Delroy Grant: The Night Stalker - How DCI Colin Sutton Caught a Serial Predator - Part 2

About this episode

The episode discusses how DCI Colin Sutton led the investigation to capture Delroy Grant, the Night Stalker, after years of failed attempts.

In part two of this True Criminals double episode, Martin Brunt and Helen Fospero are joined by retired DCI Colin Sutton to reveal how the hunt for Delroy Grant finally turned after years of failure. Known as the Night Stalker, Grant terrorised vulnerable elderly victims across South London for nearly two decades, committing burglary, rape and sexual assault while evading capture despite leaving DNA at multiple scenes. The investigation, Operation Minstead, became a test of modern policing, with mass screenings, huge suspect lists and mounting public fear. When Sutton took over in 2009, he rejected the DNA led focus and reframed the case as a pattern of burglary, using geographical profiling, behavioural insight and covert surveillance to predict where the offender would strike next. What followed was a high stakes operation placing officers in hidden observation posts across South East London, leading to the moment Grant was finally caught and identified through DNA. The episode explores his chilling double life as a seemingly kind neighbour and carer hiding a predatory reality, as well as the devastating impact on victims, many of whom lived in lasting fear. Sutton also…

People in this episode

Hosts: Martin Brunt, Helen Fospero

Guest: Colin Sutton

Topics covered

• serial predator
• policing
• investigation
• true crime
• victim impact
• geographical profiling

Keywords

• Delroy Grant
• Night Stalker
• Colin Sutton
• Operation Minstead
• burglary
• rape
• sexual assault
• geographical profiling
• policing errors

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Operation Minstead

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