Services:
As an expert witness I have been engaged for more than 700 cases. My main areas of work are:
• Deaths & serious injuries in police custody
• Police procedures from point of incident dispatch until person charged
• Police Use of force
• Drink/drug driving procedures
• Ligature deaths (all secure sector settings)
These have covered the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man and Gibraltar.
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Qualifications:
I am a qualified instructor for a variety of use of force topics. These include:
• Conflict management and de-escalation
• Self defence
• Close-quarter combat
• Physical intervention
• Handcuffs
• Soft-cuffs and soft restraints
• Emergency response belts
• SIA (Security Industry Authority) physical intervention skills (until 2022)
I hold BTEC advanced awards for:
• Self-defence instruction
• Safe and effective use of the emergency response belt
• Safe and effective use of restraint equipment
• Conflict management training
• Physical restraint instruction
I have completed the Expert Witness training with Bond Solon Legal Training in conjunction with Cardiff University Law School.
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Experience:
I have provided my services for public inquiry, coroner, fatal accident inquiries, civil, criminal and gross misconduct cases. I have been engaged by coroners and legal teams representing the defence and prosecution/claimant. I have repeat business from the Police Federation, Police Professional Standards Departments, Police Ombudsman agencies and the Crown Office agencies.
I was a police officer for 23.5 years, 17 of those as a police sergeant. My roles included custody sergeant, patrol sergeant and TSG sergeant. I was the team leader of the specialist training team for Cumbria Police in charge of the custody, use of force and first aid training. I achieved national awards for my police course training design for safer custody and professionalising investigation.
I was a guest speaker at the September 2024 National Police Chiefs' Council Custody Conference.
I was a guest speaker at the Independent Drug Expert Alliance (IDEA) 2025 CPD conference concerning drug intoxication and police custody.
I have worked as an advisor for the BBC, STV and Panorama police investigations
Since September 2020 I have been registered with the National Crime Agency as an Expert Advisor for major crime investigative support.
The approximate split of cases includes:
• Defence: 50%
• Prosecuting authority/Claimant: 40%
• Engaged directly by the Coroner or Public Inquiry: 10%
Deaths in police custody may occur due to a combination of factors. I have been engaged for deaths in police custody where detainees have died in their cells. Common errors have included:
• Severe intoxication not being recognised as a medical risk
• Head injuries not being recognised as a medical risk
• Withdrawals not being recognised as a medical emergency
• Care plans and levels of observations not being correctly applied
• Rousing procedures not being conducted correctly Custody staff and HCPs not communicating effectively with each other
• Custody records not being a reliable source of risk and care information
• The HCPs not being brought to assess detainees for fitness to detain or review assessments
• Staff too ready to assume a detainee is feigning illness
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Fees:
Categories:
Police Investigative Procedures , Police Practice/Procedure , Use of Force , Drink/Drive , Police Use Of Force , Police Use Of Deadly Force , Death By Driving , Ligature Deaths , Use of Force: Restraint , Police
