We're back in Victorian South London with a case so grim it became known as the Barnes mystery. In March 1879, widow Julia Martha Thomas hired a new servant, Kate Webster - a decision that would prove fatal. Within weeks Julia was dead, dismembered in her own kitchen copper, and Kate was strutting around Richmond in her employer's clothes, even trying to sell off the furniture.

In this episode we unravel the murder, the cover-up, and the sensational Old Bailey trial that made Kate infamous as the "Richmond Murderess". Along the way, we talk about whether we thrive under our own jurisdiction (spoiler: no), how not to make coffee when you're already in a mood, and the ongoing curse of smashed plates and dead mice.

Sources include:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14034969

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9dORAA9Ll4

https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/file/5536ba5a-c8d3-4492-ae2d-2836a0f6cad3/1/Chapter%206%20Kilday%20%28True%20Crime%20Histories%29.pdf

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/104299579/julia_martha-thomas

https://historianandrew.medium.com/why-kate-websters-murder-of-julia-martha-thomas-captivated-london-in-1879-adbc17dd0b63

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0lfwfjc

https://truecrimearchives.blog/kate-webster-axe-murderess-of-richmond/

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna43653402

https://www.irishpost.com/features/ten-facts-kate-webster-irish-maid-hanged-dismembering-employer-victorian-london-131185

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)

We're back! Season 3 is a go... what does season 3 do differently from season 2 you ask? Well... nothing really! HOWEVER... We're back with a big ol’ case – the brutal murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolwich in 2013.

In this episode we cover the events of that shocking day, the life of Lee Rigby, and the aftermath that rippled far beyond South London. From the horrific attack in broad daylight, to the courage of bystanders, the trial of his killers, and the way far-right groups tried to hijack his memory – this is a tough one, but one we felt we had to do justice to.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Sinister South without a bit of life admin first. Expect chat about hen dos and weddings, near-death experiences with kids wielding water guns, Hannah’s bright pink dress, Rachel’s new obsession with painting by numbers, and why running a virtual farm might just be more stressful than real life.

Sources include:

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)

We start this week chatting about Hannah’s all-consuming new farming obsession (no, not in real life – in a mobile game) and Rachel’s daughter delivering the line of the year to a would-be eight-year-old suitor.

But soon we turn to the devastating story of Lakanal House. In July 2009, a fire tore through the Camberwell tower block, claiming the lives of Catherine Hickman, Dayana Francisquini, her children Thais and Felipe, and Helen Udoka with her newborn daughter Michelle. It exposed fatal flaws in fire safety, building regulations, and the infamous “stay put” policy. This was a tragedy that should have been a wake-up call, yet eight years later, Grenfell showed how little had changed. We explore the events, the victims, the investigation, and the warnings that went unheeded.

Sources include

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/mar/28/lakanal-house-fire-inquest-verdict

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-39211598

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/lakanal-house-fire-the-human-cost-39170

https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/lakanal-house-fire-what-architects-must-learn/8650805.article

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/11461/2170793.pdf

https://assets.grenfelltowerinquiry.org.uk/LFB00032148_Exhibit%20RJD_9%20-%20Report%20‘Coroner’s%20Inquests%20following%20the%20fire%20at%20Lakanal%20House%20on%203%20July%202009.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/14887/fire-safety-purpose-built-flats.pdf

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)

Camberwell, South London. A quiet flat just off the main road. Nothing about it stood out—least of all the man inside. But for over a decade, Frederick Diji was running a romance scam so insidious, one victim sent him money for 14 years.

Using fake names, false promises, and a soft voice on the other end of the phone, Diji—and his accomplice Raquel Johnson—manipulated over 80 victims into handing over more than £400,000. Their targets? Mostly older gay men. People less likely to report it. Less likely to be believed.

This is a story of shame, silence and stolen futures. Of what happens when loneliness gets weaponised—and love becomes a trap.

Plus: Hannah’s got an 80s hen do, Rachel’s got a vendetta against fabric softener, and we both end up talking about the exes we probably should’ve blocked years ago.

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)

A teenage boy. A knock at the door. And a mother who made a devastating choice.

In this episode, we tell the story of 17-year-old Levi Ernest-Morrison — a kind, funny, and thoughtful boy from Sydenham with a love of motorbikes, dreams of building a home in St Lucia, and a future ahead of him. Until the evening of 10th April 2021, when he was hunted down in the street by a group of teenagers wielding machetes — and never made it home.

This story was featured in the BBC series The Met: Policing London, and in this episode we explore the full context, including Levi’s life before the attack, the involvement of Ulysses, Sprules and others, and the devastating impact on a family left behind.

We also chat about the summer holidays, walking motivation (or the lack thereof), and attempt to design badges with predictably terrible results.

Because it’s Sinister South — and we will always balance the darkest stories with a little bit of nonsense and a lot of swearing.

Sources include

https://www.met.police.uk/police-forces/metropolitan-police/areas/about-us/about-the-met/the-met/the-met-episode-one/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-63014582
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/levi-ernest-morrison-machete-stabbing-murder-sydenham-london-b1115715.html
https://southwarknews.co.uk/area/southwark/levi-ernest-morrison-fifth-arrest-made-by-police

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)

On a quiet summer night in Tooting, five litres of petrol were poured through a family's letterbox and lit. By morning sisters Nabiha and Maleha Masud were dying in hospital. The attack came without warning, leaving detectives and the girls grieving mother, desperate to understand why.

Join Hannah and Rachel as they unpick a case of shocking entitlement and the devastating consequences of unchecked obsession. We also explore the legal aftermath, including rare appeals and how 'life' sentences actually work when the killer is a child.

Before diving into the horror of the case, as always we go off the rails in the best way — debating whether sharks belong in baths, who really needs hobbies, and why Hannah once rugby tackled a child at Madame Tussauds.

There’s also some musings on ghost sightings in swimming pools and a very emotional chat about identity and invisible labour in relationships. Standard stuff, really.

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 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)