The Accused: Beyond Reasonable Doubt?

In 2009, 17-year-old Stacey Hyde was arrested for killing her best friend's boyfriend. She stabbed him to death after a drunken fight in his flat. Stacey insisted she was defending herself and her friend. But as her criminal charge reached court, the jury saw differently and found her guilty of murder. Those close to Stacey stood by her and searched for a way to prove that she acted in self-defence. Could the charity Justice for Women offer a way out? Stacey Hyde's case is one of many in which women who kill are imprisoned for murder, even though the courts may not have fully examined the circumstances that led to the event

In 1992, newlyweds Paula and Eddie Gilfoyle were awaiting the birth of their first child. When Paula was found dead in their garage in an apparent suicide, the tragedy shook the community - only to turn to shock and disbelief when the couple's complex lives were publicly revealed. As a result, Eddie was charged with her murder, found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. That saw the start of a 17-year fight to clear his name, in which he uncovered profound problems around the evidence. But after decades fiercely maintaining his innocence, has Eddie exhausted every possible course of appeal?

In 2012, a letter is hand-delivered to the home of David Bryant, a retired firefighter and beloved member of the Christchurch community. The letter accuses him of a sexual attack back in the 1970s and is a surprise to both David and his wife, Lynn. David insists he's innocent but is arrested and charged. By the time he's in the dock in Bournemouth Crown Court, his chances of being believed by a jury are diminished. Despite the conviction, all of David's friends and family vehemently stand by him, led by his wife Lynn in an appeals campaign to fight for his freedom.