24 Hours in Police Custody: Houghton Regis 'brutal double murder’ investigated in new two-part episode

Two murderers who left behind a “scene of utter devastation” after fatally stabbing two men and injuring a third in Houghton Regis will have their crimes put under the microscope in a two-part episode of 24 Hours in Police Custody.

This Sunday (January 7), the Channel 4 show will follow detectives from Bedfordshire Police’s Major Crime Unit as they respond to reports of a hit and run in Houghton Regis and try to piece together what happened.

Last year, 33-year-old Nicholas Papworth and 25-year-old Anthony Bennison were found guilty of 12 offences including three counts of murder between them.

Bennison of no fixed abode, must serve a minimum of 38 years in prison, while Papworth, of Hillborough Crescent in Dunstable, will spend at least 34 years behind bars.

In the early hours of Sunday, November 13, 2022, 39-year-old Adam Fanelli and 27-year-old Patrick Howard, both of Houghton Regis were pronounced dead at the scene of the incident on Tithe Farm Road. Both men were found to have stab wounds, and a third man was taken to hospital after he was also stabbed.

With the help of DC Jacob Hobday, a new detective, investigating his first double murder investigation, the episode delves into every twist and turn in the case, looking at how witnesses were reluctant to reveal the identity of the perpetrators.

He said: “We see it a lot nowadays, where people's loyalty and lives are put on the line for people in the same postcode. They won't talk to the police because they feel they have some sort of loyalty or a code. But at what point that loyalty in code means that you're taking lives and letting lives be taken? It's a weak code”.

From the moment the case is handed to detectives to the intense interrogation of the pair believed to be responsible for the attacks - the episode gives unprecedented access to the conversations happening at the core of the drama. The case will conclude next weekend as police begin a fresh manhunt to track down a third suspect.

Detective Chief Inspector Sam Khanna, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: “This was a highly emotive and complex case in which two men were tragically killed and a third was left with injuries that no doubt have had a long term impact.

“Knife crime and violent offences are horrendous acts of brutality that rob families of loved ones and communities of their sense of safety.

“This incident took place in the heart of tight knit community, of which the victims were very much a part of. People that knew them sadly witnessed the attack, bravely came to their aid and ultimately helped us ensure those responsible were brought to justice.

“My plea to those watching these episodes is to consider the impact a moment of rage has had on the loved ones of the victims. That is why we urge people to speak up about the things you see taking place in your community. If you know of someone involved in knife crime, report it – it could make a huge difference in our mission to tackle violent crime.”