Best Andrew Holden Podcasts (2025)

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Degrees of Growth: How Universities Help Drive Productivity 14:39

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18h ago14:39

14:39

On 8 October 2025, I spoke at a Group of Eight dialogue on “Leveraging Research and Innovation to Turbocharge Productivity”. The text is available here: https://www.andrewleigh.com/speech_degrees_of_growth_how_universities_help_drive_productivity_8_october_2025By Andrew Leigh MP

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The wilderness of mirrors | Murder in Cairo Ep. 2 43:12

6d ago43:12

43:12

The case breaks open. Using WikiLeaks cables, memoirs, and declassified files, journalist Emanuele Midolo joins Peter Gillman as their investigation into David Holden's death leads them all the way to a CIA post in Jerusalem. But who ordered the hit, and who looked away? Host: Manveen Rana Guests: Peter Gillman, former The Sunday Times reporter and…

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The death of our star reporter | Murder in Cairo Ep. 1 34:25

6d ago34:25

34:25

December 1977: The Sunday Times correspondent David Holden lands in Cairo to report on crucial peace talks between Egypt and Israel. Hours later he’s found dead near the airport - shot with a single bullet to the heart. Decades later, Peter Gillman retraces Holden’s final days, uncovering a planned abduction, missing telexes, and an espionage tangl…

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The neo-Nazi YouTuber | Britain’s New Far Right Ep. 2 33:18

7d ago33:18

33:18

On the trail of the far-right YouTuber known only as ‘Ayatollah’. Tips from undercover sources, summer camp sightings and voice-recognition technology lead David to a quiet village in the West Midlands. How did a karaoke-singing millennial go from writing about Asian footballers to livestreaming Hitler praise, and what role did YouTube play in keep…

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A lockdown creation | Britain’s New Far Right Ep. 1 36:16

7d ago36:16

36:16

With the streets emptied by Covid, David Aaranovitch steps into the online world of Patriotic Alternative, a far-right group turning the pandemic into a recruitment tool. Discovering a particularly virulent racist aligned to the group, David asks if YouTube is doing enough to stop hate speech? Host: David Aaronovitch. Clips: BBC, Channel 4, Sky New…

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The Politics of Abundance and the Perils of Zero-Sum Thinking 27:26

13d ago27:26

27:26

On 24 September 2025, I spoke at the Australian National University on new research about the dangers of zero-sum thinking. The speech transcript is here: https://www.andrewleigh.com/speech_the_politics_of_abundance_and_the_perils_of_zero_sum_thinking_24_september_2025By Andrew Leigh MP

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Startups for Growth 11:51

14d ago11:51

11:51

Description: On 17 September 2025, I spoke to the Ecosystem Startup leaders lunch at UTS Startups, Sydney on the topic of “Startups for Growth”. A transcript is available here:https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-ecosystem-startup-leaders-lunch-uts-startups-sydney…

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Atonement? | The Feud Ep. 5 36:16

15d ago36:16

36:16

Andrew returns to Oxford to reveal the wounds that still remain following the seven-figure financial settlement. The woman who made an allegation against Martyn Percy speaks out, alleging intimidation by some of his supporters. And has Christ Church college tried to hide the astronomical cost of the feud? Host: Andrew Billen, feature writer, The Ti…

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Who blinks first? | The Feud Ep. 4 29:22

15d ago29:22

29:22

Breaking point as the college dons question Martyn Percy’s mental capacity. He accuses them of smear campaigns, and an ill-judged essay likening his plight to Nazi persecution triggers outrage. Costs soar, reputations crumble, and the University of Oxford itself is forced to intervene. After four long years, a deal is struck. But at what cost? Host…

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Mystery in the cathedral | The Feud Ep. 3 27:01

15d ago27:01

27:01

Christ Church stalls when a student asks for protection, yet when Martyn Percy is accused of impropriety he is suspended within days. What at first appeared a battle over different styles of governance now carries the stain of misconduct - and divisions widen within the college. Host: Andrew Billen, feature writer, The Times. Clips: ITV, BBC, Sky N…

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Immoral, scandalous, or disgraceful | The Feud Ep. 2 40:06

15d ago40:06

40:06

A stabbing, a scandal, and a battle over job descriptions. Andrew exposes the bureaucratic dispute that spirals into bitter war between Martyn Percy and Christ Church’s governing body. Behind the formal manners and age-old statutes, a plot is being devised to oust the dean at any cost. Host: Andrew Billen, feature writer, The Times. Clips: Walt Dis…

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Down the rabbit hole | The Feud Ep. 1 30:45

15d ago30:45

30:45

Christ Church college, Oxford: a bastion of higher education since the 16th century that produced some of the country’s best and brightest, and is home to a very British way of life. When The Very Reverend Martyn Percy - a reformer from a working-class background - was appointed dean in 2014, everything looked promising. Until it didn’t. Andrew Bil…

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Introducing: The Feud 2:36

15d ago2:36

2:36

The Very Reverend Martyn Percy leaves his post as dean of the world-famous Christ Church college, Oxford, with a seven-figure settlement after a bitter dispute that pitted a lone reformer against an institution. But what really happened amid the Alice in Wonderland world of Oxford's dreaming spires? The Times's feature writer Andrew Billen heads do…

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The Great Unbinding: Non-Competes, Freedom and the Future of Competition 24:20

22d ago24:20

24:20

On 16 September 2025, I spoke at the Sydney Institute, discussing how scrapping non-compete clauses for most workers is good for freedom and fairness. Read the full speech: https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-sydney-instituteBy Andrew Leigh MP

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Pennant money | The Legacy of Penrhyn Castle Ep. 3 36:35

22d ago36:35

36:35

Pennant money reshaped not only Jamaica, but also modern Britain. In Wales, it financed the vast Penrhyn slate quarry, built villages, and paid for the castle that April-Louise visits alongside her father, Gil. Together, they face the portraits of men who enslaved their ancestors, and ask what it would take for Britain to stop looking away. Host: B…

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Plantation records | The Legacy of Penrhyn Castle Ep. 2 27:50

22d ago27:50

27:50

April-Louise Pennant’s grandparents were part of the Windrush Generation, emigrating from the Caribbean to Britain in the 1950s. Visiting a local university archive to discover the significance of her Welsh surname, she discovers the Jamaica Papers - a collection of plantation records donated by the Pennants, which reveal a confronting truth. Host:…

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Building Britain | The Legacy of Penrhyn Castle Ep. 1 41:35

22d ago41:35

41:35

Arguments still rage about Britain’s role in the slave trade, but the evidence of that dark past is written across the faces of some of the country’s wealthiest stately homes. Journalists Brenna Daldorph and David Aaronovitch face facts to look behind the grandeur and gold-leaf exteriors of one - Penrhyn Castle in North Wales - to uncover the bruta…

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The kittens who still purr | The Messiah and his Kittens Ep. 4 28:51

29d ago28:51

28:51

Adnan Oktar is behind bars but some of his followers still believe. Louise meets his devotees, listens to their claims of injustice and comes to terms with the power Oktar still wields from behind bars. Host: Louise Callaghan, Middle East Correspondent at The Sunday Times. Clips: Al-Jazeera, CNBC, Sky News, CNN. If you, or someone you know, has bee…

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The turnstile system | The Messiah and his Kittens Ep. 3 30:54

29d ago30:54

30:54

The fortress walls begin to crumble. Survivors describe suffering sexual abuse and financial crimes while cult insiders help the authorities bring Adnan Oktar down. Accompanied by a former ‘kitten’, Louise revisits the night the police finally descended on Oktar’s hilltop compound Host: Louise Callaghan, Middle East Correspondent at The Sunday Time…

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Nice girls from good families | The Messiah and his Kittens Ep. 2 32:45

29d ago32:45

32:45

Away from the TV cameras, Adnan Oktar reigns over a den of secrecy. Louise meets the male enforcers he used to keep it under control. Oktar’s ‘lions’ reveal the hierarchy, rules, and ruthless methods used to enforce loyalty to the cult. And a woman who says she was sexually abused by Oktar describes how loyalty comes with a terrifying cost. Host: L…

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The Mahdi wears Armani | The Messiah and his Kittens Ep. 1 32:12

29d ago32:12

32:12

Meet Adnan Oktar, the Turkish televangelist who’s rarely spotted without an entourage of surgically enhanced young women he calls his ‘kittens’. After Oktar is sentenced to over 1,000 years in prison, Louise tries to get to grips with one of the strangest stories she has ever covered. Host: Louise Callaghan, Middle East correspondent at The Sunday …

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Introducing: The Messiah and his Kittens 1:03

29d ago1:03

1:03

The leader of Turkey’s most powerful cult, Adnan Oktar, was sentenced to over 1,000 years in prison in January 2021. The Sunday Times’s Middle East correspondent Louise Callaghan steps into his weird world of ‘kittens’, ‘lions’, and televangelism to reveal its dark heart. This series was first published on 28 January, 2022. This podcast was brought…

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Fair Work in the Age of AI 9:54

1M ago9:54

9:54

On 3 September 2025, I spoke on “Fair Work in the Age of AI” at the ACTU’s Seizing the Opportunities of AI While Protecting the Fair Go Symposium in Canberra. The transcript is available here:https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/andrew-leigh-2025/speeches/address-seizing-opportunities-ai-while-protecting-fair-go…

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Innocent | Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 8 34:21

1M ago34:21

34:21

Seventeen years after his original conviction, Andrew Malkinson walks out of prison a free man. In the final episode of the series, we visit Andy a day after the Court of Appeal overturned his rape conviction following the revelation that new DNA evidence implicated another man in the crime. Host: Will Roe If you, or someone you know, has been affe…

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A breakthrough (February 2023 UPDATE) | Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 7 20:11

1M ago20:11

20:11

Finally, a door opens. The CCRC refers Andy’s case to the Court of Appeal, and police arrest another man. After 17 long years, could Andy win his freedom? Host: Will Roe If you, or someone you know, has been affected by the issues raised in this episode, the following organisations can help: Rape Crisis England & Wales NHS - Help after rape and sex…

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Police failings | Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 6 33:23

1M ago33:23

33:23

Emily meets the former wife of another suspect in the original investigation. Police failures loom as we learn of other men - some with violent histories - who were barely investigated. Host: Emily Dugan, social affairs correspondent at The Sunday Times. Actress: Eliza Marsland. If you, or someone you know, has been affected by the issues raised in…

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‘Forced’ to testify? | Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 5 31:19

1M ago31:19

31:19

Cracks are showing in the case against Andrew Malkinson. Emily Dugan meets the key witnesses who claimed they felt pressure to testify, and learns of failures at the Criminal Cases Review Commission that may have contributed to a miscarriage of justice. Host: Emily Dugan, social affairs correspondent at The Sunday Times. If you, or someone you know…

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Forensics | Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 4 28:12

1M ago28:12

28:12

Years into Andrew Malkinson’s prison sentence, new forensic techniques reveal the presence of another man’s DNA at the crime scene. Emily Dugan investigates the implications of this evidence and the challenges of reopening a long-closed case. Host: Emily Dugan, social affairs correspondent at The Sunday Times. Audio from HMP North Sea Camp courtesy…

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Witness testimony | Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 3 27:15

1M ago27:15

27:15

Eyewitness evidence is powerful. But it is not infallible. Emily Dugan draws on wrongful convictions abroad to explore how memory and trauma can complicate justice and what this might mean for Andy’s conviction. Host: Emily Dugan, social affairs correspondent at The Sunday Times. If you, or someone you know, has been affected by the issues raised i…

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The trial | Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 2 39:23

1M ago39:23

39:23

No DNA. Contradictory descriptions. Witnesses with hidden criminal pasts. Andy’s trial is fraught with controversy. As the jury returns a guilty verdict, Emily Dugan unpicks the flaws in the judicial system that can send an innocent man down. Host: Emily Dugan, social affairs correspondent at The Sunday Times. If you, or someone you know, has been …

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Life turned upside down | Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 1 28:36

1M ago28:36

28:36

In 2003, a 33-year-old mother of two was raped and left for dead during a horrific attack in Salford, Greater Manchester. A local security guard called Andrew Malkinson was arrested and later sentenced to life - despite insisting he was innocent. Emily Dugan explores how a seemingly ordinary man became caught up in a shocking crime and left trying …

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Introducing: Seventeen Years - the Andrew Malkinson story 1:28

1M ago1:28

1:28

A mother of two is brutally attacked, but was the wrong man sent to prison? Andrew Malkinson was wrongfully convicted of a brutal rape and sentenced to life in prison. The Sunday Times social affairs correspondent Emily Dugan investigates the flawed trial, unreliable witness testimony, police failings and breakthrough DNA evidence that turned the c…

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Questions and answers? | Cameron and the Toxic Banker Ep. 6 34:44

1M ago34:44

34:44

Finally facing interrogation, David Cameron and Lex Greensill appear before MPs. Between their testimony and half-apologies, we finally come to the truth - that the scandal surrounding Greensill Capital didn’t just bring down one company, it brought down British politics as a whole. Guest: Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall Correspondent for The Sunday Tim…

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The crash | Cameron and the Toxic Banker Ep. 5 34:48

1M ago34:48

34:48

What happens when the music stops? With insurers retreating and Lex Greensill’s tangled web of influence unravelling fast, only one thing’s for certain - many others stand to be exposed. Guest: John Collingridge, Deputy business editor at The Sunday Times. Host: David Aaronovitch, former columnist for The Times. Clips used: GFG Alliance, Parliament…

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Sanjeev Gupta, man of steel | Cameron and the Toxic Banker Ep. 4 33:57

1M ago33:57

33:57

Sanjeev Gupta styled himself as the saviour of Britain’s struggling steel industry, but his empire was fuelled by Greensill money. Deep in Britain’s industrial heartlands, we step inside a house of cards. Guest: John Collingridge, Deputy business editor at The Sunday Times. Host: David Aaronovitch, former columnist for The Times. Clips used: Channe…

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A pay app for the NHS | Cameron and the Toxic Banker Ep. 3 32:04

1M ago32:04

32:04

Greensill Capital is on the brink - until it lands a lifeline helping to run a vital payroll app for NHS staff. David Aaronovitch uncovers how the company secured taxpayer-backed schemes even as its risky finance model raised eyebrows in the corridors of power. Guest: Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall correspondent for The Sunday Times. Host: David Aarono…

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Collapse and aftermath | Cameron and the Toxic Banker Ep. 2 28:01

1M ago28:01

28:01

Calls, texts and elbow bumps. As a global pandemic takes hold, former prime minister David Cameron is now working for Greensill Capital, dusting down old contact books and making calls to old colleagues at the very top of a government in crisis. Guest: Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall correspondent, The Sunday Times. Host: David Aaronovitch, former colum…

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The rise of Lex Greensill | Cameron and the Toxic Banker Ep. 1 32:20

1M ago32:20

32:20

How did a little-known Australian banker end up with the ear of a Prime Minister? David Aaronovitch recounts the improbable rise of Lex Greensill from a sugar cane farm in central Queensland to high-flying advisor with an office in 10 Downing Street. Guest: Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall correspondent, The Sunday Times. Host: David Aaronovitch, former …

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Introducing: Cameron and the Toxic Banker 1:56

1M ago1:56

1:56

Behind the closed doors of Whitehall in central London Lex Greensill promised to revolutionise the way money moves through the highest levels of British business. Instead, he built an empire on financial smoke. David Aaronovitch follows the trail of charm and deception leading from the City deep into the heart of the British government. Presented b…

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Quiet survival | The Spider in the Web - the Hans Globke Story Ep. 2 39:55

2M ago39:55

39:55

As the bombs fell, Hans Globke stayed behind his desk, signing papers that sent Jews to their deaths across Europe. Oliver Moody uncovers how Globke’s quiet survival allowed him to emerge unscathed from the ashes of the Third Reich, and return to power in a new Germany. Host: Oliver Moody, Berlin correspondent, The Times & The Sunday Times Clips: A…

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Almost forgotten | The Spider in the Web - the Hans Globke Story Ep. 1 33:10

2M ago33:10

33:10

Hans Globke is the forgotten Nazi. The Times and The Sunday Times’s Berlin correspondent Oliver Moody traces the story of the unremarkable bureaucrat who quietly laid the legal basis for the Holocaust, positioning himself at the centre of a deadly web of influence - then came back to build the foundations of modern Germany Host: Oliver Moody, Berli…

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Introducing: The Spider in the Web - the Hans Globke Story 1:34

2M ago1:34

1:34

Uncovering the story of Hans Globke, the Nazi bureaucrat who helped lay the legal basis for the Holocaust, then came back to build the foundations of modern Germany. Presented by Oliver Moody, the Berlin correspondent for The Times and The Sunday Times. This series was first released on 4 March 2021. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscr…

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Meet Corey Junior | Who Killed CJ Davis? Ep 1 33:52

2M ago33:52

33:52

We meet CJ Davis’s mother Keisha McLeod and hear about the promising early years and the struggles of a young boy who, in his final 18 months, was sucked into an underworld of drug deals and gang crime. Corey Junior Davis was just 14 when he was shot dead on the afternoon of 4 September 2017. In this series, crime correspondent John Simpson exposes…

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The murder scene and the wall of silence | Who Killed CJ Davis? Ep 4 31:54

2M ago31:54

31:54

The September afternoon in 2017 when CJ Davis was shot dead in broad daylight in Forest Gate, East London. An anonymous witness recounts the harrowing moment she heard gunshots and rushed to CJ’s side in an attempt to save his life. Corey Junior Davis was just 14 when he was shot dead on the afternoon of 4 September 2017. In this series, crime corr…

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Descent into crime | Who Killed CJ Davis? Ep 2 30:14

2M ago30:14

30:14

Lifting the lid on a national crisis of child criminal exploitation. Accounts from CJ’s girlfriend, Bella, and his mother give rise to questions: how did he come to be arrested for carrying a knife? What were CJ’s connections to drug dealing? And, crucially, where did the authorities miss opportunities to intervene? Corey Junior Davis was just 14 w…

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The gangs of Newham | Who Killed CJ Davis? Ep 3 32:14

2M ago32:14

32:14

We dive into the brutal reality of London’s gangland, where imprisoned but still powerful leaders Young Dizz and CB preside over the rival Beckton Boys and Woodgrange gangs. CJ’s name appears on a leaked police “gang matrix”, giving rise to the chilling question: Was CJ Davis a targeted victim of this deadly turf war? Corey Junior Davis was just 14…

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Atonement | Who Killed CJ Davis? Ep 7 34:41

2M ago34:41

34:41

Five years after CJ Davis was shot dead in East London, John Simpson is back in Newham to confront the stagnant investigation. He brokers a powerful meeting between CJ's grieving mother and the woman who found him, revealing the pain that persists as the murder remains unsolved. Corey Junior Davis was just 14 when he was shot dead on the afternoon …

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March 2023 UPDATE - An arrest | Who Killed CJ Davis? Ep 8 7:45

2M ago7:45

7:45

News breaks that a suspect has been arrested in connection with CJ’s murder. John Simpson speaks with CJ’s mother, Keisha, about this pivotal moment in her fight for justice. Corey Junior Davis was just 14 when he was shot dead on the afternoon of 4 September 2017. In this series, crime correspondent John Simpson exposes the systemic failings, riva…

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How do we solve this? | Who Killed CJ Davis? Ep 5 34:45

2M ago34:45

34:45

Three years after CJ Davis’ murder, John Simpson interviews the lead detective working on the case, whose team continues to grapple with an impenetrable “code of silence”. Expert Craig Pinkney also takes us into the complex world of drill music to explore its connection to gang culture and, perhaps, to CJ’s death. Corey Junior Davis was just 14 whe…

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Meet Corey Senior | Who Killed CJ Davis? Ep 6 39:27

2M ago39:27

39:27

In this bonus episode, CJ’s father, Corey Sr., speaks publicly about his son’s death for the very first time. We also meet close family friend Dwayne Brooks, who was witness to the Stephen Lawrence murder. Corey Junior Davis was just 14 when he was shot dead on the afternoon of 4 September 2017. In this series, crime correspondent John Simpson expo…