Pensioners accused of murdering their son!

Crime dramas aren’t a rarity on our screens. Neither are true crime documentaries.

But both are hugely popular, as the success of recent hits Line of Duty and Unforgotten prove, while Netflix churns out factual programmes on similar themes, all of which are lapped up by the public.

This new one-off is, however, a little different. Ex-detective Mark Williams-Thomas – who exposed Jimmy Savile as a predator in ITV’s multi-award award-winning The Other Side of Jimmy Savile – is a key player and describes the programme as “a compelling real-life story, providing an intimate insight to the unique experience of a couple that is as close to a crime drama as you will ever see on television.”

It charts a disturbing 17-week period in the lives of pensioners Charles and Doris Clark, who first came to the police’s attention in December 1992 when their 23-year-old son Steven disappeared in mysterious circumstances following a family walk; he was last seen close to his home in Marske, near Redcar.

Twenty-eight years later, following a review by the Cleveland and North Yorkshire Cold Case Unit, Charles, then 78, and 81-year-old Doris were arrested on suspicion of murder.

That’s when Williams-Thomas appeared on the scene, exploring both the Clarks’ and the police’s side of the story, with particular attention paid to the couple as they came under increasing pressure while being forced to relive the anguish of their son’s disappearance. Their house was searched and their garden dug up as detectives searched for evidence; they believe Steven, whose body has still not been found, has come to some form of serious harm.

“Over 17 weeks I followed Charles and Doris whilst they were accused of the murder of their son,” says Williams-Thomas. “My approach was to be totally impartial, my questioning direct, as I unpicked their accounts and explored the possible scenarios around Steven’s sudden disappearance.”

He’s also seen regularly checking in with retired senior police officer Julie Mackay, who offers an insight into the police investigation and the reasons for the accusation levelled against his parents.

Charles and Doris themselves share new home video footage of Steven as a child and relive the tragic accident when, aged just three, he was hit by a lorry, which left him with a damaged left arm and a pronounced limp. Doris explains, “He was so different from the little boy before the accident to how he was when he came home, so we just worked as hard as we could to get him better.”

A quick internet search will tell you that the couple were eventually released without charge, but the build-up to that point is extraordinary.

“We discover the true pain and trauma caused by this investigation,” concludes Jonathan Levi, managing director of production company Content Kings. “The Clarks live in fear of the unknown. More importantly, nearly 30 years later, Doris and Charles say they still don’t know what happened to Steven and we gain a painful insight into what it’s like not just to lose your son, but to be accused of his murder without proven facts.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you