White House Farm (2020): Season 1, Episode 6 - Episode #1.6 - full transcript

I should just burn White House down
with Mum and Dad in it.

Jeremy.

Don't do that.

It would be such a waste,

to burn down such
a beautiful old house.

SHE LAUGHS

Guess I'll have to think
of something else.

I thought he was joking.

One of his awful jokes.

Tonight's the night, Jules.

I've just had dinner with them all.
It's the perfect chance.



So you're saying Jeremy killed them?

And not Sheila?

Sheila was murdered.

Same as the others.

You stay quiet all this time.

And a couple of days
after he dumps you,

you finally come forward
and drop him in it.

One thing about Julie.

She has a very fertile imagination.

THEY CHATTER

HE BREATHES HEAVILY

First question was point of entry.

I was told Bamber exited
via this window.

And according to Julie Mugford,
he entered that way too.



But I don't think that's possible.

That lock. You'd break that if you
tried to force it from the outside.

So, I looked at other
potential entry sites,

including the downstairs
shower window.

Which is where we found these.

Scratches.

Around the lock.

That shower room was repainted
at the start of the summer.

So the scratches are recent too.

They're serrated.

Like a...
A fine saw blade.

Found on the ground
just outside that window

under a bit of rubbish.

And the teeth on that match
the scratches on the lock exactly.

Finally, we can say that someone
forced entry to that farmhouse.

Now, if we can link
that saw blade to Jeremy...

I'll contact the DPP, gentlemen.

Appraise them of this new evidence.

But based on what you
just told me...

..I think we might be on.

BACKGROUND CHATTER

Evening, gents. Can you step
aside for a second, please?

I want to tell you
you're still under caution.

And I want you to record
that I've got food poisoning,

and I've driven 1,800 miles.

And I'm taking medication.

Everything you say
is being recorded.

Jeremy, I put it to you

that you've made a number
of false statements to the police

during the course
of this investigation.

I'm now giving you the chance
to correct those falsehoods.

Isn't this your day off, Mick?

I've come in specially.

You need a holiday.

Have you been to Saint Tropez?

You'd love it.

Jeremy,
this is an extremely serious matter.

You're being charged
with five counts of murder.

Do you understand that?

What, do you think I'm stupid?

I think you're behaving very oddly

for a man who's been accused
of killing his own family.

Maybe I've just got deja vu.

Us sitting here like this.

You making these accusations.

Do you remember how it ended
last time?

You had to let me go, didn't you?

Do you have a key
to your parents' house?

Of course.
I was given one with my cousin

about a week after the new doors
were fitted.

So you have full access
to the house?

That's what keys are for.

Do you recognise this?

I suppose it's a saw blade.

We can show that you purchased
blades exactly like this

not long before the murder
of your family.

I sometimes use them on my tractors.

This blade was also used to gain
entrance to your parents' farmhouse.

By forcing a window in the shower.

So, how do you account for that?

Forcing entry.

When you've got the key.

You're right.

I did get in through that window.
Just a few days back.

I needed some documents
for my overseas holiday,

and I hadn't got my key with me,

so I let myself in, using that saw.

So you knew you were
under suspicion for murder,

but you decided to break
into your parents' house anyway?

Into the scene of the crime.
I was running late for the ferry,

and I wouldn't have been able to
hire a car without those documents.

It would have ruined my holiday.

What do you think I should have
done, walk to Saint Tropez?

You're to be held in custody
for further questioning

in relation
to the aforementioned crimes.

Starting first thing in the morning.

I suggest you use your time
this evening

to consider your situation.

Good night, Stan!

Good night, Mick!

See you in the morning.

He's come up with a story.

Bullshit.

Obviously.

I reckon we let him stew overnight

and see how he's feeling
in the morning.

All right, Guv.

Will do.

Good night.

I guess it's my turn
to take some leave.

I expect that's for the best.

You know, I never rated you.

No ambition.

That's what I thought.

Guess I was wrong.

This has got nothing to do
with ambition.

So you climbed all over me
for the sport of it, did you?

Back at the start of this,
you asked me

if I cared
about them two murdered boys.

Well, there's your answer.

I care a whole lot more
about getting justice for them

than I do about my bloody career.

Young Bamber.

You think he's a selfish,
arrogant twat.

But that doesn't make him
a murderer.

I hope, for his sake,
you can tell the difference.

Jeremy.

It's a simple enough question.

Was Sheila a good shot
with the rifle?

I've already answered that.

So tell me again.

The answer is I don't know.

But on the night of the murders,

you told police that you and her
had been target shooting.

Are you saying that's a lie?

No.
So you're denying saying it?

Even though two police officers
are willing to testify that you did.

Look, you told me I said it,
so maybe I said it, but I...

I don't remember.

Had you seen Sheila shoot ever?

I told you. I can't remember!

No-one else I've spoken to ever saw
Sheila Caffell fire a gun.

No-one.

Now you're telling me
you can't remember.

It could well be that she's never
fired a gun in her life.

Would you agree with that?

My sister was mentally ill.

She was violent.

Talk to her doctors.
They'll confirm that.

We've already spoken to them.

So why won't you believe
that she's done this?

More than 20 bullets were fired
into your family.

Every single one of them
hit their target.

Your mother.

Shot seven times.

Every shot on target.

Your dad.

Shot eight times.

All on target.

You want me to believe
that that was done

by a girl who'd scarcely picked up
a rifle in her life?

He was beaten too.

Your dad.

Mercilessly.

I don't want to know
about things like that.

Must have taken a lot of strength
to do something like that.

A lot of anger.

Maybe a lot of hate.

I wasn't there.

So I wouldn't know about that,
would I?

There were a few small
contradictions,

but nothing substantial.

Basically,
he's sticking to his story.

Bamber admits he accessed the house
through the shower window,

with the saw blade,

but insists it
was for innocent reasons.

Cookie, where do we stand
with forensics? Fingerprints.

Recovered two usable impressions.
One from the rifle butt.

That was Sheila's.

And the other from the barrel.
Which was Jeremy's right forefinger.

In that shape?

Some surfaces take better
fingerprints than others.

What about the hand swabs?

Well, the bullets that were used
in the killings

have these greasy coatings.

There's no way of loading the rifle
without getting it on your hands.

There's no trace of that material
on Sheila's swabs.

We know the defence are gonna argue

that she washed herself
after the shootings.

Ritual cleansing.

Not uncommon in killings
of this type.

We can't disprove that anyway.

Particularly since we don't have
the body.

There's still the silencer.
The evidence of human blood in it.

Although we can't conclusively
prove it was Sheila's blood.

The defence will say
it was contaminated.

The trial will turn
on witness testimony.

That's what the jury will remember.

That'll be what gets him
over the line.

Jeremy can be very convincing.
As you found.

It'll come down to Julie Mugford.

That's what will turn it.

Her word against his.

Well, we're three weeks out
from trial.

So I do hope you're right.

REPORTER: 'The magistrate once again
denied bail,

'citing the grave seriousness
of the charges.

'Meanwhile, Mr Bamber's supporters
continue to protest his innocence.'

'Jeremy maintains his innocence,
and I absolutely believe him.

'Which is why I,
and many of his friends

'will be standing by him
through this,

'until the truth finally prevails.'

'It's understood that shortly
after speaking to us,

'Mr Collins returned
to his native New Zealand.'

He's here, Jules.

There were so many things he wanted.

He spoke about it all the time.

The car he was going to get.

The clothes. The holidays.

But he didn't have enough money.

So what, that was reason enough
to murder his parents?

Mm.

And Sheila?

He had different ideas
about how he was gonna do it, but...

..this plan was all about Sheila.

Making it look like she'd gone mad,
she'd done it all herself.

She would take the blame.

And what about my...?

What about my boys?

Jem said you'd be better off
without them.

That with the boys gone,
you could go back to work.

Get your life back on track.
You'd be better off.

SHE SOBS

And he told you this
before he'd done it?

Parts of it, yeah.

So you knew,
and you didn't say anything?!

You didn't tell anyone?!

I'm sorry.

I...

But you will now?

You'll tell it now? In court.
You'll tell at all?

I promise.

I promise.

QUIETLY: I promise.

DOOR CLOSES

I just got the call.

They're not proceeding against her.
What?

The DPP have concluded
that Julie Mugford

was morally and criminally corrupted

as a result of her relationship
with you.

So they're dropping all the charges.

But the caravan park business.
The robbery.

She confessed to that.

At being a lookout

in a burglary involving, what,
a few hundred pounds?

Yeah.

Do you think that anyone
really cares about that,

compared with five murders?

No, this decision means

that Julie Mugford
has even less incentive

to withdraw or even modify
her statement against you.

Except that she's lying.
So you say.

But the jury may yet
take a different view.

I need to talk to her.

No, no, that's not possible.

If I can just see her,
she's gonna change her mind.

Jeremy, you must see that is
completely out of the question.

It doesn't matter.
In the end, she'll tell the truth.

Miss Mugford's stuck to her story
for a good few months now.

Yes, because she's angry
that I broke it off with her.

But she won't do this to me.

She loves me.

Mr Caffell, I can't imagine how
distressing this must be for you,

so I will attempt to keep it brief.

You were married to Sheila Caffell
for two years?

That's right.

How would you describe her?
As a mother.

Kind. Attentive.

She lived for our boys.

But she had been mentally ill?

On and off, for some time, yes.

Which was why the boys
were staying with me.

To your knowledge, had her illness
ever led her to mistreat the boys?

Never. That's the one thing
I'm certain of.

And in her general demeanour,

would you have considered her
to be a violent person?

Of course not. No. She was...

She was just so gentle.

She had a hot Latin temper,
but only ever towards things.

Inanimate objects. Never people.

Thank you, Mr Caffell.

Mr Caffell, you say Sheila
never harmed people.

What about herself?

I'm not sure what you mean.

Well, she had harmed herself,
in the past, had she not?

We argued.

Once. After a 21st birthday party.

And she put her hand
through a window.

I'd behaved very badly,
in a way that provoked her.

I don't think she had
the intention to hurt herself.

Mr Caffell...

When you were first told...

of the...

terrible...

news of the deaths...

how did you react?

I was shocked.

But were you surprised?

At the idea that Sheila might
have ended her own life.

In fact,

you accepted it.

Quite readily. Did you not?

What I was faced with...

..I could hardly even believe it,
much less understand it.

I still can't.

So I accepted what I was told
by the experts,

and by the police.

By everyone.

What would you have done?

Ready?

I've been having nightmares
about seeing him.

And when I wake up, I feel guilty
that I've betrayed him.

Forget them.
They're just bloody dreams.

Yeah, but they're gonna come true,
though, aren't they?

He will be there in court
looking at me.

And you'll look right back at him.

Because you're there telling
the truth, and he won't be.

Look...

You made a mistake.

A bloody big one, I'll admit.

So, what are you gonna do now?

You can either give in, let
that mistake become who you are...

..or you can stand up
and show that you're not like him,

you're not like Jeremy.

Which is it gonna be?

JOURNALISTS SHOUT QUESTIONS

Do you still love Jeremy?
Have you spoken to Jeremy?

Please, step to one side.

Thank you.

SHOUTING CONTINUES

Steady, steady.

Can we get through, please?

Miss Mugford?

Sorry. I...

The account of the killings that
you initially gave to the police

was based on what Mr Bamber
told you that first night?

After the police
and everyone else had gone,

we sat in the living room
of Jeremy's house,

and he told me the information
I've given today.

And the claim he initially made,
that he'd hired a mercenary?

In a way, that made things easier.

Thinking at least he hadn't done it
with his own hands.

But now...

Miss Mugford.

The biggest question people
will be asking is,

what made you wait a month
before coming forward with this?

At first, I was in shock.

Then later, Jeremy said that
if anything happened to him,

if he was arrested,
I would be arrested too.

As a murderer.
Because I knew about it.

I know it's cowardly,
but I was scared.

Thank you, Miss Mugford.

In your initial account...

..you told the police

that Nevill had been shot
seven times in the head.

Which was not correct.

That's what Jeremy told me.

Interestingly, you're not
the only one who got that wrong.

The Mirror describes him
being shot seven times in the head.

The Sun.
"Seven shots to Nevill Bamber."

I didn't read those papers.

The Star. "Seven shots to the head."

The Express. "Seven shots."

Isn't it the case
that your account of the murders

came not from Mr Bamber,
but from ordinary newspaper stories?

Everything I told the police
is what Jeremy told me.

Everything.

Are you an honest person,
Miss Mugford?

Yes, I am.

Completely honest?

What do you mean by completely?

Well, there have been some incidents
in the past, have there not?

A case of cheque fraud, for example.

Yes.

You reported
your cheque book stolen,

and then went and spent over £600,
defrauding the bank.

Honesty is acknowledging
your mistakes

and doing something about them.
And that's what I've done.

But while perpetrating
that cheque fraud,

you were telling lies, yes?

That's something you're pretty
good at, isn't it? Telling lies.

Just because I did that doesn't mean
I'm lying about anything else.

If we're to believe what you told us
earlier this afternoon,

you also told lies after the murder.

You made false statements
to the police.

I said no false things.
I only omitted things.

But you omitted quite a bit,
though, didn't you?

Your knowledge of who killed
the Bambers.

Of who killed those children.

You even dined with Colin Caffell,
their father,

accepted his hospitality,
yet you never said a word!

SHE SOBS

I'm sorry.

Would you care to sit, Miss Mugford?

Thank you.

Now, you were asked about your
initial statements to the police.

I've already explained.

When it first happened,
I was confused.

That's why I volunteered
to identify the bodies.

I wanted to ask Sheila and June
for their advice about what to do.

Sorry. You, erm...

You wanted to ask the deceased
Sheila Caffell,

and the deceased June Bamber
for their advice?

I believe in the spiritual world.

So, erm...

How were you planning to canvas the
opinion of these poor dead souls?

It's a mental thing.

I prayed a lot,
but they didn't say anything back.

And having failed to elicit
the opinion from the dead,

you remained silent for a month.

I was scared.

Is it OK to be scared?

Scared for yourself?
For me, and for Jeremy.

Until it became clear
that he didn't want you any more.

That he was in fact
seeing another woman.

I was hurt.

Not jealous. Hurt.

And then finally, you came forward
to the police with this story.

About his involvement
in the murders.

A fabricated story.
It isn't fa...

Fabricated out of jealousy
and anger,

because he was leaving you
for another woman.

I did ask him not to.

I did. I told him I wouldn't be able
to cope with being on my own.

He said that
I would never be on my own.

He said that he was my best friend.

Yet he also made it clear
that it was over between you two.

That you would no longer be
his girlfriend.

I told Jeremy he'd ruined my life.

Ruined everything.
By telling me what he'd done.

But he said
he was entrusting his life to me.

He said that he was telling me
the truth

so that I could lie convincingly.

The best way to lie
is to tell the truth.

And so yeah, at first,
that's what I did.

I told the police what I thought
Jeremy would want me to say.

Even though you believed
he'd orchestrated mass murder?

Because I loved him.

I loved him after the killings
as before.

I found it difficult to be
physically close to him,

but my emotion never changed.

And then in the end,
I couldn't cope.

I went to the police
nearly a month later.

Because I couldn't cope any more
with the knowledge I had.

We've heard from members
of your extended family

that Sheila could never
have hurt her children.

Is that a statement
you'd agree with?

No, it's not.

Why not?

Because I saw her hurt them.

Can you describe the circumstances?

We were in the car. Going visiting.

Myself and my father
were in the front seats,

and Sheila and the boys in the back.

As we were driving, erm,

I think Daniel interrupted Dad.
Just the way kids will.

Sheila turned
and she punched him twice

with a full fist in the face.

Yet you never mentioned it
to anyone?

Your father never mentioned it.
My family was like that.

Everything had to be kept private.
Particularly about Sheila.

Yet Miss Mugford has told us
that you're lying about all this.

I'm not. She is.

I did not kill anyone.

How did you feel
when you first became aware

of what she was saying about you?

Horrified. I mean...

I mean, I knew that she was
saying horrible things,

and untruths, that were keeping me
in the cells in Chelmsford,

but I... I thought she was only
doing it cos I'd split up with her,

and I always thought
that she'd see sense.

That she'd take it back. But...

Well, she never did.

Thank you, Mr Bamber.

Mr Bamber, you say your sister
punched one of her boys.

No-one else ever saw her
do anything like that.

They did.

But those people
are no longer with us.

Which is convenient for you,
isn't it?

I wouldn't call the death
of my whole family convenient.

Yet it leaves you in a position that
you're able to say whatever you like

about a great many things
without fear of contradiction.

Except, perhaps, from Miss Mugford.

The difference being that Julie
isn't telling the truth.

I am.

You claim you left a rifle out,
in the scullery, fully loaded,

on the evening of the murders.

Isn't that an incredibly
foolish thing to do?

I was upset.

After hearing what my parents
were saying to my sister

about fostering out the boys.

Miss Mugford tells us
the gun was left out intentionally

in preparation for murder.
She's lying.

Later that night, you say
your father phoned you, at home,

told you your sister Sheila had...
Where are we?

Ah, yes.

..gone berserk.

I can't be sure of his exact words.
But yes, roughly that.

As we've heard,

forensic evidence suggests

that he was grievously injured
before coming downstairs.

How did he sound to you
when he called?

I-I-I don't recall
his exact inflection, but, er...

..he sounded rushed, I suppose.

Speaking more quickly than normal.

But beyond that,

I'd only be surmising
if I added to it.

Did he sound, for example, like
he'd been shot twice in the mouth?

I couldn't...

I couldn't say specifically
whether he'd been wounded or not.

It was...

I... I recognised his voice,
but other than that, I just...

I'm sorry.

I don't know.

You then rang Chelmsford police.

Looked the number up
in the phone book.

Yes, that's right.

Didn't think to simply dial 999?

Even though your parents
were in mortal danger.

At the time, the local police
station seemed a better option.

Can I draw your attention

to the phonebook that you used
to make that call?

What do you see there, in bold type,

right underneath the number
for Chelmsford police?

Could you read it out?

"In an emergency, dial 999
and ask for the police."

"In an emergency."
But you ignored that advice.

I don't really remember seeing this.

When your family's in danger,

you don't tend to make calm,
rational decisions.

You say you then rang
your girlfriend, Julie Mugford. Why?

Because I needed a sympathetic ear.

Even though time was of the essence?

Even though your sister
had allegedly "gone berserk"?

I suppose I was afraid my family
would be hurt.

My parents...
Whom you hated.

I did not.

Yet you told many people
that you hated them.

That you wanted them dead.
I've never said any such thing.

Why would people say it
if it wasn't true?

I can't comment on Julie's feelings.
I wasn't inside her head.

But I suppose she did love me.

And I'd been unfaithful.

And she was jealous, angry.

I'll offer you another,
simpler explanation.

And that's that you're the one
who's lying.

Julie's the liar. A dreadful liar.

I'm not a dreadful liar.

This phone call from your father.

His business about accidentally
leaving a rifle out.

You're not telling
the truth about any of it!

Are you, Mr Bamber?!

Well, that's what you've got to try
and establish.

QUIET MURMURING

In this case,
we can forget fanciful scenarios

involving mysterious intruders,

or unknown assassins.

This is very much a two-horse race.

Sheila Caffell. And her brother,
the accused, Jeremy Bamber.

He claims he received a phone call
on the night of the murders,

from his father,

who told him his sister, Sheila,
was running amok with a gun.

Now, if Nevill Bamber
truly made that call...

If the defendant is telling
the truth about that...

..then we must conclude that
Sheila committed the murders.

If, on the other hand,

Jeremy Bamber never received
that call...

..that's a lie.

And we've heard a great deal of
evidence suggesting that it must be.

Then he is the killer.

Because there's only one reason

why he would lie
about something like that.

So, do you believe his account?

With all its implausibilities.

Or do you prefer to believe
Julie Mugford?

A witness who has given us chapter
and verse about how and why

the defendant committed
this horrible crime.

A witness who has never wavered
in her astonishing story,

from the moment she came to police.

Once you consider both stories,

and the evidence that supports,
or contradicts them,

there's only one option.

An option which forces itself
upon you,

beyond any reasonable doubt.

And that option
is to convict Jeremy Bamber.

Mr Rivlin.

This is a case
in which there is little lacking

in terms of human drama.

But there is one important thing
missing.

And that is proof.

The crime scene was hopelessly
mishandled by the police.

The forensic evidence
against Mr Bamber

is either ambiguous, or unreliable.

The blood in the silencer
found by the family

has not been conclusively proven
to be Sheila Caffell's blood.

And instead of proof,

the prosecution has relied
on the word of Julie Mugford.

Mr Bamber's jilted ex-lover.

She has been free to manipulate us
with her weeping,

while Mr Bamber would be accused
of crocodile tears if he cried,

or of being cold-blooded
if he did not.

With her...

carefully timed droplets
of poison...

..she has done her best
to damage him.

But in the end...

..there was nothing in her account

that hadn't already been published
in the press.

No-one will ever really know
what happened

on that terrible night
at White House Farm.

There is much
that simply doesn't add up.

And when the facts don't add up...

..there must be room for doubt.

Given that doubt,
that very reasonable doubt,

it's your duty to acquit.

Hello?

Detective Sergeant.

Apologies for the intrusion.

They say criminals
return to the scene.

Sometimes us coppers do too.

You're welcome here any time.

I thought you'd be at home
right now, sitting by the phone.

I always clean the place up
on a Thursday afternoon.

I saw no reason to do any different.

So?

The jury couldn't decide.

Judge sent them back out.

Said they'd accept
a majority decision.

That can't be a good sign.

I expect not.

However this turns out,

I want you to know
I appreciate what you did.

It's nothing.

It's just my job.

What do you think?

I think juries can be unpredictable.

Some of the Fleet Street boys
are making book.

What are they offering?

Four to one against a conviction.

Should have told me that sooner.
I'd have had a bit of that.

Mr Foreman, please stand.

Will the defendant please stand?

To the question I'm about to ask,
please answer yes or no.

Have the jury reached a verdict
in respect of each count

on which at least ten of you
are agreed?

Yes.

Do you find the defendant guilty
or not guilty

of the murder of Nevill Bamber?

Guilty.

On the second count,

do you find the defendant
guilty or not guilty

of the murder of June Bamber?

Guilty.

No, no, no.

On the third count,

do you find the defendant guilty
or not guilty

of the murder of Sheila Caffell?

Guilty.

MURMURING

On the fourth count,

do you find the defendant guilty
or not guilty

of the murder of Nicholas Caffell?

Guilty.

On the fifth count,

do you find the defendant guilty
or not guilty

of the murder of Daniel Caffell?

Guilty.

Thank you, Mr Foreman.

BACKGROUND CHATTER

HE BREATHES HEAVILY

Stand still.

Turn to your right.

Take off your tie.

Shoes.

Turn and face the cell.

Walk in.

HE KNOCKS ON DOOR

Did you hear the news?

I did, yeah.

VOICES WITHIN THE HOUSE

Oh. You've got guests?

No. Erm...

They're reporters.

News Of The World.

How much are you getting?

Enough to get me started again.

How much?

£25,000.

Isn't that fair enough,
after what I've been through?

Good luck with it, then.

CHILDREN SHOUT IN DISTANCE

There have been times
over the past months

when I thought
I'd been condemned myself.

To a life of hatred.

And I knew that hating like that,
in the end, it'd kill me.

But now, with this result,

I do feel, maybe,

I'm at a new beginning.

Not because Jeremy
has been found guilty.

I can't take any pleasure in that.

But because the truth's been spoken.

And Sheila's name's been cleared.

Now, I'm still trying
to understand this.

To understand why this happened.

But at least I know
Sheila will now be remembered

as the wonderful woman she was.

And the mother of my wonderful boys.