Lost Honour Christopher Jefferies

[We3KingyofOblomovAre]

Is there another thread?
I searched.
God, I could barely watch, it was too awful. my heart bled for the poor man.

[Bippidee]

I could not watch it. It seemed too voyeuristic to me to do so. I was taught by him many years ago.

[homeappliance]

I watched the last 45 minutes, I feel so sorry for the him. it's absolutely terrible what he had to endure. I remember when it all happened and thought at the time that the press really over stepped the mark!

[AWholeLottaNosy]

Ooh I started a thread about it, it's in chat. Excellently done but yes I agree, poor man

[We3KingyofOblomovAre]

thanks nosy.goes off in search .......

[ChoochiWoo]

watched it too , so awful was hard to watch, the solicitor was ace.

[Oblique27]

I thought it was excellent, it was made with C J full cooperation, excellent acting and direction

[Icimoi]

Excellent programme. I bet certain newspaper editors absolutely hate it, I suspect there are going to be some very sniffy reviews - unless they decide to try to pretend neither the programme nor the facts it is based on ever happened.

[hollyisalovelyname]

My heart goes out to the family of Joanna Yates. May she rest in peace.
Brilliant actor playing the lead.
Excellent programne.

[makemineadouble1]

I watched about 10 minutes and switched over. Not because of CJ but because I felt so upset for Joanne's family. My DD is around the same age as Joanne and lives ( and lived) in Clifton, Bristol at the time of the murder. Needless to say we were worried about her safety at the time.

I felt this must have made terrible viewing for the family, especially as she was featured in the programme.

I think the programme makers have been very insensitive to the feelings of her family to a) make this and b) broadcast it on the 4th anniversary of her death.

I also think it's very unsavoury for CJ to profit - presumably he has- from the murder of a young woman, regardless of how he was treated by the media ( oh the irony!) and the police.

[We3KingyofOblomovAre]

I disagree with make mine on just about every point.
I did not feel it was insensitive to the family at all.
He has not profitered at all. He received an unconfirmed amount for the damage done to his flat.

The poor man was treated so badly . The police and the media should be ashamed.

I too feel absolute sympathy for the family. Most people do. But his story doesn't detract from feeling sympathy for the family, in any way.

[makemineadouble1]

Put yourself in the shoes of the Yates family; would you really want this programme on now - the anniversary of your daughter's murder?

CJ has courted publicity. I read he was given something like £200K for the slur on his character- maybe I need to check that out but it sickens me to think he has.

Far greater wrong has been done - people imprisoned to almost life- and it doesn't get this amount of coverage.

Sure- 2 wrongs do not make a right, but I think we need to remember the tragedy at the heart of this programme and think less about a man who was wronged by the media, and more about the sort of Christmas the Yates family will have- again.

I think if he had any decency he'd have vetoed the programme instead of being such a prima donna, up his own backside.

[HoraceCope]

i think i read the man who wrote the screen play had also been a journalist and blaming christopher jeffries.
i enjoyed it immensely but am not sure if I can watch further.

[crapcrapcrapcrap]

I haven't watched this programme but followed the case at the time and the media savagery was appalling. Anything that makes these people squirm enough to examine themselves and their actions is entirely worthy. This story is essentially incidental to the (obviously entirely tragic) case and is about the power of the media in our society.

[makemineadouble1]

I think the feelings of this man are insignificant to the feelings of the family and all anyone needs to ask is do they want this all raked up again, on the TV, now? I doubt it.

If the media needs a lesson this is not the way to do it; make it part of a journo training course but don't put a family through the ordeal of watching their daughter's murder being recreated and the hunt for the perpetrator.

[We3KingyofOblomovAre]

You and I disagree completely.
I have a lot of feeling for jo's family.
But I don't see the problem of producing a programme about it. On the anniversary you say . That's very emotive. But it's 4 years later. Hardly the anniversary.

And he was very badly treated. And I don't see him courting publicity. I think he deserves every penny. As do others who experience such a miscarriage of justice.
And I don't see him as a prima madonna. Or up his own arse.

I wonder why you have such an issue with him.
What is your problem with him specifically?
You haven't even actually mentioned the actual murderer , the neighbour , tarabat, I think his name was.
Why don't you focus some of your discontent towards him?

[frillyflower]

I agree with We3king. He was treated appallingly and deserves a programme like this to restore his reputation. He didn't court publicity. He defended himself and a jolly good thing he did.

[Icedfinger]

There was a piece in this weeks Guardian about him. His job is now lecturing and guest speaking on privacy and crime, specifically what happened to him.

I agree that Itv have chosen to broadcast it on an insensitive day. I think if they'd broadcast it at another time viewers might be happier.

[We3KingyofOblomovAre]

Jo yeates was a victim. Her family are also victims as well sadly.
But so is Christopher Jefferies, a victim of this sorry affair.

[lemisscared]

I would imagine, or at least hope, that the family of joanna was consulted about the screening of this program. because if not, lets face it, that would be no better than what happened to CJ.

I absolutely do feel sorry for this man, I am pleased that he has been able to rebuild his life.

The media were so so wrong, it was terrible what happened to that poor man but it could have been worse actually. Their inappropriate publishing of "news" could have jeopardised the case against the actual purportraitor (sorry, its past wine oclock i cant spell) of the crime and resulted in him getting away with it.

[getdownshep]

I've just watched the first episode. That poor man.
What would have happened if his friends had deserted him, if they hadn't organised a good solicitor, if his former pupil hadn't let him stay with his family when he was released?
It was trial by media, he deserves the chance to show his side of a tragic event.

[Sarine1]

What a powerful programme - and a heart wrenching ending putting the focus right back on the murder and loss of Jo.
It doesn't bear thinking about what might have happened if the police hadn't done their job properly and the press furore had been allowed to influence event - CJ would be locked up and a murderer walking the streets.
I thought it was an excellent production.

[We3KingyofOblomovAre]

police done their job properly?
they leaked to the press in the first place. and are as, if not more, guilty then the press themselves. the way the whole police investigation was conducted was a disgrace.

[Darkesteyes]

Agree Sarine and very sensitively handled too.

[makemineadouble1]

We3king
But I don't see the problem of producing a programme about it. On the anniversary you say . That's very emotive. But it's 4 years later. Hardly the anniversary.

Ok- it's not 1 year since her death- it's 4. That is still an anniversary - just as a silver wedding is an anniversary after 25 years.


Can't believe you are so breathtakingly insensitive.
My mum still feels terribly sad on the day of her parents' deaths- decades on- and they were not murdered.

Presumably you don't have children or you would have some empathy.

If CJ was a decent man he'd not court publicity or have agreed to provide details- which I assume he did.

I cannot begin to imagine how her parents must have felt watching- if indeed they did- an actor playing the part of their daughter.

As I said, my own DD lives in that area. I was worried for her safety when this happened. I know the place where her body was found. It makes it more real.

But even without that- this was a programme that must at the very least have stirred up terrible memories for the family.

[Icimoi]

It is an absolute disgrace that you are suggesting that Christopher Jefferies is not a "decent man", makemine. His life was ruined by this event. This is a programme which needs to be made, because we need to shine a light on the activities of both the police and the press, and this has really brought it home to a lot of people what it is to be monstered by the tabloids who have no interest in the truth if they can sell a few more copies.

Remember, Joanna Yeates' family also suffered because of the way the press dealt with this - there were people pointing the finger at her boyfriend, even her father at the time. How do you know that they don't welcome this programme? After all, if the police hadn't wasted time on Jefferies they might have got to Tabak earlier; as it was, they had to go through the roller-coaster of Jefferies being arrested, then released, then further delay before Tabak was arrested.

If we are to say that we must never, never display real events because of the relatives of those at the heart of them, where does that leave us? We would never explore the reality of things like Hillsborough, 9/11, 7/7, the Moors murders. Essentially you are blaming Jefferies for the timing of the programme, which is out of his control.

What really concerns me is that the Press are so uncomfortable about their part in this that they are once again attacking Jefferies. And you are colluding in it.