When police discover freshly disturbed earth outside a house in Leeds, their investigation leads to a disturbing discovery and a suspect with an extraordinary account of what happened. But this is only the beginning of Douglas Wakefield’s story, one that would unfold across years of imprisonment, violence and time in solitary confinement…
Read moreREPLAY - Death In The Line Of Duty / The Killing Of PC Andrew Harper (Full Series)
On a summer evening in 2019, a group of young men set out to steal a quad bike from a rural property in Berkshire. When police officers respond to reports of the theft, a confrontation unfolds on a dark country lane, with devastating consequences for PC Andrew Harper…
Read moreAsk for Angela / Angela & Thomas Crompton
A marriage lasting only months ends in a devastating attack. Years later, Angela Crompton's story would take on wider significance when her name became associated with a campaign aimed at helping women escape dangerous situations before violence can occur…
Read moreSilence at Ings Farm / Charles & Joan Ireland / Charles Ireland Jr
When two bodies are discovered at a remote farmhouse, a shocking investigation reveals decades of isolation, control and long-buried secrets hidden behind the family's quiet rural life…
Read moreDeath by Degrees: Rayleigh Bath Chair Killing / Archibald & Eric Brown
During the Second World War, residents of Rayleigh were accustomed to the threat of bombs falling from the sky. But in July 1943, an explosion that tore through Hockley Road originated much closer to home. The case that followed would draw huge public interest and raise difficult questions about mental health, mercy, and criminal responsibility…
Read moreHorror on St Austell Railway Viaduct / Steven Hoskin
When vulnerable Cornwall resident Steven Hoskin moved into his own flat in St Austell, he hoped for independence and friendship. Instead, a group of troubled young people entered his life, gradually taking over his home and exploiting his trusting nature. As warning signs mounted, opportunities to intervene were missed, with devastating consequences…
Read moreDeterioration: A Mother’s Confession / Lorna & Eva Williamson
A father returns home to a devastating scene. His teenage daughter has been brutally killed, and his wife has vanished. Inside the house, there are clear signs of violence. Blood-stained objects suggest a frenzied attack… but what happened in the hours leading up to it?…
Read moreA Frenzied Attack at Oakhanger Common / Mary & Benjamin Mitchell
A labourer in his mid-forties contacts the police to report that he has killed someone with a hatchet. He refuses legal representation, insisting he is responsible. So why does a jury hesitate to convict him of murder, and how can a judge describe the defendant's actions as understandable?...
Read moreThe Line Between Violence and Intent / Sarah & Jonathan Wicks
A 999 call came in from a man who said that his wife was unresponsive on the floor. He told the call handler that she had fallen and her lips were blue. The man was assured that help was on the way, and in a voice choked with emotion, he was heard saying: "Come on. No, no, you can't die, not over a fucking argument"...
Read moreThe Last Fare / David Wilkie & The Miners’ Strike - Part 2
A taxi driver was simply doing his job during the miners' strike in 1984, when an object was hurled onto the motorway, crushing his car and killing him in the process. Three men had been charged with murder. However, one insisted to the police that he had played no part in the crime. Against the backdrop of the bitter clash between miners and the government, the trial was set to begin. No one could predict how the legal proceedings would end… (Part 2 of 2).
Read moreThe Last Fare / David Wilkie & The Miners’ Strike - Part 1
The winter of 1984 forced miners to confront impossible choices. Families faced a dilemma that would tear at the fabric of the country’s tight-knit communities. Miners could continue to strike, pushing them to the brink of poverty, or return to work to put food on the table… (Part 1 of 2).
Read moreBlackout / Natalie Shotter / Mohamed Iidow
Two officers from the Metropolitan Police were already dealing with an incident when they were asked to come and assist an unconscious woman lying on a park bench. They refused, leaving her alone, a decision that would have devastating consequences...
Read moreOperation Wistful / Baby Callum / Joanne Sharkey
A familial match had been identified on the National DNA Database after all this time. Finally, investigators would know who she was and who he was—the baby boy named after the woodland where he was found nearly three decades earlier…
Read moreHostile Gesticulation & The Death Of A Cyclist / Celia Ward / Auriol Grey
Through the crowd of hushed onlookers, Police Constable John Sparks made his way to an uneasy scene on Nursery Road. Outside the Newtown Centre in Huntingdon, the usual lunchtime bustle had frozen. Cars were stationary in the middle of the road as paramedics worked desperately on a cyclist struck down just minutes earlier…
Read moreThe Sandbach Shooting
Emergency responders had been directed to a two-car collision on Abbey Road in Sandbach. When they saw that the injuries sustained by the victims were clearly not caused by a crash, the paramedics soon realised it was far from a standard traffic accident. Not long after the incident, on that cold January morning, a man approached an officer from the Cheshire Police. He made a startling confession as he gestured towards the road. The man said, “I shot them up there”...
Read moreThe Devil In Ossett / Christine & Michael Taylor - Part 2
Sparse details of an alleged exorcism emerged at Leeds Crown Court when Michael Taylor was found not guilty by reason of insanity for killing his wife, Christine. In an almost unprecedented move, the coroner decided it would be in the public interest to reopen the inquest so that the full story would be held on record... (Part 2 of 2).
Read moreThe Devil In Ossett / Christine & Michael Taylor - Part 1
Not a usual sight when minding your own business, a man appeared in the doorway, completely naked apart from socks on his feet. It took a few seconds for Thomas to realise that the man’s face, hands, and body were drenched in blood. Before Thomas could react, the man looked directly at him and spoke the words: “I rebuke thee in the name of Satan”… (Part 1 of 2).
Read moreThe Jealous Killer & The Psychic / The Death Of Mika Cudworth
Aly Austin had a feeling that she was close. Entering the rapeseed field from the roadside next to the roundabout, she lowered her eyes and began to scan the ground. It was typically fresh for a May evening, with a slight breeze. In full bloom, the yellow flowers stretched as far as the eye could see. The leaves of each plant were woven to neighbouring stalks, making the terrain tricky to navigate. Just a few minutes into the search, Aly stumbled onto something concealed beneath the dense crops. Decomposition had set in, but there was no doubt in Aly’s mind that she had found Mika Cudworth’s body…
Read moreLast Resort / Manslaughter & Assisted Dying
Some people are fortunate enough to find someone they can envision spending the rest of their lives with. For the lucky few, their adoration for their partner can mean they will go to extraordinary lengths to prove their love. In some cases, people will do the unthinkable to keep a promise…
Read moreNeglect & Cruelty / The Death Of Hakeem Hussain
In December 2017, Birmingham was hit by a storm that left up to 12 inches of snow on the ground, forcing schools to shut and public transport to grind to a halt. Temperatures had been dropping rapidly, and people across the West Midlands braced themselves for a brutally cold winter. Two weeks earlier, amidst a cold snap in the city, the discovery of a vulnerable child’s body outside of a house in Nechells raised questions about the efficiency of the UK’s child protective services…
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