We start this week chatting about Hannah’s all-consuming new farming obsession (no, not in real life – in a mobile game) and Rachel’s daughter delivering the line of the year to a would-be eight-year-old suitor.

But soon we turn to the devastating story of Lakanal House. In July 2009, a fire tore through the Camberwell tower block, claiming the lives of Catherine Hickman, Dayana Francisquini, her children Thais and Felipe, and Helen Udoka with her newborn daughter Michelle. It exposed fatal flaws in fire safety, building regulations, and the infamous “stay put” policy. This was a tragedy that should have been a wake-up call, yet eight years later, Grenfell showed how little had changed. We explore the events, the victims, the investigation, and the warnings that went unheeded.

Sources include

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/mar/28/lakanal-house-fire-inquest-verdict

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-39211598

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/lakanal-house-fire-the-human-cost-39170

https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/lakanal-house-fire-what-architects-must-learn/8650805.article

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/11461/2170793.pdf

https://assets.grenfelltowerinquiry.org.uk/LFB00032148_Exhibit%20RJD_9%20-%20Report%20‘Coroner’s%20Inquests%20following%20the%20fire%20at%20Lakanal%20House%20on%203%20July%202009.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/14887/fire-safety-purpose-built-flats.pdf

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in! If you loved diving into the dark corners of South London with us, don't forget to hit that subscribe button to never miss an episode of "Sinister South."

Also, follow us on Instagram @SinisterSouthPodcast for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, and more cheeky banter, or www.sinistersouthpod.co.uk. Remember, every crime tells a story... and South is the best side of the river...

Produced and hosted by Hannah Williams & Rachel Baines
Mixed & edited by Purple Waves Sound (A.K.A Will)

Camberwell, South London. A quiet flat just off the main road. Nothing about it stood out—least of all the man inside. But for over a decade, Frederick Diji was running a romance scam so insidious, one victim sent him money for 14 years.

Using fake names, false promises, and a soft voice on the other end of the phone, Diji—and his accomplice Raquel Johnson—manipulated over 80 victims into handing over more than £400,000. Their targets? Mostly older gay men. People less likely to report it. Less likely to be believed.

This is a story of shame, silence and stolen futures. Of what happens when loneliness gets weaponised—and love becomes a trap.

Plus: Hannah’s got an 80s hen do, Rachel’s got a vendetta against fabric softener, and we both end up talking about the exes we probably should’ve blocked years ago.

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in! If you loved diving into the dark corners of South London with us, don't forget to hit that subscribe button to never miss an episode of "Sinister South."

Also, follow us on Instagram @SinisterSouthPodcast for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, and more cheeky banter, or www.sinistersouthpod.co.uk. Remember, every crime tells a story... and South is the best side of the river...

Produced and hosted by Hannah Williams & Rachel Baines
Mixed & edited by Purple Waves Sound (A.K.A Will)

A teenage boy. A knock at the door. And a mother who made a devastating choice.

In this episode, we tell the story of 17-year-old Levi Ernest-Morrison — a kind, funny, and thoughtful boy from Sydenham with a love of motorbikes, dreams of building a home in St Lucia, and a future ahead of him. Until the evening of 10th April 2021, when he was hunted down in the street by a group of teenagers wielding machetes — and never made it home.

This story was featured in the BBC series The Met: Policing London, and in this episode we explore the full context, including Levi’s life before the attack, the involvement of Ulysses, Sprules and others, and the devastating impact on a family left behind.

We also chat about the summer holidays, walking motivation (or the lack thereof), and attempt to design badges with predictably terrible results.

Because it’s Sinister South — and we will always balance the darkest stories with a little bit of nonsense and a lot of swearing.

Sources include

https://www.met.police.uk/police-forces/metropolitan-police/areas/about-us/about-the-met/the-met/the-met-episode-one/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-63014582
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/levi-ernest-morrison-machete-stabbing-murder-sydenham-london-b1115715.html
https://southwarknews.co.uk/area/southwark/levi-ernest-morrison-fifth-arrest-made-by-police

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in! If you loved diving into the dark corners of South London with us, don't forget to hit that subscribe button to never miss an episode of "Sinister South."

Also, follow us on Instagram @SinisterSouthPodcast for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, and more cheeky banter, or www.sinistersouthpod.co.uk. Remember, every crime tells a story... and South is the best side of the river...

Produced and hosted by Hannah Williams & Rachel Baines
Mixed & edited by Purple Waves Sound (A.K.A Will)