Until I kill you
Until I Kill You is on ITV1 and ITVX from 3rd to 6th November at 9pm followed by the companion documentary Until I Kill You: The Real ..
I've already watched the series. Potential spoilers.
It's based on a book written by Delia Balmer. She was the second known victim of John Sweeney. The way the police dealt with her is appalling. Sweeney attacked his first wife, the police were called and he was found in a bedroom wardrobe with an axe and knife. He instructed to leave the area (outside Liverpool) and went to London. While there he meets Melissa Halstead/Halstad who is from Ohio. They both move to Austria where he abused her and he is kicked out the country so they both go to Amsterdam where he continues to abuse her, eventually killing her and disposing of her remains in a army duffle bag and putting it into the Rotterdam canal.
Sweeney returns back to London where he meets Delia, they become an item and several months later be starts to become nasty, controlling and abusive. Delia finds drawings of a naked woman dismembered and sweeney says he killed, chopped up and dumped her body in a canal in Amsterdam. He then ties Delia to a bed for days, rapes her physically abuses her and holds a gun to head. While he is sleeping she manages to escape to work (she's a nurse). She then feels terrified to return home so seeks help from a DV charity who force her to report sweeney to the police.
The police aren't that supportive, they don't believe her about her ordeal and she shows them the drawings and explains what he has told her, they still do nothing. Sweeney isn't found, and he sneeks back into her flat through the bathroom window, thankfully a friend sees 2 figures through the window and contacts the Police.
Sweeney is remanded in custody but given bail beyond a scheme where prisoners are allowed home for Christmas..he attacks Delia with an axe and a knife on her front doorstep, nearly killing her...he goes on the run for 6 years, sending a postcard from Berlin, he's thought to be abroad.
Meanwhile he's actually using a pseudonym and living in London where he meets and kills Paula Fields and dismembers her the same as Melissa. There are 3 other ex girlfriends that are thought to be missing/whereabouts not known/other potential victims.
Delia is angry with the police, they didn't listen, they didn't protect her or stop Sweeney. Delia was proactive and wrote letters and complained.
I'm absolutely stunned and appalled by how she was treated..
just mind-blowing.