Murder 24/7 - a look at the work behind the crime
Murder 24/7 - a look at the work behind the crime
Kate JusticeMon, August 10, 2026 at 5:09 AM UTC
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The latest series of Murder 24/7 focused on crimes investigated by West Mercia Police
Warning: This article contains distressing details of violent crimes
Thousands of viewers have been gripped by the BBC series Murder 24/7 - a true-crime documentary series that follows real-life police investigations as they unfold.
The third series followed detectives and staff at West Mercia Police and partly focused on cases led by Det Ch Insp Gareth Lougher.
"The videos that were found were the worst I've ever seen in my 22-year career," he said. "Extreme sadistic violence."
The case was the horrific, homophobic attack on Jamie Gawler. He had been savagely beaten in his home by Matthew Jonathan, a man he had only met a month before.
Jamie's brother became concerned when his brother's phone was answered by a police officer who said the phone had been found at Porth railway station, in Wales.
The relative went to Jamie's flat where he was found dead in an armchair with a towel draped over his face.
He had suffered injuries to his head, neck and chest. Nearly every rib was broken.
A fingerprint from a vodka bottle in the flat was matched to 39-year-old Jonathan, of no fixed abode.
This tattoo was found by police on Matthew Jonathan's back, after he was arrested
His attacker had left but was traced to South Wales by officers who followed a trail of financial transactions.
Jonathan had 18 previous convictions and had only been released from prison six weeks before the murder.
In custody, as photographs of Jonathan were being taken, police found the words "Natural Born Killer" tattooed across his back.
Horrific videos of the true extent of the assault came to light when investigators found several videos on his phone.
"That's the first time I've had to prevent members of the investigation team viewing evidence because they were that violent," Lougher said.
Jonathan would go on to plead guilty to murder and be sentenced to life.
For the investigation team, it proved a very difficult case to work on.
"They're certainly not something that happens every day, thankfully," Lougher said.
"But whatever happens, wherever it happens within West Mercia, you know, I and my team and the wider organisation are ready for it."
This third series has featured some of their most high-profile investigations, many making national news reports.
They included the murder of Joanne Samak in Droitwich, Worcestershire, in July 2024 and the murder of DPD delivery driver Aurman Singh in Shrewsbury, which led to four men being being jailed in 2025.
Cheryl McKenna was killed in her home by her ex-partner Chris Hemming
One featured case was the killing of Cheryl McKenna, another inquiry Lougher was in charge of.
Shortly after the attack, her former partner Chris Hemming called emergency services and confessed.
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"On the face of it, [he] admits in that first phone call to the call operator that he's killed Cheryl," Lougher said.
"But actually, there's still a whole host of work that needs to go on in order to progress that through the criminal justice system and into court."
Officers arrived within minutes of the call, arrested Hemming and found the body of Cheryl upstairs in the home. Her 18-year-old daughter, who was also there, was unharmed.
But throughout his police interview, Hemming, 47, answered "no comment" to every question. He then entered a not guilty plea when he was stood before a judge.
Detectives had to build up their case against him ready for the trial, Lougher said.
"He was essentially trying to suggest that he suffered from a loss of control, which would have seen his murder conviction drop down to a manslaughter," he added.
Thirty detectives were part of the investigation and heard from Cheryl's daughter how tensions in the household had built up over two years, with arguments over money, the breakdown of the relationship and Hemming's jealousy.
On his phone, forensic experts found a note he had written just six hours before killing Cheryl in which he had described his rage and how losing her would have been easier if she had died.
Five days into the trial, Hemming, from Redditch, changed his plea to guilty. Lougher said it had only happened "when he understood the weight of the evidence that we'd gathered".
The court case heard how he attacked his former partner because he had discovered she was in a new relationship. The pair had separated at the start of 2024 but still shared the home.
Hemming was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum term of at least 15 years.
Chris Hemming was sentenced to life, to serve a minimum of 15 years in prison for the murder
Lougher said the case had been a tough one for his team, with evidence of domestic abuse uncovered within Hemming and Cheryl McKenna's relationship.
"Hemming made a deliberate plan to kill Cheryl that morning. He very coldly took his children to school... knowing full well that when he got home, what his plan was."
Stepping back from such cases was hard for detectives, Lougher said, as "we are human beings, we can't switch off completely and that emotive nature drives us on".
Telling Cheryl's story in the programme was the right thing to do though, he said, adding it would "raise awareness around what happened to Cheryl, as well as the wider domestic abuse issue".
Det Ch Insp Gareth Lougher said many of the crimes they had investigated were tough for the officers involved
Filming of the cases featured in the series took several years, beginning with talking through what crews could and could not film.
No family members or staff were shown on screen who had not given their consent.
"I hope that the final product has shown what we do on a day-to-day basis across West Mercia," Lougher said.
For the chief inspector himself, being on TV was a strange experience but "everyone to my face has been very kind".
"The family WhatsApp group had a few jibes on it.
"It's just nice that the force gets some exposure, the cases have positive outcomes, and they'll be able to showcase what we do."
If you, or someone you know, has been affected by any issues raised in this story, support and information is available at BBC Action Line
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Police chief praises 'brilliant' Murder 24/7
How Murder 24/7 immerses viewers in true crime
Murderer jailed for homophobic attack in home
Man jailed for stabbing ex-girlfriend to death
Related internet links
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Murder 24/7 - BBC iPlayer
West Mercia Police
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
