Brookside icon Tinhead is returning to the famous close for a one-off episode twinned with Hollyoaks, and actor Philip Olivier has opened up about the character’s nickname.
Angie Quinn Screen Time Reporter
15:43, 22 Oct 2025
Philip Olivier is returning as Timothy ‘Tinhead’ O’Leary (Image: Lime Pictured)
Brookside legend Tinhead is making a comeback to the renowned close for a special one-off episode alongside Hollyoaks.
Both beloved Channel 4 dramas were created by Grange Hill mastermind Sir Philip Redmond, with Brookside subsequently inspiring the development of Chester-set Hollyoaks.
To celebrate Hollyoaks’ 30th anniversary, the shows are joining forces for a landmark crossover episode, with Philip Olivier returning to his memorable role as Tinhead.
Tim “Tinhead” O’Leary made his debut in 1996 as the offspring of Carmel and Tommy O’Leary, portraying a wayward pupil at Brookside Comprehensive High School.
Throughout his storyline, Tinhead formed an intricate relationship with beloved character Sinbad, portrayed by Michael Starke, who served as a mentor figure for the rebellious youngster, reports the Manchester Evening News.
However, Tinhead was compelled to transform his ways following a devastating incident that nearly claimed his sister Melanie’s life.
His future seemed promising when romance blossomed with Emily, portrayed by Jennifer Ellison, and the couple wed in 2001.
Yet marital happiness wasn’t destined for the pair.
Following further involvement in unlawful activities, Emily perished during a burglary in 2002, leaving Tinhead bereaved at a young age.
Philip Olivier, 45, last appeared as Tinhead in November 2003 when Brookside broadcast its concluding episode.
However, over two decades later, he’s reprising his role as Timothy O’Leary, alongside Suzanne Collins as Nikki Shadwick, for a special Hollyoaks and Brookside episode.
How did Tinhead earn his nickname?
Despite the character’s actual name being Timothy, soap fans will recognise him by his unusual moniker.
Ahead of the rebooted episode, Olivier shed light on how his character acquired the nickname, revealing it was purely coincidental.
The actor shared: “There was a pretty rough school in my area with a really hard kid who everyone knew as Tinhead. This was before I got the part. The name was spray-painted on the side of a building near the school.
“I know a lot of Brookside writers used to live round that area so they must’ve drove past and remembered the name. People thought I’d suggested it but it was a coincidence.”
Olivier also disclosed that he had initially auditioned for a different role in the show before landing the part of the teenage troublemaker.
He elaborated: “Originally, I went up to play the character of Danny Simpson, then ended up playing the kid that bullied him at school.
“I auditioned for Danny then got a call a month later about this character called ‘Tinhead’.”
The Brookside and Hollyoaks crossover episode airs on Wednesday (October 22) at 7pm on E4.
Dame Penelope Keith has spilled the secrets of The Good Life as she claimed a sequel would be ‘tedious’ and would not work
Penelope Keith spills the secrets of The Good Life
Dame Penelope Keith has revealed how she turned down the chance to star in a spin-off of The Good Life as she claimed it would be ‘tedious’ and would not work. The actress, who is now 85, became a household name in the 1970s BBC sitcom which drew audiences of up to 20 million viewers.
She starred as the snobbish social climber Margo Leadbetter who was married to the poor hen-pecked husband Jerry (played by the late Paul Eddington).
Every week fans tuned in to see her disapproving sneers as she struggled to deal with her suburban neighbours Tom and Barbara Good (portrayed by the late Richard Briers along with Felicity Kendall) who had swapped the rat race for ‘the good life’ of make-do-and-mend sustainability – trying to grow their own food and keep chickens, pigs and a goat in their garden.
The show – which ran from 1975 until 1978 – ended after four series and a TV special filmed in front of the royal family. However, soon after, the idea was raised about writing a spin-off series for her and Paul featuring just The Leadbetters.
But she explained: “People mentioned ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a Leadbetter spin-off and I said ‘No. It’s a situation comedy and the situation is strong because of the two couples’.
“Can you imagine how tedious it would have been having Margo and Jerry having their own series?”
A year after The Good Life ended, instead Penelope landed another huge BBC hit playing posh Audrey fforbes-Hamilton in To The Manor Born from 1979 to 1981. Later she appeared in sitcoms Executive Stress and Next of Kin and No Job For A Lady before embarking on a highly successful theatre career.
The Good Life ran for 30 episodes in total and its 50 th anniversary this year is being marked by a forthcoming TV special called The Good Life: Inside Out fronted by Penelope.
It reveals how, when the show first launched, the TV critics and audience were lukewarm and did not find it that funny.
Penelope even admits that the ‘green theme’ was a brave choice of plot line adding: “It was a sort of fantasy. People weren’t packing up and thinking ‘Oh there must be more to life than this daily grind.’”
One reviewer even risked causing a tense atmosphere on-set by claiming that The Leadbetters ‘stole the show’. Briers, apparently, saw the review but brushed it aside joking that he was the one with the top billing and getting all the money.
But soon viewers fell in love with both couples as The Goods struggled to deal with surviving on growing their own dinners and milking Geraldine the goat for milk in their tea.
Meanwhile posh middle class Margo would look on disdainfully at their antics which she felt brought down the neighbourhood. The plots included a touch of sauce too.
In one episode, both couples get drunk and Jerry admits to fancying Barbara and Tom tells Margo she is a good looking woman.
Penelope says about this: “There was flirting and all those sorts of things but you never felt that there was any wife swapping or anything like that. It was a very strong bond between them and I think that was again in the writing that was so clever.”
In another episode, Margo decides to add some spice to an afternoon by playing the seductress to Jerry – but he is distracted and completely blanks her, leading her to utter the immortal line ‘That’s the last time I play the tart for you, Jerry’.
Penelope loved the script and admits she is shocked that fans come up to her wanting her to say the line.
She said: “When I saw the line ‘That’s the last time I play the tart for you Jerry’ I thought ‘Wow that is a humdinger’.
“I had people coming up to me and saying ‘Will you say that line for me please?’ which I thought was most peculiar – but I said it!”
Penelope salutes the writers of the sitcom John Esmonde and Bob Larbey for creating such wonderful characters – with all their flaws – for the viewers to take to their hearts.
She points out that Tom could be quite beastly and selfish to wife Barbara but he got away with it (‘You love Richard. You adore him. You laugh at him even when he is being an absolute horror because he does with a sense of humour’.)
Barbara was cute and long-suffering but adored Tom and everyone felt nothing but sympathy for poor Jerry. However it was Margo – a Conservative-supporting, Telegraph-reading domineering social climbing wife – who got the most attention and some of the funniest lines.
Penelope explains: “Margo was the prime lady of the avenue with all the dinner parties and whatever she took part in, she had to do it perfectly and had to be top dog and sometimes she was terribly disapproving. She had no sense of humour but she was terribly kind and didn’t want to offend but she engaged mouth before brain so often.
“She had enormous warmth and adored the goods and likewise jerry but he infuriated her. There is a line where she says ‘I am the silent majority’ and she said it dead pan and that is what she felt and that is what half the country felt at the time as well.”
As its popularity grew, so did the laughs especially at the expense of Margo. Fans loved the scene where she tried to help The Goods with planting in the garden and decked in yellow oil skins and boots she slipped over and fell knee deep in mud.
Penelope recalls: “Someone actually asked me the other day – ‘Was it a mistake?’ and I said ‘No. I did five times’. I couldn’t walk for about three days afterwards because of my back and of course every time I fell over I was covered in mud and so I had to be hosed down afterwards.”
And another of her favourite scenes was when one of The Good’s pigs was in labour and Tom asked Margo to go and fetch some brandy as ‘a stimulant’.
The actress recalls: “I walked out of shot and then back into shot and asked Tom ‘Remy Martin or VSOP?’ I mean what a wonderful line. It was so witty and so funny. It is one of my favourites.”
It seems Margo also got the most attention when it came to wardrobe. Since The Goods always wore the same clothes and Jerry was always in a suit, it did not take a genius to work out where the majority of the clothes budget went.
Fans loved seeing what dress or gown Margo would be sporting during each episode. They usually came from Harrods and some were even the high end fashion label Frank Usher.
Penelope said: “There was a budget I remember and the person who got the most spent on them as far as clothes were concerned was me. I don’t think I would have worn any of those dresses but Margo loved them.
“Everybody wanted to see what Margo was going to wear next. Monday used to be my one day off but I used to spend it in Harrods occasionally Harvey Nicks looking for beautiful clothes. Silk gowns in such lovely vibrant colours.”
In the TV special, Penelope visits a replica of Margo and Jerry’s drawing room which has been painstakingly recreated by designers.
She laughs: “I remember the sofa being so low. That was alright 50 years ago but I don’t know if I can get up today.”
And she revisits the garden in Northwood in west London which was used for all of the outside filming shots for Tom and Barbara’s farm and allotment.
She comments: “What a garden! It’s all trees now but back then it was all dug up. It looks a totally different place now. Must be good soil here – all that animal excrement because we had pigs and chickens and Geraldine the goat! But we loved it here – being released into the open air was freedom after working in the studio.”
One little known secret which Penelope does uncover delving back into the archives is that when the BBC planned a special to be filmed in front of the royals called When I’m Sixty Five, they asked playwright Alan Bennett to have a cameo role in the episode as a bank manager.
However he turned them down. He told them he was too ‘worn out’ and needed a holiday having committed to making a series of plays for ITV.
Instead an actor called George Cole got the role – just weeks before he was cast as Arthur Daley in Minder. The Good Life ended in 1978 and all the main stars thought it was the right time to bow out.
Penelope confessed: “I remember saying to Paul ‘I don’t think we can do any more. I think we have squeezed this orange to the pips really’ and I know Richard felt like that and Felicity too.”
But fans expecting a finale which ended on a high with a load of laughs were in for a shock. The episode ended with burglars ransacking The Goods’ home and turning it upside down and leaving everything in tatters.
Jerry tells Tom he must now give up ‘the good life’ and go back to work – but it is Barbara who says they must carry on and not be beaten. Penelope called the episode a stroke of genius.
She added: “When we got the script for the last episode we were all amazed, but in wonder, what a brilliant way to finish. When we came to the studio we did the beginning and then they had curtains which they drew across the set and then they sprayed (paint) all over the set and then the floor manager talked to the audience but said nothing about what was going on behind the curtains.
“Then the curtain went up and the audience gasped, absolutely gasped. It was extraordinary. People were in tears at the end.”
Asked about her time on the show, she now says: “I look back on it as one of the happiest times. It was of its time at the right time.
“It was as good as it was because of everything else behind it. Everybody cared. The laughter, the joy it brought and the fact that people liked it so much and believed in it so much is reward.”
After starring in the BBC sitcom for four years, Richard Briers continued his TV career, landing a lead part in another BBC sitcom a few years later. He played the unsympathetic Martin Bryce on Ever Decreasing Circles from 1984 to 1989. His character Martin was the polar opposite of Tom from The Good Life. He died in 2013.
Felicity Kendal has enjoyed a varied career on stage and screen including on TV a starring role in the thriller Rosemary and Thyme from 2003 to 2006, to guest appearances in Doctor Who in 2008 and Pennyworth in 2019. Paul Eddington played Jerry, who worked with Tom until he and his wife decided to make this life change.
Just two years after The Good Life he took on the title role of Jim Hacker in the comedy series Yes, Minister. He starred in the series until 1984, before taking on a main role in its spin-off Yes, Prime Minister.
Paul later reunited with his co-stars from The Good Life, starring opposite Felicity in The Camomile Lawn in 1992, and then alongside Richard in the play Home in 1994. The actor sadly passed away at the age of 68 in 1995 after a cancer battle.
* The Good Life: Inside Out airs on U&Gold on Tuesday October 28 at 9pm.
Another “Real Housewives of Potomac” star is facing legal trouble: Wendy Osefo and her husband, Eddie Osefo, have been arrested for allegedly fraudulently reporting a burglary and theft last year.
A grand jury in Carroll County, Md., indicted the spouses Thursday on “multiple counts related to fraud,” the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday in a statement. The reality TV stars, both 41, were booked at Carroll County Central Booking. They were released Friday after posting bond, the statement said.
A representative for the Osefos said Friday that they are “back home safely with their family and in good spirits.”
“They are grateful for the outpouring of concern and support from friends, fans, and colleagues,” the representative continued. “The Osefos, alongside their legal team, look forward to their day in court. At this time, they respectfully ask for privacy as they focus on their family and the legal process ahead.”
Wendy Osefos faces 16 charges, including seven felony charges for alleged false/misleading information fraud involving more than $300, eight misdemeanor conspiracy counts and a misdemeanor for an alleged false statement to an officer. Her husband faces the same charges and is also on the hook for two additional felony counts. They are due back in court in November.
The fraud charges stem from an April 2024 burglary reported at the Osefos’ home in Finksburg, Md., more than 27 miles northwest of Baltimore. The Sheriff’s Office said law enforcement responded to a report of burglary and theft and met with the spouses, who claimed their home “had been entered and numerous items had been stolen” while they were on vacation, the statement said.
“They reported approximately 80 items of jewelry, luxury goods, clothing, and shoes were stolen,” the statement said, “worth a total of more than $200,000.”
Police said Friday that detectives investigating the burglary found that the Osefos had returned more than $20,000 of the “stolen” items to their points of purchase. Detectives also saw images of Wendy Osefo taken after the alleged burglary wearing a ring she said was among items that were stolen.
Court documents show that the Osesfos filed a claim with an insurance company alleging a loss of $450,000 worth of personal property, according to TMZ.
“It became clear that the Osefos had fabricated the burglary and filed a false report [in an] attempt to fraud their insurance company,” Carroll County Sheriff James T. DeWees said during a press briefing Friday.
Wendy Osefo joined “Real Housewives of Potomac” for its fifth season in late 2020 and has been part of the cast since. She is a political commentator, author and lifestyle brand entrepreneur. Eddie Osefo is an attorney and self-proclaimed “serial entrepreneur” whose businesses include a business agency and a cannabis edibles line.
The couple was arrested a year and a half after another “RHOP” personality publicly faced legal woes. Karen Huger, known among fans as the “grand dame,” was arrested in March 2024 for driving under the influence after she crossed a median and hit street signs, crashing her Maserati. She was convicted in December of driving under the influence and negligent driving, among other charges.
She was released from prison in September after serving six months of a yearlong prison sentence.
However, while sharing updates may seem innocuous, divulging too much online while you’re away can leave you vulnerable to unnecessary risks. From burglaries at home to identity theft, certain types of posts can make you an easy prey for criminals.
Travel experts at Ski Vertigo reveals the top three things you should never disclose online during your trip – and why holding off until you’re safely back home could be a wiser decision.
1. Your precise location in real time
Disclosing your location, whether through tagged posts, check-ins, or live updates, is one of the easiest blunders you can make while travelling. Criminals often scour social media for hints and a public post showing you are hundreds of miles away could signal to burglars that your house is vacant.
But the perils don’t end there. Revealing your location while abroad could put you in danger if opportunistic thieves nearby see where you are. For example, tagging a restaurant, pub or even your hotel might make it easier for strangers to trace your movements.
“Even if you believe only friends can see your updates, remember that posts can easily be reshared, or your account might not be as private as you think,” explains a spokesperson from Ski Vertigo. “By broadcasting your location in real time, you are essentially telling the world your home is unattended – and also where to find you.”
Selfies could give away your location to thieves(Image: Catherine Falls Commercial via Getty Images)
2. Photos of travel documents and tickets
It might be alluring to share a swift snapshot of your boarding pass or passport as a means of displaying enthusiasm, but this can be a big security blunder. Travel documents contain sensitive personal information that can be exploited by identity thieves or fraudsters.
Even seemingly trivial details – such as a booking reference number or barcode – can be used by criminals to access your travel itinerary, cancel flights, or even alter your seat. Once your details fall into the wrong hands, the consequences can swiftly cause chaos for your trip.
Ski Vertigo’s experts said: “We have seen cases where travellers accidentally gave away enough information in a single photo for someone to interfere with their trip. A boarding pass should never be treated like a souvenir. Keep it secure and private.”
A safer option is to photograph luggage, airport architecture or even your in-flight meal if you still wish to capture the thrill of departure without endangering yourself.
It’s not wise to take a snap of your travel documents(Image: Alphotographic via Getty Images)
3. Expensive purchases or valuables
Another frequent habit is flaunting luxury items during your travels. Sharing photos of costly jewellery, designer shopping bags, or premium gadgets makes you stand out as a potential target for theft.
Criminals in tourist hotspots frequently exploit social media to monitor visitors who flaunt expensive items online. Even if you exercise caution in person, digital oversharing could undermine your attempts to remain secure, reports Galway Beo.
Thieves may not only set their sights on you while abroad, but also make mental notes of your possessions back home. Ski Vertigo warned: “Displaying expensive items online is like walking around with a sign saying, ‘I am carrying something valuable’. It can attract unwanted attention both abroad and back home.”
If you wish to share photographs, concentrate on scenery, cultural encounters, or cuisine – moments that highlight your travels without broadcasting affluence.
Tagging your location is a major red flag(Image: Thx4Stock via Getty Images)
Real-life consequences
The perils of oversharing while travelling extend beyond mere theory. Countless instances exist of burglars breaking into properties after spotting social media updates confirming the occupants were overseas.
Some travellers have experienced flight disruptions after criminals gained access to booking information through posted boarding passes.
Others have been pursued in real time, with crooks pinpointing their precise whereabouts through geotagged uploads.
In one documented incident, holidaymakers were stalked back to their accommodation after sharing a photograph from a neighbouring establishment – a sobering illustration of how rapidly online details can manifest into real problems. Scammers often exploit overshared details to their benefit.
A simple photograph of a passport or ticket can provide fraudsters with enough information to initiate phishing attacks, impersonate travellers, or deceive family members into sending money through counterfeit “emergency” messages.
One of the most prevalent strategies is dispatching urgent alerts that seem to originate from airlines, hotels or banks. These messages allege there’s a problem with your booking or payment, pressuring you to “confirm” details or re-enter credit card numbers.
Once scammers are aware you’re overseas, these fake alerts become significantly more persuasive – and considerably more risky.
Tips to avoid oversharing blunders
The silver lining is that ensuring safety doesn’t mean you have to cease sharing entirely. Ski Vertigo suggests the following precautions:
Post later, not live – Share your updates after you’ve returned home, or at least postpone uploads until you’ve left a location
Check your privacy settings – Make sure your accounts are set to private and restrict your audience to trusted friends
Avoid geotags and check-ins – Deactivate automatic location services in apps to prevent revealing your whereabouts
Think before you post – Consider if a stranger could use this photo or detail against you
Reserve document photos for private use only – If you need copies of travel documents, store them securely on your phone or in cloud storage, never on a public platform
By steering clear of these three frequent blunders, holidaymakers can still relish capturing their getaway memories while keeping themselves out of danger’s path. Bear in mind – the fewer personal details you broadcast in real time, the more secure your journey will be.
“Travelling should be about relaxation, discovery, and enjoyment,” Ski Vertigo said. “A few simple precautions online can make the difference between a holiday you remember for the right reasons, and one that is overshadowed by problems you could have avoided.”
The 50-year-old lawyer and former Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard had claimed she was entering the home of her former stepmother Carol Mitchell with permission and was conducting a welfare check.
Detroit Lakes Police Department officers arrested Mitchell in April 2024 at the home in Becker Country, Minn., which is located 49 miles east of the state’s border with North Dakota.
Mitchell was carrying tools and a flashlight covered with a sock at the time of her arrest, which took place around 5 a.m. CDT after her stepmother called 911.
The former TV meteorologist testified in her own defense at trial, claiming she was conducting a wellness check on her stepmother Carol Mitchell, who is 72.
That story differed from the one she told police the night of the arrest when she said she was looking to retrieve items belonging to her father Roderick Mitchell who died in March 2023.
Mitchell was also dressed in all black and told police at the time “clearly I’m not good at this,” after officers found her.
“The defense has repeatedly classified this as a welfare check. You’ve seen all the evidence, the time of night, the outfit, the tools. What does your reason and common sense tell you?” Becker County Attorney Brian McDonald said during his closing address to jurors.
Mitchell is from Woodbury, Minn. and still lives there, where she represents the state’s District 47 after being elected in 2022.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a fellow Democrat, has not weighed in publicly since the verdict.
A felony conviction in Minnesota does not exclude a person from holding political office.
Republicans in the narrowly-divided state senate have previously called for Mitchell to resign and attempted to expel her from the legislature.
A sentencing date has not been announced but the felony convictions do come with the possibility of a prison sentence.
Burglars no longer case streets, instead they scroll through social media and send fake friend requests to gain access to private posts, which could leave you at risk
A simple holiday snap could cost you(Image: Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images)
When you’re away on holiday, it’s incredibly tempting to share updates with everyone back home. However, that innocent photo of your hotel room or boarding pass could potentially cost you thousands if you’re not cautious.
According to Forum Insurance, posting real-time social media updates might invalidate your home insurance should you fall victim to burglary whilst away. This stems from “reasonable care” provisions included in numerous policies, reports the Express.
Insurance companies may contend that publicly announcing your home is empty constitutes negligence.
Niraj Mamtora, Director and Home Insurance Expert at Forum Insurance, explained that criminals have become far more sophisticated nowadays.
He stated: “Burglars aren’t just casing streets anymore, they’re scrolling through Instagram stories and Facebook timelines.
“With this in mind, insurers expect policyholders to take reasonable care to protect their property, and that now includes being cautious about what you share online.”
“For example, posting ‘Off to Greece for two weeks!’ could be considered negligence under policy terms, similar to leaving doors unlocked.”
Social media posts could invalidate your insurance (Image: sestovic via Getty Images)
Even sharing within private groups offers no protection, he warned: “Screenshots can circulate, and insurers may argue you didn’t sufficiently limit audience access.
“Many insurers include clauses requiring policyholders to ‘take care to prevent loss.’
If you publicly broadcast your holiday plans, insurers could argue you breached this duty. Always assume anything shared online, even privately, could be seen by criminals.”
Niraj warns that even innocent-looking posts can alert criminals: “They often monitor public profiles or send fake friend requests to gain access to private posts.
“Even something as simple as tagging yourself at the airport or sharing a boarding pass photo can give criminals a clear window of opportunity.”
To protect yourself from criminals while on holiday, there are several precautions you can take.
Niraj advises checking your insurance policy for clauses like “reasonable care” or “unforced entry”, and suggests waiting until you’re back home before posting holiday snaps.
It’s also wise to set your social media accounts to private, regularly review your friends list, and decline friend requests from people you don’t know.
Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were stabbed to death in their home in Moscow, Idaho, in 2022, with roommates Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke surviving
A new docuseries has revealed harrowing details of the night four students were murdered in Idaho(Image: ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock)
Friends of the two University of Idaho students who survived the brutal stabbing of four roommates in 2022 have revealed why the pair didn’t call 911 for several hours after the massacre.
The revelations come in One Night in Idaho, a new Prime Video docuseries that premiered on July 11. The show includes interviews with relatives and friends of the victims – Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin – as well as insight into the surviving roommates’ state of mind in the hours following the killings.
Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, who lived in the Moscow, Idaho, off-campus house where the four students were murdered, were home at the time but were unharmed. They placed the 911 call at 11:58am on November 13, 2022 – roughly eight hours after the attack, which investigators believe happened between 4am and 4.20am.
Their friend Hunter Johnson discovered Xana and Ethan’s bodies the following morning(Image: Courtesy of Prime Video)
Dylan later told police she had opened her bedroom door around 4am after hearing noises and saw a masked man with bushy eyebrows walking toward a sliding glass door before locking herself in her room, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Speaking in the docuseries, friends Hunter Johnson, Emily Alandt and Josie Lauteren shared how Dylan and Bethany contacted them that morning asking for help. “She was like, ‘Something weird happened last night. I don’t really know if I was dreaming or not, but I’m really scared. Can you come check out the house?’” Emily recalled.
Dylan told her she had been in the basement with Bethany and had tried calling Xana several times but received no response. Emily said she didn’t initially think the request was serious. “I was like, ‘Ha, ha, sure. Should I bring my pepper spray?’ Not thinking anything of it,” she said.
Josie explained that Dylan had previously called friends for support after hearing strange noises in the house. “She’s called us before and been like, ‘Oh, I’m scared. Can you bring your boyfriends over?’ But it was never anything serious… because it’s Moscow.”
Emily Alandt also went inside the house on the morning of the murders(Image: Courtesy of Prime Video)
When Emily, Josie and Hunter arrived at the house, they quickly realised something was terribly wrong. “Dylan and Bethany had exited the house. They looked frightened, just kind of like, hands on their mouth, like, ‘I don’t know what’s going on,’” Emily said.
“As soon as I stepped in the house, I was like, ‘Oh, something is so not right.’ Like, you could feel it almost,” Josie added. Hunter, who entered the home first, urged them to call police without revealing what he actually saw when entering Xana and Ethan’s bedroom.
“Hunter had enough courage to tell them to call the police for not a real reason,” Alandt said. “He worded it very nicely. He said, ‘Tell them there’s an unconscious person.’ Hunter saved all of us extreme trauma by not letting us know anything.”
Bethany Funke (left) was one of the surviving roommates
Dylan made the 911 call, but was too distraught to speak. “I had to take the phone from her because she was so completely hysterical,” Josie said. “They’re like, ‘What’s the address, what’s the address?’ and I was like, ‘1122 King Road.’”
Even then, Josie said she believed paramedics might revive the victims. “I mean, even when [Hunter] said they had no pulse, I still was like, ‘Oh, the paramedics are gonna come and revive them.’”
In the series, the friends say Dylan and Bethany’s delay in calling 911, and hazy memory, was likely caused by shock and confusion. “It wasn’t until the morning that [Dylan] realised, holy s***, that couldn’t have been a dream,” Emily said.
Dylan Mortensen came face to face with the killer(Image: Facebook)
“She just called and said, ‘Something weird happened, I thought it was a dream, I’m not quite sure anymore. I tried to call everybody to wake them up and no one’s answering.’”
Bryan Kohberger was arrested nearly six weeks after the murders and charged with four counts of murder and one count of felony burglary. On July 2, Kohberger pleaded guilty to all charges. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 23 and faces life in prison.
Dylan and Bethany did not take part in the documentary and have not commented publicly about the new revelations. A psychologist in the docuseries said it’s likely Dylan – who came face to face with the killer – acted in a “trauma response”.
Becca Farley was on holiday with her partner and two young children in Benidorm, Spain, when she caught two teenagers in her room on the last night of their break
Becca Farley visited Benidorm for a break with her two kids
A mum-of-two has sounded the alarm for holidaymakers after a distressing incident at a Spanish hotel where her room was unexpectedly invaded.
Becca Farley, 27, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, was enjoying a getaway in Benidorm with her family when she encountered intruders in their accommodation. The family had shelled out £2,500 for their week-long retreat.
On their final evening, amidst hotel notices about an impending power outage, Becca headed to their room to charge mobile phones ahead of their journey back. She recounted the unsettling moment: “As I got in the lift these two teenagers got in the lift with me and just pressed my floor level. I honestly didn’t think anything of it because there’s five rooms per floor, so I just assumed they were going to one of them.”
The family had been enjoying their holiday until that point
However, the situation took a turn when the youths exited the lift before her and made a beeline for her room, which was propped open with a shoe. Initially confused, Becca thought she had got off on the wrong floor, but she quickly realised that wasn’t the case.
“It happened all quite quickly and they just strolled straight into my room,” she said. Becca decided to follow them inside and confront them.
“But I just didn’t really think and went straight into the room and shouted ‘What are you doing in my room? Get the f*ck out, get the f*ck out, get the f*ck out’.” Thankfully, the teenagers did.
Yet, the ordeal hadn’t ended—the youth hammered on the door shortly after while Becca remained barricaded inside. “I was absolutely petrified,” she confessed.
“I know it sounds silly and people have said you should have done this, you should have locked them in the room, you should have decked them but at that moment I think it was just that invasion of privacy. This is supposed to be your safe place when you are away, you’re away from home, we don’t travel all that often so we were really shaken.”
That night was sleepless for Becca; every sound made her jolt with anxiety. “If it had happened earlier on in the week we would have flown home.”
Despite being accused of scaremongering by some, she insists it’s not about deterring travel or singling out a particularly destination as being dangerous.
“A lot of people have said we were scaremongering people not to go away, not at all. We will certainly go on holiday again, it’s not a case of us never going abroad again but I think it’s just having that awareness that if you are a lone woman, please be careful,” she added.
“I’m very lucky that I’m OK but I think it’s just a case of having your wits about you a bit more. When you go on holiday you tend to relax and become a little bit naive to these situations.
“Obviously keep your valuables safe. I know some people say don’t use the safes, we personally lock all of ours and padlock them in our suitcases. I think it’s just a case of having your wits about you and knowing not to get comfortable in somewhere you’ve never been before.”
Despite her intention to continue her travels, Becca admitted she will adopt more stringent security measures.
“I’m considering getting a webcam that you can put in your room next time we go away. I will carry on locking my stuff away. I would never take the kids away on my own. I certainly wouldn’t have cleaners in my room ever again, not to say it definitely was them but they have access to your room. I don’t know if I would feel comfortable going up to a room on my own again.”
“‘Oya Oya, tell am make him wire us ₦200k before we leave you; if not, na Kaduna we go carry you go like this,” yelled the driver who abducted Precious Joseph during a phone call with her fiancé.
What was supposed to be a normal evening for Precious, a businesswoman in her thirties in Abuja, North-central Nigeria, turned out to be a harrowing ordeal that left her traumatised.
It was around 6 p.m. in February when the incident happened. That evening, she was patiently waiting for a roadside taxi in Gwarimpa, popularly called ‘along’, after receiving a call from an unhappy customer waiting at her other shop branch in Garki.
A green-coloured Golf taxi stopped for her — a lady sat in the front, and two men occupied the rear seat. Unsuspecting, she entered the vehicle after negotiating the fare. It wasn’t until they approached the Oando Filling Station along the Gwarimpa highway that she realised something was deeply wrong.
“The lady in the front started winding up her window; then the driver and the guy next to me did the same,” Precious recounted. “Mine was the only window still down, so the man beside me reached over to wind it up. I refused. That’s when he slapped me.”
Her panic escalated after the driver confirmed her worst fears: “You think say we be normal human beings? You de craze?” She recalled him saying.
From that moment, she knew she was in the hands of ruthless criminal drivers notorious for robbing and sometimes harming unsuspecting commuters in Abuja. The criminal enterprise is commonly known as ‘one-chance’.
“I told them to take whatever they wanted. But the driver just laughed and said, ‘We don’t want anything from you yet. When we reach where we de go, we go know whether we want something,’” Precious recounted.
Her panic intensified when the driver asked her what she could offer because they had been paid ₦5 million to bring her.
At that moment, she peed on herself.
An unending crime
Precious is just one of many victims of one-chance operations in Nigeria’s capital city.
These operations, where criminals disguise themselves as taxi drivers and passengers to lure unsuspecting commuters, are not a new phenomenon. It is not only a menace widely recognised by Abuja residents but also one of the most persistent security threats that has remained a frightening norm in the capital city and other states in Nigeria.
Several victims told HumAngle that these criminal gangs operate with precision, selecting their victims carefully based on vulnerability, isolation, and distraction.
Unsuspecting commuters are lured using gang members of any gender, who disguise themselves as everyday passengers. In some cases, these members are scattered along different routes, where they are then picked up by the drivers at intervals to avoid suspicion. Within minutes of the ride, they then reveal their true intentions.
Findings by HumAngle, based on interviews with victims, revealed that some of the hotspots for one-chance operations in Abuja include but are not limited to the Gwarimpa expressway, Wuse, Berger Roundabout, Area 1, Central Area, Jabi, and Lugbe Axis.
Though there is no publicly available data specific to one-chance victims or incidents in Nigeria, a report published by The Guardian, a Nigerian newspaper, revealed that over 100 cases have been recorded since 2015.
Some of these tragic incidents, as also reported by HumAngle in the past, have led to injuries and, in some cases, death due to their inability to provide a police report. This raises concerns about how much value is being placed on the lives of average citizens.
In June 2024, Prisca Chikodi, a personnel of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), was killed by one-chance operators after boarding a vehicle at Area 1 bus stop. Her body was later found in Utako, with no visible signs of gunshot wounds or stabbing.
This year, precisely in February, a social media clip revealed how two suspected one-chance operators were apprehended by mobs in Lugbe. The suspects had allegedly picked up a young woman, who raised an alarm upon sensing danger. Bystanders intercepted the vehicle, rescued her, and took justice into their own hands.
Kabir Adamu, a security expert and the director of Abuja-based Beacon Security Intelligence, explained that despite attempts by previous commissioners of police and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to end the menace through the banning of illegal parks, advocacy, and arresting drivers or vehicles that are not registered, it has not succeeded in reducing the crime in the FCT.
He also revealed that the lack of efficient public transportation in the capital city is one of the reasons why ‘one-chance’ remains a growing menace that needs urgent attention, as residents increasingly experience horrific ordeals.
“Public transportation is not adequately provided in the FCT, which is principally a working city with a lot of workers with limited public transportation arrangements. The need for transportation is extremely high, and those who cannot afford to use the registered taxis will now have to depend on less expensive rides, making them more vulnerable to criminals. Until we address public transportation needs in the FCT, I’m afraid to say this challenge will remain with us,” Kabir told HumAngle.
Some victims of one-chance incidents revealed that their horrifying experiences have pushed them to use alternative and, to a certain extent, safer modes of transportation, like ride-sharing apps for commuting within the capital city.
Mardiya Umar, another victim of the one-chance crime, told HumAngle that even though ride-sharing apps have their share of challenges, they offer a much safer alternative compared to on-the-spot taxis, which are mostly used for one-chance operations in Abuja.
“[Ride-sharing apps] are not completely a haven; it is just something we are trying to explore, but I will say that it is safer, and right now, I don’t even care about the exorbitant prices. If I can afford it, why not? If I can’t afford to be somewhere at a particular time, I’d rather stay in my house because the trust issue is still there,” Mardiya said.
The extortion spree
For Precious, the horror was far from over.
After inflicting physical harm, the criminals ensured that her nightmare extended beyond just that. They were not merely looking for cash and valuables; they wanted access to her bank accounts.
AI-generated illustration depicting a one-chance robbery scenario. Created with DeepSeek
Before then, the woman, a member of the one-chance syndicate, seated in the front seat, demanded her phone and bag. As she scoured through her belongings, they found her credit card. That signalled the commencement of the extortion spree.
“I had ₦27,000 cash that I made from my shop in Kagini before leaving; she then asked me how much I had in my account,” Precious recalled.
Due to the psychological and physical horrors she was experiencing, she explained to them that she had three bank accounts but was only carrying the card for one. They ordered her to transfer all the money from the other accounts into the one linked to the available card so they could withdraw it.
Under duress, she complied, giving them access to her account and transaction PIN.
As they continued the journey, one of the criminals got out at multiple locations to withdraw cash from her account. She remembers them saying, “This money never do. E be like say this girl get money.”
Helpless and trapped in the backseat, she had no way to resist.
A desperate plea for help
As the one-chance criminals continued their crime spree stretching through the night, Precious’s phone rang — it was her fiancé calling to query why she hadn’t reached, as the customer was still waiting for her. Her fiancé was in the shop when she left for Garki and promised to come back as soon as possible so that they could go home together.
“They gave me the phone and told me to tell him I had been kidnapped. They demanded that I tell him to transfer ₦200,000 or they would take me to Kaduna,” about four hours away in Nigeria’s North West.
The moment she spoke, he suspected something was off and asked if she was okay. She had barely responded before they took the phone from her, demanding a ransom from him, threatening to take her to an undisclosed location where they could extract even more money if he didn’t comply.
Her fiancé begged them, told them he didn’t have the money and that the bank network was bad. But they just kept repeating, “Na you no bail am o.”
About 30 minutes later, Precious’ fiancé sent money into the account as instructed, and the criminals withdrew the amount before letting her go. The horrifying seven hours left her disoriented, alone, and vulnerable.
“I wasn’t aware that they were on the Abuja-Kaduna highway until they dropped me in a nearby bush. I had to trek out to the express,” Precious said.
Vehicles sped by, none stopping to help her. It is a dangerous stretch of highway, and no driver wants to risk falling victim to another crime. She kept walking until she found a vehicle that brought her back to Abuja.
Between trauma and a flawed system
At the centre of one-chance and car break-ins in Abuja, victims juggle between overcoming trauma and the lack of effective law enforcement response to track criminals, either through car registration linked to phone numbers, Bank Verification Number (BVN), or National Identity Number in the event of such crimes.
After enduring physical abuses (especially for one-chance victims), financial losses, and psychological trauma, some victims told HumAngle that they don’t even report the incidents to security operatives due to the hurdles they are likely to face. Even those who report barely get help.
Mary Akwu is one such victim.
She entered a one-chance vehicle along the Gwarimpa expressway and was beaten by the criminals, leaving her with a swollen face. When she visited the police station at Games Village in Garki the following day, the officers told her that the crime happened outside their jurisdiction, so they referred her to the Wuye division.
After meeting with the Divisional Police Officer at Wuye, she was asked to visit a hospital and her bank before they could proceed with the case.
When she returned the next day, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) assigned to the case told her that she needed to make some payments to cover the running cost of the investigation, but since she didn’t have the money in her account due to the incident, he told her to go and work for some months to gather the amount needed – she left without help from the police, only with the physical and mental scars of the incidents.
Since then, Mary has been caught up in traumatic rollercoasters. She told HumAngle that the experience from that incident made her scared of everything.
“I had Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,” she said. “I would scream in my sleep at night. I was scared of going anywhere. Everybody seemed like they were going to hurt me. I avoided every male figure around me. Unconsciously, I was traumatised. I got a job and had to quit because of how the man was talking to me. I didn’t trust him.”
They transferred ₦530,000 from her account, most of which belonged to her church group. When she reported the incident to the church, her pastor notified the church’s head of security, who advised them to move the case to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja.
On getting there, the FCID informed them that they would write to the initial IPO at Wuye to transfer the case. Before then, they also requested some payments be made to ‘facilitate’ the process.
“We paid, and they told us they were going to work on the case. They called me like two times to get the bank details and some other things. Since then, I haven’t heard from FCID and the IPO. Even the suspect whose account the money was traced to was unreachable,” Mary told HumAngle.
Aside from the cash, the criminals went away with her jewellery.
“I haven’t recovered anything. I’m still working on balancing my life,” she said.
Security experts like Kabir believe that greater synergy and less territorial behaviour among public security managers would allow government agencies and private sector players to combine their cybersecurity strengths and better support efforts to combat these crimes.
“The public security cybersecurity capability is extremely weak, and its refusal to integrate the non-security cybersecurity component that we have is also a huge challenge. We have the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, where we have parastatals like the Nigerian Communications Commission and Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency that have enormous capability to support the sector, but because of the territorial nature of our public security managers, they don’t see these players as capable of supporting them,” he said.
“So, what they are trying to do is to raise their capabilities independent of this other existing one, and because of that, you now see a huge gap, and it’s affecting virtually everything cyber-related in the country.”
Emmanuel Onwubiko, the National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers of Nigeria, added that one-chance operators are exploiting existing loopholes within certain government agencies to execute their plans and unleash violence on citizens.
While calling for the installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) for improved intelligence across the FCT, Onwubiko said synergy between the police, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and other security forces will help fight the crimes of one-chance and car burglary.
“It is important that the government examines the state of the FRSC because it has collapsed. The licensing management system has collapsed. All kinds of people are driving without properly registered information somewhere because the FRSC cannot even produce licences swiftly,” he noted.
On the recurring complaints that police officers often demand money from victims before investigating their cases, Josephine Adeh, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, told HumAngle that the command maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards unprofessional conduct.
“Incidents of one-chance robbery in the FCT have been reduced to the barest minimum,” she said. “The current Commissioner of Police has employed extensive and strategic tactics to effectively combat one-chance activities within the FCT. These proactive measures have yielded positive results, as evidenced by the significantly low, often non-existent reports of such incidents in recent times.”
The police spokesperson added that the FCT Command works closely with victims of one-chance robberies who come forward to report their cases, insisting that no one is ever asked to pay before their complaints are addressed.
“The Command remains committed to providing professional and compassionate support to all victims of crime,” she added.
But for Precious, Mary, and the many others who have suffered at the hands of one-chance and car break-in syndicates, the trauma runs far deeper than financial loss. While some bruises have faded with time, the psychological scars linger. And as long as the criminal networks continue to exploit gaps in the system and prey on unsuspecting commuters, the sense of fear and vulnerability remains, a heavy price for simply trying to get home or to work.
