The Guildford Four | Head Held High | 3

0:00Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of British scandal, ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. This episode contains strong language and police violence. Listen to discretion is advised. Alice, do you remember that petition I started a couple years ago? Oh God, no, no. You must remember, because I'd said I wanted names to alternate on who came first on the credits, because it's always yours. And you said if I got 10,000 signatures from the public, you'd agree to the change. Oh, yeah, that. Yeah, I mean, oh well, unlucky. Well, I made a mind-signed at the other day online, you said it's got over 50,000 signatures. I doubt that very much. What can we have a look? Sure. Yeah, look, it's well over 50,000 now. Yeah, I just don't know if we should be making rash changes to the show now. We don't want to throw people off. You sort of have got 10,000, we could do it. Now it's up 50. This feels like you were never intending to agree to the deal regardless. Well, well, well, I think you've blown this all out of proportion.

1:01Of course I'm a woman of my word. It's at 50,000. That's great. I think we just need a fresh start. New deal, 100,000, your name can come first every four night. OK, that's good. So off you go, go get 120,000, and then once you've sent it to me, we'll sort it out. I'll talk to the producers. It feels like you're shifting the goal post a bit, but yeah, I think I can do that. And if 200,000 people are saying it, then it's very hard for me to push back. And I think that that's fair and right. OK, yes, I think we've got to deal. I mean, it is going to be difficult to get a million people to sign this, but if you believe in it, I believe in it. 1993 Walter Simmons' House, sorry. Ext detective Chief Superintendent Wally Simmons checks himself in the hallway mirror of his mock-chuda semi-detached house. Runs his hand through his thinning hair, then tugs down his blazer, and heads up to the car.

2:04He opens the boot of his rover, puts in his golf bag of brand new ions. He's playing against some of his old colleagues from Surrey Police today, and he's been looking forward to it for weeks. He's just about to drive off when he sees his wife running from the house. Her eyes are wide with panic. Wally, Wally, he fills his heart lurch with dread as he rushes towards her. What's happened? Do you all right? She shakes her head. I've just seen them on TV, they're being picked up. Who? John Vernon, Tommy, it's on the news. He stares at her, his mouth slack. He's due to meet all three men at the golf course in half an hour. Whenever police play golf, or whenever people have done bad things in the past, go for a round of golf, they must know that half way through that game, you're going to be interrupted with some bad news. You're never making it to the clubhouse, are you? You're never making it to the fourth hole.

3:05You're never making it to the clown's head that you have to knock the ball through. Do they have that in golf or is that just pitch-and-pup? I think that's the masters. Wally follows her into the house, then stops dead in front of the TV. His blood chills as he stares at the screen. The three former sorry police officers were arrested earlier today over allegations relating to investigations into the 1974 Gilford pub bombings. He watches in horror as they're led from their homes in handcuffs. The officers involved are accused of conspiring to revert the course of justice in the case of the Gilford Four. Wally feels his legs give. He slumps into the armchair. He was in charge of the Gilford investigation. Lawyers for the three men have denied the allegations. Wally remembers the interrogation room, the confessions. His men carried out the beatings, but he'd overseen them.

4:07He'd signed off on the arrests. This is something I always wonder is given the way that the police treated IRA suspects at the time. How were you not permanently harrowed and haunted by the things you'd seen, agreed to, done, watched other people do? I don't know how you'd ever leave the house for a game of golf. Yeah, even when we're reading about it, the brutality is so stark. The way Jerry was coerced into a confession, beatings, psychological torture, cigarettes being put out on him, I mean, it's just so horrific. So the idea that you would sign your name on the bit of paper to sanction all of that is just unthinkable. Wally reaches for the telephone. His pulse smacking in his ears as his voice box out. Get me a lawyer. I think I might be in trouble.

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6:15I'm Alice Meving, and I'm Matt Ford. And this is British scandal and audible original. OK, Matt, how are you feeling about Jerry's situation after we left him at the end of the last episode? Obviously, in general, it's still at times pretty hopeless, but it does feel like we've reached a bit of a turning point for him because his lawyer, Gareth Pierce, found the forensic scientist Higgs. They met in a pub and Higgs told her that the Woolwich Bomb and the Guildford Bomb were clearly made by the same bomber. And the Woolwich Bomb had gone off after the Guildford Bomb, so there's no way it's Jerry that could have made it. Not only that, Higgs is now willing to admit that he was lent on to bury the truth. And as well as all that, an actual IRA bomber, Joe Connell told the police that he'd made the bomb, and on top of that, he'd said in court that the Guildford IV couldn't have done it.

7:16Yes, that all sounds very positive, and in a different show, perhaps that would be all the information needed to exonerate Jerry, but this is British scandal. All I will say, though, is Gareth Pierce, what an operator, what a machine, and thank God she is on the case, and she might have even got the home secretary on side too. But as we know from experience, when it comes to taking on the British establishment, you need to go to the top, and I'm talking about even further to the top than the home secretary. Yes, the Prime Minister, who at this time is Margaret Thatcher, and not someone famed for either changing her mind or apologising. Or being a fan of the IRA who tried to blow her up in her hotel bed four years prior. So will the establishment close ranks again, or could the evidence win? This is episode three, head held high. Five years earlier, December 1988, roads, Greece. Margaret Thatcher positions herself in the middle of a group of European leaders, smooths down her blue pattern dress,

8:19wipes a bead of sweat from her upper lip, then smiles at the cameras. She glances towards the glittering turquoise scene next to them, takes in the sweeping panoramas of Ialee-Sos Bay. But she hasn't come here to admire the Greek coastline. She's here to defend British interests against growing European encroachment, and relations with other leaders are tense to say the least. A few months ago, she told them in no uncertain terms, she wouldn't tolerate a federal European superstate. She watches now as the French president, Francois Mitterrand, turns his back on her, huddles with the other leaders. She frowns as she hears a familiar voice behind her. Margaret could either word. Her jaw clenches as she turns to see the Irish Prime Minister, Charles Hawkey marching towards her. She takes in his thin lips, his hooded eyes. He's already cornered her four times in the past three months at international summits.

9:21She's sick of it. I've just spoken to a journalist about the Guildford Fourcase. Is it true, herds commissioned an inquiry into police failings? Margaret purses her lips. She's outright refused the home secretary's request for a second appeal. And she's still irked. He commissioned an independent police report. What's the police report is commissioned? So Douglas Hurd has asked the AVE on in Somerset Police to scrutinize how the sorry police have dealt with this issue in the form of an independent police report, which is definitely progress when you think about how the IRA were being treated at the time and how the police were being protected. And considering that she has refused these appeals, she's not best pleased that he's found another way to investigate the whole thing. She lowers her voice. Charles, this is not the time. But he cuts in. I've had a letter from Jerry Conlon.

10:22The man's almost suicidal. I've had his lawyer pierce onto me. Yesterday, I was even forced to endure addressing down from a nun. The press are constantly holding my feet to the fire on this Margaret. He takes out a handkerchief, mobs at his forehead. Impresoning innocent people will not end the troubles. She grips her handbag tightly. She's fed up of being lectured on this. At the last summit, the Russian president, Mikhail Gorbachev, had the goal to talk about the Gildford 4 as a terrible miscarriage of justice. She'd snapped back that he had no right to lecture her on human rights. But Margaret has faced wave after wave of criticism. Even that wretched band, The Pogs, have released a protest song about it. Er, some bangers as well. You won't want them in your case. You've got the nuns in your case. You've got the Pogs on your case. You know this is over. It would be like Harry Styles writing a song, a protest song addressed to Andy Burnham.

11:23I've never heard you sound older. Who is the modern version of the phoenix? Harry Styles. Margaret Hisses at Jorge. I don't get involved in the court's trials. I've already made that perfectly clear. His eyes bulge. What if your bloody court's are wrong? She feels her anger rising. May I remind you, it's less than four years since the aisle ray tried to assassinate me and my cabinet in Brighton. Jorge puts up his hands. 100 pounds of jell-ignite, Charles. It is a miracle I survived, but I did. Your country has the biggest concentration of terrorists in the world. She glares at him. I will not allow the British judiciary to be maligned. The courts have decided those four people are IRA terrorists. They are guilty. And they will serve their full sentence.

12:23That's establishment thinking in real life, isn't it? That's well. The system has decided that they're guilty. So you find Lancet, rather than any assessment that the system might be flawed. Yes, just the idea that this would actually look really bad. The reputation of the legal system would take a real battering if we acknowledge that there's been a miscarriage of justice. So we probably won't do that. No, and in the 80s, I mean, thatcherism and the Tory party at the time was so macho. It wasn't just that they genuinely believed in the rule of law and all the rest of it. They'd love to be seen to be tough. And there was the whole portillo thing about the SAS and who dares wins. They're really hot on it. They loved being seen as hard people. So they get a thrill out of stuff like this. Hawkeye locks eyes with her, his face reddening. He jabs a stubby finger. This is not over. She watches him storm off. Margaret pats her hair and decides. She won't be bullied by Hawkeye. And she doesn't negotiate with terrorists. Those four won't be released on her watch.

13:26They'll serve their full time. And when she gets back to London, she'll tell the home secretary the same. A few days later, Downing Street, Douglas heard marches through the busy office, climbs the steps to a time. He's been called to see the prime minister about the gilford case. She's finally read the report from AVE on and Somerset Police. The report he'd commissioned as home secretary after finding out about Dr Higgs and the pressure put on him to change his evidence. And the findings are damning. He hopes Margaret will finally see sense and come round to the idea of an appeal. He follows the aid into her office. He clears his throat. Her was grease, Prime Minister. He watches for a few moments as she silently cuts into some rose stems then arranges them in a vase.

14:27I will not tolerate shop-bought flowers, not when there's a whole rose garden outside. The Tory party at the time was obsessed with cutting things, whether it was public services. Come on. People's wages are indeed the rosebush in their garden, Mr Speaker. Yeah. And she took those shares and she used them on our NHS, Mr Speaker. Yeah. She snips another stem, heard shifts. Quite. She places the final flower in the vase, takes a step back and frowns at it. Herd takes a step forward. You've read the report from AVE and Somerset Police. She turns her back to him, moves the vase to the windowsill. He opens his copy. I hope you agree, given the level of discrepancies they found. He watches her back freeze. He swallows hard, stutters on.

15:27AVE and Somerset reported finding 32 different sets of handwriting on the confessions and arrest records. Altered witness statements, I don't see how he can avoid opening this up. But she spins around, plants her hands firmly on the desk. No, Douglas, no. He blinks. Whatever the police did, they must have a good reason. He stutters out. With respect, Prime Minister, that doesn't appear to be true. And with Doctor Higgs's evidence. Douglas, the IRA just killed eight British soldiers in County Tyrone. 28 wounded. He puts up his hands to agree, but she spits out. The IRA have never been more active or more dangerous. We cannot be soft on terrorism, Douglas. He swallows. I don't believe they are terrorists. Prime Minister. But she raises her voice. Have you forgotten they tried to kill me?

16:28He looks into her blazing eyes, then down at the floor. Runs his hand through his white hair. You may go. He stares down at the burgundy patterned carpet. He's already compromised with her once by calling for a police review rather than an appeal. But now he's seen the report and the evidence is too serious to ignore. He knows Margaret doesn't want to see the case reopened. But he's also aware, she believes, in the basic tenets of British justice, that the wrongly accused deserve their shot. And as home secretary, the final decision on what happens is his. He takes a deep breath. Turns to leave and makes his decision. He knows exactly what he's going to do. And he'll face the fallout when it comes. Two days later, Gareth Pierce's house, North London.

17:28Gareth snatches up her bag from the kitchen table. Grabbs her keys. She's on her way to meet a reporter. She wants the findings of the AVEN and Somerset Police report to be made public. She's about to switch off the TV when she stops. Shinfane leader, Jerry Adams, is being interviewed on the news. A few weeks ago, Douglas heard banned live broadcasts from Adams and other Shinfane leaders. So now all their words are dubbed by actors. She watches as Adams' words fall out of sync. Shakes her head in disbelief. It's absurd. Yes, so this was an initiative that was brought in by heard himself. And it is totally absurd, is ridiculous to think about. But this went on for years. It was the original lip sync battle. Interesting fact, often the voice of Jerry Adams was played by the actor Steven Ray. What a mad regular gig to have. I mean, it'd be cool, it's out of it, a bit of acting, a bit of West End. I played Jerry Adams on the news, probably seen some of my work.

18:30Oddly with him as well, he was married to a woman called Dolores. It was an IRA bomber who went on hunger strike. So he's done an act who's very close to the world of the people that he's dubbing over. She turns off the TV, ignores the phone. Let's go to Anzuma Shie. And this is Pierce. I'm teleferning on behalf of the Hemsleiquetry. She snatches up the receiver. Yes. And Mr. Herd would like to see you immediately. She stands for a moment, tries to catch her breath. Then grabs her coat and rushes out. 40 minutes later, she walks through the grey concrete entrance of the home office headquarters. Feels a knot form in the pit of her stomach. As an official leads her along a corridor to Herd's office. She goes over the arguments in her head. The four were convicted on the basis of their confessions only. All four retracted them as soon as they got lawyers. A police review isn't enough.

19:30They need an appeal. She steps inside and stops. Herd's face is grey, covered with a sickly sheen. He looks like he hasn't slept. Which is a great way to lead the country. And it explains a lot of the decisions they took at the time. Herd is standing behind his desk. His hands gripping the back of his chair. The Prime Minister has now read the findings on the police report. Yarroth waits. She feels that granting an appeal would severely damage the reputation not only of the state, but of individuals in the judiciary. She feels her heart sink. An appeal is the only way the four will ever be released. Mr. Herd, in the interests of justice, he talks over her. Not to mention the integrity of the police. The police have acted reprehensibly. But again, he cuts in.

20:31I've reached my conclusion. She watches him look at the floor and mutter out. I'm referring the sentences back to the court of appeal. She stares. For a moment, she's not sure if she heard right. You're allowing it. He glances up at her. I'll be making a statement in the house shortly. It's a big enough decision anyway. But now to know on the floor of the house the commons makes these moments so dramatic. Also, officials fob people off all the time like, yes, I'm going to do this, yes, I'm going to do that. I mean, we've seen it time and time again in scandal with people in power promising big change. But this is the real deal. She takes in a breath. Tries to let it sink in. Two years she's been fighting for this moment. Two years of prison visits, unanswered letters, ignored phone calls, trawling through forensic evidence.

21:31And now finally, the door is open. She reaches across and shakes his hand. She can't wait to get to those police files. She's going to go through every last detail in every last document. Build up a foolproof case. Show the world once and for all that the gilford four are the victims of the biggest miscarriage of justice this country has ever seen. September 1989, Genshubiich Portugal. 46 year old barrister Roy Amelett shifts his weight in the footstrap on the windsurf board. Check the sideshower winds then turns his sail to head along the coast. He squints out at the bright blue green expanse. Let's his neck muscles relax. He's on the last day of his holiday.

22:32No courtrooms, no terrorist cases. And he wants to make the most of it. He tilts the sail forward, watches the distant waves rising and disappearing. He's been working long hours recently. In the past few years, he's had to prosecute several high-profile terrorist cases, including the Brighton Hotel bombing, when the IRA tried to assassinate Margaret Thatcher and members of her party. This week, though, all he wants to do is windsurf, listen to music and totally switch off. Roy sounds like a big deal in the law world. It sounds like he's to him as some of the biggest legal cases in the country. Oh, yeah. They pull out the big guns when they call Roy. He's a very well-regarded legal advocate. He's a Treasury Council prosecutor, which are the team that deal with the most serious cases in the land. And he's been involved, like you say, in lots of high-profile cases. The ones mentioned, but also notably, he prosecuted Clive Ponding, the whistle-blower in the Belgrano scandal. So he's somebody who gets the call when it's seriously important.

23:36An hour later, he makes his way up the beach to the hotel bar. Ordos of Vino Verde and picks up an English newspaper. His eyes drift to this television above the bar, where a BBC World News reporter stands dour-faced on a dreary grey beach. Roy reclines in his chair, takes a sip of his chilled wine. But as the camera on screen starts to pan out, he realizes he recognizes that coastline. It's deal, Kent. He's windsurfed there. He leans forward as the image cuts to an overhead view. He freezes as a collapsed blackened building comes into focus. Turn that up! The bartender adjusts the volume. The worth terrorist attack on mainland Britain. He watches in horror as men desperately remove bricks and rubble from the site. Eleven musicians have been killed at the Royal Marine School of Music in Deal. Twenty-one more injured.

24:37He sees photos of the young soldiers appear on the screen, some just teenagers. The IRA bomb detonated at 8.22 am on... Roy slams his fist on the bar. He's spent his entire career upholding and defending the law. Whilst these animals kill innocent men and women in the name of freedom, the only thing that can bring real freedom is the law. Mr. Amlott, you have a call. He jolts up, takes in the concierge in her neat blue uniform, follows her to the desk. It's terribly sorry to cut in on your holiday, Roy. Roy recognizes the voice of director of public prosecutions, Alan Green. We've just got noticed of a rather sensitive case. The home secretary has approved an appeal for the Gilford IV. Roy goes still. The IRA operatives? We need you to leave the prosecution.

25:37Roy rubs his head. When? Immediately. Roy looks back at the television screen, ambulances race along the promenade. Roy, you there? Roy's been around long enough to know that the police and the courts rarely get it wrong. He's not going to let four convicted terrorists walk, not on his watch. He's going to go through every statement, every last piece of evidence. Leave no stone unturned. And if these convictions are solid, he'll defend them. Get out of the car!

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27:51A few days later, November 1989, Old Bailey, London. Roy Amlet thuds the heavy bundle of files on his thick oak desk. Grab some scissors and cuts the string holding the files marked Gilford Four. He swipes away the morning papers, tries to ignore the headlines. Archbishop of Westminster demands justice for Gilford Four. Sorry police under the microscope. He's been taken aback by the level of interest, but he's not going to be swayed by headlines. He's going to drill down through the evidence. He's determined to focus on the facts and the facts alone. Then smash the Gilford Four's defense to pieces. He starts going through the police custody records, arrest times, interview notes, legal advice given. Then he stops. Some of the times have been crossed out and others written underneath. He squints at the page. He snatches up the interview notes,

28:54fills his brow furrow at the jumble of different sets of handwriting. He starts to count. Nine. Ten. Eleven different sets of handwriting on a single interview sheet. He stares at it. Eleven. There's no way there were eleven people in that room, so that in itself touched our brace and they were in terms of altering things after interviews had taken place. Yes, how untouchable must you think you are to not even try and conceal the doctrine of these documents? You wouldn't even try and after the fact write it all out from scratch. You like, it doesn't matter. Who's going to catch it? And it would look chaotic. I mean, eleven different sets of handwriting. It would look like graffiti. Be a mess. And I think that's the real crime. Have some pride in your work. He reaches for another file. It's Jerry Conlon's confession. For a few moments, he can't quite grasp what he's looking at. The statement is covered in crossings out. Other parts added in different ink. Whole sentences are removed.

29:57Something else catches his eye. He holds the document close. The pages stained with dark droplets. His chest tightens. It looks like dried blood. He rummages through the files, hunts for the arrest photos. His eyes widen. Jerry Conlon has cuts on his face. Paul Hill dark bruising. The others have more injuries. He squints down at a note attached to Conlon's file. Jerry had asked for medical treatment. But his eyes fall on a note attached to another file. Not to be shown to the prosecution. Roy grabs it and pulls it free. It's a statement written by a man called Charles Burke. It details how he was known as Paul the Green Grosa and lived in Hope, Hostel in Kilburn. And how on the night of the Gilford bombing, the 5th of October 1974, he spent the entire evening with Jerry Conlon. Roy lets the paper fall

31:02from his hands. Oh my god. All this time Jerry Conlon had an alibi. He feels sick to his stomach. In all his years at the bar, he's never seen anything like this. His hands are shaking. And he can't calm his ragged breath. In a few weeks time, he'll be expected to stand before a judge and defend the crown. But he already knows. He can't do that now. Roy can't understand how this ever got to trial in the first place. And he certainly can't understand why the first appeal was rejected. But one thing is for certain, the police need to be held accountable for this outrageous miscarriage of justice. He sits for a long time, staring at the documents spread across his desk. The doctorate reports, the amended confessions, the alibi that was never meant to be found. He's spent his whole career believing in the system, believing in the police.

32:05And now he has to decide whether that belief is worth more than what's lying in front of him. 19th of October, 1989, London. Gareth tips back her head, curses at the ceiling, then bangs her hand on the fax machine. Since her'd allowed the appeal, she's been making almost daily visits to Bristol, where sorry police's records are kept on the case. But she's had to sift through the 29,000 documents. And she hasn't had enough time to get through it all. Right now she needs to make sure her QC, Michael Mansfield, has enough to prove the four's innocence before the hearing. But the fax machine keeps jamming. And her desk phone won't stop ringing. She marches over, snatches up the receiver. Here's Michael's voice on the other end of the line. Gareth, she cuts in. I'm trying Michael, but this bloody machine...

33:05We've been called into court. She gasps. Court, today, I meant to be visiting Jerry. Police fan on his way. Meet me there. She stares at the receiver, then snatches up her briefcase. Half an hour later, Gareth pushes her way through the crowd of journalists outside the old Bailey. Why have you been called in, Mrs. Pearce? Is the appeal still going ahead, Gareth? Getting yelled at is such a big part of our democracy in this country. It's journalists outside courtrooms, it's ministers on Downing Street. You're going to resign, Minister? Is it time to go Prime Minister? Mum is the last time you cried Prime Minister. She makes her way to the Oak Panelled courtroom in the old Bailey. Slips into a scene next to Chris Mullin, and glances up at the public gallery. It's packed with journalists, families and supporters of the fall. Then she sees Jerry's mother and his sisters take their seats. Gareth whispers to Michael Mansfield.

34:10What's happening? She watches him shift his huge frame, raises eyebrows. She looks up at the dock, catches Jerry's eye, he's with Paul Paddy and Carol, and they're all holding a single carnation. She takes Jerry's pale blue shirt, his ruffled hair. After 15 years in prison, he finally looks like a man with hope. She just prays this hearing won't crush it. Her eyes snapped to the front of the courtroom as the prosecuting barrister Roy Amlet-QC gets to his feet. She braces herself. She knows how formidable Amlet is. But then she notices his hands are trembling. She watches him walk into the center of the room. He pauses for a moment and then announces, I do not seek to uphold the convictions of the four defendants. Gareth's mouth falls open. She takes in the growing muttering around her as Amlet

35:12swallows hard. It is my farm belief that during the trial in 1974 of the four accused, officers from Surrey Police deliberately misled the court. Gareth reels back. The evidence against the four defendants depended entirely on their confessions. There was no other evidence. He turns to the judge. Your honor, I believe the officers concocted that evidence. Altered police records, fabricated interviews. Court room erupts. Michael turns to look at Gareth. He looks as bewildered as she does. She stares at Amlet as he holds a manila file above his head. The material in this police file has not only thrown doubt on the guilt of the four defendants. It has thrown doubt upon the honesty and integrity of the investigating officers in Surrey Police.

36:16Gareth's heart pounds in her ears as Amlet lays out what he's found. She watches him pause for breath. The courtroom hushes to pin drop silence when he speaks his voice catches. The shibboleths that have governed my entire working life. That police should be trusted and that the confessions they secure were invariably genuine. Those beliefs I realize now were bogus. Well this is it. This goes way beyond this case. He believes that the system works, that people are good people and they operate well and that's why we get good outcomes. This is shaking his confidence not just in the police officers who conducted those interviews and can cocted their evidence but in the entire British justice system. And his role within it. You must go back over the years of practicing and the cases that you've done and said, okay, I obviously would have done my due diligence. I obviously would have done my job

37:19in an honest and true fashion but do I hold a bias? Have I overlooked instances of potential corruption or malpractice because I believed so strongly in these institutions? And you've asserted it so confidently. You'd feel like the system had made a complete fall out of you. Gareth blinks around at the uproar in the court. She's aware of noise, of people on their feet, of someone grabbing her arm but she can't quite locate herself in the room. She's been saying this for years, filing it, arguing it, losing sleep over it, and now a cue see for the crown is standing in the old Bailey and saying it out loud. Mixed in with the eruptions around the courtroom. She hears the words, unsafed and unsatisfactory. She turns to look at the judge, his mouth moving. Convictions are quashed.

38:22She stands completely still as the room breaks apart around her. She doesn't remember crossing the floor but suddenly she's there hugging Jerry and he's shaking and she realises she is too. She pulls back looking at him properly for the first time. Takes in the lines on his face, his graying hair. The 21-year-old she's seen in photos has gone. She grits her teeth. There was no apology for taking the last 15 years of this man's life. Just quashed. Catching the eye of Rory Amlet as he's walking out of the court, he nods at her. And Gareth realises this fight isn't over. The guilt that form might be free, but so are the people that put them in prison. And that she realises is something she can't live with.

39:25A few seconds later, the old Bailey, Jerry grabs the oak bench in front of him, his throat tightens as he blinks at the chaos. He looks at Gareth in shock, than his mother and sisters in the public gallery. They're all crying. He swears slightly. He's dreamt about this moment, but now it seems unreal. He turns to the other three, but he doesn't know what to say. Then he notices Paul's wearing the same clothes he was arrested in back in 1974. His flares and three-inch platforms. Fuck me, Paul. Did you annoy enough, bring your clothes? You look like Elton John. There is something incredibly poignant and sad about that. The clothes that you wore 15 years ago, so much time has passed, so much has changed in the culture and in society, and you are in this time warp. On the plus side that have just come back into fashion? So true.

40:27As is the cyclical nature of trends. There was no such thing as fast fashion back then, so these clothes are built to last. They were marks and spences. They're probably still wearing them now. He watches Paul start to laugh, and then cry. Jerry puts his arm around him. He can hardly believe it's over. He was only 21 when he was last in this courtroom. So young and naive. Carol was only 17. Now they all look worn, cynical and exhausted. He feels his heart grip with anger at the decades they've all lost. A prison officer puts his hand on Jerry's shoulder. We'll get you at the back door, away from the press. They've all changed the tunes. Now the guards, something. They've been nice to them. Jerry starts to automatically follow him, but then he stops. His father's voice suddenly rings in his ears. When the time comes, you walk out. Head held high. Jerry thums the crucifix around his neck,

41:31tips his chin at the guard. No, no, no, the front door. The officer looks at him confused. Jerry eyeballs in. I'm not going back to the cells. I'm a free man. Take me to the front door. Now the officer hesitates. Then shrugs. This way. Jerry follows him along a narrow corridor. His body starts to flood with panic that is being led into a trap and that he's going to take another beating for this. Jerry. He spins. Seizes sisters, bridey and Anne, with his mother running towards him. He rushes into their arms, fills himself collapse as his body dissolves into heaving sobs. For the first time in 15 years, he can hold his family and he doesn't want to let go. He takes a deep breath as his sisters hook their arms under his and squints against the sunlight as the front door opens.

42:33A roar of cheering and clapping hits him. We shouldn't be fooled by this jubilation. The wider troubles are on over. This is just Jerry's supporters being delighted that a miscarriage of justice has finally been recognised and overturned. Suddenly at this point, there's still a bit of a way to go to end in the troubles. It's only two weeks prior to this that the bomb goes off and deal. So the atmosphere is still februaryl and these are all supporters of Jerry and co. This is very much a kind of isolated crowd. He zigzags up and down the street waving at the crowd, shaking hands. How does it feel to be free, Jerry? He stops in front of a reporter. Seize a bank of cameras and microphones pointed at him. Here's the crowd quieting. He doesn't know what to say. It's too big a question. Then he feels a sudden rush of adrenaline as he speaks. I've been in prison for 15 years for something I didn't do.

43:35Something I didn't know anything about. I'm a totally innocent man. I watch my father die in a British prison for something he didn't do. He feels as jaw-hardened. He is innocent. The McWire's are innocent. The Birmingham sex are innocent. Let's hope they are the next to be freed. He raises his fist as the crowd cheers. Someone behind him shouts out. Sack the judges! Grins follows his sisters to a waiting car as the journalist yell at him. He thinks it should be held responsible, Jerry. Are you upset you didn't get full here in today? Are you concerned it might be a cover-up? He jumps into the waiting car next to his mum. Let's the reporter's questions wash over him. Jerry looks out of the car window. He's lost so many precious years. He knows he can't go back to

44:38his 21-year-old self. But he can go home. Back to Belfast. He's going to get a steady job. Maybe even a family of his own. And finally, start to live his life. A few days later, Belfast. Jerry lies in his bed, flicks ash from his cigarette and the ash tray on his chest. Takes in the waft of bacon, frying downstairs. He listens to the comforting sound of his mother moving around the kitchen. He really wants to go and see her. But for some reason, he can't move. He looks at his bedroom door, feels his heart thud as he realises. He can't get used to opening his own door. He takes a deep breath, plants his feet on the soft carpet. He walks over and opens it slowly. waits for a screw to smack him across the head, drag him into solitary. But there's just silence.

45:44All he can hear is his own heartbeat. This must be one of the hardest things to get used to. There is a particular regime in prison. And obviously, become institutionalized, even in just workplaces, get used to certain habits. All of a sudden, just being at home, when you're up to come out and stand in front of your cell and you're restricted in that way, can't imagine how hard it is to adjust to real life. You're constantly looking over your shoulder, such a violent place, particularly for somebody like Jerry, that it must just take years and years and years for your central nervous system, just sort of reset and think maybe potentially I'm safe for a bit. Maybe you need a transition period where you just say to your mum, look, could you just threaten to beat me up once a week? Because it's too hard an adjustment to go from beatings every day to no beatings. If you could just behave with an air of menace, maybe withhold part of my lunch, and then I can sort of increase the dose of freedom as the days go by. So bleak.

46:44A few minutes later, he pads into the kitchen, still shaking. Morning, love, you hungry. He looks at his mother, takes in her grey hair, then sits at the table as she dishes up, bacon and eggs. He's imagined this moment so many times, but this place doesn't feel like home anymore, especially without his dad here. He can't get used to the changes, people's clothes, the cars in the street, the new technology. It all feels alien. 15 years ago, he knew who he was, where he fitted in. Now he hasn't got a clue. And we must continue our battle for security in Northern Ireland. He jumps up. Here's himself, Mutta. I'm not listening to that woman. He kills the TV, but as soon as he does, the telephone starts ringing. He slumps in a chair. He wishes he'd just be left alone.

47:45He knows it'll be some journalist wanting a quote to help sell their paper. He watches his mum answer, then slam the phone down. Why can't they just leave you alone? This time, he picks it up. Jerry, I'm calling from the Guardian. I want to know if you have any comment on the police who set you up. Jerry sets his jaw. I'm not speaking to nobody. Do you think they should be arrested? He puts the phone down, heads back to his breakfast, but he's shaking. His mind is on the officers who dragged him into police cells back in 74. Punched him, put out cigarettes on his neck, threatened his family, put a gun to his head and pretended to execute him. He wipes his face, he's sweating, trembling. His chest burns with tightness, but all he can feel is rage. He pushes away the plate.

48:46All he wants to do is curl into a ball and disappear. But as he looks up, he spots an old familiar photo of his dad hanging on the wall. A photo he hasn't seen in 15 years. He pads over and gently takes it down. His dad's young, perhaps his age now, and he has a big grin on his face. He blinks back tears as he realises. He can't just start again. Not without putting things right, for him, for his dad, for all the Irish wrongly imprisoned by the British. He needs to hold the police to account for everything they've done to him and to other innocent people like him. So he's going to fight, and he isn't going to stop until every single one of them is finally brought to justice.

49:50On January 24, 2023 in Ducksbury, Massachusetts, Patrick Clancy called 911. He had found his wife Lindsay badly injured and his three children dead and dying. What followed would become one of the most searing and complicated cases in recent memory. Raising hard questions about motherhood, mental illness, and how far our justice system will go to understand what really happened. I'm Candace Duelong, host of the podcast, Killer Psychie. In our latest episode, we take you inside the case of Lindsay Clancy, the post-partum psychosis defense, the courtroom battle, and the trial that just ended in a stunning mistrial. Follow Killer Psychie wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Killer Psychie one week early and add free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple podcasts.

51:07Next, then it's over. The universe seems bigger. You feel different. You feel like you have no idea where you are. Audible. Stories that speak to you. 12 years later, 2001, Belfast. Jerry sits in the back of the taxi, checks his watch. He's on his way to Glasgow Airport and he can't miss his flight. He looks out of the window as the taxi weaves through the busy traffic. Belfast has changed beyond recognition, and so has he. It's 12 years now since he walked out of the old Bailey of Free Man. 10 since Paddy Hill and the other members of the Birmingham Six were released. Since then, he spent much of that time campaigning to free other innocent prisoners around the world. Today, he's flying to speak at the opening of Paddy's new charity, the miscarriages of justice

52:11organisation. But first, he needs to visit someone. He checks his watch again, then scans the high street searching for the shop. Leans forward and tells the driver, pull in here. I'll be two minutes. He jumps out of the car, marches into the forest. The sweet scent hits him. He gazes around, takes in the different flowers and plants, the vivid colours. He's spent so much of his life not being able to make day-to-day choices, where he went, what he ate, when he slept. That now, when he needs to, it's almost overwhelming. He blinks at the woman behind the counter, then chooses a bunch of sweet smelling lilies. 20 minutes later, Jerry walks through Miltown Cemetery, and stops when he sees it. He kneels in front of the black marble headstone, lets his fingers trace the name,

53:13Giuseppe Conlon. He carefully fixes the lilies in the earn. For a moment, he says nothing. Then starts telling his dad how he's just got back from Australia, how he was giving talks on aboriginal deaths in custody. He lets himself snort out an ironic laugh. You thank the Irish have it bad. He lets his eyes wander over the grey hills, then looks back at his father's grave, tells him proudly. They made a film about me, dad. They had Daniel Day Lois play in me. That is cool. I mean, of all the people you'd want to play, you'd Daniel Day Lois to be right up there. Famously the best actor, the number one actor. Because it's often a chap who's how a hood you have to play in the story of your life. You can say it's happened, mate. Daniel Day Lois, beat that. Because having a film made about your life, full stop is fairly cool, fairly impressive. But with the wrong casting, you'd be devastated, wouldn't you?

54:16Can you imagine? Joe Pasquale played me. In his only film role. And they really went in a different direction with it. Jerry laughs, but he's not good looking enough. He takes an agental breeze, then looks back at the grave. You watch me, dad. I've just gotten started with all this. He takes a deep breath. I only ever wanted to make you proud of me. I hope I'm getting there. He listens to the birdsong. He feels a sudden sense of calm as he resolves. He's never going to get those years. He's spent in prison back. But he's going to make sure other people don't lose theirs. He's going to keep going. Fight to free innocent people everywhere, no matter where in the world they are. Whatever it takes. And he's never, ever going to stop.

55:29Jerry Conlon struggled with addiction and PTSD following his release. He spent most of the rest of his life campaigning to free innocent people from jails around the world. His autobiography became the basis for the film in the name of the father. It was released in 1993 and brought him global fame. In 2005, Prime Minister Tony Blair issued a formal apology to the Guildford Four and the McGuire Seven. Jerry died nine years later in Belfast in June 2014 aged 60. Paul Hill went on to marry Courtney Kennedy, niece of assassinated president John F. Kennedy. He now lives in Washington, DC. Paddy Armstrong lives in Dublin with his wife and children. Harold Richardson shunned all publicity on her release. She died in 2012, aged 55. The Guildford case had a profound effect on Roy Amlett QC, who shifted from being a prominent Treasury Council prosecutor to defense work after the appeal hearing.

56:32Detective Chief Superintendent Walter Simmons was never charged with any wrongdoing. The three sorry detectives Vernon Atwell, John Donaldson and Thomas Style were charged with conspiracy to bverth the course of justice. They went to trial at the old Bailey in May 1993. All three were acquitted. Gareth Pierce went on to represent the Birmingham Six in 1991 and became a high profile human rights activist, also representing Julian Assange, Moa Zambeque and inmate of Guantanamo Bay, and the family of John Charles de Mineszes. She remained close to Jerry Conlon and upon his death in 2014, the family chose to release the statement through her. You've been listening to British scandal an audible original, produced by Audible with Samus.audio. A quick note about our dialogue. In most cases we can't know exactly what was said,

57:34but all our dramatizations are based on historical research. If you'd like to know more about this story you can read in the name of the father by Jerry Conlon, life after life by Paddy Armstrong, and in the name of the son, the Jerry Conlon story by Richard O'Rall. British scandal is hosted by me, Alice Levine, and me, Matt Ford. Written by Karen Laws, the story editor was James Maniac, the senior producer was Chica Heirs, the assistant producer was Louise Mason, the production manager was Louis Batherwick, recorded by Jai Williams, sound designed by Rich Evans, the executive producers for Samus Dat were Joe Sykes and Daschalis at Cena, executive producers for Audible were Theodore Lulus and Estelle Doyle. Hey, I'm Cassie De Peckle, the host of Against the Odds from Audible Originals. In each episode we share thrilling true stories of survival, putting you in the shoes of the

58:36people who lived to tell the tale. In our latest series it's 1910 and a blizzard has stranded two trains carrying more than 100 people on an isolated stretch high up in the Cascade Mountains of Washington. The relentless snowfall has made it impossible to clear the tracks, but it snowpiles up the threat of a massive avalanche grows. The passengers and crew will have to rely on their wits and luck if they hope to escape alive. Follow Against the Odds wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of Against the Odds early in ad free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple podcasts. The moment a body is found the clock starts ticking, 48 hours. That's how long detectives have before the trail begins to go cold. From A&E and Crime House this is the official podcast from the famous true crime series The First 48. Step inside the critical window, the interrogations, the dead ends and the breakthroughs that crack a case wide open. On Carter Roy, each week I

59:42revisit a landmark homicide investigation with a depth you know and immersive long form storytelling built for your ears. Real detectives, real cases, real stakes. This is The First 48. New episodes every Thursday. Listen to and follow The First 48 on Apple podcasts. Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to podcasts.