British Murders with Stuart Blues

I welcome Paul MacNamara to the show in this interview episode to discuss his debut book, 'The Criminal Class: Memoir of a Prison Teacher.'Paul was born in Sydney and has worked as an educator in several correctional centres in Australia. He has also worked as a teacher in the juvenile justice system.He never held a political position on the prison system and knew very little of the workings of a jail. Through 'The Criminal Class', Paul has created a thought-provoking tale based on his surreal and eye-opening experience that is - all at once - tragic, amusing and entertaining.The film and television rights to Paul's book have been acquired by Bondi Beach Productions, a multi-award-winning Film and TV production company with offices in Sydney, Los Angeles and New York.'The Criminal Class: Memoir of a Prison Teacher' was released on July 4, 2022, and is available to purchase here:AUS: The Criminal Class | Big Sky PublishingUK: The Criminal Class | Amazon.co.uk***This interview was recorded on September 26, 2023.For all things British Murders, please visit my website:https://www.britishmurders.com/Intro music:David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'https://linktr.ee/davidjohnbradymusic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22 Okt 202346min

In this episode, I tell the story of Joanne Nelson, a 22-year-old woman murdered in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, in February 2005.Joanne and her fiancée, Paul Dyson, lived together in Hotham Road North, Hull, but Dyson had a dark secret that Joanne was oblivious to.Not only did Dyson have previous criminal convictions, including the assault of his ex-wife on their wedding night, but he also idolised his dad, Peter Dyson, who had a murder conviction against his name.On or around Valentine's Day in 2005, Dyson strangled Joanne to death with his bare hands after arguing about household chores. He then drove 45 miles north to the village of Brandsby, where he dumped her body.Reporting Joanne as missing and even taking part in a TV appeal, which included a display of "crocodile tears", Dyson was eventually caught and pleaded guilty to her murder on the first day of his trial in November 2005.Judge Tom Cracknell handed him a life sentence with a minimum term of 16 years, and in early 2022, Dyson was released from prison as a free man.**The following is NOT a sponsored message**If you are experiencing domestic abuse or are concerned that someone you know is, please consider contacting one of the following charities:Refuge (the largest specialist domestic abuse organisation in the UK): 0808 2000 247Respect (Men's Advice Line): 0808 801 0327Galop (the UK’s LGBT+ anti-abuse charity): 0800 999 5428Women's Aid (a national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children): helpline@womensaid.org.ukREMEMBER - If you are in immediate danger, please call 999!For all things British Murders, please visit my website:⁣britishmurders.com⁣Intro music:⁣David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'⁣linktr.ee/davidjohnbradymusic⁣References:⁣britishmurders.com/joannenelson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

18 Okt 202326min

In this episode, I tell the story of Nicole Lewis, a 24-year-old mother-of-two murdered in Tuebrook, Merseyside, on March 5, 2002.Nicole and her fiancée, Mark Wilkinson, separated in February 2002 after a domestic incident the previous month. Mark had violently shaken Nicole so roughly after an argument that she had marks around her neck.A month after moving out, Nicole was invited to the couple's home after Wilkinson said he had arranged for a relationship counsellor to visit and talk to them about their problems. That was nothing more than a ruse.After heading upstairs with Wilkinson, Nicole was strangled to death and placed inside a wardrobe in the front bedroom.Wilkinson was found guilty of manslaughter, rather than murder, in September 2002 and received a four-year jail sentence, of which he served just 33 months.**The following are NOT sponsored messages**If you are experiencing domestic abuse or are concerned that someone you know is, please consider contacting one of the following charities:Refuge (the largest specialist domestic abuse organisation in the UK): 0808 2000 247Respect (Men's Advice Line): 0808 801 0327Galop (a national helpline for LGBT+ victims and survivors of abuse and violence): 0800 999 5428Women's Aid (a national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children): helpline@womensaid.org.ukFor those listening who live in Merseyside, like Nicole did, 'Worst Kept Secret' is a Merseyside project established to reduce domestic abuse and enhance support for survivors. Their free, confidential phone line is open Monday to Friday from 3 pm to 6 pm.Call: 0800 028 3398Website: worstkeptsecret.org.ukREMEMBER - If you are in immediate danger, please call 999!If you have experienced the murder or manslaughter of a loved one or someone you knew, please consider contacting 'Support after Murder and Manslaughter (SAMM)'. They are a UK-based charity providing various peer support services to people bereaved by murder and manslaughter.Call: 0121 472 2912Text: 07342 888570Website: samm.org.ukFor all things British Murders, please visit my website:⁣britishmurders.com⁣Intro music:⁣David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'⁣linktr.ee/davidjohnbradymusic⁣References:⁣britishmurders.com/nicolelewis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11 Okt 202330min

I welcome Welsh filmmaker Rhys Edwards to the show in this interview episode to discuss his documentary, 'The Rev.'As a cameraman, Rhys has won many awards and filmed hundreds of factual and entertainment programmes, building a stellar reputation as a documentary filmmaker.'The Rev' is a true crime horror documentary that explores the life and inner turmoil of Reverend Emyr Owen, a notorious North Wales vicar who cut off the private parts of three male parishioners left in his charge before burial.Its Welsh version, titled 'Y Parchedig Emyr Ddrwg', won the award for Best Single Documentary at the 2022 BAFTA Cymru Awards.'The Rev' (a feature-length English language version of the documentary) premieres exclusively on the Icon Film Channel on October 9, 2023, followed by all major UK digital platforms from January 8, 2024.Sign up for a 7-day free trial at iconfilmchannel.uk or via the Icon Film Amazon Prime Video channel'The Rev' trailer: https://youtu.be/1TpGhy-hOmU***This interview was recorded on October 2, 2023.For all things British Murders, please visit my website:https://www.britishmurders.com/Intro music:David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'https://linktr.ee/davidjohnbradymusic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

8 Okt 202333min

In this episode, I tell the story of Gillian Atkins, a 14-year-old girl murdered in Deeping St James, Lincolnshire, on April 14, 1983.Gillian popped out to buy a packet of crisps that evening and was last seen standing alone on a bridge in the middle of the village between roughly 8:30 pm and 9:00 pm.She never came home, leading to a frantic search by her family and dozens of police officers, which sadly ended the following day when her body was discovered in a neighbour's back garden.Robert France was the person responsible for sexually assaulting and killing Gillian. He was arrested on suspicion of murder two weeks after her body was discovered.France received a life sentence in November 1983 and served 27 years before being released in April 2010.He was subsequently sent back to jail for five years in March 2011 after burgling a house in Peterborough in October 2010, just six months after being released.For all things British Murders, please visit my website:⁣britishmurders.com⁣Intro music:⁣David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'⁣linktr.ee/davidjohnbradymusic⁣References:⁣britishmurders.com/gillianatkins Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 Okt 202334min

I welcome Vanessa Frake-Harris MBE to the show in this interview episode to discuss her book, 'The Governor: My Life Inside Britain's Most Notorious Prisons.'Having worked for 16 years in a high-security women's prison dealing with the likes of Rosemary West and Myra Hindley, Vanessa Frake-Harris thought she'd seen it all. That was until she was transferred to the notorious Wormwood Scrubs.Thrust into a 'man's world', her no-nonsense approach and fearless attitude saw her swiftly rise through the ranks. From dealing with celebrity criminals and busting drug rings to recruiting informers and being subject to violent attacks, her hard-hitting but often humorous memoir reveals all about life behind bars in unflinching detail.Vanessa was awarded an MBE for her work for the prison service in 2012. She retired early from the prison service, after 26 years, while the Government funding was still in place and things were going well in her job as she wanted to go out on a high.More recently, in a complete career change, she baked cakes at Angela Reed's Cafe in Saffron Walden and volunteers at Wood Green Animal Sanctuary.Vanessa's book was released on April 15, 2021, and is available to purchase here:The Governor: My Life Inside Britain's Most Notorious Prisons | HarperCollins Publishers UK***This interview was recorded on July 12, 2023.For all things British Murders, please visit my website:https://www.britishmurders.com/Intro music:David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'https://linktr.ee/davidjohnbradymusic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 Okt 20231h 2min

In this episode, I tell the story of Kelly Hyde, a 24-year-old woman murdered in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, on September 27, 2007.Kelly dropped her car off at a local garage that morning as its MOT test was booked. As she walked home with her dog Scrappy, she was followed by a 16-year-old boy as she walked on a bridle path.Adrian Jones did not know Kelly, and to date, no motive has been established for what he did, but that morning, he beat Kelly to death using a piece of gym equipment.He was arrested just days after Kelly's body was discovered on September 30 in a stream near a disused colliery.Seeing as a minimum of 12 years imprisonment was where the Judge had to begin, Mr Justice Davis handed Jones an 11-year and 79-day sentence, given that Jones had already spent 286 days in custody. Jones attempted to appeal his murder conviction, but the Court of Appeal rejected it in October 2009.After Jones died of natural causes on February 18, 2018, his appeal continued, with his family pursuing the case and referring it to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), who referred it to the Court of Appeal.For all things British Murders, please visit my website:⁣britishmurders.com⁣Intro music:⁣David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'⁣linktr.ee/davidjohnbradymusic⁣References:⁣britishmurders.com/kellyhyde Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

27 Sep 202327min

I welcome Dr Honor Doro Townshend to the show in this interview episode to discuss all things true crime and criminology.​Dr Townshend (BA (Hons), MSc, PhD) is a presenter, researcher and lecturer whose recent research projects have looked into illicit substance use, gender identities and crime, the dark web, and deviant subcultures.She has a background in studying all elements of criminology, from theory to criminal justice, and has multiple papers and book chapters published across various topic areas.She has also been a presenter and expert criminologist for programmes across Channel 4, Channel 5, Discovery, Crime + Investigation, Vice World News and Amazon Prime.Dr Townshend can be reached at her website:honordorotownshend.co.uk***This interview was recorded on June 30, 2023.For all things British Murders, please visit my website:https://www.britishmurders.com/Intro music:David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'https://linktr.ee/davidjohnbradymusic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

24 Sep 202358min