Mark Addy reveals his memories of the horrific massacre that inspired true crime drama White House Farm, and what he thought of the Game Of Thrones finale.
The 1985 massacre, in which five people were brutally killed in rural Essex, shocked the nation not just for the brutality of the crime itself, but also for the twisting, stranger-than-fiction chain of events it sparked, which are played out in the acclaimed true crime drama, White House Farm.
The killings were initially put down to a murder-suicide when mentally ill former model Sheila Caffell was accused of killing her parents and six-year-old twin boys, then herself. But thanks to the doggedness of policeman Stan Jones (played by Addy), what looked like an open-and-shut case turned out to be something even more sinister.
Sceptical of the physical evidence, which became hopelessly tainted by police bungling, and increasingly suspicious of Sheila’s brother Jeremy Bamber, who stood to gain a small fortune from the deaths, he went over the heads of his superiors to dig deeper into the case and risked his own career to discover the truth.
Addy says he recalls being unconvinced at the time by famous news footage of the arrogant, manipulative, smooth-talking Bamber supposedly grieving at his parents’ funeral, which was at odds with the big-spending, freewheeling life he was living away from the camera, selling off family heirlooms and trying to flog racy photos of his dead sister to the tabloids. When Bamber was eventually found guilty of the murders – he’s now 59 and serving life in prison with no possibility of parole – the sense of greed and entitlement appalled the country as much as the violence of the crimes.
“It was in the midst of Thatcherism for us – a greedy, looking-out-for-yourself, not particularly pleasant period for a lot of people and this kind of summed that up in a way,” says Addy. “The fact that you have a guy who stands to inherit his parents’ farm and caravan business and seemingly wasn’t prepared to wait.”
Addy also regards the six-part drama as a belated tribute to the man he plays. Because he defied his immediate superior in pursuing Bamber, old-school copper Jones was never officially recognised for his part in cracking the case, even though his actions, and mistakes made by his colleagues, during the case led to the entire police force reviewing its own procedures and the way it treated forensic evidence, which was still in its infancy.
“I think he was invited into the chief superintendent’s office for a cup of tea and a pat on the back,” says Addy. “Because the problem was that he had gone over the head of his superior, which couldn’t be condoned. So yes, in a way, this is a kind of tribute to somebody who was bullied and belittled but sticks to his guns.”
White House Farm also served as something of a Game Of Thrones reunion for Addy, who played King Robert Baratheon in the first season of the revered HBO fantasy-drama. Also in the cast are Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), Gemma Whelan (Yara Greyjoy) and Mark Stanley (Grenn) and Addy says the enormity of the GoT cast made it inevitable he’d re-team with former castmates, but sharing the extraordinary experience was always a pleasure.
Even though he checked out early – it was Baratheon’s death in season one that set the Game Of Thrones in motion – he looks back fondly on his time helping build the world that would turn into a pop culture phenomenon.
“Sean Bean and I both knew that we died early so you make the most of the time you have got there,” he says. “He writes such brilliant characters, George Martin, and it was a treat to be a part of it. So, no regrets. And until that seat is vacant, the game can’t really begin so it was a short stint, but very enjoyable.”
Addy admits his knowledge of the TV show has “a big chunk in the middle that I am missing” as he juggles reading the still-unfinished book series with watching the screen adaptation but says he hopes to use his time in lockdown in his East Yorkshire home to catch up.
“I did see the final episode and I was pleased that it ended with the Stark kids, where it began,” he says. “Even though they are going their separate ways, at least it’s kind of a hopeful ending for them after what they have been through.”
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