Broken Country

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, child death, graphic violence, and substance use.

Hemston is consumed with gossip about Jimmy Johnson’s death, revealing Jimmy to be the victim of the murder that Frank is on trial for in 1969. The press is also reporting on and sensationalizing Jimmy’s death. Initially, only basic facts are known: Frank Johnson has been arrested for the murder of his brother, who had threatened to kill Beth Johnson’s lover, novelist Gabriel Wolfe, after a 10-hour drinking spree. As weeks pass, more details emerge in the press, with every newspaper wanting to cover the scandal because of Gabriel’s celebrity.

Frank pleads not guilty to murder and manslaughter charges and is released on bail while awaiting trial. The media frenzy continues, with a former student from Beth’s school telling The Daily Telegraph about the teenage love affair between Gabriel and Beth, while The Mirror publishes photos of the lake at Meadowlands where they had their liaisons. The villagers plan to attend the upcoming trial at the Central Criminal Court in London, viewing it as their own soap opera. Days before the trial begins, Frank breaks his bail conditions and is sent to Wandsworth Prison.