Episode 3
The barristers investigate a curious case of poisoning in Croydon. It's a tale of deceit, suspected fraud and a murder that caused the demise of an innocent family in 1907.
Leading Criminal Barristers Sasha Wass and Jeremy Dein investigate a curious case of poisoning in Croydon in 1907 that caused the demise of an innocent family.
In South Croydon in 1907, a ghastly poisoning occured. The victims, husband and wife Richard and Elizabeth Beck, were discovered by police lying dead on their kitchen floor, with their daughter Daisy severely ill on the sofa. Officers noted a peculiar smell that hung in the air, found to emanate from a bottle of oatmeal stout left on the table and soon identified to have contained prussic acid, the cause of death. Police quickly tracked down and questioned the family’s lodger, Reginald Parker, who in turn pointed the finger at a visitor who had called earlier that evening.
That visitor was no stranger. Richard Brinkley, 53, was well known to Parker, who spun a tale of a deceitful man, a fraudster with murderous intent. He claimed that it was not the Becks but he, Parker, who Brinkley wanted dead. Despite vehemently denying all accusations, Brinkley stood trial, and with his friend Parker as the prosecution’s star witness, he was swiftly found guilty and sentenced to death.
More than a century later, Roly and Nigel, the great-great grandsons of Richard Brinkley, want to learn the truth about their ancestor. Could he have really committed such a heinous crime?
Jeremy and Sasha explore the motive at the centre of the case and discover that there may be more to the friendship of Brinkley and Parker. Can they unearth new evidence to convince a crown court judge that Brinkley’s conviction was unsafe?
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Richard Brinkley's final moments
Duration: 01:27
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Sasha Wass |
Presenter | Jeremy Dein |
Executive Producer | Mike Benson |
Production Department | Michael Klokkos |
Production Manager | Zlatina Rankova |
Producer | Lorna Hartnett |
Series Producer | Simon Cooper |
Broadcasts
- Wed 27 Mar 2019 09:15
- Thu 28 Mar 2019 06:30
- Fri 26 Apr 2019 03:50
- Wed 21 Aug 2019 15:45
- Thu 17 Mar 2022 15:30Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two except Northern Ireland & Northern Ireland HD