Murphys Law

26 August, 2006 by The_Boss

Sunday,Monday and Tuesday 27th-29th August 2006 9pm to 10pm on BBC1

Episode One
James Nesbitt returns as undercover police officer Tommy Murphy in a new, three-part series for the Bank Holiday.

Back in Northern Ireland, Murphy is on compassionate leave, caring for his sick mother. Long-haired and unshaven, he is hardly recognisable when, walking home one day, he is followed by Chief Superintendent Warren. Warren wants Murphy to leave Ireland and go undercover once more. Murphy tries to resist, knowing that he is needed at home, but the lure of the dangerous world of the undercover cop is too much for him to resist.

Murphy's brief is to investigate a drugs war being waged in Leicester. His targets are two ex-paramilitaries – Drew and Billy Johnstone – who have been drummed out of Northern Ireland. The police believe they are setting up a new criminal empire in Leicester in collaboration with Mohammed Khan, previously head of a big crime family in the area but now seemingly a legitimate businessman.
Drew has converted to Islam in prison and is soon to marry Mo Khan's daughter, but the police view this collaboration between two crime families as highly suspicious. Murphy's job is to get undercover and discover the truth.

Undercover as Jimmy Mack, Murphy stages a drug deal with Drew Johnstone's son, Junior, and Mo Khan's son, Naim, which is raided by the police on Murphy's orders. By arranging for Naim's arrest and escaping with Junior, Murphy gets to the heart of the gang.

However, neither Mo Khan nor Drew Johnstone appear to know about the deal and Murphy needs to get in deeper to find out more. But the release of Naim on bail puts Murphy's cover in jeopardy...

Episode Two
Tommy Murphy has to be pulled out of his undercover work with ex-paramilitary hoodlums Drew and Billy Johnstone, who have moved their criminal empire from Northern Ireland to Leicester, as the drama starring James Nesbitt continues. However, the case continues to haunt Murphy; the CPS report is stolen from a member of the police support team's car, ending up in the hands of Billy Johnstone. Billy turns over the office at his strip club, The Lollipop Club, and discovers surveillance equipment planted by Murphy, confirming to him that Murphy has him under observation.

Having moved back to Belfast to take care of his sick mother, Murphy is followed by Billy, who tracks him to his mother's nursing home. With Murphy's true identity revealed, a vicious fight between the two men breaks out in front of the elderly residents. Both are arrested and, with his cover blown, Murphy is forced to come clean to Billy about his part in the police investigation into Drew's dealings with Mo Khan.

At this stage, Murphy's only hope of saving the investigation is to try to "flip" Billy. Murphy orders Billy to inform on his brother and bring down the alliance of the Johnstones and Mo Khan or face life imprisonment. Drew Johnstone still appears to have gone straight and his conversion to Islam seems genuine. Billy, however, feels ostracised by his brother's apparent betrayal in turning his back on his criminal past and becoming involved in the Muslim community. Will Billy betray his brother and become an unlikely ally in the police investigation?

Episode Three
Undercover cop Tommy Murphy is in Belfast, picking out a crucifix for his sick mother, as the drama starring James Nesbitt concludes. He takes it to her new nursing home – a nicer place than before – as a gift before he has to go back undercover in England. Now that Billy Johnstone has become a police informer, Murphy needs £10,000 for his cover story. Murphy tells Billy that they must pretend they've been away on a job together smuggling cigarettes so that his brother, Drew, doesn't suspect anything.

Murphy travels back to Leicester with Billy for Drew's wedding to Mo Khan's daughter, Shahana. Billy has been persuaded to wear a wire to the wedding to provide evidence of an alliance between two criminal empires.

Billy has murdered Mo Khan's son, Niam, and the night before the wedding he escapes to chop up the body. Billy is hot-headed and still upset at his brother's apparent desertion to join the Khan family but, later, Drew reveals his plan to Billy. Drew's marriage to Shahana Khan is genuine but once he is a member of the Khan family, he will be able to move his money out of Belfast via the Hawala banking system and put it into the new development that Mo Khan is planning for the Garritay estate. It will mean the destruction of the whole area – including Billy's beloved Lollipop Club – and he is devastated by the news.

A shoot-out between Murphy and the Johnstone brothers results in the success of Murphy's undercover mission – but at the expense of Murphy's physical and emotional health...


Murphy is played by James Nesbitt, his mother by Patricia Martin, Billy by Brian McCardie, Drew by Liam Cunningham, Mo Khan by Nadim Sawalha, Shahana by Priyanga Burford and Niam by Shane Zaza.