Lots of serious criminal allegations involve computers, whether this is the use of computers to commit offences using the internet or by storing illegal material in electronic form on computers and portable storage media. It is all too common for the police and other investigative agencies to seize every computer and item capable of storage they find and submit them for forensic examination.
This process is time-consuming and can add to the stress of the overall investigation; interrogation methods are designed to find deleted files and images.
We regularly work with large amounts of evidence of this kind and instruct leading industry experts to assist us in verifying and challenging technical reports compiled by police experts.
This is also true of mobile phones, probably the most seized and widely used piece of prosecution evidence. Often the police will try to convince you and even make a requirement for you to provide your phone PIN or passcode. We will advise you of the technical aspects of phone evidence, deleted message retrieval and cell site analysis if appropriate.
With the proliferation of the internet and faster download speeds, there has been a rise in offences relating to indecent images. On occasion, these offences can be committed by no fault of the person arrested; the wrong IP address is obtained or a neighbour has managed to 'piggyback' a Wi-Fi connection, or he/she may have bought a second-hand computer. Sometimes, 'thumbnail' images are involved and these can be embedded as “cookies” or small files that save themselves to the computer without the operator physically looking at them, or realising they are there. In cases such as these, we have had considerable success in instructing the right experts to present this information on behalf of our clients during trial.
Firearms offences are a specialist area of criminal law. There are many offences regarding the licensing and use of firearms as well as the use of firearms to commit crimes. These offences require different investigation and forensic capture techniques in respect of gunshot residue and ballistics-matching. Whether your case relates to air rifles, antique weapons, prohibited weapons or shotguns and firearms, we can assist you with the specific laws that apply to these categories.
We instruct expert witnesses experienced in scene-reconstruction, range-testing and examination of all types of lethal barrelled weapons.
In serious criminal cases, police investigations often involve the use of informants and undercover police operations. This can include the use of technical listening devices and telephone surveillance as well as intrusive surveillance under Part 3 Police Act. This is a very technical and highly specialised area of law and if you suspect your case involves technical evidence such as listening devices or surveillance logs you should contact us immediately.
Colloquially termed “forensic evidence” this 'real' evidence can often seal the fate of defendants wrongly accused of crimes. We will ensure that the capture and packaging of evidence, the examination techniques used and subsequent forensic report will be scrutinised by experts in the field. Often, issues such as contamination of evidence or a police scientist drawing an incorrect conclusion can lead to the collapse of a prosecution case.
Forensic science is fast-moving and new techniques are evolving all the time and, often the results provided by the Prosecution are not challenged by defence solicitors. We will always seek to have any forensic sample analysed by an expert if our client contests the validity of the evidence.
In Proceeds of Crime Act and money laundering cases, as well as large-scale conspiracies to defraud, the services of a forensic accounting expert are crucial. Instructing such an expert at an early stage in a case assists greatly in creating a well-planned defence strategy that can lead to prosecutions being discontinued or acquittal at trial.
We work with accredited financial investigators and forensic accountants who assist us in preparing expert testimony to support the case of our clients' in criminal trials.
CCTV cameras, mobile phone footage and body worn cameras worn by police officers have been responsible for a marked increase in video material that is being put before the courts as evidence. Sometime, these images can be difficult to see or of insufficient quality to make a reasonable conclusion.
Where required, we instruct expert witnesses to provide a comparative analysis of CCTV footage using scientific techniques; this often assists the defence when seeking to disprove evidence of identification or criminal liability.
