Who Murdered Maxine?

# Every day when I'm away

# I'm thinking of you

# Every one can carry on

# Except for we two... #

It really is incomprehensible to try

and explain to people...

..what it's like to lose...

Maxine.

Maxine Hambleton was 18 when she died.

Maxine loved Slade, she was in love with Dave Hill,

she had a poster of him on her wall.

She was full of life, she was kind,

erm...

she was funny.

She was sharp as a knife.

She was murdered in Birmingham almost 40 years ago

and her family's still trying to find out who did it.

I can just see her walking away

and it's very, very hard.

To think that I was the last one in my family to see her alive

and the way she was...

I delivered her to her death.

Sign the petition, folks! Takes two minutes!

But Maxine didn't die alone.

In 1974, 21 people were killed

and almost 200 others were injured in the he Birmingham pub bombings.

-Sign the petition, folks!

-The case remains unsolved.

Two minutes to sign the petition!

-I remember the bombs.

-Do you?

-Yeah.

I don't think anyone will forget that.

We've been following them for over a year.

Maxine's brother, Brian and her sister, Julie are setting out

their stall to demand a fresh investigation

and justice for the 21 who were killed.

-Excuse me, sir, could you sign our petition, please?

-No thank you, cheers.

Excuse me, sir...

-Excuse me, could I trouble you for a signature?

-I haven't got the time, sorry.

It's hard. It's really hard.

They're only yards from the two city centre pubs where the bombs

went off and on days like these,

their small band of supporters really keeps them going.

They really are an incredible group of people.

Without them, without any shadow of a doubt,

we wouldn't be where we are today.

The Hambletons want 100,000 signatures on their petition

to show the police and politicians that Birmingham is behind them.

It doesn't sound like such a big ask in a city of over a million people

but they are still 90,000 short.

Justice for the 21!

Is this an old story in danger of getting lost in a modern city?

We found someone who doesn't need a history lesson.

She was there.

-Hi, Julie, I'm Maureen.

-Hello, Maureen.

-Maureen Mitchell, I was a victim in the bombings.

-Oh, my God!

-Yeah.

Hello, it's really nice to meet you. Oh, my God!

I did see you at the vigil in November but you'd got so many people around you.

Were you in the tavern at the time?

-I was in the...

-In the Mulberry Bush.

-Yeah.

Maureen Mitchell was so badly injured in the Mulberry Bush pub,

priests gave her the last rights.

This is the first time she's met Julie.

Oh, God. You took me by surprise.

-Sorry.

-It's emotional

for me because you were there.

-I mean, it wasn't in the same pub but...

-No, no.

..you have been through it, literally

and my heart goes out to you.

Well, mine does to you because, you know, it's different for me.

I mean, I'm here to tell the tale and obviously Maxine...

-Yeah, but you have real life memories of horror.

-Yeah.

Real horror and terror.

21 people died and 182 were injured but surprisingly few

of the families affected by the bombings know each other.

But there are reasons for that.

I did go through a very bad stage of survivor guilt.

That you do feel guilty that you survived

when someone like Julie lost someone so close to them.

The IRA has always been blamed for the bombings

but publicly never admitted it.

Maureen tells a different story.

I mean, we've... We've been to Ireland, haven't we?

And been involved in the peace programme in Ireland and we've met

sort of ex-terrorsits or whatever they like to call themselves, haven't we?

And we know - some of them have actually said - we'd do it again if we had to.

-What he actually said to me, they never targeted civilians.

-Yeah.

-They never targeted civilians?

-That's what he said...

That were his words and then I says to him,

"What about Birmingham?" He said that was a mistake.

-How could it be a mistake?

-I don't know.

They had three bombs, one was in one pub, one was in another

-and the other one didn't go off.

-But those were his actual words.

That was a mistake.

Well, his actual phrase to me was, "The difference between us

"and Al-Qaeda, is that we've never targeted civilians."

It's been a tough conversation to have in the streets

but it sounds like this was a good time to have it.

If I can support Julie in any way, I will and we will stay in touch now,

I'm sure we will, you know...

# I was dancing when I was 12... #

Brian is driving to where he dropped his sister off

on the night of the bombings.

Memories follow him through a city that has moved on from the '70s.

I see it in a different light.

I'm sort of stuck in a kind of limbo.

Tonight, the pubs are full again and fear of the IRA has gone.

But 40 years ago, Birmingham was a very different place.

Irish republicans were resisting British rule in Northern Ireland.

Some turned to terrorism, planting bombs at home and on the mainland.

The West Midlands was hit more than 30 times in 12 months.

Thankfully, there were few casualties

but that was about to change.

You could never have guessed what was going to happen within

the next 60 minutes.

Why would somebody want to kill people like that?

Well, just kill people.

We're out in a pub.

The Mulberry Bush, at the foot of Birmingham's rotunda and

the Tavern In The Town basement bar - where Maxine was -

were blown to pieces.

She was one of six children. Julie, the youngest,

was only 11 when it happened

and has one small box of memories.

And there's a picture of Maxine.

I think that's a fantastic picture of her cos it really captures her.

You know, look at her smile

and she made that dress herself.

Bless her.

Alongside the memories, there is

also a suggestion of how her sister died.

And then...

I come across this.

She used to love her bangles, Maxine.

She wore lots and lots of bangles.

And these were her rings...

and...

..I'm not sure but I think that this...

..is what she was wearing...

..on erm...

On the night she was killed

because it's all bent and damaged.

And it's all burnt.

Starting the campaign has exposed them

to harrowing details they were never told as children.

Julie thinks it's time they were told everything.

We don't care how many boxes we have to open

but whatever it takes, we will do it.

Because...

somebody has got to fight

for these people who aren't here to fight for themselves.

News of the campaign is starting to travel and so must Brian and Julie.

They are one their way to meet a high profile supporter.

-Hello.

-Hi. Travelling to Belfast?

-Yes, please.

Thank you.

He's waiting for them in Belfast

and this will be their first visit to Northern Ireland.

It's ironic to think that we are having to go to Northern Ireland...

..to get movement.

Now, in itself, that is odd.

It's nice to be meeting people at the top,

all the people in power but erm...

..we're only doing all this for one reason.

As far as I'm concerned, I don't want to be messed about.

Which I'll... That'll be my first line. I...

If he can help, that'll be fantastic but if he can't,

I'd rather them say so.

Out of the rain, there's a warm,

Ulster welcome from the First Minister, Peter Robinson.

Hello, Mr Robinson, I'm Julie Hambleton.

I've been reading something of the campaign itself, obviously from...

a Northern Ireland perspective we look very closely and there was

massive empathy and sympathy at the time of the bombing itself.

He's no friend of the IRA,

quite the opposite.

As leader of the Democratic Unionists,

he wants Northern Ireland to remain British.

The Hambletons haven't come to talk politics,

they just want his help.

I've indicated to the group that if they want to put together

a dossier, I'll ensure that it goes into the hands of the Prime Minister.

I believe the Prime Minister looks at the arguments they're putting

forward, there's every reason why there should be an investigation.

They're not going to argue with that.

It was very interesting. Very enlightening.

He listens, he understood...

..and he has given us some fantastic, erm,

advice and guidance and he's going to try and help us,

erm...

to the top of the tree, to the Prime Minister.

Belfast has given them a much needed morale boost.

They can only wait to see if Mr Robinson delivers on his promise

but back in Birmingham, it's back to business.

This campaign never stops.

It's taken over their lives...

and their living rooms.

It is extremely time consuming, it...

We literally eat, sleep, drink it.

Erm, we dream about it.

But why have they left it so long?

I wasn't strong enough.

Grief is a terrible thing

and anyone who has lost a loved one,

erm, to murder,

any form of murder

or horrendous loss,

will know what we're talking about.

Some people never recover.

Ladies and gentleman,

for 16 and a half years we have been used as political scapegoats!

There is another reason why the families kept quiet.

The police told us from the start that they knew we hadn't done it!

Six Irishmen jailed for the bombings in 1975

walked free from the Court of Appeal after 16 and a half years in prison.

Judges ruled their 21 murder convictions were unsafe

and overturned them.

I couldn't watch it because as far as I was concerned,

it was like Maxine had been murdered again.

The 1991 Birmingham Six appeal had demolished the credibility of

the police investigation.

It was as if, erm...

..all the victims and the survivors

were basically made a laughing stock of.

Justice?!

I don't think them people in their have got the intelligence

nor the honesty to spell the word, never mind dispense it.

They're rotten!

This man is about to take the campaign in an unexpected direction.

My name's Patrick Joseph Hill and I'm one of the men who would

come to be know as the Birmingham six.

Paddy Hill is the most vocal and recognisable of the Birmingham Six.

He's been out of prison for 23 years

and bears the scars of his won battle for justice.

The sooner we get the truth then maybe for the living

relatives of those who died and for those that were injured

and are still alive, maybe then they might have some closure.

Because none of us will ever have closure until we do know the truth.

He has signed the Hambleton's petition

and is a seasoned campaigner.

But would they want his help?

We're about to find out.

It's like we're going to meet the enemy.

They hated him for years

and HE knows it.

When I see the Hambletons, I'm looking forward to it

but I'm still a bit a bit apprehensive, you know?

I know how I'm going to take them,

it's how they're going to take me.

From opposite ends of this tragedy,

the three of them are about to meet in the middle.

They're leaving Birmingham for another town

blown apart by terrorists.

This is one man of six,

who through the years has been vilified

and is infamous for the death of...

..our sister and 20 other innocent souls.

We can't go further forward without...

..doing this.

I understand how those people feel, like, you know?

They've had years of...

having someone to focus their anger on

and of course, their anger was focused on us.

I have a similar anger

but my anger is focused on the West Midlands Serious Crime Squad.

There's many questions I want to ask him.

I don't know what order I'll ask them in.

Erm...

But...

..Erm...

It's judging... judging him as a character.

They've come to Warrington.

The Tim Parry and Jonathan Ball Peace Centre

was built in memory of two young boys

who were killed when an IRA bomb exploded in the town 20 years ago.

The charity specialises in bringing people affected by terrorism

together peacefully.

They are experts at handling volatile meetings and with

only a door between Paddy and the Hambletons, things are tense.

Julie, Brian, do you want to come in and take a seat?

These two seats here, yeah?

-Paddy, do you just want to...?

-Hi.

Stay there a second and, erm, Julie and Brian just want to sit down.

-Hi, Julie.

-Hello.

-Hi, Brian.

-Right, obviously know Brian, Julie and Paddy.

-Yeah.

I want to just start talking for a few moments,

if I may and just introduce and welcome you to the peace centre.

Well...

I'm glad you're here, we're face to face

to ask you what I'd like to ask you and that's...

My first question would be, obviously, erm...

I, myself, my family and the rest of the population of Birmingham -

it's in our DNA that we was told and read through the media

and what we was told by the police - that you...

..was the ringleader of the so-called Birmingham Six.

-And as far as I was concerned you killed my sister.

-Yeah.

And all the other 20 innocents.

I understand that, I understand that.

You don't have to tell me, I know what they said.

And let me tell you something, you may not believe this,

I have never ever in my life been asked one

question by the police about the Birmingham pub bombs.

Never.

Don't get me wrong, I am Irish, I am green and I am republican.

I would love to see my country united

but I have nothing to do with the IRA.

And you see, when it happened, the cops told us

right from the start - and I can't...

I can't ever... Their words are burned into my brain.

They turned round and told us right from the beginning, quote,

"We know you didn't do the bombings.

"We don't give a... who done the bombings.

"We've got you, that's good enough for us."

Neither side sits comfortably.

But after two hours,

some common ground opens up.

Do you have access to the statements?

Or the trial transcripts?

-Or do your solicitors?

-I have every thing that you could think of.

Could you make them available to us?

I already told Anthony last night, I will talk to my solicitor.

And... Cos we have it all...

I have a complete file of everything.

I'm the only one of the six of us that kept...

I done all the fighting in the jail.

I was the one that done all the writing and what have you and...

But I kept every bit.

I have a complete set of everything

at my solicitors in London.

They'd been asking the police for that sort of access for months.

I think I'm quite a good judge of character. I mean, you...

I mean, I could be sitting here still thinking that you

-killed my sister...

-Yeah.

But, you know, what we've learned and detected over the last year -

without going overboard -

has changed my mindset.

-Thank you, thank you.

-That's as far as I'm willing to go.

A couple of hours has barely scratched the surface of the history between them

but it's exposed the damage done to both sides.

And they tore my family apart.

My mother...

Everything. My kids ended up in homes and everything.

Then my kids... My kids ended up moving house nine times in 11 years.

They didn't even know what name they were using.

For my family, you know?

The meeting has ended hopefully, if not happily.

Paddy's offer to help has opened up a new channel for the campaign.

If we can have access to his papers...

..through his solicitor...

..that would turn everything upside-down.

Does this mean Paddy has won them over?

It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

It's still hard for us to...

You know, it's... It's part...

It's in everyone's psyche, isn't it?

That he was the ringleader

and he did it so for us to do what we've done...

..is absolutely profound for us.

I feel absolutely numb.

I, erm...

I can't believe I've just, erm...

..met and spent time...

..with the man I've always been told and believed, erm...

..murdered my sister.

Erm, but if it wasn't for the facts...

..that through our own investigations that we've done,

I couldn't have sat here for the period of time I have done.

That was quite some meeting.

Yeah, yeah, very intense

but I'm glad we had it.

You know, and hopefully that...

It'll help them to understand things better.

Rather than just believe everything

that they've been told for the last, nearly 40 years.

Also, one of the things that I said in there to them,

you've got to get the members of parliament.

We have enough members of parliament around the Midlands.

Dig it up and start asking questions.

But the police didn't find any answers after the second

investigation in 1994.

We have done every possible thing that we can to bring

the perpetrators of that crime to justice

and the conclusion that has been reached is the one that

I don't need to read to you again, that there is insufficient

evidence for proceedings to be taken.

If they'd done everything that was humanly possible...

then how come the perpetrators are still out there with their liberty?

At the very top of this building, West Midlands Police commanders

are taking the Hambleton's questions and frustrations seriously.

No promises have been made but the door to a fresh

investigation has been opened just a little.

We've been gathering together all of

the material from the investigations that took place in 1974,

the latter investigations around the Court of Appeal time

in the late '80s and then the further work that was

done in the '90s by West Midlands Police.

That's a massive amount of paperwork.

A task force from the counter terrorism unit has spent

the past year piecing it all together at a top secret location.

None of this has been shown on television before

and even now,

detectives insist on filming it themselves.

I understand and appreciate - having spoken to them -

some of the pain that they carry

having gone for so long not understanding all of

the circumstance and issues that surround this case.

We'll go where the evidence goes in time

and we'll go with re-investigating if that's the right thing to do.

If there's... If there is no hope, then clearly we'll need to...

to make that decision and we'll need to explain it.

But his predecessors messed up.

The evidence gathered was ruled unsafe by the Court of Appeal.

What hope is there?

It's very much sort of on record, isn't it,

in terms of the original work was found to be

flawed by the Court of Appeal.

I think that the erm,

if you like, the approach that was taken to managing families

in these types of cases is very different today than it was there.

I think it's right that we have a much closer relationship with them,

we definitely are doing this because it's the right thing to do and

it's right that we should be able to answer their questions in time.

The Hambletons are running out of patience with the police

but Paddy's come through with his promise and invited them

to his solicitor's office in Camden.

If they have...

..information that...

can provide some questions - or answers to some of our questions,

it will be a truly remarkable

moment in our campaign for justice.

-Ah, come in.

-Hello.

They're about to meet someone who thinks it's remarkable they've never been shown any evidence.

-I brought back enough boxes that I thought we could get started.

-OK.

But I didn't want to overwhelm you

and there are a lot more.

The renowned human rights lawyer Gareth Peirce got Paddy

out of jail and has kept every scrap of paperwork.

Over 200 boxes worth.

Maybe this is useful for you just to take away with you as well,

erm, because it...

..it sort of helps you keep track of what the evidence was.

But where do they start?

-We'd like to know everything.

-Yeah.

We have a right to know everything.

The lawyer agrees.

I think they have, erm...

a completely reasonable,

appropriate, erm...

..just expectation and that's to simply be told the truth.

Simply be given the data that exists.

That's not a big ask.

It looks like they've got a lot of reading to do.

I mean, thank goodness for

Gareth and what Paddy's done to make certain things available to us.

Erm...

It is, it is a very odd alliance, erm...

Something that we would never ever have conceived prior to...

..12 months ago, as short as that.

But erm, as the old saying goes, needs must and...

Erm...

We are - for want of a better expression, quite possibly

fighting exactly the same cause, looking for the same answers.

But should they really be doing their own detective work?

The police exist

to investigate.

They're paid enormous sums,

they're given enormous resources,

they're given exceptional powers...

..over the rest of the citizens of this country.

They've failed - in a spectacular way -

these families.

In a disgraceful way

and so far as I can detect,

they haven't even owned up to the families

of the ways in which they've failed,

let alone any analysis of how they

believe they might succeed.

As the other half of this odd alliance,

what does Paddy think they should do next?

There is some good members of parliament out there

and there is some good police officers as well

and I've no doubt that as time goes on,

hopefully in the near future, that some of them are going to

step up to the mark and come out with the truth and that's...

Let's get it done once and for all and hopefully it will give us,

not only the victims but it will also give us

and our families closure.

The Hambletons have taken some important and difficult steps

this year, learning a lot about the case and campaigning.

If you would have said to me...

..erm...

24 months ago that my brother and I would be meeting Paddy Hill...

..we would have said

that you were completely off your rocker.

The Prime Minister now knows about justice for the 21.

He's reading Brian and Julie's dossier

and they expect an update on the police review soon.

The 40th anniversary will make a difficult year

but the campaign IS moving forward.

I've always had the sense that, erm...

the people in power think we was probably

only going to last five minutes,

erm, but we're still here

and we won't go away and I...

I don't know how long I'll be on this planet for

but I'll be fighting this till the day I die.

Sign the petition, folks! Take you two minutes!

We need the people of Birmingham to stand up,

to come out and support our campaign.

We need the whole of the UK to come out

and stand up for our campaign

so that WE ALL together, as a group,

can force the hands of the authorities to bring the truth

out once and for all and for justice to be served

and to be seen to be done.

# One little wave

# To say you'll behave

# It won't even show

# How far love can go. #