In this week’s episode of Sinister South, we revisit one of the most harrowing chapters in modern British policing – the fatal shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes. On 22nd July 2005, just two weeks after the 7/7 London bombings, Jean Charles, a 27-year-old Brazilian electrician, was followed, misidentified, and shot seven times in the head by armed police at Stockwell Tube station. They believed he was a suicide bomber. He wasn't.

We trace Jean Charles’ life before unpacking the chain of catastrophic decisions that led to his death. We examine Operation Kratos, media misinformation, Met failings, and the long, painful legal journey his family fought in the aftermath.

Also featuring: Hannah’s quiet breakdown, an emotionally volatile tube mouse, and the dangers of expired auburn hair dye.

Some of the sources in this episode include:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Jean_Charles_de_Menezes

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgejnypwv0ro

https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/de-menezes-what-are-lessons-need-be-learnt

http://policeauthority.org/metropolitan/scrutinies/stockwell/index.html

https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/eur450322005en.pdf

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/apr/22/jean-charles-de-menezes-mother-says-everyone-should-watch-tv-drama-about-his-killing

https://www.inquest.org.uk/police-officer-should-not-be-convicted-of-murdering-jean-menezes

https://www.jesip.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Stockwell-Shooting-Report-Jean-Charles-De-Menzes-Part-2.pdf

https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/jean-charles-de-menezes-true-story-shooting-disney-b1224687

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/london/article/jean-charles-de-menezes-metropolitan-police-suspect-6c0hjsgq6

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in! If you loved diving into the dark corners of South London with us, don't forget to hit that subscribe button to never miss an episode of "Sinister South."

Also, follow us on Instagram @SinisterSouthPodcast for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, and more cheeky banter, or www.sinistersouthpod.co.uk. Remember, every crime tells a story... and South is the best side of the river...

Produced and hosted by Hannah Williams & Rachel Baines
Mixed & edited by Purple Waves Sound (A.K.A Will)

In the winter of 1988, 22-year-old Lorraine Benson left a work Christmas party in Clapham Junction and never made it home. Her murder shocked South London – not just because of its brutality, but because it exposed the serious failings in how violent offenders were being managed. In this episode, we look at the pioneering role of DNA in solving Lorraine’s case, the disturbing history of her killer John Dunn, and the wider questions her death raised about justice, parole, and whose lives are protected.

We also briefly cover bum-counting at pop concerts, kinetic sand post-cleaner rage, and an acid attack that wasn’t acid – but was still bloody scary. It’s a mix of the ridiculous and the rage-inducing, which feels about right for the world we live in.

Sources include:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDGbuKAZsW0

https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/lbc/search/index.php/segment/0011800490003

https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/lbc/search/index.php/segment/0011700331016

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S001573689273045X

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1593254/
https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/murder-south-london-novel-use-dna-profiling

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/daily-mail/20200226/282406991384130?srsltid=AfmBOoqc1YCYaKaOymSwCHokqYOKFNTNQOiElkJHYU8mCYPzh0t0i8U5

https://imsvintagephotos.com/products/1988-wimbledon-police-have-released-thi-lorraine-benson-nionvi-death-press-vintage-photograph-2050953?srsltid=AfmBOoqJD1HEMK_tRrT9eoPC7xWvxuKtA2UtU3u6n8F1SFPLFNmJKJUZ

https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/5845757/parents-blast-decision-to-free-taxi-rapist-jon-worboys-after-their-daughter-was-sexually-assaulted-and-murdered-by-convicted-teen-rapist/

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in! If you loved diving into the dark corners of South London with us, don't forget to hit that subscribe button to never miss an episode of "Sinister South."

Also, follow us on Instagram @SinisterSouthPodcast for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, and more cheeky banter, or www.sinistersouthpod.co.uk. Remember, every crime tells a story... and South is the best side of the river...

Produced and hosted by Hannah Williams & Rachel Baines
Mixed & edited by Purple Waves Sound (A.K.A Will)

In February 2011, 21-year-old Gagandip Singh was found in the boot of his burning car on a residential road in Blackheath. At first, police thought it might’ve been a stolen vehicle, torched for the hell of it, but what they uncovered was a calculated, deeply personal murder.

Gagandip was a rising star in the Sikh community, running his own TV channel and trying to carry on his father’s legacy after a devastating loss. But behind the smiles of those around him, darker motives were at play, and a plan for revenge was already in motion.

This is a case about blurred boundaries, obsessive jealousy, and so-called friends who crossed a line they could never come back from.

🎧 Content warning: alleged sexual assault and graphic violence.

Sources include:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/feb/13/mundill-mahil-straight-a-student-bright-future-then-charged-with

https://www.channel5.com/show/murdered-by/season-2/burned-alive-the-murder-of-gagandip-singh

https://www.sikhsangat.com/index.php?%2Ftopic%2F87609-mundill-mahil%2F

https://courtnewsuk.co.uk/mundill-mahil-darren-peters-and-harvinder-shoker/

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-17431845

https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/19096061.mundill-mahil-tells-side-blackheath-honey-trap-murder/

https://open.spotify.com/episode/21t62Icg6hos4NbEfWp4Ja

https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/full-story-how-one-mans-4687888

https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/9560309.trio-locked-up-for-40-years-over-gagandip-singh-killing/

https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/sikh-virgin-wanted-teach-murder-victim-lesson-279525

https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/modern-life-medieval-sins-indian-guilty-in-killing-of-besotted-ex-boyfriend/

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in! If you loved diving into the dark corners of South London with us, don't forget to hit that subscribe button to never miss an episode of "Sinister South."

Also, follow us on Instagram @SinisterSouthPodcast for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, and more cheeky banter, or www.sinistersouthpod.co.uk. Remember, every crime tells a story... and South is the best side of the river...

Produced and hosted by Hannah Williams & Rachel Baines
Mixed & edited by Purple Waves Sound (A.K.A Will)

In this episode, recorded amid cat flap dramas, church hall trauma, and a frankly terrifying inflatable dinosaur, we dive into one of the most disturbing and under-reported cases in South London’s history: the murder of Bulic Forsythe.

In February 1993, Bulic a civil servant working in Lambeth Council’s social services department was found bludgeoned to death in his Brixton flat. The flat had been set on fire, the gas tampered with, and key documents were missing. Officially, the case remains unsolved. Unofficially, those who’ve followed it closely believe Bulic was murdered because of what he knew and what he was about to expose.

In this episode, we examine Bulic’s life, what he may have uncovered about abuse in Lambeth care homes, and why, more than 30 years later, no one has been held accountable. It’s a story of institutional failure, cover-ups, and the price some pay for trying to do the right thing.

⚠️ Warning: this episode contains discussion of child abuse, sexual violence, and arson. Please take care when listening.

Sources include:

https://www.iicsa.org.uk/reports-recommendations/publications/investigation/lambeth-council/part-f-culture-lambeth-council/f4-bullying-intimidation-and-racism.html

https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/f703dce3-d959-43b7-a587-3d37d9fce13b/episodes/bfaa46b3-e752-4492-9c74-0eae46bd71c6/the-unseen-podcast-bulic-forsythe

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/616d627fd3bf7f5604d83c8c/Lambeth-care-IICSA-investigation.pdf

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/clough_report_harris_report_and

https://newsfromcrystalpalace.wordpress.com/2020/08/28/background-to-the-news-the-reports/

https://www.iicsa.org.uk/reports-recommendations/publications/investigation/lambeth-council/part-f-culture-lambeth-council/f2-corruption.html

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/in-the-footsteps-of-killers/on-demand/76436-001

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in! If you loved diving into the dark corners of South London with us, don't forget to hit that subscribe button to never miss an episode of "Sinister South."

Also, follow us on Instagram @SinisterSouthPodcast for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, and more cheeky banter, or www.sinistersouthpod.co.uk. Remember, every crime tells a story... and South is the best side of the river...

Produced and hosted by Hannah Williams & Rachel Baines
Mixed & edited by Purple Waves Sound (A.K.A Will)

This week we bring you the devastating story of two women, Naomi Hunte and Fiona Holm, both murdered by the same man: Carl Cooper. Both had warned police. Both were ignored. And both were lost because no one acted when it mattered.

We talk about stalking, missed red flags, a crowbar attack that led nowhere, and a family forced to do the investigating themselves. Plus, the absolute fury of watching a system shrug and walk away – twice.

There’s chat about chaotic Patreons, accidentally sending bonus episodes to the wrong people, and whether Gemma Collins has secretly taken over our mics… but at its heart, this episode is about two women who deserved better. And the very long list of people who failed them.

Sources include:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/carl-cooper-murder-trial-naomi-hunte-fiona-holm-b2556574.html

https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/24425248.lewisham-man-carl-cooper-jailed-life-murders/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv2gnn6n0deo.amp

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv2glr24egzo

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/sep/19/met-investigates-four-officers-over-case-of-double-domestic-murderer

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/met-police-failed-to-stop-abuser-killing-two-victims-carl-cooper-n7vn7jdw6?region=global

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/woolwich-murder-naomi-hunte-plumstead-common-police-london-crime-b983123.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/carl-cooper-met-police-fiona-holm-b2595131.html

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/16/the-killing-of-fiona-holm-why-was-the-life-and-death-of-this-much-loved-mother-so-overlooked

https://socialistworker.co.uk/news/met-police-sexism-failed-naomi-hunte-and-fiona-holm/

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in! If you loved diving into the dark corners of South London with us, don't forget to hit that subscribe button to never miss an episode of "Sinister South."

Also, follow us on Instagram @SinisterSouthPodcast for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, and more cheeky banter, or www.sinistersouthpod.co.uk. Remember, every crime tells a story... and South is the best side of the river...

Produced and hosted by Hannah Williams & Rachel Baines
Mixed & edited by Purple Waves Sound (A.K.A Will)

After a slightly chaotic opening involving anxiety spirals, pocket-based trouser strategy, and a traumatic passport photo, things quickly turn grim as we cover the brutal 2020 murder of 25-year-old Riches Obie in Elephant & Castle.

He had no criminal past. No enemies. Just a quiet life with his mum — until he was fatally stabbed in their flat.

Was it a robbery gone wrong? Or the fallout of a sham marriage scam involving immigration paperwork, money, and three Dutch nationals with links to international crime? Why did his mum flee to Nigeria and refuse to testify? And why did his sister step over his dying body to collect a suitcase?

A tragic, messy case. With more questions than answers.

Sources in this case include

https://news.sky.com/story/man-stabbed-former-associate-to-death-in-london-flat-then-held-his-mother-captive-after-sham-marriage-scam-row-13144561 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/riches-obi-bernadette-ortet-murder-b2552537.html https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/24448307.three-jailed-elephant-castle-marriage-scam-killing/
https://www.23es.com/convictions-in-jennifer-knight-kcs-marriage-scam-murder/ https://uk.news.yahoo.com/fake-groom-jailed-life-murder-113911901.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAH9ELC3qels5RAIWjg80HMlMqjTbgem4IRi-bEIuNtCvwdUMK0taNjPuWoDd1lU7-t3nnmcyQAUzwEF4PynSkb7R-SxfssrHlhWGNIpWoULTYNV6G25EdcNSvn7zqe30QDhI1k9PJFcs3J-f-CbYe1RGC2JD_uzfZeZwmoIl3665 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13267985/dutch-trio-bound-gagged-marriage-scheme.html
https://totalcrime.substack.com/p/i-stepped-over-my-brothers-body-to https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13627949/Killer-bound-gagged-legal-executive-stabbed-son-death-didnt-pay-sham-marriage-scam-jailed-30-years.html
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/powers-and-operational-procedure/marriage-investigations-accessible#:~:text=Section%2024%20duty%20to%20report,registering%20a%20birth%20or%20death.

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in! If you loved diving into the dark corners of South London with us, don't forget to hit that subscribe button to never miss an episode of "Sinister South."

Also, follow us on Instagram @SinisterSouthPodcast for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, and more cheeky banter, or www.sinistersouthpod.co.uk. Remember, every crime tells a story... and South is the best side of the river...

Produced and hosted by Hannah Williams & Rachel Baines
Mixed & edited by Purple Waves Sound (A.K.A Will)

A man shot in his kitchen. A Ming vase in a JD Sports bag. An iPad dumped in the Thames.

This one has it all: a failed assassination, a Geneva museum heist, and three South London men who left a digital trail as messy as their getaway. Paul Allen, once part of Britain’s biggest cash robbery, ends up paralysed. But it’s what the attackers left behind that seals their fate.

Also this week: Hannah’s limping, Rachel’s made a new friend (scandal), and we can’t remember if we’re quoting ourselves or losing our minds.

If you'd like to donate to Hannah's Just Giving for Papyrus, you can do it here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Hannah1747738258903

Sources for this episode include: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy5nw5nez7zo
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67988454
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgp1g85lj7o
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7656317.stm
https://news.met.police.uk/news/three-guilty-of-conspiracy-to-murder-following-woodford-green-shooting-in-2019-495437
https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/R-v-Kelly-Ahearne-and-Ahearne.pdf
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c209z8l72dwt?page=2
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/16/two-british-brothers-jailed-over-swiss-museum-heist
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/01/17/heist-switzerland-theft-baur-geneva-ahearne/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67950947
https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/news/trio-facing-lengthy-jail-terms-after-attempt-to-kill-east-london-rival-left-target-paralysed-for-life/

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in! If you loved diving into the dark corners of South London with us, don't forget to hit that subscribe button to never miss an episode of "Sinister South."

Also, follow us on Instagram @SinisterSouthPodcast for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, and more cheeky banter, or www.sinistersouthpod.co.uk. Remember, every crime tells a story... and South is the best side of the river...

Produced and hosted by Hannah Williams & Rachel Baines
Mixed & edited by Purple Waves Sound (A.K.A Will)

In the summer of 2020, the quiet suburb of Mitcham was shaken by an unthinkable tragedy. Five-year-old Sayagi Sivanantham was found critically injured in her family’s flat, and what followed would unravel into a story that forced a difficult national reckoning. In this episode, we explore the human story behind the headlines – one of a vibrant little girl, a community in shock, and the quiet crisis hiding in plain sight.

This case asks uncomfortable questions. About mental health, motherhood, and what happens when systems designed to protect don’t catch the warning signs in time.

As always, there is the usual chaos and giggles before the case kicks off. This week is the tale of "Rachel and Hannahs very annoying day".

Sources used for this episode include:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57598039

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-53252015

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/sep/11/london-woman-in-court-over-killing-of-five-year-old-daughter

https://news.sky.com/story/mitcham-murder-investigation-after-girl-five-dies-in-knife-incident-at-flat-12018900

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/metropolitan-police-mitcham-london-b942517.html

https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/british-tamil-child-murdered-london

https://www.arabnews.com/tags/sayagi-sivanantham

https://www.itv.com/news/london/2020-07-01/murder-investigation-following-the-death-of-girl-5-in-mitcham

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/mother-kills-daughter-covid-lockdown-depression-sutha-sivanantham-b942445.html

https://news.sky.com/story/mitcham-woman-in-court-charged-with-murder-of-five-year-old-daughter-12068821

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in! If you loved diving into the dark corners of South London with us, don't forget to hit that subscribe button to never miss an episode of "Sinister South."

Also, follow us on Instagram @SinisterSouthPodcast for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, and more cheeky banter, or www.sinistersouthpod.co.uk. Remember, every crime tells a story... and South is the best side of the river...

Produced and hosted by Hannah Williams & Rachel Baines
Mixed & edited by Purple Waves Sound (A.K.A Will)