Jeanette was nine years old when her mum died of cancer.
Her father struggled with alcoholism.
Police cars regularly stopped outside her home.

As a child, she would dial 999 when things spiralled.

Years later… she became the officer responding to calls like her own.

In this powerful episode of the Pocket Sergeant Podcast, Jeanette takes us on a journey that is as raw as it is inspiring.

We talk about:

▪ Growing up in a household affected by domestic abuse and addiction
▪ Being split from her siblings after her mum’s death
▪ Leaving home at 16 to survive on her own
▪ Joining the police as a Special — and choosing to serve at the very station that once protected her
▪ The brutal reality of response policing
▪ The night a suspect stopped mid-chase, turned around, and pushed her down a railway embankment
▪ Working organised immigration crime, sham marriages, and trafficking networks
▪ Why she left policing to study law
▪ Winning £5,000 on an ITV game show to fund her Bar course
▪ Juggling childcare while studying full-time
▪ Moving to London and missing her child’s birthday to complete pupillage
▪ The truth about criminal barrister pay (the numbers will shock you)
▪ The backlog crisis in the courts
▪ Why jury trials are under threat
▪ Judicial bullying and elitism at the Bar
▪ Whether AI could ever replace judges

This episode pulls back the curtain on both sides of the criminal justice system — from police uniform to wig and gown.

If you work in policing, law, or care about the justice system — this conversation is essential.

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In this episode of the Pocket Sergeant Podcast, I speak with Michelle Websdale about the life and death of her former partner, Ben — a police custody sergeant who served for 24 years.

Michelle shares who Ben was as a man, a father and a colleague, before discussing the events that followed his arrest by Professional Standards and the impact the investigation had on his mental health. She speaks openly about the inquest, the support (and lack of support) provided, and the wider questions this raises about police welfare and internal investigations.

This is an honest and emotional conversation about policing, accountability, mental health and the human cost when systems fail.

If you work in policing or have experienced similar challenges, this episode may resonate with you.

If you are struggling, please seek support. You are not alone.

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In this episode of the Pocket Sergeant Podcast, I’m joined by Ryan MacDonald — former police officer, military veteran, author of Blue Lights, Dark Mind, and a powerful voice on trauma and recovery after service.

Ryan served for nearly 30 years across policing and the military, including counter-terrorism, intelligence, custody, leadership roles, and operational tours overseas. But this conversation isn’t about rank or war stories.

It’s about what happens when the uniform comes off.

🎙️ In this episode, we talk openly about:

The cumulative trauma of policing

PTSD and intrusive thoughts

Why officers struggle to ask for help

The moment everything nearly collapsed

How policing culture deals with mental health

Life after service, recovery, and rebuilding

This is an honest, raw, and important conversation about the realities of policing that are rarely spoken about publicly.

If you’re serving, have served, or support someone who does — this episode will resonate.

Ryan's Book: Blue Lights Dark Mind

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In this episode of the Pocket Sergeant Podcast, Paul Cooper is joined by Colin Sutton — one of the UK’s most respected former Senior Investigating Officers.

Colin led some of Britain’s most complex and high-profile murder investigations, including the case that finally brought Levi Bellfield to justice — without relying on forensic evidence.

This is a deep, intelligent conversation about how real murder investigations are solved, the mistakes people make when relying on checklists, and why good policing depends on thinking, judgement, and leadership — not box-ticking.

🎙️ In this episode, we discuss:

How Colin rose rapidly through the Met Police

Leading murder investigations under intense pressure

The Levi Bellfield case and building a conviction through circumstantial evidence

Why “thinking outside the box” matters more than procedure

What great detectives do differently

Policing leadership, officer welfare, and cultural change

Life after policing: books, TV, and theatre tours

This episode is essential viewing for:

Police officers and detectives

True crime fans who want depth, not drama

Anyone interested in leadership, decision-making, and justice

If you’re tired of sensationalism and want to understand how serious investigations actually work, this conversation delivers.

Who would you like to see on the podcast? Send us suggestions!

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Former Detective Darren Ryan joins the Pocket Sergeant Podcast to reveal the psychological cost of investigating some of the most serious crimes in policing.

For years, Darren worked high-risk safeguarding and exploitation cases. He protected vulnerable victims and carried the responsibility that comes with child protection investigations.

But repeated exposure to trauma doesn’t just disappear when the shift ends.

In this episode, Darren speaks openly about:

• The cumulative impact of investigating child abuse
• How trauma can surface years later
• Hypervigilance, sleep disruption and intrusive memories
• The warning signs many officers ignore
• Alcohol as a coping mechanism
• Ill-health retirement and the battle that followed
• Rebuilding identity after losing the uniform
• Why mental health support in policing must change

This isn’t about weakness.
It’s about being human.

Email Darren: darren.ryan@lifelinecoachingandmentoring.com

Instagram: @lifelinecoachingandmentoring

Darren now runs Lifeline Coaching & Mentoring, helping others navigate trauma, career transition and recovery.

He is also the author of LIFELINE: HOW A FORMER DETECTIVE SURVIVED PTSD AND HOW YOU CAN TOO

If you work in policing, emergency services, safeguarding, military — or support someone who does — this conversation matters.

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Peter Faulding is one of the UK’s most experienced search and rescue specialists — and in this episode of the Pocket Sergeant Podcast, he speaks openly about what really happens when people go missing in water.

From serial killer investigations to high-profile missing person cases, Peter explains:

• Why bodies are often missed during police searches
• How sonar actually works (and why it’s misunderstood)
• What officers and investigators should be doing differently
• The reality behind river, lake, and reservoir recoveries
• Why expert advice is sometimes ignored — with devastating consequences

This is a technical, emotional, and controversial conversation that challenges public assumptions and raises serious questions about modern search procedures.

Whether you’re a police officer, investigator, journalist, or member of the public — this episode will change how you think about missing persons and water searches.

Link to Peter's book, What Lies Beneath

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In this powerful episode of the Pocket Sergeant Podcast, Paul Cooper is joined by former detective and whistleblower Maggie Oliver to examine some of the most serious institutional failures in modern British policing.

Maggie speaks openly about investigations that were halted, warnings that were ignored, and leadership decisions that prioritised reputation over accountability. Drawing on her frontline experience and subsequent whistleblowing, she explains how internal culture, fear of scrutiny, and organisational self-protection allowed injustice to persist.

This episode explores:

Why certain cases were quietly shelved

How senior decision-making failed victims

The personal and professional cost of speaking out

Why accountability remains so difficult to achieve

What meaningful reform would actually look like

This is not an attack on frontline policing — it is a conversation about leadership, transparency, and the consequences of silence.

⚠️ Content warning: This episode discusses serious crimes, institutional failure, and their lasting impact on victims and survivors.

Find out more about Maggie Oliver and her foundation here: The Maggie Oliver Foundation - Helping Survivors of Abuse

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In this episode of the Pocket Sergeant Podcast, I’m joined by Ian Cook, former Traffic Officer and co-founder of Code Zero, for a brutally honest conversation about modern policing.

We break down:

• The AI intelligence failure that embarrassed West Midlands Police
• Whether Chief Constables and politicians are being held accountable
• Why e-bike and illegal bike crime is spiralling out of control
• The reality of tactical contact — and why officers fear being supported
• How inconsistent policy and PSD pressure are changing frontline decisions

Ian speaks candidly about why policing feels paralysed, why officers are second-guessing themselves, and what needs to change if public safety is going to come first again.

We also dive into Code Zero, a new wellbeing app built by emergency service workers to provide proactive support before crisis hits — without stigma, fear, or career consequences.

This is an unfiltered discussion about pressure, politics, perception, and policing from someone who’s lived it.

Who would you like to see on the podcast? Send us suggestions!

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Purchase Sh*t Magnet: A Frontline Officer's Stories Of Madness And Mayhem

Purchase From Trauma To Triumph - The Pocket Sergeant Journey