Scapegoat - Michael McDowell - Stuart Graham - Ireland

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Scapegoat (2006)
Ireland

Director: Michael McDowell
Cast: Stuart Graham, Martin McCann, Ian McElhinney, Laine Megaw

Presentation:

Scapegoat is a dark story based on the real-life murder mystery that has frightened and intrigued the people of Northern Ireland for decades. This exhilarating, hour long film delves into the underbelly of 1950s Ireland, and attempts to shed light on a crime that, to this day, has never been solved.

It began in 1952 with the death of Patricia Curran. At first the killing seemed to be an open and shut case: The victim’s family all pointed the finger at Iain Hay Gordon, an airman in the Royal Air Force and a friend of Patricia’s brother. Further investigation soon revealed that Gordon was not only innocent, but that he was suffering from severe mental problems.

Despite his innocence, the powerful Curan family used their influence to keep him locked away in prison. Not even they could keep the truth hidden for long, though, and when the public became interested in the case, many began to suspect that one of Patricia’s own family was the murderer. Whoever the real killer may be, one thing quickly became clear to the people of Ireland: Hay Gordon was just a scapegoat.

The case remains unsolved to this day. It has been called Ireland’s “Jack the Ripper” mystery. The more the mystery is explored, the more impenetrable it seems to become. Perhaps, like so many cases, this legendary crime will never be solved.

Synopsis:

In 1952 Patricia Curran (Karen Hassan), the daughter of a powerful Irish judge in Antrim County, was murdered. A young RAF airman, Iain Hay Gordon (Iain Hay Gordon), was accused of being the killer. However, the case had so many discrepancies that, even back then, many people believed that Gordon was innocent. The only person that can change Gordon’s destiny is Dr. Rossiter Lewis (Stuart Graham), but will he be able to overcome the power and influence of the Curran family to do it?

Trivia:

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