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Netflix has recently added all six episodes of a gripping real-life British crime drama, A Confession, which viewers are comparing to the infamous Post Office scandal. The series features Martin Freeman in the role of Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher and is based on the true story of Wiltshire Police’s investigation into the disappearance and murder of Sian O’Callaghan.
Sian, aged 22, was tragically found dead in Oxfordshire five days after she vanished from a Swindon nightclub in March 2011. Her murderer, taxi driver Christopher Halliwell, was sentenced to at least 25 years behind bars the following year after he confessed to the crime.
However, during his arrest and subsequent hilltop interview related to Sian’s murder, Halliwell also shockingly admitted to killing 20 year old Becky Godden-Edwards, even leading police to where he had buried her body in Gloucestershire back in 2003.
The plot centres around procedural mistakes made by DSU Fulcher that almost allowed Halliwell to escape justice for his horrific crimes.
The series, which originally aired on ITV in 2019, depicts how DSU Fulcher managed to coax a confession out of Halliwell regarding both murders. However, due to the suspect not being properly cautioned or provided with a lawyer, the hilltop interview was ruled as inadmissible evidence by a judge.
Despite the abundance of CCTV and forensic evidence proving Halliwell’s guilt in Sian’s murder, the investigation into Becky’s case hit a standstill, leading to severe disciplinary action against DSU Fulcher.
He resigned from Wiltshire Police in 2014 after receiving a final written warning for gross misconduct, reports the Mirror.
The series boasts a star-studded cast including Harry Potter icon Dame Imelda Staunton as Becky’s mother Karen Edwards, Happy Valley’s Siobhan Finneran as Sian’s mother Elaine Pickford, and former EastEnders favourite Joe Absolom as Halliwell.
DSU Fulcher’s portrayal as a well-intentioned and resourceful officer brought down by bureaucracy led some viewers to draw parallels with the potential miscarriage of justice in the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, which was also the focus of another ITV series, Mr Bates vs The Post Office.
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One viewer commented: “Just watched “A Confession” on #Netflix. Brilliantly acted by a superb cast. It’s up there with the #PostOffice scandal. Absolutely astonishing.”
Another said: “Watched ITV’s A Confession on Netflix yesterday. So so good. They did a really good job focusing on the victims.”
A third disgruntled viewer expressed: “OMG, I just watched A Confession on @netflix – what [an] emotional roller coaster that was. Wiltshire Police were idiots and were more interest[ed] in being right [than] doing the right thing.”
(Image: PA)
Complimenting the cast, another viewer added: “Having watched A Confession (ITV but on Netflix), I am reinforced in my view that Martin Freeman is such an underrated British talent.”
Halliwell was ultimately convicted of Becky’s murder in 2016 following the emergence of new evidence. He is presently serving an uncommon whole life sentence in prison.
A Confession is available to stream on Netflix.
