Double Cambridgeshire murder to feature in two-part 24 Hours in Police Custody special

A high-profile Cambridgeshire double murder is set to be revisited in a two-part special of Channel 4’s 24 Hours in Police Custody next week.

The episodes will follow the Major Crime Unit’s investigation into the shootings of a father and son, Joshua and Gary Dunmore, who were killed at their homes in two separate villages on the evening of 29 March 2023.

The programme tracks Detective Chief Inspector Katie Dounias and her team as they respond to the first emergency call from Meridian Close, Bluntisham, where 32-year-old Joshua Dunmore was found shot twice in his hallway.

Just 31 minutes later, officers were called to the village of Sutton, near Ely, where his father, 57-year-old Gary Dunmore, had been shot three times in the hallway of his home in The Row.

The episode, titled “A Family Vendetta”, follows the unfolding investigation, including the overnight manhunt and dramatic arrest of suspect Stephen Alderton, 67, who was stopped by armed police on the M5 near Worcester in the early hours of the following morning.

Viewers will see how detectives pieced together the events leading up to the murders – including further arrests, witness statements, and evidence that revealed a bitter family dispute at the heart of the tragedy.

Alderton admitted two counts of murder in June 2023 and was jailed for life. His sentence was later increased on appeal to a minimum of 30 years.

DCI Dounias said:

“This programme will show how a family conflict playing itself out through the courts turned into a double tragedy through Stephen Alderton’s rash and brutal actions.
My thoughts remain with the family and friends of Gary and Josh, some of whom bravely shared their experience with 24 Hours, bringing to life the devastating impact of the shootings.
Alderton’s sentence was raised on appeal to a minimum of 30 years, but no sentence is sufficient to make amends for the irreparable damage he caused to so many lives.”

The two-part special airs at 9pm on Channel 4 on Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 December.