Execution in Tulse Hill: The Killing of Avril ‘Miss Irie’ Johnson

In the summer of 1998, 30-year-old mother and DJ Avril “Miss Irie” Johnson was brutally murdered in her own home in Tulse Hill. Armed men forced their way in, tied up her family, and executed Avril in front of her husband and two young daughters. Her death became part of a wider spree of violence that shook London and helped shape the launch of Operation Trident. 

In this episode, we walk through Avril’s life, her love of music, the terrifying events of that night, and the trial that followed, while also unpicking the wider panic about so-called “yardie gangs” in the late 90s. 

And yes, alongside the horror, you’ll still hear our slightly delirious pre-holiday ramblings about Justin Timberlake, Potter’s Bar, and accidental cinema merch purchases.

Sources include:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/572113.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/526538.stm
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/aug/28/ukcrime.ukguns
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12224108.two-get-life-for-execution-of-woman-dj/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tippa_Irie
https://www.tippairie.com/
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/dec/22
https://www.mojuk.org.uk/2011/HyroneHart.html
https://www.mojuk.org.uk/2011/HyroneHart-2.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/yardie-gang-members-get-life-for-murder-and-rape-spree-1134068.html
https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/6501258.police-believe-deaths-linked 

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Produced and hosted by Hannah Williams & Rachel Baines
Mixed & edited by Purple Waves Sound (A.K.A Will)