In England, anyone can become a funeral director. No licence, no qualifications required. This is the story of how that gap was exploited. On December 10th, 2023, bailiffs entered a repossessed funeral home in Gosport, Hampshire, and discovered something that would prompt a year-long police investigation, a landmark criminal trial, and renewed calls for long-overdue industry regulation…
Read moreAll That Remains / The Murder of Simon Shotton - Part 2
After Benjamin Atkins and Debbie Pereira were caught with their lodger’s severed arms in their back garden, they were charged with murder and brought to trial at Winchester Crown Court. The prosecution alleged that the couple had acted together to kill Simon Shotton, dismember his body, and scatter his remains around Boscombe. Although Atkins had admitted to causing Simon’s death, he claimed that he had acted in self-defence, and Pereira argued she was innocent of any involvement… (Part 2 of 2).
Read moreAll That Remains / The Murder of Simon Shotton - Part 1
As she waited for a break in the downpour, something heavy landed with a thud next to her. Dana worried someone had purposely thrown something. Undeterred, she quickly ran the remainder of the way to her workplace and grabbed her coat. A short time later, as she returned down the steps, Dana saw something wrapped in black plastic and grey masking tape. It had been discarded in the exact spot where she stood not fifteen minutes earlier. As she got closer, she recognised the object's shape. It looked like a human foot… (Part 1 of 2).
Read moreThe Puzzling Death Of Rina Yasutake
Helmsley is a small market town within the North York Moors National Park. The VisitHelmsley website describes it as “the perfect base for enjoying the wider area”. Helmsley has numerous attractions, including a nature reserve, an art gallery, abbey ruins, and a market square boasting a range of shops and excellent restaurants. Named Britain's Best Market Town in 2015 by the Great British High Street Awards, the quaint area on the banks of the River Rye is a peaceful and quiet place to live. It is one of Yorkshire's hidden gems, rarely mentioned in the media; that was until a grisly discovery thrust Helmsley under the national spotlight…
Read moreCanning Town Murders / The Crimes Of Zahid Younis
“The defendant had become so acutely conscious of what was contained within that freezer, and the risk of discovery – if not just from the odour that emitted from the freezer, that it appears that he had chosen to abandon the address” - Duncan Penny QC, Southwark Crown Court, July 2020
Read more