ITV’s Coronation Street has hired a top barrister to advise scriptwriters on a court case involving characters David Platt and Nick Tilsley.
The soap have enlisted the help of Craig Weston, a senior associate barrister in Irwin Mitchell’s Criminal and Regulatory Investigations Group in London, to help the soap’s scribes ensure the trial is accurate from a legal point of view.
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Craig told the Law Gazette: “It has been fascinating to be involved and really interesting to see how TV scriptwriters work and how storylines develop, not least keeping draft scripts a secret.
“There were lots of different aspects to take into account including future stories and although I didn’t know much about the characters on Coronation Street before, I certainly do now.”
Craig has advised script writers on the conduct of legal representatives, the trial process, and the likely length of prison sentence appropriate for both based on the crimes.
It comes after Nick (Ben Price) was caught out over stealing his gran Audrey Roberts‘ (Sue Nicholls) £80,000, and David (Jack P. Shepherd) helped him spend it on barbers Trim Up North.
This move comes after the soap’s bosses admitted they made an error during a trial scene involving David and Nick’s niece Bethany Platt – played by Lucy Fallon – in October 2017.
Eagle-eyed viewers spotted Bethany being sketched as the character testified during her grooming trial, despite being automatically entitled to anonymity.
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An ITV spokesperson later said: “In last night’s episode we showed a court artist at work sketching Bethany during her trial.
“We accept this wasn’t a true representation of court procedure and we apologise for including it.
“The artist was solely used to illustrate the passing of time and we devoted multiple scenes to the fact that Bethany’s anonymity is a priority for the court.
“We repeatedly focused on details regarding screens and video links, and support for victims throughout the court process, which we hope would encourage anyone watching to recognise the fact they would be in a safe place when giving evidence.”
Coronation Street is on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV.
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