麻豆社

On a hot summer鈥檚 day in 1991, a violent crime took place that shook Consett, a town in the North East of England. When threatened with the legal demolition of a property he owned, a former steelworker called Albert Dryden went on a murderous rampage, killing the council鈥檚 chief planning officer and seriously wounding a policeman and a journalist. Furthermore, the brutal crime was filmed and broadcast on national news.

But what made the crime even more perplexing was its controversial aftermath. While the majority of people condemned Dryden鈥檚 actions, a vocal minority came to see him as something of a folk hero. This wasn鈥檛 the usual morbid fascination that can sometimes gather around certain violent criminals; it was admiration. Crowds cheered outside his court hearings and 鈥淔ree Albert Dryden鈥� posters were not an uncommon sight around town 鈥� even songs were written about him.

How can a cold-blooded killer ever gain public support? Writer Joe Zadeh takes a close look at details surrounding this incident in an attempt to examine these rare yet recurring moments in history, when moral values turn upside down and everyday citizens find themselves excusing the most horrific crimes.

Written and presented by Joe Zadeh
Producer: Hunter Charlton
Mixing Engineer: Alex Portfelix
Composer: Jess Howard
Executive Producer: Ant Adeane

Photograph: Albert Dryden taken by Michael Peckett

An Ember production for 麻豆社 Radio 4.