EXCLUSIVE What happens next in Adolescence: Lawyer reveals how he would defend Jamie Miller from the horrifying allegations in the Netflix show
Adolescences fictional teen protagonist would have been banged to rights and facing the prospect of being locked away for at least 12 years after being accused of murder, a legal expert has revealed.
Adolescences fictional teen protagonist would have been banged to rights and facing the prospect of being locked away for at least 12 years after being accused of murder, a legal expert has revealed.
The chilling crime drama landed on the streaming giant Netflix earlier this month and has proven a runaway global hit - amassing a staggering 66million views in just two weeks.
Split into four, one-take episodes, it follows 13-year-old Jamie Miller - played by rising star Owen Cooper - who is accused of murdering his female classmate after knifing her seven times during a brutal attack in a car park.
Adolescence has won plaudits internationally for its harrowing depiction of radicalisation and incel culture involving young boys - with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer going so far as to say it should be shown in schools to educate young teens.
But fans of the smash-hit crime series have been left desperate for closure over what would have happened to Jamie after he broke the news to his father he would be pleading guilty over the attack.
The devastating revelation led to a heartbreaking climax in episode four, with Jamies father - played by Stephen Graham, who also co-wrote the show - kissing his sons teddy bear as he wept in his lads bedroom.
Liam Kotrie, a criminal defence solicitor at Mary Monson Solicitors, in Salford, watched the series and has now revealed how he would have defended Jamie.
He said he would have tried to protect him at all costs and told him to answer no comment to every question in his police interview, after armed cops stormed his bedroom and arrested him.
Jamie Miller (played by rising star Owen Cooper) is left looking stunned after armed police burst into his bedroom and arrest him on suspicion of murder in episode one of Adolescence
A worried Jamie Miller is seen in a police station after being detained by police
Jamie and his father (played by Stephen Graham, seen right) speak to a solicitor before police interview him over the death of one of his classmates
But the legal expert warned the CCTV footage of Jamies attack against his classmate, Katie, would have been devastating to the defences case.
He would have been banged to rights. It was incredibly damning, added the 41-year-old solicitor.
I would [then] be thinking about mental health and seeing both a psychiatrist and psychologist to see how he ended up in this situation. Is there an opening for a manslaughter plea? Theres a good chance he was looking at an offence of murder.
Its often the case where you see CCTV and it looks very damning but then you see texts or accounts from other people, and it paints a wider picture. Its not quite as straight cut.
I would be looking to see if he has been a victim of some kind of bullying. But frankly when it comes to murder, that mitigation doesnt go so far.
He said Jamie would have been sentenced for a minimum term of 12 years - but warned this could have been higher.
He would be sentenced to a significant period of detention, he added.
Because of his age, Jamies identity would not have been made public, as it is automatically protected under Section 39 of the Children and Young Persons Action 1939. However, the press can apply to the courts for this to be lifted upon sentencing if it is in the public interest.
Due to the gravity of his crime, Jamie would have ended up in the Crown Court - although some of the traditional formalities, like barristers and judges wearing wigs, would likely have been relaxed.
Liam Kotrie, a criminal defence solicitor at Mary Monson Solicitors, has revealed how he might have defended Jamies character
Stephen Graham, who plays Eddie Miller, is seen in his sons bedroom holding his lads teddy
A lawyer has since revealed how he would defend Jamie - and what sentence the fictional teen could have got (pictured: is Stephen Graham with Owen Cooper, left, who plays his son, Jamie)
Graham appears emotional as he portrays Eddie Miller after his son, Jamie, is arrested
Describing what could have happened in a fifth episode, had it been made, married father-of-two Mr Kotrie told MailOnline Jamie would have likely been locked up after being given a blunt dressing down by a judge.
He would have been given a sentence of detention. In a case like this, taking into account his age, it would have been about 10 to 15 years, said Mr Kotrie, who has been a solicitor for 20 years.
Similar cases have seen child killers sentenced to life, being detained for a minimum of between eight and 15 years.
Stephen Graham, who co-wrote the show with Jack Thorne, said Adolescences story had been inspired by a series of brutal child murders in recent years.
Among them was the slaughter of Ava White, a 12-year-old Catholic schoolgirl who was stabbed to death in the city centre by a 14-year-old boy in November, 2021.
The horror attack took place after a row over a Snapchat video. A court heard Ava and her friends had become embroiled in an argument with her killer and three of his friends after the boys filmed a series of Snapchat videos of her group.
The murder of 12-year-old Ava White, pictured, in Liverpool is believed to have been among the tragedies that inspired the story of Adolescence
Her killer, a 14-year-old boy, stabbed the Year 8 Notre Dame Catholic College pupil with a flick knife (pictured) after an argument about him filming her on social media
Avas friends said the boy, who cannot be named or identified legally due to his age, grinned after stabbing her in the neck with a flick-knife before fleeing the scene. Him and his friends were later seen on CCTV going into a nearby shop.
Ava was taken to Alder Hey Childrens Hospital with critical injuries and died a short time later. The teen responsible for her death was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 13 years after being convicted of murder.
The court previously heard her killer - known only as Boy A - gave a false alibi to police and blamed another boy for slaughtering Ava, before changing his story and claiming he acted in self-defence.
The teenager said he didnt mean to stab Ava and was trying to get her away from me. He said he thought she was a boy, who might be armed, and feared she would batter him.
However, a jury found Boy A guilty of murder after two hours and eight minutes of deliberation and a 12-day trial at Liverpool Crown Court in May 2022.
Also believed to have been key in building the story of Adolescence is the horrifying murder of schoolgirl, Elianne Andam.
The 15-year-old was knifed to death outside Whitgift Centre in Croydon, south London, during a row over a teddy bear.
Her killer, Hassan Sentamu, stabbed her in the neck with a kitchen knife after flying into a fit of white-hot anger. He was 17 at the time of the murder.
In a victim impact statement, Eliannes mother Dorcas Andam said she was the kindest, most loving daughter who was vibrant, creative, and purposeful and loved to sing and braid hair
Hassan Sentamu (pictured) was convicted of murder by a jury following Eliannes death
Pictured are knives that police seized from Sentamu as they investigate the killing of Elianne
He had admitted manslaughter but was found guilty of murder and having a blade after a jury rejected his claim that autism affected his ability to exercise self-control.
He was later jailed for life and will serve a minimum of 23 years behind bars.
Elianne, whose family called kind and vibrant in impact statements, was brutally killed after showing solidarity for her friend, who was going to collect a cuddly toy after breaking up with Sentamu.
She grabbed back Sentamus belongings after her friend handed them over when he didnt bring the bear to the meeting on September 27, 2023.
In a scene of terror on the south London street he chased down the year 11 pupil and stabbed her four times including in the neck as she begged for mercy.
Also said to have been an inspiration to Adolescences story is the horrifying killing of transgender teenager, Brianna Ghey.
She was stabbed 28 times with a hunting knife during the fatal attack in Linear Park, Culcheth, near Warrington, in February 2023, which the sentencing judge, Mrs Justice Yip, described as exceptionally brutal.
The 16-year-old schoolgirl was ambushed by evil Eddie Ratcliffe and Scarlett Jenkinson, who were both 15 at the time of the killing.
Jenkinson and Ratcliffe, who had developed an obsession with killing and torture, were unmasked as Briannas murderers on February 2 last year when a judge lifted an anonymity order at their sentencing.
The twisted killers were then handed life terms for murder, with a minimum of 22 years for Jenkinson and 20 years for Ratcliffe.
Brianna Ghey was stabbed to death by Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe on Saturday 11 February 2023
The killers were unmasked earlier this year after both being jailed for the murder of Brianna. Pictured: Scarlett Jenkinson, left, and Eddie Ratcliffe
Ratcliffe was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and selective mutism and was also found to have been transphobic about his victim.
The trial at Manchester Crown Court heard how Jenkinson and Ratcliffe met Brianna off the bus at 1.53pm on February 11 2023, before they walked towards Culcheth Linear park together.
But one hour and 23 minutes later, the killers were spotted calmly walking away from the park without Brianna.
During that window of time, the pair inflicted a vicious assault on Brianna and murdered her. The pair still blame each other for inflicting the fatal wounds.
Timid Brianna was found lying face-down in the mud with 28 stab wounds.
Her savage killers, described as a danger to society by their victims mother, had planned the attack in great detail, with a handwritten note in Jenkinsons room reading: Saturday 11th February 2023. Victim: Brianna Ghey.
They then desperately sought to cover their tracks, with Jenkinson posting a Snapchat tribute that called Brianna such an amazing friend and one of the best people Ive ever met.
In a separate case in September, two 12-year-old boys who hacked an innocent teenager to death with a machete during an unprovoked and random attack were given life sentences, with minimum terms of eight-and-a-half years.
The pair of schoolboys murdered 19-year-old Shawn Seesahai in Wolverhampton after ambushing him on November 13, 2023.
Shawn, who was from Anguilla, was stabbed through the heart and lungs and suffered a skull fracture during the attack on Stowlawn playing fields in East Park.
Shawn Seesahai, 19, was stabbed in the heart and suffered a skull fracture in November 2023
One of the killers is pictured with a machete across his chest - he cannot be named for legal reasons
CCTV footage revealed the last moments of Shawn Seesahai as he headed to the park
One of the wounds he suffered was 23cm deep - almost passing through his body.
Both boys pleaded not guilty to murder, blaming the other for inflicting four the devastating wounds with a 16-inch machete.
One of the youths admitted to possession of the knife before their trial at Nottingham Crown Court and the other was found guilty of the same charge when they were both unanimously convicted of murder in June.
However, in December, a judge ruled the sentences they later received had been unduly lenient after the case was referred to the Court of Appeal, following furious criticism from anti-knife campaigners.
The boys sentences were later increased to a minimum of 10 years.