Contained below are the criminal case studies I created in my first year of the WJEC Criminology Course.
They highlight specific facts and focus on police failings which I found useful to support me through UNIT 3 which I studied in first year.
The information has been collected from various...
Case studies
Adam Scott
Adam Scott aged 20 was falsely
accused after a plastic tray that should
have been disposed of at a laboratory
run by LGC Forensics was reused in the
analysis of a swab taken from the rape
victim. Scott spent five months on
remand over the Manchester attack,
even though mobile phone records
suggested he had been 280 miles away
in Devon shortly afterwards. He strongly
protested his innocence and told
detectives in interviews that he had never been to Manchester. He was charged on
23rd October 2011 after his DNA had been re used and contaminated so the result of
a test for another crime suspecting him as a rape criminal had linked him too it. It
ultimately destroyed his life and his family’s after the ordeal and the family have
stated how the forensics firm need major improvement to make sure everything is
checked and then double checked. It was the Crown Prosecution Service that
formerly dropped the case during a hearing at Manchester Crown Court after the
private firm confirmed the DNA blunder. The Forensic Science Regulator said the
lack of records meant it was impossible to work out which laboratory technician was
behind the mistake; meaning they are likely to have kept their job and no one was
charged, however LGC Forensics stated it deeply regretted the incident and the UK
Accreditation Service has said LGC should keep its accreditation after putting in
place a number of mandatory improvement actions for further incidents like this to
not occur again. This shows the importance of how contamination of evidence can
lead to miscarriage of justices.
The main major mistake was Mr Scott who had been arrested and a saliva
sample taken after a street fight. But the tray holding his DNA was re-used for
the rape test and a positive match showed up meaning he looked guilty of a
separate crime.
The contamination was the result of human error by a technician who failed to
follow basic procedures for the disposal of plastic trays." He said the fact that
trays were reused had been identified almost two weeks before Scott was
charged, and there should have been a "more comprehensive" response at
that point.
Mr Scott was living a nightmare where he was kept me in a segregation
wing which was full of rapists and paedophiles where he suffered
consistent abuse from other inmates even though he was completely
innocent.
References
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19782917.amp
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/
forensic-procedures-criticised-as-man-wrongly-799500.amp
, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2211365/amp/Adam-Scott-Innocent-
man-spent-FIVE-MONTHS-prison-forensics-mix-meant-falsely-accused-
rape.html
Amanda Knox Case
Amanda Knox was an American woman who spent almost
4 years in an Italian prison following her conviction of the
murder of Meredith Kercher, a 21-year-old exchange student
who shared her apartment in 2007. Meredith Kercher was
found stabbed to death on the 1st November 2007 with later
discovered some sexual interference with her body. Knox
going by the name ‘Foxy Knoxy’ had her life changed when
she was outlined to be a major suspect in Meredith’s case through her behaviour
and the way the media and police and prosecution team played mind games to try
and outline her as the murderer of Kercher under a sex game theory.
In October 2011, Amanda Knox, the roommate of Meredith and Knox’s boyfriend
Raffaele Sollecitos were acquitted and then later set free charges with her murder. In
March 2013, Knox was ordered to stand trial again for Kercher's murder; Italy's final
court of appeal, the Court of Cassation, overturned both Knox's and Sollecito's
acquittals. Knox and Sollecito were again found guilty of murder in February 2014
which shocked the public with Sollecito receiving a 25-year prison sentence and
Knox receiving a 28.5-year sentence. The Supreme Court of Italy overturned her and
Sollecito's convictions in 2015. Since she was released, she has fought to prove her
innocence, writing stories and also playing a part in documentaries to bring
awareness to the case. The only person then who was definitively convicted of the
murder was Rudy Guede convicted of 16 years imprisonment on appeal, but it is not
known 100% what actually happened to this young girl.
After this time-consuming case was concluded, obvious glaring errors came to light,
mistakes were then released of what went wrong in the case and questions on how
these found to be innocent perpetrators were convicted. Some of these mistakes
were named as below…
There were in-fact no actual biological traces in the room of the murder or on
Merediths body of Knox and her Boyfriend.
The kitchen knife that was alleged to be the murder weapon was kept in a
cardboard box and could have been exposed to contamination.
A bra clasp said to contain DNA evidence was left on the side and only moved
46 days after the body was found, meaning it had been passed around and
probably trodden on.
Both computers of the women had been burned by investigators which may
have yielded any information that could have been used.
The biological evidence was said to be unreliable due to the fact that dirty
latex gloves were used and passed from hand to hand and no caps were
used throughout the investigation.
The third person accused in the murder Ivory Coast born Rudy Guedes was
found to have left copious biological traces at the scene, said the court.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller DestinyBarnes. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £12.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
