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In 1952 Patricia Curran, the daughter of a high court judge, was murdered in County Antrim. The murder caused a sensation in Northern Ireland.

Scapegoat on Ö÷²¥´óÐã One Northern Ireland tonight (Monday 26 October) at 9.00pm is a period drama based on the real events surrounding the murder and subsequent investigation.

A young RAF airman Iain Hay Gordon was ultimately tried for the murder, and found guilty but insane. With so many discrepancies and anomalies in the case, even at the time, many people suspected Gordon was innocent.

Written by the Hole in the Wall Gang, in a departure from comedy, in association with Waddell Media, the film follows the case through the eyes of Rossiter Lewis, a psychiatrist, hired by the defence team to examine Gordon and give evidence of his "insanity".

Initially he believes Gordon is guilty but, as he delves deeper into the facts, he believes Gordon is being used as part of a wider cover-up involving the police, the justice system and the Northern Ireland establishment.

Lewis has a choice. If he acts on his misgivings, Gordon will hang. If he doesn't, and declares Gordon insane, he can save the airman's life.

The Scapegoat cast includes Martin McCann (Iain Hay-Gordon), Stuart Graham (Dr Rossiter Lewis), Ian McElhinney (H A McVeigh QC) and Karen Hassan (Patricia Curran).

Producer Michael McGeagh says: "Apart from being a fascinating and notorious story we had a great script and a terrific cast.

"Thanks to this talented cast and crew we shot the drama in eight days and convincingly recreated the 1950s, which was a remarkable achievement."

Ailsa Orr, Head of Programmes, Ö÷²¥´óÐã Northern Ireland, said: "Scapegoat is a refreshing and innovative addition to Ö÷²¥´óÐã Northern Ireland's Mondays at 9 programming, which places high-impact, locally relevant programming at the heart of our television schedule.

"It is also a fantastic departure for The Hole In The Wall Gang, who were very successful producers of comedy for Ö÷²¥´óÐã Northern Ireland for many years.

"To branch away from that and straight into full-blown drama is a major achievement and something they should be very proud of – we certainly are."

Richard Williams, CEO, Northern Ireland Screen, said: "Waddell Media is one of our most prolific and successful production companies and we are delighted to further strengthen our relationship with both them and Ö÷²¥´óÐã Northern Ireland.

"Over the past year, incoming Ö÷²¥´óÐã network drama has afforded a great deal of experience for many local cast and crew, but Northern Ireland Screen has always sought to nurture local talent and support our indigenous sector with a view to building a dynamic and sustainable screen industry here.

"We hope that Scapegoat is the first of many drama commissions for the Northern Ireland sector."

Scapegoat is directed by Michael McDowell (Hole In The Wall Gang). The executive producer for Waddell Media is David Cumming, and the executive producer for Ö÷²¥´óÐã Northern Ireland is Deirdre Devlin.

Scapegoat was developed and produced with funding from both Ö÷²¥´óÐã Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen.

Scapegoat, a Waddell Media production, co-funded by Ö÷²¥´óÐã Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen for Ö÷²¥´óÐã One Northern Ireland, 9.00pm, Monday 26 October 2009.

Ö÷²¥´óÐã Northern Ireland Press Office