The Profiler with Kerry Daynes

On 8 December 2015, 24-year-old Charlotte Brown died in the Thames after a first date with web consultant Jack Shepherd ended in his speedboat capsizing near Westminster. In this episode, forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes examines how Shepherd, driving drunk at nearly three times the speed limit with no life jackets and a disconnected safety kill-cord, tried to blame Charlotte for the crash, then vanished before his trial, living under a changed identity in Tbilisi for months while the case unfolded in his absence. Drawing on police, journalists and Shepherd's own defiant TV interviews, Kerry unpicks the verbal slips and self-serving language of a man who, even when confronted a second time over a violent offence, could only ever really think about himself.Key psychological themesThis episode explores: narcissism and self-serving deception • victim-blaming and diffusion of responsibility • recklessness and disregard for safety • flight from justice and identity change • verbal slips and language analysis • alcohol-fuelled violence and impulse controlContributors featured in this episode•       Kerry Daynes — Forensic psychologist, presenter, and author of Dark Side of the Mind and What Lies Buried.•       Chris Davis — Metropolitan Police detective sergeant who investigated the case.•       Dan Rivers — ITV News reporter who covered the trial and manhunt.•       John Simpson — Former crime correspondent for The Times.What you'll learn in this episode•       How Jack Shepherd drove his speedboat at nearly three times the legal night-time limit, with no life jackets on board and a safety kill-cord left unattached•       Why he told police Charlotte had taken the controls moments before the crash, and why detectives believe responsibility still lay with him as the boat's reckless owner•       How Shepherd vanished before his own trial, was convicted in his absence, and was later tracked down living under a changed appearance in Tbilisi, Georgia•       Why Kerry identifies a telling 'verbal slip' in Shepherd's TV interview that reveals how self-focused his thinking really was•       How Shepherd tried to shift blame onto Charlotte's grieving father, and why police say the claim was baseless•       Why CCTV of an unrelated, unprovoked bottle attack in a Devon pub reveals a pattern of impulsive, alcohol-fuelled violence•       What happened when Shepherd was finally extradited, and why he remains behind bars today after breaching the terms of his licenceRelevant links and further reading•       Kerry Daynes — Dark Side of the Mind (Endeavour, 2019)•       Kerry Daynes — What Lies Buried (Endeavour, 2021)•       Faking It: Tears of a Crime — streaming on Discovery+•       BBC News — coverage of the trial and extradition of Jack ShepherdSubscribe & followIf you're gripped by The Profiler, with Kerry Daynes, follow the show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. A rating or review takes thirty seconds and genuinely helps new listeners find us.Visit theprofiler.co.ukFor further updates and to receive Kerry's weekly newsletter, visit theprofiler.co.uk.Credits•       Presented by Kerry Daynes•       Produced by Shearwater Media•       Executive producers: Jeff Anderson and Steve Anderson•       Music & Editing: Rob Warner•       Edit Assistant: Kay HomanContent noteThis episode contains descriptions of a fatal accident, alcohol-fuelled violence, and victim-blaming. Listener discretion is advised. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 18 December 2022, 32-year-old Natalie McNally was murdered in her home in Lurgan, Northern Ireland, stabbed, beaten and strangled while 15 weeks pregnant with her son. Her boyfriend, Stephen McCullagh, appeared to have the perfect alibi: at the exact time of the attack, he was hosting a six-hour 'live' YouTube broadcast, watched by thousands. In this episode, forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes reveals how McCullagh had actually pre-recorded the stream four nights earlier, slipping in chilling ‘hints’ at the murder he was about to commit, before slipping out to kill Natalie and returning home undetected. Drawing on CCTV, digital forensics and a harrowing 999 call, Kerry examines the mind of a killer capable of an extraordinarily calculated deception.Key psychological themesThis episode explores: coercive control, misogyny and femicide • premeditation and staging a false alibi • narcissism and performative grief • digital forensics and deception detection • domestic homicide in Northern IrelandContributors featured in this episode•       Kerry Daynes — Forensic psychologist, presenter, and author of Dark Side of the Mind and What Lies Buried.•       Lynda Bryans — Journalist and broadcaster who covered the case.•       Catherine Kierans — Senior prosecutor, Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland.What you'll learn in this episode•       Why Stephen McCullagh's six-hour 'live' YouTube broadcast, watched by thousands, turned out to be a pre-recording made four nights before Natalie's murder•       How digital forensic analysis of background computer activity exposed the difference between a genuine livestream and a played-out recording•       Why the killer titled his broadcast 'Violent Night' and slipped in-game lines like 'I need to kill this bitch' and 'Abso-effing-Natalie' into the footage•       How CCTV traced McCullagh's disguised journey by bus and taxi to Natalie's home and back, undoing his alibi•       Why detectives grew suspicious within minutes of his 999 call, despite no signs of forced entry and a guard dog that never barked•       How McCullagh manipulated Natalie's grieving family, secretly recording their conversations and attending her wake, while refusing to cooperate with police•       Why Northern Ireland has one of the highest rates of violence against women in the UK, and what Natalie's case reveals about coercive control and femicideRelevant links and further reading•       Kerry Daynes — Dark Side of the Mind (Endeavour, 2019)•       Kerry Daynes — What Lies Buried (Endeavour, 2021)•       BBC News — coverage of the trial and conviction of Stephen McCullagh•       Domestic abuse support — Women's Aid Northern Ireland (0808 802 1414)Subscribe & followIf you're gripped by The Profiler, with Kerry Daynes, follow the show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. A rating or review takes thirty seconds and genuinely helps new listeners find us.Visit theprofiler.co.ukFor further updates and to receive Kerry's weekly newsletter, visit theprofiler.co.uk.Credits•       Presented by Kerry Daynes•       Produced by Shearwater Media•       Executive producers: Jeff Anderson and Steve Anderson•       Editing & Music: Rob WarnerContent noteThis episode contains graphic descriptions of domestic violence and the murder of a pregnant woman. Listener discretion is strongly advised. Support for domestic abuse is available from Women's Aid Northern Ireland (0808 802 1414) and Refuge (0808 2000 247). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 26 August 2016, 19-year-old Shana Grice was murdered in her Brighton home by former colleague Michael Lane — a man she had reported to Sussex Police multiple times in the months before her death. In this first episode of the new season, forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes reveals how officers dismissed Shana's complaints, branded her a liar, and even fined her £90 for wasting police time, while Lane, a serial stalker with a hidden history of predatory behaviour, grew increasingly bold. Drawing on interviews with journalists who covered the case, and secret recordings Shana made herself, Kerry traces the eight-stage 'Homicide Timeline' that led inexorably to tragedy, and asks how many warning signs a victim has to raise before anyone listens.Key psychological themesThis episode explores: stalking and coercive control • the Homicide Timeline and escalation to lethal violence • victim-blaming and institutional failure • obsession, jealousy and loss of control • blackmail and manipulation in abusive relationshipsContributors featured in this episode•       Kerry Daynes — Forensic psychologist, presenter, and author of Dark Side of the Mind and What Lies Buried.•       Flora Thompson — Press Association journalist who covered the Shana Grice case.•       Frank Le Duc — Editor of the Brighton and Hove News.What you'll learn in this episode•       How Michael Lane, a colleague eight years older than Shana, pursued her with gifts, then threats, after she ended their relationship•       Why Sussex Police dismissed Shana's first stalking report as 'insufficient evidence', despite a record showing Lane had previously groomed a 14-year-old girl•       How officers branded Shana a liar after an assault, and fined her £90 for 'wasting police time'•       Why a secret tracking device fitted to Shana's car, and a stolen house key, preceded Lane's final, fatal visit to her home•       What the eight-stage 'Homicide Timeline' reveals about the path from coercive control to murder, and where it could have been stopped•       Why fourteen Sussex Police officers and staff were referred to the police regulator after Shana's murder, and how her case changed national policy on stalking complaintsRelevant links and further reading•       Kerry Daynes — Dark Side of the Mind (Endeavour, 2019)•       Kerry Daynes — What Lies Buried (Endeavour, 2021)•       Faking It: Tears of a Crime — streaming on Discovery+ and HBO Max•       Suzy Lamplugh Trust — National Stalking Helpline (0808 802 0300)•       Domestic abuse support — Refuge (0808 2000 247)Subscribe & followIf you're gripped by The Profiler, with Kerry Daynes, follow the show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. A rating or review takes thirty seconds and genuinely helps new listeners find us.Visit theprofiler.co.ukFor further updates and to receive Kerry's weekly newsletter, visit theprofiler.co.uk.Credits•       Presented by Kerry Daynes•       Produced by Shearwater Media•       Executive producers: Jeff Anderson and Steve Anderson•       Editing and Music: Rob WarnerContent noteThis episode contains descriptions of stalking, coercive control, and a graphic murder. Listener discretion is strongly advised. If you're affected by stalking, contact the Suzy Lamplugh Trust's National Stalking Helpline (0808 802 0300). Support for domestic abuse is available from Refuge (0808 2000 247). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final episode of our summer specials, forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes talks to Steve Keogh, a retired Metropolitan Police detective inspector who spent twelve years on Scotland Yard's Murder Investigation Team and helped convict around 100 killers. Steve reveals how murder squads achieve an extraordinary 90% clear-up rate, why smartphones have become a detective's most valuable piece of evidence, and what working the devastating aftermath of the 7/7 London bombings taught him about trauma and resilience. He also shares the theory it took him thirty years to develop: that virtually every murder is driven by one of just three underlying motives. It's a rare look at homicide investigation from the other side of the interview room.Key psychological themesThis episode explores: the three drivers of murder — emotion, power and control, and gain • trauma, resilience and delayed grief in frontline policing • coercive control and domestic homicide • missed warning signs in mental-health-related killings • digital evidence and behavioural profilingContributors featured in this episode•       Kerry Daynes — Forensic psychologist, presenter, and author of Dark Side of the Mind and What Lies Buried.•       Steve Keogh — Retired Metropolitan Police detective inspector, Scotland Yard Murder Investigation Team; author and host of Murder Unpacked.What you'll learn in this episode•       Why murder has a 90% clear-up rate in the UK, far higher than crimes like burglary, and how a team of up to 50 detectives makes that possible•       How cuts to the Met's murder teams, from 29 down to 18, have left detectives permanently playing catch-up•       Why nearly a third of London's murders are domestic-violence related, and why a woman's greatest homicide risk comes from a partner or ex-partner•       What it was really like working the Edgware Road bomb scene for two weeks after 7/7, and why the psychological toll didn't hit Steve until years later•       Why phones, not CCTV or forensics, are the single most valuable piece of evidence in a modern murder inquiry•       Steve's theory that almost every killing is driven by one of three motives: an emotional trigger, the desire to feel powerful, or material gain•       Why Steve believes many domestic and mental-health-related homicides were preventable, and the warning signs that kept being missedRelevant links and further reading•       Kerry Daynes — Dark Side of the Mind (Endeavour, 2019)•       Kerry Daynes — What Lies Buried (Endeavour, 2021)•       Steve Keogh — Murder Investigation Team: How Killers Are Really Caught•       Steve Keogh — Murder Investigation Team: Jack the Ripper•       Steve Keogh — Murder Unpacked (murderunpacked.com)Subscribe & followIf you're gripped by The Profiler, with Kerry Daynes, follow the show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. A rating or review takes thirty seconds and genuinely helps new listeners find us.Visit theprofiler.co.ukFor further updates and to receive Kerry's weekly newsletter, visit theprofiler.co.uk.Credits•       Presented by Kerry Daynes, with guest Steve Keogh•       Produced by Shearwater Media•       Executive producers: Jeff Anderson and Steve Anderson•       Editing and Music: Rob WarnerContent noteThis episode discusses murder, domestic violence, and the July 2005 London bombings. Listener discretion is advised. If you have been affected by the issues raised, support is available from Refuge's National Domestic Abuse Helpline (0808 2000 247). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode, forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes sits down with Dr Cliff Lansley, the body language expert often called the “Human Lie Detector,” to unpack the real science of spotting deception. A former motor mechanic turned behavioural analyst, Cliff spent a decade working alongside the late Dr Paul Ekman, the world's foremost expert on facial expression, before developing SCAnS, the Six Channels Analysis System now used by police, lawyers and intelligence services. Kerry and Cliff pick apart real police interview footage from three of Britain's most notorious killers — Harold Shipman, Ian Huntley and Wayne Couzens — to reveal how a micro head shake, a dropped shoulder or a change in breathing rate can betray a lie the words are trying to hide.Key psychological themesThis episode explores: deception detection and body language • micro-expressions and subconscious “leakage” • psychophysiology and the polygraph vs SCAnS • cognitive load and lying • myths about gender and lie detection • forensic use of behavioural analysis in courtContributors featured in this episode•       Kerry Daynes — Forensic psychologist, presenter, and author of Dark Side of the Mind and What Lies Buried.•       Dr Cliff Lansley — Body language expert, founder of the Emotional Intelligence Academy, and author of Getting to the Truth.What you'll learn in this episode•       Why Cliff prefers the term “truth detector” to “lie detector”, and how the subconscious mind leaks the truth even when the words are lying•       Why two popular myths about lie detection — that women read liars better than men, and that everyone has a Pinocchio-style “tell” — don't hold up•       How SCAnS analyses six channels of behaviour, from facial expression to word choice, and why Cliff needs a cluster of at least three indicators before he trusts a signal•       How Ian Huntley leaked seven separate signs of deception in a three-word denial about his contact with Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman•       Why Wayne Couzens's relaxed phone call to a vet, compared with his stumbling police interview, exposed the mental strain of fabricating a story on the fly•       How Cliff tracked Harold Shipman's breathing rate through his shirt collar, even with his back turned, to pinpoint the moment a victim's name became “a problem” for him•       Why SCAnS is now being used as expert evidence in UK and US courts, and what that could mean for the justice systemRelevant links and further reading•       Kerry Daynes — Dark Side of the Mind (Endeavour, 2019)•       Kerry Daynes — What Lies Buried (Endeavour, 2021)•       Dr Cliff Lansley — Getting to the Truth (available on Amazon)•       Emotional Intelligence Academy  (https://www.emotionintell.com/ )•       Faking It: Tears of a Crime — streaming on Discovery+ and HBO MaxSubscribe & followIf you're gripped by The Profiler with Kerry Daynes, follow the show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. A rating or review takes thirty seconds and genuinely helps new listeners find us.Visit theprofiler.co.ukFor further updates and to receive Kerry's weekly newsletter, visit theprofiler.co.uk.Credits•       Presented by Kerry Daynes, with guest Dr Cliff Lansley•       Produced by Shearwater Media•       Executive producers: Jeff Anderson and Steve Anderson•       Editing and Music: Rob WarnerContent noteThis episode references the crimes of convicted killers Harold Shipman, Ian Huntley and Wayne Couzens, and also includes profanity. Listener discretion is advised. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.