Inside the mind of a serial killer: Ian Cherrington Pt. 1
4/11/202657 min
As a teenager, Ian Cherrington became fascinated by the psychology of serial killers - a fascination that would shape his entire career. He began as a forensic psychologist studying the minds of serial killers before making an unconventional leap into frontline policing as a detective in the UK. After years investigating homicides and linking crimes across the country, Ian transitioned into counter-terrorism and lone actor threat assessment, positioning himself at the cutting edge of one of modern policing's most pressing challenges.
In Part 1 of his conversation with Gary Jubelin on I Catch Killers, Ian recounts the harrowing case of Robert Black, a paedophile and child killer whose crimes became the catalyst for Ian's decision to join the police. Ian also unpacks the critical psychological differences between serial killers and lone actors.
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First 90 secondsGary Jubelin· Host0:00
[upbeat music] The public has had a long-held fascination with detectives. Detectives see a side of life the average person is never exposed to. I spent thirty-four years as a cop. For twenty-five of those years, I was catching killers. That's what I did for a living. I was a homicide detective. I'm no longer just interviewing bad guys. Instead, I'm taking the public into the world in which I operated. The guests I talk to each week have amazing stories from all sides of the law. The interviews are raw and honest, just like the people I talk to. Some of the content and language might be confronting. That's because no one who comes into contact with crime is left unchanged. Join me now as I take you into this world. [upbeat music] What is the difference between a serial killer and a lone actor? Today, I'm joined by Ian Sherrington. Ian is a forensic psychologist who became a detective and moved into counter-terrorism and lone actor threat assessment. If anyone's qualified to talk about acts of mass violence, it's him. Ian Sherrington, welcome to I Catch Killers.
Ian Sherrington· Guest1:08
Thank you, Gary, for having me.
Gary Jubelin· Host1:09
Well, I'm excited about the, uh, conversation we're gonna have. You've got, uh, some vast experience in a whole range of things. You've got the academic take on crime, and also you worked as a, uh, a police officer for a very long time over in the UK.
Ian Sherrington· Guest1:21
Yeah, that's right. Yeah, so I'm slightly unusual in that sense, that I was a detective for many years, but also before that I was a psychologist and academic as well, so- Yeah