Crimewatch Redux - The Murder of Doctor Birkett (1990)

[@robotzombie2481]

Done properly, no backgrpund ominous music or exciteable narrotors speaking in creepy voices, straight to the point👌

[@joe18425]

Thats because, When this show was aired, (either weekly or monthly) it was broadcast on the BBC and it was always active cases that the cops were struggling with...

[@timmellor2599]

That's what makes Crimewatch better than its rivals

[@MarkPMus]

Best bit of CW, no annoying Emma Kenny or Keri Nixon stating the glaring obvious. Being on the Beeb and not Channel 5, CW forces you to listen because we don’t get “Coming up on Crimewatch….Coming up after the break…before the break you missed this…..next time on Crimewatch” As such the Beeb are forced to produce a whole eg hour of content with no repetitive fluff or filler!

[@pattymelt-go3fv]

Yup, and no slo-mo no repetitive still photos no stock photos. Real people who knew the man.

[@FredPorlock-1892]

And no bizarre, quirky cadence to their voices. 🙄 Just talking. No sensationalism. Pleasant, isn’t it?👌

[@JulieSmith-x8g]

In January 2023 he had a request to be transferred to open prison refused and his parole refused. He will have to wait now until he can apply for parole again. So luckily still locked up inside

[@jjr1728]

He should never be released. A worthless turd took out a doctor that was helping people.

[@Dhruv_Dogra]

Thanks for the update

[@patriciaoreilly8907]

A decent lovely man brutally murdered really sad .

[@KattEyl]

I’m amazed by the diligence and doggedness of the investigators.

[@nipdrip34]

Modern police chiefs could learn a lot from these hardworking honest coppers.

[@rltr6146]

Yeah like how to beat confessions out of innocent people

[@tosspot1305]

I used to have alot of respect for them. Not anymore. The Force these days is a just a husk of what it once was

[@barbarapalmer8224]

​@@rltr6146still goes on l guess!!!

[@jamesofarcadia]

@@tosspot1305 do you actually have any genuine insight into policing, beyond the Daily Mail? No, because you are just ignorant.

[@countdowntorevolution9986]

Oh believe me there were some notoriously dodgy forces in those days. A lot of open racism too.

[@peterhind9401]

'Life should mean life'. There will be many watching this in 2023 who would applaud this sentiment.

[@camelia9802]

Very good reconstruction. Excellent detecting by the Police.

[@veronicasanacion]

These are the police members we want. They work and protect citizens.

[@veronicasanacion]

@@star.cat. Yes. Money and status (the power of the ego) are values that kill the light within humans. Carrying a badge and a gun may be a source of danger today.

[@alban1959]

Unless they happened to be black

[@smurfiennes]

@@alban1959more blacks kill blacks though unfortunately

[@johanboes1]

Still good police members

[@timmellor2599]

@@alban1959 A few bad apples are found in every barrel, look at the Guildford Four case, the Stephen Lawrence case and some others. But compare this with some of their more dangerous cases and criminals they've taken, and there is more good than bad

[@EmaiaE]

These videos are really time machines

[@suzimonkey345]

💯

[@jokesonyou1373]

People's accents have changed so much! Even the northerners sounded posh!! 😂😂

[@skippee101]

@@jokesonyou1373 yeah we don’t sound like that now lol 😂

[@gee_emm]

It’s like everyone used to use their best ‘telephone voice’ for things like this! People were so formal and seemed somehow older too.

[@cynthiatolman326]

@@gee_emm The women sounded like they were using their bedroom voice, as Mum would say. The eye shadow was never this bad, I'm floored.

[@pickledragonrebel]

What a fascinating case ! How sad to lose such a smart gentle man. Excellent police work !

[@pattymelt-go3fv]

The Carter Bequest Hospital is also gone after many attempts by the nurses and staff to save the small hospital they loved.

[@doogle2822]

Watching this reminded of when we had real policemen.

[@Melanie_T2023]

It’s completely ironic how back then, the technology we now have wasn’t available meaning police staff spent days, even weeks looking through evidence. Everything done manually, with absolute patience. Yet now, they’ve got everything at their fingertips & are more understaffed then ever! I guess there’s far more crime to investigate now. Great detecting work in this case. So sorry for Dr Birkitt’s family & friends, he seemed a decent man.

[@whyme7996]

demographic insanity.

[@joebroughton2334]

Yes, very much so.

[@EmmaFentonTun]

But sometimes the technology makes things harder. For example, trawling through hours of CCTV still requires a person…..

[@Melanie_T2023]

@@EmmaFentonTunThat’s a very good point!

[@paullangton-rogers2390]

@@EmmaFentonTun Not so much now. We now have the technological capability of image pattern and facial recognition which can run checks on literally 100's of videos and the entire internet in seconds against an image of a person or object or scene. Or find distinctive features you're looking for in a video frame and jump to specific time stamped or embedded date video frames . Getting CCTV video recordings or specific time clips from individual locations and transferring to a problem forensic system for scanning requires manpower though still due to lack of connectivity and networking. However many modern CCTV units can now be internet accessed remotely if setup right and/or video files uploaded easily to police server which can save police and digital forensic specialists a lot of time.

[@bernicecox5208]

Great to watch a programme without blaring music !

[@samanthaeduardamoreira1630]

I feel like I went back in time: the super VGA monitor, VCR, DOS, piles of paper, the old telephone ring sound. Very cool indeed. Amazing police work. I enjoyed this episode very much. Thank you for posting.

[@GrandPrixDecals]

“That took Judith a fortnight, and got nowhere” 🤣 aw bless your heart Judith. Now takes a computer minutes to match from thousands of fingerprints

[@jonathanw844]

And typically she was on holiday when they got the match!

[@jinxterx]

Actually it only takes seconds to match from millions of fingerprints not minutes from thousands.

[@tomster1414]

RIP Doc , incredible re-enactments , awesome production . Wow , GB really was great not so long ago .

[@thegrimreaper1991]

What dya mean was!! Whatever….

[@tomster1414]

@@thegrimreaper1991 , meaning you had some great shows in them days, particularly on the bbc

[@melmack2003]

What is GB?

[@KittyCatFurbabiesMaria1972]

@@melmack2003Great Britain

[@pensans1]

A spokesperson for the Parole Board said: 'We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board refused the release of Reginald Wilson following an oral hearing.14 Jan 2023

[@jjr1728]

Good. He deserves the same beating he gave.

[@museonfilm8919]

That's good news for society then.

[@jaijai5250]

@@museonfilm8919yes it is. I suspect he’s angry at the world for denying him his freedom all these years.

[@joebroughton2334]

The woke parole board.

[@_Meng_Lan]

​@@joebroughton2334please go back to 1850 joe

[@joannaobrien9306]

Wow what an amazing judge …. Life in its entirety!! Why don’t all judges say that? If you take a life you should never ever be free to live your own life, ever !!

[@timmellor2599]

I've seen a few of these old cases and it wasn't so rare. Or there was "At her majesty's pleasure", which I understand to mean they practically throw away the key. But "Life, meaning life" was more common before criminals became victims too! Now, you can end someone's life and be out of jail in under ten years under the right conditions; that isn't justice to the victim, the family of the victim and often the community at large

[@Mauzac31]

I love the way the British police worked: very persistent and organised, never giving up and all working as a team. Bravo!

[@valuetraveler2026]

ineffective

[@E-Kat]

No disrespectful background music! Proper documentary.!! Rest in peace poor man. ❤

[@columbmurray]

Its a great pity this senior detective was not in charge of the Ripper case.

[@cathimummery6873]

It’s sad to loose a smart doctor that helped out society for a looser flop

[@patriciaoreilly8907]

Really sad society loss . RIP

[@katemissfilanpurrmcdevitt]

Rest in peace Doctor Birket absolutely horrific crime my thoughts are with your loved ones Xxx

[@MegaToti26]

I adore these videos which I used to watch from time to time, but now I ve suscribed❤ and I m so happy! So well done! I enjoy very much listening to well and soft spoken English. Thanks a lot and best wishes from Uruguay, Southamerica.-

[@oregon433]

This shows how good professional actors are.

[@pattymelt-go3fv]

And the lady in pink was his actual neighbor.

[@Golds174]

Hope he is still rotting away for murdering the Dr and those tiny puppies.

[@saulwest8254]

His minimum tariff is 30 years.

[@truecrime_and_everything_else]

@@saulwest8254 actually in 2008 he was told he would never be released.. he's away for good!

[@normanby100]

@coffee with two sugars please Hope his arse is getting plenty of action in the showers.

[@columbmurray]

@@truecrime_and_everything_else this was changed to thirty years on appeal. He is now due to be released as he is now a good boy.

[@KittyCatFurbabiesMaria1972]

@@columbmurrayno he’s evil he’s is a special wing that houses three ppl , him , Charles Bronson and the cannibal killer …. He was refused parole 2023

[@stuartastbury5180]

Police in the US: “Come out or we’ll shoot”. UK “Come out or we’ll shine a torch in your eyes”

[@JayGideon-7]

I suspect you are not from the USA. I need to add a minor correction -- no announcements, they start by shooting!

[@samjoseph420]

The world lost an intelligent, productive, hard-working human being like Dr Birkett and we are left with the absolute pond-life that killed him. No justice.

[@helendavies4758]

So much more detail and effort! Something that's been lost nowadays 😕

[@P1mpMyBr1de]

I'm a home delivery driver and know all these streets. The history is creepy

[@wendythompson6323]

Even with his lengthy criminal record, Wilson needed to kill someone before he was finally put away.

[@rogersledz6793]

Thank you so much for uploading this video. It is helping me get through the pandemic!

[@diegestive4167]

Pandemic of the news .

[@leonarddavies288]

There is no pandemic 😷 8 months ago ?

[@AnnabelleJARankin]

Amazing detective work, literally!

[@JJ-iq8mi]

Fantastic detective work.

[@AudreyH100]

Forensics have come along way especially when it come to checking finger prints. Still they did a great job with what they had at the time. Loved crime watch one of the first true crime series. There are so many nowadays some good and bad.

[@stormkennedy9039]

0

[@stormkennedy9039]

Pp⁰⁹⁹

[@beckyxx2514]

The only bit of crime watch was at the end, please don’t have Nightmares, and I always did!

[@miles-thesleeper-monroe8466]

Judith the fingerprint expert. Dedicated professional

[@labazs1964]

Reginald Wilson was caught by a fingerprint on a carrier bag he dropped at the scene a match was made when he was caught for stealing a motorbike without that he would probably have got away with it

[@ria1636]

Spoiler Alert!

[@pattymelt-go3fv]

Wilson wore a glove with a hole in one of the fingers then hid the glove away in the wall with his tools. They found the glove with the hole and matched it up to the carrier bag wrapped around the hammer. With a guy like Wilson it was only a matter of time before he would be caught for something and have his prints taken....the print on the bag was partial I think?

[@cartimandua_]

Good job I watched the video first why would you do that - bit weird.

[@maricamaas2326]

Troubling that one cannot feel safe chasing away loitering youths from one's neighbourhood...

[@jewels3895]

Very impressed with having such a personal insight. Thankyou

[@timmellor2599]

I know this will be slightly controversial, but I've been watching quite a few of these recently, and I think we should applaud our police forces for the work they do. Earlier today, I saw one reconstruction where two policemen were shot at close range, and another fired upon. The only thing they were armed with was good common sense, a truncheon and a policeman's helmet. It takes courage to face those robbers as those two policemen did, especially without a gun or bulletproof vest. And in this episode the fingerprint expert who said she had to match one thumb print manually with tens of thousands of known offenders. "It took her fortnight" but she still did it, and then had to enlarge her research parameters. This second isn't unique to our police forces but in combination with the first case, it really shows the best of the police.

[@liamburns8554]

This is what the 1990’s looked like? I was alive in the 1990, didn’t know it looked like this.

[@jaijai5250]

Me too. I was in my early thirties, and everything looks so different to what I remember. The styles and cars look so dated.

[@icequeen9417]

So sad, he seems such a lovely man 🌷

[@anastasiatempest761]

This is so sad. David RIP. I used to watch Crimewatch, it gives me anxiety, but I stopped.💗🌻🙏🧑🏻‍🦼

[@peterjongsma2779]

Who'd be A Fingerprint Identifier? Strewth. I'd go blind. Thank God for Computers. And alert Police Persons. The Detective work in this case was amazing. Even the perp was taken aback. Well the actor anyway.

[@deborahmcgee7970]

The man who noticed the men in the Phone box, I wouldn’t of even paid any attention. It goes we should always be Vigilant

[@eden19966]

It´s like looking at an episode of Midsomer Murders. Just waiting for John Nettles to pop up.

[@aridyaacob3172]

Except with Midsomer I can catch a 15-20 nap in bet cos it’s so long and winding.😁

[@aubreytreves]

What a stupid comment...so disrespectful to the victim and his loved ones.

[@aridyaacob3172]

@@aubreytreves I think what we’re trying to say is that’s it’s well done and is intriguing. No offence meant and absolutely no disrespect towards the victim.

[@eden19966]

@@aridyaacob3172 Well said. (Although I disagree with you calling MM long and winding :).

[@aridyaacob3172]

@@eden19966 to each his own and I’m only saying that as I always fell asleep during most episodes unlike Poirot. I also like Jonathan Creek when it was showing then and the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

[@lindseyfrench5065]

R.i.p doc....not forgetting the poor puppies...r.i.p

[@jazzkat8322]

I heard something about that apparently that Wilson used to cut the legs off little puppys fucking psychopath, would I be right in saying that?

[@emilyjane5589]

@@jazzkat8322 my Aunty was his girlfriend at the time, and she never mentioned anything about him cutting puppies/dogs legs off…she’s a big animal lover also. He was a complete and utter psychopath

[@Bamboule05]

Everybody who hurts animsls is a psychopath

[@dolinaj1]

@@Bamboule05 I agrée. Those who love pet animals should stop eating all animals. Eat a plant-based diet to live more healthfully and spare billions of animals from a brutal short life of appalling suffering and a horrific violent death. Merci beaucoup.

[@katemissfilanpurrmcdevitt]

@@dolinaj1I can only hope Burkett’s cat didn’t come to harm Xx😢😢

[@peterphilstacey4698]

V sorry about this... just a random attack from an animal... I dread to think how a family can deal with it, a really talented man.

[@elainetwum3465]

Very sad circumstances, however, great reencctment. Good show.

[@PINKKYLIELOUISE]

He used to take care of my Granddad

[@senecaknowledge2274]

Who ? Wilson ?

[@PINKKYLIELOUISE]

@@senecaknowledge2274 No DOCTOR Birkett duurr lol

[@suzimonkey345]

Thank you!

[@ebonypenguin2899]

Excellent police work and the judge backed their hard work by granting a sentence in line with public expectations - that truly dangerous people are taken out of circulation of the general public.

[@joebroughton2334]

Totally agree. I hope no woke Home Secretary or parole board decides to ignore what the judge said in 1991. Not usually a throw away the key view - however this one should be.

[@christianemontazer]

Death penalty needs to be reinstated in the UK!

[@Bamboule05]

In continental Europe, too

[@E-Kat]

Oh, I see, this was live, that's why no background music! Contemporary documentaries are so badly made, they disrespect the victims by nonstop music and the lack of empathy is so obvious! They only make these programs to make money. This program is a prove that music is completely not needed, it's bizarre in fact!

[@kimmccabe1422]

Now keep him in prison UK. Your lenient sentencing for sociopaths, violent, deviants is pathetic and a danger to society

[@raymondkymsuttle]

It’s astounding how long it took to check fingerprints back then!

[@CleoptraMonrow]

Well worth watching. CHEERS

[@anitagoodman9002]

It almost sounds like the perpetrator in this programme had watched far too many thriller movies and taken his ideas from these elaborately themed movies

[@strongcoffee7]

Judith your holiday was at the wrong time!

[@2msvalkyrie529]

The actor who played Wilson was brilliant.!! I really began to hate him . I wonder if he went on to be a success later. ?

[@2msvalkyrie529]

PS ..just found out Simon did go.on to.have a long career in theatre / acting and directing and is still busy today.! He's one of the gentlest , caring people you could meet NOT the repulsive scumbag he played in Crimewatch . Makes it all.the more impressive..!!

[@katemissfilanpurrmcdevitt]

He freaked me out but shows what a great actor he was Xx

[@ruthbashford3176]

Wouldn't his fingerprints have been on record if he had previous.

[@akikhairan6909]

I hope Reg is still locked up…

[@museonfilm8919]

Apparently he is. In the comments section here, someone made reference to the fact his parole was refused in January 2023!

[@saraliburd7752]

Omg when they had to look through the delivery dockets😮😮😮😮

[@Ariadne76-k3d]

Fantastic police work!

[@patriciatreslove4449]

It is great to see that some police officers are doing a good job

[@Dhruv_Dogra]

This wasn't in this century

[@savetommyrobinsonfreespeec7660]

Life should mean life! Now that’s something you don’t hear these days!

[@icequeen9417]

Repect to the forensics and police 🌷

[@Vb-fy4sv]

They always kill animals first ,poor DR did not deserve to die this way ,I am proud to say I am from Middlesbrough and our police done an EXCELLENT JOB catching Reg Wilson the local NUTTER !!!

[@Hereford1642]

My question is - Do you really have so many potential murderers in Middlesbrough that the police could not zoom in on this character a bit earlier in the investigation?

[@katemissfilanpurrmcdevitt]

I’m hoping Wilson didn’t hurt Tabby ( the doctor’s cat) Xx😢

[@saimariaz7938]

How clean was Middlesbrough back then. Compare to naw 😢

[@isellehalforty1219]

Before the days of magic computerised fingerprint searchers.

[@valuetraveler2026]

Reginal Wilson then 26 convicted of Dr Birketts murder. Incidentally, recent reports indicate it had a move to an open prison blocked by government this year. Psychopathic tendencies, came into house as a motorcycle courier. Was actually sentenced to life in 1991 but of course life means something else in the UK

[@kisha1682]

IN America life means life either with parole or no parole. Nothing is between.

[@marcosmota1094]

This awesome (not for David), the YT time machine hits one out of the ballpark again!

[@VinegarTom68]

25:24 This is not 26 Cornfield road as there is or was a fence running alongside the left of the property with pedestrian access walkway to the nearby college .The construction shows a house immediately on the left hand side. This looks like Cornfield Road but a bit further down towards Emerson Avenue

[@Hereford1642]

The plot thickens.

[@theculturedthug6609]

Some odd fellows from around those ways.

[@Phil81.]

"He has a personality quite weird" what a lousy journalist

[@sophiejameson4064]

That's a weirdly vehement comment.

[@Ariadne76-k3d]

I feel so sorry for his dogs.

[@suehoult9062]

Amazing police work. Fascinating to watch how police work was before computers etc.

[@0000-q1h]

27:26 lovely double denim

[@museonfilm8919]

Oh the 1990's - such a fashion desert for men.

[@markhannan4712]

Miss Crimewatch

[@cynthiatolman326]

I've found a couple more lines of the letter(s) he sent, and they really left out the worst parts. It's horrific. This is a good documentary, but I'm surprised there isn't a couple more at least. We get more and different facts and perspectives when there are.

[@KittyCatFurbabiesMaria1972]

What were they ?

[@andycampbell4420]

No computers in1990 !

[@ajs41]

We had loads of computers at home in 1990.

[@patriciaoreilly8907]

When police officers were honest hardworking & wanted to keep the riff-raff off the streets . How the force has collapsed to the dregs .

[@beez5338]

UK police huh, didnt check out the address where someone said there'd been a murder. Only 2% of crime resilts in an arrest, less go to court and prison sentences are ridiculous. All this costs tax payers billions yearly.

[@Hereford1642]

Twenty odd years ago I lived in a cottage in the countryside and one day the police turned up. They said that two or three days before they had had a 999 call from our telephone number (though nothing was said) and so they had come to check. Turns out it was my very little daughter who probably got the shock of her short life when the operator answered. But what if it had been serious? Two or three days had passed in an isolated building. I often think about that. And, a small correction: the caller never said anything about the murder. Just said the address. 5 words in total according to the voice expert. No excuse for not checking though and I had to laugh when the police said they were kicking themselves for not responding. It was a bloody 999 call !

[@danlhendl]

The murderer is a great actor

[@thegrimreaper1991]

Wow I probably watched this on to in 1990, I was 12 at the time. Sad case though.

[@thegrimreaper1991]

TV not to STUPID AUTOCORRECT!!!!

[@jinxterx]

Always be wary of men in camouflaged jackets and blue jeans.

[@pjay951]

I just read his whole life term was over turned in 2008. Any word on his release?

[@jjr1728]

Parole refused. This year.

[@bernicescanlon6137]

Brilliant 👏work

[@tgs4207]

This was 3 streets away from my home 💀 the killer lived next door to my best friends house

[@lulassong6524]

Difficult to follow because of the accents and the speed everybody talked at.

[@theoryofpersonality1420]

In this the doc at 14:00 says they are going to prescribe Valium for exema. 🤦

[@suzimonkey345]

Fascinating!

[@johnryan2193]

We were having our tea and donuts so we don't respond to calls !

[@Hereford1642]

One day, a neighbour of mine - a soft ha'peth - had a falling out with the relatives of his landlord who threatened him. He ran to my house and after hearing his story we called the police. They arrived mob handed - 4 vans/cars. I spoke to a copper on the outskirts of this and he told me that they had been in a boring meeting when the call came in and they all volunteered to attend immediately! Such is the reality of human life.

[@wendysomers810]

Poor little baby got her/his mother mixed up and the wrong mom did not like the little baby clinging to her.

[@cartimandua_]

In 2023 the Parole board recommended he be sent to an open prison;! Luckily the Home office Minister refused the recommendations. He should never het out.

[@harrydebastardeharris987]

I’m amazed any murders get solved at all without forensic,the Police appear to be so dumb.

[@rooneye]

My god the artist impression looked fuck all like him.

[@Hereford1642]

It is so rare that they do. I wonder if they don't do more harm than good to an investigation. Imagine seeing someone for a matter of seconds and then trying to instruct an artist.

[@synsrfem4428]

Isn't Paleopathology the study of ancient diseases, osteology is the study of bones. Obvs the evidence of some diseases can be seen in bones as can other information but that jumped out as an inaccuracy

[@louspowels7120]

top notch acting

[@squeesmyth9025]

HAHAHA @ 35 MIN - 'HE SAID DICK RIDER'

[@vickydonohoe1372]

What Age Are YOU JstSayin Lol'§

[@squeesmyth9025]

@@vickydonohoe1372 32 lmao but I'm a child at heart and look 14 lol

[@f32440i]

I remember my 1st ribena to...... Sad little boy

[@squeesmyth9025]

@@f32440i :( true story

[@Hereford1642]

@@squeesmyth9025 There is a career in porn for you.

[@charlesscottkelly]

They binned this when the most wanted list has no British names on it.