Stephen Downing : Growing up Inside

Who is the real Stephen Downing? Why were the police so quick to point the finger at him for the brutal Murder of Wendy Sewell, and why did so many of the townspeople seem unsurprised to hear suggestions that he had attacked a woman? We hear about Stephen as a boy, and how growing up in prison shaped the man he became. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Wendy Sewell, a 32-year-old legal secretary, was murdered in the pretty town of Bakewell, in England's Peak District, in September 1973. A cemetery groundskeeper, 17-year-old Stephen Downing, quickly became the prime suspect. Despite having learning difficulties and a reading age of 11, he was arrested, questioned for nine hours without a lawyer present and eventually convinced to sign a confession full of words he did not understand.Years later, local newspaper editor Don Hale started to campaign over Stephen's conviction, fighting for the case to be sent back to court. Using brand new interviews, Murder in the Graveyard provides a fresh insight into Wendy's murder, as members of the Bakewell community come forward to talk openly about a tragic case that today remains unsolved.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.