Josh Davis
Thursday 30 July 2020 BBC1: 10AM; 43 minutes
I was delighted to be invited back to be cross-examined by barristers, Sasha Wass QC and Jeremy Dein QC on Murder Mystery and My Family, BBC1’s daytime show examining potential miscarriages of justice. This time we go back to County Durham in 1884 to discuss the reliability of the eyewitness evidence in the murder of Police Sergeant William Smith.
Joseph Lowson (25 years) was eventually hanged for the murder.
But was he guilty? Watch the show to find out.
What I love about contributing to this show is that I am given the evidence that perhaps an expert witness in identification procedures today might be provided with by the court. I then get seriously heavily cross-examined on my knowledge of the evidence in the case, and how modern identification and other procedures might better assist a jury with weighing up the evidence. The barristers spot the slightest anomaly in the way I present the evidence.
I have a glimpse of some but not necessarily all the other evidence in the case. I obviously make some assumptions of whether I think an innocent man was executed or not. However, when watching the show go out live I genuinely have absolutely no idea as to what weight the barristers will place on the conflicting evidence in the case, and whether they will manage to persuade the judge, and the viewers, that a miscarriage of justice occurred or not. It makes fascinating viewing.
You will be able to watch the show live on the BBC or on IPlayer later here.
Information on my previous appearance on the show can be found here: