Series 5 of Law & Order: UK

27th June 2011

This time around the critically acclaimed cast, including Bradley Walsh, Jamie Bamber and Freema Agyeman have a  tough, new ally in their fight for justice in the form of Senior Crown Prosecutor Jake Thorne; a gifted and uncompromising prosecutor played by Dominic Rowan (Catwalk Dogs, The Family Man).

And Peter Davison (Unforgiven, Distant Shores,The Last Detective) is Henry Sharpe taking over the job of Director of the CPS.  Henry is a down to earth pragmatist and a great boss who has worked with Jake Thorne before.

This series sees prosecution team Alesha Phillips (Freema Agyeman) and Jake Thorne (Dominic Rowan) struggle to get to the truth behind a missing toddler and the brutal murder of a much loved couple asleep in their new home.

While DS Ronnie Brooks (Bradley Walsh) and DS Matt Devlin (Jamie Bamber) investigate a hospital department with more than its fair share of untimely deaths, track down a rampaging gunman and discover the events that led to an innocent woman being gunned down in her own home – events that have serious consequences for the team.

A quality array of guest stars including James Fox, Lesley Manville, Colin Salmon, Greg Wise, Sam West, Lucy Speed and Patricia Potter will join the cast for series five.

Lead writer Emilia di Girolamo says of the new characters: "Jake is unashamedly a prosecutor, never afraid to go for the jugular in the courtroom. With his working class roots, he had to fight hard to get where he is but he’s fiercely intelligent and brilliant at his job. Jake’s a bit of a player and if a gorgeous female barrister crosses his path you can bet they’ve got history! Brilliantly played by Dominic Rowan, Jake’s a dark horse who keeps his private life very much to himself and keeps Alesha guessing, but they make a great team.

"Henry Sharpe, (Peter Davison) rules his team with a firm but fair hand. Henry has a very clear understanding of the psychology of offending behaviour and the foundations, pressures and lifestyle choices that lead to a life of crime. He takes a very broad view when looking at a case but ultimately he always acts in the public interest, a voice for the victim, and does what’s best for the public, not the offender. I think Henry brings real warmth to the show and his history with Jake - as his mentor - makes him a bit of a father figure."

The series is produced by Richard Stokes, Emilia di Girolamo is co-producer and lead writer. The executive producers are Andrew Woodhead, Jane Featherstone and Stephen Garrett for Kudos and Dick Wolf, creator and executive producer of Law & Order, for Wolf Films.