UK True Crime Podcast

Carol Jarvis was a woman whose life was shaped by her family and, later, by a degenerative illness which left her increasingly dependent on others. As her health deteriorated, her husband took on the role of her carer, looking after her at home as she became less able to care for herself. But behind the closed doors of the family home, things were not quite as they appeared.

Carol’s children began to notice differences in their mum's condition, particularly when comparing the times she was cared for by her husband with those when they looked af...

Note: This epiosde was originally released in February 2022.

High Wycombe isn't somewhere you would necessarily associate with violent crime, but in this case an apparently ordinary churchyard became the setting for a brutal and completely unnecessary murder.

Lee Gillespie found himself caught up in a complicated situation involving jealousy, relationships and misplaced loyalty. What began as tension between people who knew each other would eventually escalate into violence, leaving Lee dead and several people facing the consequences of what happened. This is a story about relationships that had become increasingly complicated, decisions that...

A weekend of music, mountain biking and entertainment at the impressive surroundings of Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire.

But for one 18-year-old man with everything to live for, the weekend would end in tragedy. What happened during those final hours, and how did a celebration turn into a devastating event. This is the story of Alex Pilkington.

I release new episodes of the UK True Crime Podcast every Tuesday and Friday, so please do join me for the next story on Tuesday.

Writing Credit: Chris Wood

You can buy...

The story today is from Cheshire, when two childhood friends visit a family property, Boarded Barn, unaware that their lives are about to be caught up in a terrifying chain of events.

This is a case involving mistaken identity, an extraordinary sequence of events and a murder investigation that would eventually uncover the truth. It’s a story that raises some difficult questions about chance, circumstance and how two completely innocent people became caught up in something that had nothing to do with them.

I release new episodes of the UK True Crime po...

In 2005, Jim Phillips co-founded a marketing company with his best friend. The business grew quickly, securing major contracts and working with high-profile international clients. But behind the success, Jim began to notice increasingly strange behaviour from his business partner.

What followed was an extraordinary web of deception involving fake contracts, impersonated bank officials, claims of connections to the Chinese government and even a fabricated story about having cancer. Jim eventually discovered that much of what he had been told was a lie.

In this interview, Jim talks openly about what happened, how he...

She spent more than 100 hours with the man she believed she loved - but she never saw his face.

Kye Fortune was, to the woman at the centre of this case, a real person. They had built a relationship online and eventually met in person, but only on the condition that she wore a blindfold. What followed would lead to one of the strangest criminal cases in the UK, involving deception, identity, trust and consent.

In this episode, I tell the story of Gayle Newland and the woman who believed Kye Fortune was...

Rachel Thacker was just 21, with a new job, a new car and a future that seemed full of possibilities. A caring, outgoing and popular young woman, she had recently graduated with a degree in occupational therapy and was looking forward to beginning her career.

After travelling to Manchester to celebrate a friend's 21st birthday, Rachel spent the evening with friends before deciding it was time to head home. As she searched for a taxi in the early hours, a car pulled up. Rachel got into the passenger seat believing she had found a way home.

What would it be like to lose your identical twin to murder?

In this episode, I talk to Nick Dawson, whose identical twin, Simon, was murdered in the most dreadful attack in 1998. I found this conversation incredibly moving and, at times, very emotional. Nick takes us back to his brother’s childhood and talks about the man Simon was before his life was so brutally taken away. We also discuss the murder itself and the devastating impact it had on Nick and those who loved his brother.

But there is another extraordinary part of...

Dawn Rhodes was a 38-year-old mum whose attempt to leave an unhappy marriage ended in tragedy.

After her murder, a disturbing version of events emerged in which Dawn was portrayed as a violent woman who had attacked her own child. But behind that story was a lie which would have devastating consequences for those left behind. The episode today explores the murder of Dawn Rhodes, the story created in its aftermath, and the devastating impact of the truth being hidden for so long.

I release new episodes of the UK True Crime podcast...

In Newport, South Wales, Martin Podmore met a woman at a party - nothing unusual there, and the two got on well. But it was the beginning of an encounter that would take a deeply disturbing turn when he later kept her captive against her will. She was trapped in a situation where her freedom was taken away by someone she barely knew.

And then came a disturbing discovery: this wasn't the first time Podmore had done something like this...

I release episodes of the UK True Crime podcast every Tuesday and Friday...

In this bonus episode, I chat with top crime reporter, Martin Brunt.

Martin spent 36 years at Sky News and built such a reputation for contacts that, during the 2006 Ipswich serial murders, a police press officer reportedly told a rival journalist: 'Call Martin Brunt. He knows everything before we do.' Martin Brunt joined Sky for its launch in 1989, reported from the Gulf and Balkan wars, then became one of Britain's best-known crime reporters, covering cases including Fred and Rose West, Sarah Payne, Jill Dando, Madeleine McCann and the Hatton Garden raid. 

His book, 'N...

When you move into a small flat in a new town, just how much can you really know about your neighbours?

Melanie Sturton had only recently left home to work and study when she moved into a flat in Aberdeen. She could have had no idea that someone living nearby would ultimately play a part in a terrible crime. Melanie was murdered, and in this episode I look at the shocking circumstances of the killing, the investigation and the trial.

I release new episodes of the UK True Crime podcast every Tuesday and...

Minutes before taking his own life, Michael Ryan looked back on the devastation he had caused in Hungerford. He had killed 16 people and injured 15 others. Then he told the police negotiator: “I wish I had stayed in bed.”

In this episode, I look back at what happened that day, the people whose lives were changed forever, and the events that unfolded as a quiet town found itself at the centre of a tragedy that shocked the country. I also look at some of the lesser-known details of the case and the questions that remained long after the...

Note: This epiosde was originally released in August 2023.

Detectives believed they had identified the murderer, and when they entered the bedroom of 18-year-old Danyal Hussein in south-east London, they found something extraordinary. Among his belongings was a handwritten note, signed in his own blood, which described a pact he claimed to have made with a demon called Lucifuge Rofocale.

According to the beliefs surrounding black magic, Lucifuge Rofocale was said to be in charge of the government and treasury of Hell, acting on the orders of Lucifer. The pact Hussein had written described...

Carol Morgan was a much-loved wife and mother whose life was brutally taken inside the family shop. What initially appeared to be a shocking and senseless murder would go on to raise questions that remained unanswered for decades.

As investigators worked to understand what had happened, a complicated picture began to emerge, involving people close to Carol and a secret that had remained hidden for years. In this episode, we look at Carol's life, the circumstances surrounding her murder, and the painstaking investigation that eventually brought long-buried questions back into the spotlight. But even after the...

Jordan Sinnott was a young professional footballer whose life changed forever after a night out with friends.

What began as an ordinary evening ended in a violent confrontation, leaving Jordan seriously injured and his family facing the devastating consequences. This is the story of what happened that night, the investigation that followed, and the search for justice for a young man whose football career and life were tragically cut short.

I release episode of the UK True Crime podcast every Tuesday and Friday so please join me for the next episode on Friday.<...

Note: This epiosde was originally released in October 2024.

Vikki Thompson lived in a village near Oxford with her husband Jonathan, two young children and the family dog, Daisy. At about 4pm one Saturday afternoon, Vikki took Daisy for her usual afternoon walk in the pretty countryside close to where she lived. Half an hour later, Daisy returned home with no sign of Vikki which was most unusual. Jonathan knew something was wrong and headed out to look for his wife where he was joined by others in the village.

At just before 7.15pm...

Martine Vik Magnussen was a 23-year-old Norwegian student living in London, with a bright future ahead of her.

After a night out with friends, Martine disappeared. What followed would become one of London's most high-profile murder investigations, involving a suspect who fled the country and a family who have spent years searching for answers. This is the story of Martine, the investigation into her death, and the extraordinary circumstances that have surrounded the case ever since.

I release episodes of the UK True Crime podcast every Tuesday and Friday, so please do join...

Mary Gregory was a much-loved grandmother who was living independently in her home in the north-west of England when tragedy struck.

Initially, her death was believed to have been a terrible accident, but a year later, information came to light which would completely change the understanding of what had happened. This is the story of the investigation that followed, the disturbing evidence uncovered by detectives, and the search for the truth about Mary's death.

I release episodes of the UK True Crime podcast every Tuesday and Friday, so please do join me on...

Welcome to the final episode - for now, anyway - of this special four-part series of the UK True Crime Podcast, where I explore the life and death of 19-year-old Ed Cornes. Today, we look at the inquest into Ed’s death, the Met Police referring themselves to the IOPC over their handling of the investigation, and I ask the question: where are we today?

If you have missed the other three episodes, 19 year old Ed Cornes had only just begun the next exciting chapter of his life when, in October 2021, he arrived at University College Lo...

The murder of Sadie Hartley is a shocking story of jealousy, obsession and a carefully planned killing.

Sadie was a successful businesswoman from Lancashire who was attacked and murdered on her own doorstep. What followed was a complex investigation which uncovered a plot that had been developing for months. This episode looks at Sadie's life, the events that led to her murder, the investigation that followed and how police eventually uncovered the truth behind what had happened.

Above all, this is the story of a woman who was simply going about her life...

Lawrence Haggart had everything to look forward to. A gifted teenage footballer who had already signed for Celtic and represented Scotland at youth level, Lawrence appeared destined for a bright future in the game he loved. But after an ordinary evening out with friends, his life was brought to a devastating end in a brutal attack that left his family and community searching for answers.

In this episode, I examine the investigation into Lawrence's murder, the extraordinary mistakes that saw detectives become fixated on the wrong suspects, and how the real killer was eventually brought to...

Stephen Port was a serial killer who murdered four men in Barking, East London, between 2014 and 2015.

In this episode, I examine the failings in the police investigation into Stephen Port and ask whether the Metropolitan Police repeated some of the same mistakes in their handling of Ed Cornes' death. It's a thought-provoking episode that raises important questions about policing, accountability, and whether the lessons from the Port investigation were truly learned.

Welcome to part three of this special four-part series of the UK True Crime Podcast, where I explore the life and death...

Margaret Fleming was a vulnerable young woman who disappeared from the lives of almost everyone who knew her. For years, questions about her whereabouts went unanswered, until an investigation uncovered a web of deception that would become one of Scotland's most disturbing criminal cases. In this episode, I examine Margaret's life, the circumstances that led to her disappearance, and how the truth eventually came to light.

I release episodes of the UK True Crime podcast every Tuesday and Friday, so please do join me again on Friday for the next story. And don't forget to join...

What happens when a controversial surgeon arrives on one of the world’s most remote islands? St Helena, a tiny British territory in the South Atlantic, is famous for Napoleon’s exile and for Jonathan the tortoise, the world’s oldest living land animal. Journalist Luke Jones, who you might remember from The Pitcairn Trials, is back investigating another shocking scandal. He travelled to St Helena to speak to Islanders who were meant to benefit from the arrival of a top orthopedic surgeon 2015. Instead, residents say he caused devastating harm and are now in a fight for justice.

...

For years, Ian Paterson was regarded as one of Britain's leading breast surgeons. Patients placed their trust in him at some of the most frightening moments of their lives, believing they were receiving the best possible care.

Instead, many underwent unnecessary or inappropriate operations that left them with lasting physical and psychological consequences. As concerns mounted, one of the biggest medical scandals in modern UK history began to unfold, raising serious questions not only about one surgeon's actions but also about how he was able to continue practising for so long. In this episode, I explore...

Today, I speak to Ed's mum, Miriam, and his best friend, Sam, about the person Ed Cornes really was, the devastating impact of his death, the police investigation, and what happens next. The conversations are honest, emotional and, at times, deeply shocking.

Welcome to part two of this special four-part series of the UK True Crime Podcast, where I explore the life and death of 19-year-old Ed Cornes. Ed had only just begun the next exciting chapter of his life when, in October 2021, he arrived at University College London with ambitions of becoming a barrister. But...

In the Somerset village of Martock, 16-year-old Gemma Clarke disappeared after finishing a shift at her local pub. Home was only a short walk away, but she never arrived. In this episode, I examine the investigation into Gemma's murder, how detectives identified the man responsible, and the lasting impact her death had on her family and the people who knew her.

Support me at Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/UKTrueCrime

Writing Credit: Chris Wood

You can buy Chris's second book, 'Death in the Theatre' here: https://www.amazon.com/D...

To mark today, the 40th anniversary of Suzy Lamplugh's disappearance, last week I sat down last week to chat with former Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Mike Barley.

Mike was one of the first officers involved in the investigation, helping to establish the original incident room at Fulham Police Station within hours of Suzy being reported missing. He remained closely involved with the case for more than 12 years, following countless leads, investigating reported sightings, working with Suzy's family and later focusing on convicted murderer and rapist John Cannan.

It's a fascinating interview where...

Forty years ago today, estate agent Suzy Lamplugh disappeared after leaving her office in Fulham to meet a client known only as 'Mr Kipper'. She has never been seen again. In this special anniversary episode, I revisit one of Britain's most enduring mysteries, examining Suzy's life, the investigation, the suspects, and where the case is at four decades later.

In a second episode also released today, I interview former Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Mike Barley about this case. There is nobody out there more qualified to provide insight than Mike who was one of the...

Welcome to this special four-part series of the UK True Crime Podcast, where I explore the life and death of 19-year-old Ed Cornes.

Ed had only just begun the next exciting chapter of his life when, in October 2021, he arrived at University College London with ambitions of becoming a barrister. But less than 48 hours later, those ambitions were cut tragically short when paramedics were called to a hotel in King's Cross, just half a mile from his university accommodation, where they found Ed dead.

At the time of his death, Ed was in...

Welcome to this special four-part series of the UK True Crime Podcast, where I explore the life and death of 19-year-old Ed Cornes.

Ed had only just begun the next exciting chapter of his life when, in October 2021, he arrived at University College London with ambitions of becoming a barrister. But less than 48 hours later, those ambitions were cut tragically short when paramedics were called to a hotel in King's Cross, just half a mile from his university accommodation, where they found Ed dead.

At the time of his death, Ed was in...

You will probably remember Daniel Khalife for his extraordinary escape from HMP Wandsworth. But his story started long before that. In this episode, I look at how a young British Army soldier became caught up in a world of espionage, the events that led to his arrest, and the remarkable prison escape that made headlines around the world. It's a story of ambition, deception and some surprisingly old-fashioned spycraft.

I release episodes of the UK True Crime podcast every Tuesday and Friday, so please do join me again on Tuesday for the next regular episode and...

Maria Toomey was just weeks away from giving birth when she vanished. When police finally found Maria, they uncovered a quite dreadful scene that shocked even experienced detectives. This is a heartbreaking story from Hull of a life, and a future, stolen by an act of unimaginable violence.

Please join me for the next episode of the UK True Crime Podcast on Friday - two episodes a week, every Tuesday and Friday.

Support me at Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/UKTrueCrime

Writing Credit: Chris Wood

You...

We all trust our doctors, don't we? In many ways, we have little choice. We rely on them to diagnose illness, offer advice and make decisions that can have a profound impact on our lives.

But in today's episode of the UK True Crime podcast, I look at the extraordinary story of a doctor who wasn't at all what she seemed. For more than two decades, she practised medicine in the UK despite not being properly qualified, exposing serious failures in the systems designed to protect patients. It's a story of deception, misplaced trust and missed...

Can you imagine anything much more scary than when a family car plunges into the freezing waters of the Bridgewater Canal, leaving those inside fighting for their lives? At first, it appeared to be a tragic accident - but as investigators began to look more closely, disturbing questions emerges. This episode is a case of family, deception and a series of shocking revelations that would leave detectives uncovering a truth few could ever have imagined and will leave you asking one question - who can you ever really trust?

I release episodes of the UK True...

What goes on inside the mind of a killer?

In this special episode, I'm joined by top forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes, who has spent her career assessing and treating some of the UK's most dangerous offenders. We talk about dangerous criminals, manipulation, violent crime, and what she's learned from sitting face-to-face with people most of us hope never to meet. It's a fascinating conversation that offers a rare insight into the psychology of crime.

You can listen more to Kerry in her excellent new podcast, 'The Profiler'

https://podcasts.apple.com...

Melissa Reid and Michaella McCollum became known around the world as the "Peru Two" after they were caught trying to smuggle 11 kilograms of cocaine out of Peru.

They said they had been drawn into the operation by an organised crime gang and felt they couldn't back out, while others argued they had knowingly taken a huge risk in return for money. Their arrest made headlines across the globe and sparked years of debate about where the line lies between exploitation and personal responsibility. In this episode, I look beyond the headlines to explore how two teenagers...

"Is it fair that a young lady who dresses to attract, the queen bee attracting the drones, the queen bee that dresses to kill... cries out foul because somebody finds her attractive?"

Shockingly, those were the words of the defence barrister during the trial. Understandably, this sparked widespread outrage at the time and remains one of the most extraordinary examples of victim blaming in a British courtroom.

A chance encounter with a stranger turned Perry Southall's life into a nightmare. What followed was a relentless campaign of stalking that left her living in...

Scott Gilhooly was a well-known and popular landlord in Essex who lost his life after trying to help someone in need. His kindness was repaid with an act of shocking violence that left his family, friends and the local community devastated.

In this episode, I examine the events that led to Scott's murder, the police investigation, the trial and the heartbreaking victim impact statements that showed the lasting impact of his loss.

I release episodes of the UK True Crime podcast every Tuesday and Friday, so please do join me again on Tuesday...