Genres
Networks
BBC Scotland
Murder Trial
Overview
Murder, mystery, and a search for justice. A compelling insight into the work of the police and prosecutors bringing suspects to trial at Glasgow’s High Court.
Key Crew
Director: Matt Pinder
Seasons
Season 1 (2020)
A mystery disappearance, a suspected secret guarded for 16 years, a murder trial in search of answers - two-part documentary Murder Trial: The Disappearance of Margaret Fleming has unprecedented access to the investigation and subsequent trial of co-accused Edward Cairney and Avril Jones.
2 episodes
Episodes
Episode 1: The Vanishing Woman, Part 1
2020-01-07Margaret Fleming, 35, has disappeared without a trace from her hometown in Scotland. It dawns on the authorities and the police in 2016 as they can not get in touch with her. The suspicion is heightened when it turns out that Margaret Fleming's family has not seen her for 16 years. Her carers, Edward Cairney and Avril Jones, are accused of killing her - but can one judge without a corpse?
Runtime: 59 minEpisode 2: The Vanishing Woman, Part 2
2020-01-08Margaret Fleming's disappearance captures and mystifies the entire Scottish nation. Cops, journalists and her teachers occupy the courtroom to tell their stories of Margaret and the system that failed her. In the end, it is the turn of the murder accused, Edward Cairneys, to give an explanation.
Runtime: 59 min
Season 2 (2023)
Unprecedented access to the murder trial related to one of Scotland’s most notorious unsolved mysteries - the disappearance of Renee MacRae and her three-year-old son Andrew.
2 episodes
Episodes
Episode 1: A Dangerous Affair, Part 1
2023-08-22Unprecedented access to the murder trial related to one of Scotland’s most notorious unsolved mysteries - the disappearance of Renee MacRae and her three-year-old son Andrew.
Runtime: 59 minEpisode 2: A Dangerous Affair, Part 2
2023-08-29As the trial continues, the jury hear dramatic testimony as they are asked to decide the fate of the accused, William MacDowell. Finally, the verdict is in.
Runtime: 59 min
Season 3 (2024)
One of Scotland's most long-awaited murder cases comes to trial: the brutal killing of Dr Brenda Page.
2 episodes
Episodes
Episode 1: A Deadly Obsession, Part 1
2024-01-23A look at one of Scotland’s most high-profile murder trials, the brutal killing of Dr Brenda Page. Nearly half a century on from his initial questioning and release, Christopher Harrisson, the victim’s ex-husband, stands accused of killing Brenda in her Aberdeen flat. Featuring remarkable access inside the courtroom, as one of the most long-awaited murder trials in Scotland’s history is finally heard.
Runtime: 59 minEpisode 2: A Deadly Obsession, Part 2
2024-01-23The trial continues, taking viewers deep into the inner workings of Scotland's justice system. The evidence includes first-hand testimony of the accused’s behaviour in the days surrounding the murder and the forensic findings from both past and present. The jury also hears testimony from the accused, Christopher Harrisson, before being asked to decide his fate.
Runtime: 59 minSeason 4 (2025)
Girl in the River, follows one of the nation’s biggest cold cases - the murder of Caroline Glachan, a Scottish schoolgirl who never came home. Now, three suspects stand accused of brutally killing the 14-year-old, more than two decades after her body was found, face down in the River Leven, Dunbartonshire. Shocking revelations unfold in court as Caroline’s family seek justice in one of Scotland’s most haunting cold cases.
2 episodes
Episodes
Episode 1: Girl in the River, Part 1
2025-01-28On 24 August 1996, Caroline Glachan was violently assaulted before being left in the river. Some 27 years later, Robert O’Brien, Andrew Kelly and Donna Marie Brand stand accused of her murder at the High Court in Glasgow.
Runtime: 59 minEpisode 2: Girl in the River, Part 2
2025-01-28The fate of three defendants hangs in the balance. Two key witnesses reveal more shocking evidence, and one defendant chooses to take the stand, before the jury decide whether or not they committed murder. After 27 years of heartbreak and unanswered questions, the long-awaited verdict is finally within reach, and Caroline Glachan’s family learn the truth at last
Runtime: 59 minSeason 5 (2025)
The remains of a body are discovered in an abandoned warehouse in Scotland, but the victim, the motive and cause of death are all unknown. Soon, a shocking and premeditated crime is uncovered as decorator David Barnes stands accused of killing his customer - but nobody knows how he died. In a unique criminal case shrouded in mystery, this programme follows the family’s quest for justice and goes behind the scenes at the Scottish High Court
2 episodes
Episodes
Episode 1: Body in the Warehouse
2025-01-28The remains of a body are discovered in an abandoned warehouse in Scotland, but the victim, the motive and cause of death are all unknown.
Runtime: 59 minEpisode 2: Part 2
2025-02-04A shocking and premeditated crime is uncovered as decorator David Barnes stands accused of killing his customer - but nobody knows how he died. In a unique criminal case shrouded in mystery, this programme follows the family’s quest for justice and goes behind the scenes at the Scottish High Court
Runtime: 59 min
