Des (2020): Season 1, Episode 2 - Episode #1.2 - full transcript
Mr Nilsen has confessed
to killing 15 men,
mostly homeless and vulnerable,
over a period of five years.
We're now in the process
of confirming that number.
We're also aware that there are
up to seven attempted murders.
So we ask anybody
who may have visited
195 Melrose Avenue
from December 1978 to 1981
or 23 Cranley Gardens
from 1981 to February this year
to please call
Hornsey Police Station
on the number behind me.
If you know of anybody
that's gone missing...
..sons, brothers, fathers...
..uncles, nephews, cousins,
friends... please contact us.
Because we need your help.
OK, questions, please. Yes, Tim.
How many of the victims
have you identified so far?
Other than Stephen Sinclair,
we won't be naming
any more of the victims
until official charges
have been brought against Mr Nilsen.
Charlotte.
How likely is it
that you'll identify
all 15 of his victims?
Well, we're still in the process
of assessing and analysing
the evidence from Melrose Avenue...
PHONE RINGS
Yes, yes, I understand.
We're absolutely certain,
he killed only male.
His father recognised the knives
on the television.
Gave them to him as a gift
for starting chef's school.
But according to him,
his son never turned up
on the first day of class
and he hasn't seen him
since May, 1980,
which would match Nilsen's dates
for his third victim.
Next step?
Well, Nilsen's requested a visit,
so I'll take the photo with me
and get him to confirm.
Requested a visit?
Yeah.
I'm hoping he's remembered
some more names.
How are you coping?
Oh, good.
We're trying to get through
the 8,000 missing persons reports.
No, I'm good, thanks.
We need more manpower,
but you know that.
I'm still trying.
What's going on
with John the guardsman?
Healey's checking
all the guardsmen called John.
He's been on that for a few weeks.
There's 256 of them.
Gonna take some time,
but he'll find him.
Speaking of which, erm...
We think we might have another lead.
Lodge found three dental plates
in the dig at Melrose.
One of them is only made in Germany.
So he thinks if he can
go over there... To Germany?
..he can narrow it down and probably
come up with another name.
Guv, look, I know it's a long shot,
but...
..if we get another name,
it's gotta be worth it, right?
There's talk from the Yard.
As far as they're concerned,
they already have him
on three counts of murder.
We told the press last week
we think it's 15.
Why do you think we're still active?
I'm just warning you.
We need to start closing the leads
we already have,
not opening new ones,
especially in different countries.
They're nervous about
how much this is costing already.
Oh, so this is about money?
Everything is always about money,
Peter. We've just gotta be smart.
Thank you.
It's no wonder that half
of Category A's on hunger strike.
I might well join them,
just to break the monotony.
No.
Oh, and let me tell you...
..it's perfectly feasible
to be on normal rations in here
and still effectively
remain on hunger strike.
I don't even know why I'm Category A
in the first place.
I'm hardly gonna escape,
commit suicide. Des...
Help I'm giving the police
should be rewarded,
not punished.
Let me see what we can do.
You said that before.
Martyn Duffey. Is he one of them?
Yeah, of course. Martyn.
He was number three.
The one I told you about
that I met at Euston Station.
Have you any more?
Hopefully soon.
You said that you had
some more information for me.
Or was that just so you could talk
about your living situation?
No, I'd never do that.
Any news about Bleep?
Just, I've heard nothing
about her since I got in here.
I'll call the dogs' home.
See what I can find out.
I actually have another name
for you.
Uh... Yeah, one of the young men
at Melrose Avenue.
I just woke up,
his name was just there.
Kenneth Ockenden.
Ockenden?
Hmm.
You're a 100% sure?
Kenneth Ockenden?
Yeah. The Canadian lad, was all over
the news when he went missing.
Did you hold his name back from us?
No, why would you say that?
I want these people identified
and laid to rest
just as much as you do, Mr Jay.
I'm simply trying to tell the truth.
But he can't have.
Why not?
Because Ockenden was investigated
for three years.
Right, they found nothing.
What are you thinking?
Well, we're gonna request the files
and treat it
as a murder investigation.
What's the problem?
I know some of the guys, Peter.
Ockenden was a difficult case
for them.
And the press weren't exactly kind
when they couldn't find him.
All right, Steve, request the files.
Can I tell Martyn Duffey's dad?
I made him certain promises
when he first came forward.
Yeah, course.
Sorry, boss,
you might both want to hear this.
Someone's just called
saying he's Nilsen's biographer.
Eh?
Yeah. He asked if we could tell him
anything about the investigation
or the arrest.
No, look, that's just a rag
trying to get a quote.
If they call back,
tell 'em to piss off. Gladly.
Steve?
Let me know when you get the files.
Kenneth Ockenden. Canadian tourist.
Left his hotel in Kings Cross
December 3rd.
He was meant to meet his uncle
on the 5th
to collect some money
for a plane home for Christmas.
He was never seen again.
What, and Nilsen's
only just remembered this?
Nilsen says he met him
in a West End pub.
They talked about his camera,
they spent the day sightseeing.
That night, he strangled him
with a headphone cord
as Ockenden listened to music
in Melrose Avenue.
He disposed of his body
in the garden, as per,
so we are currently looking
for any signs of him in the dig.
Now, look, we all hope
that we find something at Melrose,
but until we do,
these files are our...
..they're our best shot.
Now, look. I know you all think
you might know about this case
because of the media coverage,
but we can't half-arse this.
Nilsen is in there. Somewhere.
Have you finished?
I tell you explicitly
not to open any more leads
and you open
Kenneth bloody Ockenden!
Ockenden's mother had links
to the Canadian parliament.
His disappearance became political!
So you can imagine
the Yard's reaction
to you making it a murder enquiry
with a serial killer as a suspect.
Nilsen says he killed him, Guv.
Of course he did!
He'd say anything
to stay in the papers.
Ockenden doesn't fit
the victim profile, Peter.
He wasn't homeless or an addict.
He wasn't even gay.
He had a girlfriend back in Canada.
That doesn't mean anything.
Then why did he go home with him?
What evidence have you found?
You want us to tell his family
that a boy the police couldn't find
for three years
was actually killed
by a former copper,
and you don't have
any physical evidence?!
When's he ever lied to us before?
I've been trying to help you.
Get you the money and support
you need to close this case.
But you went behind my back
and made us look like
a bunch of amateurs!
You better be right about this.
TV REPORTER: 'The gruesome search
continues at 195 Melrose Avenue
'for what police now believe
are dismembered remains
'that have been buried in the garden
for three years or more.
'All day, detectives
and forensic science experts
'have been taking the bones
for examination in a laboratory.
'We found a small piece of the jaw
'and some teeth attached to it,
in the rear garden.
'And this morning, they found a
significant amount of human bones.'
Of what we've brought in,
a big percentage of them
turned out to be animal bones.
But of those
that are definitely human,
we estimate we have between
eight and 20 different victims.
Are any of them from Ockenden?
No. But a lot of them we couldn't
analyse due to fire damage.
Did we manage to identify
anyone from them? I'm afraid not.
There must be
some more tests we can do.
Look... I know it's not the news
we hoped for.
But it was always
gonna be a long shot,
considering
the amount of time passed
and the astute method of disposal.
I'd say we were fortunate
to get Martyn Duffey.
But you said
there could be as many as 20?
Well, as I say, it's an estimate,
but it's certainly a possibility.
I'll give you gentlemen a minute.
Thank you.
We need to re-test the headphones
found at Cranley Gardens.
Peter, all Ockenden is doing
is sending us up
a bunch of blind alleys.
We may need to move on from him.
You heard what he said.
Possibly 20 victims.
Which means Nilsen may have been
lying to us from the very start.
I'll call it in.
I made something for you.
It's all jumbled
and in no special order,
but I figured, you're the artist.
Only you know what's important
and how to select it, so...
What made you draw these?
Nostalgia, I suppose.
I thought you told the police that
you didn't remember your victims?
No, their names, no.
But that doesn't mean
I don't remember our time together.
I took him up
on maybe four occasions
in the following two weeks.
What did you do
when you "brought him up"?
Well, his naked body fascinated me.
I'd roll him onto his stomach,
roll him onto his back.
Touching him. Stroking him.
I was thrilled
that I had full control...
ownership
over this beautiful body.
So control was the, um...
motivation?
Well, nothing's
ever about one thing, Brian.
Sometimes I'd put them
in the other armchair next to mine
while I'd watch
an evening's television.
I'd look over and imagine
what we'd be talking about,
if he could speak.
Then at other times,
you know, I couldn't
actually believe this was happening,
that this was my life. But, uh...
..death gives no refunds.
We spend so much time
talking about me,
but I feel I hardly know
anything about you.
I don't even know if you're married.
No, no. But I do have
my emotional attachments.
OK. Maybe a more simpler question.
Do you remember when you first
became aware of death?
I grew up in a fishing village,
Brian, so...
Death surrounds you
when the sea's involved.
That and the poverty.
I saw my grandfather's corpse
when I was six year old.
How did he die?
At sea. He was a fisherman.
And they brought his coffin
back to the house,
it was normal back then.
And my mother, erm...
..woke me up and said,
"Do you want to see your grandad?"
I went into the living room
and he was there, in a box.
How did they explain that?
Well, they didn't.
You didn't know that he was dead?
No, they just said he was sleeping.
After he left, the mystery of death,
it always fascinated me.
Sometimes I'd put talc on my face,
paint my lips blue and poke my eyes
till they were bloodshot
and just look in the mirror.
To make yourself seem dead?
Aye.
And was this by yourself or...
..with somebody else there?
Both.
What would you do then?
I would just sit and stare.
Imagining the abyss
as I touched him.
And myself in my own dead image.
So this is about sex.
No! You keep looking
for these simple answers,
but you debase it
to make it purely about that.
I'm not trying to simplify anything,
but you did have sex
with these young men
after they had died.
No, I did not.
Did I enjoy them? Yes.
Did I... gain some satisfaction
from looking at their naked bodies
next to mine in the mirror?
But I didn't penetrate them.
Look, look,
the wicked thing that I did
was to squeeze the life
out of a human being.
That was wrong,
that was unforgivable,
I will be
properly punished for it.
But what I did to a corpse
is neither here nor there.
Brian, if you are more disgusted
by what I did to a corpse
than what I did to a living man,
then your moral system
is upside-down
and needs overhauling.
You're right.
I didn't intend to judge you.
Let's go back to your childhood.
Did you have many...
Any friends at school?
I'm glad we're doing this, Brian.
Me too.
It's nice to be listened to.
Makes me feel human again.
All these,
treating me like a criminal.
Do you not consider yourself
to be a criminal?
How I consider myself is obsolete.
I deserve the right to be treated
as innocent until proven guilty.
Not have to wear the clothes
of a convicted felon
whilst I wait for my day in court.
Surely you can see that?
We're sorry
about the result of the dig.
We all share your disappointment.
Thank you. It was a blow,
but we have other points of enquiry
we're now investigating.
There's been a development.
Turns out that Nilsen's been getting
regular visits from a biographer.
Apparently his letter
got through the prison censors
and they'd been meeting
for a number of weeks.
Our fear here
is that it's only a matter of time
before the victims' identities,
and especially one
as well known as Ockenden,
become public knowledge.
Therefore, we feel
we need to inform his family.
We're still looking for confirmation
on Ockenden, sir.
The only reason we've been patient
up until now
was the hope that the dig
would give us something
to tie Ockenden to Melrose.
But it's been a month.
I'm aware of that.
But if we had more men
and the word processor
I've requested again and again...
Peter. There is nothing
I would like more
than to find Ken and to bring anyone
who harmed him to justice.
But if we don't have any evidence
by now... We'll find the evidence.
I admire your confidence.
But this investigation
is beginning to harm
the reputation
of the Metropolitan Police.
We've only just repaired the damage
done by the riots.
How are we damaging its reputation?
Because people are starting to ask
why this is all taking so long.
Do you know
how an investigation works? Peter.
Wait for me outside.
What the hell was that?
Top brass care more
about their reputation
than finding these men.
Oh, grow up.
You're not the only one
who cares about this case.
Let me give you some advice, Peter.
Toe the fucking line!
Yeah, that's fine. No, I don't
mind holding while you find out.
What's going on?
Healey thinks he's got John.
Don't bloody jinx it, Steve.
All the guardsmen
were accounted for,
so we were screwed, basically.
Back to square one.
I went to see the West End branch,
asked them if they knew any Johns
from High Wycombe
that frequented Soho.
After giving me a load of grief
about the Ockenden case,
they threw me a name.
John Howlett.
A ne'er-do-well, in and out
of different homes as a kid,
well-known on the streets of Soho.
Sound familiar?
Yeah.
Now we're just checking
the blood type
from the remains in Cranley. OK.
I think we deserve a bit of luck,
don't you?
Yes.
Yep.
OK. Thanks.
We got a match.
Great work, Chris!
Why do you think Nilsen
said he was a guardsman?
I've got no idea.
First round's on me!
You coming?
I'll be there in a bit.
I've just gotta
finish up here first.
Thought you were all down the pub.
You, uh... looking for anything
in particular? Kenneth Ockenden.
Not gonna find him there
in the Cranley Gardens log.
Did we fingerprint the camera?
We did.
What about the books we found?
Yep, all the covers.
But not the pages?
How do you touch pages
and not the covers?
There's just a few books
that might give us something.
The photography book,
the London guide, things like that.
The A to Z.
Guv, is this a good use of time?
I'll see what I can do.
Can he harm us?
I don't see how.
What do you think they talk about?
I don't even wanna know.
Guv. Woman at the front desk,
thinks her ex-partner
might be a possible victim.
Cheers, Chris.
Yeah, he's on his way down. Great.
He went missing about a year ago.
Last time I saw him,
he came round to the house.
We'd been separated a few months,
said he wanted
to spend more time with Shane.
But I knew he was just there
for the money,
so he could go down to Soho
and score.
We had an argument that day
and he left.
And I haven't seen him since.
A week after that, he had a court
date, which he missed.
And he always attended court,
no matter what.
So I went down to the job centre,
they told me
he hadn't signed on.
So then I rang his solicitor,
and they told me to wait a while
and that he'd show up.
But I knew.
And then I saw you on the news,
and even though I know
Graham wasn't bent,
just something
kept turning in my gut.
Not all of his victims were gay.
Some just needed a bed or some food.
Do you have a photo?
Yeah.
This.
So, he had a criminal record?
Of course. He almost wore it
as a badge of honour,
you know, him against the system.
I just need to know what happened.
I know he's been
a bit of a shit, but...
he's Shane's dad.
DCI Peter Jay to see Dennis Nilsen.
I need you to identify some photos.
How's Bleep?
Well, you made it pretty busy for me
the last time I was here, Des.
Haven't had a chance
to find out about your dog.
Graham Allen and John Howlett,
AKA John the Guardsman.
Although he wasn't a guardsman,
was he?
He was just another young man,
finding his way
on the streets of Soho.
I am sick of helping people
who take advantage
of my good nature.
I am deserving of some more balance.
What, like with your biographer?
Did you kill these men?
How many people did you kill
in Melrose Avenue?
Did you kill Kenneth Ockenden?
If I hadn't wanted you to,
you wouldn't have found me.
So why would I lie to you now?
Look at the photos.
I've been convicted
of no crimes as of yet,
therefore I am innocent
until proven guilty.
Where is this coming from?
In Category A, like some
kind of dangerous criminal...
Look at the photos and tell me
if you killed these men...
What am I gonna do?
Escape? Intimidate a witness?
Des!
I'm your only witness!
This man has a seven-year-old son.
Do the right thing,
and look at the fucking photos.
Did you kill this man?
No comment.
Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay.
Brian Masters.
Drink?
No, thank you.
You found it all right, then?
Oh, yes, no trouble at all. Good.
So, how long have you been writing?
About 15 years. You? I mean,
how long have you been a policeman?
Nearly 23 years.
How many books have you written
about people like Nilsen?
Well, this is my first.
Then let me give you some advice.
Walk away.
Well, with all due respect, Mr Jay,
I didn't approach this naively.
Well, why approach it at all?
I mean, you think you can understand
these things he did?
I'm not sure that understanding
is useful here.
The term is emotional
and more often than not,
it leads us to answers
that are indicative
of our own prejudices.
It's not about understanding,
it's about comprehending.
Isn't that the same thing?
Humans kill. It's in our nature.
Out of fits of rage or jealousy,
or self-defence.
But to kill so many men
without any real reason...
I think it's important that we try
to comprehend why this happened,
and how this person came to pass.
I need you to tell us
everything that Nilsen's told you
about the identities of his victims.
Well, I don't have any more
information than you already have.
Well, you've been talking
for months.
We talk about other things.
Such as?
His childhood. His time in the army.
Was he killing in the army?
No.
How often have you been
visiting him? Once or twice a week.
When's the last time you saw him?
Four days ago.
And, he wrote to you?
No, I wrote to him.
I'm not really sure why we're here.
Nilsen is no longer helping us
with our investigation.
Since when?
What, he didn't tell you?
Has he even mentioned
Kenneth Ockenden?
Did he kill Kenneth Ockenden?
I didn't say that.
If he mentions any names, you have
a duty to report them to us.
Oh, it's not as simple as that.
Perverting the course of justice
is very simple.
If you are suggesting
that I had anything to do
with his retracting his cooperation,
then you are gravely mistaken,
Mr Jay.
And if you wish to take
this conversation any further,
then maybe
I should telephone my solicitor.
If you wanted
to write a book about Nilsen,
you should have come to us first.
We'd have given you the real story.
But you're all so fucking fascinated
by him, aren't you?
Afternoon.
Good afternoon.
Ever since I've come
to this hell on earth,
I have been disrespected,
abused, humiliated.
I have done nothing
but help an investigation,
for which I have not yet
been convicted.
Nobody cares about my years
of public service,
my work with the unions,
that goes unnoticed.
Why didn't you mention
Kenneth Ockenden?
You've spoken to Mr Jay, I see.
Yes. He contacted me.
Yeah.
I didn't mention Ken
cos he's the one I regret.
The day we spent together
was so happy.
The happiest I'd been all year.
Unlike the others,
his death was a kind of cruel
and horrid parody
of what could've been.
Well, do you not feel any guilt
or remorse?
Why? They live with me in my cell,
Brian.
All of them.
How can I feel remorse when I have
taken those pains into myself?
That's obscene.
Look, I'd give anything
for any one of them
to walk in here right now
and shoot me dead.
But the sad fact is they had to die
to get attention for their plights.
Because the public pious aftercare
comes too late.
And when this is all over,
the Des Nilsens,
and the Stephen Sinclairs
and the Martyn Duffeys of this world
will still stagger along,
unnoticed and alone,
because society is more interested
in death than it is in life.
These people that you mention...
they weren't Kenneth Ockenden.
You say so yourself. So what was it
that made you kill Kenneth Ockenden?
He was...
They were all my type.
Simple as that?
I once strangled
and drowned a young man.
And then,
when he was lying on the bed,
I noticed Bleep licking his face.
He was still alive.
So I resuscitated him.
And he was very confused
when he came to,
he didn't know what had happened.
And he was there for days,
me taking care of him.
And then, when he was well enough
to leave,
I took him up to Highgate Station
and we arranged to meet again,
the week after.
Well, the week after came and went,
and he never came back.
Perhaps he should've stayed
in my flat.
The thought of them leaving
triggered the impulse?
Everybody leaves.
Friends, colleagues, boyfriends,
they all disappear eventually.
My grandfather,
my great hero and protector,
was the only person
that I ever loved.
Seeing my grandfather in that box...
..all my troubles started there.
See, it blighted
my personality permanently.
That's why I did all these things.
That and the booze and the music.
It whipped me up into
a sort of frenzied fantasy,
that brought the devil
and the darkness.
But without that, I'm harmless.
No, Des, no.
It is not your place
to make objective reasons
why you did these things.
Especially with this spurious logic.
Whose place is it then? Is it yours?
No, this book cannot be a subjective
look at your life and your actions.
We both of us,
we must remain objective.
And if there are any lessons
to be learned,
it is up to the reader to decide,
not us.
All these ruminations and hypotheses
might be helpful to you,
but... it can't be
the end of the road.
That's not what I'm here for.
Brian, would you do me a kindness?
I need to find out about my dog.
Could you do that for me?
Yes, I'll see what I can do.
Peter. Gotta come and see this.
Brian?
Guv.
We've got a partial print
off the A-Z which ain't Nilsen's.
Looks like Ockenden's.
You sure?
Hell of a hunch, Guv.
Ah. Thank you.
Peter, this is Commander Lockwood.
You know Russell.
Good to meet you, sir.
Peter, I'd like to congratulate you.
Although we were all understandably
sceptical at first,
Ockenden is a huge weight
off this force.
Thank you, sir.
It wasn't the easiest one for us,
but it shows
we're getting through it.
Well, obviously these things
can't last forever.
And upstairs feel
that confirming Ockenden
is a natural place
to wrap things up.
Therefore, a decision has been made.
We're going to charge him
with six murders
and bring the investigation
to a close.
Sir... if I may,
I think this is a mistake.
We have leads which I'm sure
will bring us more names.
A woman called Lesley Mead
has come forward.
We suspect her ex-partner
might be a victim... Detective.
We have spent a fortune
on your team's overtime alone.
Six murders. He never gets out.
Charging him with six is a joke...
Peter.
But Guv...
The decision has been made.
Please, sir, if I may.
There are at least nine families
who will never get closure
if we stop now.
We just need more time and
we'll find all 15, I'm sure of it.
But we're not even sure
he killed 15, are we?
And now that he's stopped talking
to us, perhaps we'll never know.
No. It's time for you and your team
to move on, Peter.
I'm sure your families
will be very happy to see you.
Can I, erm...
can I have everybody's attention?
Scotland Yard have just given
the order to shut us down
and to charge him
with the six we've got.
I can't tell you how proud I am
of this team.
And of the work that we've done
together over the past four months.
The six we found...
Well, that's the kind of police work
you can't just do
from behind a desk.
You're a credit to yourselves...
and each other.
Thank you.
Nilsen, a 37-year-old civil servant,
was arrested and charged
after human remains were discovered
at two properties in North London.
He has now been committed to trial
for six charges of murder
and two attempted murders.
The former police officer is due
to appear in court later this week,
where he is expected to plead guilty
on all charges.
DOOR BELL
Peter.
Steve!
Can I get you anything?
No, I'm fine. Thank you.
I'll leave you to it.
Thanks, love.
How have you been?
Yeah, not bad.
What have you got?
It's about the Nilsen case.
Of the remains
found in Cranley Gardens,
one of the jaw bones had scars
on both sides of the jaw
due to a fracture.
Take a seat, mate.
Graham Allen had his jaw broke
in a fight. It's in his record.
That doesn't necessarily
mean it's Allen.
So, Bowen goes to Allen's
odontologist.
Finds a denture that he had made,
but never picked up.
It fit the jaw.
Graham Allen is the third victim
of Cranley Gardens.
When he came round
to the house that day...
..the last thing
that I said to him was...
.."I hope that you never come back."
He'd have known
you didn't mean that.
Would he...? Sorry.
SHE SOBS
Would he have... felt any pain?
I don't think so.
OK.
Lesley, erm...
You know
we've already charged Nilsen.
That indictment's already been
written up and processed.
What are you saying?
We can't add Graham's name
to the list of Nilsen's victims.
But you just said
that he killed him. He did.
But the court
has a time limit to add names,
and that passed a few days ago.
SOBS
SHE STAMMERS
So Graham doesn't get any justice?
I'm afraid not.
SNIFFS
DOOR SLAMS
The Guv called me
when I was on leave.
He said that our squad
was being seriously considered
for a commendation.
I think he thought
it would make me feel better.
But all it did
was make me more angry.
You got, uh, two kids, right? Sorry,
Steve, I mean, I should know that.
Four. Two boys, two girls.
Linda wants another.
Well, I mean, our first,
another for me.
You not so much?
Well, I'd like to.
But I've already fucked it up
four times.
This job does that.
How are the boys?
I haven't seen them for a while.
I'm sorry to hear that, Peter.
We should have stopped him, Steve.
We caught him first chance we could.
But we should have known.
Sometimes it's just not possible.
I mean, he had a normal life,
a normal job.
You going to the committal hearing?
Yeah. You?
Aye. I can't wait for it
all to be over.
D'you know that he was the one
that wrote the letters
about the blocked drains?
Told his landlord he wouldn't
pay rent until they were cleaned.
I mean, this whole thing,
it's always been to Nilsen's script.
Brian?
Hello?
A dogs' home called for you.
They said further to your enquiry,
Nilsen's dog has been put down.
He asked me to find out
about his dog, that's all.
I need to get him to trust me.
Otherwise all this is for nothing.
So, what, now you're doing
errands for him? Oh, come on.
Someone who knows our world,
our community, needs to write this.
Otherwise they'll get it wrong.
I mean, they'll fuck it up.
They already are.
Please... please try and understand.
Just make sure it's not him
who's writing it.
REPORTERS CALL OUT
Inspector! Having spent
so much time with Nilsen,
can you tell us
what is he really like?
Unremarkable.
What makes you say that?
REPORTERS CALL OUT
This is a surprise, Brian.
Hello, there, Des.
How are you doing?
Ah, I can't complain.
If I did, who'd listen?
Des, erm...
..Bleep was put down
by the dogs' home.
She became ill
not soon after you'd been arrested
and they thought
that it would be kinder that way.
She forgave me everything
and never let me down.
But in the moment
of her greatest crisis,
I wasnae there for her.
How's the book progressing?
It's coming along very well,
thank you.
I'm currently writing
about your experiences in Aden.
Another place the British Army
should have never been.
When they came to get me,
I thought you were my solicitor.
Sorry? Solicitor? I thought you'd
dispensed with your legal aid?
Change is the only constant in life.
Who said that?
Heraclitus.
Yeah.
No, well, this solicitor,
this one has a tax-deductible heart,
but needs must, y'know?
Right, well...
I'll see you up there.
I do wanna thank you, Brian.
For what?
Your company.
All rise.
Dennis Andrew Nilsen,
on count one of this indictment,
you are charged with the murder
of Stephen Sinclair.
How say you,
are you guilty or not guilty?
Not guilty.
COURTROOM MURMURS
On count two, you are charged
with the murder of Kenneth Ockenden.
How say you, guilty or not guilty?
Not guilty.
On count three, you are charged
with the murder of John Howlett.
How say you, guilty or not guilty?
Not guilty.
to killing 15 men,
mostly homeless and vulnerable,
over a period of five years.
We're now in the process
of confirming that number.
We're also aware that there are
up to seven attempted murders.
So we ask anybody
who may have visited
195 Melrose Avenue
from December 1978 to 1981
or 23 Cranley Gardens
from 1981 to February this year
to please call
Hornsey Police Station
on the number behind me.
If you know of anybody
that's gone missing...
..sons, brothers, fathers...
..uncles, nephews, cousins,
friends... please contact us.
Because we need your help.
OK, questions, please. Yes, Tim.
How many of the victims
have you identified so far?
Other than Stephen Sinclair,
we won't be naming
any more of the victims
until official charges
have been brought against Mr Nilsen.
Charlotte.
How likely is it
that you'll identify
all 15 of his victims?
Well, we're still in the process
of assessing and analysing
the evidence from Melrose Avenue...
PHONE RINGS
Yes, yes, I understand.
We're absolutely certain,
he killed only male.
His father recognised the knives
on the television.
Gave them to him as a gift
for starting chef's school.
But according to him,
his son never turned up
on the first day of class
and he hasn't seen him
since May, 1980,
which would match Nilsen's dates
for his third victim.
Next step?
Well, Nilsen's requested a visit,
so I'll take the photo with me
and get him to confirm.
Requested a visit?
Yeah.
I'm hoping he's remembered
some more names.
How are you coping?
Oh, good.
We're trying to get through
the 8,000 missing persons reports.
No, I'm good, thanks.
We need more manpower,
but you know that.
I'm still trying.
What's going on
with John the guardsman?
Healey's checking
all the guardsmen called John.
He's been on that for a few weeks.
There's 256 of them.
Gonna take some time,
but he'll find him.
Speaking of which, erm...
We think we might have another lead.
Lodge found three dental plates
in the dig at Melrose.
One of them is only made in Germany.
So he thinks if he can
go over there... To Germany?
..he can narrow it down and probably
come up with another name.
Guv, look, I know it's a long shot,
but...
..if we get another name,
it's gotta be worth it, right?
There's talk from the Yard.
As far as they're concerned,
they already have him
on three counts of murder.
We told the press last week
we think it's 15.
Why do you think we're still active?
I'm just warning you.
We need to start closing the leads
we already have,
not opening new ones,
especially in different countries.
They're nervous about
how much this is costing already.
Oh, so this is about money?
Everything is always about money,
Peter. We've just gotta be smart.
Thank you.
It's no wonder that half
of Category A's on hunger strike.
I might well join them,
just to break the monotony.
No.
Oh, and let me tell you...
..it's perfectly feasible
to be on normal rations in here
and still effectively
remain on hunger strike.
I don't even know why I'm Category A
in the first place.
I'm hardly gonna escape,
commit suicide. Des...
Help I'm giving the police
should be rewarded,
not punished.
Let me see what we can do.
You said that before.
Martyn Duffey. Is he one of them?
Yeah, of course. Martyn.
He was number three.
The one I told you about
that I met at Euston Station.
Have you any more?
Hopefully soon.
You said that you had
some more information for me.
Or was that just so you could talk
about your living situation?
No, I'd never do that.
Any news about Bleep?
Just, I've heard nothing
about her since I got in here.
I'll call the dogs' home.
See what I can find out.
I actually have another name
for you.
Uh... Yeah, one of the young men
at Melrose Avenue.
I just woke up,
his name was just there.
Kenneth Ockenden.
Ockenden?
Hmm.
You're a 100% sure?
Kenneth Ockenden?
Yeah. The Canadian lad, was all over
the news when he went missing.
Did you hold his name back from us?
No, why would you say that?
I want these people identified
and laid to rest
just as much as you do, Mr Jay.
I'm simply trying to tell the truth.
But he can't have.
Why not?
Because Ockenden was investigated
for three years.
Right, they found nothing.
What are you thinking?
Well, we're gonna request the files
and treat it
as a murder investigation.
What's the problem?
I know some of the guys, Peter.
Ockenden was a difficult case
for them.
And the press weren't exactly kind
when they couldn't find him.
All right, Steve, request the files.
Can I tell Martyn Duffey's dad?
I made him certain promises
when he first came forward.
Yeah, course.
Sorry, boss,
you might both want to hear this.
Someone's just called
saying he's Nilsen's biographer.
Eh?
Yeah. He asked if we could tell him
anything about the investigation
or the arrest.
No, look, that's just a rag
trying to get a quote.
If they call back,
tell 'em to piss off. Gladly.
Steve?
Let me know when you get the files.
Kenneth Ockenden. Canadian tourist.
Left his hotel in Kings Cross
December 3rd.
He was meant to meet his uncle
on the 5th
to collect some money
for a plane home for Christmas.
He was never seen again.
What, and Nilsen's
only just remembered this?
Nilsen says he met him
in a West End pub.
They talked about his camera,
they spent the day sightseeing.
That night, he strangled him
with a headphone cord
as Ockenden listened to music
in Melrose Avenue.
He disposed of his body
in the garden, as per,
so we are currently looking
for any signs of him in the dig.
Now, look, we all hope
that we find something at Melrose,
but until we do,
these files are our...
..they're our best shot.
Now, look. I know you all think
you might know about this case
because of the media coverage,
but we can't half-arse this.
Nilsen is in there. Somewhere.
Have you finished?
I tell you explicitly
not to open any more leads
and you open
Kenneth bloody Ockenden!
Ockenden's mother had links
to the Canadian parliament.
His disappearance became political!
So you can imagine
the Yard's reaction
to you making it a murder enquiry
with a serial killer as a suspect.
Nilsen says he killed him, Guv.
Of course he did!
He'd say anything
to stay in the papers.
Ockenden doesn't fit
the victim profile, Peter.
He wasn't homeless or an addict.
He wasn't even gay.
He had a girlfriend back in Canada.
That doesn't mean anything.
Then why did he go home with him?
What evidence have you found?
You want us to tell his family
that a boy the police couldn't find
for three years
was actually killed
by a former copper,
and you don't have
any physical evidence?!
When's he ever lied to us before?
I've been trying to help you.
Get you the money and support
you need to close this case.
But you went behind my back
and made us look like
a bunch of amateurs!
You better be right about this.
TV REPORTER: 'The gruesome search
continues at 195 Melrose Avenue
'for what police now believe
are dismembered remains
'that have been buried in the garden
for three years or more.
'All day, detectives
and forensic science experts
'have been taking the bones
for examination in a laboratory.
'We found a small piece of the jaw
'and some teeth attached to it,
in the rear garden.
'And this morning, they found a
significant amount of human bones.'
Of what we've brought in,
a big percentage of them
turned out to be animal bones.
But of those
that are definitely human,
we estimate we have between
eight and 20 different victims.
Are any of them from Ockenden?
No. But a lot of them we couldn't
analyse due to fire damage.
Did we manage to identify
anyone from them? I'm afraid not.
There must be
some more tests we can do.
Look... I know it's not the news
we hoped for.
But it was always
gonna be a long shot,
considering
the amount of time passed
and the astute method of disposal.
I'd say we were fortunate
to get Martyn Duffey.
But you said
there could be as many as 20?
Well, as I say, it's an estimate,
but it's certainly a possibility.
I'll give you gentlemen a minute.
Thank you.
We need to re-test the headphones
found at Cranley Gardens.
Peter, all Ockenden is doing
is sending us up
a bunch of blind alleys.
We may need to move on from him.
You heard what he said.
Possibly 20 victims.
Which means Nilsen may have been
lying to us from the very start.
I'll call it in.
I made something for you.
It's all jumbled
and in no special order,
but I figured, you're the artist.
Only you know what's important
and how to select it, so...
What made you draw these?
Nostalgia, I suppose.
I thought you told the police that
you didn't remember your victims?
No, their names, no.
But that doesn't mean
I don't remember our time together.
I took him up
on maybe four occasions
in the following two weeks.
What did you do
when you "brought him up"?
Well, his naked body fascinated me.
I'd roll him onto his stomach,
roll him onto his back.
Touching him. Stroking him.
I was thrilled
that I had full control...
ownership
over this beautiful body.
So control was the, um...
motivation?
Well, nothing's
ever about one thing, Brian.
Sometimes I'd put them
in the other armchair next to mine
while I'd watch
an evening's television.
I'd look over and imagine
what we'd be talking about,
if he could speak.
Then at other times,
you know, I couldn't
actually believe this was happening,
that this was my life. But, uh...
..death gives no refunds.
We spend so much time
talking about me,
but I feel I hardly know
anything about you.
I don't even know if you're married.
No, no. But I do have
my emotional attachments.
OK. Maybe a more simpler question.
Do you remember when you first
became aware of death?
I grew up in a fishing village,
Brian, so...
Death surrounds you
when the sea's involved.
That and the poverty.
I saw my grandfather's corpse
when I was six year old.
How did he die?
At sea. He was a fisherman.
And they brought his coffin
back to the house,
it was normal back then.
And my mother, erm...
..woke me up and said,
"Do you want to see your grandad?"
I went into the living room
and he was there, in a box.
How did they explain that?
Well, they didn't.
You didn't know that he was dead?
No, they just said he was sleeping.
After he left, the mystery of death,
it always fascinated me.
Sometimes I'd put talc on my face,
paint my lips blue and poke my eyes
till they were bloodshot
and just look in the mirror.
To make yourself seem dead?
Aye.
And was this by yourself or...
..with somebody else there?
Both.
What would you do then?
I would just sit and stare.
Imagining the abyss
as I touched him.
And myself in my own dead image.
So this is about sex.
No! You keep looking
for these simple answers,
but you debase it
to make it purely about that.
I'm not trying to simplify anything,
but you did have sex
with these young men
after they had died.
No, I did not.
Did I enjoy them? Yes.
Did I... gain some satisfaction
from looking at their naked bodies
next to mine in the mirror?
But I didn't penetrate them.
Look, look,
the wicked thing that I did
was to squeeze the life
out of a human being.
That was wrong,
that was unforgivable,
I will be
properly punished for it.
But what I did to a corpse
is neither here nor there.
Brian, if you are more disgusted
by what I did to a corpse
than what I did to a living man,
then your moral system
is upside-down
and needs overhauling.
You're right.
I didn't intend to judge you.
Let's go back to your childhood.
Did you have many...
Any friends at school?
I'm glad we're doing this, Brian.
Me too.
It's nice to be listened to.
Makes me feel human again.
All these,
treating me like a criminal.
Do you not consider yourself
to be a criminal?
How I consider myself is obsolete.
I deserve the right to be treated
as innocent until proven guilty.
Not have to wear the clothes
of a convicted felon
whilst I wait for my day in court.
Surely you can see that?
We're sorry
about the result of the dig.
We all share your disappointment.
Thank you. It was a blow,
but we have other points of enquiry
we're now investigating.
There's been a development.
Turns out that Nilsen's been getting
regular visits from a biographer.
Apparently his letter
got through the prison censors
and they'd been meeting
for a number of weeks.
Our fear here
is that it's only a matter of time
before the victims' identities,
and especially one
as well known as Ockenden,
become public knowledge.
Therefore, we feel
we need to inform his family.
We're still looking for confirmation
on Ockenden, sir.
The only reason we've been patient
up until now
was the hope that the dig
would give us something
to tie Ockenden to Melrose.
But it's been a month.
I'm aware of that.
But if we had more men
and the word processor
I've requested again and again...
Peter. There is nothing
I would like more
than to find Ken and to bring anyone
who harmed him to justice.
But if we don't have any evidence
by now... We'll find the evidence.
I admire your confidence.
But this investigation
is beginning to harm
the reputation
of the Metropolitan Police.
We've only just repaired the damage
done by the riots.
How are we damaging its reputation?
Because people are starting to ask
why this is all taking so long.
Do you know
how an investigation works? Peter.
Wait for me outside.
What the hell was that?
Top brass care more
about their reputation
than finding these men.
Oh, grow up.
You're not the only one
who cares about this case.
Let me give you some advice, Peter.
Toe the fucking line!
Yeah, that's fine. No, I don't
mind holding while you find out.
What's going on?
Healey thinks he's got John.
Don't bloody jinx it, Steve.
All the guardsmen
were accounted for,
so we were screwed, basically.
Back to square one.
I went to see the West End branch,
asked them if they knew any Johns
from High Wycombe
that frequented Soho.
After giving me a load of grief
about the Ockenden case,
they threw me a name.
John Howlett.
A ne'er-do-well, in and out
of different homes as a kid,
well-known on the streets of Soho.
Sound familiar?
Yeah.
Now we're just checking
the blood type
from the remains in Cranley. OK.
I think we deserve a bit of luck,
don't you?
Yes.
Yep.
OK. Thanks.
We got a match.
Great work, Chris!
Why do you think Nilsen
said he was a guardsman?
I've got no idea.
First round's on me!
You coming?
I'll be there in a bit.
I've just gotta
finish up here first.
Thought you were all down the pub.
You, uh... looking for anything
in particular? Kenneth Ockenden.
Not gonna find him there
in the Cranley Gardens log.
Did we fingerprint the camera?
We did.
What about the books we found?
Yep, all the covers.
But not the pages?
How do you touch pages
and not the covers?
There's just a few books
that might give us something.
The photography book,
the London guide, things like that.
The A to Z.
Guv, is this a good use of time?
I'll see what I can do.
Can he harm us?
I don't see how.
What do you think they talk about?
I don't even wanna know.
Guv. Woman at the front desk,
thinks her ex-partner
might be a possible victim.
Cheers, Chris.
Yeah, he's on his way down. Great.
He went missing about a year ago.
Last time I saw him,
he came round to the house.
We'd been separated a few months,
said he wanted
to spend more time with Shane.
But I knew he was just there
for the money,
so he could go down to Soho
and score.
We had an argument that day
and he left.
And I haven't seen him since.
A week after that, he had a court
date, which he missed.
And he always attended court,
no matter what.
So I went down to the job centre,
they told me
he hadn't signed on.
So then I rang his solicitor,
and they told me to wait a while
and that he'd show up.
But I knew.
And then I saw you on the news,
and even though I know
Graham wasn't bent,
just something
kept turning in my gut.
Not all of his victims were gay.
Some just needed a bed or some food.
Do you have a photo?
Yeah.
This.
So, he had a criminal record?
Of course. He almost wore it
as a badge of honour,
you know, him against the system.
I just need to know what happened.
I know he's been
a bit of a shit, but...
he's Shane's dad.
DCI Peter Jay to see Dennis Nilsen.
I need you to identify some photos.
How's Bleep?
Well, you made it pretty busy for me
the last time I was here, Des.
Haven't had a chance
to find out about your dog.
Graham Allen and John Howlett,
AKA John the Guardsman.
Although he wasn't a guardsman,
was he?
He was just another young man,
finding his way
on the streets of Soho.
I am sick of helping people
who take advantage
of my good nature.
I am deserving of some more balance.
What, like with your biographer?
Did you kill these men?
How many people did you kill
in Melrose Avenue?
Did you kill Kenneth Ockenden?
If I hadn't wanted you to,
you wouldn't have found me.
So why would I lie to you now?
Look at the photos.
I've been convicted
of no crimes as of yet,
therefore I am innocent
until proven guilty.
Where is this coming from?
In Category A, like some
kind of dangerous criminal...
Look at the photos and tell me
if you killed these men...
What am I gonna do?
Escape? Intimidate a witness?
Des!
I'm your only witness!
This man has a seven-year-old son.
Do the right thing,
and look at the fucking photos.
Did you kill this man?
No comment.
Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay.
Brian Masters.
Drink?
No, thank you.
You found it all right, then?
Oh, yes, no trouble at all. Good.
So, how long have you been writing?
About 15 years. You? I mean,
how long have you been a policeman?
Nearly 23 years.
How many books have you written
about people like Nilsen?
Well, this is my first.
Then let me give you some advice.
Walk away.
Well, with all due respect, Mr Jay,
I didn't approach this naively.
Well, why approach it at all?
I mean, you think you can understand
these things he did?
I'm not sure that understanding
is useful here.
The term is emotional
and more often than not,
it leads us to answers
that are indicative
of our own prejudices.
It's not about understanding,
it's about comprehending.
Isn't that the same thing?
Humans kill. It's in our nature.
Out of fits of rage or jealousy,
or self-defence.
But to kill so many men
without any real reason...
I think it's important that we try
to comprehend why this happened,
and how this person came to pass.
I need you to tell us
everything that Nilsen's told you
about the identities of his victims.
Well, I don't have any more
information than you already have.
Well, you've been talking
for months.
We talk about other things.
Such as?
His childhood. His time in the army.
Was he killing in the army?
No.
How often have you been
visiting him? Once or twice a week.
When's the last time you saw him?
Four days ago.
And, he wrote to you?
No, I wrote to him.
I'm not really sure why we're here.
Nilsen is no longer helping us
with our investigation.
Since when?
What, he didn't tell you?
Has he even mentioned
Kenneth Ockenden?
Did he kill Kenneth Ockenden?
I didn't say that.
If he mentions any names, you have
a duty to report them to us.
Oh, it's not as simple as that.
Perverting the course of justice
is very simple.
If you are suggesting
that I had anything to do
with his retracting his cooperation,
then you are gravely mistaken,
Mr Jay.
And if you wish to take
this conversation any further,
then maybe
I should telephone my solicitor.
If you wanted
to write a book about Nilsen,
you should have come to us first.
We'd have given you the real story.
But you're all so fucking fascinated
by him, aren't you?
Afternoon.
Good afternoon.
Ever since I've come
to this hell on earth,
I have been disrespected,
abused, humiliated.
I have done nothing
but help an investigation,
for which I have not yet
been convicted.
Nobody cares about my years
of public service,
my work with the unions,
that goes unnoticed.
Why didn't you mention
Kenneth Ockenden?
You've spoken to Mr Jay, I see.
Yes. He contacted me.
Yeah.
I didn't mention Ken
cos he's the one I regret.
The day we spent together
was so happy.
The happiest I'd been all year.
Unlike the others,
his death was a kind of cruel
and horrid parody
of what could've been.
Well, do you not feel any guilt
or remorse?
Why? They live with me in my cell,
Brian.
All of them.
How can I feel remorse when I have
taken those pains into myself?
That's obscene.
Look, I'd give anything
for any one of them
to walk in here right now
and shoot me dead.
But the sad fact is they had to die
to get attention for their plights.
Because the public pious aftercare
comes too late.
And when this is all over,
the Des Nilsens,
and the Stephen Sinclairs
and the Martyn Duffeys of this world
will still stagger along,
unnoticed and alone,
because society is more interested
in death than it is in life.
These people that you mention...
they weren't Kenneth Ockenden.
You say so yourself. So what was it
that made you kill Kenneth Ockenden?
He was...
They were all my type.
Simple as that?
I once strangled
and drowned a young man.
And then,
when he was lying on the bed,
I noticed Bleep licking his face.
He was still alive.
So I resuscitated him.
And he was very confused
when he came to,
he didn't know what had happened.
And he was there for days,
me taking care of him.
And then, when he was well enough
to leave,
I took him up to Highgate Station
and we arranged to meet again,
the week after.
Well, the week after came and went,
and he never came back.
Perhaps he should've stayed
in my flat.
The thought of them leaving
triggered the impulse?
Everybody leaves.
Friends, colleagues, boyfriends,
they all disappear eventually.
My grandfather,
my great hero and protector,
was the only person
that I ever loved.
Seeing my grandfather in that box...
..all my troubles started there.
See, it blighted
my personality permanently.
That's why I did all these things.
That and the booze and the music.
It whipped me up into
a sort of frenzied fantasy,
that brought the devil
and the darkness.
But without that, I'm harmless.
No, Des, no.
It is not your place
to make objective reasons
why you did these things.
Especially with this spurious logic.
Whose place is it then? Is it yours?
No, this book cannot be a subjective
look at your life and your actions.
We both of us,
we must remain objective.
And if there are any lessons
to be learned,
it is up to the reader to decide,
not us.
All these ruminations and hypotheses
might be helpful to you,
but... it can't be
the end of the road.
That's not what I'm here for.
Brian, would you do me a kindness?
I need to find out about my dog.
Could you do that for me?
Yes, I'll see what I can do.
Peter. Gotta come and see this.
Brian?
Guv.
We've got a partial print
off the A-Z which ain't Nilsen's.
Looks like Ockenden's.
You sure?
Hell of a hunch, Guv.
Ah. Thank you.
Peter, this is Commander Lockwood.
You know Russell.
Good to meet you, sir.
Peter, I'd like to congratulate you.
Although we were all understandably
sceptical at first,
Ockenden is a huge weight
off this force.
Thank you, sir.
It wasn't the easiest one for us,
but it shows
we're getting through it.
Well, obviously these things
can't last forever.
And upstairs feel
that confirming Ockenden
is a natural place
to wrap things up.
Therefore, a decision has been made.
We're going to charge him
with six murders
and bring the investigation
to a close.
Sir... if I may,
I think this is a mistake.
We have leads which I'm sure
will bring us more names.
A woman called Lesley Mead
has come forward.
We suspect her ex-partner
might be a victim... Detective.
We have spent a fortune
on your team's overtime alone.
Six murders. He never gets out.
Charging him with six is a joke...
Peter.
But Guv...
The decision has been made.
Please, sir, if I may.
There are at least nine families
who will never get closure
if we stop now.
We just need more time and
we'll find all 15, I'm sure of it.
But we're not even sure
he killed 15, are we?
And now that he's stopped talking
to us, perhaps we'll never know.
No. It's time for you and your team
to move on, Peter.
I'm sure your families
will be very happy to see you.
Can I, erm...
can I have everybody's attention?
Scotland Yard have just given
the order to shut us down
and to charge him
with the six we've got.
I can't tell you how proud I am
of this team.
And of the work that we've done
together over the past four months.
The six we found...
Well, that's the kind of police work
you can't just do
from behind a desk.
You're a credit to yourselves...
and each other.
Thank you.
Nilsen, a 37-year-old civil servant,
was arrested and charged
after human remains were discovered
at two properties in North London.
He has now been committed to trial
for six charges of murder
and two attempted murders.
The former police officer is due
to appear in court later this week,
where he is expected to plead guilty
on all charges.
DOOR BELL
Peter.
Steve!
Can I get you anything?
No, I'm fine. Thank you.
I'll leave you to it.
Thanks, love.
How have you been?
Yeah, not bad.
What have you got?
It's about the Nilsen case.
Of the remains
found in Cranley Gardens,
one of the jaw bones had scars
on both sides of the jaw
due to a fracture.
Take a seat, mate.
Graham Allen had his jaw broke
in a fight. It's in his record.
That doesn't necessarily
mean it's Allen.
So, Bowen goes to Allen's
odontologist.
Finds a denture that he had made,
but never picked up.
It fit the jaw.
Graham Allen is the third victim
of Cranley Gardens.
When he came round
to the house that day...
..the last thing
that I said to him was...
.."I hope that you never come back."
He'd have known
you didn't mean that.
Would he...? Sorry.
SHE SOBS
Would he have... felt any pain?
I don't think so.
OK.
Lesley, erm...
You know
we've already charged Nilsen.
That indictment's already been
written up and processed.
What are you saying?
We can't add Graham's name
to the list of Nilsen's victims.
But you just said
that he killed him. He did.
But the court
has a time limit to add names,
and that passed a few days ago.
SOBS
SHE STAMMERS
So Graham doesn't get any justice?
I'm afraid not.
SNIFFS
DOOR SLAMS
The Guv called me
when I was on leave.
He said that our squad
was being seriously considered
for a commendation.
I think he thought
it would make me feel better.
But all it did
was make me more angry.
You got, uh, two kids, right? Sorry,
Steve, I mean, I should know that.
Four. Two boys, two girls.
Linda wants another.
Well, I mean, our first,
another for me.
You not so much?
Well, I'd like to.
But I've already fucked it up
four times.
This job does that.
How are the boys?
I haven't seen them for a while.
I'm sorry to hear that, Peter.
We should have stopped him, Steve.
We caught him first chance we could.
But we should have known.
Sometimes it's just not possible.
I mean, he had a normal life,
a normal job.
You going to the committal hearing?
Yeah. You?
Aye. I can't wait for it
all to be over.
D'you know that he was the one
that wrote the letters
about the blocked drains?
Told his landlord he wouldn't
pay rent until they were cleaned.
I mean, this whole thing,
it's always been to Nilsen's script.
Brian?
Hello?
A dogs' home called for you.
They said further to your enquiry,
Nilsen's dog has been put down.
He asked me to find out
about his dog, that's all.
I need to get him to trust me.
Otherwise all this is for nothing.
So, what, now you're doing
errands for him? Oh, come on.
Someone who knows our world,
our community, needs to write this.
Otherwise they'll get it wrong.
I mean, they'll fuck it up.
They already are.
Please... please try and understand.
Just make sure it's not him
who's writing it.
REPORTERS CALL OUT
Inspector! Having spent
so much time with Nilsen,
can you tell us
what is he really like?
Unremarkable.
What makes you say that?
REPORTERS CALL OUT
This is a surprise, Brian.
Hello, there, Des.
How are you doing?
Ah, I can't complain.
If I did, who'd listen?
Des, erm...
..Bleep was put down
by the dogs' home.
She became ill
not soon after you'd been arrested
and they thought
that it would be kinder that way.
She forgave me everything
and never let me down.
But in the moment
of her greatest crisis,
I wasnae there for her.
How's the book progressing?
It's coming along very well,
thank you.
I'm currently writing
about your experiences in Aden.
Another place the British Army
should have never been.
When they came to get me,
I thought you were my solicitor.
Sorry? Solicitor? I thought you'd
dispensed with your legal aid?
Change is the only constant in life.
Who said that?
Heraclitus.
Yeah.
No, well, this solicitor,
this one has a tax-deductible heart,
but needs must, y'know?
Right, well...
I'll see you up there.
I do wanna thank you, Brian.
For what?
Your company.
All rise.
Dennis Andrew Nilsen,
on count one of this indictment,
you are charged with the murder
of Stephen Sinclair.
How say you,
are you guilty or not guilty?
Not guilty.
COURTROOM MURMURS
On count two, you are charged
with the murder of Kenneth Ockenden.
How say you, guilty or not guilty?
Not guilty.
On count three, you are charged
with the murder of John Howlett.
How say you, guilty or not guilty?
Not guilty.