Madeleine Smith brought shame on her family and shocked the world when she stood trial for the murder of her lover in June 1857. As an argumentative, self-willed and promiscuous girl who reacted to the dictates of a strict Victorian life, she flaunted her power over men - even her over-bearing father who detested her superior attitude. But it was her lover who was to play the crucial role in her remarkable life when she faced her greatest challenge. The sensational trial that followed her arrest has been studied and reflected upon down the years, and controversy still exists today about the outcome.