Will Mellor is returning to Crime + Investigation this month to front a brand-new show, Cops Gone Bad. The seven-part series exposes police officers from the United Kingdom, United States and Australia who have committed some truly terrible crimes.
Here’s everything you need to know about Cops Gone Bad before it premieres Monday, 26th February on Crime + Investigation.
What is Cops Gone Bad about?
Following on from Cops Who Kill last year, Cops Gone Bad covers seven new cases that expose the murderers, sexual predators, drug dealers and fraudsters lurking within the police force.
Will Mellor is joined once again by a team of experts, including Howard Groves, Sue Hill and Serena Simmons, who help him get to the bottom of why these police officers committed their crimes and how they evaded detection. He is also documenting the lasting impact the cases had in their local communities and around the world. Ultimately, the series will shine a spotlight on these crimes to prevent similar ones from happening in the future.
Who is Will Mellor?
Actor and presenter Will Mellor is a very recognisable face on British television. He’s had an eclectic career that has taken him from some of the UK’s most popular children’s shows, all the way through to the iconic Strictly Come Dancing dancefloor.
He was first seen on Crime + Investigation in 2023 when he presented Cops Who Kill. The show covered some of the most devastating murders committed by police officers, including Sarah Everard’s killing at the hands of Wayne Couzens.
Speaking about Cops Gone Bad, Will Mellor declared: ‘The series is about making positive changes where we can make sure everyone feels safe, not only in the work environment, but walking down the street. Women should feel protected by police officers. If you can't trust the people who are supposed to protect you, where do you turn?’
Which case is covered in the first episode?
Episode one of Cops Gone Bad covers the deplorable story of David Carrick, one of the worst serial rapists in British history who used his position of authority at the Met Police to commit unthinkable acts.
Over the course of a career that spanned nearly two decades, Carrick raped, attacked and tortured countless women. He was calculated in his approach and told his victims that he was untouchable because he was a cop. Unfortunately, most of his victims felt like they couldn’t report him and his crimes went unpunished for far too long. Eventually, Carrick was arrested and received 36 life sentences.
What is a key moment from the first episode?
A common occurrence in Carrick’s crimes was how he asserted power, control and dominance over his victims. So much so that even when a fellow police officer was prepared to have consensual sex him, he escalated the encounter to rape. This woman was so intimidated that she didn’t report him, despite being a police officer herself.
Perhaps the most shocking passage from the opening episode of Cops Gone Bad is when the viewers hear about how controlling Carrick was in relationships with women he supposedly cared about. One victim, described by the police as ‘Victim J’, was in a relationship with him for 10 months, during which he locked her under the stairs overnight, dictated what she ate and installed CCTV in his home to monitor her at all times.
Who are the expert contributors in the first episode?
Will is once again joined by retired Detective Chief Inspector Howard Groves, who has over 30 years of experience and previously worked for the Metropolitan Police, as well as forensic psychologist Serena Simmons, who helps him understand the thought processes of these criminals.
Also contributing to this series is Sue Hill, a former Detective Superintendent who has been investigating serious crime for over three decades. She describes Carrick as ‘a horrible man’ and hopes that ‘[he stays] behind bars for the rest of his life’.
Finally, Will speaks to Lizzie Dearden during the first episode, a journalist who covered the Carrick case for the Independent.
What cases are covered in future episodes?
In the rest of the series, Will looks into a variety of crimes committed by police officers. This includes Kashif Mahmood, who seized hundreds of thousands of pounds for a criminal gang; Martin Forshaw and Michael Coulton, who both killed their partners; and Rodney Whitchelo, the man who spiked cans of baby and pet food with poison and broken razor blades.
The show also covers Drew Peterson, a killer cop from the United States, and Mark Standen, a senior figure in the New South Wales Crime Commission who used his connections to plan a major drug smuggling operation.
If you like Cops Gone Bad make sure you watch these Crime + Investigation shows
Fans of Cops Gone Bad should check out Cops Who Kill and Murder Detective. Presented by senior detective Graham Hill, Murder Detective showcases the crime-solving techniques that were used to crack some of Britain’s biggest cases.
Both shows are available on demand to Sky and Virgin customers and can be streamed on Crime + Investigation Play.
