A Channel 4 documentary airing tonight at 10pm will tell the story of a case with strong local links to Ruislip and Eastcote.
Do You Know This Man? follows Mary Sharp, Laura Hughes and Lauren Preston, whose evidence helped secure the conviction of Martin Butler in 2023. The women all knew Butler through the Ruislip and Eastcote area in the 1980s and 1990s.
Butler was convicted at Truro Crown Court of rape and buggery against Mary Sharp and was later jailed for 11 years. Laura Hughes and Lauren Preston gave evidence that helped secure the conviction.
The documentary focuses on the women’s long fight for justice, the impact of the offences, and their decision to waive anonymity. Mary Sharp has also self-published a book, The Silver Thread, about survival, trauma and the road to justice.
“A stirring exploration of some grim goings on in Ruislip – Channel 4 takes an unvarnished, extraordinary delve into a troubling case.
Drug dealer Martin Butler turned his house into a party venue and the kids of Ruislip gravitated towards it. As a result, several of them were raped. This bleak but stirring documentary tells, in unvarnished style, the story of Laura Hughes, Lauren Preston and Mary Sharp who, decades after the offences, joined forces to bring Butler to justice. Their testimony is extraordinary: the trauma is still evident but it’s matched by their guts and resilience.” – Phil Harrison, The Guardian TV review
The programme is on Channel 4 tonight, Wednesday 13 May, at 10pm.
Read more:
- Women’s quest for justice features in Do You Know this Man? television documentary – The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
- “Do You Know This Man”? review by Memorable TV
- ‘He stole my childhood’: how three women banded together – and took down their rapist – The Guardian, 23 February 2025
- Women who gave evidence against rapist Martin Butler welcome 11-year sentence – The Guardian, 21 April 2025
Mary, Lauren and Laura are on Instagram as @doyou.know.this.man
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