Sinister South

The Bell Pub Shootings: 1990s Gangland Murders in South London

Season 2 Episode 18

In the early 1990s, South London was a hotspot for gangland violence, with organised crime families like the Arifs and Brindells locked in a deadly power struggle. In this episode, we explore the interconnected murders of Arma Abdullah, David Brindell, and Stanley Silk – killings that reveal a chilling web of retribution, turf wars, and community silence.

From a targeted hit in a Woolworth betting shop to a brutal double shooting at the Bell Pub, these unsolved crimes shed light on the criminal underworld operating in plain sight and the innocent lives caught in the crossfire. We examine gang rivalries, police failures, the roots of Operation Trident, and how entire communities were impacted by fear and distrust.

(Also includes a brief ode to spiderweb garden furniture and why we’re still not over our teenage goth phases.)

Sources include: 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/gangland-hitman-came-from-dublin-1602253.html  https://www.independent.co.uk/news/shooting-fuels-gangland-war-threat-1602083.html  https://vlex.co.uk/vid/brindle-v-commissioner-of-804419569  http://www.unsolved-murders.co.uk/murder-content.php?key=910&termRef=Ahmet%20Abdullah  http://www.unsolved-murders.co.uk/murder-content.php?key=1244&termRef=Stanley%20Silk 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC7soTxHxu0  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AouY8VfK6Yk  https://www.tiktok.com/@theenquirer8/video/7282135366461574432  https://www.pond5.com/stock-images/photos/item/219170906-floral-tribute-outside-bell-pub-walworth-london-where-david  https://www.reddit.com/r/crime_documentaries/comments/uv0s1n/unsolved_1991_david_br

Lore and Crime
Lore and Crime is a spine-chilling podcast that unearths historical dark tales.

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

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