Murder, Mystery and My Family

Original version

BBC One Oxfordshire

Documentaries

Factual

Factual: Crime & Justice

Top criminal barristers Sasha Wass and Jeremy Dein reinvestigate historical cases.

Series 3

BBC Two

Simulcast of network BBC One in high definition. From 03/11/2010

BBC One HD

BBC One Yorks & Lincs

The BBC West region started on 1st September 1957 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One West.

BBC One West

BBC One Channel Islands

Formerly part of a wider BBC One South East region that included London and part of the South region. Separated from BBC One London 2001-09-03 following reorganisation of the South East region.

BBC One South East

BBC One region covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

BBC One East Midlands

The BBC South region started on 5th January 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South.

BBC One South

The BBC South West region started on 20th April 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South West.

BBC One South West

BBC One London

London

The BBC North East & Cumbria region started in 1959 (tbc) as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One North East & Cumbria.

BBC One North East & Cumbria

BBC One Cambridgeshire

BBC One North West

The BBC East region started on 1st May 1959 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One East.

BBC One East

BBC One Yorkshire

BBC One West Midlands

Simulcast of BBC One Wales in high definition. From 29/01/2013

BBC One Wales HD

Simulcast of BBC One Scotland in high definition. From 14/01/2013

BBC One Scotland HD

BBC Northern Ireland region started on 19th April 1955 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One Northern Ireland.

BBC One Northern Ireland

Simulcast of BBC One Northern Ireland in high definition. From 24/10/2012

BBC One Northern Ireland HD

BBC One Scotland

Scotland

BBC One Wales

Wales

BBC Two England

England

Simulcast of network BBC Two in high definition.

BBC Two HD

Simulcast of BBC Two Wales in high definition

BBC Two Wales HD

Simulcast of BBC Two Northern Ireland in high definition

BBC Two Northern Ireland HD

BBC Two Northern Ireland

Until 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales (analogue) was known simply as BBC Two Wales. BBC Two Wales (digital) was BBC 2W. From 03/01/2009 BBC Two Wales schedules on both analogue and digital became identical

BBC Two Wales

Sasha Wass

Jeremy Dein

Clare Wales

Gary John Senior

James Pearson

David McConnell

Mike Benson

Zlatina Rankova

Michael Klokkos

Chalkboard TV

Murder, Mystery and My Family: Series 3: Episode 8

Episode 8

BBC One - Murder, Mystery and My Family, Series 3, Episode 8

Barristers Sasha Wass and Jeremy Dein investigate a fatal shooting on a farm in 1893.

The barristers investigate the shooting of a gentleman farmer in rural Staffordshire in 1893. Was the attack really carried out by the 19-year-old poacher who was convicted?

Barristers Sasha Wass and Jeremy Dein investigate whether the murder of a gentleman farmer in the late Victorian era was really carried out by a 19-year-old rabbit poacher.

Staffordshire, 1893. In farmland near the sleepy village of Norton Canes, farmer William Masfen lay in wait to confront poachers who he'd been tipped off were illegally hunting on land he had rights to.

At about 3.30am, a brutal confrontation saw him shot twice and bludgeoned. Of the three injuries, any one could have killed him. His body was discovered at 9.30am, and police followed distinctive boot marks found at the crime scene to the nearby home of 19-year-old miner and renowned local poacher John Hewitt. There police found a shotgun and Hewitt's boots, which exactly matched the distinctive print. They also found a recently killed rabbit in the pantry.

Hewitt was arrested and charged with murder. He initially denied his guilt, but 48 hours after his arrest John Hewitt made a dramatic confession to police in his cell at 3.30am. He claimed that Masfen had confronted him, tried to take the gun off him, and the gun had gone off accidentally in the struggle. However, the teenager was convicted of murder in a trial that lasted just one day. He was later hanged.

Over a century later, two of John Hewitt’s descendants, Adrian and his father Trevor, are keen to find out if John might have been innocent. A family legend passed down the generations says it was actually John Hewitt's father who fired the fatal shots.

Adrian and Trevor have called on the barristers to establish if there could be any truth to the family legend. Exploring questions around the ballistics evidence given at trial, the psychological state of a 19-year-old charged with the most serious of crimes, and a confession made at the dead of night in difficult circumstances, will Jeremy and Sasha be able to find enough new evidence to cast doubt on the safety of John Hewitt's conviction?

Murder, Mystery and My Family: Series 3

BBC One

Jeremy Dein and Sasha Wass re-examine historic murder cases

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Murder, Mystery and My Family

Series 3

Episode 8

Contributors

Genres

Formats

Brand

Series

BBC One Oxfordshire

About BBC One