UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 20 OCTOBER 2016
The first episode of new television drama ‘Dark Angel’ is to air on ITV on 31 October after being inspired by a book by Professor David Wilson, criminologist at Birmingham City University.
Dark Angel is based on the true story of Victorian poisoner and serial killer Mary Ann Cotton, played by Golden Globe winner Joanne Froggatt.
The two-part drama is inspired by Professor Wilson’s book, entitled ‘Mary Ann Cotton: Britain’s First Female Serial Killer’, published by Waterside Press.
Mary Ann Cotton, born into poverty in a County Durham village in 1832, married four times and killed three of her husbands before being hanged at the age of 40. Mary Ann also killed her children and stepchildren, using fatal amounts of arsenic.
On playing the killer, actress Joanne Froggatt said: “Mary Ann knew what she was doing was wrong but didn’t have any feelings of guilt about it.
“It’s shocking and unthinkable that she could harm her own child. It’s her state of mind you have to look at.”
In his book on the serial killer, Professor David Wilson explores how serial murderers can go undiscovered and looks at the myths that every serial killer is a 'monster', drawing attention to Mary Ann Cotton's charm and allure.
“The more I investigated her the more I realised there were a lot of rumours, half-truths and frankly untruths about Mary Ann Cotton”, said Professor Wilson.
“I asked myself why there were so many rumours and why some people claim she was a victim of a miscarriage of justice, seeing her as a rather sad and abused woman who characterised women more generally at that time.
Dark Angel airs on ITV at 9pm on Monday 31 October.