Unreliable Witness | Storycast
Unreliable Witness is an investigative podcast from Sky News. Season 6 examines the case of Ellie Williams, a young woman jailed for false claims of sexual assault and grooming. Season 5 follows Alexis Quinn's ordeal in NHS psychiatric care, exposing a national scandal. Season 4 revisits major news events through personal stories. The podcast has won multiple awards for investigative journalism.
Episodes
A ‘ruthless sexual predator’ - the prosecution case against Russell Brand | Episode 2
WARNING: This episode contains graphic details of alleged rape and sexual assault as described in court.Follow the feed to get every episode from Sky News' Katie Spencer and Martin Brunt.Today, the prosecution set out its case against Russell Brand calling him “ruthless, calculated and manipulative…a sexual predator”.We heard from a former flatmate of Brand’s - the first witness for the prosecutio
Russell Brand, the defendant arrives at court | Episode 1
What happened on Russell Brand’s first day in court as the trial process got underway?Sky News’ Martin Brunt and Katie Spencer take us through the day- inside and outside the court. It starts with queues of journalists arriving early to get a seat on the press benches of court 3 at Southwark Crown Court.Outside photographers gather to get images of Russell Brand as he walks in with his wife. No ca
Introducing 'Russell Brand: On Trial'
As Russell Brand goes on trial, Sky News brings together two award winning journalists to cover the case. Together this pair has more than 30 years experience reporting on the most high profile criminal cases.Sky News’ crime commentator Martin Brunt and entertainment correspondent Katie Spencer will be at Southwark Crown Court to hear the prosecution case, witness testimonies and Brand’s defence.H
Unreliable Witness 7: The Other Trial
EPISODE 7: A new court case finally exposes abuse in Barrow. Jason and Liz have known about these allegations for years but they can only reveal the facts now. The case involves three brothers and it's taken their victims more than a decade to get justice. Now we can tell the story of their crimes and follow a thread leading back to Ellie Williams. She's out of jail and not allowed to talk to the
Unreliable Witness 6: Eleanor Williams – Inside
Police material is released, taking us to the moments they discover her battered at her flat and the night before her infamous post. They also reveal her reaction when accused of lying. Meanwhile Liz and Jason are given a psychiatric report charting medical records and interviews which reveal more on Ellie’s background and state of mind. And, finally, Liz hears from the young woman at the centre o
Unreliable Witness 5: I’m Coming for You
It’s revealed Mohammed Ramzan has been facing allegations other than from Ellie Williams. Liz and Jason meet ‘Sarah’ - who says she was groomed as a child in Hull and accuses Mo of being involved in the gang responsible. He claims something more sinister is at play. But his anger at the situation sees him back in court – in the dock. Warning: This series discusses issues of sexual abuse, self-ha
Unreliable Witness 4: The Witness Who Went Home
Ellie has been sentenced to 8 and a half years in prison but questions have been raised about what evidence was presented and left out in court. One potential witness who wasn’t called on says she could have supported parts of Ellie’s story. Liz and Jason ask why Williams wasn’t prosecuted in relation to the other men she had accused. Warning: This series discusses issues of sexual abuse, self-h
Unreliable Witness 3: I’m not a Psychopath
After Covid delays, the trial is finally held and Ellie Williams is in the dock. Liz and Jason were among the reporters at court when the extent of her claims were revealed for the first time, shocking the media and public alike. She’s accused of perverting the course of justice against 5 men, including 4 who are white – of lying to police and falsifying evidence to back up her claims, including c
Unreliable Witness 2: Recipe for a Witch Hunt
The fuse has been lit...and with limited information from police or in the news, social media speculation starts fingers pointing. Barrow is about to hit boiling point. Asian businesses are attacked. Individuals are targeted. Meanwhile local businessman Mohammed Ramzan is arrested – suspected of being a central figure in the grooming gang. But a senior detective coming onto the case starts to fin
Unreliable Witness 1: Who is Ellie Williams?
Ellie’s family and boss share their worries about her leading up to the infamous Facebook post. Unexplained injuries. Becoming withdrawn. Incessant messages. Harassment on the street. Then she started to go missing regularly. When she suddenly moves out of the family home, her family feel they’re losing contact. Eventually she turns up so badly injured she says she can’t take it any more and goes
Patient 11: Episode 4 – Breaking free
A long serving doctor and his partner agree to help Alexis break out of psychiatric care and flee the country, a decision that has the potential to change all their lives. This series discusses rape and sexual assault.Credits -From Sky News StoryCast, Patient 11 is written and produced by Robert Mulhern. Reporting by Rebecca Thomas and Robert Mulhern. Editing by Paul Stanworth. Data and Forensics
Patient 11: Episode 3 – Escape Plan
Enduring long periods in solitary and having descended to the darkest reaches of psychiatric care, Alexis plots an escape, one, that if successful, will take her thousands of miles from England. This series discusses rape and sexual assault.
Patient 11: Episode 2 – In harm’s way
Undiagnosed, legally detained and separated from her daughter for more than a year, Alexis is moved to an all-male psychiatric ward on Christmas Eve, 2013. What happens next will, ultimately, bring her to the attention of the most powerful institutions in the state. This series discusses rape and sexual assault.
Patient 11: Episode 1 – Locked-up and drugged
Following the death of her brother, young mother Alexis Quinn seeks temporary respite in NHS psychiatric care, never imagining that three days, would turn into more than three years, or that her bid to break free would bring her to the attention of UK and European law enforcement agencies. This series discusses rape and sexual assault.
Introducing: Patient 11
Young mother and former GB youth swimmer, Alexis Quinn, agrees to enter NHS England psychiatric care following a family tragedy. She could never imagine that her three-day admission will turn into a three-year ordeal. Then undiagnosed with autism, and often the subject of 24-hour surveillance as well as long periods in solitary confinement, Alexis descends to the darkest reaches of locked-in, psyc
StoryCast '21: EP 21/21 The Y2K Prison Bug
The biggest, and very first story of the year 2000, involved a bug that was expected to impact tens of millions of lives all over the world.But unlike the Covid-19 pandemic of today, The Millennium Bug, or Y2K for short, was a computer programming problem, with predicted Armageddon-like consequences.In the months leading up to the year 2000, people feared the world was on the brink of disaster; th
StoryCast '21: EP 20/21 The Queen's stuntman
On 27 July 2012, Gary Connery pulled up his tights, adjusted his wig, and put on a dress fit for a queen. The London Olympics opening ceremony was about to get underway and the professional stuntman was all set for the biggest job of his career. With the Queen scheduled to open the Games it was decided she would make a very special, very British, entrance. The idea was that James Bond would chaper
StoryCast '21: EP 19/21 Michael Jackson - The Trial of the century
A veteran of movie cameos and music videos, Eddie Moss was one of the most successful Michael Jackson impersonators in the world in 2005, but then he took a job like no other.At the time, Michael Jackson was one of the world’s most iconic celebrities. But news headlines about his personal life and not his music had come to tarnish his reputation.Now, Jackson was due to go on trial in California on
StoryCast '21: EP 18/21 The Shooting
On 22 July 2005, when Patricia da Silva learned that police marksman had killed a man at Stockwell Underground Station in London, she’d no reason to second-guess news reports describing the deceased as a terrorist.The capital then was on high alert. Just two weeks earlier, a series of bomb attacks killed 52 people, injured hundreds and London was left reeling.Then, on 21 July 2005, four men target
StoryCast '21: EP 17/21 Batman raids Buckingham Palace
In September 2004, Jason Hatch dressed up in a Batman costume and broke into the grounds of Buckingham Palace. The Queen's home is protected by some of the tightest security measures in the world - but they weren't tight enough for this caped crusader, who climbed on the iconic building and made his way to the main balcony. A casual observer might have been forgiven for thinking Batman had stolen
StoryCast '21: EP16/21 Escape the Taj Mumbai
On the evening of 26 November 2008, Director and photographer Daniela Federici was in the lobby of the five-star Taj Palace hotel, Mumbai, when Islamic terrorists began a deadly 4-day terror attack using automatic weapons and grenades. Hours before, the Australian had arrived in the Indian port city – referred to my many in India as the ‘City of Dreams’ – to begin recording for a new TV documentar
StoryCast ’21: EP 15/21 Tim Peake: Britain’s first spacewalk
The UK has a long history of exploration, however by 2016, only one astronaut, Helen Sharman, had travelled to space bearing the colours of the UK flag and no Briton had ever experienced the most demanding and perilous experience of spaceflight. That was until one January morning in 2016. Former RAF test pilot, husband and father, Tim Peake, had arrived at The International Space Station (ISS) jus
StoryCast '21: EP 14/21 Taking Down Saddam
From Pauls Valley in Oklahoma, USA, Miles Hill always dreamed of joining the US Marine Corps.Growing up, family life was coloured by US military history - his grandparents served in World War Two and Korea. So when al Qaeda terrorists attacked the US on 11 September, 2001, it set in motion a chain of events that brought Hill to Iraq in 2003, as part of the Marine Corps. An idealistic 19-year-old,
StoryCast '21: EP 13/21 9/11 Janice Brooks: Inside the South Tower
Saturday September 11, 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks on the US, which resulted in almost 3000 deaths and injured 25,000 people. At around 8 o'clock on the morning of the attacks, a group of al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes before flying them - packed with passengers - towards targets in New York and Washington D.C. In the hours that followed, one of the
StoryCast '21: EP 12/21 The Beirut Blast: Ghassan's story
Ghassan Hasrouty wasn’t supposed to be working at Beirut’s port on Tuesday, 4th August 2020. He’d swapped shifts to allow him to attend an upcoming weekend trip with his wife and children. A senior manager, Ghassan had worked at the port for 38-years. He knew its rhythms well and anticipating that he may have to work through the night, he called home and asked for someone bring him a pillow and bl
StoryCast '21: EP 11/21 The Last Gun: Disarming the IRA
In September 2005, the responsibility of securing a lasting peace in Northern Ireland fell on the shoulders of two unlikely men - a Protestant minister and a Catholic priest.Unbeknown to high-ranking security officials in both the British and Irish Governments, the Rev Harold Good and Father Alec Reid were to undertake a secret mission to bring about the disarmament of the IRA.To this day, what ha
StoryCast '21: EP 10/21 On Stage with Amy Winehouse
Three days before Amy Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning, she made her final stage appearance alongside her Goddaughter and musical protégée Dionne Bromfield.Now for the first time, Dionne reveals the ‘Aunty Amy’ only she knew.A decade since Winehouse’s death, she remains one of the UKs top selling artists.She also remains eclipsed by the media portrayal: The icon, the beehive hairstyle, the brig
StoryCast '21: EP 9/21 The UK Biker Wars
On August 12, 2007, mechanic and Hell’s Angel, Gerry Tobin, was shot dead by a rival biker gang as he was riding his motorcycle on the M40 in Warwickshire. The shooting, on a busy Sunday afternoon, was carefully planned by members of the Outlaw’s biker gang and had roots in a turf war.But the nature of the attack, brought a previously underground world screaming into the mainstream. Sky Correspond
StoryCast '21: EP 8/21 Terror in Brussels Airport
Reporters typically arrive to the scene of a major news story after the event. But on March 22, 2016, Sky News National Correspondent, Alex Rossi, was in the Duty Free at Brussels Airport when ISIS terrorists detonated two bombs in the departures lounge. Just metres from where he was stood only moments earlier, people now lay dead. Among those severely injured was Sebastien Bellin, a former Belgia
StoryCast '21: EP7/21 A Football Fairy Tale
In December 2012, Bradford City, a team that cost less than £10K to assemble, and then in danger of dropping out of the football league, wrote one of the most romantic chapters in the history of British sport when they met Arsenal, one of the elites of the game, in a competitive fixture.The game represented not only a collision of football extremes, but economic circumstance. For Bradford, the con
StoryCast ’21: EP 6/21 War Child
Shot and left for dead during a military attack on her village in 2017, 12-year-old Rohingya girl, Zoora, escapes through the jungles and waterways of Myanmar, before finding refuge in Bangladesh.But having lost both her parents, Zoora’s path to safety remains fraught with danger. Then, a chance meeting with Sky News correspondent Ashish Joshi, profoundly changes both their lives. New Episode ever
StoryCast '21: EP 5/21 Trapped: The Chile Miners
On 5th August 2010, a collapse in the San Jose copper and gold mine in the Atacama Desert, Chile, leaves 33 miners trapped. Among them, Edison Peña, an Elvis impersonator, entombed nearly half-a-mile underground. Facing almost certain death, the collapse sparks an international rescue effort, which captivates a worldwide TV audience of a billion people. What does the future hold for Edison, and th
StoryCast '21: EP4/21 Migrant Rescue
On January 15, 2016, Brussels based Sky News Correspondent Mark Stone received a desperate text message from Syrian refugee, Bassel Shekhany. Shekhany had recently sought asylum in Germany and explained that his family and fiancé, Zanzon, were adrift in the Aegean Sea, after setting out to reach Europe from the Turkish coast, earlier that evening. At the time, crossings of the Mediterranean had cl
StoryCast '21: EP3/21 Marathon Man
In Vienna, on October 12, 2019, Kenyan distance runner and decorated Olympian, Eliud Kipchoge, set out to become the first person to run a marathon in under two hours — a challenge deemed impossible by many experts in the world of science.New episode every MondayStoryCast'21: Using the timeframe of the last 21-years, Sky News returns to some of this century's biggest news stories, using the focus
StoryCast '21: EP2/21 The hunt for Raoul Moat
StoryCast '21: On 3rd July 2010, Sue Sim, Chief Constable of Northumbria Police, received a call in the middle of the night, to say there’d been a double shooting in a quiet suburb of Newcastle. Specialist police units, snipers and RAF jets all featured in the pursuit of the gunman, which played out live around the world.New episode every Monday.StoryCast '21: Using the timeframe of the last 21-ye
StoryCast '21: EP1/21 Miracle Boy
StoryCast '21: On 26th December 2004, one of the deadliest disasters in modern history played out when a Tsunami led to almost 230,000 deaths in south east Asia. Amid the devastation, a Sky News camera crew discover an 8-year-old boy. Their subsequent report is seen by Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese footballer, known to many as the greatest player of his generation, but less so for his role in
Trailer: Storycast '21
Using the timeframe of the last 21-years, Sky News’ multi-award-winning podcast returns to some of this century's biggest news stories, using the focus of extraordinary personal stories defined by these events. New episodes every Monday from May 17.Series producer: Rob MulhernHost: Jayne SeckerResearcher: Tom Gillespie
Polonium & the Piano Player: PART 4 - The Reckoning
With relations between London and Moscow deteriorating, Derek Conlon escapes to a new life, but destiny and the nuclear poison appear to have decided his fate. Narrated by Diana Magnay. Written and produced by Robert Mulhern. Production support by Chris Scott, and Dave Terris. Musical credit: "Olive" by Jake Chudnow, Original instrumentals by Derek Conlon. Digital by Phil Whiteside and Ronan Hugh
Polonium & the Piano Player: PART 3 - Victims and suspects
As one of the biggest police investigations in British history gets underway, Derek Conlon is astonished to learn that he too has been poisoned. But having crossed into the world of espionage, that’s only the beginning of his problems.Episode 4 released Monday August 3, 2020. Narrated by Diana Magnay. Written and produced by Robert Mulhern. Production support by Chris Scott, and Dave Terris. Orig
Polonium & the Piano Player: PART 2 - The Poisoning
A former KGB agent takes us deep into the world of the Russian spies who have just poisoned Alexander Litvinenko and piano player Derek Conlon using a miniature nuclear weapon.(Episode 3 released 27th July).Narrated by Diana Magnay.Produced by Robert Mulhern
Polonium & the Piano Player: PART 1 - A Nuclear Connection
Ex-KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko is lured by Russian agents to a meeting in a 5-star London hotel. What happens next will change his life, the relationship between the UK and Russia, and suck the hotel's piano player Derek Conlon into a world of espionage and murder.(Episode 2 released Monday 20 July).Narrated by Diana Magnay.Produced by Robert Mulhern
Introducing...Polonium & the Piano Player
Two Russians agents release a miniature nuclear weapon in a 5-star London hotel. But former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko is not the only victim? From Sky News StoryCast.
What happened to Annie? BONUS: The fight for key evidence
Classified files, the fight for key evidence and family reaction. This bonus episode updates with developments in the case of Annie Börjesson since part 6 of the series.Hosted by Jayne Secker.Produced by Robert Mulhern/Jayne SeckerEditing: Dave TerrisProduction Assistance: Chris Scott, Charlotte Ekstrom
What happened to Annie? Update: Where we're at
A quick update as to where we're at as we explore what happened to 30 year-old Annie Borjesson - a Swedish woman whose body was found on Prestwick beach on Scotland's west coast in 2005.#WhathappenedtoAnnieEmail: StoryCast@sky.uk
What happened to Annie? PART 6: The search for answers
Was Annie Borjesson murdered or did she die by suicide? As Guje and Maria make one final journey, the investigation attempts to reach a conclusion. Narrated by Rona DougallProduced by Robert Mulhern#WhathappenedtoAnnie?Email: StoryCast@sky.uk
What happened to Annie? PART 5: The case for suicide?
In the case of Annie’s death, how might the police have arrived at their conclusion of suicide? Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.Narrated by Rona DougallProduced by Robert Mulhern#WhathappenedtoAnnie?Email: StoryCast@sky.uk
What happened to Annie? PART 4: The CIA and Prestwick
Kristina Börjesson, a campaigning US journalist with a similar name to Annie, finds herself at the centre of a story linking Annie’s death with secret CIA flight’s through Prestwick Airport in 2005. Could Annie have died in a case of mistaken identity?Narrated by Rona DougallProduced by Robert Mulhern#WhathappenedtoAnnie?Episode 5 released on 17th December.Email: StoryCast@sky.uk
What happened to Annie? PART 3: Testing the evidence
As Annie Börjesson's family continue their search for answers, they are forced to consider the somewhat incredible theory, that Annie’s death may in some way be connected to CIA activity at Prestwick Airport.Narrated by Rona DougallProduced by Robert Mulhern#WhathappenedtoAnnie?Episode 4 released on 12th December.Email: StoryCast@sky.uk
What happened to Annie? PART 2: The case for murder?
Having learned that a London funeral company notified Scottish Police about disturbing markings on Annie’s body, her mother Guje Börjesson and best friend Maria set off on their own investigation. But some disturbing discoveries lie in wait.Narrated by Rona DougallProduced by Robert Mulhern#WhathappenedtoAnnie?Email: StoryCast@sky.uk
What happened to Annie? PART 1: The body on the beach
In December 2005, a dog walker discovers the body of a Swedish woman on Prestwick beach in Ayrshire on Scotland's west coast. Annie Börjesson’s family are told the 30-year-old died by suicide. But something felt wrong. Why had Annie been found along with her passport? Why didn't Annie board her flight at Prestwick airport? Narrated by Rona DougallProduced by Robert Mulhern#WhathappenedtoAnnie?Emai
Trailer: What happened to Annie?
In 2005, the body of 30-year-old Swedish woman, Annie Börjesson, was found on Prestwick beach on Scotland's west coast. The authorities told Annie’s mother her daughter died of suicide. However, in the 14 years since, a new narrative has emerged that points not to suicide, but murder, cover-up and one of the world’s most secretive security agencies. Narrated by Rona Dougall. #WhathappenedtoAnnie?
Beyond the hunt for the Brink's-Mat gold
BONUS EPISODE: Where is the missing gold? How Ian Brown got on the case and why Kent’s 'Bermuda Triangle’ changed Britain’s criminal landscape forever. Sky’s crime correspondent Martin Brunt and producer Rob Mulhern discuss the big talking points from the series. Featuring additional recordings and unheard bonus material. Hosted by Tom Macleod.
The hunt for the Brink's-Mat gold: PART 2 - The Sting
The trail to recover the £26m in stolen gold from the high security Brink’s-Mat depot in London in 1983 leads undercover detective Ian Brown and a maverick group of Flying Squad officers overseas. Ripping up the rule book, they find an unlikely ally in their quest to crack the ‘crime of the century’ in the form of the US Drug Enforcement Agency. But what’s happened to the 6,800 gold bars?
The hunt for the Brink's-Mat gold: PART 1 - The Heist
In 1983, members of an armed gang break into the maximum security Brink’s-Mat depot near London’s Heathrow Airport and escape with £26m in gold. As the pressure mounts, Metropolitan Police chiefs turn to a wily, undercover detective with a reputation for being lucky. Ian Brown is given the job of cracking one of the most high-profile cases in Britain’s criminal history. But first, he must get on t
Trailer: The hunt for the Brink's-Mat gold
In 1983, an armed gang stole £26m in gold bars from a high-security depot near London’s Heathrow Airport. Dubbed the crime of the century by the press, the heist changed the face Britain’s criminal landscape and the life of one undercover Scotland Yard detective. Ian Brown tells what happened when he was sent out to recover the gold. Narrated by Sky News crime correspondent Martin Brunt.
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