Browse all episodes of Crimes That Shook Britain

General Practitioner Harold Shipman was convicted of killing 15 patients in 2000. An official report after his sentencing took that figure to 215. He was sentenced to life in prison and committed suicide in his cell 2004. This exclusive documentary lifts the lid on the shocking discoveries made by his colleagues in early 1998; how police were alerted but the killer was left to murder three more women before finally being arrested in September 1998.

Harold Shipman

Estate agent Stephanie Slater was abducted in 1992 whilst showing a man around a house. For eight days she was locked in a makeshift coffin, raped and tortured before remarkably being released after a £175,000 ransom was paid by her boss. In this episode Stephanie relives her experience, giving detailed accounts of the time as well as how her life changed after the incident. We also reveal an exclusive interview with her father and police who were involved in the case.

Stephanie Slater

The horrific murder of Lin and Megan Russell in 1996 made headline news worldwide. Lin and her two daughters, Megan and Josie, were bludgeoned whilst walking down a country lane after a swimming lesson. Remarkably Rosie survived. Michael Stone was convicted of their murders in 1998. In this episode Shaun Russell, Lin’s husband, reveals his tragic story. How he heard the dreadful news, what happened on the day of the tragedy and the aftermath. We also speak with police and family friends about the case and reconstruct the family's tragic journey on that day.

The Russell Murders

Beverley Allitt was thought to be a 'model' nurse.

Beverly Allitt

The Hungerford massacre shocked the nation in 1987 when the heavily armed Michael Ryan, 27, took to the streets and began firing at anyone in his path. By the end of the afternoon, the horrific massacre was finally over. Ryan had killed 16 people, including his mother, wounded 15 others and seriously transformed the lives of everyone who was unlucky enough to be there that day. The tragedy is told through the eyes of the people at the core of the killings; a survivor, heroes who tried to save lives, police and a nurse at the hospital.

Hungerford Massacre

Eight year-old Sarah Payne's disappearance and murder shocked the nation.

Sarah Payne

Dunblane Massacre

The parents of innocent 11-year-old Rhys Jones, shot on his way home from football club in Liverpool 2007, speak about the harrowing day when they lost their son.

The Murder of Rhys Jones

Police and witnesses reflect on David Copeland's nail bomb terror in 1999, when blasts in Soho, Brixton and Brick Lane killed three and injured over one hundred.

The London Nail Bombings

The unsolved murder of TV presenter and newsreader Jill Dando, who was shot outside her house in Fulham, London, in 1999.

The Murder of Jill Dando

Investigation into Jeremy Bamber's brutal murder of his family in Essex in 1985. Sentenced for life, he still maintains he is innocent.

Jeremy Bamber

Gripping documentary examining the fatal stabbing of 22-year-old motorist Stephen Cameron during an altercation on the M25 in 1996.

The Murder of Stephen Cameron

Rachel Nickell

The Crossbow Cannibal

Victoria Climbie

Sally Ann Bowman

The Omagh Bombing

James Bulger

Documenting the landmark case of Stephen Lawrence, who died at the hands of a racist gang on 22 April 1993 while waiting for a bus in Eltham, south-east London.

Stephen Lawrence

Once a national treasure, now the most vilified man in the UK, one year on from his death Jimmy Savile was branded as the worst sex offender the UK has ever seen. In October 2012, an investigation into Savile began, prompting hundreds of victims of child sex abuse to come forward to 28 police forces. Allegations dated back to 1955, but how could such a high profile entertainer with such a prolific background in abuse, go apparently undetected for so long? We talk to the victims, family members and former colleagues of Savile to lift the lid on one of the biggest scandals this country has ever seen.

Jimmy Savile

In broad daylight on a busy Woolwich street on 22nd May 2013, serving soldier Fusilier Lee Rigby was attacked and murdered by Islamic extremists Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale. The men used their car to strike the soldier from behind as he crossed the road. They then proceeded to use knives to hack at Lee’s body in an attempt to decapitate him before dumping him in the middle of the road. These sickening events were caught on camera phones by horrified onlookers and the killers were filmed claiming to have carried out the attack in the name of Allah. In a dramatic sequence of events, police arrived at the scene within minutes and shot at the two men as they ran towards them holding up their weapons. Both Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale were found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey. In this programme we speak to witnesses to the attack and experts on terrorism to examine how two young British men could be radicalized to such an extent that they killed an innocent man in the name of religion.

Lee Rigby

When several bodies were discovered buried in the back garden of their Gloucester home in 1994, a media furor surrounded the couple after it was learned that most of their victims – which included two of their own children - died following episodes of sadistic rape and torture. Whilst Fred was first held accountable as the instigator, we highlight new information which uncovers Rose as a cold blooded killer single handedly guilty of several murders of her own. Featuring exclusive interviews with Rose’s solicitor, surviving victim Caroline Roberts and the man who led the investigation - former Detective Superintendent John Bennett. As Rose West serves her life sentence in prison, 2014 marks the 20th anniversary of the first body discovered at the family home.

Rose West

When six children died in a house fire in Allenton, Derby in May 2012 it shocked the nation. Parents Mick and Mairead Philpott were seen visibly distraught in front of the press but just weeks later, they were charged with the murders. Now convicted of manslaughter for their children’s deaths, we uncover the reasons behind the arson attack on their own home. Speaking to eye witnesses who desperately tried to save the children’s lives, as well as family members and neighbours that knew the couple well, Title Role will unravel the real story behind the tragic deaths of Jade, John, Jack, Jesse, Jayden and Duwayne.

The Philpotts

In the early hours of 20 August 1989, 131 people were attending the birthday party of Cambridge graduate Antonio de Vasconcellos in London. Held on the River Thames on the pleasure boat Marchioness, the boat collided with dredger Bowbelle and sank within minutes resulting in the loss of 51 lives. Following the disaster, families were told they could not see their loved ones and questionable practices were carried out on the deceased causing an inquiry to take place several years later. Marking the 25th anniversary of the tragedy, we uncover not only how the tragedy unfolded but how it continued in the aftermath of the accident. Talking to survivors, relatives and maritime experts we reveal the mistakes made and the changes now in place to ensure that this type of disaster never reoccurs.

The Marchioness Disaster

In April 2007, Clare Wood met George Appleton on a dating website and they embarked on a relationship together. Unbeknownst to her, Appleton was a criminal with a severe history of violence against women. Several months later Clare decided to end the relationship, but Appleton was furious and began to torment Clare at home. Although she was interviewed by police several times, Clare's pleas for help went unheeded and her burnt body was discovered at her home in Salford in February 2009. Appleton had raped Clare, and then strangled her to death before setting her body alight. A police man-hunt for Appleton ensued, but after 5 days he was found hanged in a derelict pub, escaping justice. After years of hard work, a group of campaigners – this included Clare’s father, politicians and journalists - successfully launched Clare’s Law, a renewed version of a national scheme that allows people to find out if their partners have a history of violence. The programme contains exclusive interviews with Clare's father, Home Secretary Theresa May, and journalists and police officers instrumental in changing the law to give domestic violence sufferers ‘the right to know’.

Clare Wood

Rolf Harris was considered one of the country’s best loved entertainers until he was accused of a string of historic indecent assaults. Unlike Jimmy Savile, he was still alive to be brought to justice. Originally from Australia, Rolf Harris became a television star in the UK back in the 1960’s. He would become famous for his TV programmes, music and art, even painting a portrait of the Queen for her jubilee in 2012. But in August 2013, his legacy and reputation lay in tatters when he was accused of numerous indecent assaults on girls as young as eight years old between 1968 and 1986.  In July 2014 he was sentenced to five years in prison for his actions.  We reveal Harris’ life and his crimes told by people who worked with him and those who represent his victims who fought so long for justice.

Rolf Harris

The hunt for five year old April Jones, when she vanished in October 2012, was the largest missing person search in UK police history.

April went missing whilst playing with her friends and was last seen getting into vehicle near her home in Machynlleth, mid-Wales.  The nation held their breath as the hours, days and weeks rolled on, in the desperate hope to find her alive.  But on the 6th October a local man, Mark Bridger was charged with her abduction and murder.  Investigations in his background revealed that Bridger was a prolific user of child pornography and a paedophile.

After a long and distressing trial, Bridger was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison with a whole life tariff.

With unprecedented access to the Jones family and the police investigation, we reveal the true story behind this appalling crime and how April’s family have channeled their grief into campaigning for a safer internet.

April Jones

Drug dealer Dale Cregan hit the

headlines in 2012 when he murdered police officers Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone. Dermot Murnaghan examines the tragic case

Dale Cregan

On an October evening in 1977, 2 girls were enjoying a night out in the World’s End pub in central Edinburgh.  The following day, one body was found on a beach, the other in a field.

The girls were seen leaving the pub with two men but the identity of the killer would remain a mystery for the next 30 years.  In 2007, Angus Sinclair was charged with the girl’s murder after new DNA evidence linked Sinclair and his brother in law Gordon to the murders.  However the trial sensationally collapsed when a piece of crucial evidence was withdrawn.  Unbeknownst to the jury, Hamilton had a history of sex attacks starting at the age of 16 and culminating him serving a life sentence for the murder of a 17 year old woman in Glasgow in 1978.

In 2014, following the development of new DNA technology, Prosecutors successfully applied for a change in a century’s old law of double jeopardy, consequently allowing the same man to be tried twice for the same crime.  This time, the trial proved successful and Sinclair was jailed for a minimum of 37 years.  He has been described as Scotland’s worst serial killer and the authorities believe he may well have been responsible for numerous other murders.

Angus Sinclair

Myra Hindley and Ian Brady were convicted of murdering five young boys and girls between 1963 and 1965.  Until 1985 both killers maintained their innocence, but eventually confessed and led police to all but one of the bodies – Keith Bennett, who remains missing until this day.

We investigate the brutal murders through relatives and officers, and look into new information held by Bennett’s brother that could finally reveal his resting place.

The Moors Murders

Estate agent, Suzy Lamplugh, disappeared in July 1986 after going to meet a client at a house in Fulham.  Witnesses said they saw her arguing with a man near the address and then getting into a car.  She has never been seen since.  For almost thirty years police have followed many lines of enquiry – one being to identify who ‘Mr Kipper’ is that she went to meet.  So far they have reached a dead end.  In 1994 she was officially declared dead, presumed murdered.  The strongest theory to date is that convicted rapist and killer, John Cannan, killed Lamplugh.  But as yet, this hasn’t been proven.

Cannan is already serving a life sentence with the recommendation he never be released.

Suzy Lamplugh

In this special episode, we focus on those criminals who have been brought to justice for one crime only to be released to commit further terrible acts. We speak to legal professionals to discover if the system is at fault or have these killers exploited legal loopholes. We talk to victims and relatives of killers who preyed on their loved ones – if the perpetrators had been kept inside – would their loved ones still be alive? And we discuss with campaigners what can be done to ensure the justice system can both rehabilitate but also ensure our safety.

Wrongly Released

One of the UK’s biggest sex trafficking rings was uncovered in Rochdale in 2012. In a horrific catalogue of abuse, girls as young as 13 were subjected to rape and torture by a gang of nine men. One 15-year-old girl was even ‘recruited’ by the gang to lure other girls into the trap. After plying them with alcohol and money, the victims would be raped by up to twenty men at a time. The gang were sentenced to between four and nineteen years for their crimes.

The Rochdale Groomers

With exclusive, first time access to Dennehy’s mother and father, we hear from the murderer’s parents and how the crimes of their daughter have shattered a family. Joanne Dennehy is the first woman in the UK to be handed a whole life tariff by a Judge. The judge ordered that she should die behind bars for the brutal murders of three innocent men. Dennehy showed no remorse for the killings. Her reason – “to see if I was as cold as I thought I was. Then it got moreish and I got a taste for it". In this episode we delve into the mind of such a cold hearted killer and look at what drove her to become one of Britain’s most notorious female criminals. We also hear from the officers who handled the case and an acquaintance of Dennehy’s who she bragged to.

Joanne Dennehy

In 1985, PC Keith Blakelock was brutally murdered during a riot on a housing estate in North London triggered after a black woman died of heart failure during a house search. Keith received more than 40 injuries during the sustained attack from a number of rioters. Nobody has been brought to justice for his murder to this date, despite three investigations and the arrests of over three hundred people.

Keith Blakelock

Peter Tobin is one of the most notorious serial killers in the UK. From 1991 – 2006 he raped and murdered three young girls, Dinah McNicol, Vicky Hamilton and Angelika Kluk. Yet even prior to these horrific murders he had a history of violence, raping two 14-year-old girls and leaving them for dead. Luckily they survived. 

Peter Tobin

Double murderer, John Sweeney, brutally murdered two of his girlfriends, dismembered their bodies and dumped them in canals. Handed two life sentences he was told he will die in prison. In a macabre twist, a key detective on the case tells how Sweeney allegedly hid clues to his killings in abstract paintings he produced, and how FIVE other girlfriends of his are currently missing as well.

John Sweeney

For the first time since the terror attack in May 2017, we hear from the survivors, victims' families and emergency responders about that tragic night.

Manchester

The tragic story of Ann Maguire, who was stabbed to death by a pupil while teaching a Spanish lesson at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds.

Ann Maguire

Examining the murder of EastEnders actress Gemma McCluskie, who was killed by her older brother in the east London flat they shared in 2012.

Gemma McCluskie

An inside look at the series of mysterious deaths that occurred at the Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport, Greater Manchester, in 2011.

Stepping Hill

A closer look at the crimes of Steve Wright, who was dubbed 'The Suffolk Strangler' after murdering five women in Ipswich in 2006.

Stephen Wright

A chilling look at the crimes of Stephen Port, the east London serial killer who poisoned four young men with lethal doses of a date rape drug.

Stephen Port

Christmas Eve 2022, 26-year-old beautician Elle Edwards was enjoying a night out with friends and family in a local Merseyside pub. Shortly before midnight, she stepped outside for some fresh air. Minutes later, she was struck down in a torrent of machine gun bullets as the unintended victim of a gangland shooting. As the nation reeled from the breaking news on Christmas morning, Merseyside Police launched their biggest-ever murder investigation. But as they faced obstacles and delays, the local community had to break their wall of silence to help bring the killer to justice

Elle Edwards

In June 2020, as the country enjoyed a short respite from COVID restrictions, three men were fatally stabbed in broad daylight while chatting in the park. But the nation’s shock at the terrorist attack soon turned to anger, as details of the killer were revealed - he was known to be dangerous, volatile, and aggressive. As authorities had been warned that an attack was inevitable, this was a deadly terrorist attack that was entirely avoidable.

Reading Stabbings

10-year-old Jack Lis was at his friend’s house when he was savagely attacked by a powerful and aggressive dog. Despite desperate attempts by first responders, his injuries were catastrophic. Jack’s death was one of the first in a series of deadly dog attacks that were sweeping the UK. With over 50,000 XL Bullies in the country, their massive size, strength, and potential for aggression created a wave of fear in communities. Following newspaper campaigns and public demands for action, dog owners feared a knee-jerk reaction that would punish innocent animals. But as the list of fatalities continued to grow, action had to be taken.

XL Bullies

During the height of lockdown, families and friends were separated from their loved ones. The death of Shakira Spencer was the culmination of systematic cruelty at the hands of people she originally believed to be friends with. Separated from her family and even her own children, Shakira was tortured and abused during a time when people were rarely allowed to visit one another.

Shakira Spencer

The brutal murder of 16-year-old Brianna Ghey shocked the world. The trans-teenager was a vulnerable victim, who lived almost her entire life online and found friendship in her thousands of social media followers. Brianna was manipulated by her killers, who posed as friends to lure her to her death. With the two offenders at large, the police investigation moved at speed to uncover shocking evidence of a cold and calculated murder.

Brianna Ghey

A father/son trip to the capital ended in horror as 51-year-old Lee Pomeroy fell victim to a ferocious knife attack on a commuter train. Lee was brutally stabbed 18 times in 25 seconds and died in the arms of his 14-year-old son. The attacker, who was already known to the police and mental health workers, fled the scene as British Transport Police scrambled to track him down. Once apprehended, it was up to investigators to prove that Lee’s murderer was as unprovoked, as it was ruthless.

Lee Pomeroy

When a missing person is found dead in North London, investigators discover the sadistic killer has already struck before. Iuliana Tudos was a popular 22-year-old who disappeared on Christmas Eve. Her friends launched a frantic search and discovered her mutilated body themselves. In a shocking twist, the police were able to link her killer to an unsolved murder from weeks earlier – where a retired civil servant was found bound and gagged in her own bedroom.

Kasim Lewis

When a young goth couple, Sophie Lancaster and Rob Maltby, were set upon by a ‘pack of feral thugs’, the vicious attack leaves eyewitnesses afraid to speak up. Despite the very public attack, a wall of silence falls around the offenders. Police investigators tried innovative tactics to gain the trust of the witnesses, but it was Sophie’s death two weeks later that shocked the close-knit community into action.

Sophie Lancaster

Uncover the truth behind the crimes that shocked the nation.

All Episodes of Crimes That Shook Britain

Browse all episodes of Crimes That Shook Britain

Season 1

Harold Shipman

Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/20/2008

Stephanie Slater

Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 9/27/2008

The Russell Murders

Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/3/2008

Beverly Allitt

Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/10/2008

Hungerford Massacre

Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/17/2008

Sarah Payne

Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/24/2008