BBC2 The Verdict: Day One
Twelve well-known faces, including Michael Portillo, Ingrid Tarrant, Stan Collymore, Jennifer Ellison and Honor Blackman, start jury service in The Verdict.
Over the next four days, they sit in judgement on the trial of a high-profile rape case in a real courtroom, presided over by a real judge, His Honour Neil Denison, QC, with real barristers prosecuting and defending. On the last day, the jury will retire to the jury room to begin their deliberations. Viewers will be able to see exactly how a jury reaches its conclusions.
The other jurors are author and former Conservative MP Jeffrey Archer; head of the Ann Summers empire Jacqueline Gold; Blur band member Alex James; So Solid Crew member Megaman; Brit Teen Entrepreneur Dominic McVey; actress Patsy Palmer; and the mother who campaigned for Sarah’s law following the murder of her daughter, Sara Payne.
The characters of the two men accused, the alleged victim and the eye witness are all played by actors. One night, last September, the actors took part in an unscripted improvisation. This trial treats the events of that night as if they were real. During the following days, the characters were all questioned by real police officers and forensic evidence was retrieved. Arrests were made, statements were taken, solicitors were instructed and three of the UK’s leading criminal barristers began to prepare their cases. During this trial, the prosecution and the defence are free to argue their cases as they see fit. The trial is totally unscripted.
The case begins with the testimony of 19-year-old Anna Crane, who claims to have been raped following a night out in London with her best friend Clare Golding. She explains how, after seeing a show, she met internationally famous footballer Damien Scott and his friend, James Greer, in a hotel bar.
Breaking down, she says that following an argument with Clare, she was left alone in the room with the men. She claims she was raped by both of them, as well as by one other unknown male.
In the afternoon, Clare takes the stand and tries to explain why she secretly recorded her friend and sold her story to a national newspaper.
Over dinner that evening, the jurors have the opportunity to discuss the case all together.
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February 11th, 2007 at 11:56 pm
my personal view is that, the lady is a liar,and they both know what they are doing and only wanted to make some money out of it, I am in no doubt she had sex with them but it was consented, I find it hard to beleive she had no bruises or marks on her,I would fight for my life if i was in that position, I know we havnt heard all the evidence yet, but did any of the men have marks on them, to prove she fought back at all, waiting to hear that bit????
February 12th, 2007 at 11:39 am
I may have misheard where the tape-recording was made, but surely it would not have been as loud and as clear if it was made in a cafe. I smell a rat. E.R.
February 12th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
i think Anna is lying, no marks and clothes still intact, nobody heard any screams and listening to that tape it was so cold your best friend wouldnt have asked you the questions like that, no i just dont believe it
February 12th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
Both the footballer and the victim lied. I do however think the footballer is more worried about what his girl friend thinks but the girl is obviously frightened by her father’s reaction and I think she is telling the truth, otherwise she wouldn’t have mentioned she’d had sex if it had been consentual.
February 12th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Personally i don’t believe any one should have any judgment in waether this girl has been raped or not as yet. Ok understandably we have heard that there was no marks and she did not fight but all thees people saying “i would fight,scream,bite,punch and kick” have never been in such a postion as to say what you would do. Anna may have been helpless and felt so scared to do anything these men were apprently very aggresive so i don’t believe that because she never fought that makes her Guilty! Yes she had sex with the thats a known fact but I’m not sure wheather i believe there was consent or not i shall look foward to the men’s story!
February 12th, 2007 at 11:38 pm
I’m simply glad that I’ve never been called to do jury service with Stan Collymore - even if I had no knowledge of his very checquered past (which I do) I’d be wanting to smash his arrogant smug face in!!! Why does he feel he’s the only balanced individual in there? Why does he feel that he has the right to talk over everyone?
If I were a juror I’d simply look at what he voted and do the complete opposite…………. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr nasty, self centred and biased individual!!!!!!!!!!
February 13th, 2007 at 3:12 am
This is another reality programme which shouldn’t have been made. It trivalises rape.
Switch it off.
Maureen
Newcastle.
February 13th, 2007 at 8:03 am
I work in this environment, and it is somewhat real, except for all the celebs!!! The girl is telling the truth and the guys are lying, you see this all the time. The girl as she is portrayed is a meek and mild girl in fear of her father, she is petrified of his opinion and probably frightened as she is probably not even aloud to speak to men, hence she had to finish her last relationship at her fathers instruction. Stan Colliermore needs a smack in the chops pratt!!!! thnk the verdict will be as you would expect in these circumstances. /The footballer will be not guilty as the jury will not want to be the fault of his career breakdown, and the co accused will be found guilty to make them feel they have done their job. I think this programme is likely to put any real rape victim off coming forward now, after the way she has been attacked on this programme…………..and the way the jury have slated her.
February 13th, 2007 at 10:05 am
After being raped myself, watching this programme just confirms why I did not want to go to the police. I have sat and watched in anger as in reality the person who has been raped in so overcome by fear that they can not scream, kick, bite or even fight them off! I was raped in my mum and dad’s house whilst they were sleeping upstairs, they didn’t hear a thing! I really feel for any rape victim, as if you have never been in this kind of situation you do not know how it feels to be violated then have people question if it is the truth or not. This confirms why so many women/men that have been raped do not go to the police and why the perpetrator gets of without any damaging, lasting effects.
Stan Collymore should not have even been let on this case, seeing as his history of battering women isn’t good! He is arrogant, obnoxious and needs to go and spend some time with real victims! He is made of stone and obviously dos not have one ounce of feeling in his body, all he can say is that he has not seen any actual evidence - what does he want, a video recording of it! But I bet if someone raped is mum or sister, that person would not be alive now! He needs to get a grip of reality!
February 13th, 2007 at 10:46 am
monday nights verdict The Jury what a crock how many times did they go from one scene to the other and the jury had changed their tops etc.
COME ON GET THE EDITS RIGHT
February 13th, 2007 at 11:35 am
This is the most misguided piece of televison that I have ever had the misfortune to watch. There are many, many things wrong with it but I will try and limit my rant.
Firstly, we are seeing only a tiny proportion of the actual case and, therefore, the evidence. We don’t know exactly what the ‘jury’ are seeing and are basing our own judgements on that small amount.
If I was someone contemplating whether to report a rape this programme would absolutely confirm that I would not do it. The harressment in the witness box from the QC for the first defendant and the continued discussion by the jury about her sexual past (one even saying that she was sure that the alleged victim’s father had a abused her) would be enough to put anyone off.
Although discussion about whether the Bristish justice system is best served by the jury system is interesting and relevant this in NOT the way to do it.
Finally - I think Stan Collymore is absolutely valid in his argument that emotion must be taken out of the equation and that the case must be based on the evidence alone. I don’t find him patronising and smug; it is the disgraced peer Jeffrey Archer and his political sidekick Portillo who are patronising and arrogant…
February 13th, 2007 at 11:56 am
Well, Well, here we go again. Have a dig at Stan!! How dare he have a opinion and evenmore dare to express it. Whilst, from the editing of the programme,Stan appears to be talking over everyone, I am pleased that he is a part of the Jury who knows what it is like to be singled out and judged. I would meekly suggest that until you or a loved one is before the court, faced with an allegation/charge that you can truly appreciate the need for jurors to constantly remember their ONLY role which is to make a decision based only on the evidence provided beyond a reasonalbe doubt. Those who may think that this programme is merely a TV show, please remember that because of the personal bias the guilty walks but most importantly the innocent is sent to prison and lives on ruined!!!!. Lets hope that it is never you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 13th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
We think the girl is lying, she is obviously terrified of her fathers reaction and since her friend told the papers the only way she could stop her fathers anger is by saying she was a victim and got raped.
It still is puzzling why he gave her money. he said it was for a train, taxis etc but was he paying for the sex, i mean could she be a prostitute and be terrified her father would find out????
As for Stan Collymore, i think he is ruining the show, with his un asked for rants and constant butting in, i wish someone would comment on his past since he thinks its fair for him to do so about others!!!!
February 13th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
At the moment im thinking guilty, how ever i think the case is more complicated that it seems. Stan Collymore can have his opinion ,hes just to afraid to let others have their’s. Does he not know the old saying “out of the mouth speaks the heart”?.The verbal aggression say more about him than anyone else.It’s kind of sad to watch the mans fears make him loose it on screen.Another jade goody melt down ? BTW that Archer man yewwww!!! he is giving em the creeps what a slimy charector .