[2] The 1994 series was loosely based on the true story of Melbourne's Pettingill crime family and the Walsh Street police shootings.

When the series begins, four members of the infamous Hennessey clan are acquitted of the shooting of two young policemen in a bungled bank heist.

The city of Melbourne is shocked as brothers Mal and Steve, along with brother-in-law Darren Mack and friend Ken Hardy, walk free.

The prosecutors, judges, magistrates and police – many modelled heavily on real-life legal figures – are determined to put the Hennessey members behind bars if they can.

But corruption, legal loopholes, delays, and stretched resources combine to make the quest to jail the group far from straightforward.