229: The Stalking Murder of Alice Ruggles | England

  You are listening to: The Evidence Locker. Thank you for tuning in to our podcast. We’re able to bring you new episodes thanks to the support of our sponsors – please check them out, as they offer some exclusive deals just for you, our listeners. If you prefer an ad-free experience, you can find us on Patreon, with plans starting at just $2 a month. Plus, 25% of all Patreon proceeds go directly to The Doe Network, helping to bring closure to international cold cases. For more details, check the link in our show notes. Our episodes cover true crimes involving real people, and some content may be graphic in nature. Listener discretion is advised. We produce each episode with the utmost respect for the victims, their families, and loved ones. It was late September 2016, and 24-year-old Alice Ruggles sat alone in her flat in Gateshead, Newcastle, the quiet of the evening pressing in around her. She had been trying to focus on the flickering TV screen, but her mind was elsewhere – troubled by the relentless messages and phone calls that had consumed her life for weeks. She thought she was finally beginning to regain a sense of control after contacting the police, but this night would prove otherwise. A sudden knock at the door shattered the stillness. Alice froze, her heart pounding. She tiptoed toward the peephole. The dim bulb overhead cast just enough light through to the concrete landing but revealed nothing but empty space beyond the threshold. Moments later, a rustling sound came from outside her bedroom window, followed by a knock on the window. Petrified, Alice peeked through the blinds and spotted the unmistakable silhouette of a man in her back garden, walking away. Her breath caught as she recognized him: Harry, the ex-boyfriend she had desperately tried to escape. He stood outside her window with flowers and a box of chocolates. Looking straight at her, he placed them on the windowsill then backed away showing the palms of his hands in a peaceful non-threatening pose as he backed away and left. This seemingly romantic gesture bore a twisted contrast to the terror he had been inflicting on her. Alice stood still, numb, clutching her phone, unsure whether to call the police. Then her phone buzzed: it was another voicemail from Harry. His words chilled her to the core: “Don’t worry, I’m not intending to kill you.” What Alice didn’t know that night was how far he was willing to go. It was the beginning of a horrifying escalation, one that would end in unimaginable tragedy. Alice Ruggles was born on December 24, 1991, in Leicestershire, England. She was the third of four children in a close-knit family. Described as kind, clever, and having an infectious, cheeky sense of humor, Alice had a natural ability to make friends and bring joy to those around her. She attended Leicester High School for Girls, where she was a good student who achieved both in the classroom and in the sports arena. Alice threw herself into fencing – a sport she loved and competed in with real passion. After completing high school, Alice moved to Newcastle upon Tyne to attend Northumbria University. She continued her involvement in fencing, becoming the club captain and achieving notable success in competitions. After graduating, Alice landed a job at Sky's Newcastle hub, where she was quickly promoted to site coordinator and personal assistant to the head of sales. All the stars were aligning for this young woman with nothing but the brightest of futures ahead of her. In October 2015, Alice and a friend travelled to Sri Lanka, and had the best time. They shared loads of photos on Facebook – a blow-by-blow account of their adventure. When a friend of a friend commented on a photo of Alice, she didn’t think much of it. Then he messaged her travel buddy, saying: “Your friend is one of the most naturally beautiful girls I’ve ever seen – can you set us up?” At first Alice felt it was a bit creepy, but then she grew curious. When she found out that her admirer had studied with an acquaintance (who claimed he was a nice guy), she agreed share her contact details. Alice cautiously began corresponding with him on social media, and things rapidly evolved from flirtation to romance and even love. The guy was 24-year-old Trimaan ‘Harry’ Dhillon, a Lance Corporal in the British Army serving with the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland. He was born and raised in India. His father held a senior position in the Indian Army and perhaps because of this, Harry was engaged in the Indian Army National Cadet Corps throughout his high school years – a path he hoped to follow in future. In 2010, Harry moved to the UK where he joined the army in whilst studying at Queen Margaret’s University near Edinburgh. When Alice met Harry, he was deployed in Afghanistan, but not in a conflict role – he worked in signalling. For months their relationship was solely online. They Face Timed regularly and were in constant contact via text messaging. It was only in January 2016 when Harry returned to the UK, where he was based in Edinburgh. He took the 2-hour journey to Alice in Newcastle whenever he could, and Alice travelled to Edinburgh when she had the chance. Alice was smitten and even alluded to her mom that she thought Harry could be ‘the one.’ This did not last too long after his arrival back in the UK, however. Cracks in the relationship began showing up when Harry’s roving eye became apparent to Alice. She told her friends that he went to a meet-up with Victoria Secret models, despite her asking him not to. At the time, her friends were quite surprised, because Harry seemed very much into Alice. For the most part, they thought it was a moment of bad judgement, or perhaps peer pressure from his army friends and thought Alice would be able to work through things with him. However, signs of controlling behaviour became more and more apparent. Harry would expect Alice to be constantly available to answer his calls and messages, and he made derogatory comments about her appearance, constantly undermining her self-esteem. He would show up unannounced when Alice was out with friends, convincing her to hang out with him instead. Her friends grew concerned when they realised that Harry was in fact isolating Alice, keeping her to himself. When they tried talking to her about it, she became defensive and sided with Harry. It became increasingly challenging for Alice’s friends to reach out to her, as she was not as responsive to calls and texts as she had been in the past. All the while, Harry was in Alice’s corner, making sure he knew all about her movements: who she had contact with and who she spent time with. Harry’s behaviour took a toll on Alice's well-being, leading her to become increasingly withdrawn, even affecting her performance at work. Her boss, Paul Lynch said: “From the beginning of the relationship she went from being bubbly outgoing person with a wicked sense of humour to very quiet and distracted from work.” Harry’s behaviour led to tensions between Alice and her housemates, ultimately causing her to leave. In June 2016, Alice moved in with a co-worker, Maxine McGill in Gateshead. Maxine recalled meeting her new flatmate’s boyfriend, saying: “He tried too hard, he was overly nice, he almost creeped me out.” Like Alice’s college friends, Maxine also noticed that Harry was controlling, manipulative and possessive of Alice. She recalled an awkward incident when Alice was in the shower one day. Harry made her get out and stand in the kitchen with shampoo on her hair so he could use the toilet. In July, Alice brought Harry along to her annual family holiday in Cornwall. Her family realised that the relationship must be serious, as Alice rarely brought boyfriends along. In the course of the vacation, her family noticed that Alice was not quite herself: she had become somewhat withdrawn, less confident… But Harry was always by her side, so they couldn’t really talk to her to check in on her wellbeing. Shortly after the holiday, Alice was contacted by a woman who said that she had been chatting with Harry on Tinder. And when she looked him up, saw that Alice was his girlfriend. The woman said that Harry had invited her to go to the Military Ball with him. Alice was looking forward to the ball, as Harry asked her to be his date. She had bought a beautiful dress and told all her friends about it. Upset and looking for answers, Alice went through Harry’s phone, and indeed found his Tinder profile. She could see that he had been messaging the woman who had called her, and a couple of other ones too. Harry denied it all, claiming one of his friends must have created the profile using his name as some kind of prank. Alice didn’t fall for it. Feeling betrayed, Alice ended the relationship. Harry did not accept the breakup and began his relentless campaign of harassment and stalking. He bombarded Alice with phone calls, text messages, emails, and voicemails – some pleading for reconciliation, others threatening and aggressive. He also contacted her family and friends in an attempt to manipulate them into persuading Alice to take him back. Alice’s boss, Paul Lynch recalled: “She said there were occasions when Harry had threatened to kill her and kill himself if she would not speak to him or take him back.” Maxine corroborated this, saying there was emotional blackmail and Harry had threatened suicide and sent Alice pictures of himself crying. She said: “Alice was so upset. Even though she didn’t want to be with him she had a good heart and didn’t want him causing any harm on himself or getting in any sort of trouble. She still cared even though she didn’t want to be with him.” Harry took things to the extreme, even speaking about cutting off his own arms to show how much he loved her. When his threats of self-mutilation did not muster up the attention he needed from Alice, he changed tack… During their relationship, Harry took intimate photos of Alice. Sometimes he convinced her to take some compromising pictures of herself and send it to him. He saved every single one in a file on his computer named ‘Tramp’. So, when Alice refused to speak with him, he threatened to release them on social media. Alice confronted him and begged him not to do it. Harry, perhaps realising he had the upper hand, claimed he was only joking. He said that if he were a bad guy, that is what he would do. But he wasn’t. Still, Harry was not ready to let go. His behavior escalated further when he hacked into Alice's social media accounts. Alice became aware of this and pleaded with him to stop, but he didn’t. She then started a new Facebook account, but this only aggravated the increasingly unhinged Harry. Every day she received more than five friend requests, from fake accounts – all set up by Harry in an attempt to catfish her. He just kept on coming for her, infiltrating every part of her life. Feeling like she was under constant surveillance and constantly on edge that Harry would show up at her house or at work, Alice decided to visit her sister in Germany for a weekend. Much to her own surprise, she met someone – an army officer called Mike. Alice never thought she would feel okay with dating again so soon, but Mike made her feel safe. She did not post anything on social media about it but told friends and family on WhatsApp about him. When Harry reacted to her new relationship, Alice suspected that he had hacked her WhatsApp too. She believed he was using his expertise as a signalman to access her phone and all her accounts. In response to her new relationship, Harry contacted Mike directly, attempting to sabotage the budding relationship by claiming Alice was still professing her love to him. Fortunately Mike knew about the stalking, and did not believe Harry. Alice reported all of this to police, stating: “I messaged [Harry] and told him I wanted no further contact with him. I had found out my new friend Mike has been receiving messages from Harry which were very manipulative and tried to ruin my relationship with Mike. I’ve no idea how he is hacking into my email and phone. I’m scared and want it to stop.” Even Harry’s friends began to notice a change in him. An old college friend, Serena Murphy said that Harry sent her a picture of another man (presumably Mike) and kept asking if he was better looking than him. She felt like Harry didn’t want Alice to be with someone better than him. Serena recalled: “He was repeating ‘Be honest, tell me if he is better looking than me’.” On the evening of September 30, 2016, Alice was alone in her Gateshead flat when Harry's voicemail pinged on her phone just before 10pm. His message was charged with anger, cryptically stating that he "did not know what was going on." Fifteen minutes later, the first knock came at her front door. When Alice approached and peered through the peephole, she saw nothing, no one was there. Unsettled, she phoned Harry, who claimed to be in Princess Gardens, Edinburgh. His tone suddenly shifted. He thanked her for calling him and told her he was pleased to hear her voice, saying he missed her and was in tears. Moments after the phone call, a second knock echoed through the quiet apartment. Again, Alice looked through the peephole, but there was no one. What Alice didn't immediately realize was that Harry had driven from Edinburgh to her flat that very night. In fact, he had been lying in wait in her back garden since 5pm. He was methodically escalating his approach, repeatedly ringing her doorbell and hiding just out of sight whenever she looked out. When she refused to open the door, he climbed over the fence and returned to the back garden, approaching her bedroom window, knocking loudly. Determined not to show fear, Alice pulled back the curtains. There stood Harry in the darkness, holding flowers and chocolates. Without a word, he quietly placed the gifts on the windowsill and retreated, his hands raised in a gesture meant to appear non-threatening. But the calculated nature of his actions told a different story. As he drove back to Edinburgh, he left this disconcerting voicemail for Alice: “You said, guys like me end up killing people. That’s why I just left them there and walked straight out. To prove a point that killing you is something that I’ve never, ever, ever thought about, and I will never ever even think about that. If you want to go to the police, go to the police, but think about what we’re talking about, I’ve literally done nothing, I’ve never hurt you, never done any physical hurt to you … no, I don’t wanna kill you, I’m not intending to kill you. That’s all I wanted to say, that I didn’t want to kill you, that’s why I gave you chocolates and flowers and walked out straight away.” Distressed by these events, Alice immediately contacted the police. She was able to make an appointment and a constable visited her flat and took her statement the following day, October 2nd. Alice’s statement is factual and to the point with no emotion or exaggeration. The statement simply says: 
“We split up because he was messaging other girls and I ended the relationship. He has taken the relationship ending badly and has been hacking into my Facebook account and old email account.” The police issued a Police Information Notice (PIN) to Harry Dhillon, warning him to cease contact with Alice. However, a PIN carries no legal weight and is merely a warning. Still, Alice felt reassured, believing that the police intervention would finally deter her ex. Harry sent a Facebook message to Alice’s mum, Dr Sue Hills, saying: “I drove to Newcastle with flowers and chocolates and in return she called the police on me. Do you actually believe I could hurt her? I can’t live without her, I will always love her, I just cry all the time. My heart had been ripped out my chest. Please help me.” Alice was furious when she heard about this message. She felt that he was portraying himself to be the victim – desperately in love and abandoned by a cold and heartless Alice. This could not have been farther from the truth, as Alice avoided reporting his harassment for weeks, because she did not want to cause him any trouble. Yet, despite the police warning, the harassment continued. Harry sent Alice a parcel containing a letter and personal items, complaining about the police involvement, saying: “I’m in a lot of shit, I hope you feel happy now. I know you are stronger; I know you feel happy, I know you have moved on, I know you’ve got a new guy ... but I’ve not been able to say bye.” In this letter, the words “I love you and miss you” had been scribbled out. On October 7, 2016, Alice reported this to the police, but the response was less sympathetic than before. The incident was not recorded as linked to the previous harassment, and no further action was taken. Alice was left feeling unprotected and vulnerable. Maxine claimed that it got to the point that Alice was scared of even being home. Chillingly, she recalled her last conversation with Alice: “She said to me that morning she thinks Harry was going to kill her.” On October 12, 2016, Harry drove from Edinburgh to Gateshead once again. He parked near Alice's flat on Rawlings Road at 4:13 in the afternoon and waited for her to return home from work. At 5:38, Alice’s boss dropped her off at home. As soon as she got inside, she texted a couple of friends, chatting about Mike’s upcoming visit – he was due to arrive the next day. At 6:04 she messaged Mike and some friends, as she was trying on ball gowns for an upcoming function, sending pictures so they could help her choose. Meanwhile, Harry was outside, waiting in his car. He messaged a woman in Durham, arranging to meet up later that evening. Was he trying to create an alibi? Either way, with his plans for the night confirmed, Harry climbed over the back wall and forced his way into Alice’s flat, through a window. Armed with a sharp kitchen knife from her own kitchen, he confronted Alice in the bathroom and brutally attacked her, inflicting fatal injuries to her neck. Maxine was on her way to visit her boyfriend in Durham but had forgotten her phone at home. She was unable to open the front door and found it strange when she knocked on the door and Alice didn’t answer. So she went around the back and climbed in through a window. Looking for her phone, she saw a gruesome scene in the bathroom: Alice’s lifeless body lying in a pool of blood. Judging by the sheer volume of blood, and the position in which Alice lay, she knew her friend was no longer alive. A distraught Maxine immediately alerted the authorities. First responders found what they called a ‘catastrophic wound’ to Alice’s neck – and realised that there was nothing they could do to save her. Maxine instinctively knew Harry had something to do with this horrendous crime, and informed police officers at the scene about his harassment of Alice in the preceding months. Northumbria Police launched an investigation and quickly identified Dhillon as the prime suspect. When officers tracked him down at his barracks in Edinburgh in the early hours of October 13, 2016, Harry denied any knowledge of the murder. However, had scratches to his face, neck and chest, and was arrested on the spot. During his first interview, Harry admitted that he had been to see Alice, as he wanted answers. She told him to leave, which he did. He claimed that when he left, she was still alive and well. Police were able to detain him while they gathered evidence and found enough to charge him. Postmortem results found that the knife had been drawn across Alice’s throat six times and she also had a stab wound to her nose and multiple defensive injuries to her hands. Alice’s blood was found on the steering wheel of Harry’s car, as well as in the letters of Harry’s ‘Help for Heroes’ wristband. Harry’s DNA was found under Alice’s the fingernails. Analysis of Harry’s computer revealed he had access to Alice’s accounts, passwords, and he had changed her Facebook password so he had control of her account. He had essentially taken complete control of her social media. Presented with evidence Harry admitted that she was not alive when he left after all. In his second version of events, he claimed they argued and that a scuffle ensued. According to Harry, Alice attacked him – slapping him and grabbing his hair. Then we he saw her holding a carving knife in her right hand, he struck back in self-defence. He then grabbed her wrist then put her in a headlock, steering her from the living room into the bathroom where the struggle continued. In this version, Harry claimed he tried to calm Alice down and help her. He said she then launched herself forward with the knife and in doing so hit her head on the bathroom sink, throwing her off balance. According to Harry, her reached out his arms to catch her, and as they came together, the knife went into her throat. Although investigators did not believe this version, they knew they had to collect all possible evidence to prove that this was a case of premeditated murder. They set out to understand more about their suspect, and found many inconsistencies… During the Army's internal review of Harry Dhillon, it became clear he wasn’t well-regarded by his senior officers. Dhillon was seen as a soldier who constantly pushed boundaries and challenged authority. He was described as outspoken and manipulative, someone who thrived on creating tension by playing people against each other. Among his peers, however, the picture was less clear-cut. To his fellow soldiers, Harry was fairly unremarkable – a typical platoon mate who got along well enough and avoided open conflict. Yet, there were subtle signs of detachment. He rarely participated in social activities within the barracks, preferring instead to spend his time with university friends or acquaintances outside of military life. On the surface, Harry seemed polite, even approachable. However, some of his peers quietly questioned his trustworthiness after he lodged a serious allegation against his superiors, only to withdraw it later without explanation. Others described him as overly sensitive, noting that he didn’t reflect the usual military ideals of resilience and stoicism. The overall impression of Harry Dhillon was of someone who didn’t quite fit in – a soldier who could blend in when needed but often stood apart in subtle, disconcerting ways. His approach to military life was unpredictable, an unsettling mix of conformity and defiance that left those around him unsure of who he really was. Investigators also sought to uncover more about Harry’s personal life before he met Alice. From Alice’s family and friends, they learned that she knew about ‘something’ involving Dhillon’s ex-girlfriend. According to what he had told Alice, his ex was a “crazy” woman who had unsuccessfully tried to obtain a restraining order against him. He claimed the case had been “laughed out of court.” From Alice’s perspective, it seemed like the matter went nowhere, and he had been protected by the Army throughout. In hindsight, perhaps this was a veiled warning, informing Alice he had gotten away with questionable behavior before. Also, going back to Alice’s trip to Sri Lanka in 2015… During this time, her family had created a WhatsApp group to stay connected and chat as a family while she was away. Alice’s mum later recalled an unusual incident that happened around October of that year – shortly after Alice had first connected with Harry Dhillon. Alice had been sending messages to the group, but none of them were visible to the others. Then, her account appeared to have left the group entirely. The family joked about it at the time, calling Alice a “ghost,” but they all found it odd. In hindsight, this seemingly minor event raises a chilling question: could Harry have already been interfering with her accounts as early as 2015? If so, it would mean he had been monitoring and stalking Alice even before their relationship became serious – a deeply unsettling thought that casts their entire relationship in a much darker light. The trial for the murder of Alice Ruggles commenced on April 10, 2017, at Newcastle Crown Court. During the trial, Dhillon denied the charges, insisting that Alice had attacked him and that her injuries were self-inflicted. However, the evidence against him was overwhelming. Firstly, the pattern of his stalking behavior was presented in meticulous, chronological detail. Alice’s statements to police, her documented accounts to family and friends were not easy to listen to – a desperate young woman, doing everything in her power to escape. CCTV footage showed Dhillon making the five-hour 240-mile round trip Glencorse Barracks in Midlothian to Gateshead to kill her. Cell phone records proved that he was waiting near her house and that he had arranged to meet up with another woman later that night. The last message sent from Alice’s phone was at 6:04pm. Alice’s flatmate arrived at 6.30. There’s a narrow window of 20 to 25 minutes during which Dhillon scaled a fence in the back yard and accessed the flat through Alice’s bedroom window. DNA evidence places him at the scene, Alice’s blood on his wrist and the steering wheel of his car connects him to the murder too. The pathologist also proved that his claims of how Alice sustained her injuries were “broadly inconsistent” with the findings. Looking at blood spatter and Alice’s injuries, the more likely conclusion to make is that Alice was standing in the bathroom with her back to the door when she was attacked from behind. Dhillon forced her into the shower and shoved her to the floor, jamming a knee into her back. He then grabbed her hair and slashed her throat – making six incisions, most of them cutting through her voice box and right internal carotid artery. On April 26, 2017, Trimaan ‘Harry’ Dhillon was found guilty of Alice Ruggles' murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years. Judge Paul Sloan QC, said: “Not a shred of remorse have you shown from first to last. Indeed, you were concentrating so hard on getting your story right when giving evidence, you forgot even to shed a crocodile tear.” Alice Ruggles' tragic death highlighted significant failings in the handling of stalking cases by authorities. A Domestic Homicide Review conducted by the Gateshead Community Safety Board identified several areas for improvement, including better recognition of stalking behaviors, more effective risk assessments, and the need for stronger legal measures to protect victims. In response, Northumbria Police implemented management actions and further training for two officers involved in Alice's case. The force acknowledged the necessity for changes in responding to stalking and harassment reports, emphasizing the importance of understanding the heightened risks associated with such behaviors. With the support of Alice's family, significant improvements were made in training, which have been adopted by other police forces and partners to enhance the protection of stalking victims To honor Alice, her family established the Alice Ruggles Trust, a charitable organization dedicated to raising awareness of stalking and coercive control, advocating for effective legislation, and improving the management of perpetrators and protection of victims. The Trust works closely with law enforcement agencies, policymakers, and other organizations to prevent similar tragedies and support those affected by stalking. Her colleagues remembered her for her wit, sharp sense of humor, and the positive energy she brought to the workplace. Her friends and family would like her to be remembered for her bubbly energy and lust for life – not as a murder victim. Alice's legacy lives on through the work of the Alice Ruggles Trust, striving to bring an end to stalking and prevent future tragedies. If you'd like to dive deeper into this case, check out the resources we used for this episode in the show notes. Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more updates on today's case – you can find us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X. We also have a channel on YouTube where you can watch more content. If you enjoy what we do here at Evidence Locker, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening right now and consider leaving us a 5-star review. This was The Evidence Locker. Thank you for listening!