Sinister South

Rachel & Hannah
  • 5.0 (1)
  • TRUE CRIME
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

Join Rachel and Hannah on the Sinister South Podcast as they explore the shadowy corners of South London. Each episode digs into the gritty true crime stories that have left their mark on the local streets of South London. They’ll introduce you to the victims and dissect the mysteries while giving you a taste of the places these dramas unfolded. It’s not all doom and gloom; Rach and Han also have plenty of nonsense to chat about! So whether you're a true crime buff or just curious about the darker tales from their neck of the woods, pull up a chair, tune in and join the mischief!Want to get in touch with us, or request an episode? You can email us here: sinistersouthpodcast@gmail.com

  1. The girl who never left home: The betrayal and murder of Tia Sharp

    2D AGO

    The girl who never left home: The betrayal and murder of Tia Sharp

    It's 2026!! Happy Bloody New Year Trevors! This week, after a bit of our usual rambling about poorly dogs (get well soon Ted), questionable New Year resolutions and why Rachel should probably never do another English Literature degree, we turn to one of the most shocking cases to come out of South London in recent years. In August 2012, 12-year-old Tia Sharp went missing from her grandmother’s home in New Addington. What began as a desperate search, supported by her family, the local community and a nation watching on, would end in the most devastating way imaginable. In this episode, we tell Tia’s story from the beginning. Who she was, the family who loved her, and the home she trusted. We follow the investigation as it unfolded, the media frenzy that surrounded it, and how suspicion slowly closed in on the man who had been hiding in plain sight all along. We also examine the police search that failed her, the digital evidence that ultimately exposed the truth, and the trial that forced her family to hear the unthinkable. This is a case about trust, betrayal and the devastating consequences when the people meant to protect a child become the greatest danger. As always, listener discretion is advised. This episode contains discussion of child harm, sexual violence and murder. Sources include https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/JCO/Documents/Judgments/r-v-stuart-hazell-sentencing.pdf https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-23322132 https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/aug/13/tia-sharp-body-found-bedsheet-loft https://www.swlondoner.co.uk/news/16072013-agencies-cleared-of-any-blame-over-murder-of-croydon-schoolgirl-tia-sharp https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/the-murder-of-tia-sharp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uOe7podWZY https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22513711 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Tia_Sharp https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19128653 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19214964 https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tia-sharp-murder-grandmother-christine-1270036 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19223080 https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/aug/07/london-missing-tia-sharp-stepfather-speaks?newsfeed=true https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19590027 https://metro.co.uk/2016/03/22/murdered-tia-sharps-mum-accused-of-racist-assault-on-woman-in-lidl-car-park-5768936/ https://metro.co.uk/2016/03/23/tia-sharps-mum-and-gran-found-guilty-of-racism-5771335/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10209375/Tia-Sharp-neighbour-told-police-he-saw-her-leaving-house-when-she-was-already-dead.html 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)

    1h 33m
  2. Christmas Crime Compendium 2025

    12/24/2025

    Christmas Crime Compendium 2025

    It’s our Christmas crime compendium, and yes, we’re wrapping South London horror in tinsel again. Before we get into the cases, there’s a bit of festive nonsense. Questionable Christmas cracker jokes, South London takes on classic Christmas films, and the usual gentle chaos as we attempt to bring some cheer to stories that absolutely do not deserve it. This year’s main case takes us back to Victorian South London, to Christmas Eve 1836. Hannah Brown was fifty, hardworking, and quietly getting on with life. She believed she was days away from a Christmas Day wedding and a new life abroad. Instead, she was walking straight into one of the most disturbing murders of the era. What followed unfolded across the Twelve Days of Christmas and shocked London. A crime rooted in deception, money, and manipulation, carried out behind closed doors while the rest of the city celebrated. Then there's the story of Anastasia Voldina at the hands of yet another man (we know not all men), two stories hundreds of years apart but hauntingly similar! Thank you for spending part of your Christmas with us. We hope you’re warm, fed, slightly tipsy if that’s your thing, and not listening alone on a dark street. Happy Christmas from us both, and we’ll see you on the other side 🎄 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)

    1h 18m
  3. The death of Destiny Lauren: A preventable tradegy

    12/17/2025

    The death of Destiny Lauren: A preventable tradegy

    In this episode, we tell the story of Destiny Lauren, a woman whose death in Kentish Town in November 2009 was entirely preventable. After a brief catch-up that takes in missed episodes, pre-Christmas chaos, questionable food choices and the kind of rambling only we can manage, the conversation shifts to a far more serious place. Destiny was 29 years old. She was a daughter, a sister, and a woman living openly and authentically with the support of her family. She was careful and routine-driven, taking steps to protect herself while working in a world that already carried risk. On the night she was killed, she followed those routines. She did nothing reckless. She did nothing wrong. Her killer, Leon Anthony File, travelled from Catford to Kentish Town while out on licence, despite a known history of serious violence. What happened that night was not unpredictable or random, but the result of repeated failures to manage a clearly identified risk. We focus on who Destiny really was, the life she was trying to build, and the systems that failed her. This episode is about dignity, accountability, and a woman who deserved far more than the fate she was given. 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)

    1h 19m
  4. The Croydon Poisoning Mystery: Arsenic & the destruction of one family

    12/03/2025

    The Croydon Poisoning Mystery: Arsenic & the destruction of one family

    Three deaths. One family. One quiet corner of South Croydon that suddenly found itself at the centre of a mystery that felt more like a Victorian thriller than the suburbs in the 1920s. In this episode we dive into the strange chain of events that hit the Sidney and Duff families after three relatives died with the same unexplained symptoms, months apart. Doctors brushed it off, neighbours whispered, and life carried on. But once the Home Office ordered exhumations, everything changed. Each body showed clear signs of arsenic poisoning. No intruder. No confession. No charges. Almost a century later, the Croydon Poisoning Mystery still sits in a very uncomfortable grey area. We walk through the family tensions, the red flags and the unanswered questions — all sprinkled with our usual chaos, including the saga of the noise-cancelling headphones that turned Morrisons into sensory deprivation, whether stroking someone’s arm is science or just creepy, a full rant about eight-year-olds with teenage attitudes, and the ongoing diplomatic crisis caused by that comment about cheap suits. Sources include: https://beardyhistory.com/2025/08/10/unsolved-arsenic-murders-in-croydon https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/53486769#:~:text=,Croydon%20%28England https://www.insidehook.com/adventure/hidden-venom-famous-unsolved-poisonings https://beardyhistory.com/2025/08/10/unsolved-arsenic-murders-in-croydon https://insidecroydon.com/2022/01/08/did-the-south-croydon-poisoner-really-get-away-with-murder/ https://historywiki.therai.org.uk/index.php?title=Edmund_Creighton_Duff https://www.everand.com/book/897323633/Poisonous-Lies-The-Croydon-Arsenic-Mystery-Great-Unsolved-Murders-of-the-20th-Century https://forum.casebook.org/forum/social-chat/other-mysteries/6176-the-croydon-poisonings 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)

    1h 32m
  5. The Shooting of Chris Kaba: A story that split South London

    11/26/2025

    The Shooting of Chris Kaba: A story that split South London

    This week we’re in Streatham, looking at one of the most significant and most debated cases in recent South London history: the shooting of 24 year old Chris Kaba. An unarmed man, a single police shot, and a city that still hasn’t shaken off the impact. We walk through who Chris was, the world he was moving through, the police intelligence that shaped that night, and the split second decision that changed everything. It’s a case full of contradictions, complexity and questions that don’t sit neatly on either side of a line. And yes, before we get there, there’s also the usual chaos involving Rachel’s hatred of Sunday nights out, Hannah sniffing her own armpit, and an alarming amount of chat about shepherds. It’s Sinister South, Trevors. You know the drill. 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)

    1h 18m
  6. The Torture Gang: The Richardsons’ Reign in South London

    11/19/2025

    The Torture Gang: The Richardsons’ Reign in South London

    This week we’re diving into one of South London’s darkest and most infamous stories. The rise and fall of the Richardson Gang. A firm built on scrap metal, long-firm frauds, fruit machines, corrupt officers, brutal punishments and a level of violence that made even seasoned detectives say the Richardsons were far worse than the Krays. We take you all the way from wartime Camberwell and the brothers’ chaotic childhood, through their early crimes, the building of the firm, the feud with the twins, the chaos at Mr Smith’s, the murder of George Cornell, the South Africa connection and the enormous police operation that followed. And of course, we walk through one of the most notorious trials the Old Bailey has ever seen – the Torture Trial – with its pliers, generators, witness protection deals and a judge whose own family history caused controversy for decades. It’s one of the biggest stories we’ve ever covered. Brutal, complicated, and rooted deep in the real South London we know far too well. But before all that, we've got the usual nonsense…  Business as usual. 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)

    1h 45m
  7. The Student Predator: The Case of Zhenhao Zou

    11/12/2025

    The Student Predator: The Case of Zhenhao Zou

    A plausible-looking PhD student at University College London, living the student life — until the mask slipped. Zhenhao Zou invited women to his flat under the guise of study or drinks, used drugs to incapacitate them, then filmed the assaults. In this episode, we trace how the investigation unfolded — dating apps, his flat in London, hidden cameras, SD cards full of footage. We dig into how trust was weaponised, how the predator hid in plain sight, and what that means for us who never expected this from someone who looked so normal. And yes — we’ve got our usual back-and-forth banter (Rach vs Han, you know how it goes) sprinkled throughout. Brace yourselves for a dark ride. Sources include: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g8dy38qxjo https://www.cps.gov.uk/london-south/news/phd-student-given-life-sentence-raping-10-women https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/R-v-Zhenhao-Zou.pdf https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jun/19/serial-rapist-zhenhao-zou-jailed-for-life https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c79l4z3v3p3o https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/mar/ucl-statement-following-criminal-conviction-zhenhao-zou https://news.met.police.uk/news/met-detectives-thank-victim-survivors-who-have-come-forward-following-conviction-of-serial-rapist-zhenhao-zou-495737 https://www.psni.police.uk/latest-news/public-appeal-potential-victims-serial-rapist-zhenhao-zou https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/zhenhao-zou-rape-trial-inner-london-court-b2691147.html https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8rkj8k6my8o https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/05/zhenhao-zou-phd-student-who-filmed-attacks-on-women https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0lz8r9d  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynhard_Sinaga 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)

    58 min
  8. Marked as Solved: The Axe Murders of Brian Price and Susan Tetrault

    11/05/2025

    Marked as Solved: The Axe Murders of Brian Price and Susan Tetrault

    This week, we kick things off with talk of fireworks, chaotic bonfire night crowds, and Hannah dropping some insanely awesome news (the kind that actually makes us both a bit emotional). But after that burst of brightness, we take a sharp turn — back to South London in the summer of 1986. When a neighbour forced open the door to a flat on St Alphonsus Road, she walked straight into a scene of horror. Inside were the bodies of Susan Tetrault and Brian Price, brutally murdered as they slept. What first looked like a senseless act soon revealed a tangled story that stretched from Cornwall to Morocco, Cyprus to Clapham — a web of drug smuggling, unpaid debts, and brutal retribution. In this episode, we unravel how their murders may be tied to another double killing three years earlier, and a mysterious “accident” that followed soon after. Five deaths. One network. And a case marked as “detected” — even though no one was ever found guilty. Nearly forty years later, the files are closed. But the questions still aren’t. Sources include: https://inews.co.uk/culture/brian-price-susan-tetrault-axe-murder-3806356?srsltid=AfmBOooD1Sm6Qt59PBfdhibH6zfs77cdqvo28wFiJ3GJFkGz3x4RZl2u https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/grisly-gangland-axe-murder-couple-33722065 https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/35831704/brian-price-susan-tetrault-murdered-axed https://www.channel4.com/programmes/in-the-footsteps-of-killers/on-demand/76436-006 https://helios.iframe.thesun.co.uk/news/35831704/brian-price-susan-tetrault-murdered-axed 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)

    1h 16m
See All (80)

Ratings & Reviews

About

Join Rachel and Hannah on the Sinister South Podcast as they explore the shadowy corners of South London. Each episode digs into the gritty true crime stories that have left their mark on the local streets of South London. They’ll introduce you to the victims and dissect the mysteries while giving you a taste of the places these dramas unfolded. It’s not all doom and gloom; Rach and Han also have plenty of nonsense to chat about! So whether you're a true crime buff or just curious about the darker tales from their neck of the woods, pull up a chair, tune in and join the mischief!Want to get in touch with us, or request an episode? You can email us here: sinistersouthpodcast@gmail.com

Information

  • Creator
    Rachel & Hannah
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    80
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Sinister South
  • Show Website
    Sinister South

You Might Also Like