Fear or Favour

A mixed bag of subjects this week as so much has happened since our last episode. Mark and Nazir start by discussing the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and her impact on the monarchy as well as what lies ahead for King Charles III. They also look at the High Court action being taken by the DPP against judges refusal to detain defendants for longer. They then look at the role The Teacher’s Pet podcast has played in getting a successful conviction for Lynette Dawson’s 1982 murder and at the way police perceive the media's role in investigations. Nazir and Mark close by talking about the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran. Mahsa was detained, tortured and killed by Iran's Morality Police for failing to properly wear her hijab. Her death has sparked protests and outrage worldwide.

Mark and Nazir start this week's episode with an update on the investigation in to the shooting of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Merseyside and then continue with the scheduled topic of racism in the criminal justice system. They discuss implicit race bias and institutionalised racism in policing and in the justice system, giving examples of where they and others have witnessed this first-hand. Nazir's new book, "The Race to the Top: Structural Racism and How to Fight It", is out now. He knows what it’s like to break the glass ceiling, challenge prejudice and shake up predominantly white institutions. Born in Birmingham to first generation Pakistani immigrants, he was the first Muslim to be appointed as a Chief Crown Prosecutor and the most senior Muslim lawyer in the Crown Prosecution Service.

In this episode Mark and Nazir begin by discussing the increase in gun-crime in Merseyside and in particular the recent tragic shooting of 9-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel. And they take a light-hearted look at life within the fire service; Nazir and Mark are joined this week by special guest, Leigh Hosy-Pickett, whose new book "Up In Smoke: Stories From a Life on Fire" tells all about what he has seen in his twenty-five years as a firefighter.

A bit of a mixed bag in this episode. Nazir and Mark tackle subjects including the latest crime statistics which show that the police are failing to tackle, or even respond to, certain crimes such as burglaries and theft. They look at the awful situation surrounding local authorities sending children in care to stay in homes hundreds of miles away in Blackpool, and the risks that those children are then exposed to. Plus a lot more - even the cost of living crisis comes under close scrutiny with a warning from Mark and Nazir that it could lead to civil unrest if something isn't done about it very soon.

WARNING: This episode contains detailed descriptions of injuries and crime scenes relating to multiple murder cases. Mark and Nazir are joined this week by guest, David Collins, the Northern Editor at the Sunday Times to discuss his book "The Hunt For The Silver Killer". In June 2021 Stephanie Davies, a senior coroner's officer who works for the Cheshire Police, was suspended over her suggestion that elderly couples were being murdered by a serial killer. In David's book, he investigates Stephanie's findings and examines the evidence to see if an unknown serial killer could be at large in the North West of England.

In this episode, Mark and Nazir are joined by special guest Carolyn Bunting MBE to discuss the impact online pornography and sexting have on children. Asking is the industry doing enough to protect children and could the Government do more. They also give some important advice on how parents can address these issues with their children. Carolyn is the CEO of Internet Matters, an independent, not-for-profit organisation which helps families keep their children safe online. Their website contains lots of useful and educational material for parents, children and educators: internetmatters.org

In this episode, Mark and Nazir discuss the sentencing of disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly; sentenced to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of eight counts of sex trafficking and one of racketeering. He used his fame to sexually abuse young fans, including some who were just children. With 6 police forces being put on Special Measures, including the Met Police, Nazir and Mark explain why this has happened, what it means and look at what could be done to bring an end to all of the problems.

Five years on from the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire, Mark and Nazir discuss what went wrong and ask why has nobody been bought to justice. On 14 June 2017, a fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block in North Kensington, London. The fire spread rapidly up and around the exterior of the building due to sub-standard cladding having been installed. 72 people died in the fire and more than 70 others were injured. The families of the victims are still waiting for answers.

On 24th May 2022, 18-year-old Salvador Rolando Ramos fatally shot nineteen students and two teachers, he also wounded seventeen other people at Robb Elementary School in Texas. Nazir and Mark take a detailed look at this tragedy and question why the US Government has failed to implement necessary changes to the gun laws in order to reduce the number of mass shootings. They also discuss the outcome of Partygate, and take a look at the impending crisis in the NHS ambulance system, as well as the dangers of swimming at this time of year and the upturn in activity from online scammers.

There is a lot happening in the news this week. Mark and Nazir discuss the Conservative MP who was arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual assault. They take a scathing look at the failings of both the police and the pathologist in the 1987 murder of Shani Warren, known as 'The Lady in the Lake', and compare those failings to similar failings in the case of Jessie Earl. Baby P's mother, Tracey Connelly, will be released from prison after the Parole Board rejected the Government challenge. Nazir and Mark look at the Parole Board's actions, how it operates and challenge some of Parole Board's decisions. They also take a look at the risks of social media, in particular the case of 52-year old driving instructor, Graham Mansie from Bromley, who “became besotted” with a 17-year-old student while teaching her how to drive. He went on to set up various social media accounts in order to stalk her and to befriend people who knew her.

This week Nazir and Mark take a detailed look at restorative justice and are joined by Jacob Dunne to discuss his own experiences. Jacob served fourteen months in prison following his conviction for manslaughter, caused by a single punch on a night out in 2011, and has since developed a relationship with his victim’s parents through a Restorative Justice programme. With their encouragement he has earned a first-class degree in criminology and he now spends his time mentoring and advising young people and prisoners on the perils of violence and how to turn their lives around.

There has been a lot happening in the news this week for Nazir and Mark to cover. They look at Wayne Couzens attempt to have his whole-life prison sentence reduced, then revisit the abuse and trafficking issues affecting some of the Ukrainian refugees coming to the UK. Touching on his own recent experience, Mark discusses online Trolls with Nazir and they look at the issues surrounding online abuse and the impact it has on people. They also take a look at the impact of the US Supreme Court possibly planning to overturn the historic Roe v Wade ruling and the effect it will have on women's rights. And, the week wouldn't be complete without looking at some of the developments in the Johnny Depp Amber Heard defamation trial.

Another mixed bag of news this week falling under the scrutiny of Mark and Nazir. First to be looked at is Neil Parish MP who has now resigned after being caught watching pornography in Parliament. Mark and Nazir also have a detailed talk about the tragic murder of 6-year-old Rikki Neave, murdered in 1994 by James Watson who was just 13 at the time. They look at Boris Becker's fall from grace and his imprisonment for hiding assets in order to avoid paying debts. And look at the 15-year statute of limitations in relation to the Madeleine McCann abduction, and discuss Mark's upcoming 3-part documentary investigating the prime suspect, Christian B.

This week Mark and Nazir cover a broad range of topic in the news, including police powers in relation to Stop and Search and its disproportionate use on black people and in deprived areas. They revisit what has happened in the appalling strip search case of 15-year-old Child Q and have an in depth look at how the Russia / Ukraine war is affecting some Russian Oligarchs and whether politics should be allowed to influence the world of sports. They also take a look at the ongoing court case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.

A mixed bag of subjects in this weeks episode. Nazir and Mark discuss the ramifications of the Partygate fines, in particular, for Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak. And following on from last week, they explain what constitutes Sexting, the impact it can have on people and they look at the legal issues surrounding it. They take a look at the whole-life sentence given to the murderer of Sir David Amess MP and the personal safety issues that politicians and police officers face on a daily basis. And they also discuss the conviction of Wakefield MP, Imran Khan, who has been expelled from the Conservative Party after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy in 2008.

In this episode Nazir and Mark examine harassment, stalking and contempt of court. They explain what constitutes harassment and stalking and have an in-depth discussion about the impact it has on the people it is targeted at, as well as discussing their own experiences being in the public eye. Contempt of Court happens when someone risks unfairly influencing a court case. Mark and Nazir look at what constitutes Contempt of Court and what can happen to those who find themselves being held in contempt.

In this episode Mark and Nazir have an in-depth discussion about the Crown Prosecution Service's role in policing and prosecutions. They explain how the CPS operates and take a detailed look at its history, people and the challenges it has faced, and still faces going forward. Nazir spent most of his career in the CPS and rose to be the Chief Crown Prosecutor for the North West. Nazir has a unique insight that you won't want to miss.

This week Nazir and Mark are joined by special guest, Alastair Morgan. Alastair's brother, Daniel Morgan, was a British private investigator who was murdered in London in 1987, he was found dead in a pub car park with an axe embedded in his head. Daniel's murder remains unsolved despite there having been several police investigations, arrests, and a trial. In 2021, an independent review into the handling of the investigation found that the Met Police had "a form of institutional corruption" which had concealed or denied failings in the case. Nazir and Mark discuss with Alastair the details of the case and the the suspects as well as taking look at the failures and corruption that have prevented Daniel's murderers from being brought to justice.

This episode looks at the truly shocking strip-search of 'Child Q' by officers from London's Metropolitan police force. As well the Met's hugely disproportionate response to squatters occupying a Belgravia mansion owned by the sanctioned oligarch, Oleg Deripaska. Nazir and Mark take a detailed look at these topics and address some of the main issues within the Met. Asking, should the Met be broken up in to smaller, regional police forces?

Nazir and Mark take a look at Russia's invasion of Ukraine; in particular, what constitutes a war crime and what would have to happen in order for the International Criminal Court to be able bring Putin to justice. They also discuss the calls to implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine and explain why there are risks for the International community in doing so.