Chapter
Chapter 1 Forensic Science
1.1.1 Forensic Science – A Definition
1.1.2 An Historical Background
1.1.3 Forensic Science In The United Kingdom
1.2 When is Forensic Science Required?
1.2.1 Has a Crime Been Committed?
1.2.2 Who is Responsible?
1.2.3 Is the Suspect Responsible?
1.3 Duties of the Forensic Scientist
1.4 Quality in Forensic Science
1.4.1 Quality at the Scene–Laboratory Chain
1.4.2 Laboratory Quality Procedures
1.5 Accreditation of Forensic Science Facilities
1.6 Personal Accountability in Forensic Science
1.6.1 The Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners (CRFP)
1.6.2 Standards Of Competance
Chapter 2 The Crime Scene
2.2 The Organisation of Scientific Support within the Police Service of England and Wales
2.2.1 The Fingerprint Bureau (Department)
2.2.2 The Scene of Crime Department
2.2.3 The Photographic Services Department
2.2.4 In-Force Laboratories and Scientific Services
2.2.5 Training & Information
2.3 A Burglary: An Example of a Volume Crime Scene
2.3.2 What Happens at the Scene
2.4 A Murder: An Example of a Major Crime Scene
2.4.3 Serious Crime Procedure
2.5 Scene Attendance by Forensic Scientists or Other Specialists
Chapter 3 Trace and Contact Evidence
3.2 Targeting Potential Traces
3.2.1 Amount of Material Transferred
3.2.2 Persistence of Material
3.2.3 Finding the Material
3.2.4 Evidential Value of Trace Material
3.3 Recovery of Trace Materials
3.4 Characterisation and Comparison
3.4.5 Oils, Greases and Waxes
3.5 Assessment of Significance
3.5.1 Extent of Comparison
3.5.2 Rarity of the Trace Material
3.5.4 Combination of Evidence
3.5.5 Alternative, Innocent Sources
3.6 Safety of Trace Evidence
Chapter 4 Marks and Impressions
4.2.2 Recovery of Impressions from Scene of Crime
4.2.3 Impressions in Two Dimensions
4.2.4 Methods for Enhancing Two-Dimensional Footwear Impressions
4.2.7 Impressions in Blood
4.2.8 Other Impressions on Porous Surfaces
4.2.9 Three-Dimensional Impressions
4.3 Information Available from a Shoe
4.4 Comparing an Impression with a Shoe
4.4.1 Making a Test Impression
4.4.2 Comparing Impressions
4.5.1 Cutting Instruments
4.5.2 Levering Instruments
4.7.2 Mass-Produced Items
4.7.3 Plastic Bags and Film
4.8.2 Connecting Punches to Marks
4.9.1 Why are they Unique?
4.9.2 Current Developments
4.9.3 Enhancement of Fingerprints
4.9.4 Future Developments
Chapter 5 Bloodstain Pattern Analysis
5.2 Classification of Bloodstain Patterns
5.2.4 Arterial Damage Stains
5.2.5 Large Volume Stains
5.2.6 Physiologically Altered Bloodstains
5.2.8 Composite Stain Patterns
5.3 The Evaluation of Bloodstain Pattern Evidence
Chapter 6 The Forensic Examination of Documents
6.1.1 Qualifications and Training
6.3 The Identification of Handwriting
6.3.1 Construction of Character Forms
6.3.3 Comparison Material
6.3.4 Other Forms of Variation
6.3.6 Expression of Handwriting Conclusions
6.4 The Examination of Signatures
6.4.2 Freehand Simulation
6.4.3 Authorship of Simulation
6.4.5 Vulnerable Signatures
6.4.6 Guided Hand Signatures
6.4.7 Comparison Material
6.4.8 Expression of Signature Conclusions
6.5 The Examination of Photocopies
6.6 Printing and Typewriting
6.6.1 Modern Office Technology
6.6.5 Dot Matrix Printers
6.6.6 Single Element Typewriters
6.6.7 Fixed Type-Bar Machines
6.6.9 Ribbons, Roller and Correction Facilities
6.7 The Origin and History of Documents
6.7.1 The Examination of Inks
6.7.2 The Examination of Paper
6.7.3 Development of Handwriting and Signatures Over Time
6.7.5 Folds, Creases and Tears
6.7.6 Staples and Punch Holes
6.7.7 Erasures, Obliterations and Additions
6.9 Procedures, Protocols and Quality Assurance
Chapter 7 Computer Based Media
7.2 Guidance on Examination of Computer-Based Evidence
7.3.1 Ones, Zeroes, Bits and Bytes
7.3.4 Magneto Optical Media
7.4.1 Partitions and Logical Drives
7.4.2 Directory Structure
7.4.3 File Allocation Table and Master File Table
7.4.4 Allocated and Unallocated Space
7.4.7 Sectors and Clusters
7.5 Contents of Allocated Space
7.6 Contents of Unallocated Space
7.6.2 Word Processed Documents
7.7.2 Internet Protocol (IP) Numbers
7.7.3 World Wide Web (www)
7.7.6 File Transfer Protocol and Peer-to-Peer Applications
7.7.8 Chat Rooms and Applications
Chapter 8 Fire Investigation
8.2.1 The Burning of Methane
8.2.2 Flammability Limits
8.2.5 Smouldering Combustion
8.3 Factors Affecting Flame Propagation
8.3.3 Ignition Temperature
8.3.4 Spontaneous Combustion
8.4.3 Background Information
8.4.4 Recording of Information
8.4.5 External Examination
8.5 Location of Point of Ignition
8.5.1 Time Temperature Dependant Techniques
8.5.2 Geometrical Techniques
8.5.3 Development Techniques
8.5.5 Diagnostic Indications
8.5.6 Confidence Perimeter
8.6.2 Suspected Accidental Ignition Sources
8.7 Laboratory Examination
8.7.2 Examination of Clothing
8.7.3 Examination of Electrical Equipment
8.7.4 Examination of Heating Appliances
9.2 Explosives Technology
9.2.1 What is an Explosion?
9.2.3 Types of Explosives
9.2.4 Chemistry of Explosives
9.2.5 Initiation and Detonation of Explosives
9.2.6 Essential Elements of an Improvised Explosive Device
9.3 Facilities Required for Forensic Explosives Examinations
9.3.6 Reference Collections and Databases
9.4.1 Was it an Explosion?
9.4.2 Was it an Accident, or a Bomb?
9.4.3 Is this an Explosive?
9.6 Links with other Forensic Disciplines
9.7.2 The Prosecution Case
9.7.3 The Passenger’s Defence
9.7.4 The Lorry Driver’s Defence
9.7.5 What Really Happened?
10.2 Interior and Exterior Ballistics
10.3.1 Classes of Firearm
10.3.2 Loading Mechanisms
10.3.3 Forensic Significance
10.4 Cartridges and Calibre
10.6.1 Examination of the Scene
10.7 Examination of Firearms
10.7.1 Examination of Spent Bullets and Spent Cartridge Cases
10.8 Comparative Microscopy
10.9 Composition of Cartridges
10.9.3 Primer Compositions
10.10 Firearms Discharge Residues (FDR)
10.10.2 Collection of FDR
Chapter 11 Drugs of Abuse
11.2 Drug Control Legislation in the United Kingdom
11.3 Drugs of Abuse and Their Sources
11.3.1 Cannabis and Its Products
11.3.5 Psilocybe Mushrooms
11.3.7 Lysergic Acid Diethylamide
11.3.8 Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines
11.4 Identification of Drugs of Abuse
11.4.3 Thin Layer Chromatography
11.4.4 Instrumental Techniques
11.5 Quantification of Drugs of Abuse
11.6 Profiling of Drugs of Abuse
11.6.1 Profiling of Cannabis Products
11.6.2 Profiling of Heroin
11.6.3 Profiling of Amphetamine
11.6.4 Profiling of other Drugs
11.7 Quality Assurance in Drug Analysis
Chapter 12 Forensic Toxicology
12.1.1 What is Toxicology?
12.1.2 Origins and Development of Forensic Toxicology in the United Kingdom
12.2.2 Factors Affecting the Toxic Dose of a Substance
12.2.3 Types and Examples of Poisons
12.2.4 Routes of Administration and Excretion
12.2.5 Patterns of Poisoning
12.3 The Work of the Forensic Toxicologist
12.3.1 The Role of the Forensic Toxicologist in Medico-Legal Investigations
12.3.2 The Forensic Toxicological Investigation
12.3.3 General Analytical Approach
12.3.4 Different Types of Specimen
12.3.5 Tools of the Trade – Methods ofAnalysis
12.3.6 Chemical Classification of Drugs
12.3.7 The Toxicology Report
12.4.1 Qualitative Results
12.4.2 Quantitative Results
12.4.3 Specific Problems of Interpretation
12.5 Specific Areas of Interest and Case Studies
12.5.3 Drug Overdose Cases
Chapter 13 Alcohol Analysis
13.2 Absorption, Distribution and Elimination of Alcohol
13.2.4 Concentration of Alcohol in Urine and Breath in Relation to Blood Alcohol Concentration
13.2.5 The Effects of Alcohol
13.4 Analysis of Body Fluid Samples for Alcohol
13.4.2 Gas Chromatography
13.4.3 Accuracy and Precision
13.5 Analysis of Breath for Alcohol
13.5.2 Substantive Methods and Instrumentation
13.5.3 Instrument Evaluation and Introduction
Chapter 14 The Analysis of Body Fluids
14.3 Tests for Blood and Body Fluids
14.3.4 Determination of the Species of Origin
14.4.2 Immunological Markers
14.5 DNA and its Analysis
14.5.1 Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
14.6 Forensic DNA Analysis
14.6.3 DQA and Polymarker
14.7 Biological Evidence in Court
14.8 Developments in DNA Testing
14.8.1 Low Copy Number PCR
14.8.3 Trait Identification
14.8.4 DNA Microarray Technology
Chapter 15 Presentation of Expert Forensic Evidence
15.2 The Legal System and the Courts
15.2.2 Magistrates’ Courts
15.2.8 The Course of the Criminal Trial
15.2.9 The Role of the Witness
15.3.1 The Duty of the Expert
15.4 Prosecution and Defence
15.4.2 The Forensic Scientist and the Prosecution
15.4.3 The Scientist Working for the Defence
15.4.4 The Sequence of Events in a Forensic Examination
15.4.5 The Role of the Second Examiner
15.4.6 The Need for Both Prosecution and Defence Experts
15.5 The Importance of Quality
15.5.3 Case Documentation
15.5.4 Assuring the Quality of the Work
15.6 The Forensic Scientist’s Report
15.6.2 Disclosure of Expert Evidence
15.7 Giving Evidence in Court
15.7.5 Giving Expert Evidence
15.7.8 Releasing the Witness