Real Cases. Real Cops. Real Talk.
Crime Time Inc.
Former detectives Tom Wood and Simon McLean bring you inside Scotland's most gripping criminal cases. Real investigations. Real insight. No fluff.
5
Seasons
268+
Episodes
★ 5
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S7 · E7 · 27:01
A66 Pursuit Tragedy: Two Police Officers Among Seven Killed
Seven people lost their lives in the early hours of Saturday 22 August 2026 when a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way along the A66 at South Bank, near Middlesbrough, collided head-on with a marked Cleveland Police armed response vehicle. Among those who died were Cleveland Police officers PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, along with the five occupants of the Passat. In this episode, former detectives Tom Wood and Simon McLean examine what is currently known about the tragedy while recognising that the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision is still at an early stage. Tom explains how police pursuits are controlled, why a pursuit can be abandoned when the danger becomes too great, and the specialist training required to drive police vehicles at high speed. Simon and Tom also reflect on incidents from their own police careers which brought home the risks faced by officers on the road. Simon recalls the 1994 death of Strathclyde Police officer PC Stuart Simpson, who was killed when his police vehicle was struck head-on by a car travelling the wrong way on the M8. Tom remembers losing two traffic officers while he was an acting divisional commander in West Lothian — and the devastating experience of personally going to the home of one of the officers to tell his wife that her husband had died. The conversation also examines: how police vehicle pursuits are managed and terminated; the highly specialised training of police traffic drivers; the role of Armed Response Vehicles in British policing; why most British police officers continue to patrol without firearms; the impact that the death of colleagues can have on a close-knit police force; and the support needed by officers and other emergency workers who attend traumatic scenes. The circumstances leading to the A66 collision are being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Tom and Simon therefore distinguish between what is known and the questions that remain unanswered. 00:00 — Cold Open 00:50 — The A66 tragedy: seven people killed 02:43 — How police pursuits are controlled and called off 06:36 — What we know about the A66 collision 08:41 — Simon remembers PC Stuart Simpson and the 1994 M8 tragedy 10:35 — Tom recalls losing two traffic officers in West Lothian 15:41 — How road policing departments operate 17:28 — The specialist training of high-speed police drivers 20:47 — What is an Armed Response Vehicle? 25:04 — Why most British police officers remain unarmed 25:52 — The unanswered social-media question 26:37 — Closing thoughts Crime Time Inc. — Real cases. Real detectives. Real talk. About Crime Time Inc. Season 5 of Crime Time Inc. broadens its reach across two sides of the Atlantic. This season features cases from Scotland and across the wider UK — rooted in real investigative experience — alongside deep dives into some of the most infamous murder cases in American history. Hosted by former detectives Simon and Tom, with experience in both the UK and the United States, including time working alongside the FBI, the show strips away sensationalism to explain how crime and justice really work. Two crime worlds. One podcast. New episodes released regularly throughout the season. Our Website: https://crimetimeinc.com/ If you like this show please leave a review. It really helps us. Please help us improve our Podcast by completing this survey. http://bit.ly/crimetimeinc-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S7 · E6 · 18:16
Bail in Scotland: Who Gets Released, Who Gets Remanded — and Why
Why can someone accused of a serious crime be released on bail — and why might the detectives investigating them sometimes be pleased when that happens? Former Scottish detectives Tom Wood and Simon McLean take an inside look at bail and remand: what bail actually means, how the system has changed during their careers, and the factors courts consider when deciding whether an accused person should remain at liberty or be held in custody pending trial. They discuss the days when bail could literally mean putting up money for someone's release, the continuing use of bail bonds in the United States, and the underlying principle in Scots law that an accused person has not yet been convicted and should normally remain at liberty unless there is sufficient reason to keep them in custody. Tom and Simon examine the practical reasons bail may be opposed, including: the seriousness of the alleged offence; the risk of absconding; further offending; interference with witnesses; destruction or concealment of evidence; and obstruction of justice. Tom also reveals a less obvious reality from major investigations: detectives could sometimes be quite pleased when a person facing a serious charge was granted bail. Keeping someone in custody starts strict legal timetables and can put enormous pressure on investigators trying to assemble a complex case. The conversation also explores how Scottish bail law developed through precedent and stated cases, changes to the modern bail test, the use of remand, and the police practice of releasing accused people on undertakings to appear at court. Simon and Tom also refer to the recent Simon Levy case while discussing the risks associated with offending while on bail. Later, the conversation moves to policing and drugs, as Tom discusses news he had read about advances in hepatitis C treatment. That prompts both detectives to recall the very real dangers faced by officers searching people who used injected drugs — including uncapped needles, needle-stick injuries and the routine question: “Do you have any sharps? Do you have any spikes?” It's an aspect of criminal justice that everyone has heard of, but one that is often very different from the version portrayed on television. Real cases. Real detectives. Real talk. Suggested Chapters 00:00 — Cold open: why detectives might actually want bail 00:52 — What bail really means 01:28 — When bail meant money 03:08 — Liberty before trial and the presumption of bail 04:17 — When bail can be opposed 04:34 — Simon Levy and offending while on bail 05:04 — Why accused people are remanded 06:10 — Why bail can help a murder investigation 06:54 — Common law, precedent and stated cases 10:20 — Modern bail rules and reducing remand 11:55 — What police put before prosecutors 12:40 — Undertakings and release from custody 13:55 — Lord Wheatley and the war on drugs 14:54 — Hepatitis C and the risks faced by drug-squad officers 18:11 — Closing About Crime Time Inc. Season 5 of Crime Time Inc. broadens its reach across two sides of the Atlantic. This season features cases from Scotland and across the wider UK — rooted in real investigative experience — alongside deep dives into some of the most infamous murder cases in American history. Hosted by former detectives Simon and Tom, with experience in both the UK and the United States, including time working alongside the FBI, the show strips away sensationalism to explain how crime and justice really work. Two crime worlds. One podcast. New episodes released regularly throughout the season. Our Website: https://crimetimeinc.com/ If you like this show please leave a review. It really helps us. Please help us improve our Podcast by completing this survey. http://bit.ly/crimetimeinc-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S7 · E5 · 27:33
PC Andrew Harper: Early Release, Harper’s Law and Britain’s Prison Crisis
What does a 13-year prison sentence really mean — and what happens when changes to early-release rules collide with one of Britain’s most emotionally charged policing cases? Former Scottish detectives Tom Wood and Simon McLean examine the case of PC Andrew Harper, the 28-year-old Thames Valley Police officer who was killed in 2019 after becoming caught in a strap attached to a vehicle fleeing the theft of a quad bike. Three young men were originally charged with murder. All were ultimately acquitted of murder but convicted of, or admitted, manslaughter. Tom looks at the case from a detective’s perspective and asks a fundamental evidential question: How do you prove intent? The discussion then turns to the campaign that followed Andrew Harper’s death and the introduction of Harper’s Law, intended to ensure life sentences for those convicted in qualifying cases of unlawfully killing emergency workers in the course of their duties. But Harper’s Law could not retrospectively alter the sentences already imposed in this case. That has become central to the current controversy over early release from prison. Tom and Simon discuss the prospect of two of those convicted becoming eligible for release earlier than many members of the public expected, the reaction from senior police leaders, and the wider argument over how governments deal with an overcrowded prison system. The conversation quickly develops into something much bigger than a single case. Chapters 00:00 — Cold open: “Our criminal justice system has been reduced to a bag of bones” 00:58 — Introduction: Andrew Harper and the early-release controversy 02:10 — Simon Levy, whole-life sentences and fitness to plead 03:54 — Carstairs, secure hospitals and indefinite detention 05:24 — Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen and places that leave an impression 08:23 — PC Andrew Harper: what happened 10:17 — Harper’s Law and Lissie Harper’s campaign 11:24 — Why Andrew Harper’s killers could be released early 12:35 — Police chiefs intervene over the early-release scheme 13:28 — Tom on the murder charge: “How do you prove intent?” 14:49 — Why automatic sentence reductions are flawed 17:02 — Prison overcrowding and a criminal justice system under pressure 19:19 — Why short prison sentences often fail 20:04 — Alternatives to prison: “Follow the evidence” 21:28 — What does a 13-year prison sentence actually mean? 23:34 — Life sentences, recall and rehabilitation 25:13 — The cost of the criminal justice system 26:03 — “Reduced to a bag of bones” 26:50 — What happens next? 27:29 — Closing Real cases. Real detectives. Real talk. About Crime Time Inc. Season 5 of Crime Time Inc. broadens its reach across two sides of the Atlantic. This season features cases from Scotland and across the wider UK — rooted in real investigative experience — alongside deep dives into some of the most infamous murder cases in American history. Hosted by former detectives Simon and Tom, with experience in both the UK and the United States, including time working alongside the FBI, the show strips away sensationalism to explain how crime and justice really work. Two crime worlds. One podcast. New episodes released regularly throughout the season. Our Website: https://crimetimeinc.com/ If you like this show please leave a review. It really helps us. Please help us improve our Podcast by completing this survey. http://bit.ly/crimetimeinc-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Hosts
Straight From the Case Files
Tom Wood
Co-Host
Tom Wood is a retired detective, former Deputy Chief Constable and bestselling author of "Ruxton: The First Modern Murder". With decades of experience in Scottish law enforcement, Tom brings unparalleled insight into criminal investigations and forensic history.
Simon McLean
Co-Host
Simon McLean is a former detective and undercover cop. His experience spans organised crime, serious assault, and complex criminal networks across Scotland.
Chris Burt
Producer
Chris Burt is the producer of Crime Time Inc, handling all aspects of audio production, post-production, and digital content.
Listener Reviews
What Listeners Say
Absolutely Gripping
“Tom and Simon bring an authenticity to true crime that you just can't fake. Having two actual detectives walk you through these cases is incredible. Essential listening.”
— ScottishCrimeFan · Apple Podcasts
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