In this episode, recorded amid cat flap dramas, church hall trauma, and a frankly terrifying inflatable dinosaur, we dive into one of the most disturbing and under-reported cases in South London’s history: the murder of Bulic Forsythe.

In February 1993, Bulic a civil servant working in Lambeth Council’s social services department was found bludgeoned to death in his Brixton flat. The flat had been set on fire, the gas tampered with, and key documents were missing. Officially, the case remains unsolved. Unofficially, those who’ve followed it closely believe Bulic was murdered because of what he knew and what he was about to expose.

In this episode, we examine Bulic’s life, what he may have uncovered about abuse in Lambeth care homes, and why, more than 30 years later, no one has been held accountable. It’s a story of institutional failure, cover-ups, and the price some pay for trying to do the right thing.

⚠️ Warning: this episode contains discussion of child abuse, sexual violence, and arson. Please take care when listening.

Sources include:

https://www.iicsa.org.uk/reports-recommendations/publications/investigation/lambeth-council/part-f-culture-lambeth-council/f4-bullying-intimidation-and-racism.html

https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/f703dce3-d959-43b7-a587-3d37d9fce13b/episodes/bfaa46b3-e752-4492-9c74-0eae46bd71c6/the-unseen-podcast-bulic-forsythe

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/616d627fd3bf7f5604d83c8c/Lambeth-care-IICSA-investigation.pdf

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/clough_report_harris_report_and

https://newsfromcrystalpalace.wordpress.com/2020/08/28/background-to-the-news-the-reports/

https://www.iicsa.org.uk/reports-recommendations/publications/investigation/lambeth-council/part-f-culture-lambeth-council/f2-corruption.html

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/in-the-footsteps-of-killers/on-demand/76436-001

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)

This week we bring you the devastating story of two women, Naomi Hunte and Fiona Holm, both murdered by the same man: Carl Cooper. Both had warned police. Both were ignored. And both were lost because no one acted when it mattered.

We talk about stalking, missed red flags, a crowbar attack that led nowhere, and a family forced to do the investigating themselves. Plus, the absolute fury of watching a system shrug and walk away – twice.

There’s chat about chaotic Patreons, accidentally sending bonus episodes to the wrong people, and whether Gemma Collins has secretly taken over our mics… but at its heart, this episode is about two women who deserved better. And the very long list of people who failed them.

Sources include:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/carl-cooper-murder-trial-naomi-hunte-fiona-holm-b2556574.html

https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/24425248.lewisham-man-carl-cooper-jailed-life-murders/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv2gnn6n0deo.amp

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv2glr24egzo

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/sep/19/met-investigates-four-officers-over-case-of-double-domestic-murderer

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/met-police-failed-to-stop-abuser-killing-two-victims-carl-cooper-n7vn7jdw6?region=global

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/woolwich-murder-naomi-hunte-plumstead-common-police-london-crime-b983123.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/carl-cooper-met-police-fiona-holm-b2595131.html

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/16/the-killing-of-fiona-holm-why-was-the-life-and-death-of-this-much-loved-mother-so-overlooked

https://socialistworker.co.uk/news/met-police-sexism-failed-naomi-hunte-and-fiona-holm/

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)

After a slightly chaotic opening involving anxiety spirals, pocket-based trouser strategy, and a traumatic passport photo, things quickly turn grim as we cover the brutal 2020 murder of 25-year-old Riches Obie in Elephant & Castle.

He had no criminal past. No enemies. Just a quiet life with his mum — until he was fatally stabbed in their flat.

Was it a robbery gone wrong? Or the fallout of a sham marriage scam involving immigration paperwork, money, and three Dutch nationals with links to international crime? Why did his mum flee to Nigeria and refuse to testify? And why did his sister step over his dying body to collect a suitcase?

A tragic, messy case. With more questions than answers.

Sources in this case include

https://news.sky.com/story/man-stabbed-former-associate-to-death-in-london-flat-then-held-his-mother-captive-after-sham-marriage-scam-row-13144561 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/riches-obi-bernadette-ortet-murder-b2552537.html https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/24448307.three-jailed-elephant-castle-marriage-scam-killing/
https://www.23es.com/convictions-in-jennifer-knight-kcs-marriage-scam-murder/ https://uk.news.yahoo.com/fake-groom-jailed-life-murder-113911901.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAH9ELC3qels5RAIWjg80HMlMqjTbgem4IRi-bEIuNtCvwdUMK0taNjPuWoDd1lU7-t3nnmcyQAUzwEF4PynSkb7R-SxfssrHlhWGNIpWoULTYNV6G25EdcNSvn7zqe30QDhI1k9PJFcs3J-f-CbYe1RGC2JD_uzfZeZwmoIl3665 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13267985/dutch-trio-bound-gagged-marriage-scheme.html
https://totalcrime.substack.com/p/i-stepped-over-my-brothers-body-to https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13627949/Killer-bound-gagged-legal-executive-stabbed-son-death-didnt-pay-sham-marriage-scam-jailed-30-years.html
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/powers-and-operational-procedure/marriage-investigations-accessible#:~:text=Section%2024%20duty%20to%20report,registering%20a%20birth%20or%20death.

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)

A man shot in his kitchen. A Ming vase in a JD Sports bag. An iPad dumped in the Thames.

This one has it all: a failed assassination, a Geneva museum heist, and three South London men who left a digital trail as messy as their getaway. Paul Allen, once part of Britain’s biggest cash robbery, ends up paralysed. But it’s what the attackers left behind that seals their fate.

Also this week: Hannah’s limping, Rachel’s made a new friend (scandal), and we can’t remember if we’re quoting ourselves or losing our minds.

If you'd like to donate to Hannah's Just Giving for Papyrus, you can do it here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Hannah1747738258903

Sources for this episode include: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy5nw5nez7zo
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67988454
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgp1g85lj7o
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7656317.stm
https://news.met.police.uk/news/three-guilty-of-conspiracy-to-murder-following-woodford-green-shooting-in-2019-495437
https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/R-v-Kelly-Ahearne-and-Ahearne.pdf
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c209z8l72dwt?page=2
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/16/two-british-brothers-jailed-over-swiss-museum-heist
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/01/17/heist-switzerland-theft-baur-geneva-ahearne/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67950947
https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/news/trio-facing-lengthy-jail-terms-after-attempt-to-kill-east-london-rival-left-target-paralysed-for-life/

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)

In the summer of 2020, the quiet suburb of Mitcham was shaken by an unthinkable tragedy. Five-year-old Sayagi Sivanantham was found critically injured in her family’s flat, and what followed would unravel into a story that forced a difficult national reckoning. In this episode, we explore the human story behind the headlines – one of a vibrant little girl, a community in shock, and the quiet crisis hiding in plain sight.

This case asks uncomfortable questions. About mental health, motherhood, and what happens when systems designed to protect don’t catch the warning signs in time.

As always, there is the usual chaos and giggles before the case kicks off. This week is the tale of "Rachel and Hannahs very annoying day".

Sources used for this episode include:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57598039

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-53252015

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/sep/11/london-woman-in-court-over-killing-of-five-year-old-daughter

https://news.sky.com/story/mitcham-murder-investigation-after-girl-five-dies-in-knife-incident-at-flat-12018900

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/metropolitan-police-mitcham-london-b942517.html

https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/british-tamil-child-murdered-london

https://www.arabnews.com/tags/sayagi-sivanantham

https://www.itv.com/news/london/2020-07-01/murder-investigation-following-the-death-of-girl-5-in-mitcham

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/mother-kills-daughter-covid-lockdown-depression-sutha-sivanantham-b942445.html

https://news.sky.com/story/mitcham-woman-in-court-charged-with-murder-of-five-year-old-daughter-12068821

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)

This week, we’re off to Twickenham (yes, it is in South London—Han’s learning geography as we go), where a wealthy widow was found brutally stabbed and partially burned in her own home in 1936. Laura Mordaunt Chapman lived a quiet, reclusive life—until Albert Hadfield, a local sweetshop owner with a shady past and a bicycle, wormed his way in. With 47 stab wounds, no signs of a break-in, and a staged crime scene, the case screamed foul play… but nearly 90 years on, no one has ever been convicted.

We’re talking poison apples (not really, but sort of), romantic misunderstandings, and the mystery of why Laura, who never left her kitchen, was found upstairs. Oh, and we’ve upgraded our recording kit thanks to Young William. Fancy.

Join us as we unravel a lesser-known but chilling South London murder and raise a glass (or a cider) to one year of Sinister South. Spoiler: Albert definitely did it.

Sources for this episode include:

http://www.unsolved-murders.co.uk/murder-content.php?key=1222&termRef=Laura%20Mordaunt-Chapman

https://www.tempestproductions.net/podcasts/episode/8fad0ca9/london-epitaphs-11-laura-mordaunt-chapman

https://bookreadfree.com/538064/13210324#:~:text=From%20August%201927%2C%20Laura%20had,callers%20and%20lived%20very%20quietly

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results/1936-07-13/1936-07-13?basicsearch=girl%20shoots%20a%20man%20dead%20for%20treading%20on%20her%20foot&somesearch=girl%20shoots%20a%20man%20dead%20for%20treading%20on%20her%20foot&exactsearch=false&retrievecountrycounts=false&sortorder=score#:~:text=foot%27%20www,Knowl%20Usk%20Monmouthshire%20gave

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)

In the early 1990s, South London was a hotspot for gangland violence, with organised crime families like the Arifs and Brindells locked in a deadly power struggle. In this episode, we explore the interconnected murders of Arma Abdullah, David Brindell, and Stanley Silk – killings that reveal a chilling web of retribution, turf wars, and community silence.

From a targeted hit in a Woolworth betting shop to a brutal double shooting at the Bell Pub, these unsolved crimes shed light on the criminal underworld operating in plain sight and the innocent lives caught in the crossfire. We examine gang rivalries, police failures, the roots of Operation Trident, and how entire communities were impacted by fear and distrust.

(Also includes a brief ode to spiderweb garden furniture and why we’re still not over our teenage goth phases.)

Sources include:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/gangland-hitman-came-from-dublin-1602253.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/shooting-fuels-gangland-war-threat-1602083.html https://vlex.co.uk/vid/brindle-v-commissioner-of-804419569 http://www.unsolved-murders.co.uk/murder-content.php?key=910&termRef=Ahmet%20Abdullah http://www.unsolved-murders.co.uk/murder-content.php?key=1244&termRef=Stanley%20Silk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC7soTxHxu0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AouY8VfK6Yk https://www.tiktok.com/@theenquirer8/video/7282135366461574432 https://www.pond5.com/stock-images/photos/item/219170906-floral-tribute-outside-bell-pub-walworth-london-where-david https://www.reddit.com/r/crime_documentaries/comments/uv0s1n/unsolved_1991_david_brindle_and_stanley_silk/?rdt=51525&force_seo=1 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/shooting-fuels-gangland-war-threat-1602083.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arifs_(gang)

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)

She travelled to London with dreams of adventure, language, and independence, but instead, 21-year-old Sophie Lionnet found herself trapped in a house of delusion and cruelty.

In this episode, we uncover the disturbing murder of a young French au pair at the hands of a South London couple who convinced themselves she was a spy sent by a former boyband star. With twisted obsession, manipulation, and a shared fantasy that spiralled into torture and murder, this is one of the most haunting domestic crimes in modern British history.

Also listen to how Rach became "that person" while dealing with a teenager with no headphones on a commuter train...

Sources include:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/05/25/a-london-couples-shared-psychosis-led-to-the-torture-and-death-of-french-au-pair/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5709425/Heartbroken-father-French-nanny-Sophie-Lionnet-says-hes-haunted-murder.html

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-48381455

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jun/26/london-couple-who-murdered-nanny-get-life-sentences

https://news.sky.com/story/murdered-french-nanny-had-a-chance-to-escape-11308390

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5709425/Heartbroken-father-French-nanny-Sophie-Lionnet-says-hes-haunted-murder.html

https://www.reuters.com/article/world/us/french-couple-get-life-in-jail-for-murdering-nanny-in-london-idUSKBN1JM1XL/#:~:text=Sabrina%20Kouider%2C%2035%2C%20and%20Ouissem,from%20Troyes%20in%20eastern%20France

https://www.independent.ie/news/boyzone-founder-says-murder-accused-was-manipulative-and-controlling/36744926.html#:~:text=turbulent%2C%20probably%20the%20most%20turbulent,I%20had%20ever%20been%20in

www.channel5.com/tortured-to-death-murdering-the-nanny

https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/infamous-sophie-lionnet/

https://casefilepodcast.com/case-236-sophie

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)