About this episode

Kerry Daynes shares her experiences and insights from her career in forensic psychology, including her encounters with dangerous criminals.

We welcome Kerry Daynes back to True Criminals for the second of two conversations with one of Britain’s leading consultant forensic psychologists. Last time, we explored Kerry’s encounters with serial killer Dennis Nilsen. This time, the story is Kerry herself and an extraordinary career spent sitting opposite some of the most dangerous and complex people in the criminal justice system. Kerry takes us back to Wakefield Prison in 1996, when, aged just 21, she entered a deeply intimidating and misogynistic environment to begin her career in forensic psychology. She recalls interviewing men convicted of rape and murder, being deliberately locked in a cell with a killer, and the lessons she learned about fear, authority and maintaining control. There are darker stories and some unexpectedly funny ones. Kerry tells us why a convicted double murderer repeatedly dropped his prosthetic eye into her tomato soup, and how learning not to react became a lesson in psychology she still uses today. We explore what forensic psychologists actually do, how Kerry builds rapport with dangerous offenders without becoming their audience, and why understanding someone’s behaviour…

Topics covered

• forensic psychology
• criminal justice
• interview techniques
• dangerous offenders
• psychological profiling

More episodes of True Criminals

• The 1MDB scandal – Clare Rewcastle Brown and the world’s biggest financial heist, Part One · September 7, 2026 · 52 min
• The Murder of Rachel Nickell: EXTENDED EPISODE - PATREON TEASER EP | How Robert Napper Was Finally Caught · September 5, 2026 · 32 min
• The Murder of Rachel Nickell: How Robert Napper Was Finally Caught - with special guest Bill Clegg KC · August 31, 2026 · 21 min
• The Murder of Rachel Nickell: Bill Clegg KC on the Colin Stagg Honey Trap · August 26, 2026 · 43 min
• Jimmy Savile: The Legacy of Abuse – Institutional Failures and Protecting Children with Simon Bailey - PART 2 · August 11, 2026 · 36 min
• Kerry Daynes on Dennis Nilsen | Inside the Mind of Britain's Notorious Serial Killer · July 23, 2026 · 58 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the True Criminals podcast page.