Murder Most British

Welcome to Murder Most British!

In this short introduction, we share who we are, what this podcast is all about, and what you can expect from the episodes ahead. We’ll be exploring true crime cases from across the UK — some you’ll know well, and others you may be hearing about for the first time.
A quick note: the audio quality in our first couple of episodes isn’t perfect. We were learning on the job and it took us a little time to get things right. Stick with us — it improves quickly, and we’re excited to bring you clear, well-researched stories each week.
Thanks for joining us at the start of this journey.

Ep 5: The Sunday School Murders - Hazel Stewart & Colin Howell

 In 1991, a quiet Northern Irish community awoke to a shocking scene: two bodies found in a fume-filled car, an apparent double suicide. The victims were linked by marriage—but not to each other. To all appearances, it was a tragic end to troubled lives. But years later, a single confession would expose a chilling conspiracy, and the story would unravel into one of the most infamous murder cases in Northern Ireland’s history. This episode uncovers the hidden lives, secret motives, and lasting fallout of a crime buried in silence. 
https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish 
 
Sources
High Court (NI) — Queen v Howell (Colin David), sentencing remarks, 3 Dec 2010 (life; 21-year minimum).
Crown Court (NI) — Queen v Hazel Stewart, sentencing remarks, 16 Mar 2011 
Court of Appeal (NI) — R v Stewart (Hazel) judgment, 8 Feb 2013 (conviction upheld; confirms 18-year minimum). 
Court of Appeal (NI) — R v Hazel Stewart [2015] NICA 62, 20 Oct 2015 (appeal dismissed). 
Court of Appeal (NI) — Summary judgment on sentence, 25 Jun 2025 (leave to appeal refused; 18-year tariff stands). 
Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland — Public Statement on the 1991 deaths, 6 Dec 2011 (criticises original suicide assumption; notes sentences).
Belfast Telegraph, 3 Dec 2010 (“21-year sentence for killer dentist”).
The Guardian, 16 Mar 2011 (“Hazel Stewart jailed for at least 18 years”). 
The Guardian, 6 Dec 2011 (report on Ombudsman criticism of initial investigation).
Irish Legal News, 8 Jul 2025 (Court of Appeal refuses Stewart leave to appeal sentence).
 

Ep 4: The Worlds End Murders - Angus Sinclair

For decades, the brutal murders of Christine Eadie and Helen Scott haunted Edinburgh—a case frozen in time, known only by a name: The World’s End Murders. But Angus Sinclair’s dark history stretched far beyond that infamous night. From early violent offences in Glasgow to a trail of suspected killings across Scotland, Sinclair operated in plain sight for over 40 years. In this episode, we follow the cold case breakthroughs, forensic revolutions, and legal reforms that finally unmasked one of the UK’s most elusive serial predators. How many victims were there? And why did justice take so long?
https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish
 
Sources
High Court of Justiciary (Appeal Court) — Sinclair v HM Advocate [2016] HCJAC 24 (24 Mar 2016): appeal against sentence refused; 37-year punishment part upheld.
Law Society of Scotland (Mar 2014): “High Court releases ‘World’s End’ double jeopardy ruling” — decision paved the way for Sinclair’s retrial under the 2011 Act. 
The Guardian (14 Nov 2014): “Serial rapist Angus Sinclair found guilty of 1977 World’s End murders” — conviction at Livingston; minimum term 37 years.
ITV News (14 Nov 2014): “Convicted killer Angus Sinclair jailed for 37 years for World’s End murders” — sentencing coverage and context. 
The Scotsman (14 Nov 2014): “World’s End trial: Angus Sinclair guilty of murders” — verdict report. 
The Guardian (11 Mar 2019): “World’s End serial killer Angus Sinclair dies in jail aged 73.” 
Scottish Parliament Official Report (13 Sep 2007): debate remarks after the 2007 “no case to answer” ruling (trial context pre-law reform). 
Scottish Law Commission (2021) discussion paper note: references Sinclair’s 37-year term as (then) the longest punishment part imposed.
Police Scotland — FOI Disclosure Log (May 2024): entries referencing materials held on Operation Trinity (World’s End investigation). 
Tom Wood & David Johnston — The World’s End Murders: The Final Verdict (Birlinn; updated eds. 2008–2015): long-form account by senior investigators/journalist
 

Ep 3: Maggots Don’t Lie - The Jigsaw Murders - Dr Buck Ruxton

In this chilling episode, we dive into the infamous Jigsaw Murders of 1935 and Dr Buck Ruxton. A gruesome case that shocked Britain and revolutionized forensic science. When scattered remains are discovered in a remote Scottish ravine, investigators face a macabre puzzle to identify the victims and unmask a killer hiding behind a respectable facade. Explore the haunting details of this landmark case, the meticulous police work, and the lives forever changed by a jealous rage—all without spoiling the twists that make this true crime story unforgettable.
https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish
 
Sources,
Glaister, John & James Couper Brash — Medico-Legal Aspects of the Ruxton Case (E. & S. Livingstone, 1937). 
Blundell, R.H. & G.H. Wilson (eds.) — Trial of Buck Ruxton (Notable British Trials, William Hodge, 1937).
National Library of Medicine — “The Buck Ruxton ‘Jigsaw Murders’” (Visible Proofs case summary). 
Glasgow Police Museum — “The Ruxton Murders – 1935” (case overview).
Historic UK — “The Birth of Forensics: Dr Buck Ruxton” (feature, updated 7 Aug 2023). 
New England Journal of Medicine (1938) — Book note on Medico-Legal Aspects of the Ruxton Case.
Medico-Legal and Criminological Review (1937) — Review of Glaister & Brash’s Ruxton Case.
Library catalogue records for the Notable British Trials volume (e.g., State Library of Victoria; SUNY Buffalo). 
People/press retrospectives on the case’s forensic legacy (modern summaries).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buck_Ruxton
 

Ep 2: Explosive Lies - The Widden Hill Farm Story

When a quiet countryside home becomes the scene of shocking violence, suspicions ripple through a tight-knit Gloucestershire village. In this episode, We unravel the tangled web behind one of Britain's most baffling criminal cases—where nothing is quite as it seems, and everyone has something to hide. Join us as we peel back the layers of deceit, danger, and rural drama. 
https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish
 
Sources
Western Daily Press (Feb 19, 1985): “The Evil of Graham Backhouse” — contemporaneous report with verdict details.
The Times (Feb 18, 1985): “Life sentence for farmer…” — Bristol Crown Court verdict coverage. (Listed in Casefile’s resource pack.)
Leicester Daily Mercury (1984–85): reports incl. “Neighbour is found shot dead at farm” / “‘Neighbour was shot in self-defence’” — scene and trial-day coverage. (Archived list.) 
Liverpool Echo / Daily Post (1984–85): items incl. “Man predicted own murder, court told” / “Letters deceit of ‘car bomb’ farmer.” (Archived list.) 
History.com (Apr 9, 1984 entry): “A husband attempts murder for money in England” — Backhouse car-bomb attempt context.
The National Archives (Discovery record J 309/149): “Graham Winston Backhouse: charged with murder, attempted murder…” (official file entry).
 

Ep 1: Who Pulled the Trigger - The White House Farm Murders

On a quiet August night in 1985, five members of the Bamber family were found brutally murdered inside their rural Essex farmhouse. What first appeared to be a tragic murder-suicide soon unraveled into one of Britain’s most chilling and controversial homicide cases.
In this premiere episode of Murder Most British, we take you deep inside the White House Farm murders. Was Sheila Caffell, a young mother battling schizophrenia, truly responsible for killing her parents and twin sons? Or was the real killer someone far closer than anyone dared imagine?
https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish
 
Sources
R v Bamber [2002] EWCA Crim 2912 — Court of Appeal judgment dismissing Bamber’s conviction appeal (Dec 12, 2002).
R v Bamber [2009] EWCA Crim 962 — Court of Appeal decision on whole-life tariff issues (June 2009).
CCRC case note: “Bamber, Jeremy” — 2001 referral; Court of Appeal upholds conviction in 2002; summary of DNA/silencer evidence issues. 
The Guardian (July 4, 2025): “Review body refuses to refer Jeremy Bamber case back to court of appeal.”
The Guardian (Oct 29, 1986 archive): “Essex family murders trial — verdict and sentencing remarks (‘evil almost beyond belief’).”
The Guardian (Dec 12, 2002): “Bamber appeal rejected.”
The New Yorker (Aug 5, 2024): “Did the U.K.’s Most Infamous Family Massacre End in a Wrongful Conviction?” (long-form reinvestigation)
The Guardian (Apr 17, 2025 interactive): “The murders at White House Farm: should Jeremy Bamber still be in prison?” (CCRC review context). 
The Independent (Aug 8, 2010): “Past crimes: The Bamber files” (case overview and sentencing quote).
Pan Macmillan (2020): Carol Ann Lee, The Murders at White House Farm (book page/edition info).