{"podcast":{"title":"True Criminals","slug":"true-criminals-7076134","podcast_index_feed_id":7076134,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/NSR2101694059","website_url":"https://www.audiobleachglobal.com/truecriminals","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/9ec0c87e-97a2-11f0-89ab-5b29a978e351/image/d1bc89b0d024c596b5a531b8ea3664e0.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"Lee Mann","episode_count":93,"summary":"Winner of Outstanding Independent Podcast at this year’s True Crime Awards in London, True Criminals is your weekly deep dive into both historic and contemporary crime stories, hosted by Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt and journalist Helen Fospero. With decades of frontline reporting experience, Martin and Helen go beyond the headlines to uncover exclusive insights and untold details from some of the most gripping criminal investigations. Each episode delivers powerful storytelling and rare access, featuring guests such as senior detectives, investigative journalists, bestselling authors, and individuals directly connected to the crimes. Whether it’s a high-profile case or one that’s never made the news, True Criminals offers a unique, behind-the-scenes view of the criminal justice system. Produced by Audio Bleach Global, the series is helmed by BAFTA-winning producer Russell Barnes. For questions and listener feedback, contact us at contact@audiobleachglobal.com Follow us: Instagram: @true.criminals YouTube: @True-Criminals TikTok: @truecriminalspodcast Connect with the hosts Martin Brunt on Twitter: @skymartinbrunt Read his book No One Got Cracked Over the Head for No…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-24T04:20:21.630644+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/true-criminals-7076134"},"episode":{"title":"Toni-Ann Byfield: The Investigation – with former Assistant Police Commissioner Neil Basu (Part 1)","slug":"toni-ann-byfield-the-investigation-with-former-assistant-police-commissioner-neil-basu-part-1","published_at":"2026-04-02T08:09:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/true-criminals-7076134/toni-ann-byfield-the-investigation-with-former-assistant-police-commissioner-neil-basu-part-1","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/true-criminals-7076134","url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/NSR7416272464.mp3?updated=1775119372","audio_url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/NSR7416272464.mp3?updated=1775119372","summary":"In the early hours of September 14, 2003, seven-year-old Toni-Ann Byfield was fatally shot in the back inside a cramped bedsit in North London. She became a tragic victim of a violent drug feud—an innocent child caught in the crossfire after witnessing the murder of the man she knew as her father, Bertram “Blacker” Byfield. In this exclusive two-part episode of True Criminals, we’re joined by Neil Basu QPM, former Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and the Senior Investigating Officer who led Operation Trident’s pursuit of the killer. In Part 1, Neil shares: The intense pressure of leading a “Category A” murder investigation in the aftermath of the Macpherson Report How a single “broken cigarette” clue nearly caused the case to collapse The emotional toll of supporting grieving families while managing 16 other homicide investigations The pivotal moment when a national TV appeal changed the course of the case Neil Basu is widely regarded as one of the UK’s most accomplished detectives. After a distinguished career tackling organized crime, gang violence, and terrorism, he retired as Head of UK Counter-Terrorism and the highest-ranking officer of color in British policing history. Read Neil’s memoir: Turmoil: 30 Years of Policing, Politics and Prejudice – an unflinching account of his career, including the Toni-Ann Byfield case. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Turmoil-Years-Policing-Politics-Prejudice-ebook/dp/B0DG9DVMTK?ref_=ast_author_mpb Listen to his podcast: The Crime Agents on Apple Podcasts, where Neil explores how major criminal investigations unfold behind the scenes. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-crime-agents/id1820933088 Support the Show Listen ad free and access our full catalogue, including a True Criminals coffee mug, on Patreon at ⁠www.…","meta_description":"In the early hours of September 14, 2003, seven-year-old Toni-Ann Byfield was fatally shot in the back inside a cramped bedsit in North London. She became…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3996,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/true-criminals-7076134/episodes/toni-ann-byfield-the-investigation-with-former-assistant-police-commissioner-neil-basu-part-1/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/true-criminals-7076134/toni-ann-byfield-the-investigation-with-former-assistant-police-commissioner-neil-basu-part-1.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}