Crimes That Shook Britain

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.