

Bed of Lies
The Telegraph
A taxi driver is shot dead in front of his children. A high-security room goes up in flames. Then terrorists are unmasked as spies. And behind it all, a shadowy unit of the British Army, who ran the notorious agent Stakeknife. Award-winning journalist Cara McGoogan investigates the biggest cover-up of the Northern Ireland Troubles and asks: is the British state getting away with murder?The first and second series of Bed of Lies are also available to listen to on this feed:Series 2: It was meant to be a miracle treatment, but it became a deadly poison. Cara investigates the biggest medical disaster in NHS history, the infected blood scandal. Series 1: They have the perfect relationship, until one day he vanishes. Her hunt leads to other women just like her - and a web of state-spun lies. Cara investigates the untold story of the "spycops" and the undercover policing scandal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 28, 2025 • 41min
Murder in the Masai Mara | Episode 1, SOS
On a cold February day in 1988, Julie Ward sets off on the journey of a lifetime from England, through Africa. She establishes a new life in the bustling capital of Kenya but mysteriously disappears while on safari - leaving her plane ticket back to England untouched on a table in her Nairobi home. When her father John flies to Kenya to track her down, he finds a gruesome crime scene in the Masai Mara that throws up more questions than it answers. Archive in this episode: NPR, ITN via Getty, The TelegraphFollow Murder in the Masai Mara: https://linktr.ee/TelegraphInvestigatesGet in touch: juliewardcase@telegraph.co.ukWatch the accompanying film to this series: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/11/28/kenyas-secret-deal-silence-father-murdered-julie-ward/How to access bonus content on Apple Podcasts with your Telegraph subscription: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/contact-us/telegraph-subscription-bonus-content-apple-podcasts/Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 21, 2025 • 2min
Introducing: Murder in the Masai Mara
When Julie Ward vanishes mysteriously in the Masai Mara in 1988, her father begins a hunt for answers that stretches from a safari lodge in Kenya to MI6’s headquarters in London. The case was never solved.Nearly four decades on, The Telegraph Deputy Investigations Editor Katherine Rushton pours over classified documents, interviews the people tangled in the case, and travels to Kenya to try to understand who tried to stop her murder being solved.What happened to Julie Ward, why did the Kenyan authorities try to cover it up, and why were MI6 agents involved?Murder in the Masai Mara: Coming Friday 28th November. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 11, 2025 • 1h 9min
Legacy | 9
In this gripping discussion, Paul Wilson shares his heartbreaking journey for justice as he seeks an inquiry into his father’s murder by the IRA. Phil James reveals the chilling truths uncovered during his investigating career, highlighting the state's dark capability for violence. Hugh Ord reflects on his time leading the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the importance of addressing unsolved cases from the Troubles. Together, they delve into the enduring trauma, the search for truth, and the complexities surrounding accountability in a fractured society.

Mar 29, 2025 • 1h 5min
Devastation | 8
A family forced to flee abroad. A young soldier killed by a car bomb. Two teenagers gunned down in a mobile shop. As Cara exposes the cold-bloodedness of both sides in the Troubles, she finds out the extent of the state's lethal spy network. Bereaved families hunt for justice, and the truth is shrouded in secrecy as killers walk the streets.Archive in this episode: RTE, GettySign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorGet in touch: cara.mcgoogan@telegraph.co.uk and on social media @cjmcgoogan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 21, 2025 • 57min
Cover-up | 7
IRA spycatcher Freddie Scappaticci has been outed as FRU agent Stakeknife – but he’s not going to disappear without a fight. The British state takes unprecedented measures to make sure their spy gets away with murder. Cara teams up with veteran reporter John Ware to reveal just how high up the cover-up goes. Their reporting leads to a key organisation that has so far remained in the shadows: MI5.Archive in this episode: Getty, Parliament TVSign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorGet in touch: cara.mcgoogan@telegraph.co.uk and on social media @cjmcgoogan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 7, 2025 • 52min
License to Kill | 6
Brian Nelson is finally in the dock for his campaign of murderous violence, but will he face justice? The question sends shivers through the British government, and the answer causes even more of a stir. But Brian is just the tip of the iceberg – there’s a new battle, shocking revelations, and a landmark apology to come. Archive in this episode: Getty, ITN, UK ParliamentSign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorGet in touch: cara.mcgoogan@telegraph.co.uk and on social media @cjmcgoogan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 20, 2025 • 50min
Handlers | 5
Cara tracks down soldiers from the covert unit of the British army at the heart of her investigation. As these people who handled spies in the IRA and loyalist paramilitaries spill their secrets, it becomes clear that Agent 6137 and Scap are just the tip of the iceberg. Betrayal, sex, murder. Was it really all for the greater good?Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorGet in touch: cara.mcgoogan@telegraph.co.uk and on social media @cjmcgoogan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 13, 2025 • 50min
Touts | 4
The IRA creates a new unit to root out informers – or touts – and kill them. A man known as Scap quickly rises to the top of this ‘Nutting Squad’ and builds up a fearsome reputation for cruelty. But he is hiding a dark secret – and the implications of the truth being exposed are enormous.Archive in this episode: Carlton TV, ITV, BBC, Getty, ITN, RTÉSign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorGet in touch: cara.mcgoogan@telegraph.co.uk and on social media @cjmcgoogan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 6, 2025 • 58min
Agent 6137 | 3
Facing life in prison for murder, a key loyalist makes a surprising confession: he is Agent 6137. When he targeted people for the UDA to assassinate, he was also working for the British. The daughter of one of his victims hunts for the truth about his life as a spy – but as she and Cara dig deeper, they find documents are missing and proof is hard to pin down. Archive in this episode: Getty, ITN, BBCSign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorGet in touch: cara.mcgoogan@telegraph.co.uk and on social media @cjmcgoogan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 30, 2025 • 50min
Collusion | 2
Top detectives race to untangle a web of lies behind the murders. But just as they’re about to arrest a key loyalist suspect, their secure office containing top-secret evidence goes up in flames. They hear whispers that a clandestine unit of the British army could be behind the sabotage. All to protect one man – a man Cara reveals is a vicious fighter with a shadowy past. Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorGet in touch: cara.mcgoogan@telegraph.co.uk and on social media @cjmcgoogan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


