Murdered BY HER EX
SIR TREVOR MCDONALD examines alice ruggles’ murder by her ex-boyfriend
NEW CRIME
An Hour to Catch a Killer with Trevor Mcdonald Thursday, ITV HD, 9pm
THE SO-CALLED ‘GOLDEN HOUR’ after a crime is reported to police is hugely vital for a successful investigation. And as Sir Trevor Mcdonald reveals in the ITV documentary An Hour to Catch a Killer, that was the case when 24-year-old Alice Ruggles was found stabbed to death in her Gateshead home in October 2016.
The prime suspect was her ex-boyfriend Trimaan Dhillon, a soldier whose stalking after their relationship ended had prompted Alice to contact the police. The programme reveals how the swift, decisive action of Detective Chief Inspector Lisa Theaker and the Northumbria police homicide team swiftly brought Dhillon to justice, as they worked against the clock to provide CCTV footage and forensic evidence to build a strong case.
THE GOLDEN HOUR
‘The golden hour is something that I’d never heard of before, but it’s well known in the science of homicide investigations,’ says Sir Trevor. ‘It means that what you do in that first hour could determine whether the case works out well or not.’
In the programme, Sir Trevor is seen visiting Alice’s grave with her parents Clive and Sue, and asking them about their daughter’s life.
‘What do you say to a parent who has lost a child?’ says the 78-yearold former newscaster. ‘These people went out of their way to accommodate Alice’s ex-boyfriend into their family, and this young lady had everything to live for and a loving family. It’s the most tragic thing I’ve ever been involved in.’