Patricia Routledge stars in this drama based on the real-life conviction and jailing of Sheila Bowler. Bowler was imprisoned for 4 years for the murder of her husband's aunt despite there not being a shard of evidence against her. She was finally able to overturn (quash) her conviction thanks to her children and a scrappy neighbor.
Harrowing story has Bowler taking the old lady out of the nursing home and driving her back to Rye for a visit. Along the way, she gets a flat tire and leaves the old lady in the car while she goes for help. When she gets back, the old lady is gone.
When she's found in the river a few days later. the local cops build a case against Bowler since the old lady was supposedly an invalid and could not have wandered off. Despite having no hard evidence of any kind, Bowler is eventually convicted by circumstantial evidence and supposition. She also seems to have had a totally inept legal defense.
Her children are totally ignorant of the legal system and only start to fight back when a neighbor pitches in and badgers the kids and the lawyers into seeking appeals.
Eventually they discover just how inept the legal defense was and start chipping away. The British legal system, however, fights them every inch of the way.
Routledge is superb as Bowler, the middle class music teacher who endures the harsh prison life for 4 years. Also notable is Nicola Redmond as Angela Devlin, on whose book this film is based.
