Send us a text

A sad and senseless killing of a child crossing her local park after visiting a sweet shop during the school summer holiday . It was a violent and sexual killing.
The  seemed totally unplanned and senseless. The killer seemed able to shut it out of his mind, acting normally to all around him.
The other mystery to the case is what happened to the killer after conviction? How long did he serve? Where is he now? A lot of cases involving children get a great deal of publicity, this case from 50 years ago, in 1971,  seemed to be forgotten about. 
Janice would have been 60 today if her vicious killer had not acted on impulse.

Please be advised that this is recorded in one take and I do sometimes stumble over words. I suspect that my microphone cable fell out during recording and the microphone used was the that of the built in Apple computer microphone. So more ssss sounds  and lip smacking than usual.

Send us a text

This is part 2 of the Joan Woodhouse case of murder at Arundel, Sussex.
Please be advised that this is recorded in one take without editing and there are a couple of intrusive coughs.

Send us a text

This podcast examines a murder from 1948. It was a botched investigation and it seems that for a couple of possible reasons,  there was a conspiracy to prevent the case going to trial.
This is part 1 of the podcast, I will post part 2 in four days time.
Information for this podcast comes from a variety of sources primarily from files held at the National Archives at London. and the book 'Justice for Joan' The Arundel Murder by Martin Knight.
Please be advised that this podcast is recorded in one take without any editing.

Send us a text

Part 2 of the Michael Maybrick mystery.  In this episode we examine who Michael Maybrick was and why he was thought to be the 'Ripper'.
Again just a warning that this is a lo-fi production, I splutter, I forget words and there is a sleeping dog in the room. Despite accusations, I am not eating and only occasionally have a sip of water.
I have used too many sources to mention other than the main source: 'They all love Jack, Busting the Ripper'  by Bruce Robinson. I would advise not to listen to this podcast but read the book instead.

Send us a text

This podcast is a follow up to The Florence Maybrick trial podcast from November 2020. Florence was convicted and sentenced to death for murdering her husband. who seems to have actually been killed by 'his brother Michael Maybrick and Florence was framed by him for the murder. 
The inspiration for this podcast is a book by Bruce Robinson called 'They all love Jack-Busting the Ripper' which I bought by chance at Waterstones at Gatwick airport when  taking a trip while working on the Florence Maybrick podcast in late 2020. I had been abroad when the Robinson book first came out and only learnt about it at Gatwick in 2020.
This is part one of the story as I understand it whereby Michael Maybrick is acussed of being 'Jack the Ripper'. This podcast is just setting the scene. I will post part 2 tomorrow which will concentrate on the Michael Maybrick character and the evidence against him.  
The story all seems incredible, especially when a dairy is revealed in 1992, supposedly written by James Maybrick who is  admitting to being the 'Ripper'. The dairy contains information that could only be known by the 'Ripper'. 
Michael Maybrick was a famous composer and singer in the 1880s. I can't find fault in Bruce Robinson's anaylsis and his accusation that Michael Maybrick was 'Jack the Ripper' who specialised in killing women and children and his own brother. 

Send us a text

A Femme fatale, Madame Schmeder leaves France, in a hurry,  in her airplane, and crash lands at Selsey in Sussex.  A story that captured the imagination of the world in 1936 but is now virtually forgotten. 
This story told in one take and without editing with information from the British Archives, La Bibliothèque nationale de France and various newspaper reports. 

Send us a text

A murder from a long time ago, The Rolling Stones were number 1 in the singles charts with 'I can't get no Satisfaction', this podcast tells of a story from September 1965 when a woman who had just finished her Teacher Training was murdered by a person who had had no positive impact on life having failed at everything and blamed his failure on others. Nevertheless, the Criminal Justice System did everything it could to help him while his victim, an only child, was forgotten and in my opinion was not considered that important once she was dead.
Michael Stephen Gills seemed to be a deluded person who imagined that women were giving him signs that they wanted him, but when he approached them, they 'snubbed him' and at times he , in his words, 'lost his nut'. 
This case seems to be forgotten now, I came across it by chance in the National Archives. I feel that Patricia Grace Woolard was badly let down by the Criminal Justice system.
Please be advised that this podcast is not edited and recorded in one take, it is not a professional production and I sometimes stumble over my words, so please do not listen if this is likely to be a problem.

Send us a text

Ghost Story for Christmas 2021. Tony Cornell and others, investigate three cases in East Anglia, Hannath Hall during 1957-60, Wisbech shoe shop 1965-66 and Old Morley Hall 1964. All of these cases as published by the Society of Psychical Research.

Send us a text

Two stories about street drug dealing, both ending in murder ten years ago, during 2011. Both drug dealers lived in Portslade part of the conurbation of Brighton and Hove. 

Gary ‘Hammer’ Hampsen was a flawed character who moved from Bootle, Liverpool to Brighton and became a street drug dealer. He seemed to have a loving family but was capable of violence, keeping a hammer for personal protection. Perhaps his greatest mistake was going into partnership with Daniel Alexander, 20 years older than him and a totally untrustworthy character. There are several unpleasant personalities involved in this story. Step forward Linda and Roy.

The next story involves a very young drug dealer who seemed to view himself as a ‘big shot’, ‘bigging’ himself up as a dangerous gangster. His family misguidedly tried to help him after he carried out a dreadful crime. He was clearly a damaged character who was morally corrupt, and he dragged his family down with him who must have regretted their decision. 

What is interesting is that both people convicted of murder showed no remorse at all.

I know I have said this before, but the podcast is recorded in one take with no editing. I have a busy life and don’t have time to edit so have made Lo-Fi a feature of my podcasts. I do not have the resources of the BBC or the big podcast companies. I have a mic, a computer and an inquisitive mind, so please do not expect a professional podcast. I listen through once before posting and even I shudder when I cough or grunt and know it is not good to hear. 
However there is no one telling me what to do, so I tell the story the way I see it, although I try not to make any personal views. I also do not ask people to post a review for the show or ask for anything.
I am taking a break of three or four weeks as I am working on some complicated episodes. I will be back in time to post one or maybe two 'Ghost Stories' for Christmas 2021.

Send us a text

Episode 6 in the Canning Town Crime and Corruption Series of podcasts. This episode is about the novel Judas Pig by Horace Silver. Published in 2004, it became a cult novel as it told stories about an OCG (organised Crime group / gang) that were believed to have actually taken place. 
Some thought it the most realistic description of a ruthless OCG in action. I have tried to match the names to the stories that have been described. It is quite possible that I have made mistakes and  the novel seems to have mixed some stories and distorted time lines. The novel is a revenge story to put Horace Silver, aka Billy Abrahams, are Jimmy Holmes, aka Jimmy Maher's (?) side of the story and to put those he did not like in a poor light.
This was recorded after a session spent at the pub, recorded in one take without editing and during the recording there is a scuffle between a cat and a dog that interrupted proceedings for a moment or two. Please do not listen if you are expecting a flawless delivery.