24 hours in police custody.

[Toddlerteaplease]

What a horrible man!

@famineofcrows I did too!! Then dh and I thought they were on drugs that’s why their eyes looked so weird. They should have just blanked out their faces.

It was a hard episode to watch but well done. The main detective - I remember from earlier series. Comes across as v decent. Thought it was v interesting with the comments about how they didn’t want to criminalise the young. Interesting also the parents coming in and supporting, must be so hard to parent when your child is in the grips of a gang

Oh I wondered about that. The ginger lad with the mad Mick Hucknall hair and the black lad who looked really odd

haha, they'd have to be on some crazy drugs i've never heard of to be doing taht to their eyes. The only time I started to realise that maybe there was some sort of AI going on was when, during a close up, the kid with the 'crazy green eyes' seemed to have some green on the whites of his eyes, too!! lol. Yeah, no idea why they didn't just blank out their faces! Drunk on technology I guess! Any excuse to play with the new toys haha

Yeah they could have put Pikachu faces on them to make it more overt or something

We just watched that an found the ending disappointing - I guess it was showing that after all that time one kid was basically lost to the whole thing but I don't know, it just all felt very inconclusive. I really don't know why the AI and not just pixellating...was it to show us how smug curly tops looked when they interviewed him?

God am I the only one who was taken in and didn't suspect AI 😕

The ending was very bleak

The only optimistic thing was that the guy who was cuckooed is working to help other young addicts. I hope he's getting lots of support himself & has turned his life around.

Was it just a one parter this week?

Yes

There was a caption at the beginning of the show that told the viewer they are using AI to alter the appearance of some of the suspects but if you weren’t looking at that moment you might have missed it

Do you think they AI'd the hair of the lad with red curley hair? If that was his real hair I think he'd be instantly recognisable to those who live near him.

You would definitely know that hair wouldn't you, very unforgettable!

I think the sad reality is that most of these children will be lost to the gangs and end up in and out of prison and sadly die at young ages from drugs or gang violence. There will be one or two success stories of those who get out and set up charities to help kids like them, but they’re in the minority.

They arrest a lot of young people but not very frequently the real dealers, the leaders. The whole thing is awful.

I think even the guy they arrested who was running the group was only a small cog in the scheme of things.

It makes me really annoyed when I read (often here on MN) about casual drug use as if it's something of little consequence. Behind every coke wrap etc are teenagers and vulnerable young people like those in this programme.

https://unherd.com/2025/04/surrey-cokeheads-are-lining-up-chaos/

@Lalgarh Excellent article.

I agree @MissMarplesNiece

Just caught up on the Butcher of Suburbia episodes, wow. A few thoughts/questions:

1. Why did he keep her torso? Was it as a trophy? It seemed strange he didn't mention that it was in his lock up. Was he hoping to one day return to it.
2. How had he got away with living with someone rent free for FIFTEEN years?! I wonder if they had some sort of sexual relationship even though he was gay.
3. The difference between his outgoing, life of the party personality as shown on the video clips and his monotone quiet persona in the interviews was stark. It was like Jekyll and Hyde.
4. Did he get the butcher job to learn techniques or to satisfy his craving. I think he only had it for a few months.
5. I am certain he has killed before. I am thinking maybe meeting people on dating apps and then murdering them.

I found that a very harrowing episode, it was so grisly and combined with his total lack of effect and blank expressions, it made for disturbing viewing.

The police offers thought it was because it was as simple as being too big to dispose of easily.

I am certain he has killed before.

I'll try and find it again but I'm pretty sure he nodded once when asked if he had killed before, before saying no. It's the sort of thing Cliff Lansley from Faking It would point out. I'd put money on that not being his first offence.

With regards to the dirty nailed rapist. I agree with PP that it's astounding that the CPS refused bail for his flashing rather than the rapes he had committed and would have gone on to commit had he been bailed. I know it's a gateway offence but FFS, there was evidence. I'd like to know the reason behind that decision.

I thought I heard a female voice say at the beginning of the first episode he was 'like your gay bestie' or something along those lines. I thought it interesting that one of the bouncers turned his back when he recognised CF's face, although he was also all smiles. Is it weird that a bouncer would know your full name, even if you're there every week?

Fucking RSPB. WTF.

I don't buy that as he was telling them he'd binned her other parts so why keep that secret.

I was in jail with this guy very nasty man