TV HEARTACHE
When I hugged actress playing my murdered daughter Becky Godden in A Confession, it felt like holding her again, says Karen Edwards
TEARS pricked Karen Edwards’ eyes as she embraced the actress playing her murdered daughter Becky Godden in new telly drama A Confession.
Karen reveals how it felt like she was “holding Becky again” when she took Stephanie Hyam in her arms — 16 years after her beloved daughter was killed by Christopher Halliwell.
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The pair met on set this year when filming began for the six-part series, which launched on Monday and attracted 5million viewers.
The ITV drama follows the struggles of detective Stephen Fulcher — played by Martin Freeman — as he hunts for clues. Halliwell only confessed to killing Becky eight years after he had murdered her.
News that Becky’s story was to be turned into a TV series came before Karen suffered another devastating blow — the sudden death of second husband Charlie at their home in Swindon after 22 years together.
Karen says: “When I put my arm around Stephanie for a hug it felt like I was holding Becky again. Stephanie has such a teenie frame, just like my Becky — who was only 4ft 11in.
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“I couldn’t stop looking at her. Everything about them is the same, even their hair and mannerisms. For a short while it felt like I had my baby back.”
Tearfully, Karen recalls: “During the eight years she was missing I never stopped searching.
NEVER STOPPED LOOKING
“When Becky disappeared she was troubled. She was hooked on drugs and a sex worker.
“I broke down in tears when I watched the first episode. The bit where my character is desperately searching the red-light district for Becky hit me hard.”
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The drama comes as Karen’s book — A Killer’s Confession: And A Mother’s Fight For The Truth — is published. It tells of her battle to bring Becky’s killer to justice.
“I started writing notes and keeping a diary when I found out she had been killed,” Karen explains.
“I passed some of the notes on to the drama’s writer and producer, Jeff Pope, to help him get the drama as close to the truth as possible.”
Karen says it never crossed her mind Becky was dead when the 21 year old disappeared from Swindon in 2002.
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She says: “I just thought she was angry at me because I didn’t agree with her way of life.
“People kept telling me they had seen her so I was convinced she was alive. I was told she was managing a nightclub in Bristol, and another person told me she was pregnant.
“We carried on buying Christmas and birthday presents for her. Some are still wrapped upstairs as I truly believed she would come home.”
But that day never came.
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Becky had been fatally strangled by evil Halliwell.
The sexually depraved taxi driver had met her in the red-light district of the Wiltshire town and had become besotted by her.
'DO YOU WANT ANOTHER ONE'
He killed her in January 2003 and dumped her body in a field in Gloucestershire.
Becky’s murder only came to light when Halliwell confessed to Steve Fulcher about the 2011 murder of Sian O’Callaghan, 22, who was also from Swindon. He then voluntarily asked Fulcher, “Do you want another one?” and confessed that he had killed a woman some years before.
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“When I heard on the news police had found another body I had this gut feeling it was my Becky,” recalls Karen.
“Dread filled my body. Everyone kept telling me it wasn’t her but I plucked up the courage and called the police to tell them I feared the body they had found was my daughter’s.”
Tragically, she was right. Becky had been convicted of a burglary some years before and DNA obtained from a cigarette butt found at the crime scene matched the remains recovered in a field.
The harrowing moment when DS Fulcher arrives at her home to confirm her worst fears is played out in the drama. Karen says: “I knew why the police were there.
COP WAS FORCED TO RESIGN
“But as my son Steven called for me to come to the door, I busied myself in the kitchen because I didn’t want to hear it.” In the days that followed, Karen felt suicidal.
And in a devastating blow, she was told that Halliwell would not be prosecuted because his confession had been obtained unlawfully.
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DS Fulcher was later found guilty of misconduct after prompting a second murder confession without reminding Halliwell of his rights.
He was forced to resign from the force, which still angers Karen today.
She fumes: “I had to fight tooth and nail to get justice for Becky.
“They kept describing it as a police blunder but if it hadn’t been for Steve we may never have found Becky’s body. He did the right thing.”
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In September 2016, Halliwell was finally brought to justice over Becky’s killing after other evidence emerged.
Sickeningly, he laughed at Bristol Crown Court when he was convicted. At the time, he was already serving a life term for the murder of Sian, who was abducted from a nightclub.
Karen learned through Fulcher that her daughter’s murder was being turned into a major ITV drama.
She says: “He told us Jeff Pope — a Bafta-winning writer and producer — wanted to meet us.
'I HAD FOUGHT FOR YEARS FOR JUSTICE'
“I couldn’t believe it. I knew it would be very painful to relive those years but I wanted to keep Becky’s story in the public consciousness.
“I truly believe Halliwell has dozens more victims out there and the drama might help re-jog people’s memories.
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“Jeff came round my house and wanted to hear our story from start to finish. At the end, he sat back in my kitchen chair, threw his hands to his head and asked, ‘How the f*** are you still standing?’.
“I replied, ‘I had no choice but to keep going’. After all, I had fought for years for justice for Becky.”
Karen gave Jeff her blessing but it was important to her that he showed Becky was a victim.
She says: “I wanted him to see past her life as a sex worker and a drug addict. She was so much more than that.”
Karen tells how Becky was a sweet, quiet child who wanted to be a vet when she grew up.
SNIFFING AEROSOLS AND SMOKING HEROIN
But her dad John walked out on the family when she was six and she was badly bullied at school.
Karen saved Becky after she tried to overdose on tablets age 11. At 15, the troubled teen was sniffing aerosols, smoking heroin and would often disappear.
In A Confession, Karen is played by Imelda Staunton and says: “The drama came as a welcome distraction to everyone in our family.
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“We had a lot of laughter and speculation about who would play each of us.
“I wanted Hermione Norris who plays Karen in Cold Feet to play me as everyone says I’m like Karen — we are both strong women.
“But I was thrilled when Jeff said Imelda had the role. I loved her in Harry Potter.
“I met Imelda three times — twice before filming and once on set. The first time we met we went to Soho House in London for lunch.
“As I relayed a story about Becky, I began to cry. Imelda gently took my hand and was crying, too. Looking back, I think she wanted to study my face and mannerisms to get my character just right.
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“She’s a very good actress.”
Imelda did not want her on set during the harrowing scenes.
Karen says: “She didn’t want the pressure of me watching. It was hard but I can understand why now.”
Stephanie called Karen before filming started to discuss playing Becky, so she could do her justice.
But Karen dreaded watching her in the upcoming second episode.
She says: “There’s a scene where Becky goes to court and it was the last time I saw her.
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MOST READ IN FABULOUS
“In the drama she is looking scruffy and smelly but in real life I made sure she looked smart that day.
“When ITV showed me that episode, it really upset me. But I could see where Jeff was coming from. Most of the time Becky did look like a wild cat.”
Before the end of our interview, Karen takes out a handwritten card from Joan Lawrence, whose daughter Claudia, a chef, went missing in York in March 2009.
Karen says: “She told me she will be watching the drama.
“Like many parents of missing daughters who have contacted me for help, Joan fears Claudia could be a victim of Christopher Halliwell.
“Poor Joan has never found Claudia. In a weird way, I am a lucky one as I have brought Becky home to rest.”
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Evil Christopher Halliwell tries to do a deal with cops over Becky Godden
- A Killer’s Confession: And A Mother’s Fight For The Truth by Karen Edwards (Headline, £7.99) is out now in paperback. A Confession is on ITV at 9pm on Monday.
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