What should we talk about today?
The world according to Kirkey
Eagerly anticipating my second adventure to India, I never once considered the commission of any form of crime, especially not my demise at the hands of a murderer. I’d never been to Goa, the final leg of the two-week exploration of this incredible country that never ceases to amaze, enthral, and excite me. It represented … Read more
Lucy Letby is a callous monster ─ the most despicable specimen of humanity; however, can I really frame her existence within the context of what I believe it is to be a human being? Surely, she defies every conceivable convention of compassion: the cornerstone of our creation. She is the embodiment of pure evil; and … Read more
Standing solemnly on a cold, dark evening I heard the words of the politicians, and maybe if I’d been asked to make a formal speech I too would have reiterated the importance of reflection, reconciliation and reverence. But I had a nagging and growing doubt about the sincerity of the pledges. Attended by a handful … Read more
I’m often impatient, infuriating, and – apparently – annoyingly inquisitive. In my academic life I have had to become engrossed within huge tomes of social, legal, and scientific data, regularly scanning the tedious text for the golden nugget; the bottom line; the epicentre of the empirical data. This is always a systemic slog with my … Read more
As a cop there were some delicious moments when I left the claustrophobic confines of an interview room and punched the air in triumph! Unfortunately these were rare, since the vast majority of these exchanges – made by fictional television adaptations to feel unnaturally compelling and characteristic of good prevailing over bad ─ followed a … Read more
I vividly recall, as a young cop, being locked in a police cell in Bracknell police station. The prank was orchestrated by a couple of the shift elders and was part and parcel of the rituals of being accepted into the fold. Scaring new recruits shitless was a 1980s tradition that typified the slow transition … Read more
A few decades ago, in a time that is now a relic of my former life, walls were both symbolic and vital. I was a cop, but there were times when it was perhaps more advisable to deny that fact – an enforced yet necessary barrier – especially when I was undercover or off duty … Read more
A lifetime ago, aged 19, I joined the police with, if I’m totally honest, a principal yearning to be looked after. As an employer this respected profession gave me everything – job security, a decent wage, prospects, status, companionship, a roof over my head, and identity. My self-worth, for an insecure guy lacking in worldly … Read more
I currently have just shy of twenty thousand photographs on my iPhone, dating back to January 2011. This averages out at nearly five pictures a day or around one every two waking hours. I keep promising myself that one day I will start to declutter and ease the burden on my mobile and iCloud account. … Read more
The cold evening chill against my face only added to my already heightened sense of anticipation. Slayings, subterfuge, and the sinister story of London’s first recorded serial killer was only moments away. How was I so certain? This was at least my fifth walking tour of the killing grounds of Jack the Ripper. Standing on … Read more