Harlow man jailed for murdering friend and cutting up body – BBC News

Posted March 13th, 2024 in forensic science, imprisonment, murder, news, sentencing by sally

‘A man who murdered his friend and cut up his body with power tools has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years.’

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BBC News, 12th March 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Marina Koppel: Man’s bloody footprint used to convict him of 1994 murder – BBC News

Posted February 16th, 2024 in DNA, forensic science, murder, news by sally

‘A man has been convicted of killing a woman almost 30 years ago, with a bloody footprint and a hair stuck to a ring being used to identify him.’

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BBC News, 15th February 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Hair strand testing – pitfalls and limitations – Transparency Project

Posted January 25th, 2024 in drug abuse, family courts, forensic science, news by sally

‘When it is disputed whether a person uses drugs, the family court can – and often does – order hair strand testing to determine the issue. This article draws upon the work of lawyer Sarah Branson and drug tester Paul Hunter, who have explored the limitations of hair strand testing and highlighted the need for caution in relying on hair strand test results (See Recent scientific developments in hair strand testing and racial bias in current practices of hair strand testing. I’m going to call this ‘the Fam Law article’). Even so, hair strand testing continues to be the ’go-to’ when there is a question over drug use. Despite an increasing recognition of the possibility of mistakes and errors in the production and reporting of hair strand test evidence, this evidence is still regularly relied upon by the courts as evidence of substance use. These problems are often underestimated, which can have disastrous consequences.’

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Transparency Project, 24th January 2024

Source: transparencyproject.org.uk

Criminal review body missed chance to clear Andrew Malkinson in 2013 – The Guardian

‘The organisation responsible for investigating miscarriages of justice missed a major opportunity to reconsider Andrew Malkinson’s case, internal documents suggest.’

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The Guardian, 24th January 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Miscarriage of justice watchdog reviews murder conviction of ex-MI6 informant – The Guardian

‘Criminal Cases Review Commission re-examines case of Wang Yam, who was convicted of 2006 murder of Allan Chappelow in London.’

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The Guardian, 14th December 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Pregnant girl, 11, who was raped twice should have a termination, judge rules – The Independent

Posted October 12th, 2023 in abortion, children, forensic science, human tissue, news, pregnancy, rape by sally

‘A pregnant 11-year-old girl who has twice been raped by teenage boys should have a termination, a High Court judge has ruled.’

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The Independent, 11th October 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

BBC reaches settlement with murdered girl’s mother over clothes lost by Martin Bashir – BBC News

Posted October 9th, 2023 in BBC, bereavement, children, DNA, duty of care, families, forensic science, media, murder, news by sally

‘The BBC has reached a settlement with a woman who said Martin Bashir had borrowed but failed to return her murdered daughter’s clothes.’

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BBC News, 6th October 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

I was innocent – but it cost me £500,000 to prove it – BBC News

‘Each year, thousands of people in England and Wales are accused of crimes for which they are later acquitted. While their names may be cleared, they are often left emotionally and financially devastated – as Brian Buckle, who was wrongfully convicted of sexually abusing a child, discovered first-hand.’

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BBC News, 6th October 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Jail for Leeds man who slashed and strangled horses – BBC News

Posted September 27th, 2023 in animal cruelty, animals, DNA, forensic science, imprisonment, news, sentencing by sally

‘A man who slashed three horses with a knife and tried to strangle another has been jailed.’

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BBC News, 26th September 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Man found guilty of murdering six-year-old in 1994 awaits ruling on appeal – The Independent

‘A 42-year-old man given a life sentence after being found guilty of murdering a six-year-old boy nearly 30 years ago is waiting for a ruling on an appeal.’

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The Independent, 4th September 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Police and CPS had key DNA evidence 16 years before Andrew Malkinson cleared of rape – The Guardian

‘Police and prosecutors in the Andrew Malkinson case knew there was another man’s DNA on the victim’s clothes in 2007 – three years after he was wrongly convicted of rape – but he remained in prison for another 13 years.’

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The Guardian, 15th August 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Man jailed for life for murdering schoolgirl Nikki Allan in 1992 – The Guardian

‘A child killer who brutally murdered a “bright and sparky” seven-year-old girl and managed to escape justice for more than 30 years has been sentenced to life in prison.’

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The Guardian, 23rd May 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Hair drug testing vs Nail drug testing – Family Law

Posted March 10th, 2023 in drug abuse, drug offences, forensic science, news by tracey

‘Ashley Hodgkinson, Sample Collections Manager at AlphaBiolabs, discusses hair drug testing and nail drug testing, together with the benefits of each test.’

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Family Law, 9th March 2023

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Man jailed for life for murder in oldest double jeopardy case – BBC News

‘A man has been jailed for life for raping and murdering a girl almost 50 years ago, in the oldest double jeopardy case in England and Wales.’

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BBC News, 14th January 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Prenatal paternity testing for court: your questions answered – Family Law Week

Posted November 17th, 2022 in children, DNA, expert witnesses, families, family courts, forensic science, news by tracey

‘Casey Randall, Head of DNA at AlphaBiolabs, answers some of the most common questions about prenatal paternity testing for legal matters.’

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Family Law Week, 14th November 2022

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

New powers for forensic science regulator by end of March – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Forensic science witnesses in criminal justice cases can expect to be subject to the Forensic Science Regulator’s statutory regime by the end of March 2023, incumbent regulator Gary Pugh said today.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 4th November 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Rikki Neave police ‘ignored scientific evidence’ – BBC News

‘Six-year-old Rikki Neave disappeared after leaving home for school in November 1994 – his body was discovered the following day. A BBC investigation has found that police ignored scientific evidence to build a case against his mother, leaving his killer free for more than 20 years.’

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BBC News, 3rd October 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Domestic abuse: Forensic marker spray helps victims rebuild lives – BBC News

Posted September 8th, 2022 in domestic violence, forensic science, news, police, victims by sally

‘A domestic abuse victim is slowly rebuilding her life thanks in part to a forensic marker spray she has been given by West Yorkshire Police. The gadget is to be used if her abuser shows up, and other police forces are under growing pressure to adopt similar measures.’

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BBC News, 8th September 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Forensic inquiry to examine UK rape case after man’s 17 years in jail – The Guardian

‘A new forensic investigation is under way into a rape case that led to a man spending 17 years in prison after DNA linked another unknown male to the crime.’

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The Guardian, 18th July 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Prisoners denied access to forensic evidence in bid to prove their innocence – The Guardian

‘Prisoners convicted of serious crimes who may be the victims of miscarriages of justice are being blocked from access to crucial forensic information that could prove their innocence, experts have warned.’

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The Guardian, 11th July 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com