- 2 weeks ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00By day, was devoted wife and mother.
00:04He was a
00:05completely normal middle-aged guy with a family.
00:10This was a murder of rage, of anger, of extreme violence.
00:15Buster out like the garbage she thought that she was.
00:18This defendant is a sto-
00:20and cold killer.
00:21Murder on Trial, Tuesdays at 9 on Crime and Investigation.
00:25Sometimes arrests-
00:28Stop! Stop!
00:30Unexpectedly arresting.
00:31Did I do this?
00:32I did this.
00:33I can't believe-
00:35I can't believe I did this.
00:36Man, you realize your sunglasses are going upside down?
00:39Oh no, whatever you-
00:40You want?
00:41You want to arrest me?
00:42Totally good.
00:43How much did you drink tonight?
00:45I don't understand.
00:46Like, am I a chicken?
00:48Or am I a person?
00:49I just am my-
00:50Yeah, that's crazy.
00:51My Strange Arrest, Fridays at 9 on Crime and Investigation.
00:55Why do some teenagers turn-
00:59Why do some teenagers turn-
01:00into murder?
01:01Laura Whitmer tries to get answers now in Britain's killer teams.
01:04Fun-
01:05Fun-
01:09I'll see you next time.
01:14In the early hours.
01:19In the early hours of the 14th of March 2011, the Met Police receive a call from a mother informing them.
01:24That her own son had murdered someone.
01:2818-year-old.
01:29Rhys Lodlow has fled the scene, leaving a bloodbath in his way.
01:34When the police arrive at the flat in Sutton, they uncover the naked body of...
01:3935-year-old Louisa Brannan, who met the teenager just days before.
01:44I remember the crime scene manager said to you...
01:49You really ought to come and have a look at this.
01:50The sort of sheer violence.
01:51There was lots of blood around.
01:53And she...
01:54She'd obviously been stabbed, you know, many, many times.
01:57For Louisa, it was very much...
01:59a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
02:02He wants females to be subservient.
02:04to him.
02:05He's very much got that kind of view of the world, even at seemingly quite a young age.
02:10Do you think he's evil?
02:11Yes.
02:12Yeah.
02:13Without a doubt.
02:14He wants to live.
02:15Over the last few years, the number of...
02:19teenagers convicted of murder has risen.
02:21Drastically.
02:22It's un-
02:24unimaginable that a young person could conceive of such a brutal act.
02:28I'm looking into the...
02:29cases of Britain's killer teens and trying to answer the most difficult question.
02:33Why?
02:34Something...
02:35And that's...
02:36Basically this....
02:37It enhésitez..
02:38lol
02:39Heartburn
02:39You kind of saw red?
02:40But we know why he won't us live.
02:42That's when you saw aュbler.
02:43Whoa.
02:44It holes!
02:45This is what I saw here.
02:46I wanted to know who's in the nice Anders.
02:50It was a bit situations where things came from coming out over again.
02:52This has been an interesting time savory registrations.
02:54Honestly ain't not great!
02:55Yeah.
02:56We really had fun oneatrième day.
02:57Luke
03:02Louisa Brannan, who tried to restart her life in London, was viciously stabbed to death by a teenager.
03:07She met in a local pub. Police have now launched a manhunt.
03:12She met in a local pub.
03:17Officers at The Met are warning people who see Rhys not to approach him.
03:22The Met are warning people who see Rhys not to approach him.
03:27The Met is a manhunt.
03:29The Met is a manhunt.
03:32The Met is a manhunt.
03:36The Met is a manhunt.
03:41The Met is a manhunt.
03:45The Met is a manhunt.
03:50Who's in this picture?
03:53That's Louisa?
03:54Yeah, that's Louisa.
03:55What was she like?
03:58She was bubbly.
04:00She likes a party.
04:02Who doesn't?
04:03She was like, yeah, likes a party.
04:05She was the lion, so I'd say everyone wanted her there.
04:10And she was there.
04:11That's it.
04:12Yeah.
04:15Natalie, why do you feel it's important to be speaking about your system?
04:20I just want to get it out there, put the awareness out there.
04:25To help prevent other family going through the same .
04:30And make sure that people know .
04:35There's still a danger to women.
04:37Exactly.
04:39David, can I talk to you about .
04:40What was it that day in March?
04:41Oh, that was a horrendous day.
04:44It was early .
04:45It was early in the morning.
04:47And I was sat on my own in the house.
04:50It was about ten o'clock or something.
04:51It was about ten o'clock or something.
04:55And they got this old knock.
04:57And you can tell a policeman's knock.
05:01I said, are you Mr. Blum?
05:02I said, yeah.
05:04He says,
05:05Is your Dr. Louisa Brannan?
05:07I said, yeah.
05:10Well, suddenly we've got some bad news for you.
05:13And I went, oh my God.
05:15And I just dropped to the floor.
05:17I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
05:19I just thought I might as .
05:20This is a nightmare.
05:21This is something you would never have imagined it would happen to you or your family.
05:25And I would never have imagined it would happen to you before you玩 and Bringing your th정 to us.
05:26This is something you would never 가운데 tell you about.
05:27This is something you would never have imagined.
05:28That he had known as him, for a way of calming.
05:30He's making it and buying this outaster.
05:31To be honest, against the mind of smoking.
05:32You, you're refusing to § 3, it mo
05:30Did the police tell you at that stage what had happened to Louisa?
05:34Yeah.
05:35They said they've got a suspect, but he didn't.
05:40Louisa on the run.
05:44I was contacted.
05:45Probably about six or seven o'clock in the morning and informed about the broad details of the murder.
05:50And asked to attend the scene with my team.
05:55I was working as a freelance journalist.
05:57I covered the area and...
06:00This story broke about a man murdering a woman.
06:05In his flat and going on the loose.
06:09Police arrived.
06:10Police arrived at the scene after receiving a call from Ludlow's mother.
06:15Who said that her son had murdered a girl in...
06:20In the flat.
06:24The initial fact...
06:25I was told that the murder had taken place inside a residential flat in Sutton.
06:29A young lady...
06:30Had been murdered.
06:31And that the police suspect had left the scene.
06:33And was currently...
06:34Police were looking...
06:35Police were looking for him.
06:37We identified the suspect early on as Reece Ludlow.
06:39He was 18 years old.
06:40At the time.
06:43The early stages of the investigation...
06:45Our number one priority was to try and locate Reece and arrest him.
06:50I want to know more.
06:51I want to know more.
06:55About this teenager.
06:56Who was turned into the police.
06:57By his own mother.
06:58Now there's very little detail.
07:00About his background.
07:01But...
07:02He is reported here to have had a difficult early upbringing.
07:05He is described as a highly disturbed, troubled and educationally challenged...
07:10Young man.
07:11So it does really seem that he didn't have a great start to life.
07:14It's said...
07:15That his maternal grandmother had shown him at all times considerable love and affection.
07:20And was always available.
07:21So we do see that there was someone there giving him...
07:25Support.
07:26But despite that...
07:27He still fell into criminal behaviour.
07:28It says that he had...
07:30Two previous offences.
07:31One for attempted robbery in 2009.
07:33When he was just 17.
07:35And then six months later, he's convicted of robbery.
07:39He's so young...
07:40To be committing these crimes.
07:41But do they necessarily have to lead to murder?
07:45I'm meeting criminologist James Treadwell.
07:50To find out more about Ludlow's offending history.
07:55Does Rhys Ludlow fit the profile of someone who commits such a violence?
08:00Crime?
08:01Yeah, he absolutely does.
08:03He'd previously been...
08:05Convicted of robbery.
08:06We don't know the details of those robberies.
08:09We can assume...
08:10That there must have been some degree of violence.
08:12There's a threat there.
08:13And a threat there.
08:14Threat that someone...
08:15...at the very least.
08:16Yeah.
08:17He's been channelled into the youth justice system.
08:19And he doesn't really...
08:20We engage as well.
08:21And it seems that that doesn't really get picked up and get flagged.
08:25In any meaningful way.
08:26Those really should be seen as warning signs that this person is...
08:30...developing the propensity to escalate and commit more serious offences.
08:35At this point...
08:36...we don't know what to do.
08:37At this point...
08:38...we don't know what to do.
08:39At this point...
08:40We have no idea what Ludlow is.
08:42Or if he'll ever be caught.
08:43That must be so difficult for...
08:45...the family.
08:46It is so important for the police...
08:48...to get as much facts from that...
08:50...scene.
08:51What are their key pieces of evidence...
08:52...that can really help this investigation progress?
08:55We had a telephone number for...
08:59We had a telephone number for...
09:00...of Mr Ludlow and...
09:01...obviously inquiries were in hand...
09:02...fast time inquiries were in hand...
09:03...to do some intelligence...
09:05...try and find out where he may be at that time.
09:08As the SIO...
09:09...you wouldn't know...
09:10...you would normally go inside the scene...
09:11...for contamination issues...
09:12...but on this occasion...
09:14...I remember...
09:15...the crime scene manager said...
09:16...do you really ought to come and have a look at this?
09:18The sort of sheer violence...
09:20...the victim was naked...
09:21...she was on the floor in a quite small bathroom area...
09:24...there was...
09:25...lots of blood around...
09:26...and she'd obviously been stabbed...
09:28...you know...
09:29...many, many times.
09:30I think there were two knives on the floor.
09:33I think there were two knives on the floor.
09:35Looked like kitchen knives.
09:39Which I made...
09:40...the assumption...
09:41...were either the murder weapons...
09:42...or have been used to...
09:43...in some way to inflict some sort of...
09:44...um...
09:45...damage to the victim.
09:50The fact that it was described as a bloodbath...
09:53...conjures up terrible...
09:55...terrible images.
09:56She must have suffered...
09:58...terribly.
10:00...to have that level of blood...
10:03...all over the...
10:05...the bedroom...
10:06...the bathroom...
10:07...the kitchen...
10:08...horrific.
10:10...the basement...
10:13...the dampness...
10:14... Brewing of lunch.
10:15Stay away with me...
10:16...the hora of letting me slide...
10:26... kaikki.
10:29on what had taken place, so.
10:32Our inquiries led us to believe that
10:34Mr. Ludlow and Louise had only recently met,
10:37probably about three days before the actual murder.
10:39How did you feel, Natalie, when he was on the run?
10:43Because...
10:44This is a violent man who killed your sister and he's...
10:49Out there, did you feel scared at any time?
10:51I felt scared. I felt scared for other women that don't...
10:54He was a danger.
10:55For yourself, for your family?
10:56For myself, for my family, all sorts of things.
10:59I mean, it was such a shock.
11:02Was he going to get caught a day?
11:04You know, when was he going to hand himself in?
11:06All this was going through my head.
11:08Look...
11:09Louisa was 17 years older than Ludlow.
11:12So I'd like to know more about...
11:14Inside her.
11:15To try and understand what led up to this fatal...
11:19Encounter.
11:20What do we know about Louisa's background?
11:22We know that she...
11:24Struggled with addiction.
11:25We know that she'd been in prison custody.
11:27Similarly for a robbery...
11:29But Louisa was very much trying to make the best situation of...
11:34her life and had recently moved to the area.
11:37And in moving to London, she...
11:39She'd, in many ways, made a break with the past life.
11:42The family were reconnecting...
11:44In a way that they hadn't previously at all.
11:49She went to prison and she'd done her time.
11:52She was clean for two years.
11:54She'd come out clean.
11:56She was ready to turn her life around.
11:58She was ready to start...
11:59A new life.
12:00She came back down to look with us.
12:03It was only...
12:04A couple of months, really.
12:05Yeah.
12:06That we had time to see her.
12:09Just before she passed.
12:10I met her just before she passed.
12:14Love you.
12:15It was just after this.
12:18Heather
12:19They knew each other for a short time.
12:24It would seem.
12:26And that meeting in a pub, in some ways...
12:29At something of a chance meeting, clearly alcohol was involved.
12:34Louisa, I don't know, is it someone who's in the wrong place at the wrong time?
12:38What do we...
12:39Let me know about his relationship, how long they knew each other, had they met before?
12:44She is in a new place and a new setting where she doesn't necessarily know people.
12:49She's substantially older than him.
12:52He's already showing the propensity...
12:54to kind of show up, to act out, to be able to be quite engaging.
12:59And superficially charismatic as well.
13:04He clearly plays that kind of masculine influence.
13:07And I think that probably...
13:09draws her.
13:10He's drawn to Louisa, particularly, it would seem.
13:14to him initially because he finds her attractive and says so to a friend.
13:19So do you know how...
13:24she ended up back in Rhys Ludlow's flat?
13:27She kind of took a potential life.
13:29to him possibly, but she did turn around and say after the consistent...
13:34I was bugging her to come back with him.
13:36She kept saying no, no, no.
13:38I'm old enough.
13:39She didn't have to be a mother.
13:40And then in the end, she was all right, sod it.
13:42We'll go back.
13:43Let's go back.
13:44She was flattered.
13:48I don't think Louisa would...
13:49have been wary of him or scared of him because of how he was presenting.
13:53There's that...
13:54that kind of significant age gap, but similarities too.
13:58You often see this...
13:59with perpetrators.
14:00They can be very, very superficially charming.
14:04and very able to draw people in.
14:08Initially, he probably...
14:09played anything but that role of being a threat.
14:14in my opinion...
14:16I don't think he's gonna do that.
14:17To be honest...
14:19That means you were freeze to all...
14:21you know that it is your head.
14:22You will beカスチャート.
14:23I don't know that...
14:25it's my self.
14:26I will be sitting by the guy...
14:28it's my friend, I'm coming.
14:29But I said...
14:30you will be like...
14:32I'm not really...
14:33you're not really...
14:34I'm a great guy...
14:35I can...
14:36you're not really...
14:39This is the world I imagine.
14:41You've been the world I've found,
14:43towards a woman he barely knows come from.
14:48We found out from intelligence research
14:53and from other inquiries that he had an ex-girlfriend
14:57and that relationship.
14:58His relationship had been somewhat dysfunctional
15:00due to his behaviour, his violence and his...
15:03possessiveness.
15:05We know that the girlfriend was abused.
15:08By Ludlow and she in fact called him cold and...
15:13evil.
15:14So it just makes you realise how...
15:19disturbed he was, really.
15:21To use those words cold...
15:23means that he must have said and done things to make her...
15:28really, truly terrified.
15:33To be continued...
15:34To be continued...
15:38That relationship had been ended by the partner against his will.
15:42So...
15:43It would seem that that is very much a sort of trigger for his anger.
15:48There is a pattern there.
15:49There's a pattern of behaviour which is that he takes out frustrations...
15:53anger and resentment against females in the form of aggression.
15:58and violence.
16:04Is that a power and control thing?
16:06Some of it is simply that I'm...
16:08not happy and you're going to know about it.
16:10And he very much kind of targets that.
16:13against females in a very aggressive, controlling way.
16:17But to see that...
16:18at quite a young age...
16:19to see that kind of...
16:20simmering anger and resentment and...
16:22and violence...
16:23against women really kind of playing out.
16:25This is a young man with...
16:26you know...
16:27very significant...
16:28problems in how he engages with females...
16:30and sees them.
16:31But nothing's ever done about it.
16:33We'll talk about it.
16:38We'll talk about it.
16:41On the afternoon before...
16:43he killed Louisa.
16:46He'd had a conversation with this girl.
16:48who made it absolutely clear...
16:49that she did not want to see him again.
16:53that the relationship was over.
16:55I can imagine Ludlow would be in a very...
16:58negative...
16:59angry...
17:00frame of mind.
17:01He...
17:02couldn't...
17:03deal with rejection...
17:04very well.
17:05And...
17:06it seems to me...
17:07that he was taking...
17:08out on...
17:09poor Louisa.
17:12I think...
17:13we got the impression...
17:14he wasn't happy with the breakup...
17:15with his girlfriend...
17:16and he wanted...
17:17to try and get back...
17:18he'd make...
17:18overtures...
17:19to her...
17:20to get back to her.
17:21Was this a revenge attack...
17:22to try and get back at her...
17:23and Vicarious?
17:23Seriously?
17:24We don't know.
17:26So...
17:27Ludlow...
17:28goes into the pub that night...
17:29feeling...
17:30rejected.
17:31What exactly is he looking for?
17:33when he first starts talking...
17:34with Louisa?
17:37I think we also need to...
17:38remember...
17:39that this is happening...
17:40just after...
17:41he has had a partner...
17:42break a relationship.
17:43with him.
17:44So this is a kind of...
17:45confidence boost...
17:46for him.
17:47Which is a normal reaction...
17:48probably...
17:48a lot of people...
17:49who are going through break-ups.
17:50Yeah, absolutely.
17:54But you have to wonder...
17:55if that's also about...
17:56trying to send...
17:57his form of...
17:58a partner...
17:59a message about...
18:00his status...
18:01as opposed to her...
18:02I can go and move on...
18:03but can...
18:03you.
18:04Very much in keeping...
18:05with...
18:06the kind of patterns...
18:07of behaviour...
18:08that you see...
18:08in controlling men.
18:09Now...
18:10he's a very, very...
18:11young man...
18:12but...
18:13he's already...
18:13showing...
18:14that sort of...
18:15controlling pattern...
18:16of behaviour.
18:18So...
18:19you.
18:20You.
18:21You.
18:22You.
18:23You.
18:23You.
18:24You.
18:25During our inquiries...
18:26we discovered...
18:27that there were...
18:28telephones...
18:28phone calls made...
18:29to...
18:30a young lady...
18:31that was previously...
18:32his girlfriend...
18:33during what we suspected...
18:33were the hours of...
18:34the murder of Louisa.
18:35So clearly...
18:36she was someone...
18:37that we needed...
18:38to speak...
18:38as a matter of urgency...
18:39to see what he told her.
18:44During the murder...
18:45he decides...
18:46to make multiple...
18:47phone calls.
18:48It's almost...
18:48unbelievable.
18:49I'm looking at a document...
18:50it details the calls...
18:51between Ludlow...
18:52and his ex-girlfriend.
18:53It says here...
18:54that the calls started...
18:55around 2am...
18:56but then they continue...
18:57until about...
18:585am...
18:59that's three hours...
19:00worth of calls.
19:01It's not just a once-off.
19:02He does...
19:03confess...
19:04to hurting Louisa.
19:05He says...
19:06Baby...
19:07I've done something...
19:08really bad...
19:08she's in the kitchen...
19:09and there's blood...
19:10everywhere.
19:11He then calls his...
19:13ex-girlfriend again...
19:14saying...
19:15come and help me...
19:16you will make it better...
19:17just come and see me.
19:18I only want to be with you...
19:20that's...
19:21all...
19:22I want.
19:23He's using terms of endearment...
19:24like...
19:25baby...
19:26while also...
19:27confessing to...
19:28the most...
19:28terrible...
19:29crime.
19:30He's also talking about...
19:31himself a lot.
19:32There's no...
19:33onus...
19:33responsibility...
19:34or thinking about the victim...
19:35it's all I...
19:36how he feels...
19:37I only want to be with...
19:38you...
19:39that's all I want...
19:40come and see me.
19:43Why does he call...
19:46his ex-girlfriend?
19:47Why does he call...
19:48his ex-girlfriend?
19:48He says to her...
19:50he's calling her...
19:51because he needs her...
19:52he regrets...
19:53it's breaking up...
19:54he wants her back...
19:55in his life.
19:56But he doesn't regret...
19:57the attack.
19:58He never regrets...
19:59I feel skilled.
19:58for what he's doing.
19:59He's not suggesting that...
20:00at the time.
20:01I think...
20:02for Rhys Ludlow...
20:03a degree of...
20:03satisfaction...
20:04that comes in...
20:05in what he's doing.
20:06I think it's...
20:07very likely that...
20:08in his warped mind...
20:10he enjoys it...
20:11and he also enjoys...
20:12the fact...
20:13that he's...
20:14inflicting...
20:15pain...
20:16and fear...
20:17on women.
20:18you know...
20:19had to rise...
20:22and...
20:23Through the phone call, you could hear my daughter.
20:28Say, help me, help me, I'm dying.
20:31And he ignored him.
20:33It was a period of five hours.
20:38That no one actually called an ambulance.
20:43Why did they not help?
20:45They chose not to ring an ambulance.
20:48They could have been saved.
20:49And then they chose not to.
20:53It's only a period of two hours.
20:59He was very calculated, despite the fact he may have been drinking fairly heavily.
21:02He was...
21:03He was sober enough to make a telephone call to somebody.
21:05He made a conscious decision to do that.
21:07Was...
21:08He was fairly lucid when he was talking to her and explaining to her what he was doing.
21:11That he'd done something wrong.
21:13And his ex-girlfriend could hear another female on the phone calling out.
21:18He's killing me, he's killing me.
21:23To know that Louisa was crying out for help.
21:28She was begging for her life.
21:31It's just devastating.
21:33At any time during this period, Ludlow could have stopped.
21:37He could have saved her.
21:38But he decided to continue the torture.
21:44Why do you think his ex-girlfriend didn't call for help?
21:47I think we've got a...
21:48I think about his ex-girlfriend as one of his victims in many ways.
21:52I suspect that she was very...
21:53very vulnerable.
21:55Well, his ex-girlfriend was clearly shocked and traumatised from...
21:58the whole experience as well.
21:59I mean, to be fanned up at two o'clock in the morning by someone that you know and at least...
22:03have cared for at some point or other, to find out that they're, at least on the face of it, doing some...
22:08serious harm to another female must have been very traumatic for her.
22:13at some point after the...
22:18murder, around about five o'clock in the morning, he phoned his mother, who then contacted the police.
22:24Why did he call his mum?
22:26I would suspect that calling...
22:28the mother on one hand is that, you know, I need to gain an aspect of support.
22:33But another aspect of it is that, you know, this is a young man that controls...
22:38women through intimidation and through fear.
22:41And I suspect he's...
22:43making a calculated call in some ways that he needs to get hold of somebody.
22:48having done something terrible that won't be utterly condemnatory about him.
22:53but also might not be kind of fully supportive and knows his reality too.
22:58with the
23:03I'm learning that Ludlow is a vital...
23:08...manipulative teenager with no respect for women.
23:11He makes multiple calls during and after...
23:13...the killing of Louisa, showing no empathy or any signs of responsibility.
23:18And now this dangerous man is on the run.
23:23He's a savvy and streetwise young man.
23:26He's clearly...
23:28...familiar with how to offend and in all likelihood, you know, how to duck.
23:33And dive and get away.
23:35But realistically, he has little plan.
23:39We made a decision that will go public with this.
23:42And we offered...
23:43...a £5,000 reward...
23:44...for any assistance of the recapture of re-slug load.
23:47We knew...
23:48...that he had fairly extensive contacts and family across the south-east of England.
23:51He appeared not to have any sort of...
23:53...wherewithal really to look after himself...
23:54...or self-sustain for any length of time.
23:56So it was fairly certain...
23:58...that somebody somewhere was going to have to be helping him evade capture.
24:02When the...
24:03...the police put up a reward for finding Ludlow.
24:06We, as the press, can be...
24:08...incredibly helpful.
24:09We can cover the story...
24:12...put out...
24:13...of appeals.
24:14So the more eyes are on the story...
24:16...the more coverage is out.
24:18...out there...
24:19...the more photographs that are published...
24:21...the quicker and more likely the police...
24:23...are going to find him.
24:26The other thing with Rhys Ludlow is...
24:28...and at that stage, he's got very little to lose.
24:31He knows that once he's...
24:33...repreended, he's not going to be going anywhere...
24:35...for a long time other than prison.
24:38He knows that...
24:39...the more screams...
24:40...and the more he can compare...
24:41...like laughs...
24:42...and he's got very little to lose.
24:43...he's the only one.
24:44Do not trust yourself...
24:45...to do not trust him at the end of...
24:47...for a long time of his death...
24:48...the more you shall be...
24:49...the more souls...
24:50...he's to be known.
24:51...the more souls...
24:52...so go away.
24:53...no have a happy life...
24:54...it's been done.
24:55...Now...
24:57...because...
24:59...the more souls...
25:01...the more souls...
25:03...it's been the most...
25:04...so to the wellness.
25:05...so-poos...
25:06extreme violence. And why Louisa?
25:11The post-mortem was able to tell us that Louisa had been stabbed about 25 times.
25:16Some of the wounds were defensive wounds.
25:20It looked...
25:21It looked like she'd put up a fight, basically, by the nature of the wounds to her arms and her hands.
25:25She died as a result of her...
25:26They slashed her jugular and she'd bled to death as a result of that.
25:31How was it when you had to go in to...
25:36...identifier?
25:37Oh...
25:39That was really...
25:41Really, really bad.
25:42I wouldn't wish that on anybody.
25:46And I couldn't even touch her.
25:49They wouldn't let me touch her because she's evident.
25:51Louisa's injuries are...
25:56So extensive.
25:58How did a seemingly friendly encounter...
26:01...in the pub escalate into this ferocious attack?
26:05What was said that...
26:06...that provoked Ludlow into such a frenzy of violence?
26:11One of the neighbours described hearing...
26:16...arguments in the early hours of the morning and people shouting.
26:20Basically...
26:21...they'd been around in the flat upstairs...
26:23...and he thought it was because...
26:26...he was unable to perform...
26:27...and she was mocking him a little bit because of that.
26:31...he was unable to...
26:35...he was unable to perform...
26:36has to be subservient to him.
26:38He's very much got that kind of view.
26:41of the world, even at seemingly quite a young age.
26:45Louisa...
26:46She has no knowledge of him previously.
26:48She doesn't know that he's been violent to form a...
26:51partners or the potential for him to explode.
26:55And...
26:56be enraged.
26:57And I suspect that that's the kind of situation that arises.
27:01And when he's challenged, Ludlow doesn't like it.
27:04He doesn't like...
27:05Partic...
27:06particularly women that stand up to him.
27:08Stand up to him.
27:11Partic...
27:12Partic...
27:13Partic...
27:14Partic...
27:15What do you think...
27:16Partic...
27:16Partic...
27:17Partic...
27:18Partic...
27:19Partic...
27:20Partic...
27:21Partic...
27:22Partic...
27:23Partic...
27:24Partic...
27:25Partic...
27:26Partic...
27:27Partic...
27:28Partic...
27:29Partic...
27:30Partic...
27:31Partic...
27:32Partic...
27:33Partic...
27:34Partic...
27:35Partic...
27:36Partic...
27:37Partic...
27:38Partic...
27:39Partic...
27:40Partic...
27:41Partic...
27:42Partic...
27:43Partic...
27:44Partic...
27:45Partic...
27:21I'm dying here, please help me, and nobody helped.
27:26That's just systematic torture.
27:31It can't be described any other way, really.
27:33I mean, goodness knows what she, how frightened she must have.
27:36And what she actually, the pain that she must have been through when all of this was taking place.
27:41It was a painful...
27:46...long, drawn-out death for Louisa.
27:50He stabbed her.
27:51He hit her over the head with a frying pan.
27:54You just can't imagine what...
27:56...went on, really.
28:01At any point, he could have stopped things from escalating, and he could have phoned an ambulance.
28:06He could have done anything but that, that he did.
28:09He is clearly...
28:11...and knows what he's doing.
28:14Do you think he intended...
28:16...to kill Louisa?
28:18I think it's unlikely that he went out looking for an...
28:21...opportunity to kill.
28:25At the same time...
28:26...there is something very, very concerning about his character.
28:31Reece Ludlow is a young man who gets off on inflicting serious...
28:36...violence and enjoys it.
28:37...
28:41...
28:43We don't tend to diagnose severe...
28:46...personality disorders or characteristics like psychopathy...
28:50...at a very...
28:51...very young age.
28:52But the lack of empathy and the lack of regard that he shows for Louisa...
28:56...is really indicative, I think, of fundamentally the sort of character that...
29:01...he is.
29:06...
29:07...
29:11...
29:12We had been working on the theory that he was probably somewhere on the south coast...
29:15...where he...
29:16...he had friends and family...
29:17...and I received a telephone call at nine o'clock one evening...
29:20...saying that he'd been...
29:21...around...
29:22...the Victoria railway station...
29:24...stumbling around the platform...
29:25...after getting...
29:26...off a train that had come from Kent...
29:28...he was very drunk...
29:30...and he was stopped.
29:31...by a...
29:32...police and community support officer...
29:34...um...
29:35...and when asked for his name had given his correct...
29:36...on the police national computer...
29:37...and it showed that he was wanted for murder.
29:41How did you feel when they called you up and said, we got him?
29:46I'm relieved.
29:48I was relieved because now I know...
29:51...that he's off the street.
29:53You know what I mean?
29:54He can't hurt another woman.
29:56Didn't help me.
29:57But I was relieved that he...
29:59...he's in prison.
30:01When Ludlow was arrested...
30:04...it was another big story.
30:06And...
30:07...it was...
30:08...a huge relief for the local community to know that.
30:11...he wasn't...
30:12...on the loose still.
30:16It wasn't until the next day...
30:17...the next sort of late morning...
30:18...we were able to interview...
30:19...him...
30:20...regarding what...
30:21...had taken place.
30:22Due in part...
30:23...is heavy intoxication.
30:27I remember...
30:28...one of the interviewing officers telling me...
30:29...that he was cocky.
30:30But as far as I...
30:31...he didn't actually say anything...
30:32...in the interview at all.
30:33He didn't tell us.
30:34He didn't explain...
30:35...anything.
30:36He didn't make any omission.
30:36...and didn't explain what had happened.
30:39Did you feel...
30:40...even now...
30:41...to this day...
30:42...you know what the why is?
30:43No.
30:44I was.
30:45I think...
30:46I understand.
30:46I think he's...
30:47...if a woman crosses him...
30:49...I think he's going to attack...
30:51...because he's got something...
30:53He doesn't like women.
30:54He doesn't like women.
30:55I don't think...
30:56He doesn't like women.
30:56I Don't like women who...
30:59I don't like women who...
31:00...he doesn't like women who...
31:01... Qin.
31:03It's very hard to work out what drives anybody to do this sort of thing.
31:08I'm not alone, an 18-year-old boy. I mean, I'm not sure what he was hoping to achieve.
31:13Did he ever think he'd really get away with it?
31:18Did he ever think he'd really get away with it?
31:23Did he ever think he'd really get away with it?
31:28Did he ever think he'd really get away with it?
31:38Now, what length would he go to to try and get away with the murder charge?
31:41And will he ever show remorse?
31:43Thanks for what he's done.
31:48Ludlow tells the police that...
31:53He was in the taxi with Louisa and she began...
31:58Abusing his family, making racial comments and he claimed...
32:03That's why he attacked Louisa.
32:08I don't think there's any truth in that.
32:12I mean, it's...
32:13It sounded a pretty lame sort of grasping at straws, really.
32:16Even if Louisa had said something like that.
32:18I don't suppose that he doesn't know anywhere near justify...
32:21Nor would anything justify that kind of violence.
32:23We were already in contact with Rhys' mother, obviously.
32:27We tracked down the minicab driver who'd driven him from the pub.
32:32To the address on the night in question.
32:34And he remembered the journey quite clearly.
32:36And stated that no sex comments were ever made by Louisa.
32:41So that's one line of defence off the table for Ludlow.
32:46Will he finally admit his guilt?
32:48He admits the murder, but he...
32:51He admits to it on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
32:54If he can essentially...
32:56He says that there are factors beyond my control that led me to act in the way that I did.
33:01I essentially will get a lesser sentence.
33:03I won't be convicted of murder.
33:05And I will.
33:06There are many people who transformed me over to me...
33:07Have some degree of freedom in the future.
33:08have some degree of freedom in the future.
33:11He was a...
33:11Relying upon the evidence of two psychiatrists who had stated a very...
33:16...that he was suffering from some kind of mental health illness, to the best of our knowledge.
33:21There was never any issue of any mental health concerns around Mr Ludlow.
33:26Ever raised by anybody.
33:31Ludlow was hoping to rely on evidence of psychiatric reports which said that...
33:36...he was not capable of committing this kind of crime.
33:41But the reports were later withdrawn.
33:45In the end...
33:46...Ludlow decided to change his plea to guilty of murder.
33:51I think he's very much a, you know, all my other...
33:56...options have run out.
33:57And the only way now that I can take time off the mandatory life centre...
34:01...sentence that I'm going to get is through that admission of guilt.
34:06I think if we look at his behaviour at the scene and what he does...
34:11...it is very, very clear that he is making active decisions.
34:16Yes, decisions that seem to be clouded by anger and...
34:21...perhaps some alcohol as well.
34:24But he very, very clearly is the author.
34:26...of his own destiny.
34:29How did you feel, David, when you...
34:31...that I saw him in court?
34:32I was, er...
34:34...really bad...
34:35...pired.
34:36I had to hold it together.
34:38Because I didn't want throwing out the court.
34:41And he never even once looked at me.
34:43He didn't speak once.
34:44We did not hear him speak once.
34:45Well, not once.
34:46We did not hear him speak once.
34:46Not once.
34:47I couldn't believe it.
34:48No questioning.
34:49Nothing.
34:51So what did the judge say?
34:54Well, what we have here...
34:56...is the sentencing remarks.
34:58They're not easy to get hold of.
35:00But it's...
35:01Essentially, they give full insight into...
35:03...why it was that the judge decided...
35:06...to pass the sentence that he did.
35:09What the judge goes on to say is...
35:11...is satisfied that you became frustrated and angry...
35:14...when, as one report puts it...
35:16...you did not receive the comfort that you sought.
35:19Louisa paid a terrible price.
35:21...for those emotions of yours...
35:23...which you chose on that night...
35:25...not to live...
35:26...not to limit or control.
35:27This gets to the heart of who Rhys Ludlow is.
35:30When...
35:31...when he's frustrated, when he is angry...
35:33...he expresses that in acts of...
35:36...of violence and aggression.
35:42So what sentence does Rhys Ludlow get?
35:45There is only...
35:46...one sentence for murder.
35:47And that's custody for life.
35:49And it is quite possible that...
35:51Rhys Ludlow will spend the entirety of...
35:53...the rest of his life in prison custody...
35:55...if he doesn't share...
35:56...so that his level of risk to others...
35:58...can be reduced to a point where he can be...
36:01...supervised safely in the community.
36:03But the tariff part of the sentence that he gets...
36:06...is that he will spend at least 17 years...
36:08...of his life in prison custody.
36:11I mean, on the face of it...
36:13...that seems like a fairly low sentence...
36:14...for somebody who...
36:16...I mean, it's not...
36:17...it's not for me to say...
36:18...but would he ever do this again?
36:19I mean, I don't know.
36:20Even if he, um...
36:21...is subject to release after 17 years...
36:23...I'll still have to be...
36:24...satisfied that he poses no risk to the public.
36:26.
36:31How do you feel about the sentence Rhys Ludlow got? Do you feel justice was served?
36:36I don't think it was long enough to be honest.
36:39But they got to notify us.
36:41I meet when he comes up for the parole.
36:44I don't ever want to see him walk.
36:46In the streets, because you'll be a danger to women all his life.
36:51What Louise's family had to go through in court.
36:56It's just unbearable.
36:59To know in detail.
37:01What she went through.
37:03The brutality.
37:04The pain she suffered.
37:06It was all at the hands of this young man.
37:08A teenager.
37:11How does all of that affect...
37:16I guess the possibility of rehabilitation in prison.
37:19When there has been no empathy.
37:21How can you even work with someone like that?
37:23Well, it's very, very difficult to.
37:25Because ultimately...
37:26You know, to show any form of rehabilitation.
37:29He will have to take responsibility.
37:31For what he's done.
37:32And he's going to have to work on demonstrating that he's reduced...
37:36the risk of anything like this happening again subsequently in the future.
37:41Now, clearly he's a very violent man who takes his frustrations out on...
37:46women.
37:47He's probably someone who can not be trusted to form relationships.
37:51with and be around women again.
37:53But that's a difficult call to make.
37:56At such a young age.
37:57It means he's always going to be a very, very high risk.
38:01into the future.
38:02He never...
38:06He didn't express any remorse at all about what he'd done.
38:08He was never apologetic about anything.
38:09He absolutely had no contrition whatsoever.
38:11He never...
38:12He never knew.
38:13He never knew how those feelings are.
38:14He never knew how those feelings are.
38:15He never knew how those feelings are.
38:16They're just trying to mourn.
38:17Like that.
38:18He never knew how those feelings are.
38:19I can see you.
38:20One second time.
38:21I'll leave you all.
38:22You can see you.
38:23The other way he never knew what he had.
38:24Uh, you can see you already.
38:25If you can see me.
38:26That's not what he told me.
38:27That's not about it.
38:28I'm not sure how you had that way.
38:29When you're in, I took a moment.
38:32I got to be seen.
38:33If you're in the back of my family,
38:34then you had to be a great place.
38:35The story raised lots of questions, was it true that inmates
38:40were allowed photos of victims in their cell.
38:43I was really shocked when I...
38:45I contacted a solicitor advocate who confirmed that it was...
38:50...standard practice for criminals to have access to their case files.
38:55Including photos for the rest of their life.
38:59This was...
39:00There was a loophole in the law and this story brought to...
39:05...attention to senior government ministers that this was happening.
39:10And it needed to be changed.
39:15Offenders are given their case files as part of the legal process.
39:20Now, rather than using those for any legal matters, it's...
39:25...suggested that he uses them to glorify and celebrate his offense.
39:30And in the words of another prisoner, to beat himself up in their eyes.
39:34To mock Louise.
39:35And he's a traitor again to show the level of violence that he can do.
39:38So he's almost trying to kind of establish...
39:40...this credential in...
39:42...essentially, I'm a violent character.
39:45I'm...
39:45I'm a nasty, violent person and I can do this level of harm.
39:50This story was incredibly important.
39:55Because it...
39:57...was wrong what was...
40:00...happening on so many levels.
40:05Almost 14 years on.
40:08How do you...
40:09...f...
40:10...f...
40:10...feel?
40:11I...
40:12...I...
40:13...still feel...
40:14...
40:15...sad.
40:16I feel more...
40:17...angry.
40:18...sad...
40:19...than...
40:20...where they are.
40:21Especially Christmas time.
40:23These people should be sitting around...
40:25...at the table...
40:26...when it's...
40:27...they're not there.
40:28Yeah.
40:29...
40:30All murders are shocking, don't get me wrong.
40:33All murders are shocking, don't get me wrong.
40:36But...
40:37...this one in particular was...
40:38...very strange, if you like.
40:40...for some...
40:41...an 18-year-old boy...
40:42...with a 35-year-old woman...
40:44...um...
40:45...who...
40:45...appears to have...
40:46...stabbed, tortured and murdered her.
40:48We don't know what...
40:50...for.
40:55How...
40:57...would you like...
40:58...us to remember?
41:00Your sister...
41:01...your daughter.
41:02With sympathy for her.
41:04Mm-hmm.
41:05Happiness.
41:06Definitely with happiness.
41:07Yeah.
41:08Yeah.
41:09Yeah, she was very...
41:10...what...
41:11...not today.
41:12Yeah.
41:13Yeah.
41:14Yeah.
41:15As I've been
41:20investigated this case I've
41:22built a picture of this
41:24teenager
41:25who has no issue with using
41:26violence to get what he wants.
41:28As the judge sentenced him
41:29he said
41:30to Ludlow.
41:31You had a number of hours in which
41:33to show her even one ounce of
41:35affective compassion
41:37and you chose not to.
41:38It is plain to me that you
41:40are extremely dangerous when
41:42thwarted.
41:43Louisa Brannan paid a terrible
41:45price.
41:45For those emotions of yours.
41:46Which you chose on that night
41:48not to limit
41:49or control.
41:50Louisa was trying to turn her
41:53life around.
41:54She had to go.
41:55Louisa had a supportive family
41:56who wanted to see her succeed.
41:57Could have been any woman in that
41:59pub that night.
42:00When Louisa met Ludlow.
42:02She could never have known
42:04what that was.
42:05that teenage boy
42:06was truly capable of.
42:10she could never have torn men
Comments