First image of Stephen Merchant as killer Stephen Port | In BBC One's fact-based drama The Barking Murders

First image of Stephen Merchant as killer Stephen Port

In BBC One's fact-based drama The Barking Murders

Here is the first image of Stephen Merchant as real-life multiple murderer Stephen Port.

The comedian and actor plays the killer in  BBC One's forthcoming The Barking Murders, a factual drama that aims to 'go beneath the headlines'.

The three-part series comes from the perspective of the families of Port’s victims as they fight to uncover the truth about what happened  in the face of a now widely-criticised police investigation.

Sheridan Smith will play Sarah Sak, the mother of Port’s first victim, Anthony Walgate, while Jaime Winstone will star as Donna Taylor, sister of Jack Taylor. 

Merchant previously said: ‘This is a story that can’t be ignored - how four young lives were lost and their families’ brave attempt to uncover what happened.  This factual drama will shed light on their story, so it’s a privilege to be a part of telling it.’

Port, dubbed The Grindr Killer, was given a life sentence in 2016 for the murders of Walgate, Taylor, Daniel Whitworth and Gabriel Kovari and a string of sexual offences against seven living victims. 

Merchant has recently been adding straight roles to his repertoire, having been cast in last year’s big-screen  thriller The Girl In The Spider’s Web and 2017’s Wolverine film Logan.

The Barking Murders is written by Jeff Pope and Neil McKay, the award-winning team behind The Moorside and Appropriate Adult.

Published: 24 Mar 2019

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