
.
Craig may have had access.
Why kill someone who's already dying of Aids? Happily, that's out of the range of forensic pathology.
OK.
Thanks, Sam.
Thanks.
Cheers.
If Tate had been suffocated, it means Dr de Groot didn't do it.
It means she MAY not have done it.
Or perhaps she covered her tracks.
In a mercy killing? She couldn't help any more patients if she was banged up in Holloway.
No.
Has he ordered breakfast? Yes, sir.
A lawyer? Says he doesn't want one.
This one is from the sample from Mark Tate's throat.
This one is from Stuart Evans.
Lavender again.
But they're not the same.
The one on the left is Lavandula angustifolia, the one from Mark Tate's throat is Lavandula spica.
It seems to be some sort of herb mix.
There's chopped grasses too.
There's something else.
Calico.
Could the undertaker have got that in the mouth? What would an undertaker use which leaves that deposit? Anything else? All sorts of stuff.
Curtain material, cushion cover It'll take a while to track it down.
The clothes from both bodies need to be checked.
I'll get on to that.
Hello.
Could I speak to Detective Superintendent Ross, please? Interview with Craig Tate on September 7th.
My name is DI Selway.
Also present DS Anthony Speed.
Craig, you have the right to a solicitor.
I've done nothing wrong.
Then why did you run away when we came to your flat? I was frightened.
You had cannabis in your room.
Me? Don't act up.
All right, then.
Just a little bit.
Yeah.
It's only worth a caution.
Are you a keen gardener? No.
You were growing cannabis plants.
Is that why you ran? Er, yes.
You use cannabis often? Sometimes.
You're familiar with drugs? I can roll a joint.
Do you use diamorphine? Dia-what? Heroin.
Not the stuff you buy on the streets.
I've never taken heroin! Was there something else in my room? Did Mark use medically-prescribed diamorphine? I wouldn't know.
You had no idea what medication your brother took?! We never discussed it.
No? We were distant.
I tried to make it up with him a few days ago.
Before that I hadn't seen him for a year.
So you were friends when he died? No.
What did you fall out about? It's hard to say.
Try us.
Mark thought that I didn't approve of his lifestyle.
And did you? I wouldn't live that way.
Yet you went to Stuart Evans' party.
Er, yes.
Did you take drugs at Evans' party? No.
Why did you go? Danny Thomas took me.
Close, are you? I was at school with him And? And that's it! What is it with you people? You've minds like cesspits! You know, not everything is based on sex! Time is now 12.
07.
We'll take a break for refreshments.
Do you want a cup of tea, Craig? Yes.
Your brother was gay, right? Yes.
Did you think that Stuart Evans and his group had stolen Mark? Stolen? Yeah.
To the gay life.
It's a bit like a funny religion.
You've a perfectly normal brother, then he's hanging about with a bunch of poofs.
It doesn't work like that! Then how DOES it work?! That'll do.
We'll get your tea.
What the hell was all that about? It's obvious.
He hates them.
I'd suspended the interview.
He needed a push.
Oh, did he? Why would he kill his brother and Evans? It needed putting to him.
Say he'd admitted it off tape? I'd have put the questions to him again on tape.
Then what do I say when the defence asks, "Did DS Speed ask any questions while the tape was off?" What would I do? Lie for you? All right.
I'm sorry.
You bet you're sorry! Same place, same technique as Evans.
Murder.
There's nothing intrinsic about a wound that says "murder".
Really? There are no unambiguous wounds? I never met one.
Stab in the back? The victim could have fallen on a sharp object.
Poisoning? Could have been an accident.
The context is everything.
How did this AIDS patient inject himself in the foot? He needed help.
Yes.
Needing help is the context.
Then it's murder.
Unlawful killing.
We need toxicological confirmation as to what was injected.
And it was a different type of lavender.
How would the lavender get in his mouth? He didn't eat it.
It's vile.
There's evidence of asphyxiation.
He was smothered? Forensics are examining some threads I swabbed out of his mouth.
They're looking for something similar on Evans' clothes.
What sort of threads? Cotton or calico.
Sounds like alavender bag.
No, it's too small.
Could be a sort of cushion.
It could be.
Held over the face? Yes.
Well, two.
One for Evans, one for Tate.
Of course.
Two different lavenders.
Why use a herb pillow? They're supposed to help you sleep.
So the person suffocating them is .
.
helping them sleep and never wake.
Which is what they wanted.
It's not a thing they're allowed to ask for.
No.
OK.
OK, Sam.
Will I see you this evening? Yeah.
Sorry.
My place or yours? I'll cook for you.
Mm-hm.
OK.
Bye.
What have we got? Two bodies, one definitely poisoned with diamorphine, the other probably.
There's evidence that they were suffocated.
Sort of belt and braces.
Meaning? The person killing wanted to be sure.
It's the same killer? It's unlikely two people would use the same technique.
Why kill two men who are dying? Financial motives? There were no signs of a struggle.
It could be assisted suicide.
I'm not interested in that.
Assisting suicide is a legal nicety for the CPS to ponder.
We'll stick to murder.
Right, who's in the frame? We've got to say the doctor, de Groot, in both cases.
Friends Could be enemies.
How does that work? Tony thinks Craig could have killed both men as a sign of homophobia.
- Queer bashing? - Vengeance.
For polluting the world with AIDS.
And that would lead Craig to kill his own brother? Yeah.
Especially when it's so close to home.
What's the name of that bloke who took Craig to Evans' party? Danny Thomas.
Another one.
Is he? So why didn't Craig go for him? Dunno.
Maybe he's next.
I've got the reports.
Thanks.
You were right.
They did find some threads on Evans' shirt.
Same fibres? No.
Some sort of silvery deposit.
Sorry.
That's OK.
Thanks for seeing me.
.
.
Where were you when you heard the news of Mark Tate's death? I was at home.
Can anyone corroborate that? Mrs Tate.
She rang me there.
When did you last see Mark? Some weeks before.
I thought you saw him at the clinic a few days before he died.
Eryes, I'm sorry.
I thought you meant at his house.
How was he? He was in the later stages of AIDS.
.
.
You're a consultant? Yes.
Is it usual for you to sign the death certificate? I treated him.
AIDS patients tend to go to their consultants, not to their GP.
You didn't go to his house in the night? No.
Can anyone corroborate that? It's hard to corroborate something that didn't happen.
Mrs Tate could.
Fine Oh, by the way, do you know what herb pillows are used for? Yes.
Do you have one? No.
You don't know if Mark Tate or Stuart Evans had one? I really couldn't say, Inspector.
Sorry.
So you left the party at? No.
He was getting drunk.
You don't LOOK ill.
Well, I'm not.
There's a big difference between having the HIV virus and having AIDS.
You invited Craig Tate to Stuart Evans' party? Yes.
Rather odd, isn't it, taking a straight bloke to a gay party? Is that any of your business?! Besides it wasn't a "gay" party.
So how do you know Craig? From school.
His brother came out - Craig was very upset and I was a shoulder to cry on.
Could Craig be gay too? I think I'd have noticed.
Why did you take him to the party? He needed cheering up.
Craig and Mark had had a row.
Do you have drugs here? I'm HIV.
I have the British Pharmacopoeia in my medical cabinet.
Diamorphine? Codeine tablets for a headache.
You didn't give diamorphine to Craig? No, I had none to give.
To Mark? I hadn't seen Mark for a long time before he died.
Can we look around? Please.
You're doing it, anyway.
Um, are you looking for anything in particular? Do you keep those lavender bag things? No.
Sir.
That was a gift.
Did you give this to Danny Thomas? Yes.
Or one similar.
Is it yours? No, it was my brother's.
Craig Tate, I'm arresting you on suspicion of murder.
What murder?! Listen.
You don't have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not tell us something important now.
Do you understand? .
.
You'd better make that phone call.
The police say Craig murdered Mark.
They've arrested him for it.
He asked me to get him a lawyer.
He's done nothing! Of course he hasn't.
Hello.
Hi.
UmI had to wait for you.
It doesn't matter.
I'll drive.
I thought you were eating here.
I'm too tired.
Come on, or we'll miss our table.
What's the problem? Nothing.
I'm being mean.
Sam.
Oh, paranoia.
The hostess with the mostest inside seems to be taking over my life.
I told you it was stupid.
Mmm.
Why did you arrest him? He gave a lavender pillow to Danny Thomas.
"He's got a pillow - he did it"?! Lavender spica or angustifolia? The lab will tell us.
What sort of fabric? Calico with embroidered thread on it.
Silver thread? No.
Why? Jo found silver thread on Evans' shirt.
Um thisisn't a restaurant.
No.
It's your house.
I lied.
Yes, sir? I'm Andrew Duffy.
The vicar of St Cedd's.
Yes, sir? I'd like to speak to Supt Ross.
How big is this pillow? Any size.
If it smells of lavender, shout.
So we don't want these? Well, I don't.
You speak for yourself.
Well, it won't be in there.
'This is just for the record in case there's any doubt.
'My name is Stuart Evans, 'and I am, or was, a college lecturer.
'I have AIDS.
'I have been HIV-positive for four years.
'Now I am near the end I have decided to die because of the suffering AIDS has caused me.
'I believe I have lived a full and useful life, 'but no longer wish it to continue.
'This decision is known to others 'but the final decision is mine alone in a clear state of mind.
'I have taken advice from the best possible people 'and 40 is a good age to die.
' Why does Evans' tape mean we have to let Craig go? We could make a case that he hated Evans, that he hates Danny Thomas, that he hated his brother.
Maybe Craig hates the entire gay world.
But I don't see how we can make the case that Craig obliged Evans by putting him out of his pain.
So what does it leave? Sam Ryan.
Toxicology found diamorphine in Mark Tate's body.
Cause of death? Suffocation or diamorphine poisoning.
Why the deputation? We released Craig Tate.
We found a tape in Evans' flat, explaining that Evans planned to end his own life.
Doesn't surprise me.
In that situation you'd do the same thing.
Well, he couldn't have done it alone.
The tape refers to "advice from the best possible people".
Dr de Groot? She's favourite.
She's got the means and can't provide an alibi.
Neither could I.
She has a motive.
Which is? Doctors are sworn to relieve suffering.
Policemen are sworn to uphold the law.
Sometimes you have to bend the rules, Peter.
Dr de Groot or whoever may have relieved suffering in the best way possible.
It's a grey area.
There's no grey area about offences like this.
Killing people is wrong.
Even people who want to die? Yes.
Even people in agony? Yes.
Unlawful killing is manslaughter or murder.
What if someone begs for help? There is no such concept as euthanasia in English law.
But it exists.
Then it is wrong! It's simple.
Killing people is WRONG.
Any other position would lead us into complete darkness.
What's going on? Oh, Craig.
I didn't expect you.
Obviously.
I can't have the police raiding you for drugs.
No, no, they didn't.
Well, they found them.
I can't have drugs round here.
You've got to go.
You were once present at a mercy killing in Holland? I was a witness.
Two of your patients are dead.
They were assisted suicides.
Someone assisted.
You think I did? We know it's a moral problem Do you? WHAT do you know about it? If someone was in great pain They're ALL in great pain - physical or psychological.
That's why they ask me to help.
As medicine stands, none of these people will recover.
I HELP them! I'm working in God's waiting room.
Doctor All my patients are at the end of their tether! They're all dying! You're mistaken, Mr Ross.
I'm trying to extend lives, not end them! Cross her off.
So you believe her? Yeah.
Fancy a quick drink? Um No.
Thanks.
I've got to see Dr Ryan.
OK.
See you tomorrow, then.
Yeah.
See you tomorrow.
RADIO COMES ON Are you happy? Perfectly.
You? Yes.
Mmm.
I want to stay here forever.
KNOCK ON DOOR Will you be long in there, Sam? BOTH: No! More toast, Peter? Er, no, thanks.
Tea? No, I'm fine.
I'd love some.
Sam says you've bought a house round here.
Yes.
A few miles away.
That's nice.
.
.
Your kettle's on.
Thank you.
Was that my fault? No.
Excuse me! I was reading that.
Morning.
Hiya.
Listen, you will let me know if I get in the way? Ach! Look, we've got grapefruit, fruit, cereal, juice, eggs, nuts Whoa! Sorry.
But the way you fight this disease is to stay strong.
I have to have 3,000 calories a day, minimum.
I'm going to stay healthy.
Even if it kills you(!) .
.
Sorry.
Bad joke.
That's OK, mate.
Bad jokes are part of it, too.
Is there anything you can't do? Um No, nothing.
Do you still play squash? Occasionally.
Uh-huh? Don't even consider it, Danny! Fred, can you get me the bagged contents of Stuart Evans' stomach? Number 7509.
Sure.
It's a silver thread run through a polypropylene yarn.
Real silver? Yes.
Very rare.
What sort of garment would you find real silver in? A woven brocade? Anything particular in mind? A priest's vestments.
I'll need something to compare it to.
I'll phone It might be quicker to find the stole it came from.
.
.
Next? Stuart Evans' stomach contents.
Lovely(!) That's it! I win! You are out of condition.
I'll beat you next time.
Yeah? I don't think so! Fancy a drink? Don't mind if I do.
When I die I want you to have my flat.
Don't talk soft! I mean it.
I've been thinking about it.
Well, you're not going to die.
We all are, and I will die before you.
Don't.
You've got nowhere to live.
When I die, you have my flat.
Say I die first? How are you going to die first?! I dunno.
Old age, accident, Spanish flu, distemper Distemper?! Only dogs get distemper! I ask only one thing.
What? Would you be my witness? Witness? Well, if things get really bad, reallydesperate, and I decide to call on Duffy Duffy? Andrew Duffy? Yeah Promise me.
What would you call on him for? Did Duffy help Mark die? The body of Christ.
Amen.
The body of Christ.
The body of Christ.
Amen.
The body of Christ.
MUM! MUM!! MUM!! MUM!! MUM! I know.
Know? I found communion hosts in the stomach contents of Stuart Evans and Mark Tate.
Ah.
Why? I saw them suffer.
They asked for help I couldn't refuse.
We prayed together.
Did you inject them? I helped them inject themselves.
I made it possible for them.
And when they were unconscious, you suffocated them with the lavender pillows? I made sure they were dead in the most peaceful way possible.
I did what THEY asked.
Were there others? My work at the hospice has asked a great deal of me.
Yes.
Was it only those with AIDS? Of course not! Howas a priest, could you take a life, Andrew? Do you think God WANTS us to suffer? I can't believe that.
Isn't medicine predicated on the relief of suffering? Yes.
Well, so is my belief in God.
Sam, the church, for me, is all about compassion.
I followed my conscience.
I followed the wishes of those poor men.
To have done otherwise would have beenunforgivable.
I do understand.
You must go to the police.
You mean YOU won't? No.
I wouldn't make you suffer the indignity of having them come round here and arrest you.
I'm sorry, Andrew.
I'm truly sorry.
Hello.
Can I speak to DS Ross, please? .
.
It's Doctor Ryan.
Oh, isn't he? Right, um No, no, there's no message.
OK, thanks.
Bye.
You lied to me! No-one told me! Sorry What about me?! He was MY brother! We still had things to say, to sort out! You had no right! You had no bloody right! He was my brother! You stole him! You took him away! You made him die hating me.
The police surgeon pronounced life extinct at 11.
57.
What have we got? The attache case.
We'll look inside when the SOCO's finished.
Samyou don't have to do this.
We can get someone else in.
I know.
Let me get Trevor.
No.
I'll do it.
I'm all right.
The time is 12.
15.
The body is a male.
He hasa massive wound to his head and appears to have lost a great deal of blood.
There are no obvious defence marksto his hands .
.
which would indicate .
.
which would seem to indicate .
.
that he was attacked from behind.
Are you all right? Yeah I think so.
I think you'd better come with me.
'I have decided my life must end.
'I want you to help me do it as efficiently and painlessly '.
.
as I can.
' 'Mark 'Mark, you say you've decided you want to die, to take your own life.
' 'Yes.
I've listened to all your arguments and I know you've tried to dissuade me, 'but my mind is made up.
' 'You're very angry tonight.
Please think again about this when you're clear and calm.
' 'There is NO hope! 'The future 'offers nothing for me 'except agony '.
.
and darkness.
'Please!' Well Sam? Sam! Sir, Isobel Tate is in the interview room.
PHONE RINGS ANSWERING MACHINE: 'Hello.
This is Dr Ryan's office.
There's no-one here just now, 'so please leave a message after the tone.
' TONE 'Sam, is everything OK? 'Umring me when you get this.
' Testator Silens Costestes e Spiritum Silencium Angeli Silens
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