is part of Jimmy McGovern's series the , each episode stands alone and starts with a character in the dock, the ensuing hour tells how they got there.
I co-wrote Helen's Story with Jimmy McGovern, normally when I'm writing there are two nagging questions at the back of my mind: What am I trying to do and what's the point? With Helen's Story, those questions never arose because we weren't just writing a story with plot devices, we were showing that when it comes to deaths in the workplace there's very little justice on offer... Helen's Story is the journey of a bereaved woman who is repeatedly let down by the law.
We couldn't have written this drama accurately if families who've lost relatives hadn't shared their experiences. I particularly want to thank Anne Jones - whose son Simon was killed on his first day as a casual worker at Shoreham Docks - difficult though it was for her, Anne Jones took me through what happened in the hours and months following Simon's death and the almost callous way she was treated by the authorities and in the courts.
Linda Whelan - whose son Craig died in 2002 when a chimney he was working in exploded because the company were too cheap to institute proper safety procedures - also gave generously of her time and recounted her son's death and the company cover-up. The problem in Helen's Story wasn't a lack of research material, if anything there was way too much, FACK, Families Against Corporate Killing (who campaign for prosecutions against negligent employers) had a wealth of stories about companies cutting corners and deaths that never should have happened.
Early on in the script meetings between myself, Jimmy McGovern and producers Sita Williams and Roxy Spencer, we all agreed that Helen's Story was a work of fiction and nota docudrama. After putting the audience through the death of a child, the lack of justice and the effect that has on the parents' relationship, it wouldn't have been fair to go out on a downer. In real life a woman who admits committing arson is unlikely to be found Not Guilty but in this case we wanted the Jury to reflect the audience's feelings, and we were pretty sure that most people watching would understand, even support, a grieving Mother's actions.
Read the script for in the 主播大秀 writersroom
back on 主播大秀 iPlayer.