Pinhead Morgan was involved in a riot that left a policeman dead.
Morgan was sentenced to life for the policeman's murder and Mr Justice Featherstone was the presiding judge. He even makes a comment as to how convinced he was with the evidence regarding Morgan's guilt.
As Rumpole notes, the evidence against Morgan was flimsy. He was just present in the riot.
After Morgan's conviction is overturned. Justice Featherstone is embarrassed and drowns his sorrows by having a night out with clerks of his former chambers. It leads to further embarrassment for him.
On the other hand. Rumpole finds himself defending Det Supt Gannon (Tony Doyle) who has been charged for falsifying Morgan's confession.
Rumpole is sure that Gannon is just a scapegoat and been left hung out to dry.
Obviously a case inspired by the murder of PC Keith Blakelock in 1985.
The timeline seems to be compressed in this episode as Morgan is convicted and then soon set free. In reality these things take years.
The Gannon case was more interesting especially the authenticity of the police interview notes. The lack of interviews being taped which had happened in the Blakelock investigations.
I found that in the later episodes of Rumpole. I remember the original news incidents that inspired the episode. So the balance of main plot and the humorous 'B' plot is slightly jarring.
Also I was aghast that Justice Featherstone would be the judge in Gannon's case when he made a pig's ear of the linked Morgan case.
Incidentally Tony Doyle who plays Gannon went on play an anti corruption officer in Between the Lines which also started in 1992.
