Constable Thomas Lockley was working the early shift at Streetly station when he received a message from Little Aston cafe. He set off in his patrol car, and as the constable approached the cafe, he noticed a teenage boy on a bike peddling away with urgency. PC Lockley slowed his vehicle and rolled down the window. The boy quickly acknowledged him and, before even taking a breath, words tumbled out of his mouth: “It’s at Brinton Kennels. Somebody had been in and they’ve knocked her about. She is in a mess… I found her in the bathroom. She was stark naked”...
Read moreHistoric Crime / The Trials Of Harold Jones - Part 2
The town of Abertillery in South Wales had been rocked by the brutal murder of an eight-year-old girl. A 15-year-old shop assistant had been arrested and accused of killing Freda Burnell, but a jury found him not guilty. While many in the town felt that justice had prevailed when Harold Jones was acquitted, the declaration of his innocence meant that a child killer was still at large… (Part 2 of 2).
Read moreHistoric Crime / The Trials Of Harold Jones - Part 1
Rumours swirled about a group who were kidnapping children for rewards, but there was no trace of Willie. One year later, a small skeleton was found two and a half miles from the missing boy's home. Willie's father identified the remains when he saw the hobnails he had put in his son’s boots two weeks before he vanished. Willie Pincott was said to have died from exposure on the lonely mountainside. Fifteen years later, the tragedy was still in the minds of locals when another child went missing… (Part 1 of 2).
Read moreBlurred Lines / Scream Copycat Knife Attack
The ground was too uneven for George to attempt to follow the route to the stream that flowed 30 feet below, so he watched as his dog sniffed the ground behind large rocks. The animal was fixated on a black bin liner, and from George’s perspective, two logs sticking out of it. A faint whimpering sound echoed up from the stream. George strained his eyes and realised that the bundle he assumed was rubbish was actually a boy, who was crying for help...
Read moreTortured / The Murder Of Angela Pearce
Easter weekend 1998. An 18-year-old goes missing on the way to see a relative in Leeds. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, she was approximately 14 times more likely to become a victim of violent crime. The race was on to find the vulnerable young woman, but no one could be prepared for what they saw when they found her…
Read moreDrunken Teenage Gang Killing / The Murder Of Garry Newlove
There is a saying that “a man’s home is his castle” — it is supposed to be a sanctuary, a place of safety and security. Unfortunately for many, anti-social behaviour can make them feel uncomfortable and on edge in their own homes. When problems like these arise, it can take weeks for the police to resolve them, and only after the damage has been done. Some try a different approach and directly confront the people responsible, but they could never imagine that it might cost them their life...
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