The Story of John Worboys

May 10, 2026, 21:05
UKEntertainment

Introduction

The TV show 'Believe Me' tells the story of John Worboys. It shows how the police and the law failed to help his victims.

Main Body

John Worboys was a taxi driver. From 2000 to 2008, he gave women drugs in drinks. Then he attacked them. He attacked many women, but the court punished him for 19 crimes in 2009. Many women told the police about the crimes. The police did not believe them. They did not look for videos or driver information. This made the women feel very sad and angry. In 2018, a group wanted to let Worboys leave prison. Four victims fought this decision in court. The High Court said Worboys must stay in prison. One victim said the police and the law were shameful.

Conclusion

Worboys is still in prison. The court is looking at more crimes he did.

Learning

⏳ The 'Past' Pattern

To tell a story, we change the action word to show it happened before. Look at these words from the text:

  • Give →\rightarrow Gave
  • Attack →\rightarrow Attacked
  • Punish →\rightarrow Punished
  • Tell →\rightarrow Told

The Rule: Most words just need an -ed at the end (Attacked). Some words are 'rebels' and change completely (Give →\rightarrow Gave).

🚫 Saying 'No' in the Past

When we want to say something did not happen, we use a magic pair: did not + the original word.

  • Wrong: The police did not believed them. ❌
  • Right: The police did not believe them. ✅

Key Tip: Once you use "did not," the action word goes back to its normal, present shape. No more -ed!

Vocabulary Learning

taxi (n.)
a car that carries passengers for a fare
Example:I took a taxi to the airport.
driver (n.)
a person who operates a vehicle
Example:The driver stopped at the red light.
police (n.)
people who enforce the law and keep safety
Example:The police arrived quickly.
law (n.)
rules made by a government to control behavior
Example:Everyone must follow the law.
victim (n.)
a person harmed or injured by a crime
Example:The victim was very brave.
crime (n.)
an illegal act punishable by law
Example:The crime was reported to the police.
court (n.)
a place where judges hear cases
Example:The case went to court.
prison (n.)
a place where criminals are kept
Example:He was sent to prison.
shameful (adj.)
causing embarrassment or guilt
Example:It was a shameful mistake.
attacked (v.)
to strike violently
Example:She was attacked by a dog.
drug (n.)
a medicine or substance used to treat illness
Example:The doctor gave a new drug.
drink (n.)
a liquid you can consume
Example:He had a cold drink.
video (n.)
a recording of moving pictures
Example:She watched a video.
information (n.)
facts or knowledge about something
Example:He gave me useful information.
sad (adj.)
feeling unhappiness
Example:She felt sad after the loss.
angry (adj.)
feeling strong displeasure or annoyance
Example:He was angry about the delay.
group (n.)
a number of people together
Example:A group of friends went to the park.
leave (v.)
to go away from a place
Example:He will leave tomorrow.
decision (n.)
a choice made after thinking
Example:Her decision surprised everyone.
stay (v.)
to remain in a place
Example:They will stay at the hotel.
still (adv.)
not moving; remains
Example:The room was still quiet.
more (adj.)
additional amount
Example:I need more time.
look (v.)
to direct one's gaze
Example:Look at the beautiful view.
believe (v.)
to accept as true
Example:I believe in hard work.
told (v.)
past of tell
Example:She told me the story.
failed (v.)
did not succeed
Example:He failed the exam.
help (v.)
to assist
Example:Can you help me?
gave (v.)
past of give
Example:She gave me a gift.
many (adj.)
a large number
Example:Many people attended.
women (n.)
adult female humans
Example:Many women joined the march.