The murder of Alice Ruggles is examined in An Hour to Catch A Killer on ITV on ITV tonight.
Hosted by Trevor McDonald, the compelling one off documentary kicks off ITV’s brand new Crime & Punishment season.
Who killed Alice Ruggles?
Alice Ruggles, who worked for Sky, was stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend, Trimaan “Harry” Dhillon.
Alice’s obsessive ex partner was convicted of murder and sentenced to a minimum of 22 years in jail.
An Hour to Catch A Killer with Trevor McDonald on ITV tonight looks at the case and how Alice’s killer was brought to justice.
With access to the police investigation and Alice’s family, the film follows homicide detectives from Northumbria Police as they look to solve this tragic case. The force start filming themselves from the second the call comes in, when the clock starts ticking on their chances of finding the culprit.
For the first time the murder squad wear HD body cameras, recording every moment as the first 60 minutes counts down.
Taking viewers inside the crime scene where camera crews can’t ordinarily go because their presence would contaminate evidence, this film allows unrestricted access to the heart of the investigation.
From then on the programme has access to every level of the investigation as it develops, placing the viewer at the sharp end to get an insight into every move made by those leading the case as they try to close in on the killer. And the programme stays with them until the perpetrator is found and charged.
DCI Lisa Theaker said: “Getting evidence in the golden hour is vital. It’s fresh, it’s not contaminated and it might not be there very long. The priority for me is securing evidence as quickly as possible. Where’s my offender? That’s a real priority for me because they’ll be a wealth of forensic evidence on them. Let’s find who the killer is.”
Sir Trevor McDonald, who meets the family of Alice Ruggles who was brutally murdered in the tragic case the film follows, said: “An Hour To Catch A Killer will reveal the expertise of Northumbria Police’s Homicide Team, through unprecedented access to every layer of the investigation.
“The use of Body Worn Cameras will provide an incredibly intimate insight into the crucial ‘Golden Hour’ of a murder inquiry as we follow the team’s race against the clock to catch the killer.”
The film also features Alice’s parents, Clive and Sue who said: “We want to share Alice’s story because it highlights the dangers of coercive behaviour and stalking. Although the ITV documentary is not specifically about stalking we believe that it will help draw attention to some of the warning signs that should trigger alarm bells.”
An Hour to Catch A Killer with Trevor McDonald airs tonight on ITV at 9PM.
