Law & Order: UK (2009–2014): Season 2, Episode 1 - Samaritan - full transcript

When a police constable, Nick Bentley, is shot by drug dealers while on foot patrol it seems like a pretty straightforward case. Brooks and Devlin eventually locate a witness who identifies one of the parties to the drug transaction and he finally tells the police what really happened. The witness also tells them something else: she saw another police constable standing in the shadows while the injured policeman was calling for help. The dead man's partner, PC Ray Griffin, claims to have been several blocks away when his partner was shot and lay bleeding to death but Brooks and Devlin find an anomaly in his formal statement and they decide to investigate. What they learn is that Bentley's fellow constables had recently learned of his sexual orientation and that his partner Griffin is the head of a Christian group of officers that rejects gays. For the Crown prosecutors, the question is whether they can make an argument that Griffin had a duty of care and was obliged to help his dying partner.

In the criminal justice system,
the People are represented

by two separate,
equally important groups:

the police, who investigate crime,

and the crown prosecutors,
who prosecute offenders.

These are their stories.

No, not tomorrow.
I'm on nights. Friday night?

Yeah, but I'm worth waiting for.
'Any unit?'

Lima Oscar. Deal with a disturbance
on Creake Street.

Oscar Lima from 719, show me assigned
to disturbance at Creake St. Over.

Here you go, Maya.

Oh, you're a lifesaver. Long night.



He's on tonight,
the one I was talking about.

My favourite voice. Nick Bentley.

'Lima Oscar.'
Oh, it's him again.

'719. I have two suspects concerned
drug dealing at Creake St.'

'Both appear to have firearms.'

'I need a Trojan unit
and urgent assistance.'

All units, officer requires urgent
assistance, Creake Street.

Can I have a Trojan unit, please?

'Lima Oscar from 713.
Show me assisting.'

Received. First unit on scene
a situation report please.

719. Sitrep please. Nick!

I'm hit...'

So's one suspect.

Other suspect now towards
Cornwall Road. I need an ambulance.



All units from Lima Oscar, suspect
with firearm towards Cornwall Road,

First unit on scene,
a sitrep please.

Where's my backup? Where's Ray?

'713 from Lima Oscar,
were are you? 713?'

Where's the backup?

719, are you receiving? Over.

719, are you receiving? Over.

'Nick? 719.'

'Tell us you're OK.'

'Nick?'

This is PC Nick Bentley, 24,
been on the beat for two years.

Took a bullet to the stomach and the
thigh, hitting his femoral artery.

He bled to death.
Took around about four minutes.

Caught in the crossfire. Nightmare.

Yeah.

Uniform say his partner was sorting a
parking argument at Waterloo station.

When he got the shout,
he misheard the address.

Well, this time of night round here,
we'll be struggling for witnesses.

Got anything, Joy?
Nine bullet shells

scattered at the scene,
from two weapons.

So our man had no chance.

It looks like he's just
started shaving, this kid.

According to his ID he's 21.
Carrying a.38 weapon.

Six of the shells came from him.

The other three from a.22.
Bentley's partner over there.

What about the other drug dealer
fella? Got any DNA traces on him?

Fingerprints on a bag of crack.
Going to the lab now.

Bentley's partner's here.
Let's see how he's doing.

What do you tell your husband
these nights, Joy?

Never that it's one of us
that got shot.

I was at the back of the station.

A taxi rank had been blocked in
by a limo on a hen night.

Nick went on ahead,
while I sorted the to-do out there.

I should've been with him.

Don't beat yourself up.
It could happen to anyone.

Yeah, but I misheard the shout.

I thought they said Leake Street,
not Creake Street.

Was your radio working properly?
Half a dozen people

having a ding dong
right in my ear didn't help.

Well, we'll need a proper debrief
and a statement, Ray,

at the station, when you're ready.
Yeah, course.

24. Same age as me.
That's no age to die.

There's never a good age.
What have you got?

Bag from the crime scene containing
crack had two major sets of prints.

The first was from the corpse,
Ade Young, 21.

Other prints belong to a
Theo Carson. Here's his PNC record.

Blinding, Teddy. That is just the
ticket after the old all-nighter.

A burglary, GBH, dealing heroin,
ecstasy and ketamine.

A full house,
and he got off on all charges.

Lucky boy.
Not any more.

That's gotta be the worst thing
in the world.

What, losing a partner?
Yeah.

Sorry. I know you...

That's all right. Big Bob Logan,
lovely Northerner, from Whitby.

Used to like gravy on his chips.
Every chippie on our beat

knew that was his favourite,
and did it for him special.

Got stabbed in a pub breaking up
a fight. Nothing I could do.

Ron.

Target sighted. Call it in.

Armed police, get on the floor!

Get down, get down on the floor now.

Get down!
Get on the floor!

Get down, get down!
Right.

Theo Carson?

Hey, what is this?
Like you don't know, son.

I'm arresting you on suspicion
of the murder of PC Nick Bentley.

I didn't kill him!

You - tell them so they understand!

Fingerprints on a plastic bag
don't even prove he was dealing.

He could've bought a sandwich,
thrown the bag away,

and someone else
filled it with drugs.

See, she's good!

Thank you very much,
but if you let me do the talking...

Where were you at the time
of the murder, Theo? Not there.

Show me the murder weapon
and prove Mr Carson used it,

or you're gonna have to let him go.
Exactly!

We know you fired shots, Theo.

We've taken gunpowder residue
from your hands and your clothes.

But you don't have a gun
to match it.

What...
did you do with the gun, Theo?

Did you take it home?
Throw it away?

Whatever you did with it,
I promise you this, Theo.

Our lads in uniform will find it.

Maybe you two are hard of hearing,
but they haven't, have they?

So unless you have the weapon,
you have to let my client go.

His brief's right. With no weapon,
we haven't enough to charge him.

We have CCTV of him
running from the crime scene,

a few minutes
after Bentley was shot.

So he was out for a run.
No connection.

Really sorry to interrupt.

Metcall logged a call
from a witness to the shooting.

Phone number and billing address.

Well, done, Ange.

It wasn't me. I didn't phone no one.

This is your mobile number.
Maybe.

Do you have your mobile phone on you?
Maybe.

How old are you, Jaya?
Younger than you, for sure.

So was the bloke who got gunned down
on the South Bank for doing his job.

Now can I have a look
at your mobile phone, please?

Thank you.

999, 03:47 am. Snap.
What did you see?

Yeah - I didn't see nothing.

My dad says, 'Don't get involved.
You only bring trouble on yourself.'

With all due respect Jaya,
your dad's an idiot.

If we all keep to ourselves,
what happens to the community?

Not my problem, is it?
It is now.

Am I gonna have to speak in court?

Just focus on identifying
the right person for now.

It was number two.

I saw him shoot the other guy
and leg it. Good girl.

So you got a witness. I am telling
you, I didn't shoot the pig.

The copper.

So why don't you tell us
what happened?

We were finishing our deal.
Ade was all hyper, like.

But he'd been jittery all along.
Then a copper comes round a corner,

no warning, sees us and shouted.

Ade just went off.

Ade shot the cop in the leg, then
shoots him again in the stomach.

Then Ade started shooting at me,
claiming it was a setup.

I'm shouting, telling him
I hadn't done anything.

Then I started shooting too.

And you shot Ade Young.
It was self defence, man!

I had to stop him!
Well, you did that all right.

I thought the cop was all right.
He wasn't.

That's not my fault though.
That's down to you boys.

And how do you work that out?

When I went round the corner,
I see a copper in a doorway,

just standing there,
almost like he's hiding.

See, what I don't get is,
that bloke was injured.

That copper. He wasn't dead.

So why was this other copper
just standing there?

He could've been there, helped him.
He let him die, not me.

Guv! The bullet that killed Bentley
matches Ade Young's gun.

So Theo Carson
didn't shoot Nick Bentley.

But he did kill Ade Young.

Weapon was found on a building site,
Carson's DNA's all over it.

Connects with the gunshot residue
we took from his clothes.

Thanks, Teddy.

So no one gets charged
with Nick Bentley's death?

Not unless you want to arrest
Ade Young's corpse.

What about Theo Carson's evidence?

The copper round the corner,
not going to help?

Shut the door.

Do we believe Carson?

Well, why would he lie?

Same reason why dogs piss
on lampposts. It's their nature.

Nah, he knew his number was up.

And the way he said it, not like he
was trying to stitch anyone up -

it was the fact
that he couldn't understand it.

Why are we even discussing this?

Come on, Ron. There's no way
one plod leaves another to die.

Well, we've got a witness
who says different,

and it is our duty to follow it up,
even if it is just to rule it out.

And you're gonna tell that
to the uniform boys, are you?

I don't want you
to say a word to anyone.

This stays between us three for now.

Expand the CCTV collection
to get us a wider view of the area.

See if there's any footage from
buildings near the crime scene.

You are kidding.
You want to pursue this?

A police officer died. We follow
every piece of evidence we've got.

CCTV? Don't have any. Sorry.

You must own half the buildings
round here.

I can see at least half a dozen
cameras within 150 yards.

And you're telling me you had no
closed circuit footage of that night?

I didn't put new DVDs
in the recorders.

Well, that's very unfortunate.

Have you got any DVDs of the night
before the incident?

I think so.

What about the night after?
I think so.

Well, excuse me sir, but...any other
nights you forgot to put the DVD in?

I don't think so.

I'm sorry about the policeman
getting shot.

But like you say, it's unfortunate.
I can't help you.

No, he's been nobbled.
Someone's got to him.

Ron, seriously, can we knock
this on the head, please?

You're making up patterns. There's
probably a simple explanation.

Matt, open your eyes, son.

Someone's taking us
for a couple of monkeys, mate.

I mean, who knows the procedure, eh?
Who knows where to look first?

It's other Old Bill.
Sorry, I just don't buy it.

It ain't the bleeding '70s! We're
not knee deep in corrupt coppers.

And the kind of person
who joins the force

is not the kind
who leaves a colleague to die.

99 times out of 100. Let's just say
this is the 1/100 that ain't so pure.

Just explain to me
why you're so keen

to take the word of a drug dealer
over the word of a fellow officer?

Fine then. Coppers are saints.
That's not what I said.

We owe it to Nick Bentley
to rule out Carson's claim.

How do we do that?
Quiz uniform.

11 years as sergeant,
never lost one till now.

Well, I don't see as there was
anything else you could've done.

We're all in shock down here.

Bentley was a good lad.
You know, popular.

Goalie in the five a side team.

Probably would've been CID material
for you boys in a few months.

The, uh, the lad who killed Bentley
didn't survive the shootout,

but we have charged Theo Carson
with his murder.

Right. Anything you need to make
the case against Carson, just yell.

We can make everything move
a lot faster down here.

Well, a lot faster than Ray Griffin,
hopefully.

Sorry?

Well, I was just saying,
Griffin was late to the scene.

Not much cop as Bentley's backup, eh?

Back on the booze, Ron?

No. Just saying. Unfortunate.

Mm, and he's torn up about it.

But there was an IRV
and a Trojan unit

that also didn't get there in time.

True, but they were a lot
further away, to be fair.

Is there something you want to say,
DS Brooks?

Well, you must be disappointed
in your men.

Ray Griffin's a good copper.
He didn't get there in time.

Sometimes it goes like that.

But not in 11 years
under your command, eh?

I've been round
to tell Nick Bentley's mum

her worst nightmare's come true.

We're all hurting down here.
If you start impugning my officers,

you'll be taking your gonads
back to CID in a paper bag.

Do we understand each other?

Happy now? Or is there someone
you've omitted to piss off?

This is how we do it,
poke 'em and see if they bite.

No! Not when it's one of ours and
he's grieving for one of his boys.

So what, everyone here
gets a free pass, do they?

No. They get what everyone gets -

some basic courtesy
and a little respect.

Let me explain something, son,
just so as we understand each other.

We set an example
to the rest of society.

So if anyone here
falls below that standard,

the gloves are off.

So if people get a bit prickly,
or their feelings get hurt, tough.

I can live with that. Got it?

DI Chandler asked me
to pass you this. Quietly.

Nick Bentley's personnel files.
Very good, Ange. You're a star.

I do my best. Nick Bentley: perfect
record until about three months ago.

Then there are a couple of written
warnings, absences, turning up late.

Then he stopped playing five a side.
Right.

Now talking to the girls downstairs,
there's something that's not there.

And what is that?
He was gay.

He'd never told anyone,
kept it hidden,

until one of the PCs saw him outside
a club in Soho, snogging a bloke.

And don't tell me -
that was about three months ago.

So he was gay. So what?
Loads of coppers are gay.

And loads of people
ain't happy about it.

I can believe
Nick Bentley took some stick.

And maybe it knocked him a bit.
But everyone gets stick -

you're too tall, too short,
too fat, too thin.

They called me Mick for the first
six months, cos my family are Irish.

It's just banter.

Late backup isn't banter, Matt.

What, so now his backup was late
because he was gay?

I'm saying it's a possibility.

Just humour me, right?

I mean, why don't we check
the facts in Griffin's statement,

let him talk us through it?

And if it all looks kosher,
I will let it go. I promise.

I was on the corner of Leake St
when I realised the mistake,

so I turned and ran the other way.
Fastest I've ever run.

Could barely breathe
by the time I got there.

Nick was on the ground, big pool
of blood coming out of his thigh.

The dealer had been shot
in the head.

I tried CPR,
but Nick was already dead by then.

The IRV and the Trojan turned up
a few moments after that.

Well, er...thanks, Ray.

You know how it is, mate.
Everything by the book.

We have to double check
all the notes in your evidence book.

Just, having a look at this map
though, for a second,

you might be able to clear something
up for us.

Course.

Crime scene was in Creake St, yeah?

Now you said you was originally
at Waterloo station,

and then you mistakenly
went to Leake St,

which is there.
Yeah.

Well, me and Matty, just out of
interest, we actually did that route.

Well, when I say we,
I mean Matty did all the running!

I just stood there with a stopwatch.
I don't get you, Ron.

Well, I'm pretty sure
that you'd agree

that Matty is probably
a little bit fitter than you?

A lot fitter I reckon, yeah.
Absolutely.

A lot fitter. But from the time
you got the shout...

..to the time
you actually radio'd in

to tell 'em you was at the scene
was... four minutes.

If you say so.

Well, Matty had one a hell of a job
running from Waterloo to Leake St,

then up to Creake St,
the crime scene, in that time.

Four minutes? I mean it took him
almost eight minutes,

and that was at full pelt.

If you weren't so sure, I'd go so
far as to say it couldn't be done.

Well, I probably never made it
all the way up to Leake St.

It just felt like it, you know.

Sorry, Ron -
Yep.

You said you were
on the corner of Leake Street.

Yeah. I might have got
a bit confused there.

Yeah. Well, you know what, Ray?

They're serving a disciplinary
on you.

It's suddenly a disciplinary matter?
Like I said, it's only procedure.

It's just that your memory and your
statement aren't matching, are they?

And we need to ask a few more
questions, to make absolutely sure.

Now, is there anything else
that's confusing you?

No, Sarge.
My statement is my best memory.

Did you like PC Bentley, Ray?
Sorry?

You and Nick Bentley. Did you get on?
I didn't know him well.

The other night was only our second
time out on the beat together.

He was a lot younger than me.
We mixed in different groups.

Did you know he was gay?

No. I didn't know that.
Really, was he?

Got an opinion about gay men
in the police force, Ray?

Not especially.

Sorry - how does this relate
to Bentley's death? Huh?

He was shot by a dealer cos he was
a copper, not cos he was a gay.

No. You're right, Ray, absolutely.

Thanks. That'll be all for now.

The more you look at Ray Griffin's
account of events,

the more it falls apart.

The evidence backs up
Theo Carson's statement.

I still don't get the motivation.
There's no history of animosity

between him and Bentley,
or him and any gay officer.

All right. So maybe you're right.
Maybe there is something dodgy.

Listen, I'm praying it's not, Matt,
you gotta believe me.

What've you got?

Ray Griffin is branch chairman

of something called the League
of Faith for Christian Officers.

It's a hard-line religious group
within the station.

A lot of the older uniform
movers and shakers are members.

So what?
So...

they bar membership
to all gay officers,

saying it's, whatever, it doesn't
fit with Bible teachings.

Anyway, I dug around.

Nick Bentley's a former member.

Ange said he'd never
admitted to being gay.

What's the best way of putting
people at their ease?

Especially your immediate superiors?
Be like them.

And until three months ago,
Bentley was.

When he was spotted off duty
with another bloke.

That really pissed off Ray Griffin.

Yeah, but still, piss him off
enough to leave a man to die?

Our guvnor's squared it
with the DPS and the IPCC.

They're happy that this is a public
interest case worth prosecuting.

Ray Griffin had a duty of care
which he failed to provide.

You want to charge a serving officer
with manslaughter-gross negligence?

If we can't police ourselves,

why should we expect the public
to trust us?

You've got to see the hornets' nest
this'll stir up.

Isn't it best to keep it
as an internal disciplinary issue?

James, why do you do your job?

To make a difference.
Make a...contribution.

And you do brilliantly, if you don't
mind me saying. But let's assume...

..someone in the CPS was wrongly
prosecuting and victimising people,

undermining all that wonderful work
you do in the eyes of the public.

Ronnie -
No, no, no. Come on.

What would you want
to happen to them?

I'd want to see them
exposed and punished.

Precisely. Ray Griffin tars us all.

How are we supposed to get new blood
into the police service

if an officer like Griffin
gets away with this?

Late backup isn't manslaughter.
Have you any medical evidence?

We saw the paramedics
and pathologist.

If he'd helped Bentley two minutes
earlier, he might have survived.

Ray Griffin
left a fellow officer dying

because the lad was gay.

We'll look at it.
Thank you.

Guv - yeah. Ronnie's in there
right now,

talking through possible charges
with James at the moment.

No, I haven't forgotten,
Yep, will do. Bye.

It's like having two mums.

How are you anyway?
Some days are good.

Last week I thought the whole world
knew everyone was looking at me.

Well, if you need anything...

You know, if you just want to talk.
Or not talk...

or just, just company you know...
Nothing funny.

I'm not cracking on to you.
Why not?

I'm not broken, Matt.

Look um...I think about what
happened to you a lot.

I wasn't sure if I should mention
it. Um, I'm a bit crap at this.

Just be the same.
Same as always.

'The issues to be left to the jury

are whether a duty of care
was owed to the deceased;

whether there had been a breach
of that duty;

whether the breach
had caused death.' Archbold.

Ray Griffin did not cause
Nick Bentley's death.

Ade Young fired the bullets.

Defence will pile up ballistics,
forensic and eyewitness evidence

from Young's fellow drug dealer.
It is a non-starter.

I disagree.
Oh, do you now?

The bullet caused Bentley's injury.
The omission to act caused death.

If he'd intervened,
Bentley could still be alive.

Can I remind you
we owe our whole existence

to a good relationship
with the police?

If we go after this,
I will have to explain to the DPP

exactly why we are
committing institutional suicide.

So we never prosecute police
to keep their goodwill?

No, correction.
We never prosecute anyone

unless we have a rock solid case,

and manslaughter-gross negligence
is one hell of a leap.

Gay police have been out for years.
You heard of the GPA?

George, we're talking about one man,
not the entire police force.

Except when the media gets
hold of it, he will be held up

as representing the entire service.
That's the whole point!

By prosecuting
we'll show that he's not.

Ray Griffin
had knowledge and experience.

His refusal to assist
cost Bentley his life.

I'm not gonna let
one bigoted police officer

destroy the reputation
of the entire police service.

Public office is an honour
and a responsibility,

and abuse of that position
has to be punished.

You build me that rock solid case,

but it'll need
to be properly robust.

If a police officer was left to die
because he was gay,

then we'll get the bastard
who abandoned him.

So are you a member of The League
of Faith for Christian Officers?

No. I'm not a member of the darts
team, or the line dancing either.

D'you think they're reasonable
to refuse admission to gays?

It's a club. Clubs have membership
rules. I can't stop them.

Do I think some officers here
aren't wild about gays? Yes I do.

Just as some of them are not wild
about people with non-white skin.

Just cos people talk crap
in their private lives,

does not make them
bad police officers.

D'you think Ray Griffin
left Nick Bentley to die?

Go and talk to people who live
round here. Ask them about Ray.

They love him. And they feel safe
when he's around.

You didn't answer my question.

He says he misheard his radio.
I believe him.

Do you mind if I speak to officers
who knew Griffin and Bentley best?

Ray looked after me
ever since I joined.

He knows everyone,
every corner of this manor.

What did he tell you
about that night?

Nothing.

He didn't talk about it with you?
He mentioned it in passing.

In passing?

Why are you trying to trip me up?

I knew you'd do this.

Barney, I'm not trying to upset you.
I just want to get tothe truth.

No you don't!
You just want to...to stitch him up.

Why are you going after him?

Nobody understands.
It could've been any of us.

We're all gutted for Bentley,
but we can't bring him back.

That dealer killed Bentley. Not Ray.
End of.

He was a laugh, Nick. He was a great
bloke to be on the beat with.

He could always see
the funny side of things.

From the rota it seems you and Nick
were paired together pretty often.

Yep. Put the gays together.
You learn to expect it.

Is that why you transferred here?
Listen, I've got a career to build.

If it looks like I'm snitching,
trouble will just follow me.

Abbie, we're investigating

whether Nick was left to die
because he was gay.

Is there anything
you think might be relevant?

There was a leaflet pushed under
the doors of mine and Nick's locker.

'"God gave them over
to degrading passions."

'"Men abandoned
the natural use of women

and burned in their desire
towards one another,

men with men
committing indecent acts

and receiving in their own persons
the due penalty for their error."'

'Romans I, 26 to 27.'

Ray Griffin's DNA was all over that
leaflet. That proves state of mind.

And what connects state of mind
to the crime?

Griffin did not act as a reasonable
person in the circumstances.

He breached his duty of care.

Did that breach
cause Bentley's death?

No. The bullet did.

But he could have prevented it.
There was deliberate recklessness.

We have to prove criminal omission
and we haven't enough!

Now, you tried, but it ends here.

No manslaughter charge
against Ray Griffin.

George, please -
I said no.

All right, then -
misconduct in public office.

Same sentencing power
as manslaughter.

Ray Griffin misconducted himself
by leaving Bentley to die.

James is right. Griffin lied
in his police interview

about how far he ran, about
knowing Nick Bentley was gay -

he's undermining the uniform.
I'm not letting this go.

Maybe, maybe you might make it home
with misconduct,

if you had that missing CCTV.

It's too much of a coincidence
that it went missing.

Who's Griffin close to? Was there
anyone he might confide in?

Barney Goodison. Griffin was
his mentor since he joined.

I just want to keep my head down.
I don't want to upset anyone.

Why would you be upsetting anyone,
Barney?

I wasn't there that night.
I don't know what happened.

Then what are you scared about?
I'm not.

Think you won't have a future in the
force if you upset Ray Griffin?

You're putting words in my mouth.
He said you'd do that.

Then tell me your version.

You don't understand.
He's a good bloke, Ray.

He looks after a lot of people.

He's been good to me.

Did he tell you what happened
the night of Nick Bentley's death?

You have a duty as an officer
to tell me.

Barney, if we don't find out
what happened,

we can't stop it happening again,
and you'll be responsible.

He asked me to get something
for him.

What was it?

Ray sent me round
to the property owners

to get hold of the footage
before anyone else did.

He told me to destroy it.

He said things
might get misinterpreted.

This looks pretty clear to me.

I didn't know what do,
he's been so good to me, Ray.

I was just going to bin it,
but then...

..I took a look.

There are six cameras
from around the scene.

And according to the transcripts
of the calls,

this is after Nick Bentley had been
shot and was begging for help.

He stood there.
He just stood there and waited.

How long did he stand there for?
Five minutes. I've counted.

When he could have been giving
his colleague first aid.

I told him I'd watched them.

He went mad.

He told me to hand them over,
but I said no.

Ray said he wanted to explain.

He said...

..he left it up to God.

He didn't get a sign from God,
so he didn't go to help.

He said
he thought it was God's will.

Ray?

Is this how it happens?

Raymond Griffin, I'm arresting you

on suspicion of misconduct
in public office.

No cuffs. Head up.

I go with honour.

My lady, the charge
of misconduct in public office

is the last refuge of the desperate.

This might be a matter
for internal police discipline,

but not criminal proceedings.
Mr Steel?

As a public officer, Mr Griffin
deliberately, without justification,

neglected his duty,
resulting in PC Bentley's death.

Why not
manslaughter-gross negligence?

Because the Crown knows that
such a charge would never succeed.

My lady, Mr Griffin's actions
that night

damage the service and character of
every police officer in this city.

The Crown argues public officials
must hold to the highest standards.

My client may have made an error
of judgement

for which he's been systematically
victimised by the Crown.

Mr Griffin left the real victim
of this crime

bleeding to death
on a London street.

The Crown will call evidence
of Mr Griffin's homophobic beliefs

that led to that action
and to wilful misconduct.

Thank you, Mr Steel.

Mr Ridley, your application
to dismiss is refused.

How is she?

Have you asked her?
Good God, no! Have you?

Not really. It's been hard
to find the time.

Goodness' sake, you're her friend.

Find the right time, ask her
how she is and then let me know.

So the key issue is whether
the wounds were treatable,

whether emergency assistance could
have prevented or delayed death.

Listen, you should be...
more involved in this one.

We'll split the witnesses. You call
the pathologist and Sergeant Drake.

Really?
Yeah.

Uh, keep them both focused

on Griffin's duties
and the extent of his misconduct.

What? You've done all the research,
all the prep.

You know it better than I do.

And that's the only reason?
You're ready.

You're doing this to make things
better. It's a sympathy thing.

Don't look a gift horse in the
mouth. You're ready to step up.

Thank you. I won't let you down.

Sergeant Drake, how long
have you known Ray Griffin?

Ray Griffin and I have worked
together for nine years,

during which time I've found him
to be an exemplary officer,

highly valued
by the community he serves.

Could you recite the first line
of the police oath

which you and Ray Griffin took
when you joined the service, please?

I'm sorry?
The oath taken by police officers.

Could you recite the first line?

I do solemnly and sincerely
declare and affirm

that I will well and truly
serve our Sovereign Lady the Queen

in the office of Constable,

without favour or affection,
malice or ill will.

Thank you. Could you read the text
on the front of this leaflet?

'"If a man lies with a male
as those who lie with a woman,

both of them have committed
an abomination

and they shall surely
be put to death." Leviticus XX, 13.'

Ray Griffin produced that leaflet

and put it under the lockers of gay
PCs Abbie Mellini and Nick Bentley.

Sgt Drake, would you agree that such
an act contradicts the police oath

by in fact demonstrating ill will
and malice towards gay officers?

We are a country
that believes in free speech.

Do you expect officers
under your command

to go to the aid of a dying man?
Well, every case is different.

There may well be risk - You regard
it as an officer's public duty

to assist a dying man?
Yes.

So if an officer failed in this duty

he wouldn't just be in breach of his
oath, but guilty of misconduct?

The bullet
severed the femoral artery,

causing massive loss of blood.

How long did it take
for him to bleed to death?

According to the evidence I read,
a little over four minutes.

So if help had arrived within four
minutes,

would PC Bentley's chances
of survival increase?

Absolutely.
Thank you. No further questions.

PC Bentley's chances of survival
would have increased, you say.

But not certain?
It's impossible to be certain.

You're certain
of the cause of death.

Well, yes. As I said, the bullet
severed his femoral artery.

Bullet from a gun shot by Ade Young.

In your expert medical opinion,

did PC Griffin cause any injury
to PC Bentley? No.

Well, if PC Griffin
had got to the scene more quickly,

given medical support,
would PC Bentley have survived?

It's possible.
But not...certain.

She did well. She'll be giving you
a run for your money soon enough.

She does that anyway.
We've got a problem.

I just got the word
from Ridley's junior.

They're challenging the
admissibility of the CCTV footage.

Ah, it's Limbo Ridley, at it again.

It's a key part of your case. If
it's out, you're in big trouble.

My lady, this footage
is such poor quality.

It's blurred and grainy.

It really ought to be excluded
under Section 78 of PACE.

My lady, this is the first time
the defence has raised the issue.

Section 78 is clear: where there
is little or no probative value

to the evidence, but the potential
for serious prejudicial effect,

the evidence
ought not to be admitted.

It's simply not safe to leave
this footage to a jury, my lady.

The quality's not good enough
to be certain it's my client.

The jury should be left to decide
that for themselves.

No, I'm not with you, Mr Steel.

The quality of the pictures
leaves too much to be desired.

The prejudicial effect
of the evidence

far outweighs
any probative value it might have.

The CCTV and any reference to it
will be excluded.

What do we do now?

I told you, I've got nothing
worth saying in court.

Barney,
the judge won't let the CCTV in.

We need you as a witness.
You've seen it.

Ray Griffin talked to you about it.
You have to tell the jury.

I dunno what you're talking about.
I never see's no CCTV of Ray.

What?
Ray is a good man.

A great officer.
He was just late that night.

Barney, please.
We need you to tell the truth,

or he mightn't be held accountable
for Nick Bentley's death.

I've got nothing to say.
I need...to get on with my job.

Someone must have got to Barney.

I imagine Griffin has friends
everywhere, not just in the police.

They must've put Barney
under pressure.

Then you do the same
to Ray Griffin in the witness box.

Take him apart, James.
It's your only hope of winning.

I joined the force in 1989.

I have been proudly serving
the community for 20 years.

My whole career
has been about serving the public.

What's your opinion of gay
police officers, PC Griffin?

If they get on with the job,
don't bother me, I don't mind.

I just follow
what it says in the Bible.

What church do you attend?

I've never found one
that worked for me.

But my faith is very important.

You're not really a religious man
at all, are you?

I beg your pardon?
You don't belong to a church.

You lift phrases from the Bible,
out of context,

devoid of comprehension,
to justify your own prejudices.

This is bigotry
masquerading as faith, isn't it?

You're an insult to all those
who actually have genuine faith -

My lady, I fail to see

how the private matter of
PC Griffin's faith is relevant.

PC Griffin's beliefs are central to
his motive for misconducting himself.

Move on please, Mr Steel.

Where were you when PC Bentley
lay bleeding to death?

I was making my way down
from Leake Street.

I misheard my radio.
I got there as fast as I could.

You're quite certain about that?

Hundred per cent.

How many times in your career
have you misheard your radio?

I couldn't say offhand.
It's rare but it happens.

I ran to Creake Street
as soon as I realised my mistake.

Why don't the times of your
run add up, PC Griffin?

Because I didn't make it
all the way there.

It didn't happen as you describe, did
it? You didn't mishear your radio.

You heard Nick Bentley being shot.
You went to Creake St,

and refused to give medical
assistance that could have saved him.

Not true.
In failing to help,

you misconducted yourself, negating
every value you claim to work for.

I tried my best that night.

You didn't just let Nick Bentley die.
You betrayed every ounce of trust

the public places
in its police officers, didn't you?

I'm not the one who fired the gun,
sir.

Do you know the parable
of the Good Samaritan, PC Griffin?

Course I do.

What sort of Samaritan are you?

I did that boy no harm.

Nick Bentley was 24.

He was respected and loved
by all who knew him.

He had a bright future ahead of him -

a future cut short

by Ray Griffin's failure
to assist him...

..because Nick Bentley was gay.
In failing to help Nick Bentley,

the defendant deliberately
misconducted himself,

and breached the trust
we all place in our public officers.

There is no Good Samaritan law.

Put simply, we are not
obliged to help one another.

Whatever the events of that night,

PC Griffin
did not commit misconduct.

That's a serious charge
with grave consequences.

Would it be right to convict
a well-respected police officer

because a drug dealer
killed his colleague?

No. I urge you not to convict.

In relation to the count
of misconduct in public office,

do you find the defendant
guilty or not guilty?

Not guilty.

Maybe we were wrong to go after him.

No. We had a duty to Nick Bentley.

Well, at least we've drawn a line in
the sand. So it never happens again.

You really think
we've come that far?

It'll happen again.

And next time, we'll get them.