Paranormal: Britain's Last Witch | Preview (BBC Three)

Radio 1 Presenter Sian Eleri investigates the story of Scottish medium Helen Duncan, who in 1944 became the last person convicted and imprisoned under the Witchcraft Act. As the Blitz rained down on London, Helen went on trail at the Old Bailey in a case that would make headlines around the world.

Revered by her supporters, who believed she had the power to bring back spirits of the dead, Helen became the most notorious medium in history, and people flocked to have seances with her.

Sian begins by tracking down former criminal lawyer Graham Hewitt, who is fighting to pardon Helen on behalf of her surviving family members. Sian discovers it was actually fraud for which Helen was put in prison using witchcraft law, but Graham highlights what he believes is inexplicable evidence from her trial that proves otherwise.

Forty-four witnesses testified under oath in support of Helen’s abilities to bring back a recognisable loved one from the dead. As a sceptic, Sian wants to know what these witnesses experienced to make them believe Helen was capable of that.

Armed with the full transcript of Helen’s Old Bailey trial and Graham’s case notes, she begins an investigation that will take her to Scotland, around the UK and beyond in search of the truth. Accounts of apparently supernatural events she goes on to discover will leave her questioning all she thought she believed about the afterlife.

Sian’s investigation gains momentum when she unearths Helen Duncan’s journal. In her writings, Helen describes how her community feared her 'second sight' as a child. Sian travels back to where it all began for Helen, in Callander, a small Scottish town on the edge of the Highlands.

Knowing she can’t rely on Helen’s self-written account and hearsay from locals, Sian wants more proof or evidence of Helen’s supposed special abilities. The trail takes an uncomfortable turn when Sian stumbles on a crucial piece of evidence – an audio recording of a seance with Helen Duncan. Hoping this cassette will clarify what’s happened inside her seance room, Sian cannot comprehend what she hears next.

Paranormal: Britain's Last Witch airs Sunday 23rd March on BBC Three.