Always True Crime

The bonus episode today, is the fourth of my regular monthly conversations with my good friend Stuart, the host of the British Murders Podcast. Once again, we sat down to chat about local, national and international crimes which have really made an impression with us. We discussed, among other things: Fury as Glasgow killer deemed 'too ill for trial' released from psych unit; Off-duty cabbie raped...

In this monthly collaboration series, Adam from the UK True Crime podcast and I take a step back from individual cases to explore a curated selection of gripping crime stories that made headlines in April 2025. From chilling local, national, and international headlines to quirky and more lighthearted stories, this series offers a glimpse into the diverse and often shocking world of true crime. Thi...

On Friday 28th of February 1997 sometime after 7pm, at 6b Gosfield Street, a brutal and bloody attack on a lone sex-worker occurred in this first floor flat. Barely reported in the newspapers and ignored by television, the murder of ‘Robyn’ Browne is a case which was largely forgotten… yet the truth of what happened could be hidden among a scattering of facts, being drenched by a deluge of bigotry...

In March 2010, the small Yorkshire village of Melsonby awoke to the kind of horror rarely seen outside the pages of crime fiction. 40-year-old Diana Garbutt was found bludgeoned to death in her bed, and within minutes, a robbery was reported at the village Post Office just downstairs. The timeline made little sense, and the evidence raised more questions than answers. What followed was a trial ful...

The fire hit the residential street in Newcastle-under-Lyme at around 4am. Luckily, the main house was ok and it was just the garage that was destroyed. But then it was found that a body had been discovered in the garage - just who could it be and why were they in the garage of this house? Writing Credit: Chris Wood You can buy Chris's second book, 'Death in the Theatre' here:  https://www.am...

The Lost Girls multi-parter comes full circle this time around on The True Crime Enthusiast, as for the final part I housekeep the tale of Susan, Caroline, Sarah, Theresa and Jennifer. We look at the years following Black’s crimes for their families, at all developments in the tale overall, and ask the question: How many more Lost Girls are there out there? The episode contains details and descrip...

On Friday the 7th of February 1936, 32-year-old Carmen Swann booked a twin room for one night in Clarendon Court at 33 Maida Vale, West London. Staying in Room 4 of Flat 20 on the third floor, she and her 8-year-old daughter unpacked their cases, popped on their nightdresses, ordered a pot of tea and got into bed beside the reassuring warmth of the fire. Their stay marked the end of a very long j...

In April 2019, the quiet Welsh island of Anglesey was rocked by a crime so bizarre and brutal it seemed almost fictional. 74-year-old Gerald Corrigan was outside his remote coastal home when he was struck by a single crossbow bolt - a weapon more associated with medieval warfare than modern-day Wales. What initially appeared to be a tragic accident quickly unraveled into something far more chillin...

Operation Matrix saw a drugs gang of ten men sentenced to more than 120 years in prison for their part in a £53 million supply of cocaine into the UK. But what is the story between the headlines? It all started when Cumbria Police asked the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit to arrest a local drug dealer who was operating in beautiful Windermere, at the heart of the Lake District... Support...

The new red bicycle had fast become her pride and joy, all of her friends had seen it, and one sunny afternoon in August 1981, nine year old Jennifer Cardy set off from her home in Ballinderry to cycle the short distance to show the first friend she had it again, so excited was she. As a small Datsun van passed her as she did, Jennifer had no idea that a predator, a monster, was waiting for her. I...

Saturday 19th of December 1992 at 2:20pm, behind a wooden hut at White City bus depot off Caxton Road in Shepherd's Bush, the body of 32-year-old successful Peter Wickins was found, he was naked except for a pair of socks and had been stabbed 19 times. The Police assumed because he was a millionaire dressed in a tuxedo and that his Rolex watch was missing, that it must be a robbery gone wrong. But...

In November 1976, 36-year-old Renee MacRae and her 3-year-old son Andrew vanished without a trace after leaving their Inverness home for what was meant to be a weekend away. What followed was one of the most baffling missing persons cases Scotland has ever seen - a case with no suspects, no evidence and no answers for over four decades. When I first began researching this one, I knew nothing about...

In April 1994, Robert Black, laid bare in all of his foulness, was to face trial charged with the abductions of Susan Maxwell, Caroline Hogg, Sarah Harper and Teresa Thornhill, and the murders of the former three. Was justice in sight for the Lost Girls whose haunting stories we have heard throughout this tale? Well, this time around on The True Crime Enthusiast Podcast, I shall tell you. The epis...

Joseph Scudder and his fiance, Yvonne Killian, had spent the day shopping for their wedding rings ahead of their wedding in The Bahamas. When home, Yvonne took a nap ahead of work that evening as Joseph headed out to work. Joseph returned home at 1 am. The front door was locked, so he went around to the back of the flat and peered through the back window which had been broken. His eyes were met wi...

On Saturday 25th of May 1963 at 12:20am, four men were ejected from The Establishment Club on Greek Street in Soho. They left without a struggle, with no blood spilled, no damage done and nobody hurt. And yet, with accusations of corruption, violence and an attempted murder in its wake, it sparked a criminal trial and an inquiry which almost brought down the Metropolitan Police, courtesy of one of...

In August 2015, 20-year-old Susan Whiting vanished in Walsall after accepting an invitation to stay the night at a friend’s house. Susan, a kindhearted young woman with learning difficulties, was naturally trusting - something her killers exploited in the worst way imaginable. What began as an innocent sleepover soon turned into something far more sinister. By the time the truth emerged, it was al...

When Sean Wearmouth wasn't home from his night out, his mum June wasn't unduly worried. After all, he was 29 and he had been through a hard time recently with losing his job and the breakdown of his relationship with his partner. But when he still wasn't home as time ticked by and there was no contact, she reported him to the police as missing. But then days later, the dreaded knock on the door ca...

On Friday 25th of October 2013 at 11:15am, charity workers aided by the police coordinated the escape of several followers from a flat in Brixton. Some of the women had been held for 30+ years, one for her entire life, but they didn't see themselves as hostages, as having began living life in the commune under a political belief, they didn't realise it had become a cult, under the control of their...

In 2011, 19-year-old Nikkita Grender was just weeks away from becoming a mother when her life was cut short in the most horrifying way. A fire tore through her Newport flat in the early hours of February 5, and as the smoke cleared, a darker truth emerged - one that pointed to someone close to home. What seemed like a tragic accident was something far more sinister, leaving a community in shock an...

It was just a normal evening as Sophie and Robert walked home after meeting friends. They stopped in the park to chat with some people they had met in the petrol station, but quickly the mood changed, and Robert and Sophie were subjected to the most terrible violence. The shocking events of the next few minutes would change so many lives forever. The Sophie Lancaster Foundation https://www.sophiel...

On 1st April 1992, ten court summonses for crimes including multiple murder, abduction, prevention of a proper and lawful burial and kidnap were served on a 43 year old prisoner serving life at HMP Peterhead in Aberdeenshire - a prisoner serving life for the abduction and sexual assault of a six year old girl in July 1990. His name? Robert Black. Continuing with The Lost Girls multi episode tale t...

The bonus episode today, is the third of my regular monthly conversations with my good friend Stuart, the host of the British Murders Podcast. Once again, we sat down to chat about local, national and international crimes which have really made an impression with us. We discussed: Dog walker, 74, sexually assaulted woman on dark Fife street Thief jailed for life for Amazon driver's murder Mike Ame...

In this monthly collaboration series, Adam from the UK True Crime podcast and I take a step back from individual cases to explore a curated selection of gripping crime stories that made headlines in March 2025. From chilling local, national, and international headlines to quirky and more lighthearted stories, this series offers a glimpse into the diverse and often shocking world of true crime. Thi...

This is Part Two of Two of The Chalk Pit Murder.   On Thursday 28th of November 1946, Australian politician Thomas Ley enlisted four good people to help him trap a bad man who terrorised women. As a simple plan with no law broken and nobody hurt, it was a gentlemanly reaction to a dastardly crime by a criminal who they felt deserved worse. Only what began as a good deed by four decent and mor...

In February 2001, 67-year-old Alf Wilkins was killed in a fire deliberately set inside his Grimsby flat. But this wasn’t a random act of violence - it was the culmination of months of torment at the hands of his own neighbours. Despite being acquitted of an indecent assault charge in November 2000, Alf remained a target. The locals refused to believe his innocence, fueled by the hysteria of the Ne...