The Shocking Truth Behind 24 Hours in Police Custody: A Family Vendetta
Introduction: A Tragedy That Gripped the Nation
The latest two-part special of Channel 4’s landmark documentary series ’24 Hours in Police Custody’ examines a harrowing case where two men were shot dead after a child-custody dispute escalated into a double execution. The documentary focuses on the murders of father and son Gary and Josh Dunmore in March 2023, offering viewers an unprecedented insight into one of Cambridgeshire’s most shocking crimes. This case highlights the devastating consequences when family disputes spiral out of control, making it essential viewing for understanding how the justice system handles such complex tragedies.
The Fatal Events of March 2023
On the evening of 29 March 2023, Josh Dunmore was shot twice at his home in Meridian Close, Bluntisham. Thirty-one minutes later, Gary Dunmore was shot three times in the hallway of his home on The Row in Sutton, near Ely. The episode follows the case from the first emergency call to the second shooting, and then the manhunt and dramatic arrest of Alderton by firearms officers on the M5 near Worcester in the early hours of the following morning.
Police arrested 67-year-old Stephen Alderton for the murders and quickly pieced together how he was tied to the crime. Josh Dunmore was the former partner of Alderton’s daughter, with whom he had a son.
The Custody Battle That Triggered Violence
During the case, it was revealed that Alderton committed the murders over his ‘distorted beliefs’ about family court proceedings involving his grandson, following what was an interim and not final hearing on 27 March. Alderton’s daughter, Samantha Stephen, had requested to move their seven-year-old child from the jurisdiction of the court by emigrating to the USA after her split from Dunmore, when she married Paul Stephen, a member of the US Air Force, and Joshua opposed the application.
Following his arrest hours after the double murders, Alderton told police that ‘sometimes you have to do what you have to do even if it’s wrong in the eyes of the law’.
Justice and Lasting Impact
After pleading guilty to the murders, Stephen Alderton was sentenced in 2023 to life in prison with a minimum of 25 years, which was raised to a minimum of 30 years by the Court of Appeal in January 2024. Det Ch Insp Katie Dounias stated that this programme shows how a family conflict playing itself out through the courts turned into a double tragedy through Stephen Alderton’s rash and brutal actions.
The documentary serves as a stark reminder of how family disputes, when combined with distorted perceptions of justice, can lead to irreversible tragedy. For viewers across the UK, this case underscores the importance of proper legal channels and the devastating human cost when individuals take the law into their own hands.