Seeing Red A True Crime Podcast · Mark Randell & Bethan Trueman

The Murder of James Self: When Control Turns Deadly

·52 min·3 clips

James had severe internal injuries, bleeding to the brain, and eight broken ribs after Murphy's assault.

1. Seeing Red A True Crime Podcast focuses on the murder of James Self and the domestic-abuse dynamic surrounding Polly Murphy. 2. Mark and Bethan host the episode, and James's mother Ash and detective Anthony Copp matter because they describe the abuse, investigation, and family response. 3. The episode asks why men still feel shame and stigma about being victims of domestic abuse, even when abuse against men clearly happens. 4. Mark and Bethan open with UK statistics that one in four women and one in seven men, with some figures saying one in six men, will face domestic abuse in their lifetime. 5. They point listeners to Somerset Council's ten signs of abuse, including anxiety, self-blame, repeated apologies, and reluctance to discuss a relationship. 6. The hosts say loved ones should speak gently and privately, because on average it can take around three years for someone to ask for help. 7. They add that victims may endure more than 70 separate incidents before reaching out, which frames James Self's silence. 8. James Self is described as 47 years old, an artist and copywriter whose work was showcased globally and featured in Time Out magazine. 9. His family say he overcame alcohol addiction and was close to his parents and two brothers, while he also loved his dog Fudge. 10. James met Polly Murphy at a memorial service for a mutual friend in early 2023 and told his family he felt "loved up". 11. Ash says James changed from happy and easygoing to sad and introverted after the relationship began. 12. Murphy took James's phone, isolated him from friends and family, and steered conversations when they were around relatives. 13. James's mum describes Murphy as "manic" and "very loud," and says she overshadowed the home when she visited. 14. The episode says Murphy made James get rid of Fudge, which Ash later called a huge red flag. 15. James eventually told his mum that Murphy had explosive outbursts and physically and emotionally hurt him. 16. The hosts note that Murphy had a prior 2009 conviction for causing actual bodily harm to a partner. 17. On 8 November 2023, the pair checked into the Smuggler's Cove Hotel in Clacton-on-Sea for a birthday trip, and Murphy became angry after James bought her a gift and called her his girlfriend. 18. The court description says she lost her temper and, over about two hours, punched, kicked, and stomped on him while leaving blood across the room. 19. Murphy left the hotel room with her luggage, later called an ambulance after about 18 hours, and James told paramedics, "no, she's been hitting me". 20. The episode includes Ash's appeal that men should say "there is no shame in holding up your hand" and ask for help, because silence can be deadly.

As heard by us

A troubling relationship story shaped by unease, possible control, and James Self's urge to help.

The Murder of James Self: When Control Turns Deadly traces a relationship that seems to tighten around James as he grows more withdrawn and Murphy's responses to ordinary gestures become harder to read.

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Why you'd press play

You want a relationship case where a birthday gift on a Clacton-on-Sea trip becomes a troubling flashpoint.

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