Meet the Psychopaths, Channel 5 - TV review: The story of psycho-killer Joanna Dennehy was the most horrific
She loved the narcissistic element of being at the centre of a murder investigation
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Chances are you have already met a psychopath. The work place is teeming with them. You may have watched a manipulative boss climb the greasy pole through nothing more than superficial charm and a total lack of sincerity, you may even have been unfortunate enough to have worked for one.
But not every “boss from hell” is a psychopath, even if their behaviour is morally questionable. Only one in a hundred people truly qualify, according to Channel 5's Meet the Psychopaths. They are more likely to have inflicted harm on animals as children or enjoyed using fire arms in adolescence.
Cue the dramatic music, blood-splattered reconstructions and foreboding narration that have come to typify “The Channel 5 Documentary”. But in this case the pulsating soundtrack and scaremongering case studies didn't seem so out of place, making the first episode of this three-part series a slick shock-doc.
The story of psycho-killer Joanna Dennehy was the most horrific. In the words of one witness, the mother-of-two “went medieval” on an unsuspecting dog walker, stabbing him 30 times during a cold-blooded killing rampage.
Her lack of remorse was also astounding. Video footage showed her flirting with a police woman after being taken into custody. She loved the narcissistic element of being at the centre of a murder investigation, according to Professor Anthony Madden.
Tell-tale signs of her psychopathy began to develop during her twenties, when she would leave her family and “bugger off” for weeks on end. When she was at home and her toddler daughter screamed, she would put her outside to cry in the buggy alone on the street. Just be thankful you never had to work for her.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments