REAL

When schoolteacher and former singer Trudi Burgess began a relationship with gardener Robert Easom, it seemed like a chance at happiness after the devastating loss of her husband. But behind closed doors, Robert slowly began to manipulate Trudi.

Over the course of eight years, Trudi would endure a relentless pattern of coercive control, intimidation, and escalating violence.

On 17 February 2025, everything reached a horrifying breaking point. When Trudi finally found the courage to say she was leaving, the man she trusted flew into a violent rage. Within minutes, an assault would leave her with a catastrophic injury that would change her life forever.

But Trudi is now sharing her story to help others and inspiring people across the world.

This is REAL.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-care-for-our-mum-trudi

If you'd like to support the show, you can do so here via my Patreon, thank you:
https://patreon.com/REALtruecrimepodcast
If you need help or support with domestic abuse please get in touch with the following organisations:
https://havendas.org.uk/ - UK
https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/ - UK
https://mankind.org.uk/ - Support for male victims
https://safelives.org.uk/ - UK
https://www.victimsupportni.com/help-for-victims/domestic-violence/ - Northern Ireland
https://mapni.co.uk/ - Northern Ireland for men
https://sdvs.ie/ - Ireland
https://www.mensaid.ie/ - Ireland for men
https://www.lifewire.org/ - USA
https://www.thehotline.org/resources/men-can-be-victims-of-abuse-too/ - USA for men
https://www.rizeup.com.au/ - Australia
https://mensline.org.au/family-violence/ - Australia
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In July 2010, a 50-year-old nurse who lived and worked in London, was subjected to an extraordinary act of violence that left her dead and the multiple people who witnessed it traumatised. But many people don't know her story, because it has received little media coverage.

Today, to mark International Women's Day, we're going to look at the case of Donna Drepaul, a woman who was killed by a jealous man and highlight the on-going epidemic of violence against women and girls, which the UK government have no labelled a 'National Emergency'.

This is REAL.

If you'd like to support the show, you can do so here via my Patreon, thank you:
https://patreon.com/REALtruecrimepodcast

Here is the link to the femicide census report, titled '2000 Women'
https://www.femicidecensus.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2000-Women-full-report.pdf

https://www.femicidecensus.org/about/
https://x.com/CountDeadWomen

If you need help or support with domestic abuse please get in touch with the following organisations:
https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/ - UK
https://safelives.org.uk/ - UK
https://www.victimsupportni.com/help-for-victims/domestic-violence/ - Northern Ireland
https://sdvs.ie/ - Ireland
https://www.lifewire.org/ - USA
https://www.rizeup.com.au/ - Australia
https://mensline.org.au/family-violence/ - Australia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In June 2016, Dawn Rhodes arrived at her family home where her soon to be ex-husband Robert was waiting to hand over their child. But something happened that left their child and Robert with injuries and Dawn, dead.

Robert and their child said Dawn had attacked them in a jealous rage and at a trial Robert was found not-guilty of murder, instead, killing Dawn in a heroic act of self-defence.

Until their child had a conversation with a therapist years later, that changed everything.

This is REAL.

If you'd like to support the show, you can do so here via my Patreon, thank you:
https://patreon.com/REALtruecrimepodcast

If you need help or support with domestic abuse please get in touch with the following organisations:
https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/ - UK
https://mankind.org.uk/ - Support for male victims
https://safelives.org.uk/ - UK
https://www.victimsupportni.com/help-for-victims/domestic-violence/ - Northern Ireland
https://mapni.co.uk/ - Northern Ireland for men
https://sdvs.ie/ - Ireland
https://www.mensaid.ie/ - Ireland for men
https://www.lifewire.org/ - USA
https://www.thehotline.org/resources/men-can-be-victims-of-abuse-too/ - USA for men
https://www.rizeup.com.au/ - Australia
https://mensline.org.au/family-violence/ - Australia
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In August 2010, 30-year-old Izabela from seemingly vanished into thin air in Derby, England. Her friends and family tried to get hold of her, but they were met with silence. Her girlfriend, Anna Podedworna, didn't report her missing and told everyone that Izabela had run away.

But Izabela's daughter, who was living with with relative's in Poland, always knew deep down that her mother would never have left her. And as she entered adulthood, she enlisted the help of a local journalist to help find her - and what they discovered, was the stuff of nightmares.

This is REAL.

To support this podcast on Patreon for £2 a month (with ad-free early access, extra content and monthly live zooms and giveaways) please see here, thank you:
https://patreon.com/REALtruecrimepodcast

For information on the missing people cases mentioned at the end of the episode see the links below:

Fatima Mohamed- Ali - https://locate.international/missing-people/fatima-mohamed-ali
Paul Fudge - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1kpw7zzvwvo
Jack O'Sullivan - https://www.findjackosullivan.co.uk/

Reference for advice on leaving an abusive relationship:
https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/i-am-planning-to-leave-my-abuser/
If you need help or support with domestic abuse please get in touch with the following organisations:
https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/ - UK
https://mankind.org.uk/ - Support for male victims
https://safelives.org.uk/ - UK
https://www.victimsupportni.com/help-for-victims/domestic-violence/ - Northern Ireland
https://mapni.co.uk/ - Northern Ireland for men
https://sdvs.ie/ - Ireland
https://www.mensaid.ie/ - Ireland for men
https://www.lifewire.org/ - USA
https://www.thehotline.org/resources/men-can-be-victims-of-abuse-too/ - USA for men
https://www.rizeup.com.au/ - Australia
https://mensline.org.au/family-violence/ - Australia
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In March 2023, 59-year-old Jane Collinson was looking forward to so many exciting things in her life. She was planning her 60th birthday party, her daughters wedding and she was about to buy her dream home with her new husband.

But one mans actions ended all of that. In this episode, we focus on the continuing issue of violence against women and girls. In the UK a woman is killed by a man every 3 days, and Jane was one of them.

This is REAL.

If you'd like to support the show, you can do so here via my Patreon, thank you:
https://patreon.com/REALtruecrimepodcast

https://www.femicidecensus.org/about/

https://x.com/CountDeadWomen

To watch 999: What Happened Next? go to www.channel4.com

If you need help or support with domestic abuse please get in touch with the following organisations:
https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/ - UK
https://mankind.org.uk/ - Support for male victims
https://safelives.org.uk/ - UK
https://www.victimsupportni.com/help-for-victims/domestic-violence/ - Northern Ireland
https://mapni.co.uk/ - Northern Ireland for men
https://sdvs.ie/ - Ireland
https://www.mensaid.ie/ - Ireland for men
https://www.lifewire.org/ - USA
https://www.thehotline.org/resources/men-can-be-victims-of-abuse-too/ - USA for men
https://www.rizeup.com.au/ - Australia
https://mensline.org.au/family-violence/ - Australia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.