True Criminals

In part two of this True Criminals double episode, Martin Brunt and Helen Fospero are joined by retired DCI Colin Sutton to reveal how the hunt for Delroy Grant finally turned after years of failure. Known as the Night Stalker, Grant terrorised vulnerable elderly victims across South London for nearly two decades, committing burglary, rape and sexual assault while evading capture despite leaving DNA at multiple scenes. The investigation, Operation Minstead, became a test of modern policing, with mass screenings, huge suspect lists and mounting public fear. When Sutton took over in 2009, he rejected the DNA led focus and reframed the case as a pattern of burglary, using geographical profiling, behavioural insight and covert surveillance to predict where the offender would strike next.

What followed was a high stakes operation placing officers in hidden observation posts across South East London, leading to the moment Grant was finally caught and identified through DNA. The episode explores his chilling double life as a seemingly kind neighbour and carer hiding a predatory reality, as well as the devastating impact on victims, many of whom lived in lasting fear. Sutton also reflects on a critical missed opportunity in 1999 that allowed hundreds more offences to happen, exposing the consequences of human error in policing. Convicted in 2011 of 29 offences and sentenced to 27 years, Grant’s case remains one of the most disturbing in UK criminal history and a powerful example of how persistence, strategy and leadership can finally bring a serial offender to justice.

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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

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: BLEACHED

Music Composition: BLEACHED 

Artwork: BLEACHED
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In this episode of True Criminals, Sky News crime correspondent Martin Brunt and journalist Helen Fospero examine the shocking case of Delroy Grant, known as the Night Stalker. For nearly two decades, Grant terrorised elderly victims across South East London, breaking into their homes in the dead of night and committing a series of burglaries and sexual assaults that left communities living in fear.

Part one explores the timeline of the case, from the first reported attack in 1992 through the launch of Operation Minstead and the mounting police investigation. Martin Brunt shares his firsthand memories of covering the case, revealing how DNA evidence, missed opportunities and investigative blunders allowed one of the UK’s most prolific serial sex offenders to evade capture for 17 years.

The episode examines how Grant targeted vulnerable elderly victims, how forensic breakthroughs shaped the manhunt and why the case exposed critical lessons about policing, persistence and the limits of early DNA databases. This is the inside story of the Night Stalker before the arrest, the trial and the life sentences that followed.

Listen to part one now and join us for part two, featuring retired Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton on how Operation Minstead finally closed the net.

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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

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: BLEACHED

Music Composition: BLEACHEDArtwork: BLEACHED
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How do you catch a killer who leaves no trace?

In this episode of True Criminals, legendary Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt and veteran journalist Helen Fospero dive deep into one of the most chilling cases in British history: the hunt for serial killer Levi Bellfield.

Joining them in the studio is the man who finally brought him to justice, Retired DCI Colin Sutton. Known for his "old-fashioned" detective work, Sutton reveals the inside story of the investigation that spanned years and multiple murders, eventually linking the deaths of Milly Dowler, Marsha McDonnell, and Amélie Delagrange.


The Breakthrough: Discover how DCI Colin Sutton connected the dots between seemingly unrelated attacks when others couldn't see the pattern.


The Investigation: A behind-the-scenes look at the "Manhunt"—the relentless surveillance and the crucial CCTV footage of a white Vauxhall Belmont that became the catalyst for Bellfield's arrest.


Catching a Monster: How Sutton’s team built a case with zero DNA evidence, relying instead on meticulous forensic link-building and "boots-on-the-ground" policing.


The Conviction: The moment Levi Bellfield was finally identified as the "Bus Stop Killer" and the subsequent confession that brought closure to the family of Milly Dowler.

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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

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
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Charles Bronson is often cited as Britain’s most notorious prisoner, having spent nearly 50 years behind bars. In this episode of True Criminals, Sky News crime correspondent Martin Brunt and journalist Helen Fospero take a deep dive into the life and legacy of Michael Peterson—the man who became an underworld icon and later transformed into the artist known as Charles Salvador.

Martin shares a unique perspective on the man behind the headlines, detailing a personal relationship built over years of correspondence. For the first time in the studio, Martin showcases original artwork sent to him by Bronson, offering a rare glimpse into the "cartoonish" yet often nightmarish creative world that has become the prisoner's primary outlet while in high-security isolation.

The discussion traces Bronson's long history within the UK penal system, from his initial seven-year sentence for armed robbery in 1974 to the repeated violent outbursts and hostage situations that kept him inside. Martin explains the complexities of the 2000 discretionary life sentence—triggered by the 44-hour hostage-taking of an art teacher at HMP Hull—which has seen Bronson remain in custody long past his original minimum term.

With the Parole Board having denied his 2023 public bid for freedom, the team examines what the future holds for his upcoming hearings. Martin reveals Charles’s own unwavering conviction that he will one day walk free, sharing a recent invitation from the prisoner to join him for a celebratory Guinness at a "freedom party" upon his release.


The Origins: How a petty criminal became the "most violent prisoner in Britain."


The Art: A look at the vivid, award-winning artwork Martin has brought into the studio.


The Letters: Insights into the personal letters and postcards Martin receives from HMP Woodhill.


The Legal Battle: An analysis of the parole process and why the board remains hesitant despite Bronson’s claims of being a "reformed character."


The Future: Martin’s expert prediction on whether Bronson will ever experience life outside a prison cell again.

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


Instagram: ⁠@true.criminals⁠


YouTube: Subscribe here⁠


Martin Brunt: Follow Martin on Twitter at ⁠@skymartinbrunt⁠. Discover more about his career in his book, No One Got Cracked Over the Head for No Reason: Dispatches from a Crime Reporter, available here.


Helen Fospero: Follow Helen on Instagram at ⁠@helenfospero⁠ and check out her podcast, The Convex Conversation, here.

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: Chap Mannequin | Artwork: Bleached
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In a True Criminals exclusive first, the podcast interviews John J. Lennon, a writer and journalist currently serving a prison sentence at Sing Sing Correctional Facility following a conviction for murder. The interview, recorded inside the prison, examines Lennon’s account of his case, his life in custody, and his work as an author. Lennon is the writer of The Tragedy of True Crime, a book that explores how murder cases — including his own — are constructed, reported and consumed, and the consequences those narratives have for victims, offenders and the justice system.

The conversation is conducted by Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt and journalist Helen Fospero, who question Lennon on the circumstances surrounding his conviction, the challenges of writing from prison, and the broader issues raised by the true crime genre. The episode focuses on established facts, Lennon’s published work, and the realities of producing journalism while incarcerated.

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Artwork photography credit: Luke Piotrowski

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