- I said open the door! - You did a deal, mate!
Open the door!
- You're Mark Cobden? - Yes.
Have you been in prison before?
No.
First time for everything, eh?
- I got four years. - What for?
- Dangerous driving. - You killed someone, then?
I'm your personal officer.
Any problems, you come to me, right?
I see your lad's in Lowood Prison, boss.
My lad?
Your David.
Are you sure it was a threat?
It was a threat.
I tell you what, mate, your card's marked.
You should've hit him back.
I'm a teacher.
Your life won't be worth living now.
He was twice the man that you are.
Ten times the man that you are.
May you rot in prison.
Ten times the man that you are.
Drunken bastard.
*CREDITS*
- Why aren't you in work? - Feeling a bit rough, boss.
Yeah?
I was thinking of writing a letter, boss,
to the wife of the man I killed.
What would it say?
That not a day goes by without me thinking of him.
And she'd say, "So it should. You killed him."
I thought it might help her if she knew that, though.
That she's not the only one who wakes up
and immediately thinks of him.
I do. I do too.
Would you ask for forgiveness?
I can't forgive myself.
Well, we'll have to write to her,
see if she wants to receive such a letter.
I mean, it's going to bring it all back for her, isn't it?
Well, no.
It's never been away.
OK.
So she says, "Yeah,"
and she spends days, weeks, waiting for this letter.
And it arrives.
And it's a good letter. You're an English teacher, after all.
But there's something in it,
a bit of self-pity that infuriates her.
No, no, there wouldn't be any self-pity in it.
None. None whatsoever, sir.
Well, then I'd say write it.
We'll read it. Then we'll see if she wants to read it.
Thanks, boss.
You said you were feeling a bit rough.
Yeah. Yeah. Yes, boss.
Are you being bullied, Cobden? Is that why you don't want
- to leave your cell? - No, boss.
Bullies are scumbags.
No shame in grassing them up.
I'm not getting bullied, boss.
OK.
Then I'll escort you back to work, then, shall I?
- Yes, boss. - Yes, boss.
Eric McNally's bum boy, yeah?
No.
You know what happens to rats.
You all right?
Yeah. All right.
- I'm your new padmate. - Padmate?
Er, your cellmate.
Top or bottom?
- I'm top. - Sound.
You taught me.
- At Bellbridge? - Yeah. Yeah. Daniel Smithson.
Yeah. Yeah. I remember you.
Ah, no, you don't. I mean, I was only there a couple of months,
and then we moved house, so I left.
Was I any good?
Ah, no, you were shite.
Oh, don't talk back, now, will you?
I tell you what, though. There was this one good lesson.
Erm, it was a Friday afternoon.
You'd been in the pub. And we just stopped what we were doing
and had, like, this debate instead.
I mean, it was cos you were half pissed, like.
You should have had me late '80s, early '90s.
I were good then.
Yeah? What happened?
You just get ground down.
- Do you want a brew? - No.
No. No, I'm all right, thanks.
- 'Scuse me, boss. - Yeah?
My little girl sent me a colouring-in that she did.
- Yeah? - Yeah. And they've...
..they've given me a black and white photocopy of it.
- That's right. - Where's the sense in that?
- A black and white photocopy of a colouring-in? - Well, it's policy.
- Policy? - Yeah. Yeah.
Cos the original might be soaked in spice.
I robbed a betting shop.
I'm here cos I robbed a betting shop.
I've never touched drugs in my life.
Yeah, but we don't know that, do we?
You do. You do. Because I was tested and I was clean.
Totally clean.
So can I have the original of this, please, boss?
It's been destroyed.
What?
We photocopy the original, then it gets destroyed.
I'm sorry, Paul.
- Hang on a minute, boss. - Let's just, er...
Let's just examine this a minute, yeah?
Yeah. My little girl sent me a bunny rabbit
- that she coloured in, yeah? - Yeah.
She wants me to admire it, right?
- Hey, boss! - I can't, cos it's black and white photocopy...
- Boss, I'm still waiting on that move. - Just wait a minute, mate.
I'm talking. You just wait your turn, you prick,
- cos I'm talking, right?! - Who are you talking to?!
Hey!
Scrap, scrap, scrap!
Get back!
No, you won't.
- Get back! I've told you. - Fuck off!
You all right?
Guv?
I'm sorry, Eric. Your son's been attacked in Chapel Grove.
He's in critical condition.
You should go. We can manage here.
- Go on. - Are you sure?
Yeah. Go.
Mr and Mrs McNally to see David McNally.
- All right. - Ta.
Oh, God.
Oh, God. David.
- He'll be all right. - Look at the state of him.
Shh, shh.
Shh.
Hey, love.
I'm here. Shh.
It's OK. Mum's here.
Dad?
He's here, darling. He's here. Shh.
I always hated that job of yours.
I've always hated it
but I never thought it would come to this.
It was all right till our David got locked up.
Before that, it was fine.
No. I've always hated it.
- He'll be all right. - And what if he isn't?
Eh? What then?
You said Chapel Grove was supposed to be safe,
so where does he go next, Eric?
You'll have to pack your job in.
If you pack your job in, you're no use to them.
If you're no use to them,
then David's no use to them. That's it.
They'd kill him anyway.
You need to move him to your nick.
You could keep an eye on him there. Everyone could.
- Wouldn't be allowed. - Why not?
Just wouldn't.
Wouldn't work either.
It only takes a second, Son.
They'd get him in the showers,
the yard, on the landing.
Do you know what I mean?
If they approach me again...
..or If they threaten him again, I'm...
..just going to do what they want me to do.
Really?
Yeah.
I love you.
- All right, lads? - Yeah.
Come on, move it along.
- Cheese or chicken? - Cheese, please.
- You want soup? - Cheese or chicken?
I changed my mind. Pass me one of them.
Chicken or tomato?
Keep it going.
Keep it going, lads. Come on.
Easy, you lad.
Go on.
Rat!
So I'm in that betting shop,
just been paid, and I'm losing 40 quid.
I should walk out right now
but I don't want to see that look on me wife's face
when I hand over me wages and they're short again.
I go chasing that 40 quid and I'm now losing 50.
Now 60.
It's horse race, machine,
horse race, machine
late afternoon into early evening
and now I'm absolutely skint.
All my wages... gone.
I've got three options.
One, kill myself.
Two...
..kill my wife.
Three, rob the betting shop.
It's rob the betting shop.
Madness, I know.
But better that...
..better arrest, followed by a few years in the nick,
than go home,
look into my wife's eyes...
..tell her that I've lost everything.
Again.
Thanks, Paul.
It's never easy confronting our demons.
Come on, Strevens, back in your cell, lad.
Back in your cells.
Hey, boss, er, I've got that letter here.
Letter?
You know, to the wife of the man I killed.
Back in your cells.
Is it suitable?
Yeah.
- What now? - Well, we tell her
we've got a letter for her... Yeah... who it's from,
you know, and see if she wants to read it. If she says yeah,
- then we'll send it to her. - Yeah.
If she says no, then we'll return it to you unread.
All right. How long will that take?
Like I said, you know,
could be days, could be weeks, could be months.
- All right. - Well done.
Cheers, boss.
Right, back to your cells. Come on.
- In your cell, lad. - How's your lad, boss?
- Fine. - He's getting out of hospital soon, in' he?
Yeah.
He's going back on the wing.
Is he?
That's what we've heard.
I've been expecting this conversation, Flanagan,
but I didn't think I'd be having it with you.
- No, boss? - No.
Are you about to tell me
that he needs someone to keep him safe?
- Yeah, boss. - Who might that someone be?
I've got to be sure you're serious, boss,
- before I tell you that. - I'm serious.
Because it wouldn't be good for your lad if you're not, boss.
I'm deadly serious.
It's Jackson Jones.
In your cell, you lot.
Move. And stop arsing about.
Aye. All right.
Come on. Back to your cell, boys.
What d'you want me to do?
- Mr McNally! I've been waiting for you. - Yeah?
You were Bernard's personal officer, weren't you?
I was, yeah.
So you, above all, must have known how ill he was, yeah?
Yeah, look, I'm really sorry. I can't do this just now.
And yet you put him in segregation.
Yeah, look, as a last resort, Mrs Hughes.
Bernard was harming himself. We had to keep an eye on him.
You put a seriously ill boy in segregation
and that's when he decided to kill himself.
No, there was nowhere else for him.
You'd say he should've been in that hospital,
and I agree with you, Mrs Hughes,
but that goes for half the men in this place.
They should all be in mental hospitals, not in this nick,
but there's no room for them,
so they stay here and we do the best we can.
Honestly, we do the very best that we can for them,
and often that's not good enough.
I'm really sorry for your loss.
Your Bernard was a good lad. He shouldn't have been here.
Fuck this prison!
And fuck you!
Shit.
You should be ashamed of yourself!
Hey.
Yeah?
- Have you got a minute? - Yeah.
I'm Kav. Kavanagh.
You're a teacher, yeah?
Yeah.
It's our 20th wedding anniversary next week and I've, um...
I've done her a bit of a card.
Right.
I want you to write something in it.
Um, what do you want me to write?
I don't know.
Can you write, Kav?
No.
Can you read?
No.
Right. Would you like to learn?
Yeah.
Well, all right. Well, let's make this your first lesson, eh? Yeah?
Yeah.
Right, er...
Er, who's it to, Kav?
Jane.
OK. "To..." T-O.
"..Jane..."
J-A-N-E. Jane.
All right, what's next?
I dunno. I'm no good with words.
Well, what about that?
"I'm no good with words."
Yeah?
Yeah.
"I'm" is short for "I am",
so it's got this, an apostrophe,
which means it's short for something. Right?
"..no..." N-O.
"..good...
"..with...
"..words."
So...
"To Jane, I'm no good with words.
"..but I need only one."
And what's the one?
Love?
Yeah.
"Love."
L-O-V-E. Looks like it should be pronounced loave
- but it's love. - Yeah.
- OK? - Yeah.
How should we sign it?
K.
Yeah. Short for Kavanagh, so it's a K, of course.
K. Shall we put a kiss?
Yeah.
- Yeah? - All right.
Go on. There you go.
"To Jane.
"I'm no good with words but I need only one.
"Love. K."
- All right? - I owe you one.
- Hello. - Eric McNally?
Speaking.
You know the old Runcorn Bridge?
Yeah, I know it, yeah.
You're going there tomorrow morning to pick something up.
- OK. - 6am. Don't be late.
Yeah.
I've got to pick something up under the old bridge.
When?
Tomorrow morning. Six o'clock.
Yeah, if you want.
If you want. Right, yeah. I'll bring it back later, yeah?
Yeah, no worries. I'm here now.
Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. In a bit. A bit. A bit.
- Easy? - All right?
It's Mr Mac!
I was on your wing.
I don't remember you.
Kenny Meadows. King of the cleaners. You remember?
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
I never thought this would be a bit of you, boss.
Long story.
Put it away, then.
What is it?
Vest. Pockets in it.
What's in the pockets?
Pick 'n' mix.
Wear it today, yeah?
Yeah?
Good to see you, boss. Looking good, man.
- What kind of drugs are they? - Don't know.
- Is it cannabis? - No.
Stays in the blood too long.
- Heroin? - Possibly.
Is it that spice? Probably.
No. It looks like you've got something underneath it.
That's only because you know it's there.
I'll be all right when I put my jumper on.
- All right? - All right?
Can I ask you to keep these off the wing?
Nope.
- Is that it? - For now.
Get them out my cell.
Go on, lad. Go on, go on, go on.
Keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going!
And again. And again, and again and again and again.
- And again, lad. - Yeah, hold it. Hold it.
All right? You feeling all right, yeah?
Three, two, one...
Don't take drugs, kids!
Mathews, can you hear me, lad?
What's he been on?
Dunno, boss.
Spice?
- Don't know, boss. - This is the recovery position, so if he...
- Have you had some as well? - No, boss. No. I haven't, no.
This is the recovery position.
If he vomits, he's safe like this. All right?
- All right? - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Come on, get over here now.
Sarfraz? Sarfraz, you're all right, lad. You're OK.
Hey, you, give me the cap back! Give me the cap back!
Sarfraz. Give me it!
You're OK, lad. Eh? Come on, let's get you back.
Paul, do me a favour? Put him in his cell.
I'm next up on the phone.
No, just put him in his cell, mate, in the recovery position.
Ta, good lad.
Bravo wing.
Assistance required.
Urgent assistance required on Bravo wing.
Who are you waiting for?
- Your brother? - Aw, nice.
How long since you have seen him?
Here, take a seat. Any items in the tray, please.
Step forward. Arms up, please.
One year added! I'm expecting five off,
and you've managed to get me
another year added onto me sentence!
- They did their best. - Are you taking the piss?
"They done their best?" Are you joking? "They done their best."
- What's the point in you, eh? - Calm down.
I was better off without you.
- Or I will remove you. - Why are you getting involved?
It's nothing to do with you! Listen, my visit's over anyway.
Let me out. Open the door.
What's the point in you, eh? Are you fucking thick or what?!
Calm down. Come on.
- I'm sorry. - What a fucking joke!
It's OK.
- What's wrong? - Nothing.
Is it Tom?
Tom's fine.
I've got something to tell you.
- Er, chocolate, yeah? - Yeah.
You look terrible.
Yeah. Someone keeps taking my food.
Then stop him.
Yeah.
- You look good. - Thanks.
- That new? - No.
Something's different.
Hair.
Ah, right.
What is it?
I wanted to say this to your face.
I owe you that at least.
I want a divorce, Mark.
Er... Look, I'm not...
..I'm not questioning why you want one.
I know I haven't got a leg to stand on there, but...
..why now? Why the rush?
Because I don't want to be married to you
for a second longer than I have to.
Have you met someone?
Yes.
Is it serious?
He's asked me to move in with him.
Has he met Tom?
- Yeah. - Do they get on?
Yeah.
Tom never mentioned him.
He doesn't want to hurt you.
Right.
And are you going to?
Move in with him?
Yeah.
How long had it been going on for?
The drinking?
How long?
Didn't stop.
- Never stopped? - No.
Not even after the taxi thing?
No.
- You said... - Yeah, I know what I said,
but I didn't do it. Didn't stop.
There you are.
Thank you.
I'll, erm... post you some papers first thing in the morning.
Yeah.
You'll let me know when you get them? - Yeah.
Will... Will you come again?
No.
Bye, John.
Bye, Alicia.
One year added?
Yeah.
How long's that, then, now?
21.
Ah, shite.
Yeah.
Thing is...
..to make that 21 as sweet as possible.
I can help you there.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
Tea, coffee, sweets,
bigger portions of your scran,
occasional bit of brown.
And what would I have to do for that?
Mind stuff for me.
What kind of stuff?
Stuff that needs minding.
Well, I'd have to ask Mark.
The teacher?
Yeah.
- Why? - Because we share this cell.
If it gets found, then we're both getting the blame.
Forget it.
Hi.
I've just heard.
Heard what?
You lost your appeal.
Yeah.
D'you want to talk about it?
No.
They were waiting for it to be over
before they asked you about this.
Who's "they"?
Gerard Wilson's parents.
They want to know if you'll talk to them.
What about?
They want to know why.
Why you killed their son.
No way, Miss. No way.
- Listen, it's not happening. - Can't you think about it?
No, it's not happening, end of. That's it. No.
OK. OK. I'll tell them.
Night.
- Night, Mark. - Night.
You should see them.
If they've asked for it, you should see them.
It's the least you can do.
And it's a chance to say sorry.
I'd give my right arm for that, you know?
- Are you sorry? - Yeah.
Then tell them that.
Would you come with me?
Yeah.
You all right?
No, that's absolutely fine.
We can stay in here. We'll be on separate sides.
Take a seat, lads.
I think we should all introduce ourselves first, yeah?
I'm Supervising Officer Eric McNally.
I'm a qualified restorative justice facilitator
but I think Marie-Louise should take this session,
due to the fact that she knows both parties,
whereas I know only one.
I'm Marie-Louise, prison chaplain.
I'm Mark Cobden and I'm Daniel's cellmate.
I don't know quite how, but I'm here to support him.
I'm Daniel.
I'm Frank Wilson...
..father of Gerard Wilson...
..who was murdered by Daniel.
I'm Helen Wilson, Gerard's mother.
Maybe I could start by asking people
what they'd like to get from this meeting?
Frank?
Understanding...
..I think.
An understanding of what happened.
And why.
And is there something you'd like to get, Daniel?
What is it?
I want to say sorry.
Anything else?
What is it?
I can't say it.
Forgiveness?
You remember when I first raised the possibility
of this meeting, you were really opposed to it, Daniel.
Yeah.
Why was that?
I didn't want to see them.
Why?
I was ashamed.
Anything else?
I didn't want to see the pain they're in.
Yeah, and then she gives me the change.
It's £1.20.
I take it and I pick the three pints up like that.
And I take a swig of one of 'em while I'm doing it.
I thought, "Shit." You know, I realised it wasn't lager,
it wasn't my drink.
And, sure enough, the lads on this side, they've seen it.
Your Gerard's seen it.
And it's his drink.
So I told him I only took a little bit
and he says, "It's not that, lad.
"You've had your mouth all over it."
Now I know what I should do.
I should just buy him another drink
but I've only got £1.20 left
and I really don't want anyone to know that.
So I make out I won't buy him another one on principle.
You know, why should I get him a full pint
when I only took a little mouthful?
And he says, "You can either buy me a pint here
"or we can go outside and sort it there."
Now, I look round but my two mates
were nowhere to be seen, so it's either
go outside with Gerard
or confess that I've only got £1.20 on me
on a Saturday night.
I thought he looked no bigger than me, so we go outside.
Turns out he's a boxer
and he's absolutely battering me,
so I pull a knife out.
I don't intend to use it.
Right? I never intended to use it.
It was just to stop the punches landing, and it worked.
He stopped punching me.
Now, that should be it now. He should just call me
a knob or a dickhead and go back in the bar
and leave me to walk home with my £1.20, but he doesn't.
He doesn't walk away.
I've got a knife in my hand.
I already look a mug cos I've been battered,
and if I don't use it...
..if I just put this knife away again,
I'm going to look an even bigger mug.
And I think Gerard knows that,
but he's decided to be fearless, hasn't he?
Now, he can't go back on it any more than I can go back on it,
so I use it.
Once I'd pulled out the knife,
the hardest thing to do was not use it.
So you killed him so as not to lose face?
Yeah.
Frank thought it was anger.
And I thought jealousy.
But saving face...
..it's unforgivable.
Sharp.
I'll mind that stuff for a bit of brown.
- And keep shtoom? - Yeah.
Even to the teacher?
- Yeah. - Yeah?
Somebody will bring it to you.
Do you play? You're playing the winner.
She doesn't want us to send it. She doesn't want to read it.
Sorry.
I've read loads of letters from prisoners
to people who they've wronged.
Yours was really good.
Thanks.
Keep your chin up, lad.
You all right, mate?
- Ah! Eric McNally's bum boy, eh? - Get off me, you pricks!
- You're never out this cell... - Get off me!
unless you're holding his hand,
so that means you're his bum boy, yeah?
- I'm not. - Eric McNally's fucking bum boy.
Course I'm not...
And you know what we do to the bum boy of a screw, eh?
We make sure they never walk again.
They never walk again on account of having no fucking feet.
- So here we are. Smell that. - Smell it.
Tell me what you think it is, eh?
- What is it? - Eugh!
- What is it? - Turps.
Yeah. Turps is right. Turps is spot on
- and it's going all over your feet, lad. - Stop it!
It's going all over... Come on, mate... your feet.
And what's the last thing you want to happen
when you've got turps all over your feet, Mark?
The last thing you want is this, isn't it?
- What is it? - It's a lighter. It's a lighter, yeah. Spot on.
What do you think's going to happen now, Mark?
- Please don't. - What's going to happen now?
- I am going to set your feet on fire, lad. - No, please.
- That's what's going to happen. - I'm sorry.
That's what's going to happen.
- The screw's bum boy. - I don't know what I've done.
- He gets his feet... - Shut your mouth. Should I do it now?
Should I do it?
Should I set your fucking feet on fire?
Which one, eh? Which one first?
Your left or your right?
- We'll go with your left. - Come on, mate!
Or your right? That's what happens...
What's going on here?
Nah, listen, let him go, yeah?
Or I'm hitting this button and you're all getting twisted up.
I'm not arsed. You're out of order. We're messing about!
Mark, tell him we're messing about, aren't we, mate?
- We're just having a play. - We're just messing about.
Yeah. So stay out of my way, you rat!
I've got to do something, haven't I?
Yeah.
Do you know anyone?
I do, yeah.
Here you are.
Jackson Jones?
Yeah?
Er, I've got a problem.
- With Johnno? - Yeah.
But...
Can you have a word?
Yeah.
But there'll be others.
You've let them know that they can walk all over you, you see.
Yeah.
What-What can I do about that?
Fight. Can you?
No, not really.
If I help you here...
..you owe me one, right?
Right.
So I'll be entitled to ask you for something in return, right?
Yeah. Right. Uh-huh.
Step into my office.
Back in a moment.
That turps?
Yeah. Yeah.
- Did he threaten to burn your feet, aye? - Yeah.
He's a bully - Johnno.
All you need to do is hurt him once and he'll stop.
I'll make sure none of his scummy wee pals jump in either, right?
Yeah.
Hit that.
Again. I said punch.
When's the last time you had a fight?
Ah, I don't know. About 40-odd years ago.
Did you win?
No.
See, I'm no Goliath. Look at me.
I'd hurt him.
Easy.
Cos I'll do what others won't.
Would you?
Try again.
Other hand.
Yeah.
That's it. Go on.
Oh! Ha-ha!
One of them!
- That's all you need. - Yeah.
He'll be out, sparko! You'll be fine.
Try again.
Keep it moving!
Rat!
Go on!
My ear! My ear!
Rat! You rat!
Come here, come here.
- You've got a visit. - Yeah.
I don't want them to see me like this.
What do you want me to tell them?
Do people get missed off the list?
Yeah.
Well... would you tell them that?
OK.
Thanks.
Mr and Mrs Cobden?
All right? It's not going to happen, I'm afraid.
Why not?
He's not on the list.
- He should be. - I know.
So couldn't you just go and get him or something?
- No. - Why not?
We're not allowed to do that.
- Is there something wrong with him? - No.
So, do we just leave?
Yeah.
I'm really sorry.
My colleague will escort you out.
I'm really sorry.
This way, please.
I wasn't on the list, so...
I don't believe you, son.
I asked myself, "Why wouldn't he want to see us?"
No reason.
Therefore, you mustn't have wanted us to see you.
Therefore, you must be hurt in some way.
No, I haven't.
I told you, they wouldn't let me out of my cell.
I don't believe you, son.
Look, Mam, ten minutes are up. It's going to go dead, so...
All right? All right?
We were just sparring, Governor,
and it just got a bit out of hand.
- You? - Yeah. Same, Governor.
We were just sparring and it got a bit out of hand.
I've reason to believe that Cobden is being bullied by Milner.
That right?
No, Governor. We were just messing, weren't we?
Yeah. Yeah.
Seven days CC for you, Milner.
A caution for you, Cobden.
Thank you.
Do you want a go?
No.
You know, the funny thing is
I never touched this stuff till they put me in here.
You've got to get your head through the bars, though, haven't you?
May you rot in prison...
Ten times the man that you are...
You drunken bastard...
- May you rot in prison... - Burn in hell...
You drunken bastard!
- All right, Mr Mac? - All right.
Did you bring the other vest back?
Didn't know I had to.
Don't matter. Bring it next time, yeah?
What, there's going to be a next time?
Yeah.
I've got to give you this.
What's that?
300 quid.
I don't want it.
Yeah, they said you'd say that, Mr Mac,
but I can't take no as an answer,
so here you are.
So if it ain't about the money, why are you doing this?
My lad's in the nick.
They've done him in. This is so it doesn't happen again.
Yeah.
I thought it'd be something like that.
Cos you was always dead straight, you was, wasn't you?
Right, bring that vest back next time, yeah?
Fuck.
We have one IC1 male. Just approaching now. Stand by.
Sorry, sir, I had no option but to pull you over.
Why's that?
Your rear light. It's smashed.
Oh. Yeah, shit. Erm...
Yeah. Sorry about that.
Right. I'll get it sorted in the morning.
OK. No worries. As long as you get it sorted, yeah?
Ta.
*CREDITS*