S02E02 | Ruth Ellis | The Murder of David Blakely

In this episode, I tell the story of Michael Beckwith, a 44-year-old man killed in Harwich, Essex, in July 2016.Michael was asked to meet up with 21-year-old Rebecca Ryan on July 31 to discuss their relationship, which had ended just a few days earlier.Unbeknownst to Michael, it was nothing more than a ploy to lure him down a secluded lane, where he was met by 27-year-old Scott Swift and 17-year-old Joseph Smith and beaten with metal poles.Michael miraculously survived the attack but sadly died in hospital two days later.Ryan and Swift received life sentences for murder in April 2017, with Smith receiving a 12-year sentence after being found guilty of manslaughter for his role in the attack.Join my Patreon community at patreon.com/britishmurders for exclusive perks, including early access to ad-free episodes, bonus content, exciting giveaways, and much more!You can view the video version of this episode at youtube.com/@britishmurders. Remember to subscribe and ring the notification bell to stay up-to-date with my latest releases.Do you have a case request? Please send it to contact@britishmurders.com or fill out a Contact Form at britishmurders.com/contactIntro music:⁣David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'⁣davidjohnbrady.comReferences:⁣britishmurders.com/michaelbeckwith Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29 Feb 202430min

In this episode, I tell the story of Mary McLaughlin, a 58-year-old woman killed in Partick, Glasgow, in September 1984.Mary was last seen in the company of a stranger, a man, on September 26, 1984, after spending the evening in a pub with her friends.Six days later, her body was found in her home on Laurel Street by Martin Cullen, one of her 11 children, and his then-partner. Somebody had strangled Mary with the cord of her dressing gown.Thirty-five years would pass before Police Scotland arrested serial sex offender Graham McGill after advances in DNA technology placed him in Mary's flat at the time of her murder.Judge Lord Burns handed McGill a life sentence with a minimum term of 14 years in May 2021, almost four decades after Mary's murder.Join my Patreon community at patreon.com/britishmurders for exclusive perks, including early access to ad-free episodes, bonus content, exciting giveaways, and much more!You can view the video version of this episode at youtube.com/@britishmurders. Remember to subscribe and ring the notification bell to stay up-to-date with my latest releases.Do you have a case request? Please send it to contact@britishmurders.com or fill out a Contact Form at britishmurders.com/contactIntro music:⁣David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'⁣davidjohnbrady.comReferences:⁣britishmurders.com/marymclaughlin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22 Feb 202431min

I was recently asked to participate in the monthly True Crime Podcasters Roundtable, hosted by Adam from the UK True Crime podcast with Mike from Murder Mile and Paul, the True Crime Enthusiast.Bethan from Seeing Red was also a guest at the event broadcast live on Crowdcast.In case you missed it, this is the audio replay of that event.***This discussion was recorded on February 18, 2024.Join my Patreon community at patreon.com/britishmurders for exclusive perks, including early access to ad-free episodes, bonus content, exciting giveaways, and much more!Intro music:⁣David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'⁣davidjohnbrady.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

20 Feb 20241h

I welcome back retired forensic pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd to the show in this interview episode.In December 2023, TRUE CRIME (formerly CBS Reality) announced that its original true crime series, 'The Truth About My Murder', would return to the screens in 2024 after the international success of its first season.The new batch of episodes welcomes back Dr Shepherd, one of the world’s leading forensic scientists, as he tackles ten new complex murder cases (six from the UK and four from the USA), guiding the audience through each victim’s post-mortem to reveal the truth behind the crimes they were subjected to.Using ground-breaking technology called an 'Anatomage Table' that uses digitally scanned sample bodies, Dr Shepherd investigates various murder cases where pathology played a leading role in solving them and bringing the killers to justice.The series premiered on TRUE CRIME on January 9, 2024. All episodes are available to watch on WATCH FREE UK after being broadcast.Dr Shepherd can be reached at his website:drrichardshepherd.com***This interview was recorded on February 9, 2024.Join my Patreon community at patreon.com/britishmurders for exclusive perks, including early access to ad-free episodes, bonus content, exciting giveaways, and much more!Do you have a guest request? Please send it to contact@britishmurders.com or fill out a Contact Form at britishmurders.com/contactIntro music:⁣David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'⁣davidjohnbrady.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

19 Feb 202430min

In this episode, I tell the story of Ermatati Rodgers, a 41-year-old woman killed in Gwersyllt, Wrexham, in April 2008.Tati (as she was known) arrived in the UK from her native Indonesia in 1996 with her then-husband.On January 4, 2008, she unexpectedly disappeared, with her best friend raising the alarm the next day after she failed to meet her for lunch as planned.It took 14 months, but forensic teams finally found her remains in March 2009. A post-mortem quickly established that a third party had likely caused her death.Within a week of her body being found, Polish national Lukasz Reszpondek confessed that it was he who'd buried Tati; however, he denied murdering her.Mr Justice Lloyd Jones handed Reszpondek a life sentence with a minimum term of 18 years in November 2009 after he was found guilty of Tati's murder by way of a majority verdict.Join my Patreon community at patreon.com/britishmurders for exclusive perks, including early access to ad-free episodes, bonus content, exciting giveaways, and much more!The video version of this episode can be viewed at youtube.com/@britishmurders. Remember to subscribe and ring the notification bell to stay up-to-date with my latest releases.Do you have a case request? Please send it to contact@britishmurders.com or fill out a Contact Form at britishmurders.com/contactIntro music:⁣David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'⁣davidjohnbrady.comReferences:⁣britishmurders.com/ermatatirodgers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15 Feb 202431min

I welcome Dr Sohom Das to the show in this interview episode.Dr Das is a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist who treats and rehabilitates mentally disordered offenders.He is also an experienced expert witness who regularly provides evidence to criminal trials about defendants who have a range of mental illnesses. He assesses individuals in courts, in prisons and in special secure psychiatric units that are reserved for the most dangerous and violent mentally ill patients.Dr Das has been featured in the media on daytime TV shows, news shows, documentaries and newspapers.In 2022, Dr Das released a memoir sharing stories from his fifteen years as a psychiatric doctor. 'In Two Minds' is available to purchase here:In Two Minds | Sphere BooksDr Das can be reached at his website:drdasmedia.com***This interview was recorded on January 22, 2024.Join my Patreon community at patreon.com/britishmurders for exclusive perks, including early access to ad-free episodes, bonus content, exciting giveaways, and much more!The video version of this episode can be viewed at youtube.com/@britishmurders. Remember to subscribe and ring the notification bell to stay up-to-date with my latest releases.Do you have a guest request? Please send it to contact@britishmurders.com or fill out a Contact Form at britishmurders.com/contactIntro music:⁣David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'⁣davidjohnbrady.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5 Feb 20241h 1min

In this episode, I tell the story of Juliet Callaghan, a 12-year-old girl killed in Swinton, Greater Manchester, in March 1966.Juliet was attacked and killed by a 16-year-old boy called Gordon Wheeler while walking home from school one Friday afternoon.It took just ten days for the police to catch the teenage killer who had stabbed Juliet over 50 times during the frenzied attack.Wheeler was found guilty of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility in July 1966. Mr Justice Cusack ordered him to be detained at Broadmoor Hospital indefinitely.Join my Patreon community at patreon.com/britishmurders for exclusive perks, including early access to ad-free episodes, bonus content, exciting giveaways, and much more!The video version of this episode can be viewed at youtube.com/@britishmurders. Remember to subscribe and ring the notification bell to stay up-to-date with my latest releases.Do you have a case request? Please send it to contact@britishmurders.com or fill out a Contact Form at britishmurders.com/contactIntro music:⁣David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'⁣davidjohnbrady.comReferences:⁣britishmurders.com/julietcallaghan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 Jan 202426min

I welcome Ryan Ogilvie to the show in this interview episode to discuss his new podcast series Who is the Cheese Wire Killer?At around 8 pm on September 29, 1983, local taxi driver George Murdoch picked up a fare from the New Marcliffe Hotel on Queens Road, Aberdeen. A short time later, he was found dead by the roadside. He was the victim of a brutal and cruel murder.On the fortieth anniversary of the murder, Ryan released the first episode of his five-part series focusing on the case. In those five episodes, Ryan speaks to George's family, friends, and criminal psychology experts.He also speaks to the Senior Investigating Officer and the forensic scientists at the centre of the investigation as he asks, “Who is the Cheese Wire Killer?”If you have any information relating to this case, please get in touch with the Police (UK 101), Crimestoppers (UK 0800 555 111) or the below Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/Appeal-for-Information-Aberdeen-Taxi-Driver-Murder-1983-George-Murdoch-100793279019630You can listen to Who is the Cheese Wire Killer? here:Apple Podcasts | Who is the Cheese Wire Killer?Spotify | Who is the Cheese Wire Killer?***This interview was recorded on December 5, 2023.Join my Patreon community at patreon.com/britishmurders for exclusive perks, including early access to ad-free episodes, bonus content, exciting giveaways, and much more!The video version of this episode can be viewed at youtube.com/@britishmurders. Remember to subscribe and ring the notification bell to stay up-to-date with my latest releases.Do you have a guest request? Please send it to contact@britishmurders.com or fill out a Contact Form at britishmurders.com/contactIntro music:⁣David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'⁣davidjohnbrady.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22 Jan 202431min