On January 2, 1998, 15-year-old Hannah Deterville left her home in Queens Park, London, to meet a friend. She never came home… 

The name Boarded Barn didn't really suit the large Tudor house, which more closely resembled a manor than a barn. It sat surrounded on three sides by acres of land. The only neighbours lived on a farm nearby, with a road passing the front of the property. Everything was going to plan. The dogs were running loose while Ann and Christine got to the difficult task of sorting through Ann’s mother’s belongings. Sometime in the afternoon, their two cars were joined by a third on the gravel driveway. A white Ford Cortina pulled up with three men inside…

A controversial case in British law, when a 22-year-old man with the mental capacity of a nine-and-a-half-year-old, and the understanding of right and wrong equal to that of a 6-year-old, is sentenced to hang for murder…

The charred remains of 21-year-old Sophie Lionnet were found on a bonfire in the back garden of a property in Southfields, London. Sabrina Kouider and Ouissem Medouni were arrested and charged with murder. A trial began during March 2018… (Part 2 of 2). 

Smoke was billowing out of an Edwardian end-of-terrace property on the intersection of Pulborough Road and Wimbledon Park Road, in Southfields, London. Neighbours became concerned when the plumes of smoke grew so dense a heavy fog covered the street... (Part 1 of 2).

‘Hannibal, The Cannibal’, is a fictional character from The Silence of the Lambs. He eats pieces of his victims. After he is caught, he is kept in a cell with a glass facade to be safely observed. The UK press has its own ‘Hannibal, The Cannibal’…

After Reggie’s Kray wedding in 1965, Ronnie’s mental health continued to decline, and he suffered from both bouts of crippling depression and pathological rages. Ronnie would take medication, but over time, its effects wore off. He was paranoid and convinced everyone was out to get him… (Part 2 of 2).

From their East End beginnings, the Kray twins would go on to run one of the most powerful and feared criminal organisations in London. Their influence wouldn’t only be felt by the nightclubs and casinos of the capital but also some of the highest tiers of government. They were untouchable, and the Krays remain a much-remembered part of sixties culture like the celebrity icons that filled their establishments. This is the story of Reggie and Ronnie Kray… (Part 1 of 2).

In September 1998, painter and decorator Howard Walmsley told a lie to his wife, Kathy. The lie gathered momentum and soon got out of Howard's control…

On a dark December night, a couple were heading home after an evening out. As they drove towards Alvechurch in Worcestershire, they were stopped on a deserted country lane, and the driver was murdered in a brutal attack. But who was this mystery assailant, and what connection did they have to the victim?… 

Basil and Avril Laitner’s day was filled with happiness. They watched their eldest daughter get married, and they spent the early evening at the reception, in a marquee tent in their back garden. When they waved their daughter and new son-in-law off on their honeymoon, they had no idea a stranger was watching too. The Laitners’ dream day was about to turn into their worst nightmare…

During September 2012, Dale Cregan opened fire on two unarmed police officers. After killing them both, he handed himself in at a local police station. His arrest ended a nationwide manhunt to find him, as he was also wanted in connection with the murders of a father and son in Greater Manchester. Along with Dale Cregan, nine other men would be charged in connection with the murders of PC Nicola Hughes, PC Fiona Bone, and Mark and David Short… (Part 2 of 2).

On Tuesday, September 18, 2012, PC Nicola Hughes and PC Fiona Bone arrived at a property in Abbey Gardens, ten miles east of Manchester City Centre. They were answering a routine call… (Part 1 of 2). 

After his release from prison in 1970, Roy Fontaine had accepted a job at Whittingham Hospital, and he was staying at a prison hostel nearby in Preston. Under the watchful eye of staff, Roy carried out his duties as the hospital porter. While waiting for his boyfriend, David Barnard, to get parole, Roy Fontaine started a fling with one of his co-workers, Mary Coggle. Roy used his leisure time, before the prison hostel curfew, to visit an RAF drinking club. While there, he began talking to Hazel Patterson, a well-liked widow who owned a newsagents… (Part 2 of 2).

To ensure his brother couldn’t lift his head above the water, Roy held it under for a moment as the last of the air left Donald’s lungs. As Roy and Michael stepped back from the bathtub, they patiently waited. After five minutes, Donald’s body bobbed to the surface… (Part 1 of 2).

Between 1975 and 1980, The Yorkshire Ripper used the North of England as a hunting ground. He spread fear not just in Yorkshire, but across the entire country. The Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, killed thirteen women and attacked eight others. But before his capture, police were duped by a recording and three letters sent by a hoaxer. The voice on the tape claimed that he was the serial killer. This false evidence would derail the investigation and divert attention away from the real culprit. Police would later discover the recordings were made by John Humble. For over a quarter of a century, the answer to the question, Who is “Wearside Jack”, would remain unanswered, and John would lead detectives on a wild goose chase that may have cost three women their lives…

David Smith, a former member of the SAS, was due to receive a large sum of money as a company he owned was being sold. David and his partner, Elizabeth, were excited as the windfall meant they could buy their dream home and permanently move in together after a committed long-distance relationship. Life appeared to be going well. That was until Elizabeth suddenly fell ill. She was assessed by doctors and consultants, who broke the news that Elizabeth was likely suffering from the early onset of motor neurone disease. But not everything was as it seemed. Sometimes the sweetest lie is easier to swallow than the bitter truth…

Richard Buckland had spent the last three months in a jail cell. The 17-year-old had confessed to the brutal rape and murder of teenager Dawn Ashworth. A similar death had occurred nearby, three years before…

Alan Turing had served his country during the second world war, decoding Nazi communications at Bletchley Park. After the war, he moved north to work at Manchester’s Victoria University and purchased a property called “Hollymeade”. Near the end of 1951, Alan Turing met 19-year-old Arnold Murray… (Part 2 of 2).

Two police detectives arrived at Hollymeade, the home of a faculty member at Victoria University in Manchester. Alan, the occupant, had reported a burglary after a handful of trivial items had been stolen. The detectives did not dispute what Alan was telling them, and they believed the items were almost certainly taken. But they were not there to discuss a petty theft. They were there because while investigating the burglary, they uncovered evidence that led them to believe Alan was gay. In 1952, engaging in homosexual activity was illegal. Like many gay men at that time, he was arrested and faced charges of gross indecency, which could result in a prison sentence. At his trial, he pled guilty, was placed on probation, and made to undergo chemical castration, which would reduce his capacity to be sexually aroused. The hormonal treatment was gruelling and the side effects severe. The detectives who arrested Alan had taken his fingerprints and his photograph, but were unaware of the monumental impact he had on Britain during World War II. On the high end, some estimate the lives he saved at fourteen million, and his efforts were said to have shortened the war by two years. But two years after his conviction, Alan would be dead... (Part 1 of 2).