The Trial on Channel 5 left viewers both gripped and terrified about our quickly evolving world, and very possibly in need of having the ending explained.

The hour-long drama, set in 2035, gave a frightening look into the dystopian Britain we might all find ourselves in one day.

Every move and conversation between the protagonists had been kept on cyber record, ready to call upon for a character assassination if needed, and a law change meant parents were suddenly responsible for their child’s crimes.

Unfortunately for The Trial's Dione and David Sinclair, they found themselves embroiled in this exact nightmare scenario.

Facing a powerful new branch of the Ministry Of Justice called the Judicial Inquisition, they came under very tense questioning.

But what was their daughter Teah’s crime? And did they escape punishment?

Here’s everything you need to know with our The Trial ending explained.

***Warning: spoilers from The Trial ending ahead***

The Trial ending explained: What was Teah’s crime?

Throughout much of The Trial, Teah Sinclair’s actual crime was kept under wraps.

Her parents, Dione and David (played by Claire Skinner and Ben Miles), assumed she had ended up on the wrong side of the law due to her staunch environmentalist views.

But Teah (India Fowler) had been charged with a much graver crime than glueing herself to the M25.

At the end of the third part, Inquisitor Sarah Willis (Derry Girls’ Saorise-Monica Jackson) dropped the bombshell.

Willis not only revealed that David had been having an affair - but that Teah had also tried to murder his mistress.

In another dramatic twist, it came to light that his bit on the side was seven months pregnant.

Teah had hoped to “liberate” her unborn half-sibling in an “act of mercy”, leading to a charge of attempted child destruction.

Unfazed by her fate, she calmly explained to her parents: “To bring another child into this broken world is beyond wrong.”

Teah pleaded guilty and was handed a life sentence. She asked to serve it in punitive coma.

What does ‘punitive coma’ mean and is it a real punishment?

The Trial ended with Teah poised to begin her life sentence of ‘punitive coma’.

But what does punitive coma actually mean?

In simple terms, punitive coma would see a person placed into a deliberate coma as a form of punishment.

Depending on the length of sentence, it could render the person unconscious for years.

In Teah’s case, it would be for life.

However, it is not currently a recognised legal form of punishment anywhere in the world.

The concept was believed to have first been coined by novelist Philip Kerr in his 1983 thriller, A Philosophical Investigation.

In the book, punitive coma had replaced the death penalty for the most serious crimes.

The argument was, if new evidence later overturned someone’s conviction, their sentence could be reversed and they’d be woken up.

Punitive coma has since been the focus of multiple studies.

Some American academics even believe it could help solve the growing problem of expensive and overcrowded prisons.

Were Dione and David Sinclair punished for Teah’s crime?

Dione and David were delivered a real hammer blow after discovering what their daughter Teah had done.

The dumbstruck pair then found themselves being charged with a crime.

As they were led to the cells, Inquisitor Willis said: “Dione Sinclair, David Sinclair, you are hereby charged with gross psychological, emotional and empathetic neglect of a minor.

“You will be remanded into custody pending prosecution as sanctioned by the Milligan Act Of 2030.”

Is Milligan's Law real?

Milligan’s Law, which Willis was referring to, is actually a fictitious piece of legislation created for The Trial.

The controversial statue holds parents responsible for the actions of their criminal children.

In the Sinclairs' case, they had been accused of neglecting Teah’s emotional and psychological needs right from birth.

This, in the eyes of the law, held them partly responsible for her attempt at murder.

The Trial ended with Dione and David being remanded in custody, awaiting their own trial.

As a result, it was never revealed whether they were found guilty.

Will there be a sequel to The Trial?

Channel 5 has not confirmed a sequel to The Trial.

Billed as a ‘TV movie’, the storyline was pretty much done and dusted within just one hour.

Dione and David’s conviction for child neglect appeared a foregone conclusion thanks to the eery music and clanking of jail bars.

Teah’s life sentence in a vegetative state, meanwhile, led to a dead end - in all sense of the phrase.

And although Inquisitor Willis’s pregnancy with Lt Simons has been revealed, it doesn’t seem enough to warrant a sequel.

The lack of dramatic cliffhangers means it is unlikely viewers will be clambering for more.

Mark Burt is The Trial’s scriptwriter.

He has previously worked on more than 200 episodes of Coronation Street, along with London’s Burning, M.I.T: Murder Investigation Team and kids’ show The Dumping Ground.

Before The Trial hit the small screen, it was the only upcoming credit on Burt’s IMDb profile.

Taking all this into account, don’t get your hopes up for The Trial: Part 2.

The Trial is currently available to stream on Channel 5