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Britain's Most Evil Killers S09E07 (Nov 19 2024)
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00:00The End
00:02On the 18th of October, 1986,
00:17Janet Newton left her home to meet fiancé Malcolm Pearson
00:21for a night out in Hartlepool.
00:25They'd just got engaged, so they were going to celebrate.
00:29Watching Janet as she set off on the five-minute walk
00:32was Malcolm's ex, Maria.
00:36She runs across the road,
00:38brandishing a large sheath knife,
00:40and she stabs Janet no less than 17 times
00:43and leaves her lying in a pool of blood.
00:47The hunt for Maria Pearson
00:49involved forces from all over Britain.
00:53When you know there's a dangerous murder on the loose,
00:56you don't know what else she's going to do,
00:57or what else she's going to come for.
00:59Janet's murder was a highly unusual crime
01:02perpetrated by a ruthless killer.
01:05Do never let this woman out.
01:07She is deadly.
01:08For a crime that rocked a quiet seaside town,
01:12Maria Pearson was proven to be
01:14one of Britain's most evil killers.
01:17When 31-year-old Maria Pearson
01:32was found guilty of murdering Janet Newton,
01:35no one realized the case would make history.
01:50Maria Pearson has become the longest-serving female prisoner in Britain.
01:56Pearson has repeatedly appealed for her freedom,
02:01something that Janet Newton's sister, Lynn,
02:04who wanted to remain anonymous, is strongly against.
02:08Every time she appealed, it would be in the papers again,
02:11and my mum would pick the mail up from the doormat
02:14and see Janet's face all over the front of the mail again,
02:16and it wasn't very nice.
02:18With parole refused nine times,
02:22Maria Pearson continues in her campaign to be released,
02:26something her victim's friends and family live in fear of.
02:31And there are people still alive, Malcolm Pearson for one,
02:35and who's to say that she wouldn't want to vent revenge
02:38on the likes of him?
02:38I wouldn't like to be Malcolm if she got out.
02:51This killer's story begins on the 12th of March, 1956.
03:01Maria Pearson was born in Hartlepool,
03:04on the northeast coast of England.
03:06Her childhood was not particularly stable.
03:12She had problems with her behaviour.
03:16She was in care for a while.
03:20She was very, very unsettled.
03:22And indeed, she developed something of a violent temper.
03:26There were so many people who said,
03:28oh, I went to school with her.
03:29She was terrible at school.
03:31What a nasty person she is.
03:32Maria grew into a woman who struggled with relationships.
03:38By her mid-20s, she had two failed marriages behind her
03:42and was living in the centre of Hartlepool.
03:45A few streets away, 22-year-old Janet Newton lived with her parents and siblings.
03:58Janet Newton came from a large family.
04:00She was the eldest of four children.
04:02She had two brothers and a younger sister, Lynn.
04:04She was the most wonderful big sister you could ever wish for.
04:09She loved school.
04:10She was very studious.
04:11She left senior school with really brilliant grades.
04:15Then she applied for the job at the Abbey National
04:17and she beat off hundreds of applicants.
04:21When she got her first wage,
04:22she bought us all a present,
04:23my mum and dad and me and my brothers.
04:26And then she started donating to charities
04:28and she sponsored a child abroad.
04:29She just had a really given nature.
04:32In 1986, age 22,
04:36Janet began dating local welder Malcolm Pearson.
04:40The confident 31-year-old was a departure from her usual type.
04:47She had a couple of boyfriends before Malcolm.
04:50Really nice, quiet people.
04:53She got engaged to one of them,
04:55but it didn't work out and they went their separate ways.
04:57And it was just after that when she met Malcolm.
05:00So, you know, we went,
05:02she was quite ready to start another relationship.
05:06Janet's new boyfriend had a checkered history,
05:10one which had in the past put him on the wrong side of the law.
05:15Malcolm Pearson was a problematic individual.
05:19By his own description,
05:21he was a bit of a brawler, a nightclub brawler.
05:23She felt as though she was deeply in love with Malcolm.
05:31The last thing you want to hear is people saying,
05:34you shouldn't be with him because you don't want to hear that.
05:38The problem is when you've fallen in love with somebody,
05:41nothing else matters, does it?
05:43Recently separated from his wife,
05:47Malcolm spent much of his time with his family.
05:51Malcolm's niece, Andrea,
05:53who also wanted to remain anonymous,
05:55remembers her uncle fondly.
05:57There's my dad's younger brother.
05:59There's three brothers and Malcolm's the youngest.
06:03Malcolm and my dad were very close.
06:05Malcolm confided in my dad a lot.
06:08I found out that Malcolm had met somebody new
06:11and she was quite a bit younger than him.
06:14But they seemed to be madly in love.
06:15He couldn't stop talking about her.
06:18He really, really felt like he'd met the one.
06:24Malcolm's new relationship with Janet
06:26was a world away from what he'd had with his ex-wife, Maria,
06:30which was highly volatile.
06:33He was at one point fined £100 for attacking her.
06:36At another point, she claimed he'd raped her,
06:39only to go back to his house and go to bed with him again.
06:43Pearson later admitted the rape claim had been false.
06:47It was that kind of a volatile, stormy, extraordinary relationship.
06:59On Thursday, the 16th of October, 1986, Janet turned 23
07:05and Malcolm had an extra special gift for his girlfriend.
07:10Janet got engaged to Malcolm.
07:12She wasn't with Malcolm long.
07:13Everything was just happening so quickly.
07:18Two days later, on the Saturday night,
07:21the happy couple planned to go out to celebrate.
07:26Wearing her best red dress,
07:28Janet set off on foot to meet Malcolm at his home.
07:32It was only about a five-minute walk,
07:36just round the corner, down the main road, Grange Road,
07:38and then if she'd have turned right at the bottom of there,
07:42within a few minutes, she'd have been at Malcolm's street.
07:45And so she was just walking down Grange Road.
07:48She didn't arrive, so he'd phoned her mums,
07:51said, is she set off?
07:51And their mums said, well, she should be there by now.
07:54And he'd said, oh, well, she hasn't arrived.
07:56I'll go and see if I can see her.
07:57I'll go and meet her.
07:58As Malcolm was preparing to leave the house
08:03in search of Janet,
08:05police officer Mick Coverdale picked up a troubling message.
08:12At the time, I was on road traffic duties.
08:14I received a radio message to attend a road traffic accident,
08:18which they believe was a hit and run.
08:20As the traffic officer sped towards Grange Road,
08:25Malcolm Pearson was already there,
08:28as was the blooded form of a young woman.
08:31He realized that it was Janet.
08:34He knew by her course,
08:36and the red dress that she was wearing.
08:39Emergency services were soon on the scene.
08:42Janet was taken by ambulance to Hartlepool General Hospital.
08:46When the police learned of Malcolm's connection
08:49to the injured woman,
08:50they were keen to speak to him.
08:52The police came.
08:53They must have thought, well, why is he here?
08:55They just didn't seem to know what had gone on.
08:57And they took him to the police station.
09:03In the meantime,
09:05traffic cop Mick Coverdale
09:07began searching for clues.
09:10I arrived at the scene
09:11and started to investigate,
09:13looking for a hit and run car.
09:15And I checked at least 20 cars
09:17on both sides of the road.
09:18None had damage.
09:20Then while looking underneath the cars,
09:21I found a lady's shoe.
09:23Now, the lady's shoe was a high heel type,
09:25which are the shiny ones,
09:26but it had no scuff marks on.
09:28Normally, when somebody's hit by a car,
09:29the shoes come off
09:30and they'll bounce along the pavement
09:31or the road and get scratches.
09:34The findings were inconsistent
09:36with a road traffic accident.
09:38I've been on road traffic since 74,
09:41so I've seen the different types of accidents
09:43and what to look for.
09:45When I checked in the cars,
09:45I found a handprint in red
09:47on the back of a car,
09:49as if somebody had pressed the hand against the car.
09:52You know, something not right.
09:54I've radioed control to say,
09:55I'm going to find out what's going on.
09:57I will update you when I find out
09:59what the story is, if you like.
10:02At Hartlepool General Hospital,
10:04the traffic officer made his way
10:06to the area where medics were losing the fight
10:09for Janet's life.
10:12And that's when I walk in through them double doors.
10:15There was the specialist,
10:17five nurses around her body,
10:20which had no blood on it.
10:21She was being stripped of all clothing.
10:24She had 15, 20 stab wounds.
10:28I have to get me patrol to radio back in.
10:30Sorry, you need CID down here.
10:32It appears to be a murder.
10:33Just two days after her 23rd birthday,
10:39newly engaged Janet Newton was declared dead,
10:42killed in what now seems certain
10:44to have not been a road traffic accident,
10:47but in fact, a brutally violent attack.
10:50On Saturday, the 18th of October, 1986,
11:03Janet Newton's younger sister, Lynn,
11:06was spending the evening at a friend's house.
11:09Lynn had seen 23-year-old Janet
11:11at the family home just a few hours earlier.
11:15I always remember that night
11:23of being really thankful to my mum for her tea
11:25and saying, thanks to that tea, mum.
11:27It was lovely.
11:28And then I said bye because I was going out.
11:31And so then she was going up
11:33to get ready to go to Malcolm's house.
11:36The two sisters had a special bond.
11:40I shared a bedroom with her
11:41and I really missed her when she wasn't there
11:43because we didn't have things
11:45in our bedroom in them days
11:47apart from talking to each other.
11:50That Saturday night,
11:52Lynn learned that her happy family life
11:54would never be the same again.
11:57When my brother came to the house,
12:01he said, oh, Janet's dead.
12:03They think it's been a hit-and-run accident.
12:06I couldn't believe it.
12:08It was just such a shock and a blare.
12:12And it's just the last thing you ever expect anyone
12:15to knock on a door and say to your sister's dead.
12:20When we got to mum and dad's house,
12:21that's when they told us what really happened.
12:24They explained it as best they could
12:26that Janet had been murdered.
12:29I don't think at that stage
12:30we got all the details
12:31of just how vicious the attack had been.
12:39At the local police station,
12:41Janet's fiancée, Malcolm Pearson,
12:44had been questioned extensively.
12:47The police let him go
12:48and they knew that he didn't know anything,
12:50but he did say to them straight away,
12:52she's been getting stalked off Maria Travers.
12:54It was a name that Acting Detective Chief Inspector
12:59Doug Smith was familiar with.
13:02I always call her Maria Travers
13:04because that was her previous name.
13:07She was married to a man called Travers,
13:10and then she got involved with Malcolm.
13:14I'd heard of her.
13:15I'd never met her,
13:16but quite often there was a lot of domestic trouble
13:20going on between her and Malcolm Pearson.
13:24You would class them as minor assaults,
13:26just large arguments that got out of hand
13:29and people would ring in
13:30because they were afraid
13:32that somebody was going to get hurt.
13:37Together for three years,
13:39the couple had a daughter in 1985
13:41and had married one year later.
13:46He was a good-looking fella.
13:48She was a really pretty woman, believe it or not.
13:51She was really attractive.
13:53He married her because of the daughter
13:55and he wanted them to be a family.
13:59I don't think she was bothered about the baby.
14:01I think she wanted the baby as a way
14:02to keep bringing him back.
14:04She didn't look after her properly.
14:06She got reparted,
14:07and that's when the daughter was taken into care.
14:10So she was living with foster parents.
14:1330-year-old Maria Pearson
14:15was a woman with many secrets.
14:18One was that she'd never divorced
14:21her previous husband.
14:25She obviously hadn't told Malcolm
14:27she was already married,
14:29and they went through a marriage ceremony,
14:30and he was living with her
14:34in the belief that he was actually
14:36legally married to her.
14:40Within six months of their wedding,
14:43their daughter had been taken into care.
14:46Pearson had moved out,
14:48and Malcolm had begun annulment proceedings
14:51for the bigamous marriage.
14:53He wanted to move on
14:55with his new partner, Janet.
14:57She met Malcolm after they'd split up.
15:02Stories went about
15:04that they were still together.
15:05They weren't still together.
15:06He hadn't been with her for ages.
15:08In spite of the illegality of the marriage,
15:11Pearson continued to use Malcolm's surname.
15:14She also began to infiltrate his family,
15:18beginning with his niece, Andrea.
15:21I was out drinking with my friends,
15:23and she approached me
15:25as if she knew me, really,
15:27and she just seemed really nice.
15:29She kind of tagged along
15:30with me and my friends.
15:32She didn't tell me
15:33that she was with Malcolm
15:34or ex of Malcolm
15:35or anything like that.
15:37Maria becomes literally obsessed.
15:41She launches into a campaign
15:43of stalking and abuse
15:45that is literally terrifying.
15:46She used to still turn up
15:51at Malcolm's house
15:52when she knew he was on his own.
15:53She'd be banging on the door
15:55and screaming,
15:56but he wouldn't let her
15:57in the house anymore.
15:58He had no reason
15:59to speak to her anymore,
16:00and she just couldn't stand it.
16:02Maria Pearson began
16:04to focus her attentions
16:06on Malcolm's new girlfriend,
16:08Janet.
16:10Maria started following them about
16:12and watching for them
16:14walking down the street,
16:15following them,
16:15harassing them,
16:16shouting things at them.
16:19Maria writes to Janet's mother
16:21saying that she's a slut,
16:22and she's only after Malcolm's money.
16:25She was making
16:27a lot of phone calls
16:29to my mum's house,
16:30just not saying anything.
16:32The phone was just
16:33constantly ringing.
16:34She used to get
16:35the fire brigade to turn up,
16:36ringing,
16:37saying there'd been a fire.
16:38Though at first
16:44oblivious to her new friend's
16:46connection with Malcolm,
16:47his niece Andrea
16:48soon began to see signs
16:50of Pearson's jealous
16:52and volatile personality.
16:55There was always
16:56them little flashes of,
16:58well, that's a bit odd.
16:59This particular night,
17:01she was acting quite strange.
17:03She was really angry
17:04all the time.
17:05She would go up to
17:07what I would consider
17:08a complete stranger
17:09in a bar
17:10and start having
17:11a go at them,
17:12accusing the girl
17:13of being with Malcolm Pearson.
17:15And she was a bit crazy
17:17and I didn't really know
17:18what was going on with her.
17:20She got us all
17:21to go to a nightclub
17:23called the Gemini.
17:24So we all went in
17:25and our Malcolm was in there.
17:29And when he saw
17:29that she was with me,
17:31he was absolutely livid.
17:33He kind of frog-matched me
17:36out of the nightclub
17:37and he put me in a taxi
17:39and he sent me home.
17:41And he just said to me,
17:42she's dangerous,
17:43you need to stay away from her.
17:44It's overt behaviour.
17:48It's right out there
17:50in the open.
17:51Everyone can see it.
17:52She wants everyone
17:53to know how angry she is.
17:56At the heart of this
17:58is a massive sense
18:00of injustice
18:00that she has somehow
18:02been severely wronged
18:06by Malcolm.
18:07In a move
18:13that horrified Malcolm's family,
18:15Pearson rented a house
18:17across the road
18:18from his mother.
18:20Malcolm was still
18:21very close to my nan,
18:23his mom,
18:24so he would often visit.
18:26And then when she moved
18:27to that house,
18:28it was like over the road
18:30and she'd just stand
18:31on her doorstep
18:32staring at my mom's house.
18:34And it was intimidating
18:35and it was a bit spooky.
18:37And like,
18:37what on earth is she doing?
18:41Very soon,
18:43Pearson's stalking
18:44and verbal abuse
18:45became even harder
18:47to ignore
18:48when she attacked
18:49Janet's neighbour's home.
18:51She put next door
18:52but one's window through
18:54because she got
18:54the wrong house.
18:55She went into
18:57the Abbey National
18:58where Janet works
18:59and she threatened
19:00to kill her.
19:02Maria Pearson
19:02was obsessively stalking
19:04Janet and Malcolm.
19:06Her behaviour
19:06was escalating
19:08and on a dangerous
19:09trajectory.
19:11She's following her.
19:13She's making threats
19:14to kill.
19:15All of these things
19:16we can see
19:17we are getting closer
19:18to a serious
19:20physical attack.
19:22Janet and Malcolm
19:23had gone out one night
19:25and she must have
19:27followed them
19:28and been hiding somewhere
19:29so when Janet
19:30went to the toilet
19:31she appeared
19:31in the toilet
19:32and she attacked Janet
19:34and banged her head
19:35off the hand dryer
19:36in the toilet
19:37and Malcolm realised
19:39she'd been in there
19:40too long
19:40and he went in
19:42and sort of
19:43rescued her from Maria.
19:44when my dad went
19:47to report the incidents
19:48they said
19:48oh not her again
19:50so yeah
19:51they were well aware
19:51of who she was.
19:55In 1986
19:56stalking was not a crime
19:59it was not recognised
20:00as a stepping stone
20:02to something
20:02more serious.
20:04You can see
20:06the stalker
20:07going from
20:08you know
20:09one tactic
20:09to the next
20:10to the next
20:11as the danger
20:12is ramping up
20:14the very real danger
20:16she posed to Janet.
20:19Janet Newton
20:20had certainly begun
20:21to feel
20:22afraid
20:22for her own safety.
20:25She asked me
20:25if I would go
20:26to self defence classes
20:28in the Grand Hotel
20:28with her
20:29and I said
20:30no I'm not interested
20:31in going to anything
20:32like that
20:32and that is
20:33a massive regret
20:34of mine.
20:41On the 16th
20:42of October
20:43came the event
20:44that is believed
20:45to have prompted
20:46Pearson
20:46to take her campaign
20:48of hate
20:49to a whole new level.
20:52The trigger
20:53for what
20:55was to come
20:56was when
20:57Malcolm and Janet
20:58announced their engagement.
21:01Maria
21:01was in her mind
21:03suffering some kind
21:04of awful injustice
21:05he'd made promises
21:06and yet he's waltzed off
21:08and he's with this new girl
21:10and he seems fine
21:11left her life
21:13an absolute wreck.
21:16If somebody feels
21:17they're suffering
21:18an injustice
21:18they also feel
21:21they have a right
21:22to right the injustice.
21:25nobody believed
21:30that Maria Pearson
21:31would ever follow through
21:33with her threats
21:34to kill Janet
21:35but two days
21:37after hearing
21:38about the engagement
21:39Pearson escalated
21:40her obsessive behaviour
21:42and continued
21:43to stalk Janet Newton
21:45this time
21:46with fatal consequences.
21:48on Sunday
21:58the 19th of October
21:591986
22:00the investigation
22:02into the murder
22:03of 23-year-old
22:04Janet Newton
22:05was underway.
22:07A post-mortem revealed
22:09the brutality
22:10she'd suffered.
22:11there were 17 stab wounds
22:17so it was quite
22:19a vicious
22:20nasty attack
22:22violent attack
22:23her face was slashed
22:26which showed
22:27her a lot of malice
22:28one of the wounds
22:32nicked her heart valve
22:33and that's
22:34what killed her.
22:3517 stab wounds
22:39that's rage
22:41and hatred
22:42it's what we call
22:45overkill
22:46so that's way
22:47more violence
22:48than is necessary
22:49to merely kill someone
22:50they went to see her
22:53at the funeral home
22:54that's where
22:55my dad saw
22:56with Malcolm
22:57because Malcolm
22:58didn't want to go
22:58on his own
22:59and my dad cried
23:01my dad was really
23:04upset when he got back
23:05because he said
23:06I'd never seen
23:07anything like it
23:08in my life
23:08he just said
23:10it was absolutely horrific.
23:20Evidence was collected
23:21from the site
23:22of the attack
23:23at Grange Road.
23:25Forensic officers
23:26were drafted in
23:27to examine the scene
23:28the one thing
23:29that we were
23:30looking for
23:31was a weapon
23:31and there was
23:32a search
23:33started for the weapon
23:34but nothing was
23:35found at that time
23:36we took on board
23:38the help
23:39of the local authority
23:40with the gully sucker
23:42they stick a rod down
23:44into the drain
23:44and suck
23:46any debris
23:48that's being
23:48collected there
23:49to ensure
23:50a free flow of water
23:51and it found a knife
23:54which had been stuck
23:55down one of the drains.
23:57With no immediate
23:59clues as to
24:00who the attacker
24:01was
24:01the police reached
24:03out to Janet's
24:04new fiancée
24:0531-year-old
24:06Malcolm Pearson
24:07for information.
24:09He transferred
24:10from being
24:11person of interest
24:12in terms of a suspect
24:13to a major witness.
24:16Malcolm Pearson
24:19suspected the killer
24:20was the woman
24:21who duped him
24:22into a bigamous
24:23marriage.
24:24He put the finger
24:25on Maria
24:26and said that
24:28she'd been
24:28very jealous
24:30about the fact
24:32that he'd found
24:32a new girlfriend.
24:34If local rumours
24:36were true
24:36Maria Pearson
24:38was no stranger
24:39to carrying a knife.
24:41It wasn't the first time
24:42she'd tortured Malcolm
24:44over his new girlfriend.
24:45He met another girl
24:46and she tortured her
24:48as well
24:48before Janet
24:49and apparently
24:51threatened her
24:52with a knife.
24:53She did attack
24:55somebody else
24:55with a knife.
24:56It was her ex-husband.
24:59Obviously she was
25:00a person of interest
25:01and we had to try
25:02and trace her
25:03to establish
25:04whether or not
25:06she was involved.
25:07But when detectives
25:09went to question Pearson
25:10they hit
25:11an immediate problem.
25:13The police
25:14had gone
25:15to arrest her
25:16and she'd gone.
25:23We went to
25:24her place
25:25of residence.
25:27She wasn't there.
25:28Then we went
25:29to try
25:30checking around
25:31with family
25:31and other places
25:32where she would have gone
25:33and it was established
25:36she wasn't
25:37in any of those places.
25:38It was a bit scary
25:40and I was nervous
25:42but I lived
25:42with my partner
25:43and we were made
25:44aware to be careful
25:45and just keep a look-out.
25:50Among those
25:51racking their brains
25:52for a lead
25:53on Maria Pearson's location
25:55was a neighbourhood
25:56beat officer
25:57who'd met her
25:58the previous year.
25:59I was weekend
26:01off when it happened
26:02so when I came
26:03back to work
26:03on the Monday
26:04and I found out
26:04what had happened
26:05I thought
26:05oh my god
26:06I know who she is.
26:09I was introduced
26:09to her
26:10at the New Year's Eve party.
26:11It was a relation
26:13of mine
26:13that was involved
26:14in a women's refuge
26:15in Hartipo
26:15at the time
26:16and I think
26:17she must have
26:18got to know Maria
26:18maybe as a resident
26:20of the refuge.
26:22I just thought
26:22there was something
26:23off about her
26:23just wasn't.
26:25Didn't like
26:26being around her.
26:26By the 20th of October
26:30detectives knew
26:31three things
26:32about 30-year-old Pearson
26:34she was jealous
26:36violent
26:36and missing.
26:38She was on the run
26:40and she was trying
26:41to evade
26:42capture.
26:44We didn't know
26:45where she was
26:46everybody was really
26:48worried and frightened
26:49because she was
26:51a lunatic.
26:52I thought well
26:53I might have an idea
26:54where she might have gone.
26:55Sharon's aunt
26:57who'd introduced
26:58her to Pearson
26:59had a friend
27:00who lived in Oxford.
27:01This friend
27:02had also visited
27:03the refuge
27:04in Hartlepool
27:05where she'd met
27:06the 30-year-old.
27:07And I just thought
27:08she'd be wanting
27:09to get out of the town
27:10so maybe
27:11that's where she's gone.
27:13So I told my inspector
27:14who obviously
27:15then said right
27:16straight upstairs
27:17go to the instant room
27:18and speak to them
27:19up there.
27:19It was a long shot
27:27but with a suspected
27:29killer on the loose
27:30and no other leads
27:32the team could not
27:33ignore it.
27:36When you know
27:37there's a dangerous
27:38murderer on the loose
27:39you don't know
27:39what else she's going
27:40to do
27:40or who else
27:41she's going
27:41to come for.
27:42Once I'd spoken
27:47to the incident team
27:48and told the boss
27:49there
27:49and they said
27:50right get on the phone
27:51and find out
27:52I rang my auntie first
27:54she gave me the number
27:55for a friend
27:56and lo and behold
27:57when I spoke to her
27:58she said
27:58yeah she's been
27:59on the phone
27:59and she wants
28:00to come and stay
28:01with me.
28:07Pearson was desperate
28:08dangerous
28:09and about to be
28:10welcomed into
28:11the home
28:12of the unsuspecting
28:14woman.
28:15When people are
28:16unpredictable like this
28:17you just don't know
28:18what they're going
28:19to do
28:19and it's quite
28:20possible if she
28:21got cornered
28:22or if somebody
28:23upset her
28:23that she may well
28:24have resorted
28:25to violence again.
28:27I couldn't tell her
28:29what had gone on
28:29I just said
28:30oh we do need
28:31to speak to her
28:31can you tell me
28:32when she rang
28:32and basically
28:33she'd asked
28:34if she could
28:35come and stay
28:35with this lady
28:37and she was told
28:38yeah you can come
28:39and she said
28:40she's going to
28:40come down
28:40sometime today.
28:43Time was of
28:45the essence
28:45with Pearson's
28:47destination
28:48a five hour
28:49drive south
28:49the team
28:51in Hartlepool
28:51contacted
28:52the local
28:53constabulary
28:54in Oxford.
28:56Thames Valley
28:56Police
28:57sent officers
28:57round to
28:58the address
28:59where we
28:59thought she
29:00would be
29:00visiting
29:01and she
29:01had in fact
29:02been there
29:03but she'd
29:04left
29:04and it was
29:05believed
29:06that she was
29:06going to head
29:07off to London.
29:07the railway
29:09station
29:10the bus
29:10station
29:11was checked
29:11and without
29:12any trace
29:13of her.
29:15Officers
29:16were put
29:16on alert
29:17looking out
29:18for a woman
29:18who was known
29:19to be
29:20extremely
29:20dangerous.
29:23In the
29:24nearby town
29:24of Reading
29:25a Thames
29:26Valley
29:27police officer
29:27had a lucky
29:29break.
29:30The late night
29:31bus to London
29:32was leaving
29:33the outskirts
29:35of the town
29:35when a bright
29:36eyed young
29:37policeman
29:37decided to
29:39stop the
29:39bus.
29:41Unfortunately
29:41for us
29:42she was
29:42on there.
29:44Maria is
29:45therefore
29:45taken into
29:46custody.
29:48She was
29:49heading to
29:50London
29:50then down
29:51to Dover
29:52and was
29:53going to
29:53leave the
29:53country
29:54so had
29:55she succeeded
29:56in doing
29:56that it
29:57would have
29:58made our
29:58inquiries a
29:59little more
29:59difficult.
30:00while the
30:02hunt was
30:02underway
30:03detectives
30:04had worked
30:04to piece
30:05together
30:05the events
30:06of the
30:07evening
30:07of Janet's
30:08murder.
30:09They believed
30:10Pearson had
30:11been driven
30:11to and
30:12from
30:13the crime
30:13scene.
30:14On the
30:1517th of
30:15October
30:16the day
30:16after
30:16Maria is
30:17out
30:18with
30:18friends.
30:20She
30:20picked up
30:21this young
30:22lad
30:22in the
30:23town
30:23and
30:23pretended
30:24to be
30:24a
30:25girlfriend
30:25to him.
30:27She
30:27can be
30:27very
30:28convincing
30:28and she
30:29can act
30:29Jesus
30:30she
30:30can
30:31act.
30:34She
30:35had
30:35no
30:35real
30:36attachment
30:37to
30:37this
30:37young
30:38student.
30:39She
30:39just
30:39manipulated
30:40him
30:40which
30:40is
30:40a
30:41classic
30:41trait
30:41of
30:42Maria.
30:43Pearson
30:44had
30:44arranged
30:44to
30:45meet
30:45the
30:45young
30:45man
30:46the
30:46following
30:46evening
30:47the
30:4718th
30:48of
30:48October.
30:49When
30:49they
30:50met
30:50up
30:50she
30:51asked
30:51him
30:51to
30:51drive
30:52her
30:52to
30:52a
30:52street
30:53close
30:53to
30:53Janet
30:54Newton's
30:54home.
30:56Maria
30:56had
30:56decided
30:57that
30:58Janet
30:58had
30:58to be
30:58dispensed
30:59with.
31:01She
31:01got him
31:02to park
31:02his car
31:03on the
31:03opposite
31:04side of
31:04the road
31:04to where
31:05Janet
31:05lived and
31:06she would
31:06therefore be
31:07able to
31:08see her
31:08leaving home
31:09walk down
31:10the road
31:11towards
31:11Grange Road.
31:13At
31:137.30
31:14that evening
31:15Pearson
31:16was lying
31:17in wait
31:17when Janet
31:18Newton
31:19left her
31:19home
31:20on
31:20Thornville
31:21Road.
31:22Janet
31:22is on
31:23her way
31:23to see
31:24Malcolm.
31:24and
31:25she
31:25was
31:25walking
31:25down
31:26to
31:26Malcolm's
31:26house
31:26it
31:27was
31:27only
31:27about
31:27a
31:28five
31:28minute
31:28walk.
31:30Maria
31:30got
31:30out
31:30of
31:30the
31:31car
31:31left
31:32her
31:32friend
31:33in
31:33the
31:33car
31:34and
31:34followed
31:34Janet
31:35into
31:35Grange
31:35Road.
31:36She'd
31:37been
31:37left
31:37our
31:37house
31:38approximately
31:38three
31:39minutes
31:39to get
31:40where
31:40she
31:40got
31:40to.
31:42All
31:43of the
31:43jealousy
31:44and
31:44hatred
31:45Maria
31:45Pearson
31:46had
31:46been
31:46harboring
31:47towards
31:48Janet
31:48Newton
31:48was
31:49about
31:49to be
31:50unleashed
31:50in a
31:51frantic
31:52frenzied
31:53assault.
31:54She
31:55wants
31:55to
31:56vent
31:56her
31:56rage
31:57on
31:58Janet
31:58and
31:58that's
31:59exactly
31:59what
31:59she
31:59does.
32:01And
32:01she
32:01stabs
32:02Janet
32:02no less
32:03than
32:0317
32:03times
32:04twice
32:05through
32:06the
32:06heart
32:06and
32:08leaves
32:08her
32:08lying
32:09in
32:10a
32:10pool
32:10of
32:10blood
32:11on
32:11the
32:11pavement.
32:12She
32:13rushes
32:13back
32:14across
32:14the
32:14row
32:14jumps
32:15into
32:15the
32:15car
32:15and
32:16the
32:16car
32:17takes
32:17off.
32:18After
32:19two
32:20days
32:20on
32:20the
32:20run
32:21Maria
32:21Pearson
32:22had
32:22been
32:23captured
32:23but
32:24she
32:24was
32:25not
32:25a
32:25woman
32:25to
32:26come
32:26quietly.
32:27What
32:28followed
32:28would
32:29make
32:30history.
32:42On
32:43the
32:4320th
32:43of
32:43October
32:441986
32:45in
32:46the
32:46seaside
32:47town
32:47of
32:47Hartlepool
32:48news
32:49news
32:49of
32:49the
32:49arrest
32:50in
32:50Berkshire
32:51of
32:51suspected
32:51killer
32:52Maria
32:52Pearson
32:53was
32:53met
32:54with
32:54relief.
33:04I was
33:05delighted to
33:05find out
33:06we
33:06nabbed
33:07her
33:07then we
33:07arranged
33:08for her
33:08to be
33:08brought
33:09back to
33:09Hartlepool
33:10for
33:10interview.
33:12Safely in
33:13custody
33:14back in
33:14her hometown
33:1530-year-old
33:17Pearson
33:17was kept
33:18under
33:18strict
33:19surveillance.
33:19Somebody
33:21who was
33:21being
33:22arrested
33:22for
33:22such
33:23a
33:23serious
33:23offence
33:24used
33:24to be
33:24classed
33:25as
33:25suicide
33:25watch
33:25and
33:26you
33:26had
33:26to
33:26watch
33:26them
33:27with
33:27an
33:27open
33:27door.
33:28I
33:49God
33:50if
33:50that
33:50was
33:51me
33:51I
33:51would
33:51be
33:51a
33:52nervous
33:52wreck
33:53and
33:53she
33:53was
33:53just
33:53you
33:54know
33:54as
33:54if
33:55she
33:55was
33:55in
33:55for
33:55shoplifting
33:55or
33:56something
33:56not
33:57the heinous
33:58crime
33:58that
33:58she
33:59alleged
34:00at
34:00the
34:00time
34:00committed
34:01and
34:01I
34:01just
34:01thought
34:01just
34:02a
34:03evil
34:04woman
34:04just
34:06she
34:06just
34:06made
34:06me
34:06feel
34:07uncomfortable
34:07three
34:11days
34:11after
34:1223
34:12year
34:13old
34:13Janet
34:13Newton's
34:14murder
34:14detectives
34:15had the
34:16opportunity
34:16to speak
34:17to their
34:18prime
34:18suspect
34:19she
34:20was
34:20interviewed
34:20under
34:21caution
34:21she
34:22didn't
34:22admit
34:23anything
34:23in
34:23interview
34:24and
34:25simply
34:26the fact
34:27that she
34:27wasn't
34:27involved
34:27in the
34:28murder
34:28she
34:29pointed
34:30the
34:30finger
34:30at
34:30Malcolm
34:31it
34:32rapidly
34:32became
34:33apparent
34:33that in
34:34fact
34:34that
34:34wasn't
34:34the
34:35case
34:35and
34:35that
34:35Maria
34:35herself
34:36was
34:37a
34:37person
34:37who
34:37had
34:37killed
34:38Janet
34:38Newton
34:38and
34:39she
34:39was
34:39the
34:40person
34:40who
34:40was
34:40charged
34:41with
34:41Janet's
34:42murder
34:42Maria
34:49Pearson
34:50was
34:50charged
34:50on
34:51the
34:5123rd
34:52of
34:52October
34:521986
34:53and
34:54remanded
34:55in
34:55custody
34:56to
34:56a
34:56weight
34:57trial
34:57it
35:01was
35:01really
35:01hard
35:02it
35:02all
35:03sinking
35:03in
35:03and
35:04every
35:04single
35:05day
35:05you
35:05wake
35:05up
35:06and
35:06your
35:06heart
35:06breaks
35:07once
35:07again
35:07for a
35:09split
35:09second
35:09you
35:10wake
35:10up
35:11and
35:11think
35:12it's
35:12Monday
35:13or
35:13just
35:14a
35:14normal
35:14day
35:14and
35:15then
35:15it
35:15all
35:15hits
35:15you
35:15again
35:16over
35:16and
35:16over
35:17again
35:17and
35:17it's
35:18so
35:18traumatic
35:19in
35:26in
35:26in
35:26the
35:27run
35:27up
35:27to
35:27the
35:27trial
35:28the
35:28case
35:29attracted
35:29a
35:30lot
35:30of
35:30media
35:31attention
35:31in
35:33them
35:33days
35:33murder
35:34was
35:34news
35:35it
35:35was
35:36more
35:36a
35:36rare
35:37thing
35:37this
35:39was
35:39highly
35:39unusual
35:40because
35:40we've
35:41got
35:41a
35:41woman
35:41rage
35:42fueled
35:42acting
35:43in a
35:43homicidal
35:44way
35:44with
35:45a
35:45planned
35:46homicide
35:47highly
35:48unusual
35:48the
35:50next
35:50hurdle
35:51for us
35:52was
35:52the
35:52sitting
35:53through
35:53the
35:54carcass
35:54in
36:00July
36:011987
36:02Maria
36:02Pearson
36:03goes
36:05on trial
36:05for the
36:06murder
36:06of
36:06Janet
36:06Newton
36:07it's
36:08in
36:08Teesside
36:08Crown
36:09Court
36:09inside
36:11the
36:11courtroom
36:12Pearson
36:12showed
36:13no
36:14signs
36:14of
36:15remorse
36:15she
36:17had
36:17one
36:18expression
36:18on
36:18her
36:19face
36:19she
36:20never
36:20changed
36:20her
36:20expression
36:21she
36:21just
36:22looked
36:22like
36:22she
36:22didn't
36:22care
36:23she
36:24just
36:24told
36:24lie
36:25after
36:25lie
36:25after
36:26lie
36:26Maria's
36:29defence
36:29is
36:30possibly
36:30predictable
36:31she
36:32insists
36:33that
36:34she
36:34didn't
36:34do
36:35it
36:35but
36:35that
36:36Malcolm
36:36Pearson
36:37killed
36:37Janet
36:38indeed
36:39she
36:39even
36:39insists
36:40that
36:41she
36:41saw
36:42him
36:42kill
36:42her
36:42she
36:44said
36:44Malcolm
36:45did
36:45it
36:45because
36:46he
36:47wanted
36:47to
36:47be
36:47with
36:47her
36:48where
36:50is
36:50her
36:51remorse
36:52shame
36:53guilt
36:53there
36:54isn't
36:54any
36:54because
36:55if
36:55there
36:55was
36:56any
36:56she
36:56would
36:57not
36:57be
36:57trying
36:58to
36:58pin
36:58it
36:58on
36:59somebody
37:00else
37:00she's
37:00quite
37:01happy
37:01for
37:02somebody
37:02else
37:03to
37:03go
37:03to
37:04prison
37:04for
37:04what
37:04she
37:05did
37:05she
37:06wasn't
37:06even
37:07legally
37:07married
37:07to
37:08Malcolm
37:08but
37:08she
37:08wouldn't
37:08answer
37:09in
37:09court
37:09to
37:10Travers
37:11she
37:11refused
37:12stood
37:12there
37:13stubborn
37:13no
37:14I'll
37:15only answer
37:15to
37:15Pearson
37:16the
37:19prosecution
37:20presented
37:21a picture
37:21of an
37:22angry
37:22jilted
37:23woman
37:23who
37:24plotted
37:24to
37:25get
37:25revenge
37:26with
37:26the
37:26brutal
37:27murder
37:27of
37:28Janet
37:28it
37:31was
37:31obviously
37:32premeditated
37:33in the
37:34fact
37:34that
37:34she'd
37:34gone
37:34out
37:35bought
37:35a
37:35weapon
37:36and
37:36obviously
37:37made
37:37use
37:37of
37:38it
37:38they
37:39had
37:39evidence
37:39of her
37:40buying
37:40the
37:40knife
37:40she'd
37:41bought
37:42it
37:42in
37:42a
37:42hardware
37:42store
37:43that
37:43was
37:44owned
37:44by
37:44my
37:44brother's
37:45friend
37:45there
37:46was
37:46a
37:47lot
37:47of
37:47evidence
37:48the
37:49fact
37:49that
37:49she
37:49was
37:50taken
37:50to
37:50the
37:51scene
37:51by
37:52the
37:52driver
37:52she
37:52was
37:53there
37:53when
37:53it
37:53happened
37:54she
37:54was
37:55seen
37:55by
37:55the
37:55driver
37:56to
37:56follow
37:56Janet
37:57into
37:57Grange
37:58Road
37:58and a
37:59few
37:59minutes
38:00later
38:00we've
38:01got a
38:01dead
38:01body
38:02so
38:02there
38:03was
38:03some
38:03pretty
38:03conclusive
38:04evidence
38:05it
38:06was
38:06really
38:06hard
38:07listening
38:07to
38:08it
38:08when
38:09you
38:09think
38:09it
38:09was
38:09such
38:09a
38:09gentle
38:10person
38:10she
38:10was
38:11could
38:11have
38:11came
38:11just
38:12such
38:12a
38:13brutal
38:13end
38:13you
38:15know
38:15it's
38:15she
38:16just
38:16didn't
38:16deserve
38:17it
38:17at
38:18all
38:18it
38:20was
38:20a
38:20particularly
38:20horrendous
38:21crime
38:21in my
38:22eyes
38:22and I
38:22think
38:22in the
38:23majority
38:23of
38:23most
38:24people
38:25you
38:25know
38:25what
38:26she
38:26did
38:26to
38:26this
38:27young
38:27girl
38:27because
38:27she
38:28had
38:28the
38:28temerity
38:28to go
38:29out
38:29with
38:29her
38:29ex
38:29just
38:31shocking
38:32after
38:35two
38:35weeks
38:36the
38:36barristers
38:36brought
38:37their
38:37arguments
38:38to a
38:38close
38:39it
38:41was
38:41a
38:41tense
38:42moment
38:42for
38:43Doug
38:43Smith
38:43you
38:44know
38:45you've
38:45got
38:45a
38:45very
38:45strong
38:46case
38:46you
38:47still
38:48have
38:48that
38:48little
38:48bit
38:49of
38:49niggle
38:49in the
38:50back
38:50of
38:50your
38:50mind
38:51I
38:51hope
38:51this
38:51goes
38:52okay
38:52you
38:53want
38:53to
38:53do
38:53your
38:53best
38:53for
38:54the
38:54family
38:54for
38:55the
38:55community
38:56and
38:57get
38:57the
38:57right
38:57result
38:59on
39:02the
39:0224th
39:03of
39:03July
39:041987
39:05the
39:05jury
39:06of
39:06seven
39:06men
39:06and
39:06five
39:07women
39:07returned
39:08a
39:08verdict
39:08of
39:09guilty
39:09the
39:14judge
39:15called
39:15Maria
39:15full
39:16of
39:16jealousy
39:16and
39:17bitterness
39:17and
39:18also
39:18deeply
39:19hostile
39:20and
39:20resentful
39:20the
39:22judge
39:23sentences
39:23Maria
39:24to
39:25a
39:25life
39:25imprisonment
39:26with
39:26a
39:26minimum
39:26of
39:2712
39:28years
39:28but
39:30still
39:31didn't
39:31bring
39:31Janet
39:32back
39:32but
39:32it
39:32was
39:33such
39:33a
39:33relief
39:34that
39:34she
39:34was
39:35going
39:35to
39:35pay
39:35for
39:35what
39:36she
39:36had
39:36done
39:36to
39:36Janet
39:37but
39:38this
39:39was
39:39not
39:40the
39:40end
39:40of
39:41the
39:41ordeal
39:41for
39:42Janet's
39:43loved
39:43ones
39:43she
39:45appealed
39:45pretty
39:45soon
39:46after
39:46the
39:46sentence
39:47and
39:50in
39:511990
39:51came
39:52a
39:53shock
39:53admission
39:54she
39:56did
39:56admit
39:56what
39:57she
39:57done
39:57in
39:57the
39:57end
39:58she
39:59appealed
40:00on
40:00the
40:00grounds
40:00of
40:01PMT
40:02and
40:02post
40:03mental
40:03depression
40:03Maria
40:06Pearson
40:06claimed
40:07to have
40:07been
40:07mentally
40:08unstable
40:09at the
40:09time
40:10of
40:10the
40:10murder
40:11having
40:11had
40:12a
40:12miscarriage
40:12six
40:13days
40:13before
40:14finally
40:18admitting
40:19to
40:19killing
40:20Janet
40:20she
40:21used
40:21the
40:21defense
40:22of
40:22provocation
40:23and
40:23self
40:24defense
40:24blaming
40:25Malcolm
40:25for
40:26her
40:26mental
40:26state
40:27this
40:33is
40:33very
40:33self
40:34motivated
40:35it's
40:35very
40:35selfish
40:36it's
40:37not
40:38a
40:38sudden
40:38realization
40:39of
40:40remorse
40:40again
40:40shame
40:41or guilt
40:42and
40:42she
40:43throws
40:44everything
40:44at this
40:45so
40:45it's
40:46premenstrual
40:47tension
40:47postnatal
40:49depression
40:49diminished
40:50responsibility
40:51using
40:52whatever trick
40:53in the
40:53book
40:54that she
40:54can find
40:55to try
40:55and get
40:56away
40:56from it
40:56another
40:58application
40:59to
40:59appeal
41:00cited
41:00a
41:01personality
41:02disorder
41:02and
41:03battered
41:04woman
41:04syndrome
41:05all of
41:06Maria
41:06Pearson's
41:07applications
41:08to
41:08appeal
41:09her
41:09conviction
41:09were
41:10denied
41:11despite
41:12the
41:12initial
41:1212-year
41:13sentence
41:14Maria
41:15Pearson
41:15has
41:16now
41:16spent
41:16four
41:17decades
41:17in
41:18prison
41:18Maria
41:20has
41:20appeared
41:21on
41:21numerous
41:21occasions
41:22before
41:22the
41:22parole
41:23board
41:23and
41:25each
41:25time
41:26her
41:26parole
41:26has
41:26been
41:27denied
41:27because
41:28in
41:29the
41:29prison
41:29authorities
41:29view
41:30she
41:30does
41:31represent
41:31a
41:32danger
41:32to
41:32society
41:33she's
41:35evil
41:35and
41:36she
41:36probably
41:36always
41:37will
41:37be
41:37I
41:38think
41:38she
41:38really
41:39would
41:39be
41:39a
41:39danger
41:39to
41:39society
41:40if
41:40she
41:40was
41:40let
41:40out
41:41it's
41:41a lot
41:41of
41:42years
41:42to
41:42still
41:42not
41:43show
41:43any
41:43remorse
41:44or to
41:44not
41:44behave
41:44yourself
41:45in
41:462023
41:47she
41:47applied
41:48for
41:48parole
41:48for
41:48the
41:49ninth
41:49time
41:49and
41:50was
41:50again
41:51refused
41:51at
41:57the
41:57time
41:58of
41:58her
41:582023
41:59appeal
42:00Maria
42:02Pearson
42:02was
42:03Britain's
42:03longest
42:04serving
42:05female
42:05prisoner
42:06the
42:07press
42:08have
42:08nicknamed
42:08her
42:09the
42:09forgotten
42:10prisoner
42:11they
42:12were
42:12trying
42:12to
42:13say
42:13that
42:13she
42:13had
42:13been
42:13in
42:14all
42:14them
42:14years
42:14because
42:15they
42:15just
42:15forgot
42:15about
42:16her
42:16nobody
42:17has
42:18forgotten
42:18about
42:18her
42:18believe
42:19me
42:19I
42:21think
42:21she
42:21was
42:21very
42:22precise
42:22in
42:23what
42:23she
42:23did
42:23I
42:24know
42:24that
42:24looks
42:24like
42:25a
42:25crazed
42:26frenzy
42:26and she
42:26lost
42:27the
42:27plot
42:27for
42:27a
42:27minute
42:28I
42:28think
42:29everything
42:29she
42:29did
42:30was
42:30specifically
42:30done
42:31because
42:32she
42:32wanted
42:32to
42:32hurt
42:33Malcolm
42:33It's
42:37been
42:37almost
42:38four
42:38decades
42:39since
42:39Janet
42:40Newton's
42:40murder
42:41but
42:42time
42:42has
42:43not
42:43diminished
42:43the
42:44impact
42:44of
42:45her
42:45loss
42:46Malcolm
42:47just
42:48couldn't
42:48get
42:48over
42:49it
42:49you
42:49know
42:49he's
42:50just
42:51stayed
42:51on
42:51his
42:51own
42:52he's
42:52always
42:53been
42:53a
42:53bit
42:53of
42:53a
42:53loner
42:54and
42:54none
42:55of
42:55us
42:55really
42:56see
42:56him
42:56anymore
42:56it's
42:58just
42:58with
42:58you
42:58all
42:58the
42:59time
42:59so
42:59it
42:59doesn't
42:59matter
42:59what
43:00comes
43:01up
43:01in
43:01your
43:01life
43:01whether
43:02it's
43:03having
43:03babies
43:03getting
43:04married
43:04Christmases
43:05are
43:05a
43:06nightmare
43:06you
43:07feel
43:07guilty
43:08for
43:08enjoying
43:09occasions
43:10without
43:10Heather
43:11the
43:11grief
43:12is
43:12so
43:13deep
43:14rooted
43:14inside
43:15it
43:15never
43:16goes
43:16away
43:16but
43:17you
43:17just
43:17learn
43:18how
43:18to
43:18push
43:19it
43:19back
43:20put
43:20a
43:20smile
43:20on
43:20your
43:21face
43:21and
43:22try
43:22to
43:22get
43:22on
43:23with
43:23your
43:23life
43:23as
43:23best
43:23you
43:24can
43:24because
43:25that's
43:25all
43:25you
43:25can
43:26do
43:26you've
43:27got
43:27no
43:27choice
43:28Maria
43:33Pearson
43:34could
43:34not
43:35have
43:35the
43:35man
43:36she
43:36wanted
43:36and
43:37she
43:37could
43:37not
43:37accept
43:38that
43:38he
43:38wanted
43:39someone
43:39else
43:40she
43:40wreaked
43:41her
43:41revenge
43:41by
43:42stabbing
43:42an
43:43innocent
43:43young
43:44woman
43:4417
43:45times
43:46leaving
43:46her
43:47devastated
43:48loved
43:48ones
43:48to
43:49pick
43:49up
43:49the
43:50pieces
43:50making
43:51Maria
43:51Pearson
43:52one
43:52of
43:53Britain's
43:53most
43:54evil
43:54killers
43:55more
43:57than
43:58others
43:58Transcription by CastingWords
44:28CastingWords