THERE are some cases which are hard to let go of even for tough ex police officers.
And for former detective and the inspiration behind TV drama Prime Suspect with Dame Helen Mirren portraying the lead role of DCI Jane Tennison, it is no different.
Former Detective Chief Inspector of the Metropolitan Police Jackie Malton, who rose through the ranks of a male dominated police force when she started out in the 1970s and worked on murder cases, serious assaults and also police corruption, still remembers the haunting case of an eight-year-old boy who disappeared more than 40 years ago.
Read more: Highland deerstalker's amazing discovery of lost village ruins
“Every police officer has cases that stay with them. Vishal Mehrotra is one of the names that I will never forget,” Malton says.
It was day of the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer on July 29, 1981. Vishal was eight when he vanished in broad daylight.
He had playing near his home in south west London, when the nanny had taken him and his sister to get some sweets from a newsagent. She then watched as Vishal crossed the busy Upper Richmond Road safely to head home while she ran some errands with Mamta. It was 2pm. Vishal was never seen again.
His body was found five months later, but no one was ever caught for his murder and it is a case that Malton will never forget – it remains in her heart.
She was reminded of the case during a link up with a Scots police officer in connection with the deaths of three children in Edinburgh.
Malton, who will be appearing at the first ever Glasgow CrimeCon next month, has already had some links with her counterparts north of the border.
She said: “When working on The Real Prime Suspect series, I liaised with retired detective David Swindle on the Peter Tobin Case programme, and was so inspired by the work of [Lord Advocate] Dorothy Bain during that time, she’s is brilliant.
“Again during my time on The Real Prime Suspect, I interviewed Diane Smith, the family liaison officer, on the very sad case of Thersea Riggi, who killed her children. Totally heartbreaking case, it really was.”
Read more: Parents of balcony fall death victim Kirsty Maxwell in bid to help others
Malton broke through in her career rising to the top at a time when there were few females in senior roles. Does she think Scotland is long overdue a female Chief Constable?
“Yes of course I do – so needed in the current times especially,” Malton added.
CrimeCon, the world’s leading true crime event, is coming to Scotland for the first time next month. Hosted in Glasgow’s Hilton Hotel on September 10, it sees a line-up of leading experts come to the city to discuss all things true crime.
Partnering with leading factual entertainment channel and true crime destination, CBS Reality, CrimeCon Glasgow will bring together prominent law enforcement representatives including former Detective Superintendent David Swindle, the man behind the Peter Tobin investigation and arrest, Ex Chief Crown Prosecutor Nazir Afzal, who, during a 24-year-career, prosecuted some of the most high-profile cases in the country and Mark Williams-Thomas, who exposed Jimmy Savile as one of the nation’s worst ever paedophiles.
CrimeCon attendees will also hear from true crime TV personalities including Colin Sutton from The Real Manhunter as he talks about his investigation into the chilling case of Levi Bellfield. He will share insights from the investigation into the infamous serial killer who is now serving a life sentence for the murders of Milly Dowler, Amelie Delagrange and Marsha McDonnell. Also in attendance will be Vanessa Frake MBE, former Head of Security and Operations at Wormwood Scrubs.
Woodcut Media, one of the fastest growing independent and leading true crime producers in the UK, will present its TV brands as part of CrimeCon’s live experiences including a session on Scotland’s Most Evil Killers.
Across a one-day programme, CrimeCon Glasgow will welcome top level documentary makers, investigative journalists, popular podcasters, renowned criminologists and true crime authors.
Tragically the parents of two Scots killed abroad will come together for the first time at the event.
Craig Mallon was killed by a single lethal blow after being set upon outside a nightclub in Spain's Lloret de Mar, while Kirsty Maxwell died after plunging 100ft from the 10th floor of an apartment block in Benidorm while on a hen do.
Craig's father Ian Mallon and Kirsty's parents, Brian and Denise Curry, are still searching for answers.
They are both being assisted by Victims Abroad, which was set up by retired detective Swindle, to help the cases move forward. Now the two families will meet in Glasgow at the crime convention.
Mr Mallon said said he hoped the families could find solace as well as sharing information that may help to get justice.
Nancy Baughen, Event Director of CrimeCon UK, said: “Fans of true crime are not ghoulish macabre fans of serial killers or psychopaths, but instead are sympathetic and empathetic fans of justice who are intrigued by the mysteries. We have hours of wide-ranging, compelling, and informative content. It’s a must attend event for all true crime enthusiasts.”
It 30 years since Prime Suspect appeared on our TV screens and was compelling viewing with Mirren and her menacing sidekick actor Tom Bell and 25 years since Malton retired from the force, Malton, who has recently brought out her memoir The Real Prime Suspect, has had time to look back on how the show made an impact.
“It changed my life completely, for the good,” she added. “It gave me a profile and it had a very loyal following. It opened a new world for me and allowed me a career following my career in the police force. I had no idea of the impact it was going to have, it was over 30 years ago now and it’s still inspirational to so many people, especially woman who want to join the police following watching it.”
CrimeCon Glasgow, in partnership with CBS Reality, takes place on Saturday, September 10 at Hilton Glasgow, 1 William Street, G3 8HT. For more information or to book your tickets, visit: www.crimecon.co.uk
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here