Fear or Favour

A mixed bag of subjects this week as so much has happened since our last episode. Mark and Nazir start by discussing the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and her impact on the monarchy as well as what lies ahead for King Charles III.

They also look at the High Court action being taken by the DPP against judges refusal to detain defendants for longer. They then look at the role The Teacher’s Pet podcast has played in getting a successful conviction for Lynette Dawson’s 1982 murder and at the way police perceive the media's role in investigations.

Nazir and Mark close by talking about the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran. Mahsa was detained, tortured and killed by Iran's Morality Police for failing to properly wear her hijab. Her death has sparked protests and outrage worldwide.

Mark and Nazir start this week's episode with an update on the investigation in to the shooting of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Merseyside and then continue with the scheduled topic of racism in the criminal justice system.

They discuss implicit race bias and institutionalised racism in policing and in the justice system, giving examples of where they and others have witnessed this first-hand.

Nazir's new book, "The Race to the Top: Structural Racism and How to Fight It", is out now. He knows what it’s like to break the glass ceiling, challenge prejudice and shake up predominantly white institutions. Born in Birmingham to first generation Pakistani immigrants, he was the first Muslim to be appointed as a Chief Crown Prosecutor and the most senior Muslim lawyer in the Crown Prosecution Service.

In this episode Mark and Nazir begin by discussing the increase in gun-crime in Merseyside and in particular the recent tragic shooting of 9-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel.

And they take a light-hearted look at life within the fire service; Nazir and Mark are joined this week by special guest, Leigh Hosy-Pickett, whose new book "Up In Smoke: Stories From a Life on Fire" tells all about what he has seen in his twenty-five years as a firefighter.

A bit of a mixed bag in this episode. Nazir and Mark tackle subjects including the latest crime statistics which show that the police are failing to tackle, or even respond to, certain crimes such as burglaries and theft.

They look at the awful situation surrounding local authorities sending children in care  to stay in homes hundreds of miles away in Blackpool, and the risks that those children are then exposed to. 

Plus a lot more - even the cost of living crisis comes under close scrutiny with a warning from Mark and Nazir that it could lead to civil unrest if something isn't done about it very soon.

WARNING: This episode contains detailed descriptions of injuries and crime scenes relating to multiple murder cases.

Mark and Nazir are joined this week by guest, David Collins, the Northern Editor at the Sunday Times to discuss his book "The Hunt For The Silver Killer".

In June 2021 Stephanie Davies, a senior coroner's officer who works for the Cheshire Police, was suspended over her suggestion that elderly couples were being murdered by a serial killer.

In David's book, he investigates Stephanie's findings and examines the evidence to see if an unknown serial killer could be at large in the North West of England.

In this episode, Mark and Nazir are joined by special guest Carolyn Bunting MBE to discuss the impact online pornography and sexting have on children. Asking is the industry doing enough to protect children and could the Government do more.

They also give some important advice on how parents can address these issues with their children.

Carolyn is the CEO of Internet Matters, an independent, not-for-profit organisation which helps families keep their children safe online. Their website contains lots of useful and educational material for parents, children and educators: internetmatters.org

In this episode, Mark and Nazir discuss the sentencing of disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly; sentenced to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of eight counts of sex trafficking and one of racketeering. He used his fame to sexually abuse young fans, including some who were just children.

With 6 police forces being put on Special Measures, including the Met Police, Nazir and Mark explain why this has happened, what it means and look at what could be done to bring an end to all of the problems.

Five years on from the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire, Mark and Nazir discuss what went wrong and ask why has nobody been bought to justice.

On 14 June 2017, a fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block in North Kensington, London. The fire spread rapidly up and around the exterior of the building due to sub-standard cladding having been installed.

72 people died in the fire and more than 70 others were injured. The families of the victims are still waiting for answers.

On 24th May 2022, 18-year-old Salvador Rolando Ramos fatally shot nineteen students and two teachers, he also wounded seventeen other people at Robb Elementary School in Texas. Nazir and Mark take a detailed look at this tragedy and question why the US Government has failed to implement necessary changes to the gun laws in order to reduce the number of mass shootings.

They also discuss the outcome of Partygate, and take a look at the impending crisis in the NHS ambulance system, as well as the dangers of swimming at this time of year and the upturn in activity from online scammers.

There is a lot happening in the news this week. Mark and Nazir discuss the Conservative MP who was arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual assault. They take a scathing look at the failings of both the police and the pathologist in the 1987 murder of Shani Warren, known as 'The Lady in the Lake', and compare those failings to similar failings in the case of Jessie Earl.

Baby P's mother, Tracey Connelly, will be released from prison after the Parole Board rejected the Government challenge. Nazir and Mark look at the Parole Board's actions, how it operates and challenge some of Parole Board's decisions.

They also take a look at the risks of social media, in particular the case of 52-year old driving instructor, Graham Mansie from Bromley, who “became besotted” with a 17-year-old student while teaching her how to drive. He went on to set up various social media accounts in order to stalk her and to befriend people who knew her.