Podcaster Jade Grimes doggedly investigates the latest crimes despite her complete lack of qualifications to do so and police pleas to stop
I’M not merely a professional crime aficionado with an A-Level in Psychology. Growing up on the outskirts of Oxford made me all too familiar with criminals. I was only nine when I saw my first littering, and 13 when my own father ran a red light in our Range Rover.
It’s my business to know about sick and twisted individuals, and not just because this week I’m being paid by Krispy Kreme to make this episode to promote their new jam doughnut range. It’s safe to say I know when a criminal is a criminal – and, more importantly, when they’re not.
Martin Bishop has been in prison for over a decade for a murder he did not commit. How do I know? He sent me a letter last week, and no truly evil person would be brazen enough to contact a true crime podcaster unless they genuinely didn’t do it.
The prosecution’s version of the case is that, allegedly, Martin walked into a betting shop, held the cashier at gun point, stole thousands in cash and then killed him. If that sounds ridiculous to you, imagine how I reacted. There are so many easier ways to steal thousands, like through internet scams.
After just 12 months of investigating, the police just gave up on finding other suspects and charged Martin. Their reasoning? He had a criminal record, he ‘confessed’ and his DNA was found at the crime scene. Let’s break that down.
These so-called confessions are anything but. I’ve heard them. In the recording of his police interview, Martin says ‘I did it’ – but that could be referring to any number of things. As he pointed out in his letter, he could have been saying that he did a fart, or did a life-drawing course at the local library. The fact that he said this five times in the interview is evidence that this is something he said regularly, which actually indicates his likely innocence.
Then there’s the DNA. Police say they found his DNA on a balaclava left at the scene, which in CCTV is clearly being worn by the perpetrator. Newsflash! Lots of us visit betting shops, and balaclavas are pretty common pieces of clothing. He could have simply left it behind when he visited a week earlier. It may have been July, but it doesn’t mean it wasn’t a cold day.
Martin is campaigning hard to get a new trial, and he needs our support. The family of the cashier don’t want to see justice done, and in their grief are punishing an innocent man who just wants his freedom back. Martin tells me the thing he’s most looking forward to when he’s out is turning up at the house of his ex, who has since moved on and married someone else. Imagine how surprised she’ll be to see him!
If you want to support Martin, head to his GoFundMe. We’re rooting for you, Martin!
