Sinister South

In the winter of 1988, 22-year-old Lorraine Benson left a work Christmas party in Clapham Junction and never made it home. Her murder shocked South London – not just because of its brutality, but because it exposed the serious failings in how violent offenders were being managed. In this episode, we look at the pioneering role of DNA in solving Lorraine’s case, the disturbing history of her killer John Dunn, and the wider questions her death raised about justice, parole, and whose lives are protected.

We also briefly cover bum-counting at pop concerts, kinetic sand post-cleaner rage, and an a...

In February 2011, 21-year-old Gagandip Singh was found in the boot of his burning car on a residential road in Blackheath. At first, police thought it might’ve been a stolen vehicle, torched for the hell of it, but what they uncovered was a calculated, deeply personal murder.

Gagandip was a rising star in the Sikh community, running his own TV channel and trying to carry on his father’s legacy after a devastating loss. But behind the smiles of those around him, darker motives were at play, and a plan for revenge was already in motion.

Th...

In this episode, recorded amid cat flap dramas, church hall trauma, and a frankly terrifying inflatable dinosaur, we dive into one of the most disturbing and under-reported cases in South London’s history: the murder of Bulic Forsythe.

In February 1993, Bulic a civil servant working in Lambeth Council’s social services department was found bludgeoned to death in his Brixton flat. The flat had been set on fire, the gas tampered with, and key documents were missing. Officially, the case remains unsolved. Unofficially, those who’ve followed it closely believe Bulic was murdered because of what he knew a...

This week we bring you the devastating story of two women, Naomi Hunte and Fiona Holm, both murdered by the same man: Carl Cooper. Both had warned police. Both were ignored. And both were lost because no one acted when it mattered.

We talk about stalking, missed red flags, a crowbar attack that led nowhere, and a family forced to do the investigating themselves. Plus, the absolute fury of watching a system shrug and walk away – twice.

There’s chat about chaotic Patreons, accidentally sending bonus episodes to the wrong people, and whether Gemma Collins has...

After a slightly chaotic opening involving anxiety spirals, pocket-based trouser strategy, and a traumatic passport photo, things quickly turn grim as we cover the brutal 2020 murder of 25-year-old Riches Obie in Elephant & Castle.

He had no criminal past. No enemies. Just a quiet life with his mum — until he was fatally stabbed in their flat.

Was it a robbery gone wrong? Or the fallout of a sham marriage scam involving immigration paperwork, money, and three Dutch nationals with links to international crime? Why did his mum flee to Nigeria and refuse to testify? And why di...

A man shot in his kitchen. A Ming vase in a JD Sports bag. An iPad dumped in the Thames.

This one has it all: a failed assassination, a Geneva museum heist, and three South London men who left a digital trail as messy as their getaway. Paul Allen, once part of Britain’s biggest cash robbery, ends up paralysed. But it’s what the attackers left behind that seals their fate.

Also this week: Hannah’s limping, Rachel’s made a new friend (scandal), and we can’t remember if we’re quoting ourselves or losing ou...

In the summer of 2020, the quiet suburb of Mitcham was shaken by an unthinkable tragedy. Five-year-old Sayagi Sivanantham was found critically injured in her family’s flat, and what followed would unravel into a story that forced a difficult national reckoning. In this episode, we explore the human story behind the headlines – one of a vibrant little girl, a community in shock, and the quiet crisis hiding in plain sight.

This case asks uncomfortable questions. About mental health, motherhood, and what happens when systems designed to protect don’t catch the warning signs in time.

As alw...

This week, we’re off to Twickenham (yes, it is in South London—Han’s learning geography as we go), where a wealthy widow was found brutally stabbed and partially burned in her own home in 1936. Laura Mordaunt Chapman lived a quiet, reclusive life—until Albert Hadfield, a local sweetshop owner with a shady past and a bicycle, wormed his way in. With 47 stab wounds, no signs of a break-in, and a staged crime scene, the case screamed foul play… but nearly 90 years on, no one has ever been convicted.

We’re talking poison apples (not really, but sort of...

In the early 1990s, South London was a hotspot for gangland violence, with organised crime families like the Arifs and Brindells locked in a deadly power struggle. In this episode, we explore the interconnected murders of Arma Abdullah, David Brindell, and Stanley Silk – killings that reveal a chilling web of retribution, turf wars, and community silence.

From a targeted hit in a Woolworth betting shop to a brutal double shooting at the Bell Pub, these unsolved crimes shed light on the criminal underworld operating in plain sight and the innocent lives caught in the crossfire. We examine ga...

She travelled to London with dreams of adventure, language, and independence,  but instead, 21-year-old Sophie Lionnet found herself trapped in a house of delusion and cruelty. 

In this episode, we uncover the disturbing murder of a young French au pair at the hands of a South London couple who convinced themselves she was a spy sent by a former boyband star. With twisted obsession, manipulation, and a shared fantasy that spiralled into torture and murder, this is one of the most haunting domestic crimes in modern British history.

Also listen to how Rach became "that pe...

In August 2012, 76-year-old Elizabeth Coriat was found dead in her Forest Hill flat. She had been killed – and decapitated – by her own son, Daniel. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, known to mental health services, and had made disturbing statements about Elizabeth long before her death. Despite this, he was discharged and deemed low risk. No safeguarding. No crisis intervention. No support for Elizabeth.

What happened to her wasn’t just a brutal act – it was the tragic end point of a system that ignored warning after warning.

In this episode, we unpack how the mental h...

It’s Hannah’s birthday 🎉 and in true Sinister South fashion, we’re celebrating with one of the most devastating public transport disasters in British history.

This week, we’re in Croydon. In 2016, a packed tram derailed at high speed on a tight curve at Sandilands. Seven people lost their lives. Dozens more were injured. But behind the headlines was a tangled mess of missed warnings, ignored safety recommendations, and a network that left no room for human error.

It’s a story about a driver, a system with no safeguards, and a question that still hasn’t...

They didn’t need getaway cars or sawn-off shotguns just a killer wardrobe and a razor-sharp plan. In this episode, we dive into the world of the Forty Elephants an all-women crime syndicate that ruled the streets and department stores of London from the late 1800s well into the 20th century. Based in the Elephant and Castle, these women weren’t just shoplifters they were organised, ruthless, and decades ahead of their time when it came to running a criminal empire.

We’ll explore how the gang operated, why they were so successful for so long, and how th...

For 17 years, someone was targeting elderly people across South London, slipping into their homes in the dead of night. Behind the mask was Delroy Grant, a man living a quiet life in Lewisham, known to neighbours as a family man and carer. But the reality was far darker.

In this episode, we explore the long investigation to uncover the truth, the mistakes that let him walk free for so long, and the strength of the victims who came forward. This is a story about the people he hurt, the communities affected, and the detectives who finally stopped...

This week, we start with a much-needed debrief on brain fog, Expo madness, and why Rachel may or may not be developing narcolepsy (spoiler: she’s not, but Hannah’s definitely worried). 

Tai O’Donnell was just 19. A music student with plans, talent, and a mum who adored him. In March 2021, Tai was murdered by his ex-girlfriend, Kamila Ahmad, in his flat in Croydon. She stabbed him in the leg, severing his femoral artery, then left him to die. In this episode, we talk about who Tai really was, what we missed, and how the system failed to see...

This week, Rach takes us on a wild romp through Victorian south London with the mysterious death of Charles Bravo – a seemingly respectable barrister who died in agony from antimony poisoning in his plush home near Tooting Bec Common. Was it suicide? A medical accident? Or did someone in the house have very good reason to want him gone? We unpack the tangled mess of coercive control, scandalous affairs, and courtroom chaos that surrounded the case – all while having a good old chat about St Patrick’s Day hangovers, questionable leprechaun museums, and Rachel’s blacklisting from a certain food del...

 When 78-year-old Richard Osborn-Brooks awoke to find two intruders in his South London home, he made a split-second decision that would change his life forever. One burglar fled. The other, Henry Vincent, was fatally stabbed. But what followed was almost as shocking—the pensioner’s arrest, a furious public debate over self-defence laws, and a tense standoff between Vincent’s grieving family and the local community. In this episode, we break down the crime, the legal grey areas, and the bizarre fallout—including a funeral procession showdown, a police-protected pensioner, and a heated debate over whether justice was truly served. <...

Right, before we get into this one, a quick heads-up - tech issues. The recording gods were not on our side, and there are a few little glitches in this episode. We’ve done what we can to tidy them up, but if you notice any weird jumps or crackles, just know we’re as annoyed as you are. Bear with us, we promise it’s worth it.

Johanita Dogbey was just walking home when she was attacked in broad daylight by a man described as having a ‘hunter mentality’. No motive, no connection - just a terrifying...

On a warm August night in 2016, Oliver Dearlove was out with friends in Blackheath, South London, when a casual conversation with a stranger turned into an unthinkable tragedy. A single, unprovoked punch from a man he'd never met ended his life within seconds, shattering the world of those who loved him. In this episode, we discuss Oliver’s life, the dangers of one-punch attacks, and the devastating ripple effects of impulsive violence.

But before we get to the heavy stuff, we take a detour through the chaotic landscape of our minds—covering everything from reframing toxic positivity, the...

Episode 7! South London, summer of '86. It's boiling, windows are open, and an unseen predator is creeping inside. One by one, elderly residents are found dead in their beds, strangled, their homes disturbed but not ransacked. The press dub him 'The Stockwell Strangler', and fear grips the city. 

Who was Kenneth Erskine, and what drove him to prey on the most vulnerable? Han takes us through a case that left South London in shock. 

Plus, an important public service announcement - pubs with "arms" in the name do not, in fact, have anything to do wi...

Season 2 episode 6! A flawless diamond, a gang of 'old school' crooks, and a JCB digger smashing through the Millennium Dome in Greenwich - what could possibly go wrong? 

In this episode, Rach takes us inside one of the most audacious (and utterly disastrous) heist attempts in British history - the 2000 Millennium Dome raid. A gang of career criminals set their sights on the Millennium Star, a £100m diamond that was too good not to go after! Armed with sledgehammers, smoke grenades and a construction vehicle, they stormed the Dome, believing they were moments away from unimaginable wealth. In...

This episode is one of the most heart breaking and complex cases we've ever covered—the tragedy of the Clarence children. In 2014, Tania Clarence, a devoted mother caring for three severely disabled children, reached an unimaginable breaking point.

What led to this tragedy? How did a mother, battling exhaustion and isolation, fall through the cracks of a failing system? And what lessons can be learned from the serious case review that followed?

This episode could be an incredibly difficult listen, and we won't be mad if you’re affected by discussions of mental health crises or c...

Trevors Episode 4 of Season 2 is here!  In this episode, Rach tells us the story of the baffling case of Noel and Marie Brown, a father and daughter found murdered in Deptford, South London, under circumstances that seem more suited to a crime thriller than real life.

Was Noel targeted because of his past? Was it a grudge, a gambling win gone wrong, or something else entirely? And how did Marie, a devoted mum just trying to check on her dad, end up caught in this grim scenario? With no signs of forced entry and a trail of t...

This week, we delve into the life and baffling death of Christopher Marlowe, Elizabethan playwright, suspected spy, and Deptford's most controversial tavern guest. From his ground-breaking plays like Dr Faustus to the rumoured espionage and heretical whispers that surrounded his life, Marlowe was nothing if not intriguing. But was his death really just an overreaction to splitting the bill (or as we now call it, “The Reckoning”), or was there something far more sinister afoot?

Rach and Han chat through the many theories—from political assassinations to espionage gone awry, and even the wild suggestion that Marlowe faked...

Episode 2! After some debate over whether Hannah is secretly joining a Juice Plus cult, we're diving into a case that's as shocking as it is heartbreaking: The Lambeth Slavery Case.

This week, we're unravelling the story of Aravindan Balakrishnan - better known as "Comrade Bala" and his radical Maoist cult that turned into a house of manipulation and mind control in Brixton South London. For over three decades, three women lived under his psychological grip, isolated from the world, and subjected to cruelty disguised as ideology.

We explore how political ideals spiralled into paranoid, control...

We’re back, Trevors! It’s Season 2, and Hannah is kicking things off with a massive case that shaped South London’s history—the tragic story of Damilola Taylor. But before we get into the heartbreak, we’re catching up on New Year’s resolutions, caravans in Devon, and the questionable merits of sharing shoe shopping tips with cab drivers.

Then, we dive deep into the case that shocked the nation: Damilola’s bright future, the devastating events of 27th November 2000, and the legacy his family created in his memory. It’s a tough one, but we’re here to honour...

Well Trevors... we've made it to the end of season 1, and so just for you, we've done a "selection box" of murder from South London. Turns out, we have ZERO CHILL when it comes to festive crime, and while we thought we'd find a couple of tales about santa claus robbing a shopping centre etc... we just found more death and destruction! 

So get cosy with your mulled wine, and settle down to hear 5 cases which took place over the Christmas period in South London from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day. 

We're then having two we...

Episode 31, and this week we're looking into the callous murder of Sarah Mayhew. This case is a really recent one, with the perpetrators not having been sentenced yet so expect some updates in the future! Listen as Hannah walks us through the details of the case as we understand them, and help us untangle the concept of how in a "killer couple" the woman always seems to be seen as less culpable than the man? The story is nasty so trigger warning, and we're still not too clear on exactly why Sarah had to tragically lose her life!
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Episode 30 is here!  This week, we’re taking a deep dive into some of South London’s most tragic stories tied to mental health care—and let’s just say, it’s a bit of a rollercoaster. We talk about the harrowing murders of Ilona Czuper in Mitcham, Eileen Dean in Catford, Maureen Watkins in Peckham and Florise Corette in Brockley. 

From heart breaking failings to moments that make you question how things could go so wrong, we’ll be unpacking cases that hit close to home. As always, there’s plenty of our usual banter (because we can’t help ou...

This week, we unravel the devastating case of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, two sisters whose lives were tragically stolen during what should have been a beautiful celebration. From their bond as sisters to the horrific failures that compounded their family’s grief, we explore it all—including a killer’s unhinged “demonic pact” and the unforgivable actions of certain officers who were supposed to protect and serve.

But don’t worry, we start off light—venting about life’s infuriating little moments (looking at you, fire doors and car washes), and Hannah’s very pointed disapproval of Rachel’s excess...

Episode 28 Trevors!! In this episode, Rach (yes we know, it should be Han, but life got busy) dives into the harrowing case of Harriet Staunton, a wealthy South London woman subjected to unimaginable cruelty at the hands of her husband and his accomplices. From the chilling neglect she endured to the courtroom spectacle that shocked Victorian England, this story will leave you feeling icky...

But it's not all doom and gloom - We also discuss why finding each other at a gig feels like playing 'Where's Wally', some fascinating facts about Penge (or is it Annerley?), and...

Episode 27!! We're heading back to Southwark! In this episode, we uncover the tragic story of Dina Sharpe, a South London woman whose love and trust were betrayed in the worst way. Dina believed she’d found a future with Stephen Singer, but instead found herself caught in his web of lies, deceit, and a love triangle gone horribly wrong. What begins as a volatile relationship spirals into a chillingly premeditated act—complete with a drugged dinner and a deadly fire. 

Join us as we navigate this heart breaking case, tracing the signs of control, manipulation, and the devas...

In this episode Han takes us through three tragic stories of LGBTQ+ individuals who faced violence and hate in South London, including both solved and unsolved cases. We uncover the lives behind the headlines, the struggles for justice and the harsh realities of hate crimes in our community.

We'll cover the cases of Jacob Bornkamp, Geoffrey Windsor and Jody Dobrowski.

But it's not all murder and heartache. Expect the usual mix of random ramblings and...Han wasn't lying when she said this one would be tricky to write a description for...

Sources include <...

Hi Trevor's, Hannah here... I'm putting out a public service announcement, this episode is all for Rach, I couldn't give a damn about Halloween, but I quite like her and she loves it. She calls it her "Spiritual Holiday", so...I buckled to the pressure and we've done an episode with a bit of a twist (I say twist, we're pretty sure EVERY true crime podcast does something similar at this time of year, and apparently Rach likes bandwagons). Don't say I didn't warn you!

Rach here... I BLOODY LOVE HALLOWEEN! So In this episode, we're really...

In this episode of Sinister South, we dive into the deeply tragic case of Banaz Mahmood, a young Kurdish woman from South London whose life was taken in a devastating honour killing. After enduring years of abuse in a forced marriage, Banaz sought help from the police five times, only to be tragically failed by the very system meant to protect her. We unpack the cultural pressures behind honour-based violence, Banaz's immense courage in seeking freedom, and the chilling systemic failures that led to her untimely death.

Of course, before the heavy stuff, we chat about Hannah’s...

In episode 23 of Sinister South, we're diving into the chaotic world of Johnny Darke, a volatile South London gangster. 

His criminal empire crumbled when he clashed with John Bindon, a feared enforcer with ties to rockstars and royalty. From pub rackets to murder trials, we uncover how Darke’s reign was brought to a brutal end, blending crime, celebrity, and unexpected twists.

Also hear how vindictive Rach is as she attempts to silence Han, and the supremely inspiring way Han deals with it... 

Sources used in the episode include:

Episode 22, this was a recommendation as a case from @jomydarlingclementine over on Instagram!

This week, we’re taking you through one of the most harrowing events in South London’s history: the 1981 New Cross Road Fire. What started as a birthday party turned into a nightmare, with 13 young black people tragically losing their lives.

Was it an accident, or something far more sinister? We’ll unravel the facts, dive into the rumours history of racial tensions, systemic police racism, and the aftermath of an event that has left a scar on the community. Along the way, w...

Episode 21! This week, Hannah tackles the baffling case of Lee Boxell, a 15-year-old football fan who seemingly disappeared into thin air in 1988 from his home in Cheam, near Sutton. Was he off to catch a local match, or did something more sinister happen? 

Despite extensive investigations and a few strange leads, Lee’s fate remains a mystery to this day. Join us as we delve into the baffling details, including a cryptic phone call, dodgy sightings, a mysterious local hangout and a graveyard that holds more questions than answers, the case raises all kinds of chilling possibilities.

Episode 20! Bloody hell trevors! If you're still here, good on ya!

In this baffling episode, we explore the brutal 1934 murder of Robert James Venner, a well-known tailor from New Cross who was found staggering in his shop with fatal head wounds. Was it a robbery gone wrong. or was there something more sinister at play?

Despite multiple suspects this case remains unsolved nearly a century later! Join us as we unravel the strange details of the investigation, including dodgy alibis, a suspicious blue saloon, and missing iron bars.

Plus, Rachel reflects on surviving...

In this chilling episode, we dive into the brutal 1979 murder of Sally Shepherd, a woman whose tragic death in Peckham has left more questions than answers. Was it a random attack, or could it be the work of one of Britain’s most infamous killers? Join us as we explore the grim details of the case, including bizarre theories that point towards the Yorkshire Ripper himself.

Spoiler alert: there are more hair samples and theories than answers.

Plus, Rachel contemplates whether she’d survive a week at a rock concert with her kids, and Hannah shar...