PICK OF THE DAY

Murder Case

BBC2, 9pm

The detective thrillers of Val McDermid and Ian Rankin have given ‘tartan noir’ a devoted following, but this returning documentary series, in which cameras have been allowed behind the scenes with police in Scotland, is as compelling as fiction – and altogether more unnerving.

The opening episode is devoted to the case of Paul Mat hies on ,37, who in 2018 was brutally assaulted on a street in Renfrew, suffering appalling injuries that proved fatal. Given that the attack was caught on CCTV, it should have been straightforward. Yet the prime suspect proves difficult to identify, and the crime scene has almost no forensic clues to help investigators (right).

As Mathieson’s sister Amanda – a nurse at the hospital where he died – is pulled into the appeal for information, an already engrossing investigation proves to be increasingly emotional. ★