Daughter of woman whose real-life killing inspired Channel 4's gripping drama ... trends now
The daughter of the woman whose real-life killing inspired Channel 4's gripping drama The Jury: Murder Trial has told how her mother was 'failed by the justice system'.
Last month TV viewers were gripped by the social experiment in which two juries of 12 men and women — each completely unaware of the other's existence — were asked to watch the same criminal trial and reach a conclusion.
Although names and locations were changed, the evidence presented in court followed exactly the murder trial of Thomas Crompton who half strangled, then bludgeoned his 34-year-old wife of only a few months, Angela Phillips, to death with a hammer in a brutal attack at the cottage they shared in Arminghall, Norwich, in 2012.
Crompton, now 50, succeeded in convincing the jury to find him guilty of manslaughter, rather than murder, on the controversial grounds of 'loss of control', for which he was jailed for seven and a half years, serving half that time.
Angela's daughter Hollie, 28, told MailOnline that the programme, which she and her family welcomed, nevertheless opened up old wounds.
'The problem wasn't the jury, but the justice system itself,' she said.
Angela Phillips, was bludgeoned to death by her husband in a brutal attack at the cottage they shared in Arminghall, Norwich, in 2012
Thomas Crompton, now 50, succeeded in convincing the jury to find him guilty of manslaughter, rather than murder
Angela's daughter Hollie, 28, told MailOnline that her mother was failed by the justice system
Hollie was a schoolgirl of just 16 when the killing took place. She and her two younger siblings were living a few miles away in Norwich with their father, who split from Angela several years earlier.
The manslaughter verdict left Angela's family devastated.
'Thomas Crompton painted himself as a victim when he gave evidence and sobbed before the jury while at the same time blackening my mother's name, making her out to be the one responsible,' said Hollie.
'He was allowed character witnesses and gave evidence himself, but was no-one speaking up for her; she didn't have anyone fighting her corner.'
Hollie and her relatives thought long and hard about giving their blessing to the Channel 4 programme, but co-operated because they welcomed the chance to air their frustration with the way the real trial went.
Hollie was a schoolgirl of just 16 when the killing took place. Baby Hollie and Angela pictured together
Hollie and her relatives thought long and hard about giving their blessing to the Channel 4 programme. Hollie pictured as a child with her mother
Hollie pictured as a child with her mother. Now 28, Hollie said the depiction of her mother in the programme was one-sided
Interestingly the TV experiment showed the vagaries of the jury system as the two separate juries returned opposing verdicts on the same evidence – one finding the fictional defendant guilty of murder, the other only of manslaughter.
In Crompton's case, he testified that when a furious row about decorating escalated, he put both hands around Angela's throat and recalled her lips turning blue.
Then he stopped, picked up a heavy industrial hammer and proceeded to cave in her skull, striking her at least three times.
Crompton initially claimed he couldn't remember where he found the hammer from.
Channel 4's The Jury: Murder Trial saw two juries of 12 men and women — each completely unaware of the other's existence — asked to watch the same criminal trial and reach a conclusion
Interestingly the TV experiment showed the vagaries of the jury system as the two separate juries returned opposing verdicts on the same evidence
But crucially, under cross-examination, he accepted that the prosecution could be correct that he left the house, walked a few minutes to the foundry, picked up the hammer and returned, as they put it, to 'bash her brains in'.
She died a few days later in Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge.
Angela's family were shocked when they heard the 'loss of control' defence.
'This wasn't a split second thing,' said Hollie. 'How long does it take for someone to pass out when you're strangling them – a couple of minutes?
'Then he goes and picks up a hammer and comes back – it's a conscious decision, how is that 'loss of control'?'
Hollie said that back in 2012 when Crompton's manslaughter plea was explained to her and other family members by police and prosecution lawyers, they were assured the case for murder was 'very strong'.
But the depiction of Angela Phillips in the trials (real and televised) was nothing short of scathing. She was painted as violent, manipulative and deeply troubled, taunting her husband about former lovers, and insulting him about his appearance and his weight.
A psychiatrist suggested she had borderline
