In Plain Sight: The true story behind Martin Compston’s serial killer drama

Scottish series will air tonight 7 June, five years after its initial broadcast

(ITV/Shutterstock)

In Plain Sight, a detective drama chronicling the crimes and capture of notorious Scottish serial killer Peter Manuel, is airing for a second time.

The three-part mini-series was first broadcast on ITV in 2016, however, it is due to air again five years later. The series will begin its first episode tonight (7 June) and conclude on Wednesday (9 June).

In Plain Sight stars Line of Duty’s Martin Compston as serial killer Peter Manuel who was convicted of murdering multiple people between 1956 and 1958.

Outlander’s Douglas Henshall acts opposite Compston as small-town police detective William Muncie.

Dubbed by the media as “The Beast of Birkenshaw”, Manuel was an American-born serial killer who lived in Uddingston, South Lanarkshire.

Manuel was born in 1927 to Scottish parents in New York City before migrating back to Scotland in 1932. At the age of 16, he had committed a string of sexual attacks for which he served nine years in Peterhead prison.

Shortly after his release, he was again sentenced to one year for housebreaking and a further eight years for a rape he committed while on bail.

The Week reports that Manuel claimed that the police had framed him for the crime and singled out detective Muncie.

Manuel was released from prison in the early Fifties. In 1956, he began his killing spree. Among his victims were Anne Kneilands, Marion Watt, Vivienne Watt, Margaret Brown, Isabelle Cooke, Peter Smart, Doris Smart and Michael Smart. He did not confess to the murder of  Sydney Dunn but it is suspected he was responsible for her death too.

(ITV/Shutterstock)

During the killing spree, Manuel is said to have taunted Mancie, who was pursuing him, by sending the detective clues and birthday cards.

Although many police officers suspected Manuel, they were unable to prove his guilt until they searched the Smarts’ residence where £5 banknotes Peter Smart was known to have withdrawn from the bank were later used by Manuel to pay for drinks in pubs around Glasgow.

After his arrest, he confessed to eight of the murders. He was tried for in a highly publicised trial at the Glasgow high court, for which he forwent a lawyer, instead opting to defend himself. Manuel was hanged on 11 July 1958 at Barlinnie Prison.

(ITV/Shutterstock)

Five years after its initial broadcast, In Plain Sight will air in three parts beginning tonight (7 June).

Its re-airing, however, has caused controversy among the relatives of Manuel’s victims. Stuart Reid – whose aunts Marion Watt and Margaret Brown and 17-year-old cousin Vivienne Watt were killed by Manuel– has asked that the show not air.

“We don’t want to see it again,” Reid told The Daily Record on Saturday (5 June). “I was 12 at the time, I will be 77 at the end of this month. It’s terrible that this is still going on. Me and my brother David are the last of my dad’s family.

The Independent has contacted a representative of ITV for comment.

In Plain Sight will air tonight at 9.00pm on ITV. The second and third instalments will be broadcast on 8 and 9 June respectively.