The Silent Witness

One of the better episodes of the Scotland Yard series. A man confesses to killing his wife in a accident but the police keep on investigating.... Ivan Craig stars as the accused.

The director here is Montgomery Tully, another responsible for several episodes in the SCOTLAND YARD series. This one focuses on a self-acknowledged killer who almost gets away with it in a daring bid for freedom. One of the serries' best aspects emerges here; in an apparently safe world, the directors sre not afraid to show the perpetual presence of violent.crime.

Edgar Lustgarten recalls a tale where the assailant called the police and tells them that he killed his wife and nearly got away with murder.

Frederick Stafford is a bookshop owner who also looks after his invalid wife. She died after they quarrelled and he accidentally pushed her. The doctor tells Superintendent Daker that she had a weak heart that could go out at any time.

Stafford faces a trial for manslaughter and there is a possibility that he could get off with the death being accidental.

Daker decides to probe more. Stafford looked respectable but he also seemed to be secretive. He liked going out and leave his wife alone and not let her sister look after her.

He took out a lot of money for expenses but it was not on housekeeping. Then there was his pretty assistant in the bookshop. Daker gets a female constable to go undercover and follow her.

An unpretentious story with efficient direction. There are a few clues here and there which indicates that Stafford was a man with a plan.

There are several familiar faces in small roles such as Molly Weir.

A man arrives at The Police Station to inform them that he's killed his wife, Detectives are baffled by his sudden and frank admission, but is everything as it seems?

Definitely one of the better installments in the series, I thoroughly enjoyed it, very intriguing, well planned out, intriguing and definitely well paced.

A really clever twist, definitely a degree of cleverness here.

Ivan Craig is excellent as Stafford, it's so bizarre seeing someone in a 1950's drama with a beard, no wonderful he stoor out, very few did, amazing how modern he looks.

What out for diminutive funny woman Rita Webb, and the wonderful Molly Weir, who many will know as Hazel The Macwitch in Rentaghost.

7/10.