True Criminals

Forty years after the disappearance of Suzy Lamplugh, former Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Michael Barley returns to True Criminals to revisit one of Britain's most haunting unsolved cases. As the officer who established the original incident room on the night Suzy vanished and remained involved in the investigation for more than a decade, Mike offers an extraordinary insider's account of the decisions, frustrations and missed opportunities that shaped one of the UK's most notorious missing person investigations.

In this exclusive interview, Mike reflects on the original inquiry, the emergence of prime suspect John Cannan, and reveals why he still believes a search of Norton Barracks could have changed the course of the case forever. He also discusses the realities of policing in 1986, long before CCTV, mobile phones and modern forensic techniques transformed major investigations, and explains why, after four decades, he felt it was finally time to tell the full story.

Mike also talks about the emotional process of writing his new book with True Criminals producer Russell Barnes, sharing never-before-told insights into the investigation, the challenges faced by detectives, and the lasting impact Suzy's disappearance had on policing, personal safety and the families left searching for answers.

📖 Susie Lamplugh: The Inside Story of Britain's Most Notorious Missing Person Investigation by Michael Barley and Russell Barnes is out now. You can buy your copy here: Amazon UK.

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Support the Show

Listen ad free and access our full catalogue, including a True Criminals coffee mug, on Patreon at ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/truecriminals⁠⁠.

As an independent podcast, we rely on listener support. You can also donate via PayPal

⁠https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=YQVFJR5766BJE⁠

Follow True Criminals

Instagram: ⁠⁠@true.criminals⁠⁠
TikTok: @truecriminalspodcast

Connect with Martin Brunt

Follow Martin on Twitter at ⁠⁠@skymartinbrunt⁠⁠. Discover more about his career and the cases he’s covered by reading his book, No One Got Cracked Over the Head for No Reason: Dispatches from a Crime Reporter, available here: ⁠⁠https://amzn.eu/d/g1WisSY⁠⁠.

Connect with Helen Fospero
Follow Helen on Instagram at ⁠⁠@helenfospero⁠⁠ and check out her podcast, The Convex Conversation, here: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-convex-conversation/id1510209575⁠⁠.

Credits
True Criminals is produced by Audio Bleach Global.

Visit ⁠⁠www.audiobleachglobal.com/truecriminals⁠⁠ for more information.

Executive Producer: Lee Mann.
Producer: Russell Barnes.
Audio Production: BLEACHED
Music Composition: BLEACHED
Artwork: BLEACHED
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How was Jimmy Savile able to abuse children and vulnerable people for decades while surrounded by powerful institutions, public admiration and extraordinary access? In this powerful episode of True Criminals, Martin Brunt and Helen Fospero examine one of the most significant safeguarding failures in modern British history, exploring how opportunities to stop a prolific offender were repeatedly missed and what those failures continue to teach us today.

Joining us is Simon Bailey, former Chief Constable of Norfolk Constabulary, former National Police Chiefs' Council Lead for Child Protection, who led Operation Hydrant following the exposure of Savile's crimes, and now Chair of Trustees of Embrace Child Survivors of Crime. Drawing on decades of policing experience, Simon explains how the revelations surrounding Savile transformed the investigation of child sexual abuse, why survivors often remain silent for years, and how policing, healthcare and public institutions have changed in response. Together, we discuss the importance of believing and supporting survivors while ensuring investigations remain fair, evidence-led and focused on justice.

Support Information

This podcast contains discussions of child sexual abuse and exploitation, which some listeners may find upsetting or distressing. If anything discussed in this episode resonates with you, your child, or someone you know, please remember that free, specialist support is available.

Embrace Child Survivors of Crime, proud partners of True Criminals, are a national children's charity providing free specialist support to children, young people and families affected by serious crime, including child sexual abuse. Embrace offers remote emotional support and counselling for children and young people aged 11 and over, helping them process trauma, understand their feelings, rebuild confidence and begin their recovery.

For parents and carers, Embrace delivers You Are Enough™, a free, therapist-facilitated peer support programme for adults supporting a child who has experienced sexual abuse. Delivered remotely over ten sessions, the programme provides a safe, supportive space to connect with others who understand, process the impact of trauma, and access practical guidance to help families move forward.

To learn more about the support available, or to make a referral for yourself or your family, please visit Embrace Child Survivors of Crime.

https://www.embracecsoc.org.uk

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Support the Show

Listen ad free and access our full catalogue, including a True Criminals coffee mug, on Patreon at ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/truecriminals⁠⁠.

As an independent podcast, we rely on listener support. You can also donate via PayPal

⁠https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=YQVFJR5766BJE⁠

Follow True Criminals

Instagram: ⁠⁠@true.criminals⁠⁠
TikTok: @truecriminalspodcast

Connect with Martin Brunt

Follow Martin on Twitter at ⁠⁠@skymartinbrunt⁠⁠. Discover more about his career and the cases he’s covered by reading his book, No One Got Cracked Over the Head for No Reason: Dispatches from a Crime Reporter, available here: ⁠⁠https://amzn.eu/d/g1WisSY⁠⁠.

Connect with Helen Fospero
Follow Helen on Instagram at ⁠⁠@helenfospero⁠⁠ and check out her podcast, The Convex Conversation, here: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-convex-conversation/id1510209575⁠⁠.

Credits
True Criminals is produced by Audio Bleach Global.

Visit ⁠⁠www.audiobleachglobal.com/truecriminals⁠⁠ for more information.

Executive Producer: Lee Mann.
Producer: Russell Barnes.
Audio Production: BLEACHED
Music Composition: BLEACHED
Artwork: BLEACHED
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're still pinching ourselves... 🎉

In this short bonus episode, Martin Brunt and Helen Fospero reflect on an unforgettable evening at the True Crime Awards, where we were honoured to win Most Captivating Hosts.

A huge thank you to everyone at the True Crime Awards, the judging panel, and everyone involved in recognising the work that goes into bringing these stories to you each week. Most importantly, thank you for listening, supporting the podcast, and being part of our incredible community.

If you've enjoyed the show, we'd love it if you could take a moment to leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts, give us a thumbs up wherever you listen, or follow the show so you never miss an episode. Every review, rating and recommendation really helps more people discover the podcast.

From Martin and Helen, thank you once again for your support—we couldn't have done it without you.

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Follow True Criminals Instagram: ⁠⁠@true.criminals⁠⁠ TikTok: @truecriminalspodcast 

Connect with Martin Brunt Follow Martin on Twitter at ⁠⁠@skymartinbrunt⁠⁠. Discover more about his career and the cases he’s covered by reading his book, No One Got Cracked Over the Head for No Reason: Dispatches from a Crime Reporter, available here: ⁠⁠https://amzn.eu/d/g1WisSY⁠⁠.

Connect with Helen Fospero Follow Helen on Instagram at ⁠⁠@helenfospero⁠⁠ and check out her podcast, The Convex Conversation, here: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-convex-conversation/id1510209575⁠⁠.

Credits True Criminals is produced by Audio Bleach Global. Visit ⁠⁠www.truecriminals.co.uk⁠⁠ for more information. 

Executive Producer: Lee Mann. 

Producer: Russell Barnes. 

Audio Production: BLEACHED 

Music Composition: BLEACHED 

Artwork: BLEACHED
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on True Criminals, Martin Brunt and Helen Fospero revisit one of the most infamous murder cases in British history, the story of Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen. Joined by bestselling historian and author Hallie Rubenhold, they explore the murder of Belle Elmore and the extraordinary investigation that gripped the Edwardian world, from the first international manhunt to the pioneering use of wireless telegraphy.

Drawing on Hallie's acclaimed book Story of a Murder, the conversation moves beyond the familiar legend of Crippen to uncover the lives of the women at the heart of the case, offering a compelling new perspective on a crime that has shaped true crime history for more than a century.

Find Hallie Rubenhold's Story of a Murder here:

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/441693/story-of-a-murder-by-rubenhold-hallie/9781804992920

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Support the Show

Listen ad free and access our full catalogue, including a True Criminals coffee mug, on Patreon at ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/truecriminals⁠⁠.

As an independent podcast, we rely on listener support. You can also donate via PayPal

⁠https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=YQVFJR5766BJE⁠

Follow True Criminals

Instagram: ⁠⁠@true.criminals⁠⁠
TikTok: @truecriminalspodcast

Connect with Martin Brunt

Follow Martin on Twitter at ⁠⁠@skymartinbrunt⁠⁠. Discover more about his career and the cases he’s covered by reading his book, No One Got Cracked Over the Head for No Reason: Dispatches from a Crime Reporter, available here: ⁠⁠https://amzn.eu/d/g1WisSY⁠⁠.

Connect with Helen Fospero
Follow Helen on Instagram at ⁠⁠@helenfospero⁠⁠ and check out her podcast, The Convex Conversation, here: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-convex-conversation/id1510209575⁠⁠.

Credits
True Criminals is produced by Audio Bleach Global.

Visit ⁠⁠www.truecriminals.co.uk⁠⁠ for more information.

Executive Producer: Lee Mann.
Producer: Russell Barnes.
Audio Production: BLEACHED
Music Composition: BLEACHED
Artwork: BLEACHED
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of True Criminals, Martin Brunt and Helen Fospero take a closer look at ITV’s powerful drama Believe Me, which tells the story of convicted black cab rapist John Worboys through the experiences of his victims.

Having both followed and covered the case, Martin and Helen discuss how the four-part drama brings one of Britain’s most shocking criminal cases back into focus — not by centring Worboys, but by telling the story of the women who survived his attacks and the fight to be believed.

They explore the performances, the difficult realities behind the drama, the police failings that allowed Worboys’ offending to continue, and why the battle for justice did not end with his conviction.

Martin shares his memories of seeing Worboys in court, the evidence that ultimately exposed the scale of his crimes, and the disturbing details that revealed the man behind the headlines. They also discuss Carrie Johnson’s extraordinary role in helping keep Worboys behind bars and why her story became such an important part of the fight for victims’ voices to be heard.

A powerful discussion about true crime, dramatisation, accountability and the women at the heart of one of the UK’s most infamous cases.

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Support the Show

Listen ad free and access our full catalogue, including a True Criminals coffee mug, on Patreon at ⁠⁠www.patreon.com/truecriminals⁠⁠.

As an independent podcast, we rely on listener support. You can also donate via PayPal

⁠https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=YQVFJR5766BJE⁠

Follow True Criminals

Instagram: ⁠⁠@true.criminals⁠⁠
TikTok: @truecriminalspodcast

Connect with Martin Brunt

Follow Martin on Twitter at ⁠⁠@skymartinbrunt⁠⁠. Discover more about his career and the cases he’s covered by reading his book, No One Got Cracked Over the Head for No Reason: Dispatches from a Crime Reporter, available here: ⁠⁠https://amzn.eu/d/g1WisSY⁠⁠.

Connect with Helen Fospero
Follow Helen on Instagram at ⁠⁠@helenfospero⁠⁠ and check out her podcast, The Convex Conversation, here: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-convex-conversation/id1510209575⁠⁠.

Credits
True Criminals is produced by Audio Bleach Global.

Visit ⁠⁠www.audiobleachglobal.com/truecriminals⁠⁠ for more information.

Executive Producer: Lee Mann.
Producer: Russell Barnes.
Audio Production: BLEACHED
Music Composition: BLEACHED
Artwork: BLEACHED
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices