The BBC has quietly added a brutal true crime documentary that comes with a warning to viewers. Murder Trial is an acclaimed documentary series that offers unprecedented and never before seen access inside Scotland's High Courts as cameras film major murder investigations and criminal court proceedings.
Right through from the opening arguments to witnesses and the final verdicts, this unique series puts viewers in the position of a jury to see how evidence and legal arguments unfold. Now, the series has returned to screens, with two brand new episodes plunging viewers into a harrowing murder case which saw a man named Brian Low found dead one winter morning.
Case of Brian Low
An official synopsis for Murder Trial: Death of a Dog Walker reads: "Guilty or not guilty? Murder Trial, returns to the Scottish High Courts with the case of a man found dead in the middle of the countryside, with no witnesses, no forensics linking a suspect to the deceased and an accused man who the prosecution say has meticulously covered his tracks."
After initially treating Brian's death as non-suspicious, police started a murder investigation when the pathologist discovered shotgun pellets in the body bag. The episode takes viewers into the trial of David Campbell, who stood accused of shooting his ex-colleague Brian.
Streaming and Warning
Both episodes are now available to stream on BBC iPlayer from today (August 11), with episode one also airing tomorrow night on BBC Two. Episode two will follow next week. However, a strong warning has been issued to viewers, which reads: "This content contains themes of violence, as well as distressing scenes that some viewers may find upsetting."
During the two-part special, viewers will witness the potential missed forensic opportunities as well as the prosecution and defence teams cases.
Defence Strategy
The synopsis continues: "With no witnesses to the incident itself and no direct forensics connecting the accused to the deceased, the defence’s role is to expose flaws in the evidence. They will tear apart the prosecution’s timeline – and target flaws in the evidence of the victim’s own partner. Discrepancy in her memory of when she last saw Brian alive questions her vital testimony and reveals a critical gap in the prosecution’s timeline. In an attempt to raise doubt in the mind of the jury, they will also argue that the CCTV does not show the defendant at all and that he has an alibi."
It adds: "With both sides also relying on vital witness testimony from fellow estate workers and neighbours, the trial will paint for the jury a picture of a small community ripped apart by old grudges and secrets surfacing in the wake of a killing. As the victim’s family await justice, the accused awaits his fate." Murder Trial: Death of a Dog Walker can be streamed on BBC iPlayer.
