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Original poster

cherished ( sarah lancashire as angela canning)

35 replies

tiredemma · 15/02/2005 14:39

sarah lancashire and timothy spall in "cherished" about Angela Cannings wrongful conviction of killing her children.
next tues 22nd feb, bbc1 9pm.

OP posts:
knowsomethingishouldnt · 15/02/2005 15:23

I really struggle with this.

I know something I shouldn't but have to be circumspect about what I say to protect the identity of the person who told me, and because of legal ramifications.

Suffice to say - Prof Meadow's work deserved to be totally discredited, but perhaps not all the women convicted on the strength of his evidence were straightforward miscarraiges of justice.

Think of an analogy - the Birmingham 4 for instance. They were guilty as hell but let off because of corruption of the forensic evidence. This did not make them innocent - only innocent in the eyes of the law (which is different)

Can't give you specifics about this situation however - which frustrates me as much as it might you.

Original poster
tiredemma · 15/02/2005 15:31

i understand entirely what you mean- not all of the women who were prosecuted on the basis of prof roy meadows evidence would of been innocent.
and i understand your frustration at being "gagged"
i think that the programme would be good though as sarah lancashire is an excellent actress.

interesting point about the birm 4 though, my mother was very good friends with one of their daughters as teenagers in the 1970's, she clearly remembers certain events in thier house which doesnt put this one particular person in an innocent light- quite the opposite in fact.

OP posts:
tarantula · 15/02/2005 16:06

Who are the Birmingham four?

BadHair · 15/02/2005 16:15

Wasn't it the Birmingham 6? Or were two innocent?
Sorry, no laughing matter, couldn't help myself.

tarantula · 15/02/2005 16:27

actually thats quite funny BadHair.

tarantula · 15/02/2005 16:29

I do think tho that all cases involving Prof Meadows evidence needs to be reexamined ASAP because innocent families have suffered so much because of him and what he did. there may be some cases which were not miscarrages of justice but if even one miscarrage of justice is one too many.

AuntyQuated · 23/02/2005 11:54

did anyone see this last night?
i have just watched it as recorded it yesterday

woodpops · 23/02/2005 12:05

I bloody well fell asleep. Woke up at 3 am with my hair still wet and a wet towel wrapped round me!!!!

bundle · 23/02/2005 12:08

can't take sarah lancashire seriously, she only does 2 expressions: that dozy girl she played on corrie and the worried one from last night, and the full repertoire of both was seen in the rotters club recently...

Beetroot · 23/02/2005 12:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

AuntyQuated · 23/02/2005 12:47

i would do beetroot but unfortunatly i only have the second part...it was split by the news so i managed to stay awke for the first part then recorded the bit after the news. but i will keep hold of it in case someone appears who has the first bit for you.

but there is going to be an interview with angela cannings on at 7.30 tonight; can't remember the programme.

AuntyQuated · 23/02/2005 12:49

BBC 1 - Angela Cannings - The Real Story

it was a very powerful 'story' (sorry, not the right word) and sarah Lancashire didn't take me away from that

btw beety - have you heard anything else from Bunglie? I sent her a card yesterday.

Beetroot · 23/02/2005 12:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

RTKangaMummy · 23/02/2005 13:04

FRIDAY 25 FEBRUARY

Drama

Cherished

9:00pm - 10:00pm

BBC1 Scotland

VIDEO Plus+: 6699
Subtitled, Widescreen

Continued after the News

Powerful drama telling the story of Angela Cannings, who spent two years in prison battling for justice before her conviction for killing two of her babies was overturned. Her family's devastating ordeal and her struggle for justice are covered from the death of her son in 1999 to the moment she walks free after a landmark ruling by the Court of Appeal.

Sarah Lancashire Timothy Spall Amber Wollen Kizzie Hopkinson Lorna Fitzgerald Emma Cunniffe

Repeated in scotland on Friday

I thought it was very good although I was Mumsnetting at the same time so some of the details I missed

AuntyQuated · 23/02/2005 13:17

can you get bbc scotland through sky or cable beety?
think we amy get it thro' cable

AuntyQuated · 23/02/2005 13:30

cable 927 - bbc scotland

let me know if you would like me to record it for you

Caligula · 23/02/2005 13:45

knowsomethingishouldn't, the Birmingham 6 were not guilty as hell. A court of law hasn't been able to convict them beyond reasonable doubt without employing dodgy forensics and torture (they were all beaten up to obtain confessions). The principle of English law is that people are innocent until proven guilty and it's outrageous to go around saying people are guilty as hell without proof.

We could all be accused of anything on the say so of someone who says they know something we don't - that's why we've developed a legal system which doesn't (currently) jail people just because someone else says they're guilty and they can't prove it, but they know so.

bundle · 23/02/2005 13:46

i really don't think people should be saying things like that on here, as mumsnet could be sued for libel

Cam · 23/02/2005 13:51

We're getting close to it though Caligula with the "house arrest" issue

wobblyknicks · 23/02/2005 13:53

knowsomethingishouldnt - yes, there may be one or two cases that have had to be quashed when they really were guilty but when a wrong sentence can be so life destroying then IMO one or two guilty people released for the sake of many innocent people being released is 'acceptable'. Granted, the best outcome would be for everyone guilty to be convicted and everyone innocent to be let off but that never happens.

That might be an unpopular opinion and I hate child abuse and murder as much as the next person but if you can't convict beyond reasonable doubt, then guilty or not you shouldn't be convicting at all. If you can then, then no reasonable doubt should be around to be brought up later.

Caligula · 23/02/2005 13:58

Cam - I had that in mind! Charles Clark might decide I'm a danger to the public next and put me under house arrest (I wouldn't mind if I still had access to Mumsnet, but apparantly he's going to stop people accessing the internet)!

Wobblyknicks - I agree with you.

Caligula · 23/02/2005 13:59

The re-examining of cases doesn't necessarily mean guilty people will get off either. People can now be re-tried for murder.

wobblyknicks · 23/02/2005 14:03

Thanks Caligula - the thought of having something so tragic as losing 3 babies happen to me AND THEN be locked up as a baby killer worries me far more than the thought of someone who really did murder their baby walking the streets.

wobblyknicks · 23/02/2005 14:03

...not that I'm trying to condone it in any way though

donnie · 23/02/2005 14:08

I watched this programme and thought it was very good, a bit sentimental at times but it's pretty heart rending stuff let's face it. What really struck me was the way people have been convicted of murder with NO evidence, NO witnesses and NO confession - merely the so called ' expert' opinion of certain professionals. How appalling. I believe the law has now been changed which is clearly a step in the right direction.As for the comment about the Birmingham SIX ( not four - that's the Guildford bombing) being ' guilty as hell' - WTF????? a bit of a dangerous comment to make unless you are prepared to put your money where your mouth is and state the evidence.....