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Part 1 of a two-part UK true-crime documentary

It was the culmination of a reign of terror climaxing in a crime that horrified a nation. Between
1967 and 1974, an athletic, shadowy figure carried out a series of nighttime raids on sub-post offices in the English Midlands. The masked robber, who always wore dark clothing, was as ruthless as he was physically fit. These characteristics earned him the nickname ‘The Black Panther’. Before long, the Panther turned to cold-blooded murder. Then, with the same chilling disregard for life which characterised his earlier crimes, he kidnapped and murdered a teenage girl. The girl, who he believed to be heiress to a vast fortune, was Lesley Whittle. The Black Panther was eventually unmasked as Donald Neilson, a psychopath with a massive chip on his shoulder.

The Six O’clock Knock is a Psycho Killer production.

Transcript
[Music] This podcast contains descriptions of death and violence that some listeners may find upsetting hello and welcome to the Six O’clock Knock the podcast where we combine a journalist's curiosity with the detectives powers of logical deduction I’m Simon Ford writer broadcaster and former BBC reporter and I’m Jacques Morrell a former major crime detective I might have left the job but I can't leave the job alone it's in our blood you see so we decided to get together and compare notes about old cases cold cases and just plain weird cases and boom the Six O’clock Knock was born we're going to get under the skin of one of the most violent sinister and mysterious British criminals of the 20th century the expression reign of terror could have been coined to describe his career of crime so little is known about this mercurial murderer and kidnapper we've reimagined some moments from his life using eyewitness testimony court transcripts and accounts from the period his name was Donald Neilson but in the 1970s he was known and feared by the nickname bestowed on him by the press the black panther [Music] Donald Neilson was born with the different and slightly unfortunate name of Donald Nappey on Saturday the 1st of August 1936 he was just 10 when his mother died he was bullied at school and he soon found himself in trouble with the law it was military service that interrupted his downward spiral the teenage Donald Nappey had met the love of his life the British army it was more than a love affair though it was an obsession [Music] oh Nappey rash golly flags it was the kind of stupid remark Donald Nappey was used to hearing from his fellow conscripts in the king's own Yorkshire light infantry a zealous non-smoker lance corporal Nappey drew himself up to his four five feet four inches and bellowed gets a bloody move on you lanky streaks of piss before I put you both on a charge all because he turned down his cigarette ration instead of sharing it with the other soldiers what do you want striker [ __ ] short ass Nappey his surname had been a source of torment from almost the day he was born bullied at school the taunting continued when he enlisted in the army for national service but despite having to repeat his basic training and a uniform that always appeared a size too big the army life suited young Donald it was regimented and orderly you knew where you were with orders in a year he'd gone from an orphan delinquent to a young man with a purpose he'd hardly started shaving cue more teasing when they promoted him to lance corporal now he got to issue a few orders of his own not that his obsessive list making nit-picking and penalties for petty infringements earned him much respect from his subordinates humour the squad his best friend was how they coped with his type Nappey two pubes Nappey one ball Nappey the 18 year old jogged across Strensil Camp high on the north Yorkshire moors his wiry frame humping a 30 pound bergen rucksack the other men grumbled about the so-called lazy wind it goes through you not around you but lance corporal Nappey embraced the chilly conditions wait until they get to Aden or Kenya he said to himself and they're miles from anywhere with no rations or facing some Mao Mao gorillas when the ammo runs out they'll wish they'd listen to me then the sarcastic bastards by now Nappey was double timing it his hobnailed ammunition boots wrapping on the brushed concrete of the perimeter road up here on the moors the route around the base was both his running track and assault course they could say what they liked but lance corporal Nappey had the rest of them licked when it came to PT just don't mention that business with the SAS lads absorbed in the rhythm of running Donald Nappey was enjoying a daydream in which he as commander of his own elite unit showed the SASs how to do it properly this unforgivable lapse of vigilance explained as he would later tell himself his failure to register the parked land rover with heart-stopping suddenness colonel Nappey of the special air service found himself face to face with an enraged Alsatian he was so close that the phone flying from its gnashing jaws caught him full in the face sweet Jesus Christ he roared somebody get that [ __ ] monster under control yes sorry cool bro replied the handler smirking as he jumped out of the canvas covered land rover Spartan’s been cooped up all day you know what he's like when he hasn't had his exercise despite varying his route and the timing of his runs lance corporal Nappey was prone to encounter the same dog with uncanny regularity this time the Alsatian had emerged from the tarpaulin at head height like some furious canine cuckoo from a clock exercise my ass private insubordination fatigues guard room 1500 hours got it what about spartan xeon for teams as well corporal the snarling dog was straining at the leash dancing like a bear on its hind legs lance corporal Nappey hoped the sentry hadn't seen that his knees were knocking under his car key drill shorts bloody dogs he hated bloody dogs 1500 hours and think yourself lucky I don't have the bugger shots the private jumped to attention snapping up a salute dismissed Nappey spat back infuriated that his voice was an octave higher than normal he swallowed hard and was waiting for the land rover to disappear when he thought he heard a whisper don't worry spartan he won't shoot you he wouldn't know which way round to point the bloody gun Nappey scanned the heather and the gorse but there was nobody there bloody imagination getting the better of him in the distance a helicopter was circling wakka wakka wakka wakka there's gonna be a few changes around here be hollered in case anyone was listening then checking the two synchronized wristwatches he always wore lance corporal Nappey resumed his steady pace and followed the perimeter fence back towards the main gate that sodding name will have to go for a start he thought no son of mine will be saddled with a moniker like Nappey dirty Nappey nipper Nappey happy Nappey he'd had enough he fancied Neilson that had a ring to it that would get respect [Music] it wasn't until 1960 that the 24 year old Donald Nappey changed his name to Neilson by that stage he'd left the army and married Irene Tate they had a daughter Catherine and that spurred Mr Nappey to make the switch to Neilson Saturday's child works hard for a living and Donald Neilson slogged away at a few jobs he was a taxi driver and a handyman but he never stuck at anything for long why did he leave the army if he enjoyed it so much that's an excellent question I’ve read that Irene persuaded him to leave he was 18 when they wed and she was 20 and he never served more than his compulsory two years national service the consensus is that he was a Walter Mitty character you know full of high ideals and daydreams but he simply couldn't cut the mustard he was a poor marksman had to repeat his basic training and of course because of his name he was the butt of jokes but despite this he was super fit physically strong and mentally alert he even studied military training methods and particularly the survival techniques of Britain’s royal marine commando units and the crack special air service Neilson could have been a good soldier if he'd stuck at it instead he transferred that rigorous military discipline into his domestic life treating his wife and daughter like raw recruits taking them on military-style manoeuvres into the local woods balling at them like a sergeant major the army had changed him yeah like flicking a switch that couldn't be turned off what's more Neilson had developed a brooding sense of injustice he blamed everyone and everything else for his lot in life in particular he despised immigrants as a national serviceman in Aden and Kenya he'd seen himself as a defender of the British empire but in the 50s Britain was no longer a global power the Suez crisis in 1956

Read more: https://bit.ly/black-panther-part-1-transcript