Crime Swipe is a social short form series available to stream on Crime + Investigation Play that looks at some of the most recent crime headlines to go beyond the news coverage and try to understand what exactly happened and how.
In each episode of 'Crime Swipe', true crime aficionados, Jonny Nelson and Satema Tarawally dissect two separate crimes which have recently hit the headlines and have a curious and hitherto unrevealed link. In this first episode, the armchair sleuths explore the bizarre events surrounding the March 2022 murder of father of four Bradley Lewis by 'Fake Barbie', OnlyFans model Abigail White. They then turn their attention to an attack in Princethorpe, Warwickshire, on 18-year-old barmaid, Hannah Pritchett, by her landlady Luisa Santos, who was convinced she was having an affair with her husband.
Crime + Investigation sat down with Jonny and Satema to discuss the series and found out what case kept them awake at night.
Crime + Investigation: How would you describe the premise of Crime Swipe?
Satema: Crime Swipe is me and Johnny, (my new best friend), talking about two crimes and trying to see what the links are. These are all crimes that have happened recently, and they're all based in the UK. So, it's super interesting.
Jonny: Satema's hit the nail on the head there. Crime Swipe is two people trying to outdo each other with tales of depravity and crime. It's like having a water cooler conversation about something interesting and awful in equal measure.
What made you want to get involved in Crime Swipe?
Satema: Discussing new cases is quite interesting, before they have been sensationalised and someone else has decided what the story is. It's just us relaying them to each other which I think is quite rare.
Jonny: It's organic before anyone else has printed their take or their opinion of what's happened onto you. It's just interesting to have that natural feedback immediately on screen.
Can you explain your process for each episode?
Jonny: We don't talk about the cases beforehand. We both know what we're going to talk about individually. After that, you're there to learn something new and you're there to react and to gauge each other's reaction and see if you're missing something.
Satema: It's nice watching someone react to a case because you're reading these stories thinking, 'You're going to love this...'. So, it's good to see they care as much as you do.
Do you think this conversational element differentiates it from other true crime shows?
Satema: True crime is very serious, and we don't shy away from that, but there's a sort of humour when we're talking to each other that's more realistic.
Jonny: Traditionally, in crime programming or podcasts you've got one person, a presenter or reporter, who's delivering all the facts. You're there to learn. But Crime Swipe is more organic as you've got two people both bringing something of their own and then reacting naturally to it.
What makes a good true crime documentary or series?
Satema: A story you haven't heard before, or a new take on a story you have heard. The crime doesn't have to be horrific, but it needs to be done in an interesting way.
Jonny: I want to hear something that shocks me for whatever reason. As Satema pointed out, it's not just about how bad the crime is but it gets you thinking, 'How the hell did they think they'd get away with that?'
You both have a good rapport, how did you first bond?
Satema: We both wanted to get cabs instead of walking. That level of laziness is something you can relate to and bond about. 'Should we walk?' 'No way, let's get a cab,'
Is there a bit of a North/ South divide, Jonny you're from the North and Satema you're from London?
Jonny: Much like trying to understand a deranged murderer, it's nice to try and understand a Southerner as well.
Satema: Especially a Londoner. But we do have quite different energy. It must be the regions.
Do any of the cases keep you awake at night?
Satema: Fake Barbie was pretty bad. It does scare me to think that some people's relationships are so temperamental, and they stay in unhealthy situations. That wasn't good. If someone sent me a voice note like that, I'd want to call the police. That type of relationship frightens me.
Jonny: It makes me curious what sorts of voicemails my girlfriend has been sending to her friends over the course of our relationship. But seriously, did that guy have any awareness that his girlfriend was leaving voice notes saying, 'I could murder him', 'I might stab him' or anything like that? Would he have stayed in that relationship? Who knows? It makes you want to go through those DMs though.
Stream Crime Swipe on Crime + Investigation Play.
