Advertise on podcast: Crime Next Door

The story of Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchanan. In 1991 they were murdered by their spouses who then staged a scene to make it look like they had taken their own lives. 18 years later - one of the killers decided to confess. Episode 6– The Ring Dr Lauren Bradford Clarke was just four years old when her mother Lesley Howell was murdered by her father Colin. He was assisted in the killing by the woman he was having an affair with – Hazel Stewart. Now an assistant professor of criminology at Nottingham university, Lauren is determined that she will not be defined by her family’s past – and that she will reclaim her mother’s memory for her own future. Episode written and presented by Dr Lauren Bradford Clarke Series readings by: Declan Rodgers Tierna McNally Andrew McCracken Christine Clare Produced by Conor McKay Executive editor Andy Martin A BBC Northern Ireland production

The story of Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchanan. In 1991 they were murdered by their spouses who then staged a scene to make it look like they had taken their own lives. 18 years later - one of the killers decided to confess. Episode 5 – The Trial Colin Howell’s police interviews reveal the true extent of Hazel’s role in the murders of Lesley and Trevor, but Hazel claims she was under his control. During Hazel’s trial for double murder, Lesley’s daughter Lauren is shocked to hear her police interviews played in court - and believes Hazel could have stopped the murders from taking place Narrated by Lucy McConnell Produced by Conor McKay Executive editor Andy Martin A BBC Northern Ireland production

The story of Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchanan. In 1991 they were murdered by their spouses who then staged a scene to make it look like they had taken their own lives. 18 years later - one of the killers decided to confess. Episode 4 – The Secret After the killing of Lesley and Trevor, Colin and Hazel continue their secret affair. Lesley’s daughter Lauren begins to see Hazel as a mother figure, unaware of the dark secret she shares with her father Colin. But years later, when Hazel and Colin have ended their affair, remarried and started separate new lives – Colin Howell begins to believe that God is punishing him, and that he must confess to their crimes. Narrated by Lucy McConnell Produced by Conor McKay Executive editor Andy Martin A BBC Northern Ireland production

The story of Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchanan. In 1991 they were murdered by their spouses who then staged a scene to make it look like they had taken their own lives. 18 years later - one of the killers decided to confess. Episode 3 – The Innocent On the day of their son’s second birthday, Colin Howell prepares to murder his wife Lesley and phones Hazel to confirm the plan is going ahead that night. With assistance from Hazel, while their children sleep, Colin carries out the murders of Lesley and Trevor and prepares to stage a suicide scene in a garage in the village of Castlerock. Narrated by Lucy McConnell Produced by Conor McKay Executive editor Andy Martin A BBC Northern Ireland production

The story of Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchanan. In 1991 they were murdered by their spouses who then staged a scene to make it look like they had taken their own lives. 18 years later - one of the killers decided to confess. Episode 2 - The Affair In a close-knit Baptist church community in Coleraine, Northern Ireland - Hazel Buchanan, married to a local RUC officer - begins a secret affair with married dentist Colin Howell. When the affair is discovered, the church arranges counselling for both couples - but Colin Howell begins plotting with Hazel to murder their partners. Narrated by Lucy McConnell Produced by Conor McKay Executive editor Andy Martin A BBC Northern Ireland production

The story of Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchanan. In 1991 they were murdered by their spouses who then staged a scene to make it look like they had taken their own lives. 18 years later - one of the killers decided to confess. Episode 1 - The 12 Apostles When the bodies of Trevor Buchanan and Lesley Howell are found in a garage in the quiet coastal village of Castlerock, Northern Ireland - police believe it is a suicide pact. While witness statements show their partners lied to police and there are a number of red flags at the scene - a coroner’s inquest raises no further concerns about their deaths. Narrated by Lucy McConnell Produced by Conor McKay Executive editor Andy Martin A BBC Northern Ireland production

The story of Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchanan. In 1991 they were murdered by their spouses who then staged a scene to make it look like they had taken their own lives. 18 years later - one of the killers decided to confess. In Crime Next Door: The Confession; family, friends, former police officers and journalists tell the story of a much loved mother and sister, an adored father and brother – and the devastation when the truth about their deaths was finally revealed.

A Geographical Profiler looks at the two locations connected to Diane Sindall’s murder. It’s suggested that Diane’s killer was local and may have struck before. As new testimony suggests Diane may not have been attacked in the alleyway and emerging accounts name a local figure, the investigation edges closer to a new suspect. Presenter: Olivia Graham. Producers: Kate Bissell, Gemma Maull and Olivia Graham. Sound Design and Music Composition: Phil Channell. Mixing: Ivan Eastley. Story Consultants: Neil McCarthy, Jack Kibble-White and Kirsty Williams. Online Producer: Rachael Smith. Development was by BBC Audio Scotland and BBC Merseyside. Executive Editors: Gillian Wheelan and Ben Anderson. Commissioning Editor: Alistair Miskin. There’s graphic descriptions of violence in this series. For details of help and support in the UK, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Returning to Birkenhead in the wake of Peter Sullivan’s release, we focus on Diane Sindall and the community still living with her murder. Peter shares details of his arrest, interviews and alleged police pressure, alongside renewed police enquiries that revisit overlooked witnesses and potential suspects. As officers collect fresh DNA and old memories resurface, the search begins anew for the man known only as 'Unknown Male One'. Presenter: Olivia Graham. Producers: Kate Bissell, Gemma Maull and Olivia Graham. Sound Design and Music Composition: Phil Channell. Mixing: Ivan Eastley. Story Consultants: Neil McCarthy, Jack Kibble-White and Kirsty Williams. Online Producer: Rachael Smith. Development was by BBC Audio Scotland and BBC Merseyside. Executive Editors: Gillian Wheelan and Ben Anderson. Commissioning Editor: Alistair Miskin. There’s graphic descriptions of violence in this series. For details of help and support in the UK, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Recorded on the day of Peter Sullivan’s appeal as judges consider DNA evidence unavailable in 1987. As the new evidence points to an unknown male, decades-old evidence crumbles under scrutiny. The court delivers its decision leaving one devastating truth intact: Diane’s killer has not been found. Presenter: Olivia Graham. Producers: Kate Bissell, Gemma Maull and Olivia Graham. Sound Design and Music Composition: Phil Channell. Mixing: Ivan Eastley. Story Consultants: Neil McCarthy, Jack Kibble-White and Kirsty Williams. Online Producer: Rachael Smith. Development was by BBC Audio Scotland and BBC Merseyside. Executive Editors: Gillian Wheelan and Ben Anderson. Commissioning Editor: Alistair Miskin. There’s graphic descriptions of violence in this series. For details of help and support in the UK, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Years after Peter Sullivan’s conviction, community whispers claim the police convicted the wrong man. Peter refuses to admit guilt and as advances in DNA testing offer a possible breakthrough for him. His legal team battle missing records, discredited forensic methods and a system reisitant to reopening old wounds. Until one crucial test changes everything. Presenter: Olivia Graham. Producers: Kate Bissell, Gemma Maull and Olivia Graham. Sound Design and Music Composition: Phil Channell. Mixing: Ivan Eastley. Story Consultants: Neil McCarthy, Jack Kibble-White and Kirsty Williams. Online Producer: Rachael Smith. Development was by BBC Audio Scotland and BBC Merseyside. Executive Editors: Gillian Wheelan and Ben Anderson. Commissioning Editor: Alistair Miskin. There’s graphic descriptions of violence in this series. For details of help and support in the UK, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Diane Sindall’s murder ignites a movement with women across Birkenhead. Fueled by anger and grief they challenge police attitudes, confront society’s view of women and demand change. Against this backdrop Peter Sullivan stands trial. We examine the case built against him with contested confessions, disputed forensic evidence and testimony the jury never heard. Presenter: Olivia Graham. Producers: Kate Bissell, Gemma Maull and Olivia Graham. Sound Design and Music Composition: Phil Channell. Mixing: Ivan Eastley. Story Consultants: Neil McCarthy, Jack Kibble-White and Kirsty Williams. Online Producer: Rachael Smith. Development was by BBC Audio Scotland and BBC Merseyside. Executive Editors: Gillian Wheelan and Ben Anderson. Commissioning Editor: Alistair Miskin. There’s graphic descriptions of violence in this series. For details of help and support in the UK, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline.

The hunt for Diane Sindall’s killer uncovers another victim who was dressed in yellow and attacked near the scene on the same night, raising fears of a serial attacker in Birkenhead. A police appeal focuses on the mysterious “woman in yellow”. As the investigation continues, the police uncover more attacks on women in the area and frustrations grow as leads collapse. Meanwhile, details of Diane’s injuries intensifies public fear and puts pressure on the police to find an answer. Presenter: Olivia Graham. Producers: Kate Bissell, Gemma Maull and Olivia Graham. Sound Design and Music Composition: Phil Channell. Mixing: Ivan Eastley. Story Consultants: Neil McCarthy, Jack Kibble-White and Kirsty Williams. Online Producer: Rachael Smith. Development was by BBC Audio Scotland and BBC Merseyside. Executive Editors: Gillian Wheelan and Ben Anderson. Commissioning Editor: Alistair Miskin. There’s graphic descriptions of violence in this series. For details of help and support in the UK, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline.

In 1986, Diane Sindall leaves work to drive home but never arrives. What happened that night marks the start of a decades long unsolved case. Through testimony from those who knew her and those who encountered the crime scene, we look at Diane’s final movements, the violent nature of her attack and the growing fear gripping Birkenhead, a town on the Wirral in Merseyside. As we find out more, troubling questions emerge about how such brutality could occur in a public place unseen and unheard, setting the stage for what would become one of Britain’s most haunting criminal cases. Presenter: Olivia Graham. Producers: Kate Bissell, Gemma Maull and Olivia Graham. Sound Design and Music Composition: Phil Channell. Mixing: Ivan Eastley. Story Consultants: Neil McCarthy, Jack Kibble-White and Kirsty Williams. Online Producer: Rachael Smith. Development was by BBC Audio Scotland and BBC Merseyside. Executive Editors: Gillian Wheelan and Ben Anderson. Commissioning Editor: Alistair Miskin. There’s graphic descriptions of violence in this series. For details of help and support in the UK, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline.

The murder of Diane Sindall in Birkenhead, Merseyside led to Britain’s longest miscarriage of justice when local man Peter Sullivan's conviction collapsed after 38 years. This series returns to the streets, alleyways and estates of Birkenhead where it all happened, retracing Diane’s final movements. Follow through eyewitness testimony, unheard accounts and modern forensic science as we uncover how a brutal crime in a public place went unsolved for decades, while a killer may still be alive and closer to home than anyone realised. At the heart of this story is Diane: who she was, how violence against women shaped the investigation and what justice really looks like when a community has lived with fear, silence and unanswered questions for generations. Presenter: Olivia Graham. Producers: Kate Bissell, Gemma Maull and Olivia Graham. Sound Design and Music Composition: Phil Channell. Mixing: Ivan Eastley. Story Consultants: Neil McCarthy, Jack Kibble-White and Kirsty Williams. Online Producer: Rachael Smith. Development was by BBC Audio Scotland and BBC Merseyside. Executive Editors: Gillian Wheelan and Ben Anderson. Commissioning Editor: Alistair Miskin. There’s graphic descriptions of violence in this series. For details of help and support in the UK, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline.