The Trial

Today on the podcast Caroline and Ryan have the extraordinary allegations against a Church of England Priest, who ran what's been called a "cult" service to abuse his female "disciples". Chris Brain admits having sexual relations with worshippers at the infamous Nine O'Clock Service in Sheffield in the 1980s and 1990s, but he's now accused of criminal offences. The allegation is the women he targeted were so vulnerable, isolated and frightened that they did not have the capacity to consent.

Also today, Caroline chats to Liz about the imminent report by Lady Justice Thirlwall into the crimes of Lucy Letby.

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Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Ryan Hooper
Editor: Chelsey Ranore
Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham
Assistant Producer: Harriet Muckle
Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.
The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

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It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does the law need to change in order to better protect jurors?

That is what the House of Lords is now considering. Long-established laws means members of a jury are not allowed to discuss a case with anyone during a trial. And even after a trial is finished, what they can say about what they have seen and heard is limited. But it's now recognised that the evidence in many cases is traumatising and jurors need more help. But that would mean amending the law and that is what a new inquiry is looking into this week.

In this episode Caroline chats to Doctor Hannah Fawcett about her work on the wellbeing of jurors and what she wants to see the inquiry recommend.
The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.
It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.
Seriously Popular.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

60-year-old Christopher Phillips kept his mother’s body in a freezer for almost three years, talking to her about her favourite television programmes and holding her hand as if she were still alive. A court heard that he was suffering from a little-known mental health condition called Prolonged Grief Disorder. But he also kept collecting her pension money - and he's now been sent to prison.

In this episode, Liz speaks to Dr Michael Duffy, a psychotherapist and specialist in trauma therapy, about what happens when grief becomes prolonged and overwhelming. They discuss Christopher Phillips’s unusual case, how the condition differs from normal grief and depression, why it can be missed by doctors, and whether a better understanding of Prolonged Grief Disorder could have prevented his grief from spiralling into crime.

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Presenter: Liz Hull
Guest: Dr Michael Duffy
Editor: Chelsey Ranore
Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham
Assistant Producer: Harriet Muckle
Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.
The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.
It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.
Seriously Popular.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Liz speaks to Ellen Roome, the mum who has spent the past four years fighting for answers about the tragic death of her 14-year-old son Jools. After an inquest that lasted just 23 minutes and failed to properly examine his phone or social media activity, Ellen has now succeeded in getting the original verdict quashed by the High Court and a new inquest opened.

Ellen tells Liz why she believes social media could hold the key to understanding what happened to Jools, how her campaign has helped change the law, and why she is continuing to push for stronger protections for children online.

She also gives an update on the legal action she and other bereaved parents are taking against TikTok in the US.

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Presenter: Liz Hull
Guest: Ellen Roome
Editor: Chelsey Ranore
Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham
Assistant Producer: Harriet Muckle
Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.
The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.
It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.
Seriously Popular.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon Levy will never be released from prison. A judge today decided his crimes against three women were so horrific, so depraved, that he should spend the rest of his life behind bars.

In this episode, Liz and Nick have all the details from an emotional day at the Old Bailey, including the words of Sheryl Wilkins’ mum Mary and sister Lindsay, and Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo’s daughter Nazly. They also hear from Levy’s surviving victim, who told the court he had taken away her soul and her dignity. But as those women described the devastation his crimes had caused, Simon Levy sat emotionless in the dock.

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Presenter: Liz Hull and Nick Fagge
Actors: Beth Hale and Sophie Ashley
Editor: Chelsey Ranore
Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham
Assistant Producer: Harriet Muckle
Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.
The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.
It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.
Seriously Popular.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.