03x02 - Safe

Episode transcripts for TV show, "Law & Order: UK". Aired: 23 February 2009 – 11 June 2014.*
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The British version of the long-running U.S. crime-drama tells the stories of two separate yet equally important groups; the police, who investigate the crime and the prosecutors who try the suspects.
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03x02 - Safe

Post by bunniefuu »

In the criminal justice system,
the people are represented

by two separate
yet equally important groups -

the police who investigate crime

and the Crown Prosecutors
who prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

Big smile for Mummy, Tom.

I never can get a sh*t
where they're both smiling.

Must be nice though - twins always
have someone to play with.

Only child?
Yeah.

Got ours buy one get one free.

Ryan!

Ryan? Ryan!

Are you OK?
No.

My little boy's gone. He was just
there and someone's taken him.

Oh, my God! Ryan! Ryan!

Ryan!

Ryan! Ryan!

Ryan Stark. Two last week.

He was on the merry-go-round
in the yellow car.

His mum turned away
for no more than 30 seconds,

looked back and he was gone.
Where's the ride operator?

He's having a pub lunch. He left
his 15-year-old son in charge.

Although he wasn't being in charge?

He got distracted. He doesn't
remember the kid or the mum.

Kayla? This is DS Ronnie Brooks.
Kayla Stark.

Have you found Ryan yet? We've got
a team working very hard on it.

The more you can tell us,
the quicker we can find him.

Could Ryan have got down
from the ride by himself?

I dunno, he's been on it loads of
times. No, he wouldn't just get off.

Was anyone else with you?

I was supposed to meet my ex, Jimmy,
but he never showed.

Is Jimmy Ryan's Dad?
Yeah.

And is that Ryan's toy?

Yeah, he takes it everywhere.
Can't sleep without it.

We could use that. The Police dogs
can pick up Ryan's scent from that.

If you don't mind?

Thanks.

Try not to worry, we'll do our
very best to help you through it.

Karen? Yep. Kayla, Karen will take
you home, and get a few things

and we'll meet you
down at the station.

Right.

Snatching a kid from a ride
right in front of his own mum.

This bastard's got balls.

Yeah, and I know what I'd like to do
with them.

How can a kid get snatched in front of
20 witnesses and no one see anything?

You know what it's like
when you put your kid on a ride -

they're having
the time of their life,

you're just watching your own kid,
not anybody else's.

I bet half the mums and dads
caught it on their phones.

Get Ange
to go through all the photos

and video footage
we can get our hands on.

That'll be a problem. She's trawling
through all the CCTV footage.

The dad was supposed
to make contact today.

You know, this is probably
just a custody thing.

The dad apparently had access
once a month,

and he was meant to meet them
at the merry-go-round

20 minutes before Ryan was snatched.
He never showed up.

Maybe he did and she never saw him.

Yeah, well, if the Dad did take
the kid, hopefully he's safe.

Yeah, right, because dads never harm
their own kids, do they?

All I'm saying, Matt,
is if this is a custody thing

then he's gonna look after the kid,
take care of him.

He couldn't have left the country

the missing child alert
was actioned within the hour.

Kayla's waiting in there.

Karen's collected the kid's
toothbrush for DNA, just in case,

but let's rule out Dad before
we consider any other options.

You've gotta find him before
it gets dark. He hates the dark.

Kayla, Ryan's dad, um...

Jimmy.
Yeah, Jimmy.

Has he ever missed a visit before?
No.

He's always on at me
for extra visits.

Do you think he might've taken Ryan?
He wouldn't.

Well, maybe...maybe he felt he wasn't
getting enough time with Ryan.

I dunno.

And do you have a boyfriend now?
No.

So it's just you and Ryannin the flat,

and his dad comes and visits
once a month? Yeah.

Look, Jimmy hasn't took Ryan.
He wouldn't.

Have you got a mobile?
Course.

Did you take any pictures today
of Ryan on the ride?

No. My card's full.

But you have photographs of Ryan
on there, yeah?

Er, yeah. Um, I took...

I took this one
last week. On his birthday.

Ryan's father is Jimmy Burton, 25,
carpet fitter.

Uniform's been round his flat
no one home.

And his mobile goes straight to
answerphone,

so does his home number.
So we're onto him.

We've got a search out for his car

and we've added his details
to Ryan's alert.

If he did take his kid
and do a runner,

someone must know
what he was planning to do.

Maybe his best mate?
Or the Grandma.

My Jimmy loves that boy enough

for 10 dads.

And only gets to see him
once a month? Yeah.

Being away from your kids
can break a dad's heart.

Break the gran's heart an' all.
But grandparents don't have rights.

Why did Jimmy and Kayla split up?

They was just kids themselves
when they had Ryan.

They never stood a chance.

So was the break up amicable?

Well, the only thing
they argued about was Ryan.

Jimmy wanted to see more of him.

But Kayla didn't want that?

She was all right about visits
till six months ago,

and she cut Jimmy's access down
to once a month.

And that upset Jimmy?

He told me he'd had it
with her messing him about.

He wanted it sorted.
Enough to take Ryan?

No, no. He was doing it by the book.
He got himself a solicitor.

To get more access?
To get custody.

Oh, no. No, I know it looks bad
but I swear to God,

Jimmy wouldn't do anything
to mess up his chances

of getting Ryan for good.

I reckon glamour gran's straight up.

So do I, but maybe Jimmy
hasn't told her everything.

If he takes that kid without Kayla's
permission, even for one day,

the family court thing's
gonna go against him.

Well, you don't know how it feels not
to be able to see your kids, Matt.

No ta.

Sarah still not returned your calls,
then? No.

She's probably busy, eh?

I've been through all the footage
covering the merry-go-round.

This is Kayla and Ryan arriving.

This is Kayla watching Ryan
on the ride.

What about the ride itself, Ange?
Can you see Ryan on it?

If we could, we'd know who took him.

None of the cameras are clear enough
to see who's on it.

And no sign of Jimmy Burton?

I'm sorry.

Ryan's on the "at risk" register.

Five months ago, one of the Nursery
staff called social services

after spotting some bruising
on his legs.

Kayla claims that he got it
falling off the slide in the park.

Last visit was a week ago.

Ryan's case worker,
Bernice Bradley's on holiday,

so you'll have to wait
for her last report

but the rest are in there.

Why aren't the reports filed
immediately after a visit?

Bernie's got 15 cases on the go.
Can be a week or two

before a caseworker gets time
to write a report.

How long's Ryan been on
the register? Five months.

He had some bruising
but we think it was accidental.

Then why's he still on the register?
His mum's on her own,

she's vulnerable.
In what way?

She's young, inexperienced,
no family support.

She needed some help.
What kind of help?

We got her some parenting classes.
She's doing really well.

So no major concerns
over Ryan's welfare?

With a bit more support from us
she could be a really good mum.

Why didn't Kayla tell us about
social services herself?

Gov, her focus is on
getting her kid back.

That's gonna be the last thing
on her mind.

Any news on Jimmy?
No sign of him.

You've spoken to his boss?
And his work colleagues.

Everyone thinks he's
a thoroughly decent blokes. Gov,

if he has got Ryan, maybe we can make
him see sense to bring the boy in.

An appeal.
Yeah.

That way
we can get to Jimmy directly.

We don't want to scare him off too
much, he's already gone to ground.

Don't worry. I'll get a psychologist
to phrase the appeal

in such a way
that if Jimmy has got Ryan,

he'll feel compelled
to bring him in.

If you've got my Ryan,
you need to bring him back.

We need him home with his family.

He needs his mum.

Please bring my baby back.

Ladies and gents, we're not taking
any questions at this point.

Thank you.
If you think you've seen Ryan,

please give us a call at the police
incident room.

And if you've got Ryan,

Ryan's mum...and Dad
love him very, very much,

so just pick up the phone.
That's all you have to do.

We need Ryan back.

Thank you very much.

No questions today, thank you.

You'll have plenty of chances
when we know a a bit more.

Was I all right?
Yeah, you were great.

Most people find it really tough.

But did I look OK?

Yeah.

Are we sure
he's not just some nutter?

Well, Reception checked his ID,
they reckon he's legit.

Let's find out then, shall we?

Have you found him yet?
Jimmy Burton? Yeah.

Take a seat.

I came
the minute I heard the appeal.

Please tell me he's safe.

Please tell me you've found my son.

This is crazy.
Why do you think I'd take him?

Kayla said she was meant to meet you
yesterday morning to collect Ryan.

Today. Today I was meant to meet
him. She always gets it muddled up.

Where were you yesterday, Jimmy? Your
boss told us you took the day off.

I was driving up to Birmingham,
to meet this bloke. Dan Tyler.

Dan runs this fathers' rights group.
He was gonna help me with my case.

To get custody of Ryan?

It was all right at first.

Kayla let me take him
every time she wanted a night out.

Every time there was a new bloke,
she wanted Ryan out the way.

And what changed that?

About six months ago
she stopped returning my calls.

I went round her flat but she
wouldn't answer the door.

After that, if I wanted to see Ryan
I had to meet her somewhere public.

Like the merry-go-round?

Cos we weren't married and she never
put me on the birth certificate,

I got no rights to my own kid.
Can you believe that?

Dad's alibi checks out,
he's in the clear.

I've been on to the dog unit.

The only scent that they picked up
must have been Kayla Stark's

cos they followed it to the point
where she gets into one of our cars.

Why didn't they pick up
Ryan's scent?

Kayla claims she washed the toy
the night before Ryan went missing.

If he'd held it all morning, the
dogs would have picked up his scent.

When my Sarah was a kid,
she had this toy rabbit.

Went everywhere with her,
ate with her, slept with her

she watched the telly with it. Even
if she went on a bus, or in the car,

or on a ride, who was sat in the seat
next to her all the time? Every time?

That rabbit.

So why wasn't this dinosaur
toy thing on the ride with Ryan?

It fell off and I picked it up.
Why didn't you give him back to him?

No, I couldn't.
The ride was going round.

And Ryan didn't mind?

No.

You said he was very attached
to the toy.

A lot of kids
would have screamed the place down

had that happened to them.
He was enjoying the ride.

Thing is, Kayla...no one remembers
Ryan being on the ride,

or you putting him on it,
or you paying for it.

We've looked at all the CCTV footage
for the area

and we can see you, Kayla,
pushing the buggy,

but we don't see Ryan in the buggy.

I don't understand.
Of course he's in it.

Have you erm,
have you found his dad yet?

Cos I've been thinking, and I reckon
you might be right -

I reckon that Jimmy
could've taken him.

Jimmy's here at the station, Kayla.
He doesn't have Ryan.

He might be lying.

I mean he could've took him
up to his mum's. She hates me.

She'd do anything to get back at me.

The only scent that the dogs found
on the scene was yours.

It's like Ryan was never there.
That's because I washed Dino, innit?

But when the liaison officer took you
back to your flat to get your things,

she took a couple of pillowcases
from Ryan's bed

and the dogs didn't pick his scent up
on the ride or anywhere else.

Well, I washed them too.

Before you took Ryan out?
The night before.

So where did Ryan sleep?

We should be out there!
Looking for him!

Could you take me, Ronnie?

Maybe if we go somewhere
where I went before,

maybe I can remember something,
or find something that might help!

We got all the data off her phone,
and downloaded all the photos.

There's 60 of them.

Well, she said it was full.
No, the data card holds 500.

Why would she lie about that?

Any photographs of Ryan on there?

Only the one she showed you.
The other 59 are of this bloke.

Well, who's that? She said she didn't
have a boyfriend at the minute.

Could be an ex.

Yeah, but, I mean that is at Ryan's
birthday party last week.

Surely she'd have mentioned him?

We checked the internet access
on the phone.

She visited this website
five times last week.

It's a discussion thread
for illegal adoption.

Oh, you're joking.

She messaged a couple
of forum members too.

Said she's got a two-year-old boy
who she can't look after anymore.

So maybe Ryan was coming between her
and lover boy. Yeah.

If she didn't want him anymore,

why didn't she just give him back
to his dad? He wanted custody.

Spite maybe.

I mean, Jimmy's had trouble
in the last six months

getting to see Ryan, hasn't he? So...

So she gives him away
to a complete stranger?

I'm sorry, doesn't make any sense.

You've never had the pleasure of
walking down the aisle, have you?

So many people
can't have kids of their own.

But loads of kids
get adopted legally.

It takes years that, doesn't it?

And not every kid, by the way,
is a two-year-old cute blonde boy.

So some desperate couple
skips the red tape

and she gets her freedom back.

If she wanted to give him away maybe
she made up the abduction story

just to cover her tracks.
We've got to get her talking.

She wanted me to go out there
and help her find Ryan, so...

I'd be happier
if you talked to her here.

No, cos If Ron goes out
and retraces her steps,

we get to see the whole journey
in detail.

And if there was a handover,
maybe somebody saw something.

Well, all right. But I want you on a
wire. We've got to cover our arses.

You and Jimmy don't get on, then?

He doesn't like me having boyfriends
in case Ryan likes them too much.

Maybe he's scared of
losing Ryan for good.

I mean, you get married,
Ryan gets a new dad.

I'm not getting married
until I'm at least 25.

How comes you don't have a boyfriend?
Pretty girl like you,

they must be queuing up
round the block.'

'Yeah, cos they really wanna be
lumbered with someone else's kid.'

'Do you regret having Ryan so young?'

Used to be all I ever wanted.

Be like them girls pushing prams
round the estate, all proud.

I remember at school
they did this talk

about how hard it was to be a mum

and we were all just like,
whatever.

They even had one of them dolls,
you know,

that cries when it needs changing?
Yeah.

Supposed to put you off having kids.

But it didn't put you off?

When it was my turn to take it home,

it was proper screaming at
two o'clock in the morning -

I just took the batteries out.

'Well, you can't do that
with a real baby.'

'Wish I'd had a dad like you.'

'I'm not sure my daughters
would agree!'

'They would if they had my dad.'

My eldest daughter Sarah, she's er...

..she's sort of about your age.

She's expecting a baby.

You're gonna be a granddad.

Well, if she'll let me.

She's not returning my calls.

Why not?

Because the dad she remembers

chose a bottle of whisky
over her and her sister.

So, where next?

You don't drink now, then?
Not for 2,198 days.

Your daughter not proud?

It doesn't change the past, does it?

And I'm not proud of that, so...

Bet all she wants
is a big hug from her dad.

Talk to me, Kayla.
Trust me.

I've kind of told you
a white lie, Ronnie.

I have got a boyfriend.

We...

..we had a row before I come out.

What about?
Jimmy.

And he doesn't like Jimmy
seeing Ryan?

He doesn't like me seeing Jimmy.

He got me to stop the visits.
Oh.

And sometimes I'd let Jimmy see Ryan
in secret,

but...if he found out,
he'd go mental.

Does your boyfriend have a name?

'Rob.'

'Does Rob have a temper?'

He doesn't like it when Ryan cries.

But kids cry. You can't stop 'em.

Did he ever try and stop Ryan
from crying?

He couldn't think straight
with all that noise.

That's what he said.

'I left the house about 10:30,

come up the shops to buy fish
fingers and chips for Ryan's tea.'

When I met Rob I thought that he
liked kids. He's got enough of 'em.

How many kids has he got?
Four.

He don't see 'em or nothing.

Must cost him a fortune
in child support.

No, it's all right, he's on benefit
so he don't pay or anything.

And where does Rob live?
We're just down there.

Hang on a minute,
so you live in Morden Rise with Rob?

But I thought you lived
in Tollington View.

I did. But Rob wanted us
to move into his place.

But your name's still on
your old flat.

My mate lives there with her kid.

So the pillowcases and toothbrush,
they weren't even Ryan's?

'I'm sorry. I lied.'

Morden Rise.
All units to Morden Rise.

Sorry, babe.
I had to tell them what you done.

Stupid cow!

Search the bedrooms. Cuff him.

Robert Whitely, I'm arresting you

on suspicion of kidnapping
Ryan Stark.

No, nothing.

What have you done with Ryan, Kayla?
Where is he?

He's in heaven, Ronnie.

My baby boy is in heaven
with the angels.

My client has prepared a statement
which he would like to read out.

I left my flat at 13 Morden Rise
at five.

My mate, Colin Woods,
picked me up in his car

and we drove to Milton Keynes
where he lives.

We had a few drinks at his place
and then went clubbing.

We were drinking all night,
and didn't get to London

until the next day.

Did you go into Ryan's room
before you went out? No comment.

You say you were drinking heavily.

Do you remember coming home?
No comment.

Do you have any memory of what you
did when you got home? No comment.

Did you go into Ryan's bedroom
when you got home? No comment.

Did you k*ll Ryan Stark?
I never went near her bloody kid!

Shut up, Rob.

My client has no further comments
to make.

So, what are we talking here?
Sustained abuse or a single att*ck?

Well, there's evidence of
ongoing neglect and injuries

dating back six months.

And he never came to the attention
of Social Services?

This is the updated file. Ryan was
subject to a Child Protection plan

for the last five months
of his life.

Doesn't look like they did
a very good job!

They were on the back foot.
Social Services weren't aware that

Kayla and Ryan were living with
Whitely until after Ryan d*ed.

They were running a benefit scam,
claiming on two flats.

All Social Services visits happened
at Kayla's flat.

So they had no idea Rob Whitely was
on the scene? Exactly.

What was the cause of death?
Suffocation.

We can't be sure how.
He had three cracked ribs

and there was bruising on his back.

And we think during the att*ck

Whitely pressed his full weight down
onto Ryan.

The pathologist then reckoned that
had that happened on a sofa or a bed,

Ryan could easily have suffocated.
Were both of them abusing him?

Kayla knew what Whitely was up to,
that's for sure,

but it was definitely Whitely
that was hurting the boy.

He had a sovereign ring
when we arrested him.

We matched marks from Ryan's body
to that ring.

Initially, Kayla claimed Whitely
was abusing Ryan.

She changed her story?
Not exactly.

When we arrested them
and they got briefed up,

their only words were "no comment."

But Whitely did come up with some
sort of an alibi, didn't he? Yeah.

Does it check out?

We've got evidence of him being
in a nightclub part of the night,

but he easily had time enough
to get back and k*ll Ryan.

So is this child cruelty resulting
in death or is it m*rder?

No, no, it is m*rder.
No doubt about it.

Kayla and Rob Whitely
haven't made any attempt

to explain how or why Ryan d*ed.

That's to be expected.

Their legal advisors have made sure
they don't incriminate themselves.

I can't promise
we can secure a m*rder conviction,

but I will do my best to make sure
they both go to prison.

I've got journalists...

..banging my door down,
day and night...

..wanting my story.

All of a sudden everyone wants
to hear what I got to say.

For the past six months...

..I've been begging someone
to listen...

..and all I heard was
I got no right to see my own son.

I'm his dad.
I should've kept him safe.

You know m*rder is notoriously hard
to prove in child cruelty cases.

The abuse speaks for itself.

A jury who sees the photographs
will want to bring back hanging.

A life sentence is a soft option.

You think the Home Secretary
wants a big expensive trial?

What's the alternative?

I'm not dropping the m*rder charge

to save the Ministry of Justice
a few quid, Henry.

Just make sure
those two don't get bail.

Kayla was removed from her family
at the age of five

following chronic sexual abuse
and physical v*olence

at the hands of
her alcoholic father.

Spare me the sob story.

I have a report here from a clinical
psychologist

specialising in women
who collude with a partner's abuse.

It states that my client had
"Developed a narcissistic attitude

towards her son, viewing him
as an extension of herself".

So what are you saying?
It wasn't her fault her son d*ed?

I'm saying her norms are radically
different to yours or mine.

She's only worthy of cruelty,
so that's how she treats her child.

And I can cite you women
like Shy Keenan

who endured the most horrific abuse

but came out the other side a hero
not an abuser.

It's a choice.

Not if it affects
her fitness to plead.

History of abuse has no bearing
on fitness to plead.

She's as sane as any one of us,
and you know it.

Sane maybe, but she also has
severe learning difficulties

and the IQ of a 10-year-old child.

Well, 10 is the age of criminal
responsibility so we're good to go.

You really don't remember me,
do you?

I'm sorry, should I?

Phone number on the bedside table
would've been nice.

Defence are going to argue
if Kayla Stark

hadn't been a victim of abuse,
none of this would've happened.

An abusive childhood
might be convenient mitigation

but it isn't an excuse for m*rder.
She deserves to go to prison.

Any juror will see
they deserve jail time,

but what they did needs explaining.

These are the wrong defendants
to get all touchy feely over.

They end up in psych units, the Home
Secretary'll hang us all out to dry.

I think we need to cover ourselves
and order our own psych evaluations.

Because her brief found a psychiatrist
who claims Kayla Stark has a low IQ?

Because we need to be one step ahead
of defence.

And don't you wanna know why
they k*lled Ryan?

If we don't ask why, who will?

Substitute psychology for morality
and our jobs become obsolete.

Deny they had a choice,
you deny responsibility.

So you really don't care why?
Not in this case, no.

All I care about is convicting one
of them for the m*rder of a child.

If we push for a m*rder trial
we could lose.

There isn't enough evidence to prove
which one of them k*lled Ryan.

She's right. If we can't prove
which one k*lled the boy,

there's sufficient reasonable doubt
to see them both walk.

We could consider a manslaughter
charge,

try and get them
to plead guilty.

We may not get them
to plead at all.

Whitely and Stark's briefs
have joined forces.

They've applied for
a fitness to plead hearing.

Sorry Mr Browning, I have no doubt
Robert Whitely is fit to plead.

I have some concerns, however,
regarding Kayla Stark's IQ

and her learning difficulties.

Has she the mental ability
to follow the proceedings?

We try 10-year-old children
for m*rder

without regard to their ability
to follow proceedings.

I'm not interested in debating
the age of criminal responsibility,

only in Kayla Stark's ability to
understand what she's pleading to.

The psychiatric evaluations suggest
that she doesn't, m'Lord.

So on the say so of two psychiatrists
who've seen her for five minutes,

we go from m*rder to nothing
in less than an hour!

If she's not fit to plead,
she's not fit to plead.

It's not rocket science. Which is fortunate
as none of us are rocket scientists.

There is also my defendant's family
history to take into consideration.

Which you can introduce in trial but
bears no relevance to this hearing.

Indeed, Mr Thorne.

According to reports, she is not
suffering from mental illness.

So, the only issue is her IQ
and her learning difficulties.

She was capable of concocting
a story

that her child had been abducted.

Low IQ or not, she is quite capable
of standing trial.

I'm sorry, Miss Dyer,
I'm with the Crown on this.

Anyone capable of weaving
such an elaborate web of lies

is capable of entering a plea.

The charges stand.
Trial will commence on Monday.

What do you reckon? 10 minutes
before one of them caves?

15 if they've got any self respect.

Yvette or Gregor?
Yvette, definitely.

I reckon Gregor secretly wants
the glory of a high profile trial.

Yvette actually cares about
her clients. Jake!

And she fancies you.

We'll plead guilty to causing
or allowing the death of a child.

Great news. It'll help us secure
the m*rder conviction.

If you drop the m*rder charge.

Even if she pleads
to the lower charge,

she could still end up in prison
for life. So we all rest easy.

Except for Ryan's dad.
Oh, come on, Jake.

Accept the plea and we'll give you
Whitely gift wrapped.

Kayla will turn QE?

She'll give you every last detail
you need to crucify Whitely

and put him away for m*rder.

Ronnie.

I've heard you've accepted a plea
from Kayla Stark.

She pleaded guilty to causing
or allowing the death of a child.

She was sentenced this morning,
five year tariff.

We charged her with m*rder
on joint enterprise.

We've got no evidence to prove
which one k*lled Ryan.

We put them both in that dock,

their briefs'll cry reasonable doubt
and they can walk.

I know why you did it, but
it's just a matter of time

before Whitely's brief comes knocking
at your door for the same deal.

If you accept Whitely's plea,
they could both be out in five years.

Please, please tell me you think more
of that little boy's life than that.

You've been a copper long enough
to know how the law works, Ronnie.

Long enough to hope

that if I charge someone with m*rder,
they will be tried for m*rder.

Ronnie,

you have my word,

with Kayla's evidence,
I can try Whitely with m*rder

and send him to prison for life.

Did my client, Robert Whitely,

ever confess to k*lling Ryan Stark?

No.

So all you have is his ex-girlfriend
Kayla Stark's claim that he did?

Well, she was very clear about
who k*lled her son.

These claims Kayla made

were offered up during a little walk
you took together?

Yes they were, but we went out
together to retrace her steps.

Ah. I thought you took her out

to ask her personal, probing
questions about her love life.

I was trying to find out if Ryan
was at risk from someone else.

And did you tell her she was pretty?

My learned friend is deviating
into fantasy land, m'Lord.

His insinuation DS Brooks, an
officer with an impeccable record,

had some ulterior motive
is beyond ridiculous.

Withdrawn, m'Lord.

Let me ask you one more time,
DS Brooks,

so we are completely clear,

during the course of
the police interviews,

did Robert Whitely at any time

say he was responsible
for Ryan's death?

No.
No further questions, m'Lord.

Re-examination, m'Lord.

Am I right in assuming

that other than a brief statement
setting out his alibi,

the defendant said nothing more than
"no comment"

while he was in police custody?
Apart from one abusive remark, yes.

And am I also right in assuming

when you went out with Kayla Stark
on this search for Ryan,

you were under the assumption that
Ryan had been illegally adopted?

Evidence suggested that Kayla had
given Ryan away.

So we thought by retracing her steps,
we could find some new witnesses.

So the only reason you took
this unorthodox approach

was because you believed there was
a slim chance of finding Ryan alive,

and you might rescue him?

Well, we had hoped that
that was the case, yes.

Thank you, Detective Sergeant,
you've been most helpful.

Did Whitely att*ck Ryan
the night he d*ed?

I was in bed...and Ryan was crying.

Rob went into Ryan's room.

I heard him shouting.

I heard Ryan - he was crying
and then he stopped.

When I went to get Ryan up
in the morning,

I knew he was dead.

I was scared. Jimmy was supposed to
see him the next day. I panicked.

And pretended Ryan
had been abducted?

Yeah.

So there is no doubt in your mind

that your son was alive when Robert
Whitely entered his room that night

and dead when he left it?

No doubt at all.

You pleaded guilty to
"causing or allowing" Ryan's death.

Did anyone else allow Ryan's death?

Did anyone else know about
Ryan's injuries?

His social worker, Bernie Bradley,
she knew.

Is my learned friend simply
hurling mud left, right and centre

and seeing where it lands,

or does this bear any relevance to
the question of his client's guilt?

Make your point, Mr Browning.

There were 23 separate visits
or meetings with social workers

who came into your home and asked
you questions about Ryan's injuries?

Yeah. So how is it possible that
Ryan continued to suffer abuse?

I covered it up.
To protect your boyfriend?

No to protect Ryan.

I grew up in care.
I know what them places are like.

I was afraid they'd
take him away from me.

And these social workers,
they believed your lies?

I dunno. They wanted to get out of
my house as quick as they could.

That Bernie Bradley woman
said my flat smelled.

She didn't want to conduct
further visits to a child

with inexplicable repeated serious
injuries because your flat smelled?!

That's right. And did she come on
a visit the week before Ryan d*ed?

And how long did Bernie Bradley stay?
She didn't.

She was on the doorstep
a minute or so.

Did she see Ryan?
He was asleep.

So a week before Ryan's death,

this senior social worker,
responsible for Ryan's welfare,

conducted this final visit

and then walked away
without even seeing him?!

Yeah.

No further questions my Lord.

Gregor did a good job of making
Ryan's social worker sound culpable.

Yeah, maybe she had a role
in Ryan's death

but you can't lay the blame
on a bureaucratic system.

Even if they failed
to protect a child?

Social Services have already sacked
Bernice Bradley

to save their own skins. Gregor's
turning this into a witch hunt.

If he causes enough confusion,
the jury won't know who to blame.

Aren't you the one responsible for
Ryan Stark's death?

I mean, you're the social worker
who saw him 23 times

and between your visits
he was battered senseless.

Kayla Stark hid what was going on.
She lied about where she was living.

Wasn't it your job
to dig a little deeper?

A week before he d*ed,
I sent Ryan's case for review

so care proceedings could be considered.
It's not in the file.

There was an administrative error
in the department.

My written request
was misfiled by a temp.

Are you telling this court the life of an
abused child was in the hands of a temp?

Our department was already short
staffed before our funding was cut.

You were there, were you not?
You didn't notice Ryan's case

hadn't come up for review?

I thought about that little boy
all the time.

And yet you didn't help him.
I went there the night he d*ed!

There's no record of any visit that night.
It was out of hours.

I turned up at the address
on the file and she wasn't there.

Her old neighbour told me
where she was now living,

I went round there and I told her
I was issuing care proceedings.

Are you 100 per cent certain

this impromptu doorstep visit
took place

the night Ryan d*ed
and not the week before?

100 hundred percent.
It was my birthday

and I spent it writing a report
stating she was living at Whitely's.

I posted it through the office door
at 5am

before I got my flight to Spain.
And it never went into the file?

It was added to the request
to issue care proceedings.

Which got misfiled.

By the time it was found,
I'd been summarily dismissed.

I did everything in my power
to protect that little boy.

You have to believe me.

Thanks a lot, Bernie.

Kayla lied about the last visit.

She said in court that Bernie came
round the week before Ryan d*ed.

Which she did. The last official
visit at Kayla's old flat

was the week before Ryan's death.

But the doorstep visit
was at Whitely's flat

and happened the night Ryan d*ed.

You'd remember if your social worker
came round the night your kid d*ed.

So, what else
has she been lying about?

Ronnie? It's Jacob Thorne.

What exactly did you say to Kayla
Stark to get her to open up to you?

The night Bernie Bradley came round

and you spoke to her
on your doorstep, was Rob there?

He was out clubbing. We'd had a row.

He didn't come back
till the next day.

So the visit took place at Rob
Whitely's flat?

Not your old flat, like all
the other Social Services visits?

Yeah. Well, she'd found out
I was living there, hadn't she?

Some busybody mouthing off.

What time did he go out
and what time did he return?

He went out about eight.
Got back the next morning about 10,

just before I went out.

Where did you go?

Where did you go?
I don't remember.

You went to the corner shop,
didn't you? You bought fish fingers.

You went to the park, then you went
to the merry-go-round in Bermondsey.

No, I didn't. Not that day.
Then you raised the alarm

that your son was missing,

claiming that he'd been snatched
from the merry-go-round.

Isn't that the case?
You've got it wrong.

Bernice Bradley has told this court
she went round to Whitely's flat

and told you she was issuing care
proceedings on the night Ryan d*ed.

She remembers quite distinctly
because it was her birthday.

You told the court that Rob was out
the night Bernie made her visit

which tallies with his alibi that
he was clubbing in Milton Keynes.

According to the pathology report,
Ryan d*ed between 10pm and 6am.

If Robert Whitely wasn't at home
during these hours,

how did Ryan die?

He went in his room
before he went out. I wasn't lying.

No, you weren't lying, Kayla,

but you weren't telling us
the whole truth either, were you?

You told this court you went into
Ryan's room at 8 the next morning

to get him up, but you went in
before that, didn't you?

He was in so much pain.

You suffered extensive abuse

at the hands of your own father,
didn't you, Kayla?

It must have been heartbreaking,
seeing Ryan suffer like you did?

I had to make it stop.
Of course you did.

That's what mums do, isn't it?

Try and take away their child's
suffering. What did you do?

Talk to me, Kayla.

Trust me.

They were gonna take him into care.

I...

I got a pillow...

..and I put it on his face...

..till he stopped moving.

I...I just wanted him to be safe.

I'm sorry.

Jimmy, Jimmy...I'm so sorry.

Kayla's pleading guilty
to the m*rder charge.

She knows she'll go to prison?

She incriminated herself in open
court. She's hardly got options.

Henry will be thrilled you've saved
the MOJ the cost of another trial.

And they can sentence her
along with Whitely,

so, two for the price of one.

And you don't have to spar with me
across the court room

for the next few weeks. Result.

Blue tulip...

left shoulder blade.

Some things I don't forget.

Kayla Stark,
you have pleaded guilty to m*rder.

I have no other option than to
sentence you to life in prison

for the minimum term of 20 years.

Robert Whitely, you have been found
guilty of causing or allowing

the death of a child.

It is my belief you played a major
role in the death of that child

and had he not been moved into your
home, he would still be alive now.

I therefore sentence you

to a term of imprisonment
for public protection

with a minimum term of eight years.
Take them down.

Jake!

Thank you.

We did the right thing.

Yeah, we did.

Do you fancy a pint?

I can't tonight. Er...

Actually, I've got plans.
I'm seeing my daughter.

Another time. Yeah?
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