Trev gets a cell mate
TREVOR Mcdonald has struck up an unlikely friendship of sorts – with a double murderer.
The newsman, 78, returned to Indiana State maximum-security prison for this week’s ITV documentary Death Row 2018.
He was last there five years ago when he met Ronald Sandford, sentenced to 170 years for murdering two elderly women when he was 13.
Sir Trevor tells us: “After my last visit I sent him some books and I took some more for him this time.
“He really has a knowledge of what’s going on in the world and keeps up to date. As I was leaving, he said, ‘Man, what the hell happened with Grenfell Tower?’. He’s interested in the world.” Their original meeting left Sir Trevor questioning how a teenager could carry out such an horrific crime.
But this time Sanford opens up about the childhood he says primed him to murder.
The acclaimed former News At Ten presenter says he has found it impossible to forget about the inmates since the last series.
He said: “The circumstances in the prison changed. Rather strangely they hadn’t executed anyone since I was there. However, they’d built a new death chamber.
“The reason is they’re just unable to get the drugs. Many of the pharmaceutical companies do not want to be associated with pills that kill people.
“In a strange way I found the place more dreadful than last time. I have found it difficult to get these people out of my head. I could tell you what they’re doing now. I know their recreation timetable. All the scenes and routines are stuck in my mind.”
And he insists this is the last time he will visit the jail. He says: “I don’t want to go back – I left there desperately needing a drink.”
■ Death Row 2018, Thursday, 9pm.
I found it more dreadful than the last time ... I could not get these people out of my head