Forensic Access Newsletter - "Benchmark"
January 2009
Profile of Roger Robson Partner – Managing Director – Forensic Advisor
Roger started out his career as a school leaver back in 1978, joining the Home Office Forensic Science Laboratory at Wetherby, West Yorkshire. In those days the Home Office encouraged day release education so whilst training on the job, Roger gained various qualifications. Whilst undertaking general forensic biology examinations he specialised in textile fibres and went on to manage the analytical services. He left Wetherby after 20 years, moved south and joined Forensic Alliance Ltd at its inception, where he went onto a role as Head of Operations in 2002. When merged with LGC in 2006 Roger headed up a specialist team offering services surrounding homicide and historic case review. He joined Forensic Access in 2007 as a Partner.
Specialisms
Roger has specialised in the area of the forensic examination and value of textile fibres for many years and has lectured extensively on the subject across Europe. He joined the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI) Fibre Working Group in 1992 and is co-author of the “European Guidelines for the Forensic Examination of Textile Fibres”. With his extensive experience he continues to offer general forensic advice on many of the high profile cases in the UK and, on occasion, abroad. On this basis he was made a Fellow of the Forensic Science Society in 2007 and is invited to sit on public enquiries and various working groups within the Home Office.
In particular he has expertise in:
- The forensic examination of crime scenes, especially murder scenes;
- The recovery of trace evidence using 1:1 mapping;
- Directing and conducting detailed forensic science laboratory work on exhibits and samples;
- The examination of textiles and other fibres;
- Analytical comparison of dyes and polymers;
- The identification and comparison of human and animal hairs;
- Industrial enquiries including sourcing of items and sourcing contamination;
- The assessment of the significance of scientific findings in the context of the case;
- The presentation of both written and oral evidence to courts.
Cases
Roger refuses to give up his casework! There are very few true fibre specialists in the UK and as such demands on his time are high from the Police, the Criminal Case Review Commission and the Criminal Defence Service. He was involved in his early days with the Yorkshire Ripper (Peter Sutcliffe), the Black Panther (Donald Neilson), the murder of: Sarah Harper, Margaret Wilson, Sarah Payne, Ivy Batten and more recently: Billie Jo Jenkins, Kate Bushell, Damilola Taylor, Princess Diana, Rachel Nickel and the overturned conviction of Barry George in the murder of Jill Dando.... to name but a few. Roger has a continual feed of Appeal cases involving textile fibre evidence.
Qualifications and Professional Memberships
BSc (Hons) Applied Biology, Chartered Biologist, Member of the Institute of Biology, Assessor for the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners (CRFP) (2000 – 2002) [CRFP ceased trading on 31 March 2009], Licentiate to the Textile Institute, Fellow of the Forensic Science Society
Interests Outside Of Work
Roger loves to dabble! Either with a fly on a chalk stream during the warmer months, waiting for that elusive wild trout, or amongst the hedgerows of deepest Oxfordshire in winter with his dog and gun. He openly admits that he’s no expert at either which is a distinct advantage to local game!
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