3. Won't The Court Case Just Happen Again?
So, the "happy ending" for the Sandbrook case had the three murderous accomplices packed off to jail to face the consequences of having killed Lisa and Pippa. Surely nothing could go wrong, and they'll be imprisoned for a very long time. Except, they were brought to justice by pretty much the exact same methods that saw Joe Miller's case capitulate enough to turn his confession into a not guilty verdict. Has nobody learned anything? Won't the defence simply point out that Hardy had kept Claire in his own witness protection? That he'd entrapped Lee? That personal relationships definitely got in the way of the case? Expect all three to walk away if they enter Not Guilty pleas (and surely Claire will?) The long and short of it is that justice doesn't even matter in Broadchurch - which is sort of the point - it only matters that the Latimers felt peace (and "knew" the killer had been dealt with), and that Hardy didn't have to live with his guilt. As far as actual criminal justice is concerned, it's a secondary issue at most.