PODCAST

Assume Nothing

BBC Radio Ulster

The teams assume nothing as they examine events through fresh eyes.

true crime documentary

All Episodes

15:47

Episode 2 - The House

Assume Nothing ·

2023/10/07

Brian Kernohan decides to find out if a letter, held by his family for generations, really does reveal the location of a murder victim’s remains in rural Ireland.Using a map drawn from memory, Brian and his mum set out to find the house she visited as a child – known as Drumkeen big house. But first they need to ask a local farmer for permission to search his land. Meanwhile, Brian uncovers stories of brutal acts of violence in the years following the famine when Ireland was described as ‘one of the

13:32

Episode 1 - The Letter

Assume Nothing ·

2023/10/07

Brian Kernohan decides to find out if a letter, held by his family for generations, really does reveal the location of a murder victim’s remains in rural Ireland. “I Robert James Crawford do avow that Thomas Johnson was slain by me in a fair fight” So begins a mysterious murder confession, apparently written in 1860 – just after the worst years of the Irish Famine. The writer claims to have murdered his friend during a quarrel and then buried the body under the hearthstone of his father’s kitchen in

13:14

Episode One - Paradise

Assume Nothing ·

2023/05/05

Days after their dream wedding, John and Michaela McAreavey arrive on the beautiful island of Mauritius, unaware of the horror that awaits them. As John sits by the poolside waiting for Michaela to return, he begins to realise something is wrong. Investigative journalists Darragh MacIntyre and Allison Morris travel to the island to explore the case. Presented by Allison Morris & Darragh MacIntyre Produced by Vinny Hurrell & Raphaelle O'Loan Executive Editor: Andy Martin A BBC Northern

13:36

Episode Three - A Botched Investigation

Assume Nothing ·

2023/04/29

Serious allegations of failures within the investigation are made and the police come under intense scrutiny. Did the officers looking into Michaela’s murder miss vital evidence and let an apparent confession derail them from looking for other suspects? Presented by Allison Morris & Darragh MacIntyre Produced by Vinny Hurrell & Raphaelle O'Loan Executive Editor: Andy Martin A BBC Northern Ireland Production

15:37

Episode Two - Can't Beat A Confession

Assume Nothing ·

2023/04/29

Shortly after the murder, police arrest multiple suspects who worked in the hotel. A confession is made in the presence of law enforcement and a lawyer, but events soon lead the investigation into turmoil. Presented by Allison Morris & Darragh MacIntyre Produced by Vinny Hurrell & Raphaelle O'Loan Executive Editor: Andy Martin A BBC Northern Ireland Production

18:05

Episode Four - Tales Of Torture

Assume Nothing ·

2023/04/29

The investigation is rocked by a claim that could alter the entire outcome of the case. ‘They tortured me, they beat me, they held my head under water.’ Exactly what happened behind closed doors when suspects were being questioned? Presented by Allison Morris & Darragh MacIntyre Produced by Vinny Hurrell & Raphaelle O'Loan Executive Editor: Andy Martin A BBC Northern Ireland Production

14:28

Episode Five - Schwarzenegger QC

Assume Nothing ·

2023/04/29

Does the headline grabbing barrister labelled ‘flamboyant’ by some of the press really live up to his reputation? We delve into the story of Ravi Rutnah and his influence on one of the biggest trials in Mauritian legal history. Presented by Allison Morris & Darragh MacIntyre Produced by Vinny Hurrell & Raphaelle O'Loan Executive Editor: Andy Martin A BBC Northern Ireland Production

27:14

Episode Six - Asking The Accused

Assume Nothing ·

2023/04/28

Over a year since Michaela’s murder, the trial finally begins and the family travel back to the island. In dramatic fashion, a key member of the legal team exits the case never to return. Allison and Darragh finally track down one the accused. Presented by Allison Morris & Darragh MacIntyre Produced by Vinny Hurrell & Raphaelle O'Loan Executive Editor: Andy Martin A BBC Northern Ireland Production

16:50

Episode Seven - Guardians Of The Law

Assume Nothing ·

2023/04/27

The jury return and the verdict is in - but the outcome shocks the courtroom. Unnerving questions are asked about the very core of the legal process. Did certain tactics by legal teams negatively impact the outcome of the trial? Presented by Allison Morris & Darragh MacIntyre Produced by Vinny Hurrell & Raphaelle O'Loan Executive Editor: Andy Martin A BBC Northern Ireland Production

15:40

Episode Eight - Suicide

Assume Nothing ·

2023/04/26

Someone at the heart of the case is found dead and future prosecutions are called into doubt. A new name takes centre stage. Who had access to the master keycards and what was their role in Michaela’s death? There are serious claims of attempted bribery. Presented by Allison Morris & Darragh MacIntyre Produced by Vinny Hurrell & Raphaelle O'Loan Executive Editor: Andy Martin A BBC Northern Ireland ProductionIf you are suffering distress or despair, details of help and support are available

14:25

Episode 5: (Long, long) After the Gold Rush

Assume Nothing ·

2023/04/01

In the summer of 1969, weeks before the Troubles would ignite, children playing in the rubble of a demolition site struck gold! While searching for treasure hundreds, maybe thousands of gold sovereigns, hidden and forgotten years before, tumbled to the ground from a chimney stack. More than 50 years later, author Glenn Patterson visits the Lower Shankill Road to find out who the coins belonged to. Why were they hidden? And where are they now?Written and presented by Glenn Patterson Sound by Bill

14:22

Episode 4: Tragedy

Assume Nothing ·

2023/04/01

14:34

Episode 3: Whose Gold?

Assume Nothing ·

2023/04/01

14:14

Episode 1: The Find

Assume Nothing ·

2023/04/01

14:26

Episode 2: The Rush

Assume Nothing ·

2023/04/01

15:26

Episode 5: Suspect in the house?

Assume Nothing ·

2023/01/07

Questions are raised about the circumstances surrounding how some potential witnesses were interviewed. Who else was present and why? A family friend brings a shocking claim, and we hear from former solicitor Ernie Waterworth. The investigation takes sharp change in direction. Produced and presented by Vinny Hurrell. Executive Editor: Andy Martin A BBC Northern Ireland Production

21:11

Episode 1: The Train

Assume Nothing ·

2023/01/07

Heavy winds and rain batter the seaside town of Portrush in January 2009. A fourteen-year-old boy’s night out has gone badly wrong. He lies on the railway tracks in front of an oncoming train. Less than two miles away, his father becomes aware his son is in danger and starts running to the tracks on the other side of town. It soon becomes clear, what happened that night and afterwards – is not as it first appears. Produced and presented by Vinny Hurrell. Executive Editor: Andy Martin A BBC

17:45

Episode 3: Attacked?

Assume Nothing ·

2023/01/07

We know how Ryan died and that he allegedly ran from a nearby bar and got trapped on the tracks. But why? Serious allegations emerge about what happened before Ryan found himself in the path of an oncoming train. What will a witness from inside the bar reveal? And after a year of communication, will the PSNI finally agree to speak? Produced and presented by Vinny Hurrell. Executive Editor: Andy Martin A BBC Northern Ireland Production

19:52

Episode 2: The Call

Assume Nothing ·

2023/01/07

We retrace Ryan Quinn’s movements that day. Exactly where had he been and what brought him to the tracks? A breath-taking phone call strikes fear into the heart of a concerned father. Produced and presented by Vinny Hurrell. Executive Editor: Andy Martin A BBC Northern Ireland Production.

26:33

Episode 4: A Murder Investigation

Assume Nothing ·

2023/01/07

At Ryan’s funeral it is announced the police have opened a murder investigation into his death. The PSNI share information on some key aspects of the case – but will the police change their tactics? We discover the driver of the train has an unsettling flashback that has a bearing on the case. Produced and presented by Vinny Hurrell. Executive Editor: Andy Martin A BBC Northern Ireland Production.

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Assume Nothing

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