Captions by Able.
Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air.
www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2024.
- I'm John. - Delia.
- You're a bit of a free spirit, aren't you? I could tell that by the way you were moving.
You care too much what people think.
- Plenty of time to be a boring conformist later.
- Would you like to move in with me?
- Does he or does he not make you happy? - He makes me feel less alone.
You drew that? - Yep, from me last girlfriend.
- What's her name? - Melissa.
- It's the most recent photograph we have.
It's just not like Melissa to vanish without a word.
- Come and dance with me, John.
- Sit down. Everyone's looking at you.
- I woke up, and he was strangling me.
You were asleep, and you were saying stuff. - What was I saying?
- I mean, he was violent once, John. - Change the locks on him.
- I want you to move out. - Has that dyke been putting ideas into your head?
- I killed her in Amsterdam. I chopped her up, and I put her in a canal!
- Hello? - Is that John? - Uh, yeah, this is John.
Who's this? - It's Leah. We met that time at Janice's party.
- All right, Leah.
Delia's not in.
- Oh. She's meant to be at work. - Oh, yep, she's had a family emergency. Her nan's sick.
- I'm sorry to hear that. Do you have a number for where she is?
- A number? No. No, no. I don't, no. - You know what, John? I don't believe you.
If I don't hear from Delia soon, I'm calling the police.
- She says she's gonna call the police if she doesn't hear from you soon. Why would shesay that?
What have you said to her? Nothing. Nothing. I haven't said anything.
- Then why would she say she's phoning the police?! - I don't know.
Oh fuck. I feel sick.
What am I gonna do? I can't cope with the police.
- I, uh― I could talk to her, uh, tell her I'm OK.
- No, because you'll say what's gone on. - No, I― I won't. I won't.
Mm.
- Look, what I said about Melissa ― I was just jokin', you know? I was just trying to scare you.
I know.
It's all right. It's OK.
- That's real.
Any funny business, and I'll kill you...
and Leah too. I know where she lives. I've looked in your address book.
ENT Outpatients Reception. Oh, Leah, it's...
Delia. - Where are you? Are you OK?
- Yeah. I, uh― I've been sick as a dog. I've had food poisoning.
- Food poisoning. John said your nan was sick ― family emergency.
- No, no. He's just being silly. My nana died years ago.
- Is John there now? - No, he's out.
- Delia, is he listening? - No.
I'm gonna be sick again. I've― I've gotta― I'll call you tomorrow.
- You need help, John. You need to talk to somebody who knows about these things.
We could go up to A & E right now.
There's always a duty psychiatrist on call.
- Maybe tomorrow.
- You need to take all this to the laundrette.
Why are you being a tricky bitch?
- John, you're changing again.
The fuck is wrong with me?
Look, why don't we...?
Why don't we go to Hampstead tonight when the sun's gone down, and we can throw it in the ponds?
- Whoa, no. Hey, what would be the point of that?
Why? If you wanna get rid of it, why― why don't you just sell it and get some money for it,yeah?
- Yeah. - Yeah.
I'm just not fucking thinking clearly.
- And do you know, I need to go back to work, John,
because I― we can't afford for me not to work. - You'll tell Leah what's happened.
You'll say what I said about Melissa. - No, I won't. Why would I do that?
Because I care about you, and I don't wanna get you into trouble. - You care about me?
Then why did you say that you wanted me to leave? That was― - I was upset!
Because you treat my home like a hotel!
You are my boyfriend, and yet you never seem to hardly wanna spend any time here!
- So you don't want me to leave? - No.
- I can't bear the thought of you sleeping with anyone else.
- I don't wanna sleep with anybody else.
- Do you love me? - Yeah.
- What I said about Melissa was― that was bollocks. That was bollocks.
- I know. I know. - You know me, don't you? - Yeah.
- You know me.
- I need to do... - No, no, no, no, no, no.
Oh God, no. I'm just so sore, and the mattress is filthy.
We can do it on the floor like we used to.
He threatened you with a gun. You have to go to the police.
- No. What if they don't do anything, then John finds out?
- You don't think these injuries are enough for them to take you seriously?
- He said he killed Melissa, his last girlfriend, the American model.
He said he killed her in Amsterdam, then he chopped her up, and then he chucked her body into the canal.
- What? - He said he was saying it just to scare me,
but I know he was telling the truth. - You can't go back to your flat.
You can stay at mine until we figure out what to do.
- No. Put you in danger. He went through my address book. He knows where you live.
He said if I told you anything, then...
well, then he'd kill you too.
- When I was going through that shit with Patrick, um,...
this lot were really good.
They'll find a place for you to stay.
- OK.
I've found a bed-and-breakfast for you in Kings Cross.
- Kings Cross? I'm not going to Kings Cross. Full of drug dealers and prostitutes.
- Well, it's all that's available, I'm afraid.
Look, I'm going to phone the domestic violence unit at Barstock Road Police Station.
- No. I said I don't want the police involved.
If he finds out I've been to the police, he'll kill me. - That's not going to happen.
If your boyfriend's still at your flat, they'll arrest him, and you'll be safe.
- I didn't wanna come here.
Well, you did the right thing, Delia. It was very brave of you.
- No, it was not. I didn't have a choice.
We're ready for you, Delia.
- Is it OK if I call you Delia?
It's my name.
- OK. I'm Detective Sergeant Andy Collins.
This is my colleague Detective Constable Patrick Flynn.
We're from the station's domestic violence unit.
I understand you want to report an assault by your boyfriend?
- I don't want to. I feel I have to now.
- Well, uh, in your own time, tell us what happened.
- Well, where do you want me to start?
- What is your boyfriend's name? - He's not my boyfriend any more. John Sweeney.
He― He had me tied hands and feet to that damn bed he made from Friday evening to Tuesday morning.
My arms spread out, my legs spread out.
When he wanted to have sex with me, he untied my feet. He had sex with me repeatedly.
When I screamed out, he threatened me with a kitchen knife. He said he'd cut my tongue out.
I tried to get free, but the ropes just got tighter and tighter. I think he tied them with a special knot.
He wouldn't even let me go to the bathroom. When I needed to go,
he put the orange bowl I use for cleaning the floor underneath me,
and I had to go that way, which was very difficult and very unsanitary.
One night, I wanted to go, but I was too scared to wake him up, and so I went on the mattress.
It's not very easy talking about these things in front of strangers.
- Would you like to take a break now, Delia?
- No. I just want this over with. You finished?
- Just, uh, bear with us a bit longer, Delia.
- Uh, Delia, just so I'm clear ―
uh, when you say John repeatedly had sex with you, you mean the sex was not consensual?
- Of course it wasn't consensual. I was tied to a bed. I was just a body to him, a blow-up doll.
He had sex with me. I did not have sex with him. I wasn't there.
My brain shut down.
- So what you mean is he raped you.
- If that's how you need to put it.
- How many times is repeatedly? - I don't know. - Three times? Four times?
- I just told you ― my brain shut down.
- If your brain shut down, how can you be sure you didn't give John any consent?
- Cos I'm not a moron. - Delia, we know these are difficult questions,
but securing a rape charge is no easy task, especially when it's a girlfriend-boyfriend scenario.
- He's not my boyfriend. - What I'm saying is ―
the more you can give us now, then the stronger the case we can make against him.
There's no shame in admitting you were raped. - I'm not ashamed. I'm embarrassed.
I don't like the word 'rape'.
- Um, the gun he threatened you with, Delia, do you know where he got it?
- No, how would I know? After he untied me, he told me that it was a toy gun, but I know that it was real,
just like I know that what he said he did to Melissa in Amsterdam was real.
- You don't think it's at all possible
it might have been something he just made up to scare you?
- He was telling the truth, and when you see his drawings, you'll see that I'm right.
They prove that what he said he did to Melissa is true.
- It's OK, Delia. He's not here.
- Yes, I know that. All his things are gone.
- Any idea where he might have gone? - How would I know?
- Uh, can I see those, Delia?
- Why? - Just for our records.
- I need those back. They are the most precious things I have.
- Here you go.
- So, this is where it happened. - Obviously. It's a bed, isn't it?
- So, where are these drawings, then, Delia?
- Well, they're in his portfolio. He must have taken it. - It's not this, is it?
- Yes, that's it.
Ah, you see?
Melissa.
- John told you this is Melissa? - No. It's obvious.
- Delia, there's no head. - Of course not. It's chopped off.
Look, you see? Same, Melissa. The same slender body.
And, look, this one, you see? The little guys are carpenters, like John,
and then they're― they're sawing and chopping at her.
Oh, this is new. I've... I've never seen this, but this is John, and this is Melissa, you see?
And out of his mouth, he's saying, 'Ohio. Ohio. It's off to work I go.' Melissa was from Ohio.
- You know what, Delia? You're exhausted. I think it's time we were getting you over to Kings Cross.
- No. What? Look at the pictures. - Jane, help Delia pack a wash bag and a change of clothes.
- Come on, Delia. - Get off me. Why won't you look at the pictures?
They― They prove he killed Melissa.
- They're just drawings, Delia. They don't prove anything. - What? How can you say that?
The truth is staring you in the goddamn face. - Delia, listen to me.
Our main priority right now is keeping you safe. - No, no. I'm not going.
I know my rights. You can't force me out of my home. - Delia.
- No. Get out.
- OK. Look, you're right.
We can't force you to leave. - I know. I just said that.
- We do not have the manpower to keep a round-the-clock watch on your house,
but I will see to it that uniform do an occasional drive-by.
But if at any point, day or night, John makes any attempt to contact you or gain entry into the flat,
call 999 immediately. We are five minutes away. - OK.
I get it.
Get out.
- Come on.
Do you want us to take the drawings as evidence, sir?
Evidence of what?
- I'll need copies for the others in the building. - No problem, ma'am.
To your new contract and three more months of job security.
- Mm. - Hmm.
Hallelujah.
- What's this? - Oh, it's― it's nothing much.
It's just― just a token just to say thank you for being such a good friend.
Delia, you didn't have to do that.
- Oh, it's so pretty. - Yeah, it's― it's made in India. It's, um― Does it―? Does it fit OK?
- It's perfect. - Oh. - I love it. Thank you.
Yeah, it looks really good on you.
Yeah, cheers.
- I think might spend Christmas with my family, now I know I can afford the ticket.
Xmas in Texas. That'll be nice.
- Oh, well, you don't know my parents.
And I'll probably spend most of my time at my brother's place.
- Oh, I didn't know you had a brother. - Yeah, Stewart. Yeah, he's a...
Well, he was a traveller like me. Went all over, then stopped.
- How come? - Got a regular job.
- Nice houses. I still don't know how you kept living here, though. - Oh, I'm not some hysterical female.
Why would I let him drive me out of my home?
Cup of tea? - I need to get back. - Yeah.
Yeah, you don't wanna miss the last tube.
- Next time, you're coming to ours, though, right?
Thanks for my bangle.
- You don't have to wait till I'm inside.
- I'm having a fag, if that's all right with you. - You shouldn't smoke.
- God! - Come here! Come here!
Hey, I don't wanna hurt you.
- I don't wanna hurt you. - I just wanna talk.
You changed the locks.
Why?
I had to climb in through the kitchen fucking window.
- Now, I know that you went to the police. After everything you said about loving me,
about not wanting to get me into trouble, I know that you went to the police, but I forgive you for that.
I just wanna know ― did you tell them what I told you about Melissa?
- Mm, mm.
- I don't know whether to believe you.
I feel like I should just kill myself and you.
Or maybe I should just fix it so that you can't say anything to anybody ever again.
- Open your mouth. - Why? - Open your mouth.
Open your mouth.
- Oh fuck!
Delia, open the door.
I just wanna talk to you.
Delia, open the door.
- Open the door, or I'll flatten it!
Delia, open the door.
Open the fucking door!
- Police. - Police. Stay back, sir.
- Police! - Delia, can you open the door now? - Delia?
- Delia, it's Jane Barker. Can you open the door now? - Delia?
- Open the door and just tell them that we had an argument, that there's nothing to worry about.
- If you say anything, I'll kill you. - Delia, open the door.
- Delia. Delia, listen to me. If you don't open the door, we're gonna break it down.
- Delia?
Here.
- Please open the door, Delia.
Delia, thank God you're OK. Delia!
- Show me your hands. - What's goin' on? - Show me your hands!
- I haven't done anything. - Turn around. - I haven't done anything!
- Turn around and put your hands behind your back! - I haven't done anything.
It's me. It's me!
It's me! It's OK. It's OK.
It's OK.
Get back, please. There's nothing to see. You'll serve as a diversion at the end.
- We're charging him with ABH and false imprisonment from when he tied you to the bed.
He'll spend a night here, there'll be a hearing in the morning,
then he'll be transferred to HMP Pentonville, pending a bail hearing.
- Bail? - It's just a formality.
With his offending history, there is no way he'll get it.
He's got quite the record on Merseyside, hasn't he?
- Uh, six months in prison for affray,
bound over to keep the peace after his wife complained that he threatened her with murder.
When the police came to arrest him, he was in the wardrobe with a hammer in one hand and an axe in the other.
- Look, I know it doesn't feel like it right now, but you've had quite a lucky escape, Delia.
- Why didn't you tell me all this before?
- The information only came in a couple of weeks after we took your statement.
He was long gone by then, and based on what WPC Barker told us,
every time she came to see you, you just wanted to get on with your life.
Main thing is ― we know now, don't we? That's...
Uh, you're not planning on going abroad any time soon, are you?
- Yeah, I was gonna spend Christmas with my family in Texas.
- No, I'm afraid you're gonna have to postpone that.
- I don't wanna spend Christmas here. I wanna see my family.
- We need you here. You are the key witness in a criminal investigation.
OK, well, wrapping up. The duty doctor will examine you, and we'll need to get some photographs.
- Tom?
Here.
- Melissa Halstead.
- Yeah.
Halstead residence, Jack Halstead speaking.
- Good afternoon, Mr Halstead. This is Agent Astrid De Vries, Amsterdam Police.
- Yes? - Are you the father of Melissa Halstead,
who visited the Amsterdam Police in July 1991? - I― I am. Have you found Melissa?
- No. We're modernising our missing persons database,
and we're requesting that all relatives send us blood samples for potential DNA profiling.
- Well, of course I'll send a blood sample, then. Anything that could help you find Melissa.
- We've not forgotten your daughter, Mr Halstead.
We won't stop looking for her.
- Tell me what you need.
OK.
- You all right? - No.
I'm a nervous wreck. - You're gonna be fine.
The offences of which my client stands accused, about which he's made no admissions
and maintains his complete innocence, are allegations, not facts,
allegations made by an unstable woman.
Yet, because of them, he has spent a month on remand in Her Majesty's Prison Pentonville.
Your Worships, all Mr Sweeney wants is what any of us want at this time of year,
to spend Christmas with his family.
I just feel like I need some hot weather. Do you know what I mean?
- Yeah. - Um, yeah, exactly. - Over Christmas?
- No, maybe the day after Christmas. - Nice. - You know?
- So New Year's? - Yeah. - Could get― Ooh.
- Delia, the police are on the phone. You can take it in my office.
Well, she likes...
Hello? - Hello, Delia. This is DS Collins.
Uh, I'm afraid it wasn't the news we were hoping for.
Sweeney's been granted bail.
- What? - Yeah, apparently,
there's an amnesty this Christmas for prisoners to visit their families.
- They let him out at Christmas to see his family,
and they won't let me out of the fucking country to see mine?
- Yeah. Look, look, it's only for a couple of weeks, until his next hearing,
and the magistrate has imposed some very strict conditions.
He has to sleep at his parents' house every night in Skelmersdale.
He'll be under home curfew from 9pm to 7am every― - No! They― No, he will―
- Delia. - He'll come after me now. I...
- Delia. - He'll kill me. I know it. - He's not going to break bail.
But as a precaution, maybe it's wise for you to spend Christmas somewhere else.
- What, some shithole in Kings Cross? Fat chance.
Certain simulations have explored what would happen if a tornado outbreak,
or a tornado-producing storm, occurred at different levels...
- ...of global warming. Projections suggest that stronger tornado-producing storms may―
- Hello?
Hello? - Stewart, it's me.
- Oh, hey, Delia.
I was just thinking about you. Um, I'm watching a documentary on tornadoes.
R― Remember, uh, when we were kids, and that tornado hit?
- Yeah, I― I remember. - Stewart, listen, the...
- Delia, you still there? - Do you know what? A friend has invited me to stay for Christmas,
so I won't be at home when Mum and Dad call.
Let them know so they don't worry, yeah? - OK.
- Yeah, and this will probably be the last chance I'll get to call you, so happy Christmas andall that,
and, uh, tell Mum and Dad I love them.
- Uh, yeah. Oh, OK.
Uh, are you OK, Delia?
- Oh yeah.
How are you, Stewart? You OK?
- Uh, you know, still gettin' nowhere fast.
When are you gonna visit, Delia?
Uh, I thought we could go to Arbuckle Falls, like last time.
- Oh yeah. Oh, we had a nice time there.
- We sure did.
The sun was shinin',
and the birds were chirpin'.
The water and all that...
Yeah.
- Yeah. It was real peaceful.
- OK.
- Yes, well, surprise, surprise. Hope & Haven have given me a list of B & Bs in Kings Cross,
so I'm just gonna head home and get my stuff and then...
- OK. I'm sorry you're going through all this at Christmas.
- Oh, it's fine. I'll keep busy. I've got a shift at Chelsea and Westminster on the children'sward,
- so... - I thought you didn't like children.
- Sick ones are OK. Right, I'm gonna head.
- OK, you make sure you call me at my mum's when you've found somewhere.
- Yeah, yeah. - See you in the new year. - Yeah.
- Delia, I wanna talk to you.
Get inside the house. - No, no! - Let's go.
- No. Let go of my bike. - Get inside the house. - No!
- Get inside the fucking house! - No. Get off my bike! Oh!
Josh, what are you―? Shh, shh.
God, call 999!
Josh!
Josh, stop!
- What's happened? - Oh my God.
Oh my God.
It's Delia. Is she OK?
Oh God. Don't move her. Just leave her where she is.
- It's OK. - Dad's called the ambulance.
It's OK. Try not to move.
- Delia? - It's OK, Delia. It's gonna be all right.
The ambulance is coming. It's OK.
Come on, Delia. Come on.
- Delia? - My right lung has a haemopneumothorax,
and I have a stab wound to my right thigh.
- Look, try and stop talking. Try to pop in and save your breath, OK?
What I'm gonna have to do is cut your top off to look for any other injuries.
- Oh, I bought this in Mexico.
- Mexico? We'll have to get another one for you. Just breathe normally, OK?
I'm gonna have to cut that top off.
OK, Delia? Just keep breathing normally for me now, OK?
I've got a wound there. Let's get those, uh―
- Let's get some gauze on that. - Get gauze on that one now, yeah. You OK, Delia? Yeah?
It's OK, love. There we are. I'm just gonna put a dressing on now.
Delia? Delia, are you OK?
There we are. Stay with us now.
- Delia?
Is it?
- Delia?
Delia? I'll get a bag. I'll get a bag.
Stay with us. Delia?
Yeah. Keep― Keep goin'.
- That's the way. Come on, love. - Delia? Delia?
We need to give her― Delia?
Delia, stay with us.
Delia? Stay with us now. Stay with us.
- # All my flowers...
# rest in water.
# Won't you take them away?
# Won't you take me away? #
Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air.