Who Trolled Amber? - A verdict | Lucky Boy update

Episode Date: August 27, 2026

For the last three weeks, reporter Chloe Hadjimatheou has been following the trial of Sally Anne Bowen, the teacher at the centre of Tortoise Investigates’ podcast series Lucky Boy, first released in 2025. Following the jury’s verdict, Chloe calls producer Gary Marshall to break the news.Lucky Boy is an original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer, originally published in 2025.To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.You'll get access to:This series and all our podcasts before anyone elseAd-free listeningPremium newslettersPuzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crosswordExclusive offers from our partners including Mubi and iescapeTickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or onlineOr subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.Reporter - Chloe HadjimatheouProducer - Gary MarshallSound design - Hannah VarrallPodcast artwork - Lola WilliamsExecutive producer - Basia Cummings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tortus Investigates. Hi, Chloe. Can you hear me? I can hear you. What happens? We've got a verdict. It took six hours and 29 minutes of deliberation. Right.

They didn't reach a unanimous verdict. They reached a majority verdict of 10 to 2. Okay. And this, you've just found this out? I've just walked out of courtroom floor right now and stepped aside to call you. Okay. And what was the majority verdict? Sally Ann Bowen is guilty of all seven counts.

Okay. She's guilty of all seven counts of indecent assault on a child under the age of 16. All seven counts. Both Gareth and Sanjay. Does Gareth know yet? I texted him and he just replied, yes, with lots of S's, and then said, tell me again. and so I told him again guilty.

He's obviously incredibly relieved. Yeah, I'm sure. But I'm going to call him soon. Okay. Sally Ann Bowen was asked to stand by the judge and she was told that as a result of these verdicts, she is now going to be put on the sex offenders register. She needs to go straight to the probation service

where she'll be interviewed and probation will recommend. the sentence. The judge said the fact that he was releasing her on bail was no indication of what her sentence would be and that all options remain open including a custodial sentence. Really? She showed no emotion. It was quite, I felt emotional and she just showed nothing. Nothing. Her face was absolutely blank. I think it's worth going back to the start of this. And the reason that Gareth got in touch with you was because he wanted some form of justice. And it's been a...

It's been a mad emotional roller coaster for him. You know, the reason that he first got in touch with me was because he felt that he was being gaslit for years because he knew what happened between him and Sally Ann Bowen. And that's why he came to me in the first place because he wasn't getting traction with a legal case. And so my investigation, ended up throwing up fresh witnesses, another alleged victim, and a key witness that was used by the prosecution.

And that has ended up with this guilty verdict, which for him, I think, will be an incredible relief that finally his truth has been proven, that he's been vindicated. This really did happen. Sally Ann Bowen really did have sex with him when he was 14 years. old. And just to put that in perspective, he's now in his 50s? He's now 53 years old, but in the end, it looks like jury trials really do work, especially because during the process of this trial, with all the media retention it's got, new people have come forward. And that's what you want to look into now? That's where my investigation is going next. I'm going to have to go. Okay. Hello, it's Gary here. While Chloe and me work on a new episode of Lucky Boy, you can listen to the original series here in the Tortoise Investigates feed.

Episode one is available for everyone to listen to, and to get the full series, you can become a subscriber to the observer, wherever you're listening to this. Thank you.