Silent Witness (1996) s21e07 Episode Script

One Day - Part One

1 This programme contains some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting Please, let me go.
Let me go.
Please! Kevin! Leave me alone! Kevin! Kevin! Go away, please! Let me go! Aw, Kevin! If you don't get off me, I'll get my gun and shoot you! Calm down! Breathe.
Breathe, Kevin.
Deep breath.
Kevin, relax.
Breathe.
Breathe.
All right, Kevin, we're going to get up now.
All together.
Going to walk over to the house together.
All right? OK, here we go.
One, two, three.
Up you get.
Right, go and get it from the cage.
Argh, argh! Testator silens Costestes e spiritu Silentium Testator silens.
When I got the call, the first thought I had was terrorism.
Everyone's first thought.
Just one fatality? M'hm.
Body's still in there, huh? Yep.
Right.
The room in question is on the first-floor landing.
It overlooks the back gardens.
Lovely view.
Of course, we like the residents to feel that they have as much freedom as possible.
It's a difficult decision, I know.
This room is en suite, with a nice sitting area.
Mr Stride? Oh! It's OK.
Mr Stride is in the garden taking some air.
Conor? Um, Mr Stride's wife - she's waiting for you outside.
Oh.
Lawyer? Translator.
Driver's Polish.
Hi! Hello! Hi.
Dr Nikki Alexander? Yes.
Nice to see you again.
Have we? March 11th, 2015.
Bicycle under a coach.
I was a Constable then, securing the scene while you worked.
I got you a coffee.
We chatted.
We got on really well.
You don't remember? Sorry.
Sergeant now.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
I'm the Road Policing Senior Investigating Officer on this one.
RPSIO.
RPSIO? Congratulations again.
Thanks.
Small world.
Should we get on? We haven't met before? No.
No.
No.
I didn't think so.
So So.
Did I thank you for the coffee? Yes! Of course.
Of course.
You did.
Very polite.
Made an impression.
I can see that.
Er, have you been able to identify the deceased? Registered keeper of the car is Jacquelyn McDowd but we'll need to confirm if she was the driver and find the next of kin to identify the body.
I'll be starting with three lines of investigation.
One - was it intentional? Two - was it mechanical? Three - was the driver impaired? Shall we get started? We already have.
I'll get bloods done as soon as we get to the Lyell Centre.
Of course.
Can I get you a coffee? No, thanks.
Yeah.
Milk, one sugar.
Not too milky, though.
Muddy brown.
She was an old woman with dementia.
Who decided this was necessary? Well, because she hadn't seen a doctor in the two weeks prior to her death, a postmortem is required by law.
We don't want her body cut up.
It's the ultimate indignity.
In the last few years of her life, she was given no respect.
At least give her that in death.
The coroner has ordered a postmortem.
Your arguments are for him or her, not me.
She couldn't even recognise us.
It wasn't even her.
I could look at her and she'd say that she had two sons but they don't come to visit her.
Our real mum died three years ago.
I'm sorry.
Really I am.
The coroner obviously felt that it was important to determine the cause of death.
Old age.
That was the cause.
How long will her body have to be here? We'd like to make arrangements with the church.
Yeah.
Jacquelyn McDowd.
We don't have a formal ID yet.
The woman we THINK is Jacquelyn McDowd is on her way home.
How do you know that? It's a guess.
I'd prefer we didn't guess.
Well, she lives 400 yards away from the crash scene - here - and she was travelling toward her home.
It's a good guess.
Still a guess.
Where's she been? No idea.
Have a guess.
ID in her handbag makes us believe that she works as an administrator in a discount bathroom centre in Clapham.
That's much further east.
She's coming from the west.
We'll confirm general travel direction from mobile phone masts.
Have you managed to grab anything from her phone? Not looked at it yet.
It was badly damaged in the accident.
Hard to access.
So I've used video from a witness' phone and the lorry driver's dashcam to recreate the events.
Jacquelyn McDowd's car jumps onto the pavement.
Steers back into the road.
Hits a car and cyclist.
It avoids a woman and her child.
And then veers into the path of the lorry.
And then there is Impact.
Whoo! Lawyers? Children.
Same thing.
Hmm.
Mother died recently - they want to bury her.
Coroner wants a postmortem.
They're not thrilled.
Oh.
I feel bad for being glib.
Have you seen Jack? He's in the viewing gallery with Clarissa.
Oh, and your ex-boyfriend.
The RPSIO.
Ex-boyfriend? Charming.
What's that? The road death? Yeah, Jacquelyn McDowd.
Ah.
The one we thought was a terrorist? Until they thought she was drunk.
Was she drunk? Not a terrorist.
Not drunk.
Hmm.
Screening for drugs? She's not testing positive for any of the run-of-the-mill why-stupid-people-die drugs.
I'll run a full screen when I do the postmortem later.
Mechanical? Accelerator.
Brakes.
Steering.
Nothing found.
Too much damage? No.
Just nothing to be found.
So it WAS intentional? We don't think so.
Clarissa? Please.
Call me Sidekick.
There are 31 possible targets for her to hit and she kills exactly none.
There is no impact that changes the car's course of direction.
And if you look at the front tyres, the car is being steered away from pedestrians.
And into the path of the lorry.
The driver's intention is to avoid injuring others.
At her own expense.
Certainly was expensive.
You have two loving sons, Noreen.
I bet you were really proud of them.
OK.
So when did this happen? He passed away overnight.
Serena! With respect to the heart .
.
left haemothorax as a consequence of aortic dissection.
Do we have the CT scans? Yep.
Was aortic dissection the cause of death? It could be.
Bicuspid aortic valve? No.
Any indication of Marfan Syndrome? It looks like blunt force trauma from the impact of the collision.
If it's blunt force, dissection occurs AFTER she mounts the pavement.
That's right.
It doesn't explain events before the collision.
I mean, why did she lose control of her car? So it's just human error? It could be but I don't think it is.
The CT scan picks up a subarachnoid haemorrhage here confirmed by the autopsy, often fatal, so it COULD be as a result of the collision, but What? It could be the CAUSE of the accident.
Hard to be 100% certain.
Sometimes an elderly person falls and people say they fell and broke their hip, when in fact their hip spontaneously broke and then they fell.
She has a stroke.
Loses control of the car.
Desperately tries to avoid hurting anyone.
She's a hero.
It's just a terrible accident? More than likely.
Do you know Jackie McDowd? No, I don't.
We'll find out.
OK.
Sorry.
All right? No-one knows their neighbours.
Sign of the times.
Shall we knock one more time? Knock yourself out.
We need next of kin to ID the body .
.
and, you know, sort out what happens to it.
We'll find something inside.
Single mother.
She's got a son and a dog.
Do you think she was married? Was there a wedding ring in her personal effects? Not that I remember.
Had she been reported missing? No.
We'll need to, um, examine this.
I'll bag it, get it to an expert.
It's got a password.
Son is not here.
Divorced? Perhaps he's with the father? Where's the dog? I haven't seen anything that suggests a dog lives here.
Maybe it's an old photo.
Boom.
How did you? Don't tell him.
A magician never reveals their secrets.
"123456" is the most common password.
Followed by "password" and then "12345678".
Not very original.
What exactly are you looking for? Next of kin.
Sidekick? There's nothing I can see that looks like correspondence with an ex-husband - no maintenance payments or solicitors.
She's got an online dating profile but that doesn't give us much.
This is her online bank account.
Jacquelyn McDowd pays £1,600 a month to Kingscote Bows Residential Home.
Assisted living? Care home.
That's 20 grand a year.
For her mum or dad.
There's your next of kin.
Hello? Can I help? I tried to call several times.
No-one ever picks up.
Have you thought about an answering machine? We have thought about it.
If it's important, people tend to call back.
If you could just sign in here.
We like to keep an eye on who comes in and out.
Health and safety.
Yep.
Those, er, those elfs are everywhere.
Elves, I believe, if it's plural.
Elves.
Of course.
Er, how many people live here? 18.
We're full up.
Have a long waiting list.
Old people? A range of needs.
Dementia is one.
I was going to put my mother in one.
Then she died.
Oh.
I'm terribly sorry.
Yeah.
Thank you.
It was sad.
But, you know I guess it saved me some money.
Now, how may we help? Jacquelyn McDowd's toxicology report.
Go on, then, give me a clue.
What am I looking for? I think it will jump out at you.
Nothing jumping so far.
Line nine.
Antidepressant.
Come on.
Almost 10% of the adult population in the UK take them.
Yeah.
Usually they have a prescription.
Yeah, fluoxetine.
I accessed her NHS records.
No history of any mental health issues.
No prescription for antidepressants.
She was in good health.
Oh, my.
Jumping now? Like a young salmon.
A high-binding affinity for alpha-2 adrenergic and M1 muscarinic receptors.
That's almost 20 times the safe amount.
It's a suicide dose.
M'hm.
Hang on - she would have fallen asleep.
How did she drive the car? Line 17.
"Methamphetamine HCL.
" She combined them? And her brain blew up.
You'll have to excuse me.
I have a meeting I must attend.
This is Mr Flannery.
Hi.
He'll show you Mr McDowd's room.
OK.
Thank you.
We don't want to lose anyone.
Thanks.
Hello, Mary.
Have you worked here a long time? Depends on what you mean by long.
Some days it feels very long! Yeah.
I totally get that.
I work at a number of different places.
I work for an agency.
They send me here a fair bit.
Cup of tea? Er, no, thanks.
Plants watered? All good.
Er, Jacquelyn McDowd's father.
He doesn't have Alzheimer's, or something? I need to, er, speak to him.
Deliver some news.
This is Kevin McDowd.
Her son.
I'm not sure how reliable his answers will be.
Hello, Kevin.
Go back to your room, Serena.
Hi.
Are you OK, Kevin? I'm OK.
Serena! Oh, don't touch him.
He doesn't like being touched.
It sets him off.
Can I speak to you outside? I presumed it was her parent.
Stupid mistake.
This is my first death visit.
I came to tell him that his mother is dead.
When did she die? This morning.
Oh.
Car accident.
Will he understand? Will he be OK? I don't know.
He's got a very loose grip on what's happening around him.
I don't know what their relationship was like but he's living here, not at home, so that has to tell you something, doesn't it? Well, we'll support him the best we can.
I'm really sorry for your loss.
What do you think? Was she TRYING to kill herself? There are so many other ways to do it.
Take a load of drugs, jump in the car and drive? Nah.
She wasn't prescribed them? No.
Maybe she was she an addict and this time went too far? How did she get them? We don't know.
Do we know where she was before the accident? No.
How long would it take for the anti-psychotic and the methamphetamine to metabolise? Depends on method of delivery and other variables.
Anything in her stomach? Nothing substantial.
Stomach contents were biscuit and based on the caffeine - tests will verify this - tea.
What's a reasonable amount of time between ingestion and effect? 30 or 40 minutes? Oh.
Could be faster.
Clarissa, what's the average speed of traffic in London? Central London, 7.
8 miles an hour.
Greater London, 17.
4 miles an hour.
On it.
The black dot is the scene of the accident.
Green dot is her home.
She was moving in this direction.
Where's the assisted living home where her - what was it, mother? Father? Probably mother.
Women live longer.
Son.
He's, erm I don't know how you call it, er - slow, difficult? Not, not all there.
I don't know.
For not knowing, you had three pretty good stabs at it.
How about crazy? You left that one out.
They called it complex learning deficits.
Do you know what that means? I don't.
Do you know what to expect from him? I don't.
Crazy is actually easier.
OK.
The red dot is the Kingscote Bows Residential Home, yeah? For crazy people.
Of course.
Any drugs at the house or in her car? No.
If it's an assisted living residential home, there will be access to drugs.
We need to put her here in the hour before the accident.
I think Jacquelyn McDowd was unlawfully killed.
OK, my colleague's going to come over and have a word.
OK.
She would have signed the visitors' book? Wouldn't she? Yes, I would have thought so.
Well, could we? Yes.
Broken down, old girl? No.
You go in.
I'll wait.
I need you to do the drug inventory.
I don't want to go in! OK.
I don't see her name.
Last sign-in was at 10.
30am.
Do you have CCTV? In parts of the grounds.
We try not to make it feel like a prison.
This way.
You need to be careful what you say in front of the residents.
George, there you go.
Thank you.
And last but NOT least, young Serena.
What are you doing? Inventory.
Police? Rose had a message you were coming.
Do you have a pharmacist that comes here to dispense? Prescriptions are delivered for the residents.
We keep them in here and one of the carers administers them.
You? When I'm here.
Could be me.
Could be somebody else.
Mr P Stride.
Where can I find him? Walking in Elysium's fields.
What? He's dead.
Died in his sleep.
Born in 1980.
He was 38 years old? Stroke.
He couldn't see, he couldn't hear, he couldn't speak.
He couldn't move.
Nothing.
I mean, he could shit.
He could piss.
What kind of a life is that, huh? That's a God with a dark sense of humour.
Relief for his family, I think.
That's what they said.
Mmm.
There were seven different drugs he was taking.
I don't see them.
We throw them out.
We throw them out when they die.
You don't send them back? Chemist won't take them.
We bin them.
Where do you keep the bins? Out the back.
Where's Kevin McDowd's room? If you'd like to follow me, I'll show you.
What's your name? Jack.
My name is Kevin.
He doesn't like to be touched.
Hi, Kevin.
Hi.
Take my picture? M'hm.
Ready? I Is it good? Yeah.
Not bad.
I'm not bad.
I'm good.
Yeah.
What are you doing? He's just taking some photos for his job.
What is your job? What do you think he is? He's a photographer, stupid! I'm not stupid.
Course not.
YOU'RE stupid.
Do you think I'm stupid? That's enough questions, Kevin.
Do you, Jack? Do you think I am stupid? No.
Just ignore him.
I'm not stupid.
Shall we let the nice man do his work? Tilly likes you.
She thinks you're nice.
Aw, that makes me lucky, then, don't you think? Maybe she wants you to be her girlfriend.
Shut up, Kevin! Do you think it's OK for me to have a girlfriend? Yeah.
Sure.
Me, too.
Do you have sex, Jack? What's it like? Cos Tilly won't tell me.
That's not something we're going to talk about.
Tell me.
What I'd love, Kevin, is to swab the inside of your cheek.
Will you let me do that? If you tell me.
It would be really helpful.
Just let me swab the inside of your cheek.
No? OK.
Um, can I take his toothbrush? Mmm, yeah.
Don't steal my things! That's an old one, innit? I'll get you a brand-new one.
Purple and green.
Yeah, yeah.
Purple and green.
Tilly likes you.
She likes you, too.
No, she doesn't.
She says things about me to Mum.
That I lie.
I'm not stupid.
She made Mum hate me.
Mum said she'd cut my bollocks off like she did to the dog.
I hate her.
You hate Tilly? I hate Mum.
Is there biscuits today, Tilly? I've been good.
You haven't been good, have you, Kevin? I just need to have a quick look around the room, if that's OK.
I want a biscuit.
Um, it would be great if I could, you know All right.
Come on, then, Kevin.
Let's get you some biscuits.
Yeah, biscuit.
You want something? No, thanks.
Right.
That is a gelatine capsule.
M'hm.
20mg? They were under his bed.
Marked "BJ" on the cap and "F20" on the body.
Fluoxetine? What's fluoxetine? A selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor.
An antidepressant.
I found this on a counter in his room.
I'll test it.
So, what - he takes the powder out of the capsule and puts it in his mother's tea? Can we actually prove she was there? She's not signed into the log book.
Yes, she is.
Why would he drug her? Because he hates her.
He said to me she wanted him castrated like a dog he once had.
Does he mean to kill her? This really isn't about the accident any more, is it? Orestes.
I'm going to have to make a call.
You're sure that the drugs caused the death? We KNOCK ON DOOR Sorry.
Am I late? No.
I was early.
I like being early.
Er, Nikki.
Nikki Alexander, this is Detective Inspector Alex Hunter.
Nice to meet you.
This car accident seems to be evolving.
Governor thought we ought to put a little more expertise on it.
Right.
Drugs and cause of death - that's where we were.
You did the postmortem? I did.
Cause of death? Yes, they could have caused the haemorrhage.
It's a reasonable hypothesis.
Reasonable? OK, can we sex the language up a little bit here? Reasonable - or likely? And not that I'm trying to shape anything here but I prefer the latter.
Likely.
Progress.
Likely or irrefutable? And you can guess where I am on this.
Likely.
OK, we touched the sides.
How does the boy get the drugs? When we visited Kingscote Bow Residential Home Button, I didn't come here to listen to the sound of your voice.
I'm here to listen to the sound of a doctor's voice.
Doctor? Well, what was it Jack said? The drugs are kept in a locked area but the staff appeared to leave that area open and unattended while they distributed medication to the residents.
Well, one - he had to get 'em.
Two - he had to take 'em out of the gelcaps.
That's intention.
That's premeditation.
Is he physically capable of opening the gelcaps? Physically capable? That was my question.
Almost certainly, yeah.
He's agreed to identify the body.
If he'd poisoned his mother Button? Would you get me a coffee, son? Outside.
On the left.
Dirty brown.
Yes, sir.
He tells me you're old friends.
Who? Button.
Yeah.
That's what I thought.
Why isn't the McDowd boy in custody? Coffee? Mmm.
Did you find everything? Why the two drugs in the drink? Why the methamphetamine? The amount of fluoxetine - she'd fall asleep very quickly.
She wouldn't have made it to the car without the methamphetamine.
And he knew that? He could plan that? That lad couldn't have done this.
There's not a chance of it.
How are you? I don't want to talk about it, Jack.
We're not.
We're just talking about how you are.
I'm fine.
And I know that you're sneaking up on me.
No, I'm not.
Trying to act all nice like you care.
I'm happy not to be nice.
It's none of my business if you want to act irrationally.
You're right.
It isn't.
And I wasn't irrational.
OK.
Try not to talk to me, then.
I won't.
I have to go and see her at the place where they cut up dead people.
To see if it's really her.
It's a big responsibility.
Will you go with me? No.
They won't cut her up while we're there.
I don't want to.
We could get out of here.
We can escape.
It's not safe.
I can keep you safe.
I'm scared.
I don't want to go.
OK.
Varky can keep you safe.
Serena? I was looking for you.
I didn't say you can come in.
It's time to take your medication.
It's MY ROOM! Sorry, Kevin but Serena has to take her pills.
OK.
And I've warned you about sitting on the bed together, haven't I? Don't do it.
Sorry.
Kevin's a perv.
You know that.
Stop talking to me like that.
Don't start with me, Kevin.
Don't take them.
I have to.
Don't.
Please.
They make you stupid.
They make you sleep.
Please, don't take them.
Please! Serena? Kevin.
Tilly is waiting for you.
Will you be OK? Come on, Kevin.
Tilly will let you play with yourself in the car.
You can get it out and show it to her.
I said, stop talking to me like that.
Don't be abusive.
You know what will happen.
Ah, there you are.
Come on.
Let's go.
Come on, then, Serena.
Back to your room.
Chop chop.
Follow me.
Er, there'll be a Policeman who'll join us this morning.
I don't like the Police.
Right, well, all you have to do is I know.
Stop talking.
Lucy! Lucy, come on, darling.
We've got to go now.
Your mum's not coming.
She's dead.
Killed herself.
Cos of you.
Aw, sorry, sweetheart.
Sorry.
There was a problem at work.
What is it? Why are you so upset? If I stay out here, will she be able to see me? You all right? Mmm.
She's dead, Kevin.
I know.
I'm not stupid.
Jack! This is Jack! Yeah.
Come on, Kevin.
I want to speak to Jack.
Do what Tilly says, Kevin.
I don't want to do what Tilly says.
OK.
Will you come with me? Yeah.
Of course.
Tilly likes you.
Is it your mother, Kevin? Yes.
Is this a religious place? Because my mum's not religious.
It's a non-denominational chapel.
Chapel is religious.
Yes.
It is.
You have to move her.
She said there wasn't a God and that she wouldn't set foot in a church.
OK, Kevin.
We'll move her.
Jack, I'll be in my office, yeah? OK.
So will she come to see me today? Er, Kevin, your mother's dead.
Do you understand what that means? Yes.
I understand.
So she's not going to come? What do you think? I think he killed her.
The boy's going to need an appropriate adult.
Kevin McDowd, I am arresting you on suspicion of murdering Jacquelyn McDowd.
What's going on, Tilly? You do not have to say anything Tilly! Tilly! Don't Don't touch! Sir, sir! Are you all right? Kevin! Thomas! Kevin, come back! Er, can we get him up? Come back, Kevin! Possible traumatic brain injury from a fall.
White male, 22 years old.
Solidly built.
Do you want to get on? No? I'm afraid of being abandoned.
All my life.
Afraid my parents, social services, my teachers, would put me somewhere, and leave me there.
And I know it didn't happen and I know they never would have.
But the fear never goes away.
A home terrifies me.
Everything about it.
Because I think, once I go in, I'll never come out.
She's fine.
Leave it.
What's wrong with you? What are you going to do about it? Yeah.
Great.
It's time to water the plants.
What? All right, mate? It's all right.
It's all right.
What you got for me? Please, no! No! Get off me! I'll shoot you.
Have they found Kevin? Oh, um, I've heard nothing.
They're keeping DI Hunter in overnight for observation - against his will, by all accounts.
Seems he's fine.
Nikki.
I need some advice.
I'm well-known to be able to give advice on all manner of things - relationships, restaurants, holiday destinations.
I hope it's not cars - I'm not good on cars.
All right.
What about barbiturates and anti-emetics? Blood results of Noreen Fielden.
Remember the woman with the two sons? Just got them.
There's your barbiturate, there's your anti-emetic.
They're euthanasia drugs.
Yeah.
Suicide? Was Noreen Fielden capable of administering the suicide drugs herself? She had dementia.
Even if she was physically capable, would she have known what she was doing? Your results aren't good.
We should not put value judgments on results.
Value judgment isn't on the result.
It's on the situation.
Somebody helped her.
Yeah.
I think they did.
I'll tell the coroner and the Police.
That was the advice you wanted? Uh.
Her boys wanted to bury her.
This should have been routine.
You weren't looking for advice.
You wanted an accomplice.
Goodnight.
Bye.
Hello, there.
Yeah, OK.
Jump in.
Serena? Serena.
Are you OK? Yes.
OK.
Happy.
Come on.
We're going.
No, please don't do this to me.
I don't want to leave.
I can't leave.
I'm sorry but we HAVE to go.
Yes.
I'm calling from Kingscote Bows.
Two of our residents are missing.
Serena Prentice and Kevin McDowd.
Yes.
I reported him missing yesterday.
They know each other.
Yes, of course, it's possible they're together.
One, two, three, four, five, six.
Everywhere! Are you OK? Yeah.
Are you OK? Yes.
I'm sorry but we have to go.
No, Kevin.
I don't want to leave.
Jack? Thomas! Don't do this to me.
What is it? I'm sorry but we have to go.
This is on Jacquelyn McDowd's computer.
- It was filmed four hours ago.
- I don't want to leave.
What's going on? I can't see anything.
The camera's not pointing into the room.
Please don't do this to me.
Is he kidnapping her? You see this? I will buy this for you.
We can make this our home.
I have to ask you to leave.
But we didn't do anything.
It's all right, Kevin.
We close at dusk.
It's still light.
But we're closing now.
I said, if you don't leave, I will get my gun and shoot you! Kevin, it's all right.
It's all right, Kevin.
So you told him you were closing.
Yeah.
And then what did he say? He said he'd shoot me.
Suspect is learning disabled, has a history of violence and may be armed.
No visuals of the suspect.
One day.
I love you.
You too, Serena.
Are we set? I have him.
Are you Kevin? Yes.
I need you to let Serena go.
But Serena doesn't want to go.
I understand that, mate, but you're going to have to let her go.
She's safer with me.
Serena needs her medication.
She's not going back to the home.
Kevin, let's not get ourselves in any more trouble.
I said, she's safer WITH ME! Step away from her now, with your hands in the air.
Now, you're going to have to let her go, Kevin.
No.
Leave us alone.
Please! Hold your fire! No! Hold your fire.
Gun trauma.
White male, early 20s.
Kevin! KEVIN! Kevin! Testator silens Costestes e spiritu Silentium.

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