Latest news with #CarolineCheetham
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The Trial of Erin Patterson: Australian lawyer joins new Mail podcast to explain 'unusual' dismissal of rogue juror
On the latest installment of the 'The Trial of Erin Patterson ' podcast, court reporter Wayne Flower and award-winning crime correspondent Caroline Cheetham were joined by lawyer Paul Svilans to discuss the 'unusual' dismissal of a juror from the court. Australian mother-of-three Erin Patterson stands accused of murdering three relatives with a poisonous mushroom-laced beef Wellington meal. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The juror, known only as juror 84, was discharged from the case after Justice Christopher Beale said he received credible evidence the person was discussing the facts of the trial with family and friends. Australian law requires jurors to shield themselves from outside influence throughout the trial to ensure their decision-making remains unprejudiced. WATCH: The Trial of Erin Patterson podcast Lawyer Paul Svilans joined 'The Trial' podcast to discuss the 'unusual' dismissal of a juror from the court. Listen here In practice, this means avoiding media coverage of the case and refraining from discussing trial details outside the courtroom. Lawyer Paul Svilans, from Australian firm Mark O'Brien Legal, joined 'The Trial' podcast to explain the legal basis behind the juror's removal and why it's 'unusual' for somebody to leave a trial in this manner. 'I think it's fair to say that it's certainly unusual', Mr Svilans began. 'It's not necessarily significant - but it's unusual because of the reasons given by the judge as to why the discharge was going to take place. 'The whole point about having the additional or spare jurors was to take into account circumstances that might necessitate a discharge, sickness, those kinds of things. 'It's unusual because of the reasons his Honor gave as to why the discharge would take place. Whether it's significant or not, who knows?' Mr Svilans then explained why it's so important for jurors not to discuss details of an ongoing trial with friends and family. 'The jurors are told at the commencement of the trial that they are only allowed to consider the evidence that is laid before them in court', he said. 'It is so important that Ms Patterson has a fair trial and the only way that she can have a fair trial is if the juror makes his or her decision based only on the evidence and nothing else. 'The danger is always, if jurors are allowed to discuss evidence with people outside the jury, persons might seek to influence their decision. 'That could lead to an unfair verdict for the accused, so it is sacrosanct that jurors do not discuss the evidence with anyone else. 'They must make their decision based only on what they see and hear in court.' The lawyer noted an important distinction made by Judge Beale as he dismissed the anonymous juror. 'The judge made no finding either way about the juror', Mr Svilans emphasised. 'All he said was that there was credible information… there's no positive finding that they were discussing the case with friends or family. He just couldn't dismiss the possibility.' The trial continues. Erin Patterson has denied the charges against her. Listen to the full interview with lawyer Paul Svilans on the latest episode of 'The Trial of Erin Patterson', available now, wherever you get your podcasts.
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Erin Patterson trial: What are DEATH CAP mushrooms? The deadly fungi at centre of landmark murder case
On the latest episode of The Mail's The Trial of Erin Patterson podcast, reporters Wayne Flower and Caroline Cheetham analyse the recent testimony of mushroom expert Dr Tom May. Australian mother-of-three Erin Patterson stands accused of murdering three relatives with a poisoned beef Wellington meal. Not only was Dr May called to the witness stand for his expertise, but also for his relevance to the case, having potentially provided information on an app that inadvertently led to the foraging of the toxic mushrooms that may have been used in the poisoning. The mycologist told the court that the day before the poisoning, he had posted the location of some rare Death Cap mushrooms he had spotted on a walk not too far from Erin Patterson's home. He shared the exact geolocation of the mushrooms on iNaturalist, an app used by a community of professional botanists and hobbyists to discuss and debate discoveries they have made in the natural world. WATCH: The Trial of Erin Patterson podcast The prosecution claims that Patterson's phone was tracked to the same area Dr May had flagged on the app, the morning of the toxic lunch that left three people dead. However, under cross-examination by Patterson's lawyer, Dr May said that even for experienced foragers, Death Caps are hard to identify and store. This casts doubt over whether Patterson would have been able to collect the mushrooms using the limited information the app provided. Dr May also said that it was possible the mushrooms could have been used as an ingredient by mistake. The trial continues. Erin Patterson has denied the charges against her. What are Death Cap Mushrooms? Amanita phalloides, known by their common name, Death Cap mushrooms, are one of the most dangerous fungi on Earth. They account for the majority of fatal mushroom poisonings globally. The fungi were native to Europe but have since spread across the world due to globalisation. The mushrooms are difficult to identify, often being mistaken by foragers for different species. They can sometimes be spotted through their distinctive yellowish green colour, although this varies from mushroom to mushroom. What makes Death Caps so deadly are amatoxins, which work to disrupt the normal functioning of cells. Symptoms of poisoning at first include vomiting and diarrhoea, progressing slowly to liver and kidney failure. Without medical intervention, death usually occurs within a week of consumption. Treatment for poisoning focuses on supporting the liver with fluids and drugs. A feature of Death Caps is that the poison within them is heat resistant. This means that, even when cooked, they are still as deadly. Listen to the full breakdown of Dr Tom May's testimony on the latest episode of The Trial of Erin Patterson, available now, wherever you get your podcasts.
Telegraph
11-05-2025
- Telegraph
Letby podcaster in ‘conflict of interest' row over payments from police
The co-host of a podcast about Lucy Letby is facing claims of an 'appalling conflict of interest' because her company was paid to train detectives involved in the case. Public records filed by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire show six separate payments made by Cheshire Constabulary to Media Factory Limited between 2022 and 2024. The company was founded and run by Caroline Cheetham, the Daily Mail journalist who is a co-host of the The Trial of Lucy Letby. The podcast boasted of getting 'exclusive interviews with detectives' as it recounted the trial of the former neonatal nurse convicted of the murder of seven babies and attempted murder of seven more. The other host, Liz Hull, The Mail's northern correspondent, was also listed as a member of staff of the company as recently as April 2022, a month after payments from police began. Records show that between March 2022 and August 2024, Operation Hummingbird – the investigation into Letby – paid Media Factory £8,050 for 'publicity'. Cheshire Police paid the firm a further £15,800 for 'external training courses'. One payment for publicity was made two days after Letby's trial began in October 2022. Mark McDonald, Letby's barrister, said: 'If this is true it's very concerning. The Daily Mail podcast of Lucy Letby was seen as quite biased, selective and on occasion too focussed on her guilt. It had influence within the general public and undoubtedly the narrative. 'If they received a generous sum of money from the police, this is the most appalling conflict of interest and goes to the very core of the police investigation around Letby. 'We must now have a full investigation into what exactly was the relationship between senior officers leading the investigation and this podcast, as well as the media more generally.' Cheshire Police accepted there were payments, but claimed they were part of annual training. DMG Media, which owns The Daily Mail said that it was unaware that Caroline Cheetham was providing services to Cheshire Police. A spokesman said: 'The Trial is a groundbreaking true crime podcast universally respected for its integrity and impartiality. 'It has won multiple awards, had nearly 40 million downloads and received plaudits from all sides for its straightforward and unbiased reports of each day's trial proceedings. 'Freelance Caroline Cheetham, who is not an employee of DMG media, has independently been providing general media training to a variety of organisations through her company, Media Factory Ltd, since 2013. 'In the summer of 2022, prior to the Lucy Letby trial, Media Factory Ltd agreed to arrange three media training sessions for officers at Cheshire Constabulary involved in the case. DMG Media was unaware of these arrangements.' The spokesman continued: 'This agreement predated the commencement of the Letby trial in October 2022. It was also before the idea of a live trial podcast had even been conceived, and before Caroline was first contacted and offered the opportunity to contribute. 'After the trial finished in August 2023 – again without the knowledge of DMG media – Media Factory Ltd continued to provide general media training sessions for its clients including three sessions for officers at Cheshire Constabulary, who were not related to the Letby case.' The Mail, Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull have not responded to requests for comment. Letby, 35, of Herefordshire, was convicted in 2023 of carrying out the murders and attempted murders while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016. But many observers have challenged the way the evidence was presented to the jury, and a panel of world-leading experts has reviewed the medical notes and concluded there were no malicious acts. Letby's case is currently being considered by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) which looks into potential miscarriages of justice. The Trial of Lucy Letby first aired in October 2022 and was recognised as News Podcast of the Year at the Press Awards and by the London Press Club. It received more than 30 million downloads and at one point was number one podcast in five countries. It promised to give listeners 'every detail as the evidence unfolds, examining key moments and carrying out exclusive interviews with detectives, victims and experts'. It was praised for tackling the legal pitfalls which arose with covering ongoing proceedings in the first podcast trial. Jurors were also not prohibited from reading or listening to media reports during proceedings, with Judge Goss only instructing them that reporting could be selective and advising them to try the case on the evidence they heard in court. But the Mail's podcast has faced claims of bias and accusations that it has become too close to Cheshire Constabulary, while dismissing new data from scientists, doctors and nurses which questioned the convictions. Relationships with police In January 2024, Liz Hull told Counsel Magazine that the podcast team were able to get such good access to police because they attended court each day of the trial which 'enabled the police to build relationships with them'. But the payments show that police had begun a financial relationship with Media Factory months before the trial began. Media Factory's website says it has 'decades of experience' and knows how to 'formulate your messages and get them across in the most positive way'. It adds: 'Every course we design is tailored to you and the needs of your team. We plan interview scenarios in advance – relevant to you and your organisation.' The police and the Crown Prosecution Service say that Letby's case was tested by two juries and has been to the Court of Appeal twice without success. Responding to queries about the payments, a spokesman for Cheshire Constabulary said: 'Each year Cheshire Constabulary regularly trains a number of officers across the force as part of their development and the payments reflect that.'
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Sycamore Gap trial: New piece of evidence SILENCES courtroom
On the first episode of a Mail exclusive podcast that follows the trial of the alleged fellers of the iconic Sycamore Gap tree, reporters Caroline Cheetham and George Odling revealed what new piece of evidence silenced the courtroom. Groundworker Daniel Graham, 39, and mechanic Adam Carruthers, 32, face two counts of criminal damage after the 100-year-old tree was chopped down using a chainsaw and crashed into Hadrian's Wall on the night of September 28, 2023. Both Graham and Carruthers deny the charges. Footage from the night in question was shown to jurors on Monday, with award winning crime correspondent Caroline Cheetham telling the podcast why the grainy video stunned those in attendance at Newcastle Crown Court. The two-minute and 41-second video, taken from Graham's phone, appears to show the moment the tree was felled. The prosecution asked police to digitally enhance the clip as it was originally too dark to see, recorded during the night. 'You could hear a pin drop in the courtroom when that video was first played', Cheetham described. Her 'The Trial' co-host, George Odling, responded: 'A lot of us in court watched the video with open mouths. 'The video, which was taken from that mobile phone footage, is grainy, but it's very shocking. 'The court was told the footage was originally very dark, but video specialists had managed to enhance it so that you can make out the outline of the enormous tree and the silhouette of a man standing next to it.' Prosecutors claim the 'unmistakable sound of a chainsaw' can be heard in the video. Subscribe to The Crime Desk to hear exclusive coverage of the Sycamore Gap trial on The Trial+ Join here The video clip was played to the court twice - once showing the dark, raw footage, and a second time after it had been enhanced by a police specialist. Odling explained why the footage could prove damning to Graham and Carruthers's defence. He explained: 'The prosecution said analysis of Daniel Graham's iPhone 13 showed that the video was recorded on his phone, not sent to him, or downloaded from the internet, at exactly 32 minutes past midnight on September the 28th. 'No less than three minutes later, a photograph was also taken on the same phone, which, although dark, appears to show the felled tree. 'Metadata for the video and the photo was analysed by police and found to be a match for the location of the Sycamore Gap.' The friends allegedly felled the tree in a matter of minutes having driven 40 minutes from Carlisle to the tree in the late hours of September 27 2023 in Graham's Range Rover. The damage caused by the tree's felling was valued at £622,191 for the tree and £1,144 for the wall, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Richard Wright KC told the jury that the accused had engaged in a 'moronic mission' to commit an act of 'mindless vandalism'. The trial continues.
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
From Brink's-Mat to the Great Train Robbery, these are the five BIGGEST heists in British history
To celebrate the launch of two new Mail podcasts, 'The Trial: The Kim Kardashian Heist' and 'The Hunt for Tamara Ecclestone's Diamonds', these are the five biggest heists in British history. From holding up trains to cracking open bank vaults, the heists are ranked according to the approximate amount of money the thieves stole. In a new series of the Mail's award-winning 'The Trail' podcast, acclaimed crime journalist Caroline Cheetham and reporter Nick Fagge, will deliver daily courtroom updates from the Paris trial of the alleged robbers of Kim Kardashian jewels, dubbed the 'grandpa gang' by French media. Also launching is a brand-new exclusive podcast series called 'Heists, Scams and Lies'. The first episodes follow Mail reporters George Odling and Andy Jehring's journey across Europe to hunt for socialite Tamara Ecclestone's £25 million in stolen diamonds. 5) The Hatton Garden Heist, 2015 Stolen: £14 million (approximately £18.5 million in today's money) Across a four-day Easter weekend, six elderly men took advantage of the disruption caused by electrical labels catching fire and broke into a safe deposit facility in Hatton Garden, London. The fire caused chaos in Central London, with offices evacuated and noxious fumes spewing out of manhole covers. With local businesses also closed for the holiday, the men were able to enter the bank through an underground lift shaft and make away with £14 million in jewels and cash. The burglary was undertaken by experienced thieves, with one of the conspirators, Brain Reader, having ties to the 1983 Brink's-Mat gold robbery. To enter the safes inside, they drilled holes in the walls with police later releasing CCTV images of the men caught in the act. Through a combination of the CCTV footage and tracking attempts to sell the stolen goods, the Flying Squad, a specialist branch of the Metropolitan Police, was able to find and arrest the men involved. 4) The Great Train Robbery, 1963 Stolen: £2.61 million (approximately £69 million in today's money) Undoubtedly the most infamous heist in British history, a gang of fifteen men meticulously planned and executed the early morning robbery of a Royal Mail train as it travelled from Glasgow to London. An employee at the Royal Mail had shared information about the train's movements to figures in London's criminal underworld, leading to a daring plot that took months to plan, with multiple rival gangs working together. By messing with the signaling system and attacking staff members, the criminals were able to stop the train and get away with £2.61 million, an eye-watering sum for sixties Britain. To this day, much of the loot taken from the train has never been recovered. The train robbers were eventually caught when their Leatherslade Farm hideout in Buckinghamshire was raided by police. Amusingly, a Monopoly board proved the undoing of many of the conspirators, with fingerprints on the game allowing police to link together and track the men. 3) The Securitas Depot Robbery, 2006 Stolen: £53 million (approximately £92 million in today's money) Beginning with the abduction of a man's family and ending with the burglary of a depot in Tonbridge Wells, the Securitas Robbery would have topped this list if thieves were able to carry more than 53 of the £154 million available to them. The depot was a subcontracted holding facility for the Bank of England, with newly printed notes made in Epping stored there before distribution. A mixed band of Albanian and English criminals were able to gain information about the workings of the depot by placing a man on the inside. On 21 February 2006, the gang abducted the facility's manager, Colin Dixon and his entire family, later forcing him at gunpoint to open the door of his place of work. Staff were then held in cages as the thieves ransacked the location. The conspirators fled to locations in Cyprus and Morocco, hiding out while spending the ill-gotten money extravagantly. After discovering bank notes in laundry bags, a locked-up garage, and the boots of vehicles linked to the heist, police were eventually able to track down and arrest the men. The case is remembered as the biggest cash robbery in history and shortly after the thieves were prosecuted, the depot was shut down. 2) The Brink's-Mat Robbery, 1983 Stolen: £26 million (approximately £102 million in today's money) Taking the silver medal for arguably the most famous heist in British history, the Brink's-Mat Robbery saw £26 million in gold bullion and diamonds stolen from Heathrow airport. Six men broke into the Brink's-Mat warehouse on Heathrow's International Trading Estate in London, after colluding with the location's security guard Anthony Black. The robbers poured patrol on staff and threatened to set them on fire if they did not comply with their demands. Despite the planning involved, the theft was mostly a fluke. The gang responsible did not know beforehand that gold bullion was going to be stored at the warehouse. After the robbery, a huge manhunt began with Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad again getting involved to identify the perpetrators. By picking apart an elaborate scheme to melt the gold down and sell it to legitimate buyers, the conspirators were caught and arrested. It took nearly six years of rigorous investigation to find everyone involved, with the last man arrested in connection with the crime being apprehended in Fuengirola, Spain in 1989. 1) The Knightsbridge Deposit Robbery, 1987 Stolen: £60 million (approximately £187 million in today's money) Masterminded by Italian immigrant and prolific thief, Valerio Viccei, the 1987 robbery of a bank in Knightsbridge, London would have remained unsolved if not for the sale of a luxury car. The heist saw Viccei indebt the bank's manager by supplying him cocaine, to the extent that he supplied the necessary information to complete the burglary. Vicci and his gang held up the bank at gunpoint on 12 July 1987, hanging a closed sign outside the building to give his men time to loot safes and lock boxes. The gang's leader escaped to South America but later returned to London to pick up a Ferrari sportscar, where he was then arrested. He was linked to the crime after forensic investigators discovered his bloody fingerprint at the crime scene. To listen ad-free to our award-winning true crime series, subscribe to The Crime Desk - the home of arresting podcasts from the makers of The Trial. Become a member by clicking here, for ad-free access to every show across The Crime Desk network — including over 200 episodes of The Trial and On The Case and so much more.
