The Birmingham Six | Bombshell | 3

In a desperate gamble, journalist Chris Mullin tracks down the real Birmingham bombers and tries to convince them to confess on camera. Can he get the scoop of his life, and finally force the police to reopen the case into the Birmingham Six? Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you would like us to cover? Or perhaps you have a question you would like to ask our hosts? Email us at [email protected] Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletter This episode comes out for free on (WIDE DATE), and is available early and ad-free for Wondery+ subscribers. Sign up on http://wondery.fm/applepodcasts and stay up-to-date on the latest new podcasts and more from Wondery. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Alice Levine?

  Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of British Scandal ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

• 0:13Matt Forde?

  What are you up to, Alice?

• 0:15Alice Levine?

  For my sins, I'm doing a bit of admin and scrolling through the British Scandal inbox. My goodness, what a quagmire. But what I will say is that tonking has taken off amongst the British Scandal community.

• 0:27Matt Forde?

  Okay, do we mean the use of the word or the practice itself?

• 0:31Alice Levine?

  We have put tonking back on the map. For people that don't remember, Matt's preferred term for the act of lovemaking is tonking. And I don't know if the rates of the activity have gone up, but people are loving the use of the word, so.

• 0:45Matt Forde?

  If you are tonking, get in touch, [email protected].

• 0:49Alice Levine?

  At what point?

• 0:52Matt Forde?

  Mid-tonk. Send us a voice note.

• 0:55Alice Levine?

  Now, I presume Sarah, who's been in touch, wasn't tonking at the time of sending this, but it's not clear. Her name is Sarah Overston-Low, which sounds like a British Scandal character.

• 1:03Matt Forde?

  Oh, that's a great name. She sounds powerful and mean.

• 1:07Alice Levine?

  Well, she moved from Birmingham to Devon. How would you embody that voice?

• 1:13Matt Forde?

  Oh, God. Well, she'd go, "I like it with a tonking in the morning, my lover."

• 1:19Alice Levine?

  Seamless, seamless. I worried that you would just mash two very, very on-the-nose accents together, but you have proved me wrong yet again. So she sent us a pic. She saw tonking out in the wild. It's okay, it's okay. We don't need to call the police. Apparently, tonking is the name of a logistics company. And she sent us this lovely picture of it on a motorway near you.

• 1:39Matt Forde?

  Oh, my God. The word is so big on the front of the van. Once you know it's a rude word, it would be like hiring a company called Shagging or Wanking to move your car.

• 1:49Alice Levine?

  And I would. Another fantastic message from Liz Sinclair from Melbourne. Don't do the accent. She sent us a heartwarming pic of a kid's book in her local library. It's a whimsical tale about a young girl on a voyage of discovery. It looks like she goes to some magical places. There's some beautiful seagulls on there, a very sweet-looking cartoon fox. It's called The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks.

• 2:13Matt Forde?

  There's a girl on the front with long red hair that looks like you.

• 2:17Alice Levine?

  Just saying, just saying. It puts it in a whole new light, doesn't it? Do not check that book out of the library for your children. But I've saved the best until last. Okay, Michael Bevan from Alberta, Canada. I cannot thank you enough for what you've sent in. This has brought so much joy to the British Scandal studio. We often talk about the British Scandal bingo card, all of the things that occur series after series, the tropes, the jokes, let's be honest, that we repeat. And Michael has savagely put them onto a bingo card so that we can play along in the future. This is above and beyond, Michael. So let's have a look at some of the stuff on here. Some of the basics that you would imagine. You've got your Irish accents, which we're both phenomenal at. But some of the niche ones are my absolute favourites. We've got Rick Dusgrin's sweaty palms.

• 3:01Alice Levine?

  We've got an apology to a segment of the audience for possible slight.

• 3:05Matt Forde?

  We've got clenched jaw, someone wonders if they've overstepped. My favourite is puce with rage.

• 3:12Alice Levine?

  It's so good. How do you feel about your mention of ham sandwiches?

• 3:18Matt Forde?

  I mean, I do mention ham, so I'm bang to rights, but I feel like my palate is a little bit broader than just ham. There are other processed meats that I enjoy and I don't really appreciate being fully boxed in like this.

• 3:30Alice Levine?

  Michael, thank you so much. I honestly think that you need to go out of the house and get some fresh air. But this is absolutely phenomenal. That will be hard to beat. But if you have something to send to us, [email protected], only if you have something nice to say.

• 3:47Speaker 02

  Being a serious business owner takes hard work, patience and a drive to keep moving forward. So it's important to find a serious business card that goes the extra mile. With a Venture X Business Card from Capital One, you earn unlimited double miles on every purchase. And with big purchasing power, you can spend more and earn more. This is your sign to take your business to the next level. The Capital One Venture X Business Card. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capitalone.com for details.

• 4:18Speaker 03

  PrizePix packs are here. Rip digital packs and get real basketball, footfall and Pokemon cards on PrizePix packs. Available now nationwide. Once you see your pool, you have a choice to sell back instantly for real cash or ship at home. Cash from your sale will immediately be added to your PrizePix balance. It's just another way to run your game. New users, download the PrizePix app today and use code WONDERY to get $25 instantly in bonus packs when you buy your first $5 pack. PrizePix, run your game. 18 plus eligible areas. Terms apply. Collect responsibly.

• 4:51Matt Forde?

  14th of February, 1991. Melbourne, Australia. Valentine's Day.

• 4:57Alice Levine?

  Happy Valentine's Day, Matt.

• 4:59Matt Forde?

  Happy Valentine's Day, Alice.

• 5:04Matt Forde?

  George Reed rises from his sun lounger and stretches. Having spent 60-odd winters in grey rainy Birmingham, basking in the stunning Australian sunshine in the middle of February is a novelty he'll never tire of. Standing, he slips on his sandals and staggers inside to his kitchen. Plodding across the lino floor, he opens his fridge, lets the cool air waft over his sun-kissed face, then he grabs a beer and takes a long, refreshing swig. He smacks his lips. Then hears a knock at the door. He turns, glances over at the clock, his brow furrows. He's not expecting anyone, so steps with trepidation into his hallway.

• 5:49Matt Forde?

  Through the textured glass, he sees two dark outlines hovering outside. Clicking the latch, he opens it to find two men on his doorstep, in short-sleeved police shirts. British police shirts.

• 6:03Alice Levine?

  Could be strippers. You just don't know at this point. Generally ghetto blaster, stripper, no ghetto blaster, genuinely the Matt.

• 6:10Matt Forde?

  Fishnets is the giveaway. That's always the coppers. His gut lurches. George Reed. He stumbles back half a step, his eyes darting between their badgers and their faces. Yes? His tongue folds slack in his mouth.

• 6:30Matt Forde?

  We have a few questions for you. May we come in? Panic starts crackling across his skin. What's this about? If you wouldn't mind, sir. Reed plasters on a rictus grin, nods and invites them in.

• 6:44Alice Levine?

  Ta-ching, ta-ching, ta-ching!

• 6:46Matt Forde?

  It's on the bingo card. If anyone gets a full house, we need to have prizes.

• 6:52Alice Levine?

  It feels appropriate that the prize should be related to Michael's bingo card, so if you have got a full house, let us know and in the post, no expense spared, second class, we will send you a ham sandwich.

• 7:03Matt Forde?

  Reed sits in his armchair, desperate to wipe away the sweat that's tickling his brow. He's about to offer them a drink, but his attention is instead captured by the lead officer, opening a large black folder onto his lap. Could I get you to take a look at this, please?

• 7:22Matt Forde?

  The officer leans over, holding out a piece of paper. Reed takes it gingerly, shakes it out in front of him, and his insides turn to ice. It's been 16 years since he last saw this page, but he recognizes it instantly. An interview transcript, littered with crossings out, handwritten additions, notes scribbled in the margins.

• 7:49Matt Forde?

  His heart starts kicking hard against his chest. What about it? Is that your handwriting, sir? Reed knows the answer, but all he can do is gulp. Detective Reed, I'm going to need you to explain to us what happened. The officer leans forward again, presenting him with a second sheet of paper. The night you interviewed the Birmingham Six.

• 8:24Matt Forde?

  From Wondery, I'm Matt Ford.

• 8:26Alice Levine?

  And I'm Alice Levine.

• 8:27Matt Forde?

  And this is British Scandal.

• 8:39Matt Forde?

  On this last episode, we saw the investigative journalist Chris Mullin swing into action and he's investigating what really happened with the Birmingham bombings. I actually think you'd be a good investigative journalist.

• 8:51Alice Levine?

  Oh my god, thank you, because of, I guess, maybe my writing skills and my powers of deduction and my acute sense of right and wrong. My moral compass is something I'm very proud of.

• 9:00Matt Forde?

  Yeah, I think I'm in a slightly different way. I was thinking more that you take a long time to finish a project. You're kind of relentless, but also mainly, you're basically a lone wolf. I mean, I've always thought you'd work better alone.

• 9:14Alice Levine?

  Okay, so I, I didn't realise this was just a vehicle to kick me when I'm down, but I should always assume that with you, Matt Ford, that is what everything is. In all seriousness, though, I know that I wouldn't be good at this because I would really struggle to put direct questions to really dangerous people. I mean, it makes my heart palpitate, the thought of it.

• 9:35Matt Forde?

  Yes, and it's not just dangerous people he's talking to and trying to hold to account. It's also powerful people because he suspects this is far bigger than just Detective George Reed and a few bad apples in a police force. He thinks this goes right to the top, to the heart of the government. So, do you think Chris is going to be able to take on the awesome power of Margaret Thatcher's state?

• 9:58Alice Levine?

  I really hope the answer's yes, and I think that's for two reasons. One is that, of course, like any journalist of this type, his work is a vocation. You know, he's motivated by finding the story, by delivering the story. There is a sense of pride in doing that. But I think more than that, he cynically and correctly feels like the powers that be are just going to get away with this. And I think he's a man who believes in a just society. And I think he feels like it's his job to hold these people to account.

• 10:32Matt Forde?

  Well, let's find out what happens next. This is episode three, Bombshell.

• 10:42Matt Forde?

  Five years earlier, April 1986, Dublin city centre.

• 10:49Matt Forde?

  Chris Mullin sits alone in the backseat of a grey Opel Cadet. He looks over a list of names in his notepad, wondering what the hell he's doing here and what the holdup is. He's supposed to be meeting a man named Belfast Jimmy, a former head of the Birmingham IRA. The officer who is meant to have ordered the notorious pub bombings in 1974. The bombings the Birmingham Six have spent 12 years festering in prison for. But Jimmy's proving just as hard to reach as everyone else in this bloody ordeal.

• 11:23Matt Forde?

  If the Home Office hadn't spent the last six months stonewalling every last effort Mullin has made to re-examine the case, he wouldn't need to be here. But they have. So he's come to Ireland searching for something they won't be able to ignore. He's come to find the real bombers.

• 11:45Matt Forde?

  Mullin starts as the front door bursts open and his IRA intermediary barrels in. What did he say? He's willing to talk, but not here.

• 11:57Matt Forde?

  The intermediary flings something back to him, it falls into his lap, and a chill grips him as he sees what it is. Balaclavas had not been part of the agreement. The eye sockets are stitched shut. But he needs to earn these men's trust. He pulls on the rough wall and is plunged into darkness, blood pounding in his ears. Mullin hears the engine kick into life and the car shudders as it pulls away.

• 12:30Matt Forde?

  Another night of violence in the north of the country has seen further attacks on homes of Royal Ulster Constabulary officers. Growing fears that- The driver kills the radio. Mullin pinches his eyes shut, tries to control his breathing as the car finally slows, then stops. There's a dull drum of raindrops on the roof. He jumps as the passenger door opens, the smell of tobacco smoke wafts in.

• 12:59Matt Forde?

  You're an awful long way from home, Mr Mullin. He swallows, his throat dry. Mullin's head moves in the direction of the voice. Is that Jimmy? I'm trying to piece together what happened, the night of the bomb. But Jimmy cuts in. Now, what makes you think I'd know anything about that? I have a list of names.

• 13:21Alice Levine?

  Okay, so this list, this is a list of names of people that Mullin is really confident were involved in some way in the bombing.

• 13:30Matt Forde?

  Yeah, so Mullin has been doing a lot of investigative work to pull this list together, and he's obviously found Belfast Jimmy, who was the head of the Birmingham IRA and the one that they think ordered the hit. But actually, it's not the kingpin he's after in this case. He needs someone lower down the chain of command. He needs to find who actually planted the bomb.

• 13:50Matt Forde?

  You're wasting your time, Mr Mullin. But Mullin has come too far to leave empty-handed.

• 13:57Matt Forde?

  Six innocent men are rotting in jail. I just want the British public to see the injustice, to see the way the Irish are treated in Britain. There's only one way I can do that. I have to speak to the bomber.

• 14:12Matt Forde?

  He wonders if he's overstepped.

• 14:15Matt Forde?

  Until he hears... I can place a call.

• 14:20Matt Forde?

  Relief floods his veins. He knows he's taking his life in his hands, trusting these IRA men. But if they can lead him to one of the bombers, he will have a real chance of getting the Birmingham Six out of prison. And finally solving the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history.

• 14:47Matt Forde?

  Ten minutes later, Ballylarkin Estate, Dublin. The young planter sits in his darkened living room.

• 14:55Alice Levine?

  Sorry, I'm probably being slow. I don't know what you mean.

• 14:59Matt Forde?

  Alice, this is a code name.

• 15:00Alice Levine?

  Okay.

• 15:02Matt Forde?

  They're not always the most creative. They can be a bit on the nose.

• 15:05Alice Levine?

  You can't choose your own often.

• 15:07Matt Forde?

  Oh, you never get to pick your own. I mean, I've tried to get the legend going, but no one's taken it.

• 15:13Alice Levine?

  I didn't choose Alice the International Tonka. That just came about in and of itself, so.

• 15:19Matt Forde?

  Years ago.

• 15:20Alice Levine?

  Years ago.

• 15:22Matt Forde?

  He watches the television glow in the corner, a knot growing in his stomach. Riot police were called to Stormont earlier today as protesters clashed outside the Northern Ireland Assembly.

• 15:36Matt Forde?

  He shuts his eyes, sighs, then catches sight of the clock. He has to collect his daughter from nursery. He starts to rush out the door when the phone beside him rings.

• 15:49Matt Forde?

  Hello? Hello yourself? The young planter sits bolt upright. He hasn't heard this voice in years and hadn't wanted to hear it ever again. He pulls the phone close to his mouth. What do you want, Jimmy? Sure, that's some way to be talking to an old friend.

• 16:10Matt Forde?

  He grits his teeth, hissing back. What are you calling here for? I got a journalist sniffing round, some Brit with a bit between his teeth. His stomach lurches. It's been years since he was out fighting on the front lines. Listen, Jimmy, whatever you want to do to this journal, leave me out of it, okay? I got a family now, a wife and kids. No, you don't understand. I don't want you to shoot him. I want you to talk to him about Birmingham.

• 16:43Matt Forde?

  The young planter freezes, scared it's a test.

• 16:49Matt Forde?

  I'm not snitching on no one, Jimmy. I told you. Jimmy barks back. Six innocent Irishmen are being held captive in Britain. We have a way to get them out and show the British establishment up for the brutal prejudiced animals they are. Jimmy, I'm not involved anymore. This is bigger than you. It's a fucking chance to stick it to the Brits.

• 17:13Matt Forde?

  He hears Jimmy pause. And you can clean your goddamn conscience on the way.

• 17:24Matt Forde?

  He was still a kid when he first signed up to fight with the IRA. He's pushed the memories of that night to the back of his mind. He never intended to hurt anyone. He's still haunted by the twenty-one people he killed. He killed. He sinks into the sofa.

• 17:44Matt Forde?

  Six lays redeemed for the twenty-one that died. He rushes to the sink as he feels himself start to retch. He wants to be rid of it all. He staggers back to the phone. He pauses. Then chokes out.

• 18:01Matt Forde?

  Jimmy, I mean, but I have a few conditions. Good, because we're already on our way. We'll be there in ten minutes.

• 18:11Matt Forde?

  He wipes his mouth and exhales. The moment has finally come. He's about to do what, deep down, he's been wanting to do for years. He's going to talk.

• 18:34Matt Forde?

  Thirty minutes later, the courtyard outside. Chris Mullin feels his body lurch forward as the car stops abruptly.

• 18:43Matt Forde?

  Doors open and slam. Then two rough hands bundle him out of his seat and into the cold damp air. Harsh yellow streetlight fills his vision as the balaklava is ripped from his face. He squints. Trying to control his heartbeat as the snarling, haggard face of Belfast Jimmy takes shape in front of him. Follow me.

• 19:08Matt Forde?

  Mullin glances around anxiously as he follows Jimmy towards a large, derelict housing estate. Its only sign of life, a few skulking men loitering in the shadows. He picks up his pace, catching up with Jimmy, when a thought hits him. Wait, my bag. I need my tape recorder. That's isn't a bleeding press conference. Come on! But Mullin fixes his feet to the ground. No. This interview has to be on record.

• 19:40Matt Forde?

  Jimmy stops, turns, his face menacingly blank. He pulls Mullins' notepad from his jacket pocket. You got a paper and pen, use that. Mullins' brow begins to prickle. He needs this admission on tape, but he can't risk provoking Jimmy. Jimmy's hand clamps around his arm and pulls him into the dark doorway. Third floor.

• 20:11Matt Forde?

  A minute later, Mullins' eyes widen as Jimmy knocks on a door and it opens to reveal a pale, skinny young man.

• 20:21Matt Forde?

  He stares in disbelief. This can't be the bomber. He's a kid, late twenties tops. He'd have been a teenager in 1974. An uneasy sense creeps over him as he turns to Jimmy, hoping for some sort of explanation. But Jimmy simply ushers him through into a gloomy living room.

• 20:46Matt Forde?

  Thank you for agreeing to meet. I assume you know why I'm here? The young man takes a seat at his dining table, nods softly. Mullins follows, flipping open his notepad.

• 21:02Matt Forde?

  Can you confirm your name? But immediately, the man's head shoots up, panic in his eyes.

• 21:09Matt Forde?

  Just a first name will do. You heard the man, no names. Well, how am I supposed to do this if I don't know who he is? Is he on my list? Can you tell me that? I don't even know where the fuck I am. He'll not lie to you. I'll make sure of that.

• 21:26Alice Levine?

  This feels incredibly precarious. So a lot of this is resting on Jimmy's assurances to Chris Mullin that this is all legit and everything that's going to be said in whatever testimony that young planter gives is completely ironclad.

• 21:45Matt Forde?

  Yes, and it also rests on Mullins. Reassuring them that his motivation is purely to prove the innocence of the six men that are in prison, not to reveal the identity of the actual bomber. Because this has taken years and he's really had to build trust, he's had to do effectively his own detective work. And it's not his job to pass this on to the police, because the police have to do the detective work that he's done, and he will think, well, if I can find them, so can they. But he needs to get this over the line, and that effectively involves an exchange of trust. He needs to know that they are telling him the truth, they need to know he won't reveal their identity.

• 22:26Matt Forde?

  Mullin looks back to the young man, nervously plucking a cigarette from its packet.

• 22:32Matt Forde?

  He can see he's tightly wound, a dam waiting to burst. It occurs to him that maybe he does have something to share after all. Maybe all it will take to get the truth from him is the right question. And as Mullin looks down again at the blank page of his notepad, he thinks he might have just figured out what that question will be.

• 23:01Matt Forde?

  A few seconds later. Chris Mullin presses his pen to his lips as he studies the young man, fumbling with his lighter. He picks up his notepad, angles it towards himself, and begins sketching the floor plan of the Mulberry Bush pub. One of the pubs blown up that night. He needs to get this man to tell him exactly where the bomb was placed. Only then can he be sure this really is the bomber.

• 23:29Matt Forde?

  The IRA always used to make a point of attacking property, not people. Why the decision to target two pubs on a busy Thursday night? He hears the man take a long, crackling drag as he continues to sketch. The bomb in the Mulberry Bush was meant for the Rotunda Building. The tavern was under the tax office, those were the targets. The pubs were just— His voice catches. Mullins looks up at the man in confusion. The pubs were never the targets. The pubs were— The pubs were just the nearest point to plant the bombs. The people were never meant to be there. The police say they got eight minutes' warning. That's not very long to evacuate two pubs, is it?

• 24:14Matt Forde?

  The man shuffles awkwardly in his seat, snaps back. I didn't make the call. I was told there'd be plenty of time.

• 24:22Alice Levine?

  I know it's very hard to have sympathy with somebody who planted a bomb in a public place, but hearing this, it—it makes your heart sink. The idea that he thought, potentially naively, that he was doing this without the chance of casualties, and then twenty-one people died, I just can't get my head around it.

• 24:41Matt Forde?

  I mean, it's a completely different operation, isn't it? If you're told—and you're a kid at the time, you're a teenager— "Oh, all we're gonna do is just blow up some bricks and mortar, you know, it's criminal damage and it's serious, it's a terror attack, but there won't be any casualties." How do you process that at any age, but particularly if you're so young?

• 25:00Matt Forde?

  Mullins finishes doodling, puts down his pen, looks up, firmly fixing the man's gaze. He needs this to work. Okay, I'd like if you're able to talk through the planting of the bomb in the Mulberry, step by step. You're on New Street, the bomb is primed. What happens next? The man shuts his eyes, shakily takes another drag. We took the stairs down, two, maybe three flights, then a right turn into the bar itself. Mullins interlocks his fingers, leans in, glances at his own drawing on the table as he imagines the planters' movements. What colour was the upholstery?

• 25:43Matt Forde?

  I remember it being red. The smallest of smirks begins to play on Mullins' lips. The young man is right. So you've entered the bar, and then what? The man straightens, clearly picturing the scene in his head. I went to the bar, bought two drinks, but my hands were shaking so badly I almost spilled them walking over to the table. Mullins spies his moment, twists his notepad around one hundred and eighty degrees, and pushes it towards the young man. He waits with bated breath for him to reopen his eyes, sees him recoil as he does, seeming to recognize Mullins' roughly-sketched layout of the Mulberry's floor plan.

• 26:26Matt Forde?

  Show me where you planted it, exactly. The man looks up, his pupils huge and glistening. Mullins hands him his pen. The man takes it, slowly picks up the pad, scans it over, then with a trembling hand, places the pen to the page, and marks an X. Turning it back over, Mullins' heart leaps up into his throat. He looks again at the young man sitting in front of him with fresh eyes, because now he's certain: this is the real Birmingham Bomber. The Home Office can't ignore him any longer. The Birmingham Six didn't do it, and this is definitive proof.

• 28:04Speaker 04

  Confidence. It's listening to your gut. It's moving forward even when the path ahead is unclear. For nearly 160 years, Pacific Life has helped people keep their promises, building confidence for generations. Whether you're confident in your financial future or just beginning to envision it, we're here to help. Ask a financial professional how. Pacific Life: The Power of a Promise. Pacific Life Insurance Company, Omaha, Nebraska, and in New York, Pacific Life and Annuity, Phoenix, Arizona.

• 28:45Matt Forde?

  Two months later, June 1986, Westminster, London. Home Secretary Douglas Hurd marches out from his office, headed for Number 10. He's been summoned to an emergency meeting with Margaret Thatcher about the Stormont situation. He spent a year as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland before his promotion to Home Secretary, and mistakenly, it seems, he thought he'd get the chance to focus on other issues. But Thatcher seems incapable of getting a goddamn grip on the situation.

• 29:18Alice Levine?

  Dissension in the ranks?

• 29:20Matt Forde?

  Yes, and Hurd wasn't a natural ally of Thatcher. He was from another wing of the party, and the clan that he was loosely part of are disparagingly called the Wets. They were the more liberal Tories that the other ones thought didn't have the stomach to do the real conservative stuff.

• 29:36Alice Levine?

  You don't get to pick your nickname. We've established this.

• 29:40Matt Forde?

  The Northern Ireland Assembly has collapsed in bitter acrimony. Footage of the police physically dragging Unionist leader Ian Paisley out of the Parliament Buildings is leading news bulletins everywhere. Northern Ireland was already at boiling point. Now it risks blowing up completely. As Hurd hurries along the corridors, he tries to avoid the eye of an aide pacing towards him. Menastad? Hurd doesn't break his stride.

• 30:10Matt Forde?

  The aide pulls level, hovering in his periphery. Minister, I really do think you ought to see this. Hurd turns, spots a look of alarm. What is it? The aide hands him a thick ream of paper. Hurd grabs it up in a huff, then clocks the title page. Error of Judgment. What is this? But then he reads on. The Truth About The Birmingham Bombings, by Chris Mullin.

• 30:43Matt Forde?

  His jaw clenches.

• 30:45Alice Levine?

  Ding ding ding ding ding, bingo card.

• 30:47Matt Forde?

  Someone is very close to getting that ham sandwich.

• 30:50Alice Levine?

  Oh boy.

• 30:53Matt Forde?

  It's an advance copy, Minister. I've marked out the major passages. Christ, I have bigger fish to fry right now. I'm aware of Mullin's little campaign. The aide cuts across him. He's pushing for an appeal, sir. He's saying that he's found the real killers and the Birmingham Six are innocent. Absolutely not. Referring the Birmingham Six for an appeal would be politically and morally abominable. But this sick little stunt of Mullin's will make it virtually impossible for him to avoid addressing the situation somehow. Hurd needs a way to kick this whole thing into the long grass, to bury it forever. Take this down. He resumes marching as the aide hurriedly scribbles.

• 31:39Matt Forde?

  We are aware of the extraordinary allegations made by Mr. Mullin. Such claims naturally require serious examination. He exits the building, flags down his driver. I will therefore be instructing the police to set up an independent internal inquiry into the case. Full timeline to be established in due course. Got all that?

• 32:04Alice Levine?

  If I know anything, and I don't really, but it's that an independent internal inquiry is a real appeasement move, isn't it?

• 32:12Matt Forde?

  Yeah, and it could take forever. And then, once you've established it and there's no firm deadline, whenever you're asked about it, you can say, look, it would be wrong to preempt the findings, the inquiry, we've got to let it finish its work. And that can just go on as long as you like.

• 32:28Matt Forde?

  His aide nods. Heard allows himself a smile as he plonks into the backseat. A toothless, time-consuming inquiry could stretch on for months, years even. And by the time the police are ready to report their findings, all this infernal Birmingham Six nonsense will be ancient history.

• 32:57Matt Forde?

  Six months later, Bodmin Police Station, Cornwall. Always think of the Beast of Bodmin.

• 33:03Alice Levine?

  I always think of the Beast of Bodmin more. For international listeners, probably in our childhood, that legend was at its peak, that there was an unidentified beast roving Bodmin Moor that had eaten, was it local cats or local children? But we used to have to drive through it when we went to Cornwall. And I remember being petrified if we had to drive through Bodmin Moor at night in case the beast was on the loose.

• 33:32Matt Forde?

  It was basically the British Bigfoot. The whole country was terrified of this animal. I don't know what it turned out to be.

• 33:42Alice Levine?

  Also, another example of where you don't get to pick your nickname. The Beast of Bodmin Moor's like, come on, guys. I mean, I've let myself go, but beast.

• 33:50Matt Forde?

  It's got to be a literative.

• 33:52Alice Levine?

  Babe of Bodmin Moor?

• 33:55Matt Forde?

  PC Feathershaw is jolted from his morning cuppa by a loud thud on his desk. He turns to find a huge cardboard box brimming with notes and his sergeant looming over it.

• 34:08Matt Forde?

  Got another lot here, any putting in order? Feathershaw tips his head back, groans. The Birmingham Six. What he can't understand is how all this big-city Birmingham stuff has wound its way onto his bloody desk in Bodmin.

• 34:22Alice Levine?

  Okay, so they're conducting the internal inquiry in Bodmin in Cornwall.

• 34:25Matt Forde?

  Yes, whenever there's an internal inquiry, it's a different police force that investigates it. And you can't pick one too near Birmingham because there may be loyalties. So often Devon and Cornwall Police are the ones doing these investigations into the forces because they are geographically so far away that they hope they won't be compromised.

• 34:44Matt Forde?

  Grumbling, Feathershaw slides the box towards him, grabs up a fistful of sheets, starts piling them in date order.

• 34:54Matt Forde?

  Two hours later, he's barely halfway through the box. He stands, off to grab another cuppa, when he spots something written on the side. Scrawled in thick, black pen, "November 74". Confused, Feathershaw turns back to the last page he filed, notes the date stamp on it. "November 22, 1975". Inspecting it closer, he sees it's an interview transcript with one of the six suspects, Paddy Hill. His confusion deepens. That doesn't make sense.

• 35:31Matt Forde?

  By November 75, Paddy Hill had already been in prison for months.

• 35:37Matt Forde?

  Why would he be called back to the station a year later for further questioning? He leafs through a few more pages, and his eyes narrow as he stumbles over another curious sheet. A copy of the same page from the same interview, page 17. But this one is clearly dated 1974 and is covered in scribbles. Words crossed out, whole phrases added in. He puts the two pages side by side, then looks them over again and again, tracking every change made from one page to the other. The whole transcript totally rewritten.

• 36:20Matt Forde?

  Unable to make head nor tail of it, he takes them over to his boss. Sarge, which of these should I put in the file? The original or the rewrite?

• 36:31Matt Forde?

  His boss shoots him a quizzical look.

• 36:34Matt Forde?

  The rewrite?

• 36:37Matt Forde?

  Featherhill hands him the papers, then watches his boss's face contort the same way his did.

• 36:44Matt Forde?

  Has anyone else seen this?

• 36:53Matt Forde?

  Three hours later, Featherhill and the sergeant are at district headquarters, stood in the forensics room, peering over a technician's shoulder. I see four different ink samples here, all applied at different times. Looks like someone's gone back to this file again and again to make changes.

• 37:16Matt Forde?

  Featherhill's mouth widens in disbelief. That's not standard procedure, is it, Sarge?

• 37:23Alice Levine?

  No, Featherhill, it's not, my love. Come on, sweetheart. Go with the program. What do you think?

• 37:30Matt Forde?

  His eyes drift back to the page, searching for the signature of the officer who signed it off. Detective Superintendent George Reed. The man in charge of the entire investigation. Featherhill totters. If the lead investigator was personally meddling with evidence, there's no telling how compromised this entire case might be.

• 37:55Matt Forde?

  Six men have spent over a decade in prison, sir.

• 37:59Matt Forde?

  His head starts to spin. He's going to have to reopen every last box, scrutinize every file, and take their findings right to the top.

• 38:20Matt Forde?

  Eighteen months later, Chancery Lane, London. Chris Mullin stares at the copy of the inquiry's finding, unblinking. Shuffles between a dozen photocopied pages of doctored transcripts. Then looks up, utterly agog. Surely, an appeal is inevitable? His eyes come level with the inscrutable face of the Birmingham Sixers lawyer. I agree, it paints a disturbing picture. However... Mullin interrupts. However? This is concrete proof of evidence tampering. Paddy is only in jail because... But the lawyer continues.

• 39:00Matt Forde?

  This drops George Reed in a lot of hot water, but I'm not convinced it gets my clients out of any. But they were sent down on the strength of all this. He waves a fistful of pages. Mr Mullin, if the British state knows how to do one thing, it's ignore inconvenient paperwork. You're telling me that this, this, and a bloody confession from the actual bomber, isn't enough to win an appeal? The lawyer places down the report, soberly. Without any identifying information about the bombers themselves, I'm afraid it would simply be your word against the Crown's.

• 39:37Matt Forde?

  Mullin slumps back into his chair. Of course, if you were prepared to identify the men you met with... Absolutely out of the question. Those accounts were given to me under a strict guarantee of confidentiality. He picks his thumbnail nervously. And I'm not about to double-cross the IRA.

• 39:56Alice Levine?

  It's part principle, part self-protection.

• 39:59Matt Forde?

  I'm sorry. If anything else emerges, I'll let you know.

• 40:06Matt Forde?

  Out on the street, Mullin runs the case over again in his head, in utter bewilderment. Over the course of the last five years, he has dismantled every bit of evidence. He's shown the forensics testing to be corruptible, taken sworn testimony from a witness to police brutality. They now know the police took an active hand in fabricating evidence. And to top it all off, Mullin put his life on the line to track down the actual perpetrators. What do these people need to see before they'll believe it?

• 40:41Matt Forde?

  The thought stops him dead in his tracks. They need to see it. He breaks into a sprint, dashing along the pavement, threading through pedestrians to the closest phone box. He throws open the door, stuffs a tenpence piece into the slot, and dials a number he hasn't called in years.

• 41:05Matt Forde?

  His heart thumps, waiting for it to connect.

• 41:10Matt Forde?

  Charles Tremaine speaking. Mullins' spirit soars at the sound of his old colleague's voice. Charles, Chris Mullins, I was wondering if you could help me with something?

• 41:33Matt Forde?

  April 1990, Donegal.

• 41:37Matt Forde?

  Chris Mullins, Charles Tremaine, and two cameramen pull their tiny rental car up outside the barn. Finding this remote mountainside farmhouse has been a pain, but it was non-negotiable. Mullins has finally convinced the young planter to agree to another interview. Anonymous still, but this time on camera. For a World in Action special. One that will be broadcast on primetime television to the entire nation. If he can coax the planter into confessing.

• 42:12Matt Forde?

  As the door opens, Mullins leads his crew into the house, through to the living room, and is stupefied by what he sees waiting for him.

• 42:24Matt Forde?

  Sat in the far corner, surrounded by half a dozen minders, is the young planter. The man he met all those years ago. Looking unrecognizable in a straggly false beard. A ludicrously curly wig. And gigantic glasses.

• 42:44Matt Forde?

  Charles leans in close.

• 42:47Matt Forde?

  That's him. Christ, he looks like Rolf Harris. Mullin rushes over, but a minder steps between them. What is all this? What are you doing? He watches the young planter pick up a microphone.

• 43:04Matt Forde?

  As long as there are cameras in this house, this is how I look. I will not show my face on film.

• 43:11Matt Forde?

  He sounds like a malfunctioning robot. Charles, what do we do? Just get him talking.

• 43:22Matt Forde?

  Apprehensively, Mullin takes his seat. He begins with some softball questions to put the planter at ease. But every answer sounds rehearsed, like an actor reading lines and reading them badly. I know the feeling, mate.

• 43:38Matt Forde?

  He looks to Charles, who indicates firmly to move on.

• 43:44Matt Forde?

  Do you think about the victims ever? A hush falls across the room.

• 43:51Matt Forde?

  There never will be, never can be, any justification for taking the lives of innocent people. It isn't just the victims. It's the families of victims, the injured, the traumatized survivors.

• 44:05Matt Forde?

  The planter turns his head. And it's the six men currently in prison. What about what they are going through? Their families, their children? The first I know of those six men was their photographs on television. I never met them before in my life. A cameraman inches closer. They took the fall for you, didn't they? The planter's lips twitch. His eyelids begin to wobble.

• 44:33Matt Forde?

  I planted that, Mullin. Those men.

• 44:37Matt Forde?

  Hostsman are innocent.

• 44:43Matt Forde?

  The answer hangs in the air.

• 44:47Matt Forde?

  From the corner of his eye, Mullen sees Charles motion for the cameraman to cut. They've got it.

• 44:59Speaker 05

  For decades, two legendary brands fought for the hearts of American bikers: Indian Motorcycle and Harley-Davidson. The battle looked a lot like Coke versus Pepsi or Ford versus Chevy. But tastes changed and Indian didn't adapt fast enough. The icon all but died. Then came the con men, the dreamers, a string of spectacular failures that kept Indian in the grave, until one company finally got it right. This is the story of an improbable revival and the reignition of an old rivalry. Hey, I'm David Brown, the host of the podcast Business Wars. And every season, we bring you the true stories behind the companies that shape our world. Indian's new owners are going all in, but an existential crisis looms. Can Indian and Harley recruit enough younger riders to survive?

• 45:42Speaker 05

  Make sure to follow Business Wars wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of Business Wars early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

• 45:54Speaker 03

  There are books that change how you see the world, and there are books that change how you see yourself. In a new podcast series, A Great Book with Barack Obama, President Obama sits down with a series of surprising and sharp guests to explore six books that have shaped his life and perspective on the world. From Song of Solomon and the Fire Next Time, to All the Pretty Horses and Gilead, the president is joined by guests like Tom Hanks and Ta-Nehisi Coates to reflect on how these timeless stories shaped his thinking on everything from fatherhood to leadership, and discover together what they tell us about the world we live in and the world we want to create.

• 46:37Speaker 03

  Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of A Great Book with Barack Obama ad-free right now, plus access each audiobook discussed in the series. Download the Audible app today.

• 47:05Matt Forde?

  Fourteenth of March nineteen ninety-one. The Old Bailey, London.

• 47:12Matt Forde?

  Paddy Hill looks around the holding cell, taking in the faces of his five friends. Restless, anxious, emotion etched into every crease of their features. It's been a long time since the six of them were all together like this. He still can't quite believe they've been granted this appeal.

• 47:33Matt Forde?

  He's spent the last sixteen years convinced he would die behind bars, either beaten or left to rot. But today, after nine days of hearings, he gets to learn his fate. And he has no idea which way it will fall. Court twelve, resume in session.

• 47:53Matt Forde?

  Paddy stands, straightens his tie, metes the lapel of his new suit. And as the guard and locks the cell, he files up alongside Gerry, Billy, Huey, Dick and Johnny.

• 48:18Matt Forde?

  The court is packed to capacity. It has been for the last two weeks, but today it's heaving. He and the boys have been amazed at the class of spectator they've been drawing. The Irish ambassador, the Irish Foreign Minister, the Bishop of Derry is here, sat just behind Paddy's good friend, Chris Mullin. He scans the crowd hopefully for his ex-wife, his kids. But again, there's no sign. Perhaps it's for the best. The appeal has not been easy. Long days of listening to lawyers fight over every last point. Calling his character into question, calling his friends liars. Trying to rehabilitate the reputation of that rat, George Reed.

• 49:04Matt Forde?

  All rise. The prosecution has thrown every last thing it can to keep Paddy and his pals in prison. And as the judge re-enters the court, a thunderous look on his face. A horrid sense of déjà vu overwhelms him.

• 49:21Matt Forde?

  Would the appellant's kindly stand? Paddy gets up to his feet, unsteadily. Looks down the line at his friends. Each of them, as unsure as him what to do with their hands. Mr. Mackelkenny, Mr. Power, Mr. Walker, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Callahan, Mr. Hill.

• 49:44Matt Forde?

  It is with deep regret that I have to say this.

• 49:49Matt Forde?

  The words hit Paddy hard in the chest. His shoulders shooting forward, his heart wheezing.

• 49:57Matt Forde?

  He clenches his fists, tries to stay stoic. As the crowd stares and the judge continues.

• 50:05Matt Forde?

  It is to our society's lasting shame that it took sixteen years for this injustice to be recognised. All that remains is for this court to quash these convictions. You are free to go. Paddy feels himself fall numb for a second. His whole body about to collapse from shock. And then...

• 50:29Matt Forde?

  As a roar of cheers erupts around the courtroom. He feels his soul explode. He glances over, sees Chris Mullin, a soft smile etched onto his face. And he realises. They've done it. They've finally done it. The Birmingham Six are free.

• 50:57Matt Forde?

  Fifteen minutes later, outside the court. Paddy steps up to the microphone. Looks out at the crowd gathered along the street. His entire body vibrating.

• 51:10Matt Forde?

  Sixteen years ago, the mob that stood outside the courthouse he was tried in, all had violence in their voices. Screaming "Hang the bastards!", "Lynch the IRA!" But today, he sees nothing but smiling faces.

• 51:26Matt Forde?

  He breathes in, the air juddering into his lungs. Then grabs the microphone.

• 51:34Matt Forde?

  For sixteen and a half years, we were used as political scapegoats to please the people in there. He jabs a vicious finger at the courthouse. The police told us they knew we hadn't done it. They told us they didn't care we hadn't done it. His grip tightens. His gaze fixed somewhere beyond the cameras. Justice? I don't think the people in there have got the intelligence nor the honesty to spell the word, let alone dispense it. They're rotten! He collapses into a huddle with his old friends, hugging and cheering with them, until they all start to peel away, reuniting with their wives and families.

• 52:19Matt Forde?

  Paddy scans the crowd for his ex-wife. He sees no sign of her.

• 52:24Matt Forde?

  He walks along the road, squinting for faces he recognizes, when a friendly-looking woman in her mid-twenties steps towards him. Paddy takes in her smile, trying to place her, but he can't. Hello?

• 52:41Matt Forde?

  They stare at each other for a second. Dad?

• 52:46Matt Forde?

  It's me.

• 52:47Alice Levine?

  No way.

• 52:50Matt Forde?

  Paddy's nose begins to twitch. He squeezes his eyes shut to hold back tears as he realizes. He doesn't know which of his daughters this is. His flesh and blood, his baby girl. And he doesn't know her from Eve.

• 53:06Alice Levine?

  Wow, so they're basically strangers. I presume then she hasn't visited him in prison?

• 53:11Matt Forde?

  No, so his wife divorced him and his children ended up in care where they were beaten up, severely bullied for years. And they are more victims of that terror attack.

• 53:25Matt Forde?

  When Paddy opens his eyes again, he sees a man slowly approaching them, a baby on his shoulder. "We wanted you to mate, eh?" His face crumples as he reaches out his arms. "Can I?"

• 53:41Matt Forde?

  His daughter nods, the father hands her over. She wriggles at first, resisting. But when Paddy places a rough forefinger against her soft peachy cheek, she grabs it, turns to face him, and gurgles. "Hello, little one. How are you? I'm Paddy, your granddaddy." He strokes the back of her soft little head, then pulls her round to face him, straight on. She's beautiful.

• 54:13Matt Forde?

  She reaches out a hand, grabs his nose. Paddy feels every one of her five tiny fingernails press deep into his flesh.

• 54:22Matt Forde?

  He takes another breath, takes in the freshness of the air, the smell of this little girl, his own flesh and blood, and he begins to cry.

• 54:43Matt Forde?

  Hadi Hill, Billy Power, Gerry Hunter, Dick Mackelkenny, Johnny Walker, and Hugh Callahan, the Birmingham Six, collectively served ninety-six years for crimes they did not commit.

• 54:57Matt Forde?

  Paddy Hill dedicated the rest of his life to helping other wrongly imprisoned people by founding MOJO, the Miscarriage of Justice Organisation. He died in December 2024, aged eighty.

• 55:12Matt Forde?

  Chris Mullin swapped his career in journalism for one in politics. He entered the belly of the beast, becoming the Labour MP for Sunderland South in 1987, a seat he held for decades until standing down in 2010. George Reed was charged with perjury and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, but walked free after the judge in his case ruled that he couldn't expect to receive a fair trial owing to the substantial coverage of the Birmingham Six. The real Birmingham bombers have been named as Mick Murray, James Francis Gavin, Seamus McLaughlin and Michael Hayes. Chris Mullin has refused to name the young planter.

• 55:54Matt Forde?

  To date, the Birmingham pub bombings remain officially unsolved. From Wondery and Samizdat Audio, this is the third episode in our series, The Birmingham Six.

• 56:15Alice Levine?

  A quick note about our dialogue. In most cases, we can't know exactly what was said, but all of our dramatizations are based on historical research.

• 56:23Matt Forde?

  If you'd like to know more about this story, you can read Error of Judgment: The Truth About the Birmingham Bombings by Chris Mullin. You can watch the World in Action series on the Birmingham bombings, or Who Bombed Birmingham from Grenada TV. And you can listen to the pub bombings from the BBC.

• 56:39Alice Levine?

  [email protected] is the way to get in touch with ideas, suggestions, complaints, funny random thoughts that pop into your brain. We love hearing from you.

• 56:47Matt Forde?

  British Scandal is hosted by me, Matt Ford.

• 56:49Alice Levine?

  And me, Alice Levine.

• 56:51Matt Forde?

  Written by Chris Lockery. Additional writing by Alice Levine and Matt Ford. Our story editor is James Maniac. Sound design by Dan King. Our engineer is Jai Williams. For Samizdat, our producer is Redsey Bernard. Our assistant producer is Louise Mason. Our senior producers are Joe Sykes and Dasha Lissitzina. For Wondery, our senior producer is Theodora Leludis and our senior managing producer is Rachel Sibley. Executive producers for Wondery are Estelle Doyle, Chris Bourne and Marshall Louis.

• 57:32Speaker 04

  Ghosts aren't real. At least, that's what journalist Tristan Redmond always believed. Sure, odd things happen in his childhood bedroom, but ultimately, he shrugged them off. Until he discovered that he wasn't alone, that everyone who lived there after him also had bizarre experiences they couldn't explain. And it gets even weirder. It just so happens that his wife's great-grandmother was murdered in the house next door. Is this ghost somehow connected to her murder? He decides to go where no son-in-law should, digging up a cold case and asking questions that nobody wants answered. Like, could his wife's great-grandfather have gotten away with the perfect crime? This is a podcast about family secrets, overwhelming coincidence, and the things

• 58:16Speaker 04

  that come back to haunt us. For the best bingeable series like Ghost Story, listen to the Audible True Crime Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can get all episodes early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

• 58:33Speaker 05

  Dr. Seuss's Cat in the Hat and Fish are back for a whole lot of wonderfully whimsical fun. What happens when you switch bodies with your best friend? Discover a caveman frozen in ice? Or make an alien so angry, he threatens to destroy the planet? Find out in season two of the Cat in the Hat Podcast. The Cat and Fish are traveling the world in the great catastrophic cacophony cruiser, meeting genies, clown professors, cave trolls, and extraordinary characters along the way. With clever wordplay, imaginative rhymes, original songs, and stories celebrating curiosity, empathy, and creative problem solving, every adventure brings something new to

• 59:14Speaker 05

  discover. It's a world of wonderful words, big imaginations, and plenty of heart for the whole family. Listen to the Cat in the Hat Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all 20 episodes early and ad-free right now.