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)