Episode 1 of "Criminal Record" opens with a thrilling scene of a car cruising through the bustling streets of London. At the wheel is Daniel Hegarty, a chauffeur by night, with a mysterious couple seated comfortably in the back. As the journey progresses, Hegarty surprises them by revealing his true identity - a police officer. Their curiosity is piqued, and they bombard him with questions. Hegarty remains tight-lipped about his moonlighting motives but offers a chilling tale from his day job, leaving the couple reeling in shock.
Meanwhile, on the same fateful night, a woman steps into a phone box, her voice trembling as she makes a frantic call to the police. Jasmine Peters, the dispatcher on the other end, listens intently as the woman confesses her fear, her life threatened by an abusive partner. Jasmine strives to pinpoint her location, urging her to disclose her name and the identity of her abuser, but the woman remains resolutely silent. She claims her partner has threatened to end her life, echoing the fate of his ex-girlfriend years ago. She hints at a miscarriage of justice, revealing that another man was wrongly convicted for the murder before abruptly hanging up.
Jasmine wastes no time, reporting the chilling call to DC June Lenker. June delves into the footage, her curiosity piqued by the apparent link to an old, unsolved case. She approaches DCI Roy Chambers for insight, but he cautions her against pursuing it further. Chambers reveals that Daniel Hegarty was the SIO on the original case and suggests that June email him for more information.
Determined to get to the bottom of it, June opts to visit Hegarty's office in person, rather than resorting to email. She lays out the details of the mysterious caller, but Hegarty brushes it off as mere speculation. He insists that all the information shared by the caller is already public knowledge and dismisses Errol Mathis, a convicted murderer currently serving a 24-year sentence, as a mere coincidence. Hegarty's flippant attitude and insensitive remark comparing Errol to a "poor man's OJ" only serve to inflame June's resolve, leaving her more determined than ever to solve this case and bring justice to the victim.
That evening, upon returning home, June casually mentioned the OJ reference to her Caucasian partner, Leo, who immediately took on the role of devil's advocate and opined that she might be barking up the wrong tree. As the conversation drew to a close, she warmly embraced her twelve-year-old son, wrapping him in a tight hug.
Later, Hegarty reached out to Chambers, instructing him to do whatever it took to dissuade June from delving further into the murder case. Chambers, seen later walking his dog under the cover of night, returned home to find a woman asleep on the sofa. He gently covered her with a blanket, leaving the identity of this mysterious woman a mystery.
The following day, June attempted to log into her account but was met with a stark message indicating that she had been locked out. Shortly after, she was summoned to Chambers' office, where two representatives from the Professional Standards Division awaited her. They informed her of a random investigation into her search history, a move that June suspected was orchestrated by Hegarty to deter her from pursuing the case.
Instead of backing down, June saw the investigation as a challenge. She set out to meet Sonya, a woman who had been involved in Errol's case. Through her, June uncovered intriguing details about the court proceedings. Among them was the revelation that the bite marks found on the victim's body did not match Errol's sample, despite his confession to murdering Adelaide, the deceased.
June is firmly convinced that racism has tainted this case, and she discovers that Errol's son, Patrick, testified in the matter. Patrick claims to have heard sounds emanating from behind the door where the murder occurred. Digging deeper into Patrick's past, June learns that he was arrested for possession at a tender age of 12 but was fortunately released. Since then, he has redeemed himself and embarked on a new chapter, securing a job in a kitchen. However, his grandmother approaches him with Errol on the phone, but Patrick rejects the call, refusing to engage with his father.
Elsewhere, Jasmine receives another mysterious call from the same woman who had contacted her earlier in the episode. This time, she introduces herself as Maria. Jasmine promptly alerts June and connects her to the call. As the episode reaches its climax, June instructs Maria to hold her keys with the sharp end facing outward and scratch her abusive boyfriend's face as he lunges at her. June rushes to the apartment complex in a frantic attempt to rescue Maria. But as she arrives, the horror unfolds before her eyes - Maria has been hurled from the ninth floor of the building, lying lifeless on the pavement.
