THE Jury: Murder Trial viewers have shared their shock after watching a member of the jury declare that the dead victim was “asking for it”.
Crime fans were left horrified after the woman made the comment while expressing her sympathy towards the killer on trial.
The Channel 4 series is based on the transcripts and statements from a real life murder trial, although the identities and locations have been changed.
Two juries made up from genuine members of the public are watching a reenactment of the trial using actors before reaching their verdict.
They are both unaware of the other jury in an experiment to see if a two juries could reach different verdicts on an identical case.
But in Day 2 of the show, viewers could not believe their ears after Jodie made her shock remark.
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The stay at home mum, 43, had watched the man on trial – renamed ‘John Risedale’ for the show – cry as he revealed his wife ‘Helen’ had taunted him for being “fat”.
John is standing trial for murder after killing his wife. His defence team argue he ‘lost control’ in a case of manslaughter.
After sobbing in the jury box at John’s admission that Helen would taunt him for his size, Jodie admitted she had previously been mocked for her weight in an abusive relationship.
Speaking to the Blue Team jurors in their break room, Jodie cried: “She knew what she was doing. The words were very hard for him and she did it on purpose.
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“I felt sorry for him and wanted to hug him.
“I’m not excusing what he’s done but she was asking for it.”
Some of Jodie’s fellow jurors were surprised by her comment, with one telling her: “She didn’t deserve to die.”
Fans of the show were equally as horrified, with many sharing their thoughts on X – formerly known as Twitter.
One wrote: “Excuse me…asking to be murdered?!”
Another added: “No one asks to be killed you moron!”
A third exclaimed: “Asking for it? To be murdered???”
And someone else said: “No one asked to be murdered, insulting someone is disgusting and hurtful but no one deserves to die for it.”
A fifth even pleaded: “Please god never actually give any of these ones jury duty.”
Later in the episode, John told the jury how the killing unfolded.
He said the couple had become embroiled in a heated argument, which involved Helen “throwing plates” at him.
They ended up in a tussle on the floor, with John recalling: “Helen is lying on her back on the floor, I went to put my hands over her mouth and, I don’t know why, but I put my hands round her throat instead.”
John then revealed he remembered “standing up and picking the hammer up”, before hitting Helen in the head with it.
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The episode finished with the jury trying to work out if John’s sentence should be based on a charge of manslaughter rather than murder.
- The Jury: Murder Trial continues at 9pm, Channel 4, Wednesday February 28
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Natasha Rigler
