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New Aussie crime drama Human Error is based on a shocking true story

Wentworth's Leeanna Walsman stars as a pregnant detective hunting the killer of a suburban mum-to-be.
Detective Holly (Leeanna Walsman) and undercover cop Keith (Anthony Sharpe) are sitting outside together, chatting and smiling.
Holly (Leeanna Walsman) and Keith (Anthony Sharpe) go way back.
Nine Network

Everyone makes mistakes, but some are more serious than others. New Australian crime drama Human Error is based on a true story about a criminal who made a mistake that had devastating consequences.

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The six-part series stars Leeanna Walsman as Holly O’Rourke, a homicide detective whose personal life is starting to fall apart just as she’s handed one of the most challenging cases of her career.

Holly's father Bear (Steve Bisley) is pointing out something to two police officers.
Bear (Steve Bisley) is retired from the force, but still fascinated by crime. (Credit: Nine Network)

Holly goes straight from her daughter Alice’s (Rosie Mitchell) school – where the teacher has had a word to her about Alice bringing a photo of decapitated bodies to class – to a brand-new murder scene.

Holly leaves Alice to be picked up by her father, retired detective Bear (Steve Bisley), while her offsider Jarred (Rahel Romahn) fills her in on the crime.

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“A young mother has been brutally killed outside her suburban home in broad daylight, and she’s pregnant,” Leeanna, 44, tells TV WEEK. “This woman could be anyone; this woman could be Holly.”

In fact, Holly is pregnant herself.

Detective Jarred (Rahel Romahn) is standing in the street, near the crime scene.
Detective Jarred (Rahel Romahn) observes the crime scene. (Credit: Nine Network)

“This woman has a pregnancy test in her bag – she’s just found out – and Holly goes through the same process, within the same episode.”

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The complication for Holly is that she and her lawyer husband Luke (Matt Day) have drifted apart.

“They’re best friends, both successful in their careers, and somewhere along the line they’ve lost a lot of intimacy in their relationship,” Leeanna says.

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The young mum’s murder is drawing a lot of media attention, putting Holly under pressure to make a quick arrest. She leans on an old friend – undercover cop Keith Bird (Anthony Sharpe) – for information that could lead her to the killer, even though Keith is in the middle of a dangerous job for one of her colleagues, Dylan (Stephen Peacocke).

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Is the experienced detective making some serious human errors of her own?

Human Error airs Wednesday, 8.45pm, on Nine.

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