True Criminals

• The Suzy Lamplugh Disappearance: Part 1

  A young estate agent leaves her office for a routine appointment and simply never returns. It is the kind of moment that stops ordinary life in its tracks and forces a country to look more closely at the shadows it usually ignores. In this first of two episodes, True Criminals follows the earliest steps of the investigation into Suzy Lamplugh’s disappearance and the man she was meant to meet, known only as Mr Kipper. Sky News crime correspondent Martin Brunt and journalist Helen Fospero walk through Suzy’s final confirmed movements and the police actions taken in those first decisive hours. We are joined in the studio by retired Detective Chief Inspector Michael Barley whose experience brings a clear eyed understanding of how investigators approached a case that offered almost nothing and demanded everything. What followed shaped decades of inquiry, public speculation and police work. This episode sets the scene as Martin and Helen trace the small details and larger questions that defined the opening chapter of this enduring mystery. 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 Follow us on Instagram at ⁠@true.criminals⁠ and subscribe to our YouTube channel at ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@True-Criminals⁠. 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: Andrew Chappell.  Music Composition: Chap Mannequin.  Artwork: Bleached Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• The Huntingdon Train Stabbings | True Criminals Briefing

  In this special briefing of True Criminals, Sky News crime correspondent Martin Brunt and journalist Helen Fospero break down the stabbing on the Doncaster to London Kings Cross train on 1 November 2025. Minutes after departing Peterborough, a lone passenger launched a knife attack, injuring several people. Martin details how the driver alerted control and made an emergency stop at Huntingdon, where armed officers boarded the train. A crew member was seriously injured while protecting passengers, a moment of extraordinary bravery highlighted in this episode. Martin and Helen explain how the suspect boarded at Peterborough, how the alarm was raised, and why Operation PLATO, Britain’s major-incident terrorism protocol, was briefly activated before police confirmed the attack was not terror-related. They examine the responses of passengers, staff, and emergency services as they dealt with a fast-moving incident on a moving train. The briefing also updates listeners on the investigation: a 32-year-old man from Peterborough has been charged with multiple counts of attempted murder and is being linked to earlier knife incidents in the area. 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 Follow us on Instagram at ⁠@true.criminals⁠ and subscribe to our YouTube channel at ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@True-Criminals⁠. 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: Andrew Chappell.  Music Composition: Chap Mannequin.  Artwork: Bleached Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• I am Madeleine: The Julia Wandelt Verdict | True Criminals Briefing

  The woman who proclaimed, “I am Madeleine,” has finally heard her verdict. In this special episode of True Criminals Briefings, hosts Martin Brunt and Helen Fospero uncover the extraordinary and unsettling story of Julia Wandelt, the young Polish woman who shocked the world by claiming she was Madeleine McCann, the British child who vanished from a Portuguese resort in 2007. What began as an internet frenzy ended in a Leicester courtroom. After months of speculation and global attention, a jury found Julia Wandelt guilty of harassment against Kate and Gerry McCann, but not guilty of stalking. The court heard that her repeated visits, letters and online messages had caused serious distress to the McCann family. DNA testing provided conclusive evidence that she was not Madeleine McCann, closing one of the strangest chapters in the case’s long history. 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 Follow us on Instagram at ⁠@true.criminals⁠ and subscribe to our YouTube channel at ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@True-Criminals⁠. 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: Andrew Chappell.  Music Composition: Chap Mannequin.  Artwork: Bleached. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• The Black Cab Rapist: John Worboys

  He was the trusted face of London’s black cab trade, charming and friendly, always ready to share a drink to celebrate a big win. But the champagne John Worboys offered his passengers was laced with sedatives. The women who believed they were safe on their way home would wake up hours later with no memory, their trust betrayed. In this gripping episode of True Criminals, Sky News crime correspondent Martin Brunt and journalist Helen Fospero discuss the chilling story of John Worboys, the man now known as The Black Cab Rapist. Between 2000 and 2008, Worboys drugged and sexually assaulted dozens of women across London while evading police for years. Martin and Helen revisit how Worboys’ horrific crimes came to light, the shocking police failures that allowed him to keep attacking, and the extraordinary courage of the victims who fought to bring him to justice. From his arrest and trial to the public outcry over his possible release, this is one of Britain’s most disturbing true crime cases, and a story that changed the UK justice system forever. Featuring first-hand insight from Martin’s original Sky News reporting, this episode re-examines the case that shattered trust in London’s taxi trade and exposed deep failings within the Metropolitan Police and the parole system. Patreon Exclusive: In this episode’s Extra Chat, find out what connects Eric Cantona and Boris Johnson’s wife to the John Worboys case — only on Patreon - Link Below 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 Follow us on Instagram at ⁠@true.criminals⁠ and subscribe to our YouTube channel at ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@True-Criminals⁠. 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: Andrew Chappell.  Music Composition: Chap Mannequin.  Artwork: Bleached. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• Dr. Death: Harold Shipman the Serial Killer Doctor - Part 2

  What happens when the world’s most prolific serial killer finally loses control? In Part 2 of our two-part special on Dr. Harold Shipman, hosts Martin Brunt and Helen Fospero uncover what happened after Britain’s most infamous GP was found guilty of murdering his patients — and how his shocking suicide inside Wakefield Prison denied families the truth they so desperately sought. Returning to the studio is true crime journalist and author Jean Ritchie, co-writer of Prescription for Murder: The True Story of Harold Shipman. Together, they explore Shipman’s life behind bars, his chilling refusal to admit guilt, and the final calculated act that left his victims’ families without justice. From his manipulative relationships in prison to the cold reasoning behind his suicide, this episode examines how Shipman’s need for control endured until his last breath. Martin and Helen also discuss the Shipman Inquiry, led by Dame Janet Smith, which uncovered the full extent of his crimes — more than 250 confirmed murders, possibly over 300 — and how it reshaped the safeguards within British medicine. Finally, we hear how the community of Hyde began to heal, with the creation of the Garden of Tranquility memorial, and how Shipman’s legacy continues to influence every doctor-patient relationship today. True Criminals reveals how the case of Harold Shipman not only redefined evil but also transformed the systems meant to protect us — a story of betrayal, accountability, and the enduring pursuit of truth. Read Jean’s book: Harold Shipman – Prescription for Murderhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Prescription-Murder-Story-Harold-Shipman/dp/0751529982 Support the ShowListen 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 PayPal⁠https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=YQVFJR5766BJE⁠ Follow True CriminalsFollow us on Instagram at ⁠⁠@true.criminals⁠⁠ and subscribe to our YouTube channel at ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@True-Criminals⁠⁠. Connect with Martin BruntFollow 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 FosperoFollow 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 MannProducer: Russell BarnesAudio Production: Andrew ChappellMusic Composition: Chap MannequinArtwork: Bleached Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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