Stephen's Story

Drama series created by Jimmy McGovern. Seventeen-year-old Stephen Cartwright stands charged with a serious offence as his anxious father Peter looks on. We see the family months earlier as Peter tries his best to help his sons, Stephen and Dom, face the imminent death of their beloved mother. When palliative care nurse Charlotte arrives, Peter is grateful of her help at this most painful and stressful time for them. Stephen is less sure of this efficient nurse assigned to see his mother through her final days. When his mum passes on, Stephen becomes more suspicious of Charlotte's motivations. But is Stephen's angst and grief clouding his judgment? Time passes, but Stephen's anxieties and depression intensify. His troubling doubts about Charlotte are not helped by the way his father appears to move on after his wife's demise. Increasingly, paranoid Stephen is worried sick about the welfare of his younger brother Dom and clashes with his father Peter. Stephen's behaviour becomes more erratic and fraught, and leads to a desperate act which he believes will keep his brother from harm. Stephen has clearly suffered a mental breakdown. But what will be the outcome of the trial?.