Denis Hopkins (Jonny Lee Miller) seems to have the perfect life, a job as a pilot, a beautiful home and wife Valerie (Paloma Baeza) who is expecting their first child. One night, Denis and Valerie's home is broken into by a borderline psychotic thief named Ricky Barnes (Andy Serkis) who shoots and kills Valerie, coldly saying to Denis: 'I'm going to let you live'. Valerie dies while being transported to the hospital, and the baby narrowly survives childbirth, leaving Denis devastated. Barnes is sentenced to twenty years in Sullom Voe Prison, which is on a remote island in the middle of the North Sea. Denis is not satisfied with the sentence, considering Barnes shows no remorse and openly mocks Denis in court.