Always True Crime

In the tenth and final episode of British Murders Season 5, I tell the tragic story of Cynthia Bolshaw. Cynthia was murdered in her luxury bungalow in Heswall, the Wirral, on October 8, 1983, and her body was placed face down into 18-inch deep bathwater. Police had no idea who the culprit was until advances in DNA technology led them to a suspect almost 16 years later in March 1999. John Edwin Taf...

Todays story come from Sussex and is a story as old as time – an oldish man becomes besotted with a much younger girlfriend, but he happens to have a partner already. He loves his wealthy partner but really wants to spend the rest of his life living by the sea with his girlfriend, but can't afford it. So what does he do? In this episode we will see what decision was taken by 68 year old David Harr...

I welcome American paranormal historian Miranda Young to the show in this interview episode. Miranda began investigating with a paranormal team in 2013, with her role being that of an investigator, photo analyst, video/audio evidence producer and marketing specialist. Miranda left the team in 2018 due to the volume of travelling and exploring she was doing independently. As a result, Ghost Biker E...

This is Part One of Two. On the next morning of Sunday 10th August at 09:08am, Victor Ford-Lloyd the butler to Sir William Ackroyd entered the top floor flat at 69 Eaton Place after a night out. In the master bedroom, he found his friend, his lover and the man servant to Sir William dead. Having died several hours earlier, he was lying motionless, with a sticky pool of congealed blood about his he...

In the ninth episode of British Murders Season 5, I tell the story of Lee Ford. In August/September 2000, Lee Ford murdered his 36-year-old wife Lesley Ford in Carnkie, Cornwall, along with four of her children from her first marriage. Lee initially buried all five bodies in a woodshed at the bottom of their garden before re-burying two of the bodies in a field in Treluswell, Cornwall. On May 24,...

There are many people who need money fast, maybe due to bereavement, illness, debt or just being down on their luck. If you are lucky enough to own a house, this can be a good way to release equity to give you cash to help the situation.  But if you need money in a hurry there are always people with solutions to help take some of this money from you. And in the story today, we look at a couple ver...

At some point in our lives, we all tell a lie or two. Mostly little ones, embellishments. This time around on The True Crime Enthusiast Podcast, in a bit of deja vu, we are back down in Surrey to the mid 2000's, to hear the unbelieveable tale of an individual whose whole life seemed to be carried on lies. The most callous lies you can imagine. But, can lies get you away with cold blooded murder? S...

I welcome British writer and award-winning journalist Stephen Bates to the show in this interview episode to discuss the Major Herbert Armstrong case from 1921. For over 45 years, Stephen has reported as a journalist from more than 40 countries worldwide. He's reported for the BBC, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, and The Guardian for 22 of those 45 years. Stephen is now a freelance writer, a regular...

On Sunday 30th October 1932, Mabel & Herbert checked into Room 201, at the far-left end of the second floor. They had enjoyed a romantic week together, they been out to the theatre, they had savoured a last meal, they sent their personal belongings to their families, and having written their suicide notes, they laid on the bed, and kissed each other goodbye… having taken cyanide. It was ultima...

In the eighth episode of British Murders Season 5, I tell the story of Nathan Maynard-Ellis and David Leesley. On May 11, 2019, Nathan Maynard-Ellis entered the Bottle & Cork pub in Dudley, West Midlands, where he met 42-year-old Julia Rawson. The pair left the pub at 2:00 am on May 12, 2019, and nobody saw Julia alive again. Nathan and his partner David murdered Julia before dismembering her...

In the second part of this story, we follow the trial of Alun Kyte as he stands trial for the murders of Samo Paull and Tracy Turner. And were there other victims ? I look at others who may have lost their life at the hands of the so-called 'Midlands Ripper'. 1,  Please buy my book 'Gone Fishing' about the life and crimes of Angus Sinclair. https://mangobooks.co.uk/products/gone-fishing 2, Referen...

In this movie review episode, I am joined by Lorraine from the "true crime in horror" podcast 'Once Upon a Nightmare'.⁣⁣ This film marked the directorial debut of Mimi Cave, and it was released on March 4, 2022 (in the USA via Hulu) and March 18, 2022 (in the UK via Disney+). This episode has a great blooper included in my intro, and I once again attempted to do a trailer for the film. You can fin...

We head back to the late 1990's, and to the town of Warrington, in Cheshire, this time around on The True Crime Enthusiast Podcast, for a sordid tale of sex, deceit - and brutal, pre-meditated murder. In fact, it's a tale that could almost be a television drama, certainly something scripted - and indeed, it has it's genesis in the theatre. It's one you likely won't forget in a hurry, either. The e...

#164 - Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. On 19th August 1967, 26-year-old Australian-citizen Edward Wahlstrom-Lewis paid a visit to the Rupert Court Club at 8 Rupert Court in London's Chinatown. Entering the club, Edward was given two options; spend £4 to sit and chat to a pretty hostess for a bit, or spend £8 for the whole night. He assumed he was going to spend the night with the lady and (in return) get so...

I welcome Neil Lancaster to the show in this interview episode. Neil is a former RAF Military Policeman and Police Officer who served in the Metropolitan Police for 25 years between 1990 and 2015. After retiring, Neil turned his hand to writing crime and thriller novels whilst also working as a broadcaster and commentator on true crime documentaries. Neil's fourth book 'The Blood Tide', released o...

When two sex workers were murdered and dumped within five miles of each other, detectives desperately tried to find the killer or killers. Were both women murdered by the same man - and were the local whispers true that a serial killer was on the loose?  In this episode of the UK True Crime weekly podcast, I look at just what happened and also what happened next..... 1,  Please buy my book 'Gone F...

This episode brings the second and concluding part of the story of Abigail Witchalls on The True Crime Enthusiast Podcast, where this time around we shall hear the reasons that by November 2005, Surrey Police had declared the case closed. Except that there had been no arrests, no charges brought, and no trial. How so? The episode contains details and descriptions of crimes and events, involving de...

On the 14th March 1922, in a small ground-floor lodging at the back of 168 Hampstead Road, a baby girl was born. Conceived in secret by a young couple - 21-year-old Harry Gimber and 23-year-old Alice Crabbe - they hadn;t been able to abort it, the couldn't afford to keep, so having ran out of options, they decided to "abandon it". One week later, the body of a new born baby was found in Enfield, b...

In the seventh episode of British Murders Season 5, I tell the story of John Taylor.⁣⁣⁣ On November 26, 2000, John Taylor abducted 16-year-old Leanne Tiernan from Houghley Gill in Bramley, Leeds, before strangling her to death at his home. John was initially handed two life sentences in July 2002 with a minimum term to serve of 20 years, but that was increased when several cold case reviews reveal...

It was meant to be a fun evening. A fancy dress party to celebrate a birthday. But Barry got in a bit of a scuffle outside the venue, his girlfriend Rachel helped break it up and the young couple had words. Barri had work the next day so he arranged for a mate to give him a lift home and told Rachel to get a taxi. But what happened next would destroy many lives..... 1, Please support my sponsor Be...

In this movie review episode, I am joined by Steven "Bob" Marshall of 'The Slasher Vidcast' as we discuss 2022's 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. David Blue Garcia directed this film, and it was released on Netflix worldwide on February 18, 2022. We had a great time recording this, so I hope you enjoy it. Consider this a bonus episode (a bit of fun). You can find and support 'The Slasher Vidcast' here:...

Back in the winter of 1950, The Victory café at 226A Edgware Road in Paddington was managed by 50-year-old Alice Williams; a quiet, nervous but hard-working lady who everyone called ‘Madam’. So respected was Alice, that when a regular customer called June needed her help, she did just that, and put into storage June’s personal belongings and life savings. Both women trusted one another… but on the...

We head back to 2005, and to the Surrey village of Little Bookham this time around on The True Crime Enthusiast Podcast, for the first of a two part tale in which we hear the terrible events, and the aftermath, of what happened to mother of one Abigail Witchalls, walking home with her toddler son one pleasant April afternoon.... The episode contains details and descriptions of crimes and events, i...

I welcome Dr Amanda Brown to the show in this interview episode. Dr Brown used to be a general practitioner with a comfortable, suburban practice before changing direction and working with prisoners. She has worked as a doctor in a teenage detention centre as well as Wormwood Scrubs and currently works at Bronzefield, the largest women-only prison in Europe. She has previously written two books ab...

Imagine boarding a flight thinking you’re going on holiday, but instead you get taken hostage by Saddam Hussein.  It might sound far-fetched, but in August 1990 this really happened to the passengers and crew of British Airways Flight 149.  What followed has been dubbed the most shocking government cover-up of the last thirty years, and now there’s a new podcast about it. In this new podcast you’l...