The Lost Honour Of Christopher Jefferies (2014) s01e02 Episode Script
Part 2 of 2
1 Do I realy have to do that in person? I can't do that over the phone? 'It's always easier to do it face to face.
' OK.
When and where? 'There's an early flight tomorrow.
' A-ha.
No, it's OK.
OK.
Thank you.
Here he comes.
~ Mr Tabak.
~ Hi.
Call me Vincent.
My girlfriend Tanja.
DC Thomas.
Pleased to meet you.
We wanted to follow up on a couple of things ~ in the statement you gave us about Mr Jeffries.
~ OK.
~ And we'd also like to take a DNA sample.
~ Why? Well, it's quite routine.
Just to rule you out.
OK.
You didn't mention a DNA sample.
Everyone else has given one.
You're entitled to refuse, of course.
It's, er, just a formality.
~ Shall we? ~ OK, fine.
So, um, Tanja was at a party.
I had some work to finish off so I stayed at home.
~ And didn't leave the house again that night? ~ No.
Oh, er, except to go to Asda.
~ I'm sorry? ~ I went to Asda to buy some beer.
You didn't mention this in your statement.
That's because my previous statement was about Jeffries' character and why I believe he killed Joanna Yeates.
What time did you go to Asda? Er, eight or nine o'clock.
~ The footage will make that clear.
~ What footage? The CCTV footage.
Don't all supermarkets have that? So, um, I went home then watched TV and waited for Tanja to tell me to pick her up.
At 1.
30am? Yeah, that's right.
And Mr Jeffries came to your door the following morning at what time? Er, 8.
30, nine o'clock? ~ Asking you to help move his car that got stuck in the snow? ~ That's right.
When you went to help move the car, which way was it facing? In, towards the house.
You said you'd seen the car the previous night facing which way? The other way, out, away from the house.
~ Leading you to believe it had been moved overnight? ~ That's correct.
What were your impressions of Mr Jeffries that morning? Well, um, he seemed nervous, anxious.
At the time, I thought it was because he was in a hurry to get somewhere, but now I know otherwise.
What do you mean by that? Well, you know, it turns out he had a busy night.
Charles? ~ Hello? ~ Christopher, it's Paul Okebu.
They've arrested Vincent Tabak.
'DNA found on Jo Yeates' body matches Tabak's.
It seems the police have a new prime suspect.
' It's good, Chris.
It's very good.
You all right? I can go home.
Christopher, that's wonderful.
I do hope you're going to do something about it all.
~ About what? ~ Fight back.
Sue the newspapers for damages, take on the police in a civil action.
Did they at least apologise? I don't think they think they've done anything wrong.
They arrested an innocent man and locked him up for three days.
True, but I'm sure that they consider their actions to be entirely reasonable.
~ Hm.
~ In their view, I had access, motive and opportunity.
That doesn't explain why they're refusing to release you from bail.
Or how the newspapers knew you were the prime suspect.
That had to be information leaked to them by the police.
Yes, but, um, lawsuits would be expensive and they would be public.
Why would I want to put my head above the parapet again and suffer all those vile attacks, um, about my appearance? You wouldn't need to if you made one or two changes.
~ May I ask you a question? ~ Oh, of course.
~ A personal question? ~ Um My favourite kind.
Why do you wear your hair like that? Like what? ~ That.
~ Well, I can assure you it is, um, entirely a result of accident and not design.
So when did it happen? What? The accident.
Well, um, I suppose when I first noticed that it was no longer there in the same quantity and thought that the longer it was the more it would look like there was more of it.
Oh, Christopher.
Why? Now there is just no hair at all.
You're the only one thinking that.
Really? How much do I owe you? This one's on the house.
Want me to come in with you? I'll be fine.
Chris? Is that you? Hello, Peter.
Hm.
~ Thank you.
Bye-bye.
~ Thank you very much.
Bye-bye.
~ Good morning.
~ Good morning, ~ Janine.
~ I didn't recognise you.
It's still the same old me.
Paul.
Paul.
~ No, no.
~ It's OK.
Next, please.
I understand your frustration, Mr Jeffries, but this was a decision taken by the entire committee.
Because of the unfortunate circumstances you find yourself What unfortunate circumstances? I was wrongly arrested and now rightly released without charge.
The board has decided to withdraw its invitation for you to continue the examination and moderating work you've been doing.
Why? We feel it would be sending out the wrong signals to have you turn up to do face to face oral exams with students.
What, because I would murder them? What we could consider, perhaps, would be to allow you to moderate the work of some overseas candidates, who would be less likely to know who you are, but I would still need to run that by my board.
Weirdo! Are you in the mood for a riddle? 'Go on.
' I am nothing without an answer.
What am I? ~ You are a question.
~ Good.
And the answer is anyone and everyone, regardless of cost.
What is the question? Who shall I sue? 'Louis Charalambous is an expert in defamation and privacy and is head of the press law team here.
' Louis successfully represented Robert Murat.
~ Who is that? ~ The man libelled in the Madeleine McCann case.
A perfectly normal man in his early 30s, albeit one still living with his mother in a house in Praia da Luz, where Madeleine went missing.
A Sunday Mirror journalist tipped off local police after she thought there was something suspicious about him.
He tried to help the police as much as he could, but all he got for his troubles was to become their first suspect, or aguido.
The tabloids went crazy.
They claimed he was a sexual predator.
His blindness in one eye was even exploited.
One newspaper reported when he was at school he popped out his glass eye and rolled it around the playground.
That is a little unusual.
~ Only one problem.
~ Oh.
What was that? He doesn't have a glass eye.
One journalist offered his ex-wife 200,000 euros to say he was a paedophile and that his home had a secret chamber in it.
Well, she refused to do so, but look, the whole experience came close to destroying the lives of Murat and his family.
Sound familiar? How did this dreadful story end? We sued the newspapers responsible and won £600,000 in damages, a record figure.
I mention that in case you are interviewing other law firms.
We can see the others to give us a comparison.
The others will be good, but I don't think there's anyone better.
~ All this would be done without me paying a penny? ~ It's no win, no fee.
A lifeline to the common man.
Shall we give them the good news? Let's.
As they say, do it.
I want to speak to a priest.
You know who I am? You know why I'm being kept here? Yes.
And you probably also know that so far I've said nothing, not to the police and not to my lawyers, but but I want to say something to you.
'Meanwhile, Vincent Tabak, the man charged with the murder of Joanna Yeates, has admitted to a chaplain in Long Lartin Prison, Worcestershire, that he did kill the landscape architect and will plead guilty to manslaughter but not murder.
' The good news is with Tabak having admitted killing Jo Yeates and your innocence being beyond all doubt, we have every reason to be hopeful a legal action for defamation could be successful.
Now, the bad news is that you are going to have to go through all these allegations again, one by one, to establish if there's any truth to the newspapers' claims.
~ OK.
~ In the meantime, my associates will try to build up a more balanced profile of you by doing some of the more thorough asking around that the newspapers should have done.
Sure.
How many years were you a teacher at Clifton College? ~ Unpleasant? ~ Rude.
Christopher? Oh, no.
What do people in the school think of him? Clever, eccentric, and very professional.
~ Popular in common rooms.
~ Christopher was a very, very special teacher, but God help you if you were ever late for anything.
Did you ever behave in an inappropriate or sexualised manner ~ with your students? ~ No.
~ Never made any lewd or sexual remarks to them? ~ No.
Did you ever invite any of them back to your house? For teaching, yes, all the time.
But no, never alone.
Did you ever take your temper out on any of your students? Throw any books or pens? Did you force students to hold hands while reciting poetry? Did you ever enter flats without tenants' permission? Have you ever invaded the privacy of your tenants? Refused to allow them to close their curtains? Are you a peeping tom? Did you deliberately dye your hair blue? How ridiculous.
I might have used a henna shampoo for a while, which had the unfortunate side effect of giving my hair a slight blue tint.
~ As blue as this? ~ No, that's ridiculous.
No, they've exaggerated that terribly.
Is it accurate to describe you as a snob? A snob? No.
Would you have five minutes to answer a few questions? ~ Of course.
Come in.
~ Thank you.
~ How long have you known him? ~ A long time now.
Nine, ten years.
~ You play the harpsichord? ~ Moderately, but with great conviction.
How have you found dealing with him in that respect? Very professional and very thorough.
~ Elitist? ~ I'd prefer it if people weren't stupid.
~ A loner? ~ You'd have to ask my friends.
~ Were you aware of pupils referring to you as Mr Strange? ~ No.
~ Do you know anything about the murder of Glenis Carruthers? ~ Who? The young woman who was killed in the area 34 years ago.
Oh, yes, my first victim according to the papers.
No.
I hadn't heard of her until Paul mentioned her name.
~ Have you ever been close friends with a paedophile? ~ No.
Did you ever touch people's hands, students or otherwise, and say, "Oh, you're very sweaty, that means you've been sexually active recently"? I'm sorry.
Christopher, we have to do this.
Mm-hm.
OK.
So the encouraging news is that the vast majority of the people we talked to - your neighbours, former colleagues of the school where you worked, local residents, etc - all checked out really well and expressed their horror at what they'd read in the papers.
Those that didn't check out so well admitted to having had their opinions changed by what they read in the newspapers, so the next step is for me to meet with the lawyers of the newspapers and inform them I will be pushing for aggravated damages, given that their conduct was so egregious and their content so defamatory and without basis.
Lucky you.
Quite.
Want one? '33-year-old Vincent Tabak sat quietly throughout the proceedings, leaning forward, occasionally taking notes and listening as Nigel Lithman QC delivered the prosecution's tragic account' 'My learned colleague' 'It's the first time David and Teresa Yeates listened to the man who killed their daughter' 'He panicked, felt a guilt that would haunt him for the rest of his life and described his decision to abandon Joanna's body later that night' 'He was in full control at all times, he knew what he was doing, knowing that Ms Yeates was in' ' finished setting out the prosecution case by telling the jury Tabak is guilty of' ' which makes him guilty of murder, not manslaughter.
' ' the defendant how long it took to strangle her' '"When I say start," said the barrister for Vincent Tabak, "I want you to say 'Now' when you think the incident" Vincent Tabak shut his eyes, the court fell completely silent.
After a few seconds, with his eyes still shut, he started rubbing his forehead, leaning to the right slightly.
~ A few seconds more passed' ~ All rise.
.
.
and then he said, "Now.
"' The minute Tabak's QC opened with, "Members of the jury, I'm not going to ask you to like Vincent Tabak, there is nothing to like," I was hooked.
He goes every day, he's obsessed.
~ Who would like some more crumble? ~ Yes, please! ~ Pass me your bowl.
On that fateful night, Tabak's girlfriend goes to a party and is due to pick her up later.
He returns to his flat, passing a window he sees Jo Yeates, who waves him a casual greeting.
He misinterprets the greeting and believes she's invited him in.
Jo would never have done that.
She was completely committed to Greg.
Once inside, they chatted and presumably she said something innocent, which he misinterpreted as flirtatious, so he tried to kiss her.
She screams, he puts his hand over her mouth and apologises, which makes her scream more.
He panics, puts his hand over her throat, harder, tighter, only to find she'd gone limp and dropped to the floor.
So far, in my book, there's no premeditation to murder.
That's not why he entered her flat.
Thanks to your wrongful arrest, Tabak felt confident enough to ring them from Holland, where he could've stayed and possibly escaped capture, and lie about your car having moved.
He was so willing to help the police Never help the police.
We've learnt that.
It aroused their suspicions so much, they took his statement in person, asking for a DNA sample, which, of course, linked him to the murder.
All this might never have happened or happened later, putting the family through even more hell if not for your ordeal.
~ Mr Charalambous? ~ Yes? ~ They're ready for you now.
~ Thank you.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
Hello? Having reviewed the evidence, the lawyers representing the newspapers have just informed me their clients accept they seriously defamed you.
That's a de facto admission of guilt, 'which means they will settle and pay damages.
Congratulations.
' ~ Thank you.
~ 'They're as keen as I am to get this settled as soon as possible,' but I think that you should be there in person to receive your apology.
~ Where? ~ 'The Royal Courts Of Justice.
' Look, I know you value your privacy and you've been to hell and back on this, but I think it's important.
You owe it to yourself.
'After what those buggers did to you, you deserve an apology.
' Temple Meads.
'The train at platform 19 is the 10.
30 First Great Western service to London Paddington, calling at Bath Spa, Chippenham, Swindon, Didcot Parkway, Reading and London Paddington.
' All right? We'd better go.
~ Anything from Christopher? ~ Not yet.
It's strange.
School teachers are never late.
Hi, Nigel.
How are you doing? Good to see you.
'My Lord, in this action I appear for the claimant, Christopher Jeffries, a retired school master of good character, who taught English at Clifton College for 34 years.
Mr Jeffries was arrested on suspicion of the murder of Joanna Yeates and subsequently released without charge.
Following his arrest, the newspapers represented today published various articles which suggested there were strong grounds to suspect Mr Jeffries had killed Joanna Yeates.
' Several of them went on to make scandalous allegations that he acted in an inappropriate, over-sexualised manner in his capacity as a landlord of two flats in the building where he lives.
Some of the articles went on to suggest that he was responsible for an unsolved murder the defendants are here today to acknowledge that the allegations which were published about Mr Jeffries are entirely untrue and to apologise to Mr Jeffries for the seriously defamatory articles ' have also agreed to pay substantial damages.
' ~ My Lord, my client The Sun ~ The Daily Mirror.
~ The Sunday Mirror.
~ The Daily Record.
~ The Daily Mail.
~ The Daily Star.
~ The Daily Express.
The Scotsman apologise to Mr Jeffries for publishing false allegations and very much regret the distress our publication caused agreed to pay substantial damages and to pay his legal costs A full apology will be printed in the newspaper tomorrow morning.
You're all over the news again.
I feared as much.
Why didn't you go? Why not gloat on the steps of the court room, savouring the moment of your triumph? I was about to do just that.
I'd even boarded the train, but But what? Then I realised the last thing I wanted was to appear triumphalist in any way, especially with this tragedy at the heart of it.
What a load of, forgive me, utter bollocks.
~ Excuse me? ~ Yes, the loss of Jo's life is tragic, but what those papers did to you is still terrible.
The fact you survived it all is astonishing, that you turned it around is miraculous.
~ You should be triumphalist.
~ It's not appropriate.
It's too soon and my face would be all over the front pages again.
You don't seriously believe any of those things they wrote about you? ~ Well, no.
~ Then why think anyone else would? ~ Because they did.
I mean, let's be honest when the papers came out people judged me.
They couldn't look me in the eye.
Why? Because at some level the allegations, as dreadful as they were, must have rung true.
My face fit.
Why? Look, at school when you taught me you were always known as an eccentric, even then.
I always took pride in the fact that in this country we're rather good at tolerating eccentrics, celebrating them even, but in this case we let ourselves down.
There's nothing dark or sinister about you.
You're the most decent, law-abiding man I know.
You've never even had a parking ticket, for God's sake.
You're just different, an odd number, not even, which is why it's so important that instead of hiding away now you step into the limelight.
I don't want to be a victim on a podium.
Oh, Christopher, this is being a victim.
Bottles of wine in the afternoon, the curtains closed.
~ Guilty! ~ Er, what? They've found Vincent Tabak guilty.
~ Of manslaughter? ~ Murder.
Hello? 'Have you heard?' My other phone's ringing.
Wait.
are words that have been written by David and Teresa Yeates.
They represent their feelings as they've gone through this process.
'We never considered this trial as a process of justice for Jo.
The last four weeks have been more stressful and intense than we imagined we had little hope of hearing what happened on 17th December but needed to see him, to hear what he had to say.
We saw no emotion or remorse or regret for what he did to Jo.
We felt that all emotion expressed by him was false.
All we heard were words of self pity.
capital punishment is not a possible option for his sentence.
The best we can hope for him is that he spends the rest of his life incarcerated where his life is a living hell Jo was not allowed to start her own family, have children and achieve her potential.
We will never get over our loss, how she was murdered and the total lack of respect with which her body was treated.
We still miss hearing her happy voice and seeing her living life to the full.
' Tabak's defence has always been that he'd seen Jo through the ground-floor window, she'd beckoned him inside flirtatiously, so at one point during the cross-examination the prosecution asked Tabak to show the court the beckoning gesture that she had given him and do you know what he did? She didn't beckon him at all.
She just waved hello.
There's more and more stuff coming out that wasn't admissible during the trail, And Tanja knew nothing of this, um, his girlfriend? Not a clue.
He managed to fool everybody.
The things you can get away with if you look normal.
Listen, Christopher, I I got a phone call today from a friend of mine, a solicitor at Collyer Bristow, and he wondered if you might consider appearing at the Leveson Inquiry.
His firm is representing all the core participants.
What is the Leveson Inquiry? Hm.
It's been set up in the light of the phone hacking scandals to see whether current press regulation is effective, or not, and to make recommendations on how it might be improved.
What do they want from you? Oh, my story as told by me in my own words.
I've told them I couldn't do it.
~ Why not? ~ Well, I'm not a crusading activist.
I'm a retiring, retired ~ You retired too early.
~ I was 55.
~ Hid himself away.
~ Nonsense.
I was leading a full and active life.
Letting out flats and serving on a neighbourhood watch committee? And studying for a degree in French and acting as Deputy Chair on the Clifton and Hotwells Improvement Society, .
.
and many, many, many other things.
I can see that my being a responsible citizen is a source of some amusement to you.
Now is the time to be responsible, Christopher.
Think of all the other Christopher Jeffries out there and all those to come.
~ They need a different person.
~ You already are a different person.
' Just to inform you the express café is open, we serve 'hot drinks, light refreshment, freshly-made sandwiches, hot and cold snacks' and we also have a selection of various wines and spirits.
Christopher.
I-I'm grateful you could make it this time.
Well I can see this a very, very important thing to do.
How was your trip? They're supposed to have a room set aside for people who testify.
Probably around here somewhere.
Hello, Ben.
Right.
Thank you.
I'll have to take this.
~ Will you be all right? ~ Absolutely fine.
Yeah, no, the problem is You're the murdering landlord? I'm joking.
I mean, I know that it wasn't it was the Danish guy.
Dutch.
Hm.
You had a haircut.
Yes.
~ I almost didn't recognise you.
~ That's the general idea.
~ To be anonymous.
~ To be incognito.
Anonymous means without a name.
My haircut didn't deprive me of that, only of my hair.
Right.
Well, the press were right about one thing - you do sound like a school teacher.
That would be an interesting observation to make for someone who hadn't been one for 34 years.
Right.
~ Steve.
~ Oh.
Christopher.
How do you do? And, um, in which capacity are you here, Steve? Are you a lawyer? No, I'm not a lawyer.
I'm an actor.
~ Oh.
~ And a comedian.
In fact, up until this moment, I would've said quite a famous one.
Oh, I'm sorry, light entertainment isn't really my field.
I'm also what they call, um, a core participant, so I'm a fellow victim.
Oh, so were you accused of murder, too? No, no.
Er, no, just I mean, everything but and some of it true.
No, just camped outside my house, hacked my phones, door-stepped my family, just run-of-the-mill abuse.
~ Goodness.
~ They'd say because I'm famous I'm fair game, but that's horseshit, and it's very good people like you are here, because, you know, you being a normal person, insofar as the press went into every aspect of your life and I don't think they turned up so much as an overdue library book.
In fact, from what I read, you're something of a model citizen, albeit one who, you know, had a silly haircut.
To be in the limelight is not really in my nature.
I leave that to esteemed professionals, like you.
I don't want to let anyone down.
Hm.
Well, even esteemed professionals like me get nervous in situations like this.
In fact, when I do get nervous, I find it helps to imagine everyone as being stark-bollock naked.
Right.
We're off.
~ Ready? ~ As much as I'll ever be.
Oh, wow.
Hi.
Big, big fan.
~ Thank you.
~ Yes.
Tropic Thunder Yeah.
~ Murder At The Museum.
~ Night At The Museum, but don't worry about it.
Night.
Yes.
Yes.
Alan Partridge.
Ha-ha.
~ Ha-ha.
~ Smell my cheese.
I'd like to call now Mr Christopher Jeffries.
I swear by almighty God the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Another theme you touch on in paragraph 22 of your statement, portraying you as a sexually-perverted voyeur Yes.
I mean, it was it was certainly suggested that there may well have been some sort of sexual motivation before the murder of Joanna Yeates and, um, at the time, obviously, I was suspected of that murder.
~ Go on.
~ On the other hand, it was, um, ~ the, um, ~ They're naked, all of them.
.
.
um, suggested in some of the articles that I was gay, so that presented a bit of a problem as far as that particular line Until the Press Complaints Commission or any other regulatory body has the powers to fine newspapers or to order them to make financial compensation to their victims, 'I asked him about the morning of December 30th last year, when police knocked on his door and arrested him.
' 'First, your clothes are taken away, er, then your possessions are taken away.
All these extraordinary falsehoods are woven around' this now almost, um, personality, this identity, um, I don't think it would be too strong a word to say that it was a kind of rape that had taken place.
I believe the recommendations must be implemented in full if we are ever to have a press that works in the public interest and make some of the abuses suffered by With this whirlwind all around you, what does that do to you as a person? What happened to me happened.
What happened to the McCanns happened.
What happened to Robert Murat happened.
Now it is no longer acceptable for newspaper owners to control the press complaints, um, system, and as things stand it seems There's a talk show in Northern Ireland that have invited you.
They'll pay for your travel and a hotel.
'There's also a request for a meeting with Nick Clegg in London about the implementation of the Leveson Report.
' Oh, and the Glasgow Literary Festival have been in touch.
They want to book you early for April 2013.
You'll make sure I get my travel expenses up-front this time? Yes.
And you won't put me into another one of those Travel Lodges.
There's nothing wrong with Travel Lodges.
Yes, well, of course, you've never had to stay in one, have you? I heard you'd started going there.
Word gets around.
Is it as good as ours, then? The Bread? Oh.
No, no, um, nothing like.
~ It's cheaper, though.
~ Not enough to make a difference, but it has one principal advantage.
~ What's that, then? ~ It's more anonymous.
I owe you an apology.
~ Whatever for? ~ You know what for.
For the things I allowed myself to think, for stupidity, total ~ It's fine.
~ It isn't fine.
I judged you as everyone else did.
I should have known better.
I feel totally ashamed of myself.
Anyway, I am here on behalf of all of us, all of Bristol.
I'm so sorry.
I'd be delighted if you'd come back to our shop every day, like you used to.
There'll be a free loaf for you at 8.
45 every morning.
~ Hm.
~ For a month.
I'd like that very much.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Yes.
Can I help you? Greg.
The herb garden Jo had in mind.
Rosemary, sage, thyme.
It's lovely.
I wanted to write to you, but I I didn't have an address.
What would you have said? Thank you.
~ What for? ~ The kind words you said in public when I was arrested, about not jumping to conclusions, and you did it at THE most difficult time for you and didn't need to.
Can't just stand by and do nothing when stuff like that's going on.
I've enough to regret as it is.
Going away that weekend What if I hadn't come to you for jump leads? I wouldn't have gone to Sheffield, I'd have stayed here with Jo ~ and none of it would have happened.
~ Hi, Chris.
~ Hey.
Oh, er, good morning.
~ New tenants? ~ Yes.
~ Our flat? ~ Yeah.
Do they know? ~ Did you tell them what happened? ~ Yes.
They still rented it? Yeah.
How long was it on the market? Um, less than 24 hours.
Right.
Come whenever you like, Greg.
You're welcome any time.
You look well, Christopher.
I'm still the same person I always was.
No, you're not.
No, you're right.
~ I'm not.
~ I'm glad one of us came out of it well.
I say that with no bitterness.
Look after the plants for her.
I will.
' OK.
When and where? 'There's an early flight tomorrow.
' A-ha.
No, it's OK.
OK.
Thank you.
Here he comes.
~ Mr Tabak.
~ Hi.
Call me Vincent.
My girlfriend Tanja.
DC Thomas.
Pleased to meet you.
We wanted to follow up on a couple of things ~ in the statement you gave us about Mr Jeffries.
~ OK.
~ And we'd also like to take a DNA sample.
~ Why? Well, it's quite routine.
Just to rule you out.
OK.
You didn't mention a DNA sample.
Everyone else has given one.
You're entitled to refuse, of course.
It's, er, just a formality.
~ Shall we? ~ OK, fine.
So, um, Tanja was at a party.
I had some work to finish off so I stayed at home.
~ And didn't leave the house again that night? ~ No.
Oh, er, except to go to Asda.
~ I'm sorry? ~ I went to Asda to buy some beer.
You didn't mention this in your statement.
That's because my previous statement was about Jeffries' character and why I believe he killed Joanna Yeates.
What time did you go to Asda? Er, eight or nine o'clock.
~ The footage will make that clear.
~ What footage? The CCTV footage.
Don't all supermarkets have that? So, um, I went home then watched TV and waited for Tanja to tell me to pick her up.
At 1.
30am? Yeah, that's right.
And Mr Jeffries came to your door the following morning at what time? Er, 8.
30, nine o'clock? ~ Asking you to help move his car that got stuck in the snow? ~ That's right.
When you went to help move the car, which way was it facing? In, towards the house.
You said you'd seen the car the previous night facing which way? The other way, out, away from the house.
~ Leading you to believe it had been moved overnight? ~ That's correct.
What were your impressions of Mr Jeffries that morning? Well, um, he seemed nervous, anxious.
At the time, I thought it was because he was in a hurry to get somewhere, but now I know otherwise.
What do you mean by that? Well, you know, it turns out he had a busy night.
Charles? ~ Hello? ~ Christopher, it's Paul Okebu.
They've arrested Vincent Tabak.
'DNA found on Jo Yeates' body matches Tabak's.
It seems the police have a new prime suspect.
' It's good, Chris.
It's very good.
You all right? I can go home.
Christopher, that's wonderful.
I do hope you're going to do something about it all.
~ About what? ~ Fight back.
Sue the newspapers for damages, take on the police in a civil action.
Did they at least apologise? I don't think they think they've done anything wrong.
They arrested an innocent man and locked him up for three days.
True, but I'm sure that they consider their actions to be entirely reasonable.
~ Hm.
~ In their view, I had access, motive and opportunity.
That doesn't explain why they're refusing to release you from bail.
Or how the newspapers knew you were the prime suspect.
That had to be information leaked to them by the police.
Yes, but, um, lawsuits would be expensive and they would be public.
Why would I want to put my head above the parapet again and suffer all those vile attacks, um, about my appearance? You wouldn't need to if you made one or two changes.
~ May I ask you a question? ~ Oh, of course.
~ A personal question? ~ Um My favourite kind.
Why do you wear your hair like that? Like what? ~ That.
~ Well, I can assure you it is, um, entirely a result of accident and not design.
So when did it happen? What? The accident.
Well, um, I suppose when I first noticed that it was no longer there in the same quantity and thought that the longer it was the more it would look like there was more of it.
Oh, Christopher.
Why? Now there is just no hair at all.
You're the only one thinking that.
Really? How much do I owe you? This one's on the house.
Want me to come in with you? I'll be fine.
Chris? Is that you? Hello, Peter.
Hm.
~ Thank you.
Bye-bye.
~ Thank you very much.
Bye-bye.
~ Good morning.
~ Good morning, ~ Janine.
~ I didn't recognise you.
It's still the same old me.
Paul.
Paul.
~ No, no.
~ It's OK.
Next, please.
I understand your frustration, Mr Jeffries, but this was a decision taken by the entire committee.
Because of the unfortunate circumstances you find yourself What unfortunate circumstances? I was wrongly arrested and now rightly released without charge.
The board has decided to withdraw its invitation for you to continue the examination and moderating work you've been doing.
Why? We feel it would be sending out the wrong signals to have you turn up to do face to face oral exams with students.
What, because I would murder them? What we could consider, perhaps, would be to allow you to moderate the work of some overseas candidates, who would be less likely to know who you are, but I would still need to run that by my board.
Weirdo! Are you in the mood for a riddle? 'Go on.
' I am nothing without an answer.
What am I? ~ You are a question.
~ Good.
And the answer is anyone and everyone, regardless of cost.
What is the question? Who shall I sue? 'Louis Charalambous is an expert in defamation and privacy and is head of the press law team here.
' Louis successfully represented Robert Murat.
~ Who is that? ~ The man libelled in the Madeleine McCann case.
A perfectly normal man in his early 30s, albeit one still living with his mother in a house in Praia da Luz, where Madeleine went missing.
A Sunday Mirror journalist tipped off local police after she thought there was something suspicious about him.
He tried to help the police as much as he could, but all he got for his troubles was to become their first suspect, or aguido.
The tabloids went crazy.
They claimed he was a sexual predator.
His blindness in one eye was even exploited.
One newspaper reported when he was at school he popped out his glass eye and rolled it around the playground.
That is a little unusual.
~ Only one problem.
~ Oh.
What was that? He doesn't have a glass eye.
One journalist offered his ex-wife 200,000 euros to say he was a paedophile and that his home had a secret chamber in it.
Well, she refused to do so, but look, the whole experience came close to destroying the lives of Murat and his family.
Sound familiar? How did this dreadful story end? We sued the newspapers responsible and won £600,000 in damages, a record figure.
I mention that in case you are interviewing other law firms.
We can see the others to give us a comparison.
The others will be good, but I don't think there's anyone better.
~ All this would be done without me paying a penny? ~ It's no win, no fee.
A lifeline to the common man.
Shall we give them the good news? Let's.
As they say, do it.
I want to speak to a priest.
You know who I am? You know why I'm being kept here? Yes.
And you probably also know that so far I've said nothing, not to the police and not to my lawyers, but but I want to say something to you.
'Meanwhile, Vincent Tabak, the man charged with the murder of Joanna Yeates, has admitted to a chaplain in Long Lartin Prison, Worcestershire, that he did kill the landscape architect and will plead guilty to manslaughter but not murder.
' The good news is with Tabak having admitted killing Jo Yeates and your innocence being beyond all doubt, we have every reason to be hopeful a legal action for defamation could be successful.
Now, the bad news is that you are going to have to go through all these allegations again, one by one, to establish if there's any truth to the newspapers' claims.
~ OK.
~ In the meantime, my associates will try to build up a more balanced profile of you by doing some of the more thorough asking around that the newspapers should have done.
Sure.
How many years were you a teacher at Clifton College? ~ Unpleasant? ~ Rude.
Christopher? Oh, no.
What do people in the school think of him? Clever, eccentric, and very professional.
~ Popular in common rooms.
~ Christopher was a very, very special teacher, but God help you if you were ever late for anything.
Did you ever behave in an inappropriate or sexualised manner ~ with your students? ~ No.
~ Never made any lewd or sexual remarks to them? ~ No.
Did you ever invite any of them back to your house? For teaching, yes, all the time.
But no, never alone.
Did you ever take your temper out on any of your students? Throw any books or pens? Did you force students to hold hands while reciting poetry? Did you ever enter flats without tenants' permission? Have you ever invaded the privacy of your tenants? Refused to allow them to close their curtains? Are you a peeping tom? Did you deliberately dye your hair blue? How ridiculous.
I might have used a henna shampoo for a while, which had the unfortunate side effect of giving my hair a slight blue tint.
~ As blue as this? ~ No, that's ridiculous.
No, they've exaggerated that terribly.
Is it accurate to describe you as a snob? A snob? No.
Would you have five minutes to answer a few questions? ~ Of course.
Come in.
~ Thank you.
~ How long have you known him? ~ A long time now.
Nine, ten years.
~ You play the harpsichord? ~ Moderately, but with great conviction.
How have you found dealing with him in that respect? Very professional and very thorough.
~ Elitist? ~ I'd prefer it if people weren't stupid.
~ A loner? ~ You'd have to ask my friends.
~ Were you aware of pupils referring to you as Mr Strange? ~ No.
~ Do you know anything about the murder of Glenis Carruthers? ~ Who? The young woman who was killed in the area 34 years ago.
Oh, yes, my first victim according to the papers.
No.
I hadn't heard of her until Paul mentioned her name.
~ Have you ever been close friends with a paedophile? ~ No.
Did you ever touch people's hands, students or otherwise, and say, "Oh, you're very sweaty, that means you've been sexually active recently"? I'm sorry.
Christopher, we have to do this.
Mm-hm.
OK.
So the encouraging news is that the vast majority of the people we talked to - your neighbours, former colleagues of the school where you worked, local residents, etc - all checked out really well and expressed their horror at what they'd read in the papers.
Those that didn't check out so well admitted to having had their opinions changed by what they read in the newspapers, so the next step is for me to meet with the lawyers of the newspapers and inform them I will be pushing for aggravated damages, given that their conduct was so egregious and their content so defamatory and without basis.
Lucky you.
Quite.
Want one? '33-year-old Vincent Tabak sat quietly throughout the proceedings, leaning forward, occasionally taking notes and listening as Nigel Lithman QC delivered the prosecution's tragic account' 'My learned colleague' 'It's the first time David and Teresa Yeates listened to the man who killed their daughter' 'He panicked, felt a guilt that would haunt him for the rest of his life and described his decision to abandon Joanna's body later that night' 'He was in full control at all times, he knew what he was doing, knowing that Ms Yeates was in' ' finished setting out the prosecution case by telling the jury Tabak is guilty of' ' which makes him guilty of murder, not manslaughter.
' ' the defendant how long it took to strangle her' '"When I say start," said the barrister for Vincent Tabak, "I want you to say 'Now' when you think the incident" Vincent Tabak shut his eyes, the court fell completely silent.
After a few seconds, with his eyes still shut, he started rubbing his forehead, leaning to the right slightly.
~ A few seconds more passed' ~ All rise.
.
.
and then he said, "Now.
"' The minute Tabak's QC opened with, "Members of the jury, I'm not going to ask you to like Vincent Tabak, there is nothing to like," I was hooked.
He goes every day, he's obsessed.
~ Who would like some more crumble? ~ Yes, please! ~ Pass me your bowl.
On that fateful night, Tabak's girlfriend goes to a party and is due to pick her up later.
He returns to his flat, passing a window he sees Jo Yeates, who waves him a casual greeting.
He misinterprets the greeting and believes she's invited him in.
Jo would never have done that.
She was completely committed to Greg.
Once inside, they chatted and presumably she said something innocent, which he misinterpreted as flirtatious, so he tried to kiss her.
She screams, he puts his hand over her mouth and apologises, which makes her scream more.
He panics, puts his hand over her throat, harder, tighter, only to find she'd gone limp and dropped to the floor.
So far, in my book, there's no premeditation to murder.
That's not why he entered her flat.
Thanks to your wrongful arrest, Tabak felt confident enough to ring them from Holland, where he could've stayed and possibly escaped capture, and lie about your car having moved.
He was so willing to help the police Never help the police.
We've learnt that.
It aroused their suspicions so much, they took his statement in person, asking for a DNA sample, which, of course, linked him to the murder.
All this might never have happened or happened later, putting the family through even more hell if not for your ordeal.
~ Mr Charalambous? ~ Yes? ~ They're ready for you now.
~ Thank you.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
Hello? Having reviewed the evidence, the lawyers representing the newspapers have just informed me their clients accept they seriously defamed you.
That's a de facto admission of guilt, 'which means they will settle and pay damages.
Congratulations.
' ~ Thank you.
~ 'They're as keen as I am to get this settled as soon as possible,' but I think that you should be there in person to receive your apology.
~ Where? ~ 'The Royal Courts Of Justice.
' Look, I know you value your privacy and you've been to hell and back on this, but I think it's important.
You owe it to yourself.
'After what those buggers did to you, you deserve an apology.
' Temple Meads.
'The train at platform 19 is the 10.
30 First Great Western service to London Paddington, calling at Bath Spa, Chippenham, Swindon, Didcot Parkway, Reading and London Paddington.
' All right? We'd better go.
~ Anything from Christopher? ~ Not yet.
It's strange.
School teachers are never late.
Hi, Nigel.
How are you doing? Good to see you.
'My Lord, in this action I appear for the claimant, Christopher Jeffries, a retired school master of good character, who taught English at Clifton College for 34 years.
Mr Jeffries was arrested on suspicion of the murder of Joanna Yeates and subsequently released without charge.
Following his arrest, the newspapers represented today published various articles which suggested there were strong grounds to suspect Mr Jeffries had killed Joanna Yeates.
' Several of them went on to make scandalous allegations that he acted in an inappropriate, over-sexualised manner in his capacity as a landlord of two flats in the building where he lives.
Some of the articles went on to suggest that he was responsible for an unsolved murder the defendants are here today to acknowledge that the allegations which were published about Mr Jeffries are entirely untrue and to apologise to Mr Jeffries for the seriously defamatory articles ' have also agreed to pay substantial damages.
' ~ My Lord, my client The Sun ~ The Daily Mirror.
~ The Sunday Mirror.
~ The Daily Record.
~ The Daily Mail.
~ The Daily Star.
~ The Daily Express.
The Scotsman apologise to Mr Jeffries for publishing false allegations and very much regret the distress our publication caused agreed to pay substantial damages and to pay his legal costs A full apology will be printed in the newspaper tomorrow morning.
You're all over the news again.
I feared as much.
Why didn't you go? Why not gloat on the steps of the court room, savouring the moment of your triumph? I was about to do just that.
I'd even boarded the train, but But what? Then I realised the last thing I wanted was to appear triumphalist in any way, especially with this tragedy at the heart of it.
What a load of, forgive me, utter bollocks.
~ Excuse me? ~ Yes, the loss of Jo's life is tragic, but what those papers did to you is still terrible.
The fact you survived it all is astonishing, that you turned it around is miraculous.
~ You should be triumphalist.
~ It's not appropriate.
It's too soon and my face would be all over the front pages again.
You don't seriously believe any of those things they wrote about you? ~ Well, no.
~ Then why think anyone else would? ~ Because they did.
I mean, let's be honest when the papers came out people judged me.
They couldn't look me in the eye.
Why? Because at some level the allegations, as dreadful as they were, must have rung true.
My face fit.
Why? Look, at school when you taught me you were always known as an eccentric, even then.
I always took pride in the fact that in this country we're rather good at tolerating eccentrics, celebrating them even, but in this case we let ourselves down.
There's nothing dark or sinister about you.
You're the most decent, law-abiding man I know.
You've never even had a parking ticket, for God's sake.
You're just different, an odd number, not even, which is why it's so important that instead of hiding away now you step into the limelight.
I don't want to be a victim on a podium.
Oh, Christopher, this is being a victim.
Bottles of wine in the afternoon, the curtains closed.
~ Guilty! ~ Er, what? They've found Vincent Tabak guilty.
~ Of manslaughter? ~ Murder.
Hello? 'Have you heard?' My other phone's ringing.
Wait.
are words that have been written by David and Teresa Yeates.
They represent their feelings as they've gone through this process.
'We never considered this trial as a process of justice for Jo.
The last four weeks have been more stressful and intense than we imagined we had little hope of hearing what happened on 17th December but needed to see him, to hear what he had to say.
We saw no emotion or remorse or regret for what he did to Jo.
We felt that all emotion expressed by him was false.
All we heard were words of self pity.
capital punishment is not a possible option for his sentence.
The best we can hope for him is that he spends the rest of his life incarcerated where his life is a living hell Jo was not allowed to start her own family, have children and achieve her potential.
We will never get over our loss, how she was murdered and the total lack of respect with which her body was treated.
We still miss hearing her happy voice and seeing her living life to the full.
' Tabak's defence has always been that he'd seen Jo through the ground-floor window, she'd beckoned him inside flirtatiously, so at one point during the cross-examination the prosecution asked Tabak to show the court the beckoning gesture that she had given him and do you know what he did? She didn't beckon him at all.
She just waved hello.
There's more and more stuff coming out that wasn't admissible during the trail, And Tanja knew nothing of this, um, his girlfriend? Not a clue.
He managed to fool everybody.
The things you can get away with if you look normal.
Listen, Christopher, I I got a phone call today from a friend of mine, a solicitor at Collyer Bristow, and he wondered if you might consider appearing at the Leveson Inquiry.
His firm is representing all the core participants.
What is the Leveson Inquiry? Hm.
It's been set up in the light of the phone hacking scandals to see whether current press regulation is effective, or not, and to make recommendations on how it might be improved.
What do they want from you? Oh, my story as told by me in my own words.
I've told them I couldn't do it.
~ Why not? ~ Well, I'm not a crusading activist.
I'm a retiring, retired ~ You retired too early.
~ I was 55.
~ Hid himself away.
~ Nonsense.
I was leading a full and active life.
Letting out flats and serving on a neighbourhood watch committee? And studying for a degree in French and acting as Deputy Chair on the Clifton and Hotwells Improvement Society, .
.
and many, many, many other things.
I can see that my being a responsible citizen is a source of some amusement to you.
Now is the time to be responsible, Christopher.
Think of all the other Christopher Jeffries out there and all those to come.
~ They need a different person.
~ You already are a different person.
' Just to inform you the express café is open, we serve 'hot drinks, light refreshment, freshly-made sandwiches, hot and cold snacks' and we also have a selection of various wines and spirits.
Christopher.
I-I'm grateful you could make it this time.
Well I can see this a very, very important thing to do.
How was your trip? They're supposed to have a room set aside for people who testify.
Probably around here somewhere.
Hello, Ben.
Right.
Thank you.
I'll have to take this.
~ Will you be all right? ~ Absolutely fine.
Yeah, no, the problem is You're the murdering landlord? I'm joking.
I mean, I know that it wasn't it was the Danish guy.
Dutch.
Hm.
You had a haircut.
Yes.
~ I almost didn't recognise you.
~ That's the general idea.
~ To be anonymous.
~ To be incognito.
Anonymous means without a name.
My haircut didn't deprive me of that, only of my hair.
Right.
Well, the press were right about one thing - you do sound like a school teacher.
That would be an interesting observation to make for someone who hadn't been one for 34 years.
Right.
~ Steve.
~ Oh.
Christopher.
How do you do? And, um, in which capacity are you here, Steve? Are you a lawyer? No, I'm not a lawyer.
I'm an actor.
~ Oh.
~ And a comedian.
In fact, up until this moment, I would've said quite a famous one.
Oh, I'm sorry, light entertainment isn't really my field.
I'm also what they call, um, a core participant, so I'm a fellow victim.
Oh, so were you accused of murder, too? No, no.
Er, no, just I mean, everything but and some of it true.
No, just camped outside my house, hacked my phones, door-stepped my family, just run-of-the-mill abuse.
~ Goodness.
~ They'd say because I'm famous I'm fair game, but that's horseshit, and it's very good people like you are here, because, you know, you being a normal person, insofar as the press went into every aspect of your life and I don't think they turned up so much as an overdue library book.
In fact, from what I read, you're something of a model citizen, albeit one who, you know, had a silly haircut.
To be in the limelight is not really in my nature.
I leave that to esteemed professionals, like you.
I don't want to let anyone down.
Hm.
Well, even esteemed professionals like me get nervous in situations like this.
In fact, when I do get nervous, I find it helps to imagine everyone as being stark-bollock naked.
Right.
We're off.
~ Ready? ~ As much as I'll ever be.
Oh, wow.
Hi.
Big, big fan.
~ Thank you.
~ Yes.
Tropic Thunder Yeah.
~ Murder At The Museum.
~ Night At The Museum, but don't worry about it.
Night.
Yes.
Yes.
Alan Partridge.
Ha-ha.
~ Ha-ha.
~ Smell my cheese.
I'd like to call now Mr Christopher Jeffries.
I swear by almighty God the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Another theme you touch on in paragraph 22 of your statement, portraying you as a sexually-perverted voyeur Yes.
I mean, it was it was certainly suggested that there may well have been some sort of sexual motivation before the murder of Joanna Yeates and, um, at the time, obviously, I was suspected of that murder.
~ Go on.
~ On the other hand, it was, um, ~ the, um, ~ They're naked, all of them.
.
.
um, suggested in some of the articles that I was gay, so that presented a bit of a problem as far as that particular line Until the Press Complaints Commission or any other regulatory body has the powers to fine newspapers or to order them to make financial compensation to their victims, 'I asked him about the morning of December 30th last year, when police knocked on his door and arrested him.
' 'First, your clothes are taken away, er, then your possessions are taken away.
All these extraordinary falsehoods are woven around' this now almost, um, personality, this identity, um, I don't think it would be too strong a word to say that it was a kind of rape that had taken place.
I believe the recommendations must be implemented in full if we are ever to have a press that works in the public interest and make some of the abuses suffered by With this whirlwind all around you, what does that do to you as a person? What happened to me happened.
What happened to the McCanns happened.
What happened to Robert Murat happened.
Now it is no longer acceptable for newspaper owners to control the press complaints, um, system, and as things stand it seems There's a talk show in Northern Ireland that have invited you.
They'll pay for your travel and a hotel.
'There's also a request for a meeting with Nick Clegg in London about the implementation of the Leveson Report.
' Oh, and the Glasgow Literary Festival have been in touch.
They want to book you early for April 2013.
You'll make sure I get my travel expenses up-front this time? Yes.
And you won't put me into another one of those Travel Lodges.
There's nothing wrong with Travel Lodges.
Yes, well, of course, you've never had to stay in one, have you? I heard you'd started going there.
Word gets around.
Is it as good as ours, then? The Bread? Oh.
No, no, um, nothing like.
~ It's cheaper, though.
~ Not enough to make a difference, but it has one principal advantage.
~ What's that, then? ~ It's more anonymous.
I owe you an apology.
~ Whatever for? ~ You know what for.
For the things I allowed myself to think, for stupidity, total ~ It's fine.
~ It isn't fine.
I judged you as everyone else did.
I should have known better.
I feel totally ashamed of myself.
Anyway, I am here on behalf of all of us, all of Bristol.
I'm so sorry.
I'd be delighted if you'd come back to our shop every day, like you used to.
There'll be a free loaf for you at 8.
45 every morning.
~ Hm.
~ For a month.
I'd like that very much.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Yes.
Can I help you? Greg.
The herb garden Jo had in mind.
Rosemary, sage, thyme.
It's lovely.
I wanted to write to you, but I I didn't have an address.
What would you have said? Thank you.
~ What for? ~ The kind words you said in public when I was arrested, about not jumping to conclusions, and you did it at THE most difficult time for you and didn't need to.
Can't just stand by and do nothing when stuff like that's going on.
I've enough to regret as it is.
Going away that weekend What if I hadn't come to you for jump leads? I wouldn't have gone to Sheffield, I'd have stayed here with Jo ~ and none of it would have happened.
~ Hi, Chris.
~ Hey.
Oh, er, good morning.
~ New tenants? ~ Yes.
~ Our flat? ~ Yeah.
Do they know? ~ Did you tell them what happened? ~ Yes.
They still rented it? Yeah.
How long was it on the market? Um, less than 24 hours.
Right.
Come whenever you like, Greg.
You're welcome any time.
You look well, Christopher.
I'm still the same person I always was.
No, you're not.
No, you're right.
~ I'm not.
~ I'm glad one of us came out of it well.
I say that with no bitterness.
Look after the plants for her.
I will.