Mens Rea: A true crime podcast

In the second and final episode of the story of Harold Shipman, we find out how the police went about investigating his murders. A suspicious will led to questions regarding prominent citizen, Kathleen Grundy's death and the exhumation of her body. A local doctor had become suspicious of the sheer amount of cremations being performed at Shipman's Surgery, and so, these taken together, an investigation into recent deaths of Shipman's patients was launched. Soon, 12 women's bodies had been exhumed. This week, we find out a little about these women, the investigation of the police, Shipman's lengthy trial, and the public inquiry that followed. With thanks to our supporters on Patreon! If you would like to support the podcast, head on over to Patreon.com. Keep an eye out for updates coming to our Patreon Tiers and Perks! Podcast Promos: All Crime No Cattle  and Blood on the Rocks Theme Music: Quinn’s Song: First Dance by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sources: Brian Whittle and Jean Ritchie, Harold Shipman: A prescription for murder (London: Sphere Books, 2004) "Shipman compensation could run into millions" in Irish Examiner https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/world/shipman-compensation-could-run-into-millions-6136.html 9 March 2001 Caroline Mortimer “Harold Shipman timed suicide to ensure his wife got £100k pension pay out” http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/harold-shipman-timed-suicide-to-ensure-his-wife-got-100k-pension-pay-out-a6943316.html 20 March 2016 The Shipman Inquiry website, http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090808155005/http://www.the-shipman-inquiry.org.uk/home.asp

Harold Frederick Shipman was born near Nottingham in 1946. While attending the prestigious grammar school, High Pavement,  he took care of his ailing mother and was there when she passed away quietly from incurable cancer. His was deeply affected by her death, and by the morphine that had eased her way. He went on to become a doctor, and met and married Primrose Oxtoby name, having 3 children. Today he is known as Doctor Death, and as Britain's most prolific serial killer. But what events led to this discovery in 1995? In the first of a two-part series, we look at Shipman's early life, his medical career and the beginning of his murder spree and what brought him to Hyde to set up his Surgery, where he betrayed an entire community.Who doesn't trust their doctor? With thanks to our supporters on Patron! If you would like to support the podcast, head on over to Patreon.com. Keep an eye out for updates coming to our Patreon Tiers and Perks! Podcast Promos:Lustmordia and Dark Poutine Podcasts Theme Music:Quinn’s Song: First Dance by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sources: Brian Whittle and Jean Ritchie, Harold Shipman: A prescription for murder (London: Sphere Books, 2004)  "Shipman compensation could run into millions" in Irish Examiner https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/world/shipman-compensation-could-run-into-millions-6136.html 9 March 2001 Caroline Mortimer “Harold Shipman timed suicide to ensure his wife got £100k pension pay out” http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/harold-shipman-timed-suicide-to-ensure-his-wife-got-100k-pension-pay-out-a6943316.html 20 March 2016  The Shipman Inquiry website, http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090808155005/http://www.the-shipman-inquiry.org.uk/home.asp

Dublin: 1997. Three women occupy number 1 Orchard View, an assisted living facility for former patients of the nearby St Brendan's Psychiatric Hospital. On the night of March 6th of that year, two of the women, Sylvia Sheils and Mary Callanan, were brutally murdered in their rooms. They were discovered the next morning by their housemate Ann Murnagh, and a hunt for the killer began. The Gardai soon heard that a young heroin addict who slept rough in the Grangegorman area may be responsible for the heinous crimes. Dean Lyons was questioned by the Gardai and promptly confessed to the killings. But was this man capable of the horrible crimes he had confessed to, or did the Gardai have the wrong man? There would be two further murders before the case was solved.... With thanks to our supporters on Patron! If you would like to support the podcast, head on over to Patreon.com. Keep an eye out for updates coming to our Patreon Tiers and Perks! Podcast Promos:Eye for and Eye Podcast and Murder Mile Podcast Theme Music: Quinn’s Song: First Dance by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sources: Report of the Commission of Investigation (Dean Lyons Case) Dublin:Stationary office, 2006. Alan Bailey, The Grangegorman Murders: Dean Lyons and Mark Nash (Dublin: Gill and MacMillan, 2015). Ruaidhri Giblin “State scientists were 'trying to do down' serial killer Nash, appeals court heard” https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mark-nash-found-guilty-of-cold-case-murder-672676.html 20 April 2015 7 November 2017 Ruaidhri Giblin, “ Serial Killer Mark Nash launches appeal agains double murder conviction” http://www.thejournal.ie/mark-nash-appeal-3682486-Nov2017/ 6 November 2017 Ruaidhri Giblin, “Court Reserves judgment on Serial killer Mark Nash's appeal against conviction for 'Grangegorman murders'” https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/court-reserves-judgment-on-serial-killer-mark-nashs-appeal-against-conviction-for-grangegorman-murders-36425100.html 20 December 2017

Shan Mohangi arrived in Dublin in 1962 from South Africa. He was 21 years old and had left his home country due to the limited opportunities afforded by the apartheid regime to people of colour in his country at the time. Like many who travelled to Ireland from the African continent, he enrolled in medical school. He took up residence in 95 Harcourt Street and also worked in the restaurant housed in its basement, The Green Tureen. The next year, he met 15 year old Hazel Mullen and the two started going out together. The relationship was serious to Shan, but perhaps less so to Hazel. On the 12th of August 1963, Hazel was to have lunch with Shan in his flat, but he said she never turned up. Smoke was later seen billowing from the restaurant downstairs. After searching all weekend, Shan Mohangi finally told the awful truth. Hazel was dead, and he had tried to burn her up in the ovens of the restaurant. But would 1960’s Ireland provide a man of colour a fair trial for the murder of a teenaged girl? With thanks to our supporters on Patron! If you would like to support the podcast, head on over to Patreon.com. Podcast Promos: Married to Murder Podcast, True Crime Fan Club Podcast, and brand new podcast Murder on the Mind! Theme Music: Quinn’s Song: First Dance by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Sources: Irish Times, “Mother who forgave Shan Mohangi dies in Dublin” https://www.irishtimes.com/news/mother-who-forgave-shan-mohangi-dies-in-dublin-1.52348 15 March 1997 Bill Corcoran “ Shan Mohangi’s Dublin past comes back to haunt him”, https://www.irishtimes.com/news/shan-mohangi-s-dublin-past-comes-back-to-haunt-him-1.729751 25 march 2009 Frank White, “South African Politician and the brutal killing of Hazel Mullen in Dublin”, https://carlow-nationalist.ie/2015/03/20/the-south-african-politician-and-the-brutal-killing-of-hazel-mullen-in-dublin/ 18 March 2015 Kevin Higgins, Shan Mohangi: 95 Harcourt Street (Dublin: Equity Press, 2012)

As spring changed to summer in London 1993, a man stalked his prey at the Coleherne Pub in Earls Court. He targeted gay men, particularly those interested in BDSM, as he knew that they were a vulnerable group with poor relations with the policing authorities. Colin Ireland tricked 5 men into taking him back to their homes, where he brutally attacked them. He then waited to hear about his crimes in the paper. Because Colin Ireland killed for no other reason than his desire to make something of himself. His journey for fame and notoriety, to make a mark, cost 5 lives and terrorised the London Gay scene. This is the story of the Gay Slayer. With thanks to our supporters on Patreon! If you would like to support the podcast, head on over to Patreon.com. Podcast Promos:Based on a True Crime and True Crime Island Shout out to: Mirths and Monsters Podcast Theme Music: Quinn’s Song: First Dance by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/    Sources: Molly Rose Pike, “Jobless divorcee dubbed the ‘gay slayer’ made a New Year’s resolution to become a famous SERIAL KILLER (and used true crime books as a how-to guide), TV documentary reveals” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5070423/Colin-Ireland-serial-killer-gay-men-famous.html 13 November 2017 Emily Allen, “’Gay slayer’ Colin Ireland who tortured homosexual men to death dies in jail” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2104572/Serial-killer-Colin-Ireland-tortured-gay-men-death-dies-jail.html 22 February 2012 Carey Latimore “Colin Ireland Infamous Murders: Crimes of Prejudice” from CrimeandInvestigation.co.uk, as referenced on http://murderpedia.org/male.I/i/ireland-colin.htm (last accessed 22 February 2018) Mark Pulman, “The Gay Slayer” http://www.crimemagazine.com/gay-slayer (last accessed 22 Feb 2018) 12 August 2013 R v Brown [1993] UKHL 19, [1994] 1 AC 212 Lawrence v. Texas 539 U.S. 558 [2003] NewNowNext Staff, “Tom Cruise Was Nearly Murdered By A Serial Killer Targeting Gay Men” http://www.newnownext.com/tom-cruise-was-nearly-murdered-by-gay-slayer-in-1993-national-enquirer/12/2014/ 12 December 2014 Fergus Mason, The Gay Slayer: The Life of Colin Ireland Serial Killer (Absolute Crime Books, 2014)

Tia Sharp was 12 years old in the summer of 2012, and the Olympics had come to her city, London. She was a carefree and bubbly young girl and was close with her family. Which is why it was so surprising when she went missing from her grandmothers house in New Addington, South London. They knew she wasn’t a runaway. A huge search began for the missing girl, and eventually she was found – in the home she had gone missing from. Suspicion fell on the man she knew as her step-gradfather, Stuart Hazel. Was this man that she trusted and loved responsible for her death and the hiding of her body in her grandmother’s attic? With thanks to our supporters on Patreon! If you would like to support the podcast, head on over to Patreon.com.  Podcast Promos:Spoop Hour Podcast and Corpus Deliciti Podcast Theme Music: Quinn’s Song: First Dance by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Sources:  Nigel Cawthorne, Tia Sharp: A Family Betrayal (London: Blake Publishing, 2013). Paul Bracchi and Tom Kelly, “Relatives cashing in on her murder. A home life based on benefits, drugs and casual sex. With this family what hope did poorTIa have?” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2326383/Tia-Sharp-relatives-cash-murder-A-home-life-based-benefits-drugs-sex–hope-did-have.html 18 May 2013 Lucy Buckland, “The Harrowing story of how Tia Sharp was murdered by her grandmother’s over five years on” https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/uk-news/harrowing-story-how-tia-sharp-13574607 5 September 2017 Living With a Killer documentary info: http://www.itv.com/news/2013-05-16/living-with-a-killer/  Discovery Crime and Investigation Britain’s Dark Taboos: The Murder of Tia Sharp Aired 16th March 2014  For a full list of sources, please visit our website www.mensreapod.com.

In the second and final instalment of the Black Widow story, the Gardai ramp up their investigation into her, and she is finally charged with the murder of her husband, and conspiracy to commit murder. The trial took place in 2000, and lasted a whopping 62 days. After three attempts to start, it finally got under way and Willie McClean, Gerry Heapes and John Jones recounted their tales to the jury.We also examine the aftermath of the whole sorry affair, including Justice O'Buachalla coming under scrutiny in the Murphy Inquiry, and the various appeals that Catherine brought before the courts, before finally discussing the subject that was closest to Catherine's heart: money. With thanks to our supporters on Patreon! If you would like to support the podcast, head on over to Patreon.com. Podcast Promo:Ignorance Was Bliss Podcast Theme Music: Quinn’s Song: First Dance by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Sources: Niamh O’Conner, The Black Widow: The Catherine Nevin Story (Dublin, O’Brien Press, 2000) Pat Flynn, Catherine and Friends: Inside the Investigation into Ireland’s Most Notorious Murderer (Dublin, Liberties Press, 2015). For a full list of sources, please visit our website www.mensreapod.com

The weekend of St Patrick's Day, 1996, Tom Nevin was found lying dead from a gunshot wound to the chest in the kitchen of his pub, Jack White's in the popular seaside town of Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow.  His wife, Catherine, had sounded the alarm and when the Gardai arrived they found her bound by the wrists. She said that intruders had entered the pub, looking for jewellery.  But something wasn't quite right, the scene seemed staged, and soon the Gardai began unravelling a web of deceit constructed carefully over nearly 10 years of a plan to have Tom Nevin killed. All eyes now turned to Catherine. Was she really a grieving widow? Or a Black Widow who had her husband killed to get control of their assets? With thanks to our supporters on Patreon! If you would like to support the podcast, head on over to Patreon.com. Theme Music: Quinn’s Song: First Dance Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sources: Niamh O'Conner, The Black Widow: The Catherine Nevin Story (Dublin, O'Brien Press, 2000) Pat Flynn, Catherine and Friends: Inside the Investigation into Ireland's Most Notorious Murderer (Dublin, Liberties Press, 2015). See website for full details of sources: www.mensreapod.com

Farah Swaleh Noor was an apparent Somalian refugee to Ireland and disappeared on the 20th March 2005. Later that month, and unidentified male body was pulled from the Royal Canal on Dublin city’s north side in pieces which had been dumped in black plastic rubbish bags. The body – missing its head-  was identified as Farah Noor, and it soon became apparent that his girlfriend Kathleen Mulhall and her two daughters, Linda and Charlotte, were involved in the gruesome murder, dismemberment and disposal of his body. With thanks to our supporters on Patron! If you would like to support the podcast, head on over to Patreon.com.  Theme music: Quinn’s Song: First Dance by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Sources: Mick McCaffrey, The Irish Scissor Sisters: The Inside Story Of The Torso In The Canal Investigation And The Gruesome Homicide Of Farah Noor (Dublin: Merlin Press, 2008) https://www.herald.ie/news/scissor-sisters-mum-released-and-looking-for-travellers-help-27992476.html “Scissor Sisters’ mum released – and looking for Travellers’ help”, Ken Foy – 26 October 2011 https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/scissor-sisters-brother-is-jailed-indefinitely-for-stabbing-partner-29104259.html, “Scissor Sisters’ brother is jailed indefinitely for stabbing partner”,  Rebecca Penston – 2 March 2013 http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/scissor-sister-linda-mulhall-free-11483233 “Scissor Sister Linda Mulhall will be a free woman for Christmas” , Emma McMenamy – 8 Novemver 2017 https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/linda-mulhall-released-13-years-after-killing-dismembering-victim-1.3345028 “Linda Mulhall released 13 years after killing, dismembering victim”, Conor Lally – 4 January 2018    

Brendan O'Donnell was a troubled and clingy child. After the death of his mother, he displayed violent tendencies. Rather than making his way into the mental health services and getting treatment, he found himself in detention centres for delinquent children. He spiralled out of control and eventually rampaged across the peaceful countryside near Lough Derg, killing three people and holding another two at gun point.  With thanks to our supporters on Patron! If you would like to support the podcast, head on over to Patreon.com. Theme music: Quinn’s Song: First Dance by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Sources: Tony and JJ Muggiven, A Tragedy Waiting to Happen: The Chaotic Life of Brendan O'Donnell (Dublin: Gill Books, 2004) http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/mother-and-son-found-dead-in-wood-search-for-missing-priest-artist-and-three-year-old-son-ends-in-1434614.html http://www.irishtimes.com/news/o-donnell-stabbed-his-sister-in-1992-murder-trial-told-1.24148 http://www.rte.ie/archives/2014/0507/615710-killer-brendan-odonnell-arrested-1994/ 

In the final episode of the Beast of Birkenshaw series, Peter Manuel takes over his own defence. He finds many people to place the blame on for his many crimes, and explains how evidence managed to disappear from the crime scenes. He takes the stand to give evidence in his defence. But to no avail – he is found guilty and is sentenced to hang. But in a final twist before he’s put to death, Manuel takes ill in the prison. Will he be fit to hang, or will he be saved from his fate?  This weeks featured podcasts promotions are the lovely ladies at Crime Crazy Podcast and Kiwi Crimes Podcast With thanks to our supporters on Patreon! If you would like to support the podcast, head on over to Patreon.com. Theme music: Quinn’s Song: First Dance by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Sources:  MacLeod, Hector and Malcolm McLeod, Peter Manuel, Serial Killer (Edinburgh, Mainstream Publishing 2010) http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1633409/Historic-inflation-calculator-value-money-changed-1900.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4568945.stm http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-35659541

In the second part of our series covering Peter Manuel, the Beast of Birkenshaw, his trial begins. This time, we tell the story of the witnesses, who all weave together their stories, most implicating Manuel, others attempting to help salvage the dire situation he finds himself in. 280 people give evidence of the crimes he is charged with, ranging from burglary to capital murder. Manuel's life is on the line, as he only needs to be found guilty of one of the multiple capital charges to find himself at the end of the hangman's noose. But halfway through the trial, Manuel fires his advocates and decides to defend himself. Will Manuel be able to tell the better tale and save his life? Or will the judge and jury see through his superficial charm and convict him of the serial murders in Birkenshaw?   Theme Music: Quinn’s Song: First Dance by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  With thanks to our supporters on Patron! If you would like to support the podcast, head on over to Patreon.com.  Sources:  MacLeod, Hector and Malcolm McLeod, Peter Manuel, Serial Killer (Edinburgh, Mainstream Publishing 2010) http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1633409/Historic-inflation-calculator-value-money-changed-1900.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4568945.stm http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-35659541

"Mary had a little cat She used to call him Daniel, Then she found it killed six mice And now she calls him Manuel"  Peter Manuel was born in New York in 1927, to Scottish Parents Samuel and Brigit. The family returned to Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1932 where Peter's childhood and adolescence were marred with sprees of theft and violence. He ended up in first an approved school before moving on to Borstal. He was an over confident person, and liked to be the centre of attention, going so far as to make up his involvement in serious crimes in order to increase his notoriety. In this, the first of our three part series on the man who would become known as "The Beast of Birkenshaw" we look at his upbringing, and the circumstances that led to the deaths of 8 people on the outskirts of Glasgow in the late 1950s.  With thanks to our supporters on Patron! If you would like to support the podcast, head on over to Patreon.com. Theme music: Quinn’s Song: First Dance by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sources: MacLeod, Hector and Malcolm McLeod, Peter Manuel, Serial Killer (Edinburgh, Mainstream Publishing 2010) http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1633409/Historic-inflation-calculator-value-money-changed-1900.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4568945.stmhttp://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-35659541 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOknCObysSA

In the year 1984, Ireland was a very different place. Contraception, Abortion and Divorce were illegal. The country was dogged by religious conservatism and was facing into a terrible recession. Amidst this, the body of a baby boy was found on a beach in Cahersiveen, Co Kerry. The police began to look for the likely suspect: an recently-pregnant unmarried mother. Joanne Hayes was accused and charged of the murder of the infant. She and her whole family eventually confessed to the murder, despite Joanne's baby being located. So what had caused the family to confess? A judicial inquiry was set up to investigate Garda maltreatment, but it soon turned into a trial of Joanne's character.  With thanks to our supporters on Patron! If you would like to support the podcast, head on over to Patreon.com. Theme music: Quinn’s Song: First Dance by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sources: Nicola Goc, “Motherhood Murder and the Media: Joanne Hayes and the Kerry Babies Case” in Mediating Moms: Mothers in Poluar Culture ed. Elizabeth Podnieks (McGuill- Queens Uinversity Press, Montreal, 2012) Nell McCafferty, A Woman to Blame: The Kerry Babies Case (Attric Press, Cork, 1985). Diarmaid Ferriter, http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/features/heart-of-darkness--the-kerry-babies-saga-30-years-later-265099.html Joe O'Shea, http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/the-kerry-babies-case-the-shocking-scandal-and-tragedy-that-divided-the-nation-and-the-mystery-that-was-never-solved-30176996.html Newstalk, Pat Kenny interview with Diarmaid Ferriter 14th April 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQM47ccYoyI&t=68s

In October of 2004, Rachel O’Reilly was brutally attacked in her North County Dublin home. Initially, the Gardai treated the crime as a burglary gone wrong, but soon it became clear that this was no random attack. Her husband, Joe O’Reilly, appeared in the media appealing for information about his wife’s death, and given his strange demeanour, the public began to question, who really was responsible for the murder of Rachel O’Reilly?  With thanks to our supporters on Patron! If you would like to support the podcast, head on over to Patreon.com. Theme Music: Quinn’s Song: First Dance by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Sources: Friel, Jenny. The Suspect: The Story of Rachel O’Reilly’s Murder (Dunboyne, Maverick House: 2007).  http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/joe-o-reilly-loses-attempt-to-challenge-conviction-for-murdering-wife-1.2207771 http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/crime/dumped-wifekiller-joe-oreilly-gets-twohour-prison-visit-from-exlover-35672679. html http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/supreme-court/joe-o-reilly-cannot-bring-appeal-over-murder-conviction-court-rules-1.2874089 Dateline: The Murder of Rachel O’Reilly (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNfTPGzgMhQ)