Murder Most British
A British-American couple unearths haunting murders from across the United Kingdom, Ireland, and neighbouring islands — one file at a time. Deep dives, dark humour, and cases that linger long after the verdict. Welcome to Murder Most British.
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Episodes
Wednesday Apr 08, 2026
Wednesday Apr 08, 2026
“In the early hours of a November morning, a call to police led to a scene that would dominate headlines by dawn.”
In November 2014, police were called to the Sirhowy Arms Hotel in the village of Argoed after reports of a violent disturbance inside one of the rooms. What officers encountered when they entered the building was shocking — a scene of extreme violence and a young woman already beyond help.
Within hours, the story spread across the country. A nickname took hold in the press. Speculation travelled faster than confirmed fact.
But behind the headlines was a short, chaotic sequence of events — involving drug use, mental health struggles, a violent attack, and the suspect collapsing shortly after police restrained him.
This week, the Archive steps carefully through that night — separating verified evidence from sensational framing, and examining how quickly a narrative can overtake understanding.
Some headlines arrive louder than the facts beneath them.
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Sources
ITV News Wales – 'Cannibal' murder could have been prevented, says alleged killer's mother https://www.itv.com/news/wales/update/2014-11-11/b-b-owner-describes-murder-discovery-in-hotel/
The Independent – 'He's eating her': 999 phone call about 'cannibal killer' attack at Welsh hotel https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/cannibal-killer-matthew-williams-latest-999-phone-call-cerys-yemm-hes-eating-her-welsh-hotel-sirhowy-arms-argoed-caerphilly-a7632896.html
The Guardian – ‘Cannibalism’ case man should have been in hospital, says his mother https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/10/cannibalism-case-man-hospital-says-mother
Guardian – ‘Cannibal’ killing of woman at hostel in Wales as suspected attacker is left dead https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/07/cannibalistic-attack-sirhowy-arms-argoed-caerphilly
Guardian – 'Cannibal' murder triggered by illegal drugs, says health watchdog https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/mar/30/cannibal-triggered-by-attackers-illegal-drugtaking-says-health-watchdog
Guardian – Woman killed in ‘cannibal’ attack died of sharp force trauma, inquest hears https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/21/postmortem-cerys-yemm-cannibal-attack-sharp-force-trauma
South Wales Argus – ARGOED INQUEST: Timeline of double hotel deaths https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/15205372.argoed-inquest-timeline-of-double-hotel-deaths/
South Wales Argus – ARGOED INQUEST: Hotel owner walked in on 'bloodbath' https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/15205494.argoed-inquest-hotel-owner-walked-in-on-bloodbath/
South Wales Argus – Gwent Police officers acted with 'reasonable and necessary force' prior to death of Matthew Williams, IPCC investigation finds https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/15205926.gwent-police-officers-acted-with-reasonable-and-necessary-force-prior-to-death-of-matthew-williams-ipcc-investigation-finds/
South Wales Argus – ARGOED INQUEST: ‘I’ve never been so scared’ - police officer who tasered Matthew Williams https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/15162375.argoed-inquest-ive-never-been-so-scared-police-officer-who-tasered-matthew-williams/
South Wales Argus – ARGOED DEATHS: Inquest opens into death of Matthew Williams https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/11644927.argoed-deaths-inquest-opens-into-death-of-matthew-williams/
South Wales Argus – ARGOED INQUEST: Killer Matthew Williams 'was taking amphetamine nearly every day' https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/15176713.argoed-inquest-killer-matthew-williams-was-taking-amphetamine-nearly-every-day/
South Wales Argus – Argoed Inquest: Probation staff ‘had no power’ over hotel killer https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/15187598.argoed-inquest-probation-staff-had-no-power-over-hotel-killer/
Police Professional – Officers cleared of wrongdoing in cannibal murder case https://policeprofessional.com/news/officers-cleared-of-wrongdoing-in-cannibal-murder-case/
Hold The Front Page – Killer’s dad complains to IPSO after regional dailies call son a ‘cannibal’ https://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2017/news/killers-dad-complains-to-ipso-after-regional-dailies-call-son-a-cannibal/
BBC News – Argoed inquest: Matthew Williams 'had cardiac arrest' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-39371150
BBC News – Mother says son should have been in hospital https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-29981512
BBC News – Argoed hostel killer 'seemed pretty well', inquest hears https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-39405038
BBC News – Matthew Williams: Argoed residents call for cannibal murder B&B to close https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-30111606
BBC News – Matthew Williams: Killer found bent over lifeless victim https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-30003796
Resolution Statement 02138-14 Williams v South Wales Evening Post https://www.ipso.co.uk/rulings/02138-14/
Wales Online – Hotel killer Matthew Williams was a ‘time bomb’ after being released from prison https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/hotel-killer-matthew-williams-time-12847826
Caerphilly Observer – Argoed murder inquest: The evidence heard so far https://caerphilly.observer/news/963874/argoed-murder-inquest-the-evidence-heard-so-far/
Wednesday Apr 01, 2026
Wednesday Apr 01, 2026
“In a quiet Bristol suburb, a fourteen-year-old girl vanished from her own home.”In February 2015, Becky Watts was reported missing after she failed to turn up at school. Her bedroom door stood open. Her phone was gone. There were no obvious signs of forced entry.At first, it was treated as a missing-person case. Posters went up. Appeals were broadcast. Volunteers searched nearby parks and streets. But within days, investigators began to suspect something far more deliberate — something that had not come from outside the house at all.What followed was a case that unsettled the country: one built on planning, deception, and a betrayal that felt almost impossible to comprehend.This week, the Archive traces the timeline — from disappearance to discovery — and examines how a family home became the centre of one of the most disturbing crimes in modern British memory.
Some doors do not need to be forced to hide something terrible.
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SOURCES
Court of Appeal (Criminal Division). (2016). R v Matthews & Hoare [2016] EWCA Crim 886. BAILII.https://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/format.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2016/886.html&query=(Matthews)+AND+(Hoare)
BBC News. (2015, February 28). Two arrested over missing teenager Becky Watts.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-31684017
BBC News. (2015, October 9). Becky Watts murder trial: Evidence presented in court.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-34464909
BBC News. (2015, November 11). Becky Watts murder: Nathan Matthews guilty, Shauna Hoare guilty of manslaughter.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-34790804
BBC News. (2015, November 13). Becky Watts killers sentenced.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-34812317
BBC News. (2015, April 17). Becky Watts funeral ‘celebration of her life’.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-32335353
The Guardian. (2015, March 2). Becky Watts: timeline of the 16-year-old’s disappearance.https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/mar/02/becky-watts-disappearance-timeline-16-year-old-bristol
The Guardian. (2015, October 7). Becky Watts was killed in sexually motivated attack, jury told.https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/07/becky-watts-was-killed-in-sexually-motivated-attack-jury-told
The Guardian. (2015, October 12). Becky Watts accused giggled during interrogation, court told.https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/12/becky-watts-accused-giggled-during-interrogation-court-told
The Guardian. (2015, November 11). Nathan Matthews and Shauna Hoare turned dark fantasies into reality.https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/nov/11/nathan-matthews-shauna-hoare-becky-watts-dark-fantasies-reality
The Guardian. (2015, November 13). Becky Watts trial: Judge cries as killers sentenced.https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/nov/13/becky-watts-trial-judge-cries-nathan-matthews-shauna-hoare
The Guardian. (2015, April 17). Becky Watts funeral: relatives pay tribute to “angel of Bristol”.https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/apr/17/becky-watts-funeral-bristol
The Guardian. (2016, June 23). Becky Watts killers lose conviction and sentence appeals.https://www.theguardian.com/law/2016/jun/23/becky-watts-killers-lose-conviction-and-sentence-appeals
The Guardian. (2018, January 29). Becky Watts case review finds eight services failed murdered teenager.https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jan/29/becky-watts-case-review-finds-eight-services-failed-murdered-teenager
Daily Mirror. (2015). Becky Watts murder trial: Read full transcript of stepbrother’s confession to police.https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/becky-watts-murder-trial-read-6677073
Sky News. (2015). Two held over missing teen Becky Watts.https://news.sky.com/story/two-held-over-missing-teen-becky-watts-10369645
ITV News. (2023, September 1). Becky Watts’ mum’s anger as daughter’s killer Shauna Hoare is released from prison.https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2023-09-01/mums-anger-as-evil-woman-who-killed-becky-watts-released-from-prison
ITV News West Country. (2015). Becky Watts trial coverage (Day 1–21).https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/story/2015-10-06/becky-watts-trial-day-1/
Channel 4. (2019). Becky Watts: Police Tapes
Book - Darren Galsworthy - Becky: The heartbreaking story of Becky Watts.
Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Becky_Watts
Wednesday Mar 25, 2026
Wednesday Mar 25, 2026
“In the fading light beside Queen’s Park, a short walk home slipped quietly out of sight.”On 28 May 2008, Moira Jones left her boyfriend’s flat in Glasgow’s southside and began the familiar walk along Queen’s Drive. The route was ordinary. The park beside it was well known. It was late, but not unusually so.Before midnight, she was seen walking near the edge of the park.By morning, police cordons stretched between trees and hedgerows. A major investigation began almost immediately — one that would move quickly, draw intense public attention, and stretch beyond Scotland’s borders.The case that followed would test timelines, trace movements, and force investigators to reconstruct a night that had slipped out of sight in a place people crossed every day.This week, the Archive walks the perimeter of Queen’s Park — examining the night itself, and the enquiry that followed.
Some routes feel routine — until they aren’t.
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SOURCES
BBC News — Moira Jones murder investigationhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7990261.stm
BBC News — Offender 'admitted' Moira murderhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/mobile/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7946897.stm
BBC News — Moira accused agreed extraditionhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7941774.stm
BBC News — Court hears of 'agitated' Moirahttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7948620.stm
BBC News — CCTV shown in murder trial (2009)http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7972347.stm
BBC News — Man found guilty of Moira murderhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7989422.stm
BBC News — 'Terrible evil' in dear green placehttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7986386.stm
BBC News — Moira witness jailed for attack http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7990123.stm
BBC News — HMA v Marek Harcar (Sentencing summary PDF)http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/08_04_09_marek_harcar.pdf
The Guardian — Slovakian man jailed for murder of Glasgow businesswoman Moira Joneshttps://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/apr/08/slovakian-jailed-murder-glasgow
The Herald — Moira Jones killer to serve rest of his sentence in native homelandhttps://www.heraldscotland.com/news/16222642.moira-jones-killer-serve-rest-sentence-native-homeland/
BBC News — Catching the park killer who vanished 'like a ghost'https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-44209631
STV News — Moira Jones: Brutal murder that stunned a city ten years on (2018)https://archive.news.stv.tv/archive/1416294-moira-jones-legacy-of-2008-murder-that-stunned-glasgow.html
BBC News — The diary of my daughter's murder: 'We were in hell on earth'https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-53909462
BBC News — The park murder victim's family helping others grievehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65675797
Wednesday Mar 18, 2026
Wednesday Mar 18, 2026
“They left the house for a short walk — and a quiet town began searching for two girls who never came home.”
In the Cambridgeshire market town of Soham, the evening of the 4th of August 2002 began like countless summer nights before it. Two ten-year-old best friends stepped out of a house for what should have been a short walk through familiar streets.
Within hours, families and neighbours were searching the town. Within days, the entire country knew their names.
As investigators retraced the girls’ final movements, a picture slowly emerged — one that would reveal betrayal, expose failures in the systems meant to protect children, and lead to reforms that reshaped safeguarding across Britain.
This week, the Archive revisits a case that shocked the nation and forever changed the small town where it began.
Some crimes shatter communities. The Archive preserves the moments when trust is broken — and the lessons that follow.
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Sources
Official Reports & Government Documents
The Bichard Inquiry Report (2004)
https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/6394/1/report.pdf
The Bichard Inquiry – Final Report (2005 Follow-up)
https://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Society/documents/2005/03/15/Bichardfinalreport.pdf
HM Inspectorate of Constabulary – Investigation by Cambridgeshire Constabulary (Operation Fincham Review)
https://assets-hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/uploads/investigation-by-cambridgeshire-constabulary-20040530.pdf
UK Parliament – Hansard Statement on the Bichard Inquiry
Parliamentary discussion following publication of the inquiry report.
https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2004-06-22/debates/3637ce59-cd9a-462c-8b69-a29dc01e93a2/BichardInquiryReport
UK Government – Safeguarding & Vetting Reforms following the Bichard Inquiry
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/scrutiny-of-vetting-and-barring-scheme-gets-underway
Major News Coverage
The Guardian – Police trace moment girls vanished https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/aug/09/childprotection.society
The Guardian – Holly and Jessica: timetable
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/nov/06/soham.ukcrime
The Guardian – Express offers £1m for information on missing girls https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/aug/08/pressandpublishing.childprotection
BBC News – Soham trial timeline http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3232051.stm
The Guardian – Huntley gives evidence https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/dec/10/soham.ukcrime
The Guardian – Huntley admits burning bodies https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/nov/28/soham.ukcrime
The Guardian – Soham trial hears forensic evidence
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/nov/24/soham.ukcrime
The Guardian – Maxine Carr Granted Lifetime Anonymity
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/feb/25/soham.ukcrime
The Guardian – Huntley 'driven by sexual motive' https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/dec/11/soham.ukcrime3
The Guardian – Holly, Jessica and the unravelling of a dark and terrible mystery https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/dec/07/ukcrime.soham
The Guardian – Huntley: I did not intend to kill girls https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/dec/01/soham.ukcrime
The Guardian – Soham girls 'likely to have been asphyxiated' https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/nov/07/soham.ukcrime7
The Guardian – Huntley given two life sentences
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/dec/17/soham.ukcrime7
The Guardian – Soham killer must serve 40 years https://www.theguardian.com/society/2005/sep/29/soham.uknews
Sky News – Coverage of Ian Huntley prison assault (2026)
https://news.sky.com/story/soham-murderer-ian-huntley-in-serious-condition-after-workshop-prison-attack-as-assault-suspect-identified-13512440
BBC NEWS - Soham murderer Ian Huntley taken off life support, BBC understands https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62d410y4qko
THe Guardian - Soham murderer Ian Huntley dies after HMP Frankland prison attack https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/mar/07/soham-murderer-ian-huntley-dies-after-hmp-frankland-prison-attack#:~:text=Jamie%20Grierson,Friday%20after%20his%20condition%20deteriorated.
LBC - Soham monster Ian Huntley 'wears Man Utd-style top' in apparent sick reference to 10-year-old victims https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/soham-monster-ian-huntley-wears-man-utd-style-top-in-sick-reference-5Hjd7XN_2/
Wednesday Mar 11, 2026
Wednesday Mar 11, 2026
“In a quiet corner of west Wales, the countryside kept its secrets for years.”
In the 1980s and 1990s, Pembrokeshire was a place of farms, coastal paths, and roads that emptied after dark. Movement was familiar. Faces were known. A man who looked like he belonged rarely drew attention.
Then, across two decades, violence struck in isolated places — a farmhouse set back from the lane, a stretch of coastal path below the cliffs, an open field near a housing estate. The investigations ran separately. The answers never came.
Years later, items preserved for decades were examined again. What had once been silent began to speak — and old assumptions shifted.
This week, the Archive traces a case that unfolded slowly — where ordinary familiarity masked something far darker, and where time itself became part of the story.
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Sources
Court of Appeal (BAILII) — Appeal refusal judgmentCooper, Re Application for leave to appeal [2012] EWCA Crim 2240https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2012/2240.html
Wilkins, Steve & Hill, Jonathan — The Pembrokeshire Murders: Catching the Bullseye Killer (2013)First-hand account by the Senior Investigating Officer and ITV journalisthttps://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/steve-wilkins/the-pembrokeshire-murders/9781841884509/
Conviction & sentencing reporthttps://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-13538545
Background profile — Spot-the-Ball win, burglary history, lifestylehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-13409516
Son’s testimony — “shotgun walks”, hidden possessions, photographs, gun barrelhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-13077287
CCRC review request (recent status)https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-65374137
The Guardian — early court coveragehttps://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/may/15/double-murders-accused-court
The Guardian — convictions overview (technology breakthrough angle)https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/may/26/john-cooper-murders-finally-solved
ITV News — True story explainer / timelinehttps://www.itv.com/news/wales/2021-01-11/the-pembrokeshire-murders-the-true-story-behind-the-notorious-double-murders-that-shook-west-wales
ITV News — appeal/review coveragehttps://www.itv.com/news/wales/2023-04-24/bullseye-killer-john-cooper-to-appeal-sentence
Forensic Access — Angela Gallop / forensic involvementhttps://www.forensic-access.co.uk/cold-cases/pembrokeshire-murders/
Western Telegraph — trial archive hubhttps://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/9063258.western-telegraph-murder-trail-25-years/
Western Telegraph — conviction review applicationhttps://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/23476698.serial-killer-john-cooper-applies-conviction-review
Crime and Investigation https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/article/john-william-cooper-the-bullseye-murderer
Royal Television Society — Bullseye history & viewershiphttps://rts.org.uk/article/comfort-classic-bullseye
UK Game Shows — Bullseye format detailshttps://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Bullseye
Huffington Post — case explainer tied to ITV dramahttps://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/the-pembrokeshire-murders-real-story-itv-drama-cast-luke-evans-keith-allen-john-cooper-killer_uk_5ffc3f1bc5b63642b6fd68ef
The Independent — The Pembrokeshire Murders: Where are John Cooper and his family now? https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/pembrokeshire-murders-john-cooper-wife-b1786770.html
Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cooper_(serial_killer)
Wednesday Mar 04, 2026
Wednesday Mar 04, 2026
“In a roadside inn on the Wicklow coast, routine was everything — until one night it wasn’t.”
This week, the Archive crosses the Irish Sea for a case that gripped the neighbouring island.
On March 19th, 1996, Tom Nevin was finishing the accounts at Jack White’s Inn, as he had done countless times before. By morning, he was dead in his own premises, and a robbery was reported in the early hours.
His wife, Catherine, told police a masked intruder had entered their home above the pub. Money was missing. A car had vanished. The alarm had been triggered before dawn.
What followed became one of the most closely watched cases in modern Irish history — built on reconstruction, credibility, and the story that unfolded as investigators tried to make sense of what had happened inside a place built on routine.
This week, the Archive examines a killing that began in the ordinary — and ended somewhere far more complicated.
This case takes place in the Republic of Ireland — part of our wider ‘these islands’ coverage.
Links to our socials and Discord: https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish
Sources
Court & Legal Record
Court of Criminal Appeal — Catherine Nevin v. Director of Public Prosecutions (Judgment, 22 Nov 2010)https://ww2.courts.ie/acc/alfresco/696ba620-fbc7-473d-a924-8700355437cd/2010_IECCA_106_1.pdf/pdf#view=fitH
Investigation & Charges
RTÉ News — Catherine Nevin charged with murder (14 Apr 1997)https://www.rte.ie/archives/2022/0330/1289316-catherine-nevin-faces-murder-charge/
The Irish Times — Widow of publican granted bail on murder charge (19 Apr 1997)https://www.irishtimes.com/news/widow-of-publican-granted-bail-on-murder-charge-1.63887
Trial Coverage (2000)
Irish Independent — ‘Big game’ cartridge used to kill publicanhttps://www.independent.ie/irish-news/big-game-cartridge-used-to-kill-publican/26126556.html
Irish Independent — Wife `wanted Tom to die in her arms' https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/wife-wanted-tom-to-die-in-her-arms/26121225.html
RTÉ News — Catherine Nevin denies affairs with retired Garda and judge https://www.rte.ie/news/2000/0315/6063-nevin/
RTÉ News — New jury sworn in to hear retrial of Catherine Nevinhttps://www.rte.ie/news/2000/0207/5478-nevin/
RTÉ News — Witness gives evidence of Nevin murder plothttps://www.rte.ie/news/2000/0301/5841-nevin/
RTÉ News — Third man claims Nevin asked him to murder husbandhttps://www.rte.ie/news/2000/0302/5861-nevin/
RTÉ News — Nevin trial prosecution ends closing speech to juryhttps://www.rte.ie/news/2000/0331/6313-nevin/
RTÉ News — Catherine Nevin begins life sentencehttps://www.rte.ie/news/2000/0411/6465-nevin/
BBC News — Wife jailed after marathon trialhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/709839.stm
The Irish Times — Nevin gets 7 years on each soliciting count https://www.irishtimes.com/news/nevin-gets-7-years-on-each-soliciting-count-1.279599
The Post.IE - Tom Nevin knew of murder plot https://web.archive.org/web/20090714231955/http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2000/09/10/story656559038.asp
Appeals & Later Proceedings
RTÉ News — Nevin loses appeal against convictions (2003)https://www.rte.ie/news/2003/0314/36208-nevin01/
RTÉ News — Court rules murder conviction can be used in inheritance case (2013)https://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0301/370254-catherine-nevin-court/
RTÉ News — Catherine Nevin loses bid for Supreme Court appeal (2014)https://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0707/629146-catherine-nevin/
Retrospectives & Analysis
The Irish Times — The trial and conviction of the “Black Widow” (2018)https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/catherine-nevin-the-trial-and-conviction-of-the-black-widow-1.3399075
The Journal — A murder, the IRA, and the Black Widow: Catherine Nevin and the trial that gripped the nation https://www.thejournal.ie/catherine-nevin-murder-3861901-Feb2018/
The Irish Independent — Story of greed, lies and lust that made the 'black widow' a household name https://www.independent.ie/regionals/herald/story-of-greed-lies-and-lust-that-made-the-black-widow-a-household-name/36638383.html
Irish Independent — Inside the Garda’s Black Widow probe (2018)https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/inside-the-gardas-black-widow-probe/36640380.html
The Journal — A murder, the IRA, and the Black Widow: the trial that gripped the nationhttps://www.thejournal.ie/catherine-nevin-murder-3861901-Feb2018
Death
RTÉ News — Convicted murderer Catherine Nevin dies aged 67 (2018)https://www.rte.ie/news/2018/0220/942127-catherine-nevin-death/
Background Reference
Wikipedia — Catherine Nevin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Nevin
Wednesday Feb 25, 2026
Wednesday Feb 25, 2026
“Hidden from sight, contained by design — a man the system decided could never be released.”
In the 1970s, a series of violent crimes forced British authorities to confront a question they rarely ask aloud: what happens when someone is deemed too dangerous to exist among others? The answer would not be found in a courtroom alone — but behind reinforced walls, under constant observation.
At the centre of this case is Robert Maudsley, a prisoner whose actions reshaped how the state manages extreme violence. His name became synonymous not just with murder, but with confinement itself — and with a form of imprisonment unlike any seen before or since.
This week, the Archive examines a case defined by containment rather than escape — and the uneasy line between punishment, protection, and permanent isolation.
Join our Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/MurderMostBritishPodcast
Links to our socials and Discord!
https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish
Sources
Crime + Investigation
https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/shows/making-a-monster/abused-as-a-child-robert-maudsley-killed-abusers-as-an-adult
The independent - Visiting time: Charles Bronson invites us into his cell
Talks about Maudsley and Bronson interactions.
https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/crime/visiting-time-charles-bronson-invites-us-into-his-cell-6262619.html
The Guardian - The caged misery of Britain's real 'Hannibal the Cannibal' https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/apr/27/ukcrime
Manchester Evening News - The notorious serial killer locked inside 'Monster Mansion' in tiny bulletproof glass box underground
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/nostalgia/notorious-serial-killer-locked-inside-27970514 Manchester Evening News.
Manchester Evening News - Life of Britain's 'most dangerous prisoner' who spends 23 hours a day locked inside a glass box
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/life-britains-most-dangerous-prisoner-22197596
Liverpool Echo - 'Brain-Eater' killer Robert Maudsley is now 40 YEARS into solitary confinement stretch https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/brain-eater-killer-robert-maudsley-14888774
Liverpool Echo - Tragic life that led to Hannibal killings
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/tragic-life-led-hannibal-killings-3554260
BBC News - Killer begs for budgie or suicide
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/687659.stm
The Guardian 7 October 1977 -
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-robert-maudsley/21154786/
Robert Maudsley | Making A Monster: The Tapes. Directly from Dr Bob Johnson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLxpDGWoO_E
The Mirror - 'My serial killer brother's so polite - but he's on hunger strike after new accusation'
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/my-serial-killer-brothers-polite-34815758
Yahoo News - UK's 'most dangerous prisoner’ transferred to new jail after 46 years in a glass box underground
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/uks-most-dangerous-prisoner-transferred-100954419.html?guccounter=1
Yahoo News - Liverpool serial killer to spend Christmas underground in a glass box
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/liverpool-serial-killer-spend-christmas-000728911.html
IOL - Killer creature comforts: pet or poison
https://iol.co.za/news/eish/2000-03-23-killer-creature-comforts-pet-or-poison/
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Maudsley
Murderpedia
https://murderpedia.org/male.M/m/maudsley-robert.htm#google_vignette
Wednesday Feb 18, 2026
Wednesday Feb 18, 2026
“Behind closed doors, a secret relationship unfolded — and when it was exposed, it shook an entire city.”
In 1857, the sudden death of a young clerk seemed, at first, like another quiet tragedy in a crowded industrial city. But when arsenic was discovered in his body, investigators were forced to look beyond illness — and toward a hidden world of letters, secrecy, and forbidden intimacy.
At the centre of the case stood Madeleine Smith, a young woman from one of Glasgow’s most respectable families. Her private correspondence, never meant to be seen, became the centrepiece of a sensational trial that asked how far suspicion could go when proof remained elusive.
This week, the Archive revisits Scotland’s most infamous courtroom drama — a case that defined the verdict of Not Proven, exposed the cost of reputation, and left questions that still refuse to settle.
https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish
Sources
Background & Overview
Wikipedia – Madeleine Smith (overview of the case)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Smith
Primary Trial Records & Historical Documents
Archive.org – Full text of The Trial of Madeleine Smith (digitised 1857 trial transcript)https://archive.org/stream/trialmadeleines00smitgoog/trialmadeleines00smitgoog_djvu.txt
19th-Century press coverage
Precognition and investigation coverage from the Glasgow Herald, Stirling Observer, Inverness Advertiser — reporting from April 1857 on the suspected poisoning and legal process. https://randomscottishhistory.com/2022/06/09/madeleine-smith-pre-trial-podcast/
Historical blogs & museum/heritage context
National Records of Scotland blog (“Madeleine Hamilton Smith (1835–1928) – The Accused”) — summary of the case with legal and cultural framing. https://blog.nrscotland.gov.uk/2017/07/18/madeleine-hamilton-smith-1835-1928-the-accused/
Scottish Legal Podcast/article on how the Not Proven verdict still resonates in Scotland’s legal heritage. https://www.scottishlegal.com/articles/our-legal-heritage-new-forensic-science-podcast-puts-not-proven-madeleine-smith-case-under-the-microscope
Crime Chronicles
https://vocal.media/criminal/crime-chronicles-madeleine-smith
Wednesday Feb 11, 2026
Wednesday Feb 11, 2026
On Valentine’s Day 1988, in Cardiff’s dockside district of Butetown, Lynette White was murdered inside a flat above a betting shop.
The killing shocked the neighbourhood and placed detectives under immediate pressure to make arrests. Within days, five local men were taken in for questioning. Three would become known as the Cardiff Three.
But as the case moved forward, doubts began to surface — about the investigation, the evidence, and whether the right people had been accused at all.
This week, The Archivist reopens the Butetown file: a murder that unsettled a community and a prosecution that would come to define one of the most controversial chapters in Welsh criminal history.
Links to where to follow and join our Discord!
https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish
SOURCES
Official reports & judgments
Mouncher Investigation Report (Horwell QC, 2017)https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a82d6cd40f0b6230269cfa0/mouncher_report_web_accessible_july_2017.pdf
Court of Appeal / High Court Judgment — Mouncher & Others v Chief Constable of South Wales Policehttps://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Moucher-v-SWP-full-judgment.pdf
Contemporary and retrospective media reporting
BBC News
Killing led to miscarriage of justicehttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3038672.stm
Lynette White case: Police officers’ trial collapseshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-15981541
Lynette White: Corruption inquiry review after civil casehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-33718653
The Guardian
Murder appeal in prostitute casehttps://www.theguardian.com/uk/1991/jun/21/cardiff-three-wales
Cardiff murder appeal man ‘beaten over head verbally’https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1992/dec/10/cardiff-three-wales
Security guard admits 1988 prostitute murderhttps://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/jul/04/ukcrime1
Policemen face charges over Cardiff Three casehttps://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/mar/03/cardiff-three-police-charges
Cardiff Three are completely innocent, says convicted killerhttps://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/jul/13/cardiff-three-innocent-lynette-white
Eight former police officers accused of fabricating Lynette White murder casehttps://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/jul/06/lynette-white-case-eight-policemen-accused
The Cardiff Three: the long wait for justicehttps://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/sep/17/cardiff-three-five-wait-justice
Police were within rights to investigate Cardiff Three officers, judge ruleshttps://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jun/14/judge-rejects-wrongful-prosecution-claims-of-cardiff-three-ex-officers
Trial of Cardiff Three police collapsed due to human error, inquiry findshttps://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jul/18/trial-of-cardiff-three-police-collapsed-due-to-human-error-inquiry-finds
The Independent
Police in court over framing of Cardiff Threehttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/police-in-court-over-framing-of-cardiff-three-2308189.html
An injustice that won’t go awayhttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/an-injustice-that-won-t-go-away-8034860.html
Wales Online
Lynette White vanished for five days before body found, corruption trial toldhttps://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/lynette-white-vanished-five-days-1820989
Urgent review ordered as £30m Lynette White police corruption trial collapseshttps://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/urgent-review-ordered-30m-lynette-1798844
Wikipedia — Murder of Lynette Whitehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Lynette_White
Wednesday Feb 04, 2026
Wednesday Feb 04, 2026
“A murder in rural Northern Ireland in 1961 became something larger — and left a permanent mark on the justice system.”
In the early 1960s, a young woman vanished from her community, sparking fear in a place where crimes of this kind were rare and deeply unsettling. What followed was a rapid investigation and a case that would come to carry significance far beyond the events that first drew police attention.
As the story unfolded, it raised uncomfortable questions — not only about responsibility, but about punishment, finality, and the moment when the power of the state reaches its limit.
This week, the Archive examines a case remembered not just for what happened — but for what followed, and why it still echoes decades later.
Where to follow and links to Discord
https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish
SOURCES
Case & Historical Detail
CapitalPunishmentUK — McGladdery case summaryhttps://capitalpunishmentuk.org/robert-andrew-mcgladdery-northern-irelands-last-hanging/
Belfast History Project — Last execution in Northern Irelandhttps://www.belfasthistoryproject.com/belfastexecutions/
ExecutedToday — McGladdery execution entryhttps://www.executedtoday.com/tag/robert-mcgladdery/
Contemporary & Retrospective Reporting
Independent.ie (The Indo Daily) — Pearl Gamble storyhttps://www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-indo-daily/the-indo-daily-the-pearl-gamble-story-and-the-last-man-to-hang-in-northern-ireland/a927411546.html
Belfast Telegraph
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/the-last-man-to-be-hanged-in-ulster/28263256.html
Harry Allen (executioner of McGladdery)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Allen_(executioner)
Robert McGladdery (Wikipedia) — Last hanging in NI
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_McGladdery
The Newry Journal
https://www.newryjournal.co.uk/history/living-history/pearl-gamble-missing/
https://www.newryjournal.co.uk/history/living-history/mcgladdery-as-chief-suspect/
https://www.newryjournal.co.uk/history/living-history/mcgladdery-walks-the-route/
https://www.newryjournal.co.uk/history/living-history/mcgladdery-cleans-his-trail/
https://www.newryjournal.co.uk/history/living-history/mcgladdery-buys-murder-weapon/
https://www.newryjournal.co.uk/history/living-history/mcgladdery/ https://www.newryjournal.co.uk/history/living-history/the-long-wait-mcgladdery/ https://www.newryjournal.co.uk/reminiscence/characters/dickie-talks-of-mcgladdery/