Australian True Crime

The word most commonly used to describe Rolf Harris at the conclusion of his trial and his spectacular fall from grace was remorseless.He still seemed utterly shameless as revelation after revelation rolled out in front of the world and his real character was exposed. We all got an inkling of the sheer entitlement felt by the man and of his expectation that he should be allowed to go on separating his private and public personas with the complete complicity of everyone around him because he was just so famous. Our guest today got more than an inkling, unfortunately. For decades, she was one of the many, many women who knew and who thought he'd get away with it forever. But then miraculously, a group of those women from all over the world, who didn't know each other, decided to stand together. Suzi Dent is a makeup artist. Makeup artists are the heart and soul of any film or television production.They're the ones who hear the secrets, the snickers and the moans. They see the tears and the eye rolls, and they're always ready with a reassuring pat on the arm. They're very special, and you'll understand what I mean by that as you get to know Suzi, and you'll also understand why it's so offensive that she was treated this way in her workplace.You can learn more about Suzi's beauty work here: https://www.goldcoastmakeupartist.com/ If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode you can contact:Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) For ad-free listening, early access and exclusive content, join Australian True Crime Plus on Apple Podcasts here: http://apple.co/australiantruecrime  CREDITS: Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram Co-Host: Emily Webb. You can find her on Instagram here and listen to her podcast Killer Content here. Guests: Suzi DentProducer/Editor: Matthew TankardExecutive Producer: Jacqueline TonksRecorded at a Hub Australia Media Studio. Find the workspace that's right for you at https://www.hubaustralia.com/ GET IN TOUCH:Send us a question or comment on this episode to be used in our "Episode Download" series: https://www.speakpipe.com/ATCFollow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AustralianTrueCrimePod/Email the show at team@smartfella.com.au Australian True Crime is a podcast by Smart Fella Media. Your story matters and how you tell it matters even more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1990, social worker Wendy Davis had her dream job at what was then known as Hollywood Private Hospital in Perth. She was the senior grief counsellor in the palliative care unit. It was intense but rewarding work, and at 40 years of age, life was right on track for Wendy Davis.But It was cruelly taken away from her on her youngest daughter's 11th birthday, when she was violently assaulted by a Telecom technician who was working at the hospital.The technician was charged with common assault, for which he received two months probation. Then, for twenty six years, no one wanted to talk about what happened to Wendy. Wendy herself, tried to bury the memory.That was until WA police realised that the technician who attacked Wendy that day, was Bradley Robert Edwards, now known as the Claremont Serial Killer, who was in their custody for the suspicion of murdering Jane Rimmer, Ciara Glennon, and Sarah Spiers.Wendy's book "Don't Make a Fuss: It's Only the Claremont Serial Killer" is available here: https://www.booktopia.com.au/don-t-make-a-fuss-wendy-davis/book/9781760991227.html If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode you can contact:Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) For ad-free listening, early access and exclusive content, join Australian True Crime Plus on Apple Podcasts here: http://apple.co/australiantruecrime  CREDITS: Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram Co-Host: Emily Webb. You can find her on Instagram here and listen to her podcast Killer Content here. Guests: Wendy DavisProducer/Editor: Matthew TankardExecutive Producer: Jacqueline TonksRecorded at a Hub Australia Media Studio. Find the workspace that's right for you at https://www.hubaustralia.com/ GET IN TOUCH:Send us a question or comment on this episode to be used in our "Episode Download" series: https://www.speakpipe.com/ATCFollow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AustralianTrueCrimePod/Email the show at team@smartfella.com.au Australian True Crime is a podcast by Smart Fella Media. Your story matters and how you tell it matters even more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Shotgun" Shannon O'Connell is Australia's pre-eminent female boxer. One thing that is absolutely true, is that her toughest opponent is her childhood. She fights it everyday, as do her two brothers, with varying degrees of success. We were introduced to Shannon by a previous guest, Russell Manser from The Voice of a Survivor. He likes to say that boxing has saved more lives than church, and Shannon is definitely one of them. You can keep up to date with all things "Shotgun" Shannon by following her instagram If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode you can contact:Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) For ad-free listening, early access and exclusive content, join Australian True Crime Plus on Apple Podcasts here: http://apple.co/australiantruecrime  CREDITS: Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram Co-Host: Emily Webb. You can find her on Instagram here and listen to her podcast Killer Content here. Guests: Shannon O'ConnellProducer/Editor: Matthew TankardExecutive Producer: Jacqueline TonksRecorded at a Hub Australia Media Studio. Find the workspace that's right for you at https://www.hubaustralia.com/  GET IN TOUCH:Send us a question or comment on this episode to be used in our "Episode Download" series: https://www.speakpipe.com/ATC Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AustralianTrueCrimePod/ Email the show at team@smartfella.com.au Australian True Crime is a podcast by Smart Fella Media. Your story matters and how you tell it matters even more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest this week, Russell Manser, has an incredible podcast of his own called The Stick Up. Please enjoy this rare interview with Mick Gatto, and check out other episodes of The Stick Up wherever you get your podcasts. Show notes:In this rare interview with ex-underworld figure Mick Gatto, you'll hear about his love for his family, passion for charity and the life altering moments that saw him lose two sons, and end up in jail. Russell talks with a man who speaks his truth. Founder of www.thevoiceofasurvivor.comFind Russell on Instagram hereFind Russell on TikTok here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russell Manser is an extraordinary man. He's been in and out of prison since we was literally a child, and when he wasn't inside, he was robbing banks to support a raging heroin habit. As we know, lifestyle habits like that don't come out of nowhere. When Russell decided to face the truth of what had happened to him, it changed his life. Since then, he's changed many lives too. This is a very upsetting story involving serious sexual assault. We've talked around these issues before with other guests, but Russell is uncompromisingly honest when talking about his story. Please take care when listening to this episode.To hear more from Russell, as well as the stories of his amazing guests, you can listen to his podcast called The Stick Up with Russell Manser You can also learn more about The Voice of a Survivor at www.thevoiceofasurvivor.com If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode you can contact:Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) For ad-free listening, early access and exclusive content, join Australian True Crime Plus on Apple Podcasts here: http://apple.co/australiantruecrime  CREDITS: Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram Co-Host: Emily Webb. You can find her on Instagram here and listen to her podcast Killer Content here. Guests: Russell ManserProducer/Editor: Matthew TankardExecutive Producer: Jacqueline TonksRecorded at a Hub Australia Media Studio. Find the workspace that's right for you at https://www.hubaustralia.com/  GET IN TOUCH:Send us a question or comment on this episode to be used in our "Episode Download" series: https://www.speakpipe.com/ATC Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AustralianTrueCrimePod/ Email the show at team@smartfella.com.au Australian True Crime is a podcast by Smart Fella Media. Your story matters and how you tell it matters even more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1993, Paul Denyer murdered Natalie Russell, Elizabeth Stevens and Deborah Fream in the Frankston area. Denyer had also stalked and terrified women - that’s one of the lesser known aspects of his horrendous offending.Now 50, Denyer was sentenced to life in prison without parole, but the sentence was later appealed and reduced to a non-parole period of 30 years, meaning Denyer is eligible for release in 2023.There’s a genuine fear from many that Denyer will be released - from the families of Natalie, Elizabeth and Deborah - but also the women who were stalked by Denyer.Our guest for this episode is one of the family members who is speaking up.Jake Blair was 12 days old when his mum Debbie was murdered by Denyer. Though he’s almost 30 he’s still known as Baby Jake to the Frankston community. He was a fluffy-haired newborn, cradled in the arms of his dad Garry in a picture that ran in Newspapers across Australia. Over the years, many people, including us, have wondered what happened to him. What was life like for Baby Jake?  If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode you can contact:Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) For ad-free listening, early access and exclusive content, join Australian True Crime Plus on Apple Podcasts here: http://apple.co/australiantruecrime  CREDITS: Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram Co-Host: Emily Webb. You can find her on Instagram here and listen to her podcast Killer Content here. Guests: Jake Blair and Vikki PetraitisProducer/Editor: Matthew TankardExecutive Producer: Jacqueline TonksRecorded at a Hub Australia Media Studio. Find the workspace that's right for you at https://www.hubaustralia.com/  GET IN TOUCH:Send us a question or comment on this episode to be used in our "Episode Download" series: https://www.speakpipe.com/ATC Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AustralianTrueCrimePod/ Email the show at team@smartfella.com.au Australian True Crime is a podcast by Smart Fella Media. Your story matters and how you tell it matters even more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guests for this episode are Therese Fox and Megan Norris.In 2002 friends Therese Fox and Bronwyn Cartwright travelled to Bali – it was a dream trip that the two Geelong nurses had saved hard for. It was Therese’s first trip overseas and away from her young children.On October 12th Therese and Bronwyn decided to go out to Paddy’s Irish Bar for their last night in Bali.Deadly terrorist attacks on Paddy’s Bar and the Sari Club in Kuta’s party precinct killed 202 people - 88 from Australia including Bronwyn. Therese was critically injured with third-degree burns to 85 per cent of her body.Therese is intensely private but years after the horror of the bombings and her slow, painful road to recovery, she felt that it was important to have her story on record - for her family, to honour Bronwyn and to acknowledge the people whose lives intersected with hers in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.Therese turned to crime journalist and author Megan Norris, who you’ll know from previous episodes of Australian True Crime, to put her remarkable story into words… And you can read it in the book Out of The Ashes: The mother’s love that healed the scars of the Bali bombings.If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode you can contact:Lifeline on 13 11 14 13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) For ad-free listening, early access and exclusive content, join Australian True Crime Plus on Apple Podcasts here: http://apple.co/australiantruecrime CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram Co-Host: Emily Webb. You can find her on Instagram here and listen to her podcast Killer Content here. Guests: Therese Fox and Megan NorrisProducer/Editor: Matthew TankardExecutive Producer: Jacqueline TonksRecorded at a Hub Australia Media Studio. Find the workspace that's right for you at https://www.hubaustralia.com/ GET IN TOUCH: Send us a question or comment on this episode to be used in our "Episode Download" series: https://www.speakpipe.com/ATC Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/AustralianTrueCrimePod/ Email the show at team@smartfella.com.au Australian True Crime is a podcast by Smart Fella Media. Your story matters and how you tell it matters even more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this episode is Michael Adams, host of the fascinating podcast Forgotten Australia. Michael is a master of deep diving into the archives to tell incredible stories most people have never heard of - many of them about crime and society. From historic news articles - even the smallest of briefs and the mere mention of a name, Michael brings old stories, scandals, oddities and the lives of intriguing people back to life.  Michael’s book is HANGING NED KELLY and his podcast is Forgotten Australia. You can find out more about Michael at his website https://michaeladamswrites.com/ If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode you can contact: Lifeline on 13 11 14 13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) For ad-free listening, early access and exclusive content, join Australian True Crime Plus on Apple Podcasts here: http://apple.co/australiantruecrime  CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram Co-Host: Emily Webb. You can find her on Instagram here and listen to her podcast Killer Content here. Guests: Michel AdamsProducer/Editor: Matthew TankardExecutive Producer: Jacqueline TonksRecorded at a Hub Australia Media Studio. Find the workspace that's right for you at https://www.hubaustralia.com/  GET IN TOUCH: Send us a question or comment on this episode to be used in our "Episode Download" series: https://www.speakpipe.com/ATC Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/AustralianTrueCrimePod/ Email the show at team@smartfella.com.au Australian True Crime is a podcast by Smart Fella Media. Your story matters and how you tell it matters even more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In celebration of the release of the brand new season of The Handmaid's Tale, we've invited a couple of friends over to chat about the series with. We're joined today by mega fan Joanna Fleming from Adore Beauty, and from the brilliant Eyes On Gilead podcast, Fiona Williams. So, why a special episode about The Handmaid's Tale on our true crime podcast feed? Well, Margaret Atwood, the author of The Handmaid's Tale famously said that there's no crime against women in the book, that hasn't actually been perpetrated against women in real life somewhere in the world. Oh, and spoiler alert. Obviously. Season 5 is available to stream free exclusively on SBS On Demand now: https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/You can listen to Eyes On Gilead here: https://www.sbs.com.au/guide/podcastcollection/eyes-gileaAnd you can listen to Joanna's podcast with Adore Beauty, Beauty IQ Uncensored here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/beauty-iq-uncensored/id1478211900GET IN TOUCH: Send us a question or comment on this episode to be used in our "Episode Download" series: https://www.speakpipe.com/ATC Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/AustralianTrueCrimePod/ Email the show at team@smartfella.com.au Australian True Crime is a podcast by Smart Fella Media. Your story matters and how you tell it matters even more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lucy Wessell contacted Australian True Crime to tell her family’s story about the unforeseeable and tragic loss of her brother Andrew - who is remembered by them as a kind and gentle man who loved his family, animals, and nature. He was a seasoned traveller who had friends all over the world. Andrew Drake was stabbed to death in 2019. Andrew, 29, died on the lawn of a house in Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast, as his sister Penny desperately tried to save his life. The property where he was killed was the home of then 18-year-old Daniel Sharpe, who lived with his parents David and Julie.  Andrew and his sister Penny were invited over to the house for a drink - the kind of thing people do to get to know their neighbours. The night turned into a nightmare - resulting in Andrew’s shocking death. Daniel Sharpe was acquitted of murder, but found guilty of manslaughter by a New South Wales Supreme Court jury.  It was a decision that shattered Andrew’s family and Lucy wanted to tell her their story, especially about what the jury didn’t hear. Lucy is speaking up for Andrew, so his killer’s claims of what happened are not how Andrew is portrayed.  Homicide Victims’ Support Group NSW - https://www.hvsgnsw.org.au/ If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode you can contact: Lifeline on 13 11 14 13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) For ad-free listening, early access and exclusive content, join Australian True Crime Plus on Apple Podcasts here: http://apple.co/australiantruecrime  CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram Co-Host: Emily Webb. You can find her on Instagram here and listen to her podcast Killer Content here. Guests: Lucy WessellProducer/Editor: Matthew TankardExecutive Producer: Jacqueline TonksRecorded at a Hub Australia Media Studio. Find the workspace that's right for you at https://www.hubaustralia.com/  GET IN TOUCH: Send us a question or comment on this episode to be used in our "Episode Download" series: https://www.speakpipe.com/ATC Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/AustralianTrueCrimePod/ Email the show at team@smartfella.com.au Australian True Crime is a podcast by Smart Fella Media. Your story matters and how you tell it matters even more Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.