We are here today to open the inquest
into the death of Harry Walsh.
A coroner's inquest is not a trial.
We are essentially limited to four questions.
Who the deceased was,
where and when they died,
and how.
I am adjourning until Friday at the request of the police,
who need more time to identify an, as yet, unknown witness
to Mr Walsh's death.
Here is the CCTV image.
If anyone can provide any information,
then, please, contact me.
Thank you.
PLEASE CALL. WE KNOW YOU WERE THERE. INQUEST OPENED. URGENT.
CREDITS
It looks nice, Mum. Oh, thanks.
What are you doing?
Oh, darling, you're not ready. You mean, you aren't ready.
Look, stay here with me, and your dad,
and go back after the inquest.
- They'll just keep delaying it. - No, they won't.
We'll find George, we'll make him testify, and it will all be over,
and, hello, normality.
Mum, I've missed so much, and I need to get out of the house.
A shower might be a good idea.
I just don't want you bursting into tears during PE.
I don't do PE, Mum.
I'll give you a lift. No.
Really.
I'm coming in, darling. What? No, you can't!
She doesn't see parents! Your father died.
I need her to make sure you're looked after.
You're wearing pyjamas!
Yeah, because you rushed me out of the house.
They look like sportswear.
Stay in the car!
Charlotte didn't want me to come in, of course.
No.
Believe me, we do encourage our children
not to be permanently ashamed of their parents.
I suppose my pyjamas didn't help.
Charlotte was worried we'd be late. She errs on the side of obedience.
Well, I'd sooner be in my pyjamas.
Let's swap clothes!
I just...
..wanted to check that Charlotte will be looked after.
Of course. Her form tutor's an absolute pillar.
It's Harry's inquest this week, and...
Well, it's...
It's tough for a daughter.
And how are you coping?
Badly.
I can't...
I can't face being at the house alone.
Even though I love it.
Because Harry loved it.
It killed him, actually.
Do you need a teaching assistant?
I don't think that's the answer.
Did you know that there are seven stages of grief?
There's, er...
..shock, denial, erm, anger.
Depression is one.
Er, what is seven?
Acceptance is the last. Looking forward to that.
And...
Oversharing. That may be one.
Do you have to go? No, no, no, it's fine.
Please.
And I discovered Harry may have fathered another child.
Oh, gosh...
Let's hope he's not a psychopath.
Or a gold digger. Or both.
But if he is Harry's son...
..well, it might be comforting.
Don't you think?
- Hi. - Hello.
There you go.
For the DNA test.
Some Harry.
And a spare for the other sample.
Thanks.
And to work, it has to be the root of George's hair?
Yes.
Which result do you want, Harry is George's father or not?
I can't think straight.
All I know is that this should be Harry's time
and his wannabe son is stealing it.
I hope, one day, someone looks after me with as much care as you.
What is your job, exactly?
Anatomical pathology technologist.
How on earth did you get into that?
My daughter Leonora died.
Oh, God, I'm so... You should have said.
No.
Leukaemia.
When she died, I spent a...
I spent a lot of time with her like this.
I...
..didn't want anyone else to touch her, so...
..I helped.
George, at last.
You can put away that interested face.
This house isn't for sale.
Erm, hi.
And I need you all out of here. I have a guest coming round.
Anything else that you need to see?
Er, no.
Er, massively wow.
Er, I'll get back to you with a quote ASAP. Super ASAP.
Mm, no, you won't, you silly twat.
Alice, please!
Er, thank you.
No problem.
You know my husband's buried in the garden?
Yes, he knows.
And we've spoken to the council.
Our son will be removed and buried properly in a cemetery,
like in the real world.
Oh, Alice, er...
Erm...
Sorry.
This isn't fair.
You buried our son in the garden. It's just wrong.
I don't think your wife agrees.
We do need to sell the house.
I'll buy it!
I just need some time.
I'm sorry, Alice, but you've no money.
No proper job.
This is worth 1.5 million.
Let's all look at the end of a fucking rainbow, shall we?
Listen, darling, you'll get the sale money, less the tax we'll owe.
Enough to buy a new home.
Please, give me time to raise the money.
I need to look at Harry's business.
And once the flats are sold, there'll be cash.
I am not paying to repair
your God awful car!
Oh...
This is George. Hello, George.
Minnie and Gerry, Harry's parents.
So...
..my grandparents.
Er, if you say so.
- I owe you an explanation. - Several.
You were here when Harry fell.
You're on the CCTV.
What did you say to him? I just wanted to talk.
He wanted me to leave. He tripped and fell.
Why did you run away? I heard your voice, I...
I panicked. I didn't think it was that bad.
You could've saved his life!
Hello.
Hi.
Should we hug?
Or this?
No? OK.
OK.
First, can I say how sorry I am?
Let's take that as read.
So, me...
...I had a health scare recently, tests.
My mother had to admit that I'm not my father's son.
She had an affair with Harry soon after she married.
This was, er, obviously a huge shock.
I wanted to meet my biological father.
Mum is petrified Dad's gonna find out.
Did Harry know about you?
Not until two weeks ago.
He refused to meet me because he didn't want to upset you.
I know I shouldn't have come round.
But he's my dad.
Oh...
Mum, Dad dies.
He's got a big house. And two days later, some random bloke shows up.
We need some sort of... Ow!
Sorry.
Sorry, my, er, ring got caught in your hair.
Look, you can help us by telling the inquest that it's you on the CCTV.
Erm, yeah, I suppose so.
And in that spirit of openness...
..Harry didn't leave a will and we weren't married.
So...
..his kids get everything.
I just want to be your friend.
And your brother, Charlotte.
Believe me, that is all I want.
Where do you live?
I'd better talk to my mother before I blurt out all my details.
Lights, off.
Yeah, the, er...
..obligatory circle.
It's the circle of life.
Yeah, yeah, it's like, erm...
? Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba! ?
? It's the circle of life ?
Life, yes!
? And it moves us all.
? Till we find our place
? On the path unwinding
? In the circle
? The circle of life. ?
Up, down!
That was quite good. That was quite good.
So, what would you prefer, like, a rhombus?
No, no, a circle's fine.
Right, let's introduce ourselves.
It's the only time I'll ask you to define yourself by your bereavement.
Oh, there's no need. Honestly, I'll pick it up as I go.
My name is Nathan, and my daughter Leonora died four years ago.
Honestly, there's no need.
Zack. My mum had an aneurysm.
The bad kind.
Ollie. I killed my parents.
In a car.
I was driving. It was an accident.
Leanne.
My girlfriend Sandy got lost in the jungle.
What?
I'm Tina.
My husband Tim had a massive heart attack ten years ago.
Oh, this is making me sad.
I'm Graham.
My wife Toni committed suicide a year ago.
Er, OK, I'm Alice.
And, er, I'm an alcoholic.
Oh, fuck...
Look, if you're not into this, just piss the fuck off, right?
Whoa!
I'm not coming if everyone swears.
I knew this was a bad idea.
Sorry.
Look, Nathan, I'm sorry, but I can't. I just...
Erm, Ollie was out of order. He's sorry.
But because he's grieving, he's allowed to crap all over people?
Er, yes, actually.
For a bit.
Oh, well, God knows I'm doing it.
The one minute, I'm emotionally incontinent. The next, I'm...
Anyway...
Look, erm, here's my card.
Just in case you do ever want to talk, one to one.
Not in a circle.
Thanks.
And he knew that was two weeks late? Yeah.
That's not bad.
This is looking livelier.
Yeah.
It just needed cash throwing at it.
I need to understand Harry's business better.
Can we put the flats up for sale now?
The market's slow. We have to be a bit cleverer.
I could do with the money, to be honest.
To buy my home back from my in-laws.
Harry put it in their name to protect it, and now...
Well, now they're keen to sell.
And I'd love some figures anyway.
Like, how much Harry's business is worth.
That would be telling. And I'd love you to tell me.
The inquest is on Friday and, well, they might ask for some evidence.
Are you coming? No.
And keep my name out of any evidence if you want my continued support.
Harry ran his business badly. It's a shambles, frankly.
Your house soaked up cash, most of it mine.
I just want to finish this, so we can come to an arrangement.
Shall I grab myself a hard hat,
so you can lob some more heavy-duty shit at me?
I may be able to help you with your house.
I've got investors looking for opportunities.
But wouldn't they then own it? Don't worry about that.
There's always ways around these things.
I don't like her.
Well, we don't have to like her.
We just need to not be shafted by her.
You have to say, she is doing a good job paying everyone.
But for an accountant, she's weirdly allergic to...
..contracts and figures.
Harry was good with people.
He would've known how to handle her.
Hey, chin up.
A guy claiming to be Harry's son has turned up.
You're joking?
Is he genuine? No idea, yet.
He looks like Harry.
But I don't know anything else about him,
other than a phone number. Give me it.
I've got a dodgy mate who'll do some digging.
I told Harry he needed a good lawyer.
He always said he'd rather spend the money on...
..whatever, sand.
Well, he must've got some professional advice.
- Yeah, he did. - Who from?
There's a boy!
Little Dudley!
Yeah.
Dad...
Please, focus for a minute.
What did you advise Harry about the development?
Erm...
I said, don't get a high-risk loan to finish the build.
Er, sell your house to finance it and then move in with us.
But he would never do that. He spent ten years planning our house.
Yes, he thought that was terrible advice.
Look...
Who is this man in the CCTV?
Your mother thinks it's sinister.
This involves me telling you two secrets,
which you must not let slip to Mum.
She knows when I'm lying, so don't tell me.
I have to, I need your advice.
Harry may have had a son.
What makes you think that? Well, just a hunch.
He came to see us!
Oh...
Oh, look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Dad. He's...
He's 28. He's called George.
- And it's him on the CCTV. - Ah...
We're doing a DNA paternity test.
Good.
But if there is any inheritance, is he...?
Your mother has a secret.
Sorry, can we just deal with this first?
No, I need to share stuff, too, you know.
She's having an affair.
Oh, Dad...!
Sex, I think.
Not love.
Well, when? You're always together.
Well, mainly when I'm taking Dudley for a walk.
Oh, Christ!
- Who with? - Keith.
You know, next door.
Oh, I don't even know what to do with that information.
Well, nor do I.
Do you think I should say something?
Dad...
I can't deal with this right now.
- Is that OK? - Of course, of course.
Forget I said that.
Erm, imagine we're fine.
You know, like 1983 again.
- Our best year. - Yeah.
- So, I just need to ask you... - Mm-hm?
..if George is Harry's,
will he have a claim on the business assets?
Yes, he will.
That was quite a therapy sesh.
We've saved ourselves a fortune.
Why?
What were you discussing?
- Father/daughter things. - Yeah.
What is that?
I've got to go. Bye!
- Dan is coming round. - With Raoul?
No, I think they've split up.
- It would be nice if you could stay. - Sorry, I need to be with Charlotte.
Your brother could do with some support.
It's not easy being homosexual.
Oh, I think Dan's making a good fist of it.
Your father's right.
Er, it's not easy being a widow!
Dan's fine being gay. It's commitment he struggles with.
Oh, I get it.
Hashtag me too.
See you guys later.
Thanks, Mum. You didn't have to.
It's what we supermums do, darling.
So, we have a new problem.
One more can't hurt.
I went to Dad's office and his business is...
Well, is complicated.
You mean, you don't understand it.
Yes. But I think it's in trouble, too.
I saw Grandad and he confirmed that you will inherit everything.
Potentially with George.
- I don't want any of it. - Well...
..for me to take control of the business and buy our house back,
we'll need some sort of agreement for you to transfer it all to me.
Fine.
George will have to sign it, too.
He said he wasn't interested.
Oh, well, money changes people.
He still has to sign.
If he doesn't, I can't sort it all out.
You could just ignore him.
I still don't believe he's Dad's son.
Well, let's hope he isn't.
Or he'll have us over a barrel, house and all.
Hi. Are you OK?
My mate's found out who George is.
"George Fellows."
"Father, Frank, is a GP."
"Mother, Emily, is a..."
"..a terrapin"? Therapist.
Mm, well, good luck with that, Emily.
- God, they live pretty close. - I know, creepy.
What are you going to do, go round?
It's the DNA testing place.
Charlotte...
..it's official.
You have a brother.
- Hello. - Hi.
- Does, er, George live here? - Yes.
- Who are you? - I'm...
I was with Harry Walsh for 19 years.
And I believe you knew him before then.
Is George in?
No.
How did you find out where we live?
Well, it seems to be quite easy.
- Might we have a tiny chat? - Er, no.
I don't really want to open up lines of communication.
George was there the night Harry died.
Sorry, can you go now?
We did a DNA test.
George is definitely Harry's son.
I know he is.
Whatever happens, my husband mustn't find out.
I sympathise.
Honestly.
But George came into our lives.
- This wasn't our idea and... - It was 28 years ago.
And now my daughter, Charlotte,
suddenly has a half-brother and no father.
And I just don't think there's a carpet big enough
to brush all of this under.
There's about to be an inquest.
Before they issue a death certificate,
they need to speak to all of the witnesses to Harry's fall.
And George is on the CCTV.
- George has decided not to attend. - What?
Knowing that it's George makes no difference, except to my marriage.
- He said that he'd come. - Well, he's changed his mind.
He can't! I'll...
- - I'll tell the police. - He doesn't want to see you.
He's happy to give up any inheritance.
You know, why should he agree to be interrogated needlessly
at a public inquest and destroy his family?
Look, all I'm asking for...
..is some honesty, so that we can each move on.
Let's forget this ever happened.
Well, you must be a seriously shit psychotherapist.
I'll show you out.
Er, hello, can I speak to Julia Carter, the coroner?
It's Alice Dillon.
Bastard!
Oh, hello, yes.
Er, have the police identified the witness to Harry's fall yet?
The man at the front door.
No? Well, I honestly don't think he's relevant.
And can we, please, just go ahead with the inquest?
It's very upsetting having to wait.
What the hell are you doing?
Oh, er, Environmental Services.
Er, we've been notified about a home burial
carried out without permission.
But I applied for permission.
Er, we've no record of that.
And, erm, the legal owners of the property asked us to inspect
and arrange for re-internment in a cemetery.
- Well, you can't! - Well...
My husband's in there! We've only just buried him!
The regulations are there to protect everyone.
Oh, well, you can fuck off...
..Colin!
I applied. I didn't have time to wait.
I have explained this to everyone.
Er, but you need the property owner's green light.
- Oh, right. - Yeah.
Well, let's dig him up, then.
Look, I mean, erm... Urgh!
I don't want any trouble.
So, up he comes!
Madam, please, stop. Look, there's a protocol.
Can't bury him, can't dig him up!
Make your mind up!
Well, come on, if we do it together, it'll take no time!
Urgh!
Please, madam, please...
Urgh! If we leave, will you stop?
And pick up Thai on the way home.
What is it Char likes? That one with prawns.
I can't be doing with prawns.
But you know that.
Anyway, I'll get you a, erm... What is it?
A gang dang? Dang gang? What is it?
Daeng gaeng!
I mean, Lord love her,
but she's just getting madder.
I mean, Ed's not helping. He just rang to say,
"Oh, Nicola's just bought us a double kayak!"
Oi, Jimmy! More!
Yeah, like that. But more, yeah?
Anyway, erm, I'll see you later.
Mum, what are you doing? Go away!
Sorry, can I sit in quietly?
No!
Cool.
Well, I'm outside if you need me.
Charlotte...
In my defence, only last year,
Charlotte was begging me to stay for this sort of one to one.
Chiropody and...
But this is great for her.
What has Charlotte been saying?
Obviously, I can't tell you that.
Why is that obvious?
I can't share what's discussed without her permission.
Oh, she's a good girl, she'll give it.
I rather doubt that.
In case she hasn't said this...
..we were a very close-knit unit,
Charlotte, her dad and me.
We were like...
..like three points of a triangle.
That's the strongest shape, isn't it?
And now we're...
Well, we're whatever shape that leaves.
A flat line.
I'd better catch up with her. But we should talk about this.
I'm glad you're talking to someone.
Your counsellor seems nice.
Please, don't ignore me, I can't bear it.
Thank you.
I'm sorry.
Again.
My antenna is...
..are...
..broken.
I can't say I recognise you these days...
..as a mother.
You need to get some help.
Mum!
You're right.
I'm not the same person.
Nor am I.
I miss him so much!
I'm like...
Like one hand trying to clap.
I feel...
..pointless.
If it wasn't for you, I'd...
I, erm...
I spoke to George's mum today.
Oh, my God! What was she like?
Not very smiley.
She said he's changed his mind...
..and he won't testify at the inquest.
What? And in return...
..he won't expect any inheritance.
That's blackmail.
I mean, he said he wasn't interested. What's he got to hide?
Maybe the mother got to him.
But he wants nothing to do with us now.
He did that whole "I want to be your friend and brother" speech.
I know!
I don't get him.
But it's Harry son.
I just...
I don't want to break up a family.
No.
I'd like to speak to his mum.
Really? Yes.
I know I was pushing him away, but...
..he's my brother.
What if the dad's there?
- He's a doctor. He'll be at work. - OK.
Or we dive into a bush.
Hello, can I help you?
Er, it's OK, Frank, they're clients.
I'll catch up.
Hey, I told you not to do this.
You of all people should understand how precious a marriage is.
I'm Charlotte, George's sister.
Dad's inquest is tomorrow.
We haven't told anyone that George was there.
And we won't, but...
But I just wanted to say,
it would be good if we could be brother and sister.
That's all.
I'm sorry.
It's just so lovely that George looks like Dad.
Hello.
Hi, Nicola.
Gerry.
Oh, give us a smile, babe.
This is a fucking celebration of Harry!
- Well, it's not really. - Oh...!
Ed, come in here.
Alice is feeling low.
So, does anyone know the procedure?
Well, you're the solicitor, Grandad. Oh, true, yes.
Nobody say anything that will incriminate us.
Well, I don't think that's very likely.
Well, not if we're careful.
Hey, Dan. Hi, Ed.
Bastard traffic.
Hiya, Nathan.
I'm sorry I walked out of the bereavement group, but it just...
Don't apologise. You wouldn't be you without being a pain in the arse.
Hey, Yasmina.
You've met Nathan, my death guru.
Yeah, at the funeral.
Alice, I didn't realise your whole family would be rocking up.
Nor did I.
Someone must've told them there was a free bar.
Welcome.
We're here today to hear the inquest into the death of Harry Walsh.
I have summoned all the relevant witnesses to Mr Walsh's death
in order for me to come to a conclusion in this matter.
I'll call witnesses by name.
You approach and take the oath.
Anyone may ask questions.
Are you happy for me to refer to the deceased as Harry?
The first witness is Nathan Johnston,
who performed the postmortem on Harry.
He can open me up any time he likes. Do you know what I mean?
Thanks, Nicola.
..the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Were you able to establish a clear cause of death?
Yes.
Blunt force trauma to the head, causing the neck to break.
The injury is consistent with the fall from the top of the stairs,
as per the CCTV footage.
The toxicology results showed
the equivalent of three times the drink-driving limit of alcohol,
enough to impair balance.
There was bruising on both upper arms,
as if Harry had been gripped.
But this would have dated from at least four days before his fall,
so isn't relevant as a cause of death.
Thank you.
Any questions?
Would he have felt any pain?
No.
Death would have been instant on impact.
He was lying at the bottom of the stairs.
We interviewed his partner and daughter, who were distressed.
We observed that there were no stair banisters.
I asked why, and Miss Dillon screamed,
"Well, obviously it was a massive fucking mistake!"
And she suggested I was "a health and safety Nazi".
There were CCTV cameras,
but Miss Dillon said that they weren't working.
We returned later and were, in fact, able to view the CCTV.
It showed Mr Walsh losing his footing and falling.
It also showed a witness standing in the open doorway,
whom we have not been able to identify.
Why haven't you found this person?
We can't see his face on the CCTV.
Shouldn't this be investigated?
Well, he obviously didn't push Harry,
so it's not material to his death.
He might've been encouraging my son to fall.
Well, without the witness, we'll never know definitively.
But it may mean I have to deliver an open verdict in this case.
I just wish Harry had put up banisters.
We always told him, "Use more fucking carpet."
Nicola, that's not helpful.
And we all wish you hadn't buried him in the garden.
Actually, I'm coming round to the idea. Hear, hear!
A new witness has come forward with evidence.
So, I'm briefly adjourning the session to verify the request.
All rise.
Do you think it's the man from the CCTV?
- You know who he is, don't you? - No!
Suffering?
Yeah.
I'm the sassy one, though.
People don't want me all...
I'm just worried we'll fall apart now.
Harry was our big rock.
And without him, well, we're nothing.
Just look at us.
You don't seem nothing.
Who would have thought one death could cause so much...
..heat?
Dad would've liked that.
Please, be seated. The court is back in session.
I do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm
that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
George, you've come forward to explain
that you were the figure in the CCTV footage when Harry fell?
Yes.
It is vital that we know all the facts in this matter.
Could you tell us how you came to be there and what you witnessed?
I'd just discovered Harry was my biological father.
Could you tell us exactly what happened?
He was avoiding my calls.
So, I stupidly went to his new house.
He was shocked, asked me to leave.
I refused and went in.
He saw me from the top of the stairs
and was surprised I was inside the house.
Then he lost his footing and fell.
I heard your voice.
I knew he didn't want me to meet you like this,
so I panicked and ran.
Why didn't you call an ambulance?
He could've been alive.
The APT was very clear that Harry would have died instantly.
What had you said to him?
That I wanted to get to know him and his family.
And Harry said, when he was ready, he was going to tell you all.
That he was a happy man
and he didn't want to spoil that or upset his family.
I'm so, so sorry.
What happened on that evening?
Harry was so excited...
..to be in our new house.
He showed us round.
We had Champagne.
And then we went up to bed.
I was in the bathroom. I...
I didn't hear the doorbell.
Harry called out that he was getting some water.
I came out of the bathroom, expecting to see Harry in bed.
Harry?
I called out.
There was no answer.
So, I went to see where he was.
And then I saw him.
We all look for something positive, don't we?
And since Harry died, I've done that.
And I've found absolutely nothing!
All our lives...
..just hang by a thread.
That's all you can say.
But, hey, George is with us now.
And looking around at you lot, he must be thinking,
"Why didn't I stick with my own folks?"
Minnie and Gerry...
..if I've been selfish, I'm sorry.
Let's see if I can improve on that.
Thank you.
Having listened to the evidence,
I conclude that the death of Harry Walsh was due to an accident.
That neither the acts causing the death,
nor the consequences of those acts, were intended.
So, the verdict is one of accidental death.
Thank you.
I'm sorry I've put you through so much pain.
I'm just glad you came.
Hello. Not sure what to say.
You'll think of something.
I knew there was something familiar about you. There you go.
Welcome to the family, George.
Thanks.
Hi.
I have waiver documents for you to sign,
in respect of any legacy. Not now Dad.
Hm? Please.
Oh!
I'm Sarah, Alice's mother.
I hope you don't expect to profit from your new family.
I'll keep you guessing, shall I?
- Yes? - Good news, Mr Walsh.
We have an offer at just below asking price for the house.
Whoo!
Er, hello?
In that case...
..we accept the offer.
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