Trupti Patel lost three babies to sudden infant death. Then she was accused of murdering them. In 2003, this British pharmacist stood trial at Reading Crown Court, her fate resting on testimony from Professor Sir Roy Meadow - the same expert whose flawed evidence had helped convict Sally Clark. But when Trupti's 80-year-old grandmother travelled from India to testify about five infant deaths in her own family, the case began to unravel. This episode examines the dangerous theory known as Meadow's Law, the systematic failures in investigating sudden infant deaths, and how one trial helped expose a pattern of wrongful accusations against grieving mothers…
Read moreForce & Frailty / Donald Burgess / PC Stephen Smith & PC Rachel Comotto
In the quiet corridors of a seaside care home, on an ordinary weekday afternoon, a 92-year-old man sat confused in his wheelchair, gripping a butter knife he'd been using to eat his lunch. Within minutes, two police officers would arrive at his door after being alerted that it was vital for them to attend the scene quickly, as someone’s life had been threatened…
Read moreThe Servant And Her Mistress / The Mysterious Death of Jane Roberts Humphreys
The landau driver stood outside Prestatyn railway station, watching the early morning commuters. His attention was drawn to a young woman darting down the high street. She stopped beside his carriage and asked him to take her to a nearby farm. Her behaviour was erratic, and William wasn’t sure he wanted to drive her anywhere until she told him, “My mistress is lying on the floor. She’s very ill”...
Read moreThe Assassination Of The Bedsit Barron
The sound of his neighbour’s gates opening piqued Graham’s curiosity. He got out of bed and went to the window to see the Raggetts’ blue Jaguar reversing into the drive. The house on Chester Close was bordered by high walls and had enough space to park several vehicles. As soon as Lew Raggett stepped out of the car, two figures emerged from the shadows carrying a baseball bat and a knife…
Read moreVictorian Poisoning Case / Edwin & Adelaide Bartlett
The sound of knocking on the front door roused Dr Alfred Leach from sleep. It had been just a few hours after he had celebrated the New Year. The doctor recognised the young woman waiting on his doorstep as a patient’s servant. Before Annie Fulcher had a chance to speak, Dr Leach groaned and wondered whether Edwin Bartlett was truly sick this time or if it was just another one of his “notions”. Annie replied, “I know nothing about it. Mrs Bartlett only tells me he is dead”...
Read more