Crimes That Shook Britain

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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’.