David Wilson's Crime Files

Criminologist Professor David Wilson takes a close look at fraud and the people who commit it. Are they charismatic schemers, or dangerous liars? And what does it take to lead this chameleon-like existence?

David travels to the notorious Carstairs State Hospital in South Lanarkshire to investigate one of Scotland’s worst spree killings. The atrocity occurred on one cold November night in 1976, leaving three people dead and at least three others injured. David tracks the movements of the two killers, Robert Mone and Thomas McCulloch, from their brutal escape from the hospital to the night-long manhunt across the border.

Together with investigative journalist Fiona Walker, David uncovers two family annihilations that occurred on the same day in Scotland in 2008. Fiona travels to Buckhaven in Fife, where Rab Thomson killed his son and daughter in their home, to uncover the events leading up to the murders, while David is in the Campsie Fells, where Ashok Kalyanjee took the lives of his two sons.

In this episode, he and his guests discuss the complex issue of children who kill. How do you punish children when they may not comprehend the gravity of the act? Are these the actions of a burgeoning psychopath?

Criminologist David Wilson explores the stereotyped view of women who commit violent offences and whether it’s time for a new attitude.

Criminologist David Wilson finds out how to secure a murder conviction when there is no dead body.

Criminologist David Wilson looks at Scotland’s complex history of race crime and asks if there really is no problem here.

Criminologist David Wilson charts the extra steps women must often go through in order to seek justice.

Criminologist David Wilson probes Scotland’s battle with terrorism and discovers how the problem is a lot closer to home than we might imagine.

Criminologist David Wilson explores some of the ethical quandaries that plague our criminal justice system - is there a line that police shouldn’t cross when hunting the bad guy?