5 confirms "powerful" true crime drama which will depict Kate McCann interrogation following Madeleine McCann disappearance

A new 5 drama will investigate moments in high-profile criminal investigations "when the victims themselves become the prime suspects", with the first episode to focus on Kate McCann in the months after the disappearance of her daughter, Madeleine.

Laura Bayston (Slow Horses, Casualty) will portray the devastated mother during a particularly dark period in July 2007, when she was questioned as a suspect by Portuguese police and subsequently became engulfed by a negative "global media narrative".

The synopsis, courtesy of 5, recounts: "What started innocently enough quickly turned hostile – police told Kate that they no longer believed her and would be considering her an 'arguida' (formal suspect).

"Detectives told her they had evidence that would prove her involvement in the disappearance, and that if she didn't confess she would face murder charges... It's the story of every parent's nightmare, somehow getting worse."

The 90-minute standalone drama is based on official police material, documentary evidence and recorded testimony, highlighting how "flawed evidence" led to the interrogation and created a "false legacy" that persisted for many years after.

Portuguese police officially confirmed the following year that Kate and husband Gerry McCann, who had always denied any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance, were no longer suspects.

Dan Louw, commissioning editor at 5, said: "This fantastic film goes where the cameras couldn't – behind the closed doors of the interview room – to create a deeply moving drama from documentary evidence.

"Suspect: Kate McCann is one of the most tense, moving and shocking films you will see this year. I cannot praise the writing, directing and acting enough – especially a star-making turn from Laura Bayston as Kate McCann."

The Kate McCann episode of Suspect is written by Philip Ralph (Einstein and the Bomb, Doctors) and directed by Paula Wittig (Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home).

The anthology will continue with Suspect: The Road Rage Killer (working title), which focuses on the very different case of Tracie Andrews (portrayed by Hollyoaks alum Emma Rigby) in the weeks after the suspicious death of fiancé, Lee Harvey.

Andrews initially claimed that Harvey was fatally attacked by a passing driver in a road rage incident, but it didn't take long for holes in the story to start to show.

"This tense drama follows Tracie's transformation from victim to suspect and explores how truth fractures under pressure," reads the synopsis. "It's the story of how one woman's need for love and attention turned into delusion, control and violence."

The Andrews-centric episode of Suspect will be directed by Grant Armour (Manhunt: The Search for the Cop Killer) and promises to combine "the storytelling of great drama with integral documentary detail".

Executive producer Nat Lippiett added: "You might think you know these stories, but these powerful, meticulously researched dramas will surprise viewers by shedding light on the lesser-known moments in these iconic crime cases."

Suspect is coming to 5 later this year.

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