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Case Closed? Series 2: 5.Hewitt

Top criminal barristers Sasha Wass and Jeremy Dein revisit their investigation into a troubling case from 1922, when the savage murder of an old lady in a quiet country inn led to the conviction of a 15-year-old local boy. Oxfordshire, 1922. The sleepy hamlet of Gallowstree Common was shaken by the violent murder of 55-year-old pub landlady Sarah Blake. She suffered over 60 wounds across her head, neck and hands, and her throat had been cut. A controversial police investigation led to 15-year-old Jack Hewitt being charged with her murder. The last person to report seeing the victim alive, Jack was subjected to exhaustive questioning, during which the police claimed he confessed to her murder. Despite Jack’s denials, he was found guilty and detained at His Majesty’s Pleasure, only escaping the death penalty because he was a child. Almost a century on, Jack’s nephew John and his niece Joanne were convinced of his innocence and called upon the barristers to see if they could shed new light on the dubious evidence. Questions were raised about motive, character, forensic evidence and a potential alternative suspect. Now, 18 months on from that initial investigation, Jeremy and Sasha catch up with John and Joanne to discover that this tragic tale has a heroic twist, providing the family with reason to celebrate Jack’s memory.

Source: BBC 1