The Sins of the Father

Episode 6: The Sins of the Father

*Dunbar is forced to take responsibility for his self-harming teenage daughter.*

*Gulliver tries to garner sympathy for a drug-dealer with AIDS...*

Dunbar gets called to a situation at a tower block. He finds a group of armed police, plus DC Simons and Supt Jackson, who quickly explain that one of his clients, William Duhaney, apparently under the influence of crack cocaine, has smashed up a squad car and taken his elderly neighbours hostage and is threatening to kill them. He has requested to speak with Dunbar, alone, but Bruce is far from enamoured by the sight of Duhaney prowling the balcony whilst brandishing a large machete.

Dunbar apprehensively 'negotiates' by offering William a fag if he'll let the old lady go. This actually works and the old lady is pushed towards the waiting police, so Bruce then offers a light for the release of the other hostage. Duhaney brings out the old man and whilst he is distracted in lighting his cigarette, the police pounce and bring him to the ground. Dunbar calmly picks up the lit cigarette and enquires of Spt Jackson,   "Are you a trained negotiator, or just a trained asshole?".

After the siege is over, Jackson tells Dunbar that "Sandra asked me to tell you that you're two months behind with your maintenance", Sandra being Dunbar's ex-wife now living with Jackson. Jackson delights in reminding Dunbar how poor he is and unable to treat his daughter to things like a pony. Dunbar and Jackson continue to needle each other like boys in the playground. Later at the custody suite, Dunbar tells Theo how spoiled his daughter has been over the years, getting every Barbie doll she ever asked for.

Gulliver, meanwhile, has landed a client named John Stark, found with £2500 worth of heroin and facing charges of possession with intent and conspiracy to supply. During their interview, Stark reveals to Gulliver that he has full-blown AIDS and wishes this to remain a secret from the police and courts etc. Gulliver understands this so advises Stark to plead guilty and get bail. "Thank goodness for that!", says Stark, "Then I won't have to tell my girlfriend either". Gulliver is obviously upset by this and is furthered rattled when he arrives back at the office to find Stark's girlfriend Joanna waiting there, with their child. He tells her that Stark should be out on bail soon but, not really wishing to say any more at this point, he now pretends that he has to be in court, before Janey 'helpfully' reminds him that his "11.15's been put back to 12:05". Joanne is fiercely protective of Stark, "He's a good man, so if I can do or say owt in his defence, alright?".

In court, Dunbar is about to launch into his familiar spiel about his client having recently lost their job/spouse/beloved mother, when the District Judge (DJ) stops him in his tracks and threatens to cite Dunbar for contempt with any further mention of newly-dead mothers, despite Dunbar's protestations that it's the right of a lawyer to represent his client in any way he sees fit. As the DJ adjourns for lunch, Dunbar turns to his client (a young woman who ran over a MacDonald's employee because there was no ketchup on her burger) and asks if she owns a cat.

After a brief visit to his office, where Janey presents him with an email from his daughter, Laura, about a pony she'd like, Dunbar returns to the court and presents a mitigation to the DJ about Toxoplasmosis Gondii, a single-celled parasitic organism found in domestic cats and found in research to be linked to road rage in humans.Dunbar suggests that the possibility of his client being so infected could mean a series of tests and scientific and psychiatric evaulations. The DJ is perplexed by this, though not as dismissive as previously.

Outside of court, Sarah accuses him of making a mockery of the system to which he replies, "It don't need ME to do that, you Blunkett!". He reminds her that everywhere you look, people are no longer responsible for anything, be it the dry cleaners where he takes his suit, the car park where he leaves his car, or the government that invades another country "for reasons they now can't find", so why should criminals be any different? His clients give him scummy excuses and all his does is to dress those excuses up a bit. It's the English legal system.

Theo approaches Dunbar about his client, Stark, wondering if he should tell her what he knows. Dunbar advises him not to, unless he wants to be reported to the Law Society. "Maybe he's got a fistful of reasons why he hasn't told her, but that's his business". However, he does advise Theo to tell this to the CPS when it comes to a plea bargain, "Saying he's only got a few months to live is the best excuse for anything".

Now Dunbar gets news that his daughter has been taken to Casualty. He rushes to the hospital, meeting Jackson coming out of Laura's room. she's OK, didn't take all of the pills, but she's resting now so Dunbar stays outside. Jackson tells him they've booked psychiatric sessions for Dunbar and his daughter to work through their issues together. Dunbar produces an envelope of cash, gives it to Jackson saying that it won't buy a horse, maybe a pony on loan for a few months. "But it's not from me, it's from you, OK?". "Now why would you do that?", asks Jackson. "Because in a siege situation, you don't give in to blackmail. Are you a trained negotiator, or just a trained asshole?".

Gulliver approaches Sarah off the record about John Stark, but she is unwilling to consider his state of health and won't drop the charges.

At the hospital, the psychiatric session between Dunbar and Laura decends into a verbal battle and when he suggests that a horse is just a fantasy and we all need fantasies, she floors him when she asks him what happened to his?

Alone at home, Dunbar roots through his cupboard to find a box of old Barbie dolls. Also, a machete-wielding Ken. Next we see Bruce readying William Duhaney for court and although he's previously threatened to "stick it up your ass!" when it comes to trial, he more conciliatory now, trying to find out a little more about William's background and saying that he must only speak in court when Dunbar tells him to speak.

Outside of the court, Gulliver advise Stark to tell the court he has AIDS, saying this may more likely mean a community penalty rather than prison should he withhold the information. Theo also suggests that Stark tells his girlfriend first.

Dunbar, facing the DJ once again, tells him that they must establish whether Duhaney is fit to plead. He says that the court must recognise that William's actions were the consequence of his schizophrenia, the voices in his head. Despite having submitted no reports nor called expert winesses or psychiatrists, Dunbar argues that according to the legal textbooks there is a simple test for schizophrenia, performs this on William and cites legal journals in relation to this. He reminds the DJ that if he doesn't give due consideration as to whether the client is fit to plead then they may appeal any future case.

Before Stark's case he tells Theo that his girlfriend has left him. Theo then present his client's medical evidence and argues that no good purpose would be served by sending him to prison. The magistrates discusses the evidence among themselves. Theo tells Sarah that if he wins, the drinks are on her later. Sarah asks if his girlfriend would mind, he says that "Samantha doesn't like after-work stuff". The magistrates decide to impose a drug-testing and treatment order for Stark. However, on the way out of court, Stark is arrested for 'knowingly and irresponsibly risking infection with HIV' to his ex-partner Joanne, who has made a complaint against him. Plus, of course, he cannot use the disease in mitigation in defence of this new charge.

The DJ now tells Dunbar that, after consideration, he is withdrawing his threat to cite Dunbar for contempt of court and Dunbar makes him agree that he may now say whatever he wants in pleas on mitigation on behalf of his clients. The DJ reluctantly agrees this to be the case. Dunbar now tells the court how William's father left when the boy was three and like 75% of young offenders, William is excluded from school and like 65% of young offenders cannot write his own name and address without help. Also, like 33% of young offenders, he has a drugs problem. Dunbar asks if the DJ would want to send his own child to prison in such circumstances. Dunbar reminds him the cost of imprisonment, around £1000 per week or a local authority secure unit at a cost of up to £5000 per week. "250 grand a year. For that money we could send him to Eton in his own yacht and still have a chunk of change". Imprisonment would only result in William still not being able to read & write, still on drugs and an 89% chance of re-offending within six months. Dunbar asks the DJ to impose a two year drug-treatment and testing order.

As the DJ debates with the clerk, Spinky Sutherland tells him he should use that speech more often. Of course, Dunbar being Dunbar, replies "Listen, I'm a lawyer. Didn't mean a fuckin' word of it!".

Other Cast Members

District Judge... Andrew Readman

Superintendent Jackson... Connor McIntyre

William Duhaney... Joseph Hutton

John Stark... Stuart Wilkinson

Joanna Moore... Paula Wolfenden

Shevanya... Rebecca Gallagher

Dr Harperhay... Paul McCleary

Laura... Natalie Press

Magistrate... Sarah Parks

Clerk... Alex McQueen