The BelTel

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The BelTel episodes

August 22, 2024 The Judge's Daughter: New declassified files reveal why government ignored the convicted man's innocence
Secret papers revealed by the Belfast Telegraph suggest the civil service and government knew Iain Hay Gordon was innocent of the murder of Patricia Curran but continued to cover up the truth. Officials feared that reopening the case could undermine confidence in the judiciary, just months after the UK government deployed troops to deal with the start of the troubles. The release of this latest evidence comes almost two years after The BelTel’s series on the murder of the judge’s daughter.

Ciarán Dunbar is joined by former Belfast Telegraph journalist Stephen Gordon.

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24 min
August 21, 2024 The Murder of Patricia Curran (Pt2): Why wasn't her family investigated?
Patricia Curran’s mutilated body was discovered just 40 yards from her home at 2 o’clock in the morning on the 13th of November 1952.

She was a judge’s daughter – savagely stabbed to death - the pressure was on to find her killer.

An innocent - but compromised man - Ian Hay Gordon, was eventually blackmailed into signing a confession and sent to a Psychiatric hospital – only to be quietly released and packed off to home to Scotland.

In this episode of the BelTel, Journalist Stephen Gordon, tells us about meeting Patricia’s brother Desmond – who spent his life as a Catholic Priest in South Africa – a life some think was an act of redemption.

And we ask the biggest question of all – if Ian Hay Gordon didn’t kill Patricia – then who did?
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26 min
August 20, 2024 The Murder of Patricia Curran (Pt1): How an innocent man was stitched up for it
The early hours of the morning on the 12th of November 1952, a judge’s daughter, Patricia Curran, is found dead in the garden of her family home. She had been stabbed 37 times.

The BelTel looks at the shocking killing and how Ian Hay Gordon Gordon, a young Scot doing his national service in the RAF, was intimidated into signing a false confession, frightened that his mother would find out about his sex life.

Ciarán Dunbar is joined by journalist Stephen Gordon, who’s been fascinated by this horrific murder for a long time.
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28 min
August 19, 2024 Doug Beattie: Sam McBride on what next for UUP after shock resignation
In a surprise move, the Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie has resigned. The former army officer said he quit over ‘irreconcilable differences’ with party officers. What exactly has happened and what does it mean for the party?

Ciarán Dunbar is joined the Belfast Telegraph’s Northern Ireland editor Sam McBride.
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24 min
August 18, 2024 Northern Ireland’s ‘Murder Triangle’ (Part 3): Margaret Perry and the IRA execution of her alleged murderers
The body of Portadown woman Margaret Perry was found a year after she went missing, the bodies of three men the IRA itself accused of her murder were found three days later. The IRA also accused them, all members or former members, of being British agents. Their bodies were found by different roadsides in Northern Ireland’s ‘murder triangle’. Allison Morris joins Ciarán Dunbar. This podcast was originally published in January 2024.
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30 min
August 15, 2024 Northern Ireland's 'Murder Triangle' (Part 2): The Butcher of Glenanne
James Mitchell’s farm in Northern Ireland’s ‘murder triangle’ was the base of the ‘Glenanne Gang’, a mix of loyalist paramilitaries and rogue members of the security forces. The ‘Glenanne Gang’ were responsible for up 120 murders including the Dublin Monaghan bombings, the Miami Showband massacre, and scores of other sectarian killings. Martin Breen has had a run in with Mitchell, he explains what happened. This podcast was originally published in October 2023
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25 min
August 13, 2024 Northern Ireland’s ‘Murder Triangle’ (Part 1) : Robin ‘The Jackal’ Jackson and the murders of Tullylish
Tullylish is a quiet rural parish, in the east of county Down. But during the troubles, it was known for being part of a ‘murder triangle’. From the 1970s to the mid-90s, over 20 people in the area were killed by paramilitary violence, with UVF commander ‘The Jackal’ co-ordinating many of these attacks. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Sunday Life editor Martin Breen and Martin Doyle, author of “Dirty Linen” - a book about his experiences growing up in Tullylish. This podcast was originally published in November 2023.
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26 min
August 11, 2024 Puberty blockers for transgender children and Northern Ireland's potential legal loophole
The Labour government has extended a ban on puberty blockers in the UK mainland. However, Stormont's Department of Health has confirmed that puberty blockers for children will remain legal in Northern Ireland, meaning that NI could become a backdoor for getting the drugs into Britain. Olivia Peden is joined by Sam McBride who wrote the story, Helen Joyce and Alexa Moore.
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28 min
August 08, 2024 BelTel Sport: Can anyone stop Irish League champions Larne from winning the Gibson Cup for a third season in a row?
The new Irish League season gets underway this weekend with Tiernan Lynch’s Larne chasing their third Sports Direct Premiership title in as many years.
Can anyone stop them?
Host Keith Bailie is joined by Chief Sportswriter Steven Beacom and Belfast Telegraph columnist and legendary Linfield manager David Jeffrey to discuss disappointing performances in European competition, the format of the top flight and give their verdict on each of the 12 Premiership teams.

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40 min
August 06, 2024 Belfast riots: Allison Morris on three nights of disorder
An anti immigration protest on Saturday afternoon has resulted in three nights of violence across South Belfast. Several businesses have been attacked, including a supermarket owned by a Syrian refugee and one man has been seriously assaulted. With further protests planned for this weekend, policing is in the spotlight.

Alison Morris is joined by Belfast Telegraph visuals editor, Kevin Scott.
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24 min

About The BelTel

From the publisher's feed

The BelTel brings you some of Northern Ireland's top journalists, Allison Morris, Sam McBride and Suzanne Breen to name but a few, giving you the inside stories behind what is in the news. Presented…