On a quiet Monday evening in May 2018, emergency services were called to a large Victorian house on a busy street in Linthorpe, Middlesbrough. At first, it was reported as a burglary gone wrong. A front door left open. A woman found unconscious on the living room floor. But very quickly, it became clear that this was something else entirely.

At the centre of this story are Jessica and Mitesh Patel. To the outside world, they were a respectable, hard-working couple. Married since 2009, both were pharmacists well known in their local community. On the surface, their life looked settled, even idyllic. Yet behind closed doors, secrets were piling up, tensions were building, and a double life was quietly unravelling.

If you’re experiencing domestic abuse and feel frightened of, or controlled by, a partner, an ex-partner or family member, it’s important to remember that it’s not your fault, and there is no shame in seeking help. Free, confidential support and advice is available to victims and their concerned family members or friends, 24 hours a day:

England | Refuge | 0808 2000 247

Scotland | SDAFMH | 0800 027 1234

Wales | Live Fear Free | 0808 80 10 100

Northern Ireland | DSA | 0808 802 1414

UK-wide | Men’s Advice Line | 0808 801 0327

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British Murders with Stuart Blues

Disclaimer:

The case discussed in this podcast episode is real and represents the worst day in many people's lives. I aim to cover such stories with a victim-focused approach, using information from publicly available sources. While I strive for accuracy, some details may vary depending on the sources used. You can find the sources for each episode on my website. Due to the nature of the content, listener discretion is advised. Thank you for your understanding and support.

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More than 25 years after the crime was committed, a man already serving a whole life order for five murders has pleaded guilty to killing again. This admission dates back to 1999, years before Ipswich became a crime scene, and years before his name was known to the public. This afternoon, serial murderer Steven Wright stood at The Old Bailey once more, and was sentenced to 40 years in prison for a murder that lay unresolved for decades.

This is the story of a person whose violence didn’t begin where most people think it did. Long before the discovery of were Tania Nicol, Gemma Adams, Anneli Alderton, Annette Nicholls, and Paula Clennell in and around Ipswich, there were warning signs, near misses, and unanswered questions. Some of them were reported at the time. Others only make sense in hindsight. But together, they paint a picture of behaviour that was escalating quietly, went largely unnoticed, and was ultimately catastrophic.

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Disclaimer:

The case discussed in this podcast episode is real and represents the worst day in many people's lives. I aim to cover such stories with a victim-focused approach, using information from publicly available sources. While I strive for accuracy, some details may vary depending on the sources used. You can find the sources for each episode on my website. Due to the nature of the content, listener discretion is advised. Thank you for your understanding and support.

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In January 1977, a quiet Manchester neighbourhood was shaken by an act of sudden and brutal violence. Annie Walsh, a woman described by those who knew her as kind and unassuming, was found murdered inside her own flat. The scene left behind was one of extreme force, but very little clarity.

What followed would become one of the most troubling chapters in British criminal justice. A teenage boy would be arrested, tried, and convicted of Annie’s murder, but years later, serious questions would emerge - not just about the evidence used to secure that conviction, but about whether the right person was ever in the dock at all.

If you have any information about the murder of Annie Walsh, please contact Greater Manchester Police on 101, or reach out anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Disclaimer:

The case discussed in this podcast episode is real and represents the worst day in many people's lives. I aim to cover such stories with a victim-focused approach, using information from publicly available sources. While I strive for accuracy, some details may vary depending on the sources used. You can find the sources for each episode on my website. Due to the nature of the content, listener discretion is advised. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In July 2001, the disappearance of British backpacker Peter Falconio on a remote stretch of Australia’s Stuart Highway became one of the most high-profile missing person cases in modern criminal history. The case drew international attention, sparked an enormous police investigation across the Australian Outback, and would later result in a murder conviction - despite the fact that Peter’s body has never been recovered.

At the heart of the case is the survival of Peter’s girlfriend, Joanne Lees, whose account of what happened that night has been scrutinised, challenged, and debated for more than two decades. From questions around forensic evidence and memory, to the treatment of victims and the role of public opinion, the Falconio case continues to divide opinion and raise uncomfortable questions about justice, truth, and how certainty is reached when key answers remain missing.

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Disclaimer:

The case discussed in this podcast episode is real and represents the worst day in many people's lives. I aim to cover such stories with a victim-focused approach, using information from publicly available sources. While I strive for accuracy, some details may vary depending on the sources used. You can find the sources for each episode on my website. Due to the nature of the content, listener discretion is advised. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the early 2000s, the death of five-year-old Danielle Reid became one of the most disturbing child murder cases in Scottish criminal history. What began as concerns around neglect in Inverness would later expose a far more troubling picture, involving repeated warnings, unanswered calls, and safeguarding failures that, in hindsight, are difficult to comprehend.

Danielle was a bright, affectionate little girl who had only just started her first term at a new school. Around her were adults and institutions who believed she was safe, or at least not in immediate danger. But behind closed doors, a very different reality was unfolding. What happened to Danielle raises uncomfortable questions about responsibility, child protection, and how vulnerable children can slip through the cracks, even when concerns are raised.

Read the independent review I mention within the episode below:

Independent Review Into The Circumstances Surrounding The Death Of Danielle Reid

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British Murders with Stuart Blues

Disclaimer:

The case discussed in this podcast episode is real and represents the worst day in many people's lives. I aim to cover such stories with a victim-focused approach, using information from publicly available sources. While I strive for accuracy, some details may vary depending on the sources used. You can find the sources for each episode on my website. Due to the nature of the content, listener discretion is advised. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In November 1967, a gunman walked into a classroom at St John’s RC High School in Dundee. What unfolded that afternoon left a young teacher fatally wounded, a school traumatised, and a case that would echo through the Scottish justice system for decades. It became one of the most shocking crimes in Dundee’s history, yet one that is often reduced to a single moment, stripped of its wider consequences and complexities.

At the heart of this case is Nanette Hanson, a 26-year-old newly married teacher remembered as gentle, dedicated, and fiercely protective of her pupils. But this story does not end with her death. It unfolds into a far broader and more troubling examination of violence, accountability, punishment, and how victims are remembered long after headlines fade.

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Disclaimer:

The case discussed in this podcast episode is real and represents the worst day in many people's lives. I aim to cover such stories with a victim-focused approach, using information from publicly available sources. While I strive for accuracy, some details may vary depending on the sources used. You can find the sources for each episode on my website. Due to the nature of the content, listener discretion is advised. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twenty-two years after Harold Shipman’s death, the consequences of his crimes still loom large over British medicine and public trust in GPs. In this remastered episode, I revisit a two-part series from my archives, now presented as one continuous story.

This episode explores how Shipman abused his position as a trusted family doctor, the patients who were left vulnerable, and the failures that allowed his crimes to continue unchecked for decades.

More than five decades on from the first confirmed murder, this case remains one of the most disturbing betrayals of trust in British criminal history.

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Disclaimer:

The case discussed in this podcast episode is real and represents the worst day in many people's lives. I aim to cover such stories with a victim-focused approach, using information from publicly available sources. While I strive for accuracy, some details may vary depending on the sources used. You can find the sources for each episode on my website. Due to the nature of the content, listener discretion is advised. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a winter’s night in December 1996, after a couple pulled into a lay-by in the West Midlands, the woman claimed they’d just been victims of a violent road rage attack. The man, her fiancée, lay dying from multiple stab wounds. What followed would become one of the most infamous murder cases in modern British criminal history - a case that split public opinion, dominated tabloid headlines, and introduced a narrative many were too quick to accept.

For years, this case has been lazily labelled a so-called “femme fatale” murder - a phrase that risks turning a brutal killing into something stylised, even seductive. But strip away the media caricatures, the courtroom theatrics, and the mythology built around it, and what remains is the death of a young father, Lee Harvey, and a family left to grieve while the country argued over the person responsible.

Buy Maureen Harvey's book Pure Evil below (not an affiliate link):

Pure Evil | Amazon UK

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British Murders with Stuart Blues

Disclaimer:

The case discussed in this podcast episode is real and represents the worst day in many people's lives. I aim to cover such stories with a victim-focused approach, using information from publicly available sources. While I strive for accuracy, some details may vary depending on the sources used. You can find the sources for each episode on my website. Due to the nature of the content, listener discretion is advised. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

January 1, 2026 marks 31 years since Fred West took his own life while awaiting trial for a series of horrific crimes that shocked Britain. This special episode features a rare and insightful conversation with Geoffrey Wansell, the journalist and author commissioned to write West’s official biography following his death.

Geoffrey brings a unique perspective shaped by extensive research, exclusive access, and decades of experience covering some of the UK’s most notorious cases. In our discussion, he reflects on the challenges of documenting West’s life, the realities behind the investigation, and the responsibility that comes with telling such a dark and complex story.

Check out 'Blood Ties', a true crime podcast hosted by Geoffrey and Molly Wansell:

Podcast Feed | Blood Ties Podcast

Instagram | @bloodtiespodcast

YouTube | @bloodtiespodcast

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British Murders with Stuart Blues

Disclaimer:

The case discussed in this podcast episode is real and represents the worst day in many people's lives. The views and opinions expressed by my guest are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast or its host. This episode is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only.

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In place of a regular episode, this Christmas Day I’m sharing a short, heartfelt message - think of it as the Yorkshire version of the King’s Speech.

This brief Christmas Day special touches on the importance of connection at this time of year, acknowledges how difficult the season can be for many, and reflects on the victims and families behind the cases we’ve explored throughout 2025.

Thank you for listening this year, for supporting the show, and for being part of this growing community across Yorkshire, the UK, and over a hundred countries worldwide.

I wish you a very Happy Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year when it comes.

Cheerio, Stu x

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