This week on Sinister South, we do what we do best. There’s midweek chaos, including Rach questioning her own judgement after agreeing to a gig with the kids in tow, celebrating her slow and inevitable demise (also known as her birthday) on release day, and of course the continuing saga of #JenAneatenbyleopards. The truth will come out. Probably. Eventually.

Then we get into the case of Tom “Tommy” Cressman and Jane Andrews. In September 2000, in a flat in Fulham, Tommy rang 999 and said words that still haunt this case: “I’m afraid we might hurt each other… if we don’t have somebody here soon, somebody is going to get hurt.” No one came.

Within days, Tommy was dead. Beaten with a cricket bat and stabbed in his own bed. His partner, Jane Andrews, a former dresser to Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, would later claim she acted in self-defence.

In this episode, we step back and look at who these two people really were. Tommy, a wealthy, well-liked South West London bachelor with a settled life and no desire to marry. Jane, a woman who’d clawed her way out of a difficult childhood into royal circles, only to see that identity collapse years before she met him.

We talk about the relationship, the warning signs, the arguments, the 999 call that went nowhere, and the systems that failed to step in before things turned fatal. We also look carefully at Jane’s psychology without excusing what she did, and why this case still provokes such strong reactions more than twenty years on.

If you or someone you know needs help in a domestic violence/coercive control situation there are many places that can help including:

National Domestic Abuse Helpline - 0808 2000 247

National Centre for Domestic Abuse

and many more in the UK. If you're outside the UK, check local services.

Sources in this episode include:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Andrews
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/23/newsid_4444000/4444991.stm
• https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3kz304
• https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2003/aug/30/weekend7.weekend1
• https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/my-brother-murdered-royal-aide-28135479
• https://www.murdermiletours.com/blog/murder-mile-uk-true-crime-podcast-148-the-abuse-of-jane-andrews-part-1-janes-story
• https://murderpedia.org/female.A/a/andrews-jane.htm
• https://www.thedarksideoflove.com/post/episode-72-season-4-jane-andrews-and-tom-cressman-i-m-gonna-make-you-love-me
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF25VVb_AFk
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHEnU26OFug

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in! If you loved diving into the dark corners of South London with us, don't forget to hit that subscribe button to never miss an episode of "Sinister South."

Also, follow us on Instagram @SinisterSouthPodcast for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, and more cheeky banter, or www.sinistersouthpod.co.uk. Remember, every crime tells a story... and South is the best side of the river...

Produced and hosted by Hannah Williams & Rachel Baines
Mixed & edited by Purple Waves Sound (A.K.A Will)