This Much is True Crime

Is this the biggest miscarriage of justice in UK history? If Michael Stone didn’t kill Lin and Megan Russell and leave Josie for dead, then who did? In a major new development, a star forensic scientist has cast doubt on Stone’s conviction, he’s protested his innocence from behind bars for almost 30 years. In this latest episode, we assess the chances of Stone walking free, and they are high - so...

We all loved Alan Carr but what does it take to be a real traitor and what are the real consequences if caught? For many British traitors it wasn't a round table, a hug from Claudia, black Land Rover home and an interview on This Morning, real traitors faced the hangman and several were executed for treason. In this epsiode we highlight three real traitors, two sentenced to death, the other escape...

Could this be the Trial of the Century? First podcast of the year and we update the astonishing case of Luigi Mangione, the US cult hero accused of assassinating a health insurance boss - a court hearing this week will consider whether he faces the death penalty if guilty. Link in bio  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why is the family of Salt Path author Raynor Wynn turning against her? After the summer scandal undermining the world bestseller - and movie - Raynor's family and those of her husband Moth have contributed to an update documentary using words such as 'liar' and 'fantasist'. In this bumper edition, we report on the latest developments in all of the most popular stories we have covered this year. Ex...

Why are there more than the five known victims of the Victorian serial killer Jack the Ripper? What was his real name and what does one of the UK's leading criminologists make of the biggest true crime mystery of all time? Top podcast The Rest is History is broadcasting a five part deep dive into the Ripper and his victims concluding with their reveal of who historians believe Jack was. But is it...

Paul Doyle, loving husband and dad, rammed his car into crowds of celebrating Liverpool fans at last season's Permier League Trophy parade, but why? In this episode Professor David Wilson explains the little known condition that is likely to have caused Doyle to behave in such a devastating manner. He's due for sentencing later in December and although there will be mitigating factors, the former...

Ever wonder why prisoners, gangsters, generally bad boys attract female attention in disproportionate numbers? It's a condition called Hybristophillia - the sexual interest in and attraction to those who commit crimes. It'll be in the news next week when Luigi Mangione appears in court as he heads towards a full trial for the killing of the boss of a big US Health insurance company a year ago in M...

How is it possible to be more evil than Jimmy Saville? Step forward prison officer and cook Neville Husband, now regarded as the most prolific sex offender in British history. Hundreds of young men were abused by Husband, mainly at a young offenders detention centre outside Durham. How did he get away with if for years before finally being convicted of abusing just five teenagers in 2003? His real...

Police know of at least 12 women who claim to be Madeline McCann, the most infamous of them all, Polish woman Julia Wandelt is about to be deported having been convicted of harassing the McCann family, including Madeline's siblings. What drives people to believe they are the real deal in the cases of missing persons? Fraudsters, attention seekers or simply mentally ill obsessives who need treatmen...

How much worse can it get, hundreds of inmates wrongly freed every year from Britain's jails, the latest an Algerian sex offender now at liberty roaming the streets. And this was after new measures introduced to stop it happening again following the embarrassment of the mistaken release of Hadush Kebatu, the Ethiopian illegal migrant who sexually assaulted a 14 year old girl. We have skin in the g...

Was it a blunder or something more sinister that allowed Britain's highest profile prisoner to walk free from jail yesterday instead of boarding a flight home to Ethiopia? Professor David Wilson was a prison governor before becoming a world leading criminologist and he believes there's something fishy in the controversial 'mistake' that allowed failed immigrant Hadush Kebatu to disappear from the...

How deadly is it to have a target on your back if you’re a high profile prisoner? Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins has been murdered in jail with two fellow inmates charged with his death. In this episode we discuss is it simply karma that wicked convicts (mainly sex offenders) are singled out on prison landings or do they deserve protection like everyone else no matter the heinous crimes they’ve...

Its Number one on Netflix, Monsters - the Ed Gein Story, but what does a world leading criminologist make of this controversial re telling of the original American serial killer and body snatcher? Professor David Wilson loved all eight hours of dark, macabre and depraved behaviour carried out by the ultimate mummy's boy who's fixation with her led to his bizarre collection of body women's body par...

You'll have heard of Scandi Noir, well, now comes Tartan Noir! Why does Scotland have an unhealthily rich heritage of serial killers, gangsters, bloody violence, turf wars and television detectives? All will be revealed when This Much is True Crime takes to the road next year with journalist and broadcaster Martin Frizell and emeritus Professor of Criminology David Wilson. In this episode we recor...

Will predatory paedophile Christian Brueckner strike again now he's been released from jail? Very possibly, and will he get away with one of the biggest crimes of our lifetimes, the abduction and murder of Madeline McCann, ( if he did it) that's now very likely. World leading expert on men who abduct and murder children, ex Surrey senior detective Graham Hill, now a PHD criminologist, presented an...

Want new insights into 20 crimes of the century from Jack the Ripper to the dreadful murder of Sarah Everard? Our in house Professor of Criminology, David Wilson, has researched and written ‘A History of Modern Britain in 20 Murders’. Order it on Amazon now and have a listen to our discussion in this episode about a  fascinating concept that charts our progress and decline through the most heinous...

She’ll likely die in jail an old woman after her sentence for poisoning to death her in-laws but what was Erin Patterson’s motive? Britain’s top criminologist Professor David Wilson examines her behaviour before and during her court case and how she almost committed the perfect murder cooking up a deadly Beef Wellington. Now she has her just desserts, a life of solitary awaits but will she take he...

Is this the real life, is this just fantasy? Queen legend Freddie Mercury is at the centre of bizarre allegations that he fathered a secret love child to whom he left seventeen volumes of highly revealing diaries, unpublished Queen songs and millions in inheritance in gold bullion and artwork. It's all contained in a new book that promises to show a side of Freddie never seen before, however, wher...

Will it never end for the family of Meredith Kercher, the British student raped and murdered in her Italian university town in 2007? Flatmate Amanda Knox from  Seattle was convicted of her murder twice then cleared. She’s written two books and taken part in a documentary and now, much to the disappointment of Meredith’s family, she’s produced an eight part mini series on her ordeal - from her pers...

What was Sarah Fergusons role in the Prince and the Paedophile scandal? Dramatic new transcripts from an interview with Ghislaine Maxwell in jail have been released as she tries to reduce her prison term for sex trafficking. Epstein suicide, Trump, secret client files, she answers it all as do we in this episode. But also another high profile criminal soap opera serves up another chapter as the mu...

Doubt Taggart ever studied criminology but it's currently the new hot topic in Universities and schools. What would Jack Regan and George Carter from The Sweeney have made of studying the societal impact of the little toe rags they'd nicked? Why is it on trend and who better to explain than an emeritus Professor of Criminology who, let's face it, has done alright studying it! In this bite size edi...

Did multi millionaire Jeffrey Epstein hang himself or was he silenced before he could incriminate the rich and powerful men who indulged in his sex abuse ring? It's a conspiracy theory that refuses to disappear and now, for the first time, a world leading criminologist has studied the case notes and delivers his verdict. In this episode, broadcaster Martin Frizell and emeritus Professor of Crimino...

Has the main suspect in Britain's biggest ever missing person case cruelly taken his secrets to the grave? Detectives are convinced serial rapist and murderer John Cannan abucted and killed Fulham estate agent Suzy Lamplugh on a summers day almost 40 years ago but never had evidence to charge him. This week a Prison inquiry found Cannan died of natural causes and had been managed with respect and...

Could a mum really be behind one of the UK's biggest drug smuggling families, teaching her children the dark arts of trafficking? Grannies and mums are more prolific than ever on the British crime scene, one jailed just in the last few days. Not just coerced partners but genuine Dons or Donnas of UK mafioso whose 'quiet lady next door' image belies the dedicated and determined Granny gangster. And...

Why can't we deport 28 year old prolific burglar Dorian Puka back to Albania? He's been convicted twice of burglary in the UK, sent to prison and and kicked out back to Eastern Europe twice and yet he'a arrived back for a third time by illegal means and now he's claiming asylum. That allows him to move around freely until his claim is processed and in doing so he's flaunting spectacular wealth pos...