"All the evidence indicates Mr Wood was a mild-mannered, inoffensive man. There was no evidence of him having attacked you or having the opportunity to defend himself. There was evidence of gratuitous violence and humiliation before the killing"
- Judge James Fingret, Reading Crown Court, October 2004
Introducing... Australian True Crime.
Once the match finished, a gang of agitated spectators gathered outside and began to start trouble. At first, it was just quarrelling between opposing fans before bottles and rocks were hurled through the air. The police made their presence known to dissipate the crowd, and eventually, the officers successfully diffused the situation. With their job done, they left, but the next morning the police were contacted and asked to return to Abington. A woman had been walking down an alleyway around a mile from the County Ground. Something in the distance caught her eye, and as she edged closer, she could see that it was the body of a teenage boy…
As Britain began to recover from the great depression, the lack of employment led to a rise in crime, and gangs operated under cover of darkness, cracking safes in businesses across London. The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 plummeted the nation into a period of uncertainty and turmoil. While young soldiers fought valiantly on the front lines across Nazi-occupied Europe, each nation utilised its own secret network of spies, to try and infiltrate enemy forces and gather information using covert tactics in an effort to win the war…
PLEASE LISTEN TO ‘SEASON 7 - EPISODE 57’ FOR PART ONE OF THIS TWO-PART CASE. After Peter Tobin was convicted of murdering Angelika Kluk and concealing her body under a church floor in 2006, investigators began looking into his murky past and uncovered links to numerous other unsolved crimes. Through inquiries by Operation Anagram — the task force established to investigate Tobin’s history — extraordinary developments were made in cases that had remained unsolved for over 15 years… (Part 2 of 2)
For centuries a church has been seen as a place of refuge and sanctuary for some in desperate need of help and shelter. Many people who are down on their luck or require support go to their place of worship for guidance. They often hold the clergy in high regard, a group they entrust with their troubles and confessions. In 2006, a discovery in a Glasgow church demonstrated how evil can lurk in the most sacred places… (Part 1 of 2)
In rural Kent, the chances of being a victim of violent crime are minimal. The chances of using fatal force to defend yourself are even more unlikely, and having to do it twice seems unbelievable. For over twenty years, one man from Kent appeared to be connected to a significant amount of criminal activity in the area, including the biggest gold heist in history and at least two deaths…
PLEASE LISTEN TO ‘SEASON 7 - EPISODES 53 & 54’ FOR PARTS ONE AND TWO OF THIS THREE-PART CASE. At the start of 2003, three men were to stand trial for the murder of Arlene Fraser — her estranged husband, Nat Fraser, along with Nat’s friends, Hector Dick and Glenn Lucas. Arlene’s body had not been found, nor had any forensic evidence to show she had been harmed on the day of her disappearance. The trial opened at Edinburgh High Court on January 7th… (Part 3 of 3).
PLEASE LISTEN TO ‘SEASON 7 - EPISODE 53’ FOR PART ONE OF THIS THREE-PART CASE. Arlene Fraser had mysteriously disappeared from her home in New Elgin without a trace, three and a half months prior to her daughter's 6th birthday. The occasion — on August 5th 1998 — marked the 100th day since Arlene had been missing. While a scaled-down investigation was still ongoing, the Grampian Police were struggling to find any answers… (Part 2 of 3).
Helmsley is a small market town within the North York Moors National Park. The VisitHelmsley website describes it as “the perfect base for enjoying the wider area”. Helmsley has numerous attractions, including a nature reserve, an art gallery, abbey ruins, and a market square boasting a range of shops and excellent restaurants. Named Britain's Best Market Town in 2015 by the Great British High Street Awards, the quaint area on the banks of the River Rye is a peaceful and quiet place to live. It is one of Yorkshire's hidden gems, rarely mentioned in the media; that was until a grisly discovery thrust Helmsley under the national spotlight…
In some religions and communities, great weight is placed on the family and its so-called collective honour. Name and reputation can overshadow everything else, and a specific code of honour must be followed. Sometimes, when perceived shame has been brought upon a family, the alleged wrongdoer is forced to pay the ultimate price…
Torrential rainfall had caused flash floods along the coastal Cliff Road in Salcombe, South Devon. Once there was a break in the clouds on that remarkably wet summer day, holiday goers seized the opportunity to make the most of their vacation. It was around 5 PM on Sunday, June 27th, 2021, when Charlotte Rollings and her family left the beach, and returned to the cottage where they were staying. The clothes designer was walking along the footpath by Bennett Road with her partner and parents, when Charlotte’s mother noticed something unusual…