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Standard Issue Podcast

SIM Ep 744 Chops 255: Groomed. Gaslighted. Ghosted.

Standard Issue Podcast

Standard Issue

Society & Culture

4.71.1K Ratings

🗓️ 3 July 2022

⏱️ 43 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Earlier this year saw the publication of Deep Deception, a non-fiction book about the Spycops scandal by five of the many women targeted by undercover police officers in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and into the 2010s. They were part of left-wing activist groups routinely spied on by the Special Demonstrations Squad, a police unit founded in 1968. All five were hoodwinked into believing they had met their perfect man, when, in fact, the person they shared their life with did not really exist. Instead, their partners were being played by specially-trained - and married - police officers who had stolen the identity of a dead child. This week, Hannah chats to two of them: Helen Steel and Alison* about the fascinating, mysterious, horrifying and important history of the Spycops scandal. * Not her real name Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Waitrose have added more of your favourites to their new lower prices.

0:03.6

Or is it new, new, lower prices, or newer, new, lower prices?

0:07.9

Well, they've added more, so it could be more, newer, new, lower prices.

0:11.7

Or even the newest of new, lower prices on more.

0:14.2

Ernie, whoo! Waitrose have new, new, lower prices on hundreds of your favourites,

0:19.4

like apples, chicken, and those cheeky ginger nuts. Waitrose.

0:23.0

Food to feel good about.

0:25.0

Selected stores, subjects with availability, prices may vary in a little Waitrose channel islands and concessions.

0:29.9

Hello, Hannah here, and welcome to this week's Sunday Chops, and do I have a doozy for you.

0:52.3

Earlier this year saw the publication of Deep Deception, a nonfiction book about the Spycop scandal.

0:59.8

By five of the women targeted by undercover police officers in the 1980s, 90s, 2000s, and into the 2010s.

1:09.0

They were part of left-wing activist groups routinely spied on by the special demonstration squad.

1:15.6

A shadowy police unit founded in 1968.

1:19.3

All five of them were who winked into believing they have met their perfect man,

1:23.2

when in fact that person that they shared their life with did not really exist.

1:28.2

Instead, their partners were specially trained, and married, police officers, who had stolen the identity of a dead child.

1:36.2

This week I was lucky enough to have a conversation with two of them.

1:39.7

The first is Helen Steele, who you may have heard of, as she was one of the two defendants in the world famous MacLibal Drial.

1:47.2

Helen was 22 in the 1980s when she met 27-year-old John Barker, actually 32-year-old John Dines.

1:55.9

The second is Alison, who, like many of the women involved in this scandal, is choosing to keep her real identity secret, and fair play.

2:04.2

She was manipulated into a five-year relationship with Mark Cassidy, real name Mark Jenner, in the 1990s.

2:14.5

Along with three other women, known only as Belinda, Lisa and Naomi, and with the assistance of Veronica Clark,

...

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