'Huge Responsibility': Keeley Hawes discusses playing police officer who solved Britain's most notorious honour killing in new drama

Keeley Hawes has discussed her experience of playing the real-life police officer who solved Britain's most notorious honour killing in a new ITV drama.

Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Goode led an inquiry into the murder of Banaz Mahmod, 20, at the hands of her family after she was found in a Birmingham garden in 2006.

The actress, 44, who portrays DCI Goode in Honour which is set to air this autumn, admitted she was more 'mindful' in character than any other project she's worked on to give the victim 'the utmost respect'.

'The responsibility is huge': Keeley Hawes has discussed her experience of playing Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Goode in a new ITV drama, set to air in autumn

According to The Sun, she said in a new interview: 'The responsibility is huge. I felt it every day, and every day since. You want to do the right thing by everyone involved.

'It is about these two women. You want to give Banaz the utmost respect and also do the right thing by Caroline. One of my reasons for doing the drama was shining a light on so-called honour killings. I hate to use the word honour. It’s murder, it’s rape, it's abuse. 

'We were so mindful we were dealing with real people, so there is that element – much more so than anything I've worked on. It was an un-turndownable role.'

While filming the drama, the Bodyguard star, who shares three children with husband of 16 years and fellow actor Matthew Macfadyen, 'got through' days on set by meeting up with the 'extraordinary' retired detective.   

Horrific: DCI Goode led an inquiry into the murder of Banaz Mahmod, 20 , at the hands of her family after she was found in a garden in 2006 

Disgrace: L to Mohammed Ali, Omar Hussain and Mahmod, who were all found guilty for the murder of Banaz, 20, in 2006 after she fell in love with a man disapproved of by her family

Rising star Buket Komur plays Banaz in the series while Moe Bar-El plays her boyfriend Rahmat Sulemani, who had reported her missing at the time.

Other actors involved in the series Waj Ali, Ahd, Rhianne Barreto, Michael Jibson and Robby Haynes. 

She 'dishonoured' her father after leaving an abusive marriage and falling in love with Rahmat, another man from a different Kurdish clan.    

Banaz was garroted with a bootlace, before her body was stuffed in a suitcase and buried her under a freezer.

'It was hard': The Bodyguard star 'got through' days on set by meeting up with the retired detective (pictured in character with Moe Bar-El as Bana's boyfriend Rahmat Sulemani)

Tragic: Mr Sulemani never recovered from the death of his beloved girlfriend and committed suicide in 2016, after reportedly telling police there was 'no life' for him

Mr Sulemani never recovered from the death of his beloved girlfriend and committed suicide in 2016, after reportedly telling police there was 'no life' for him.

Her father and brother were jailed for life in 2007, after being found guilty for their part.

Three years later, Omar Hussain and Mohamad Saleh Ali, who carried out the killing, were extradited from Iraq and given life sentences while a third man, Mohamad Hama, admitted murder. 

Goode was a senior detective in the Metropolitan Police’s Homicide Command when she covered the case. 

Banaz’s murder was one of far too many so-called ‘honour killings’ in Britain. More than 5,000 such deaths are estimated to occur around the world every year. Some take place behind closed doors in the UK — and some girls are taken abroad to be killed.

Back on track: Earlier this year, the series was pushed back by five months due to the coronavirus pandemic