True Criminals

Toni-Ann Byfield: The Hunt for "Cane" – with former Assistant Police Commissioner Neil Basu (Part 2)

Mittwoch, 8. April 2026 · 47 min

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The trail for a child’s killer had gone cold. The investigation was, in Neil Basu’s own words, “wobbling.” Then, from the shadows of North West London, a single street name emerged: Cane.

In the gripping conclusion of this two-part True Criminals special, Neil Basu QPM returns to reveal how the hunt for Toni-Ann Byfield’s murderer stretched from the streets of London to the heart of Toxteth, Liverpool. What follows is a story of calculated risk, psychological strategy, and a detective determined that no grieving family should ever feel “second best.”

In Part 2, Neil reveals:

• The Toxteth Manhunt – The bold move of taking Metropolitan Police surveillance into Liverpool 8, and the cross-border cooperation that kept the operation alive
• The “Crimewatch” Trap – How a carefully planned TV appeal sparked a panicked confession from inside a prison cell
• The Interview Room Gambit – A moment of psychological strategy, as a detective adopted a “doctor’s” persona to place the killer at the scene
• The Breaking Point – Neil’s candid reflection on the emotion of the Old Bailey trial, and why failures in social services still resonate in this case

Read Neil’s memoir, Turmoil: 30 Years of Policing, Politics and Prejudice:
amazon.co.uk/Turmoil-Years-Policing-Politics-P…

Listen to his podcast, The Crime Agents:
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-crime-agents…

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patreon.com/truecriminals

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True Criminals is produced by Audio Bleach Global.
Find out more: audiobleachglobal.com/truecriminals

Executive Producer: Lee Mann
Producer: Russell Barnes
Audio Production: BLEACHED
Music Composition: BLEACHED
Artwork: BLEACHED

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