When love turns lethal: The Tai O'Donnell story Artwork

Sinister South

Join Rachel and Hannah on the Sinister South Podcast as they explore the shadowy corners of South London. Each episode digs into the gritty true crime stories that have left their mark on the local streets of South London. They’ll introduce you to the victims and dissect the mysteries while giving you a taste of the places these dramas unfolded. It’s not all doom and gloom; Rach and Han also have plenty of nonsense to chat about! So whether you're a true crime buff or just curious about the darker tales from their neck of the woods, pull up a chair, tune in and join the mischief!

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Sinister South

When love turns lethal: The Tai O'Donnell story

April 02, 2025 • Season 2 • Episode 12

This week, we start with a much-needed debrief on brain fog, Expo madness, and why Rachel may or may not be developing narcolepsy (spoiler: she’s not, but Hannah’s definitely worried).

Tai O’Donnell was just 19. A music student with plans, talent, and a mum who adored him. In March 2021, Tai was murdered by his ex-girlfriend, Kamila Ahmad, in his flat in Croydon. She stabbed him in the leg, severing his femoral artery, then left him to die. In this episode, we talk about who Tai really was, what we missed, and how the system failed to see a pattern of violence until it was too late. This is a story about control, coercion, and how male victims of domestic abuse are still slipping through the cracks.

Sources for this case include

https://news.sky.com/story/mother-of-murdered-teen-speaks-out-after-killers-trial-took-22-months-to-get-to-court-after-delays-from-covid-and-strikes-12868744 https://www.qebholliswhiteman.co.uk/site/library/recent-cases/r-v-ahmad-2023 https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/kamila-ahmad-tai-jordan-o-donnell-murder-croydon-b1075330.html https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/croydon-woman-kamila-ahmad-who-26747503 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/kamila-ahmed-jail-croydon-tai-b2329740.html https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/dec/31/knife-rises-in-london-with-30-teen-homicides-in-2021 https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/woman-killed-croydon-boyfriend-6-26411223 abuse/LDQDX6RNWZCQTNNBPNFHSYVBUE/ https://shows.acast.com/dead2me-the-interviews/episodes/male-domestic-abuse-tai-odonnells-grandparents-mark-brooks-m https://tv.apple.com/gb/episode/ahmad/umc.cmc.5khv3cyb6hq95c4egqywn45ru?showId=umc.cmc.4jrxmumfrx1u0zrso0f6xvkdt

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Produced and hosted by Hannah Williams & Rachel Baines
Mixed & edited by Purple Waves Sound (A.K.A Will)