The Trial

Latest Episodes:

Simon Levy: A Sexual Predator - Did These Women Have To Die? Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

In this episode Caroline and Nick have the answers to why the alleged attack and rape of a women in Tottenham, which Simon Levy is now on trial for was initially closed down by the police. It was later reopened after the bodies of two women were found five months apart and the police suspected they’d been murdered. By then Simon Levy was in custody and he was linked to the alleged attacks on all three women. We also have the evidence of CCTV and the mobile phone footage which placed him at the scene of one of the alleged murders, and the DNA match of his blood.

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Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Nick Fagge

Actors: Lucy Ryan and Sally McLennan

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.

It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.

Seriously Popular.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon Levy: A Sexual Predator - “He raped me” Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

In this episode Caroline and Nick have the words of the woman Simon Levy is accused of raping. She told the court she would never forget his face or the smell of his hands as he allegedly smothered and raped her in Tottenham in January 2025. He’s then accused of murdering two other women later in the same year. He claims he had consensual sex with the three women but he didn’t harm them. The jury already know Simon Levy is a sexual predator who has 13 previous convictions against women.

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Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Nick Fagge

Actor: Lucy Ryan and Alfie Mulcahy

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.

It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.

Seriously Popular.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon Levy: The Sexual Predator on Trial Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

In this new series Caroline and Nick cover the trial of Simon Levy, a sexual predator who’s now on trial for rape and murder. The allegation is he targeted three vulnerable women in London “thinking that he would get away with it.” He allegedly raped one woman before murdering two more over an eight month period in 2025. The final alleged murder was committed when he was on bail after being arrested for an earlier attack.

Today, as the trial got underway the jury were also told that Levy already has convictions for sexually assaulting 13 women dating back to 2018.

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Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Nick Fagge

Actor: Alfie Mulcahy

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.

It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.

Seriously Popular.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NEW TRIAL: Simon Levy: A Sexual Predator Jun 29, 2026

Show notes

Caroline and Nick are back with a new series following the trial of Simon Levy, a convicted serial sexual predator now accused of rape and murder. Prosecutors allege he targeted vulnerable women. Two were allegedly murdered and one survived being alleged raped and suffocated. He denies all the charges, and Trial UK will be at the Old Bailey covering every day of the case.

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Email us thetrial@dailymail.com

WhatsApp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’)

Presenter: Caroline Cheetham

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.

It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.

Seriously Popular.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Tragic Life Of Preston Davey: Getting Behind the Trial Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

In this special episode Caroline and Liz get behind the trial of Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley. We’ve got an insight into the police investigation and the questions which now need to be asked and answered. We also gain an insight into the mind of a man like Jamie Varley from expert Criminologist and former Prison Governor, Professor David Wilson. And we have the emotional words of Preston’s birth mum, Sarah, who says her son was failed by the very people trusted to take care of him.

The Trial UK is part of the Crime Desk. Subscribe today for ad-free listening, full access to all our shows, early access to new shows, and bonus episodes. Visit https://plus.thecrimedesk.com/the-crime-desk-preston-davey for more information.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @TheCrimeDesk

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

Email us thetrial@dailymail.com

Whatsapp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’)

Presenters: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Producer: Chelsey Moore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.

It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.

Seriously Popular.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Tragic Life of Preston Davey: The Day of Reckoning Jun 18, 2026

Show notes

A teacher, a head of year, a safeguarding lead will never be released from prison. A judge today decided Jamie Varley’s crimes against Preston Davey were so sinister, so depraved, so relentlessly evil that he should never be free.

In this episode, Caroline and Liz have all the details from an emotional day in court, including the words of Preston’s foster carers Sandra and Paul Cooper and his mum Sarah Davey. But as Jamie Varley and John McGowan Fazakerley were told about the devastation caused by their crimes they did not flinch.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @TheCrimeDesk

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter. It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

Email us thetrial@dailymail.com

Whatsapp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’)

Presenters: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Producer: Sam Morris

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.

It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.

Seriously Popular.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Tragic Life of Preston Davey: The Verdicts Jun 15, 2026

Show notes

Preston Davey was the victim of two sinister and wicked men, who “chose” him from an adoption website - then they both abused him and one of them murdered him. That’s what a jury have now decided. Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerly denied to the bitter end that they mistreated him, but the jury didn’t believe them. Today Caroline and Liz have got those verdicts in full and what happened as they were delivered - plus we can now bring you many of the details we haven’t been able to share up to now.

Trigger warning - the details in this episode are distressing and relate to child abuse.

The Trial is part of The Crime Desk. Subscribe today for ad-free listening, early access to new shows, exclusive bonus episodes and complete access to our true-crime podcast collection. Visit thecrimedesk.com for more information.

The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.

It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.

Seriously Popular.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Tragic Life Of Preston Davey: The Jury Jun 12, 2026

Show notes

The fate of Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley is now in the hands of the jury. As this trial comes to an end Caroline and Liz have the final arguments, the final pleas and the final instructions to the jury. The decisions on the guilt or innocence of the two men on trial is now up to them.

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Email us thetrial@dailymail.com

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Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Actors: Benny Fiddimore and Lucy Ryan

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.

It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.

Seriously Popular.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Tragic Life Of Preston Davey: “A Tragedy Waiting to Happen” Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

Preston Davey was in “peril at the hands of Jamie Varley” and John McGowan Fazakerly knew it - that’s what Peter Wright KC told the jury in this episode of the podcast with Caroline and Liz. As he closed his case, the prosecutor said Preston’s death was a “tragedy waiting to happen” - he said Jamie Varley had a sexual interest in children and he subjected Preston to a “litany of physical and psychological abuse” - and John McGowan Fazakerly could have foreseen what would happen. The danger Preston was in, Mr Wright said, was “blindingly obvious”.

Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com

Email us thetrial@dailymail.com

WhatsApp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’)

Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.

It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.

Seriously Popular.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Tragic Life Of Preston Davey: “Your worst fears” Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

In this episode John McGowan-Fazakerley tells the jury how he turned detective to try to piece together what caused his adopted son, Preston Davey, to die. He said he knew now that his trust in Jamie Varley had been misplaced because he hadn't known the extent of the disturbing content on his phone. John McGowan-Fazakerley denied ever abusing or harming Preston - he said the allegations were abhorrent and vile - but he was asked repeatedly why traces of his semen were found on Preston's cot.

Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com

Email us thetrial@dailymail.com

WhatsApp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’)

Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.

It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.

Seriously Popular.