logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2024
20m 22s

'More lives lost than saved': why Britai...

SKY NEWS
About this episode
Freddie Scappaticci was Britain's most highly prized IRA informant.   

His codename was 'Stakeknife' and the unit he led - ironically in charge of hunting informants like him - was called the 'nutting squad' as it shot people in the head after abducting and torturing them. 

Scappaticci never faced trial and lived under witness protection in England until his death last year, aged 77. 

Now, a seven-year investigation has concluded his actions probably resulted in "more lives being lost than saved", with the UK government being urged to acknowledge that many murders were avoidable and to apologise to bereaved families. 

On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson examines what we know about the British mole and gets reaction to the Operation Kenova report with our senior Ireland correspondent David Blevins.

Podcast producer: Sydney Pead  
Interviews producer: Melissa Tutesigensi-Charles  
Promotion producer: Jonathan Day 
Senior producer: Annie Joyce 
Editor: Wendy Parker 
Up next
Today
Destroyed, dismantled or dangerous: Is Iran still a global threat?
A government report has warned that the threat of physical attacks by Iran on people living in the UK has increased "significantly" since 2022. Iran rejects what they call, hostile allegations. Has the recent 12-day war between Israel and Iran changed the hierarchy in the Middle ... Show More
16m 20s
Yesterday
The fly-tippers turning trash into cash
If you've paid to have rubbish taken away from your home - where do you expect it to end up?A Sky News investigation has tracked down some of those behind the dumping of people's waste illegally and discovered how they are making thousands of pounds from it. On this episode, Nial ... Show More
13 m
Yesterday
Tracking the fly-tipping gangs turning trash into cash
Local authorities in England dealt with 1.15 million fly-tipping incidents last year - a 6% rise on the previous 12 months. A Sky News investigation has tracked down some of those behind the dumping of people's waste illegally and discovered how they are making thousands of pound ... Show More
13m 3s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2023
Episode 392: The life and crimes of IRA mole Freddie Scappaticci
The intriguing story of IRA double agent Freddie Scappaticci is one of mystery and fascination and for years has been the subject of the Operation Kenova investigation due to be published in coming weeks.Nicola speaks with author and former Provision IRA prisoner Richard O’Rawe w ... Show More
1h 12m
Jun 2023
Stephen Lawrence: The 6th Suspect
How the BBC uncovered a new suspect in the Stephen Lawrence murder.Adam speaks to home affairs correspondent Daniel De Simone who has spent the last two years looking into the police investigation into the 1993 murder of Stephen Lawrence - the UK's most notorious racist killing. ... Show More
25m 18s
Aug 2023
Lucy Letby Jailed For Life
Lucy Letby will spend the rest of her life in prison with no chance of parole. She refused to appear in court to hear her sentence or the statements of grief and loss from the families of the babies she murdered. Shaun Lintern, health editor at The Sunday Times, has spent years i ... Show More
34m 34s
Apr 2024
The Life and Death of OJ Simpson
Orenthal James Simpson, known to the world as OJ, lived many lives. First as one of the greatest ever running backs in the history of the NFL, then as a Hollywood movie star. His fame skyrocketed, however, when he was arrested as a suspect in the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brow ... Show More
18m 6s
Mar 2023
Episode 250: The new IRA and the attempted murder of PSNI Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell
A car has emerged as a key piece of evidence in the attempted murder of PSNI Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell after football training in Omaha last week - a callous shooting which has shocked all Ireland.The second hand Fiesta purchased in a private sale on February 8th wa ... Show More
31m 59s
Feb 2024
Episode 487: Freddie Scappaticci and the Kenova report
Northern Ireland’s much anticipated Kenova Report is set to be released next month after confirmation that no prosecutions are to be pursued. The report centres around the activities of the notorious Freddie Scapattici, the British Army’s top agent in the north during the trouble ... Show More
32m 50s
Feb 2023
The Killing of Tyre Nichols
After shocking video footage was released of the 29-year-old African-American being beaten to death by five black police officers in Memphis, we ask what might stop police brutality in the US. Sarah and her BBC colleague Chelsea Bailey share insights from their reporting trips to ... Show More
42m 16s
Oct 2022
The hunt for FBI 'fugitive' Nicholas Rossi
After an international manhunt, the FBI and Interpol say they have found a man wanted on multiple charges in four US states, who faked his death before fleeing America for Scotland. But the Glasgow resident at the centre of the case insists he is the victim of a "monstrous" misca ... Show More
34m 47s
Sep 2023
Why Are The Police Putting Down Their Guns?
Soldiers were put on standby after hundreds of Metropolitan Police officers stepped back from firearms duties after an officer was charged with the murder of Chris Kaba last September. Home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds talks us through a dramatic day for the Met alongside Ha ... Show More
33m 19s
Feb 2023
Plenty More Fish in the SNP
Scotland is looking for a new first minister. As the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon starts to take shape, Newsnight’s Kirsty Wark, “fresh” off the sleeper train from Edinburgh, and Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, share their views on what’s next for Scottish politics and in ... Show More
33m 25s