The Trial

4.1 (478)
TRUE CRIME
UPDATED TWICE WEEKLY

The Trial goes behind the headlines of some of the biggest trials in the world. We take you into the courtroom, bringing you the detail as the evidence unfolds, examining key moments and carrying out exclusive interviews with detectives, victims, and experts. For ad-free listening to The Trial, exclusive bonus episodes every week, and complete access to previous series of the show, subscribe to The Crime Desk now. Visit www.thecrimedesk.com to become a member. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

See All (322)

The Trial goes behind the headlines of some of the biggest trials in the world. We take you into the courtroom, bringing you the detail as the evidence unfolds, examining key moments and carrying out exclusive interviews with detectives, victims, and experts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3.5 (71)

TRUE CRIME
In 2003, 14-year-old Charlene Downes mysteriously vanished from her hometown of Blackpool. Chilling stories started to spread. And when two men are arrested for murdering Charlene, they are accused of cutting up her body – and using her remains as kebab meat. The story of what happened to this young girl has haunted Blackpool for more than twenty years. It has twisted and turned, taking in police, paedophiles, and far-right protests. But not all is as it seems – and so much of this story remains hidden in the shadows. Broadcaster Nicola Thorp is the same age as Charlene. She grew up in Blackpool too. Now, Nicola is revisiting this case – to uncover the truth, and the lies, about what really happened to Charlene. After all, Somebody knows Something. If you have any information about the disappearance of Charlene Downes, you can contact us at charlene@thecrimedesk.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3.4 (10)

TRUE CRIME
To access episodes from previous series of The Trial, subscribe to The Crime Desk. Join today at thecrimedesk.com. Click here to sign up for 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. Lucy Letby is a child killer. Last year she was convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to murder six more while working as a neo-natal nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital, in the NW of England and was sentenced to spend her life in jail. She also went back in court to face a retrial on one charge the jury could not reach a verdict on - the alleged Attempted Murder of a premature baby girl, known as Baby K. She was found guilty once again. Follow the trial's evidence just as the jury do, with reports from Daily Mail northern correspondent Liz Hull and broadcast journalist Caroline Cheetham. In this podcast, they bring you far more detail about what the jury heard, examine key moments of the trial, and conduct exclusive interviews with investigative detectives, victims, and experts. The Trial goes behind the headlines of some of the biggest trials in the world. We take you into the courtroom, bringing you the detail as the evidence unfolds, examining key moments and carrying out exclusive interviews with detectives, victims, and experts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.0 (61)

TRUE CRIME
Launched in the UK in 2022, The Trial is an award-winning, chart-topping podcast that goes behind the headlines of some of the biggest trials in the world. We take you into the courtroom, bringing you the detail as the evidence unfolds, examining key moments and carrying out exclusive interviews with detectives, victims, and experts. The Trial series occasionally uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript. For ad-free listening to all of our shows, exclusive bonus episodes of The Trial every week, and complete access to our show archives, subscribe to The Crime Desk now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3.1 (73)

TRUE CRIME
To access this series from the archives of The Trial, subscribe to The Crime Desk now. Members get exclusive bonus episodes every week, full access to our complete show archive, and ad-free listening across all series. Join today at thecrimedesk.com Axel Rudakubana has admitted carrying out the attacks on a Southport dance school which claimed the lives of three little girls. Six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar were killed when he went on the rampage with a kitchen knife, as they and other children made friendship bracelets. Today as the families of the girls braced themselves for a trial, he changed his pleas to guilty. Caroline and Liz will outline what we now know about what happened on that day, but also in the days, weeks, months and years before. How police believe he planned to attack pupils at his previous school, and how he was referred to the Government’s Prevent programme years before. The Trial goes behind the headlines of some of the biggest trials in the world. We take you into the courtroom, bringing you the detail as the evidence unfolds, examining key moments and carrying out exclusive interviews with detectives, victims, and experts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

0.0 (0)

TRUE CRIME
David Ames was a twice-bankrupt double-glazing salesman from Basildon with dreams of building a Caribbean property empire. His company, Harlequin, promised ordinary investors luxury resort properties at bargain prices – their slice of paradise and financial security. Over nearly a decade, more than 8,000 people handed over £400 million. Many bet their entire pension pots on Ames' vision. But behind Ames’ slick marketing pitch lay financial chaos and systematic deception. While investors waited for dream properties, their money funded pirate ships, imported sand that washed away with the tide, and eye-watering sales commissions. From a local newspaper investigation that exposed the scheme to the Serious Fraud Office's decade-long pursuit of justice, this is the story of how thousands lost everything betting on one man’s vision. Featuring exclusive interviews with victims, investigators, and industry insiders, The Lost Caribbean Millions reveals the human cost of one of Britain's biggest investment frauds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4.5 (11)

TRUE CRIME

View Subscription FAQs

Liz Hull

Host
Caroline Cheetham

Host
Emma Katz

Guest
Linda Dubrow-Marshall

Guest
Vera Baird

Guest
Sandie Bohin

Guest

4.1

out of 5

478 Ratings

Women of Colour for future podcasts

13/07/2024

Liv 💛

Hi, I have been following your podcasts since the Lucy Letby trial and have loved every one and how much effort has been put in. However I can’t help but notice that the victim focus has been on white women. We know there are similar crimes happening to women of colour (often by white men) and unfortunately they never get the same level of media attention. Would really love this to be a focus for you in the future given the audience you have attained due to the success of your previous coverage on chosen criminal trials. Keep shining a light on the dark, some people just need brighter light than others. Food for thought..
Persevering … despite the bias and opinion approach

14 Mar

powjen

I’m really trying to persevere with this podcast - the content is interesting. But if you want the full on any of these stories: it’s not here. A lot of opinion and tunnel vision and a real fear of deviating from the one-track. No options for broader thought or scope. And retrospecting the villain is always boring… no-one is all good or all bad.
Great Show

26/07/2025

monkinoz

Love the pod, really well put together. The latest one about the school stabbing makes me sick. Sounds like both kids were absolute trouble. How the hell are parents letting kids buy knives? I blame the parents for the way the kids turned out. One of them paid the ultimate price but it sounds like it could have gone either way.
Allo allo

05/05/2025

Bluebell40

I can’t listen to the judge it makes me laugh as he sounds like the police officer in allo allo. I love your podcasts but the accents are just hard to listen to

The Trial goes behind the headlines of some of the biggest trials in the world. We take you into the courtroom, bringing you the detail as the evidence unfolds, examining key moments and carrying out exclusive interviews with detectives, victims, and experts. For ad-free listening to The Trial, exclusive bonus episodes every week, and complete access to previous series of the show, subscribe to The Crime Desk now. Visit www.thecrimedesk.com to become a member. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.