Place of Execution

- Season 1

(2008)

In 1963 schoolgirl Alison Carter disappears from the village of Scardale and young policeman George Bennett investigates. Although there is no body it is treated with the seriousness of a murder case, suspects numbering Alison's school-friend Charlie Lomas, though he is eliminated from enquiries and her uncle Simon, a known sex offender, who is later found dead in a field, an apparent suicide. Further evidence points towards Alison's stepfather, Philip Hawkin, an aloof man disliked by the locals and when a gun is stolen from a friend of Hawkin's, George pulls him in ...

George brings Hawkin in for interview and later arrests him after finding his blood-stained shirt and pornographic photographs of Alison. Still protesting his innocence Hawkin stands trial for murder. In the present Catherine is surprised when George suddenly tells her that he no longer wants to take part in her film and she has some reason to suspect that he may have framed Hawkin by doctoring the photographs, which have recently been destroyed. After George suffers a heart attack and is hospitalized Catherine is perturbed when her boss Keith seems to want to subvert...

Despite his barrister's assertion that George Bennett faked the photographs Hawkin is found guilty of the rape and murder of Alison and is hanged - to the joy of the village. In the present Keith sacks Catherine and sends his assistant Nicola to interview George but George's sister refuses her access. Aware that Keith is out to discredit George Catherine persuades Tommy to go to Scardale with her to interview surviving locals and find out what really happened but they are met with hostility and driven away. Returning to the village alone Catherine accidentally ...