The Killer Who Escaped Prison : Episode 555

Two teenage girls were snatched from the roadside in Berkshire. One managed to escape, but the other was subjected to a violent and terrifying attack. The cases remained unsolved, and the man responsible escaped justice. But years later, a horrific murder would reveal a chilling connection and begin to unravel the secrets of a killer. In this episode of the UK True Crime Podcast, I look at the crimes of Ronald Cheshire, the lives he devastated, and how a terrible murder would eventually shed light on attacks that had remained unsolved for years.

Today I’m joined by Matt Foot, a criminal defence solicitor and Co-Director of APPEAL a legal charity that fights wrongful convictions as we discuss some of the cases that have raised serious questions about our criminal justice system. We begin with Sam Hallam, who was just seventeen when he was convicted of murder. He spent seven years in prison before his conviction was quashed, and Matt represented him in the fight to clear his name. We also talk about other major cases Matt has been involved in, including that of Andy Malkinson, who spent seventeen years in prison for a rape he did not commit before his conviction was overturned. On 26 October at 9pm watch Matt as he discusses the Sam Hallam case as part of the Crime & Investigation series 'Convictions Gone Bad with Will Mellor'.

In almost ten years of making the UK True Crime Podcast, I’ve only covered male victims of domestic abuse once before. The vast majority of domestic abuse victims are women abused by men, and that reality should never be overlooked. But in this episode I wanted to tell the stories of two men who suffered horrific abuse at the hands of their female partners. Both cases are deeply upsetting, and both men faced enormous difficulties in speaking out and being believed. I think it’s important to recognise that domestic abuse can happen to anyone, and that every victim deserves to be heard, supported and protected, regardless of their gender.

In this episode from Sunderland, I tell the story of Barry Sewell, a man whose life became caught up in a rumour with devastating consequences. The case raises important questions about the dangers of unsubstantiated allegations, how quickly rumours can spread, and what happens when people decide to take the law into their own hands. When does suspicion turn into vigilantism, and what happens when people decide they can act as judge and jury?

In this episode, I’m joined by one of my real true crime heroes in Tom Wood, a retired senior police officer who spent almost 40 years in policing, working on some of Scotland’s most significant murder investigations.