Expert witnesses in firearms,
video and facial mapping

Firearm experts and imagery analysts


With a proven track record of over twenty years experience, our experts provide specialised expertise in criminal and civil cases involving firearms material, video and photographic analysis and enhancement, and mobile phone cell site analysis.

We can help you with:

 Firearms law
 Firearms testing & classification
 Gunshot residues
 Comparison microscopy
 Crime scene reconstruction
 Cell site analysis
 Imagery analysis
 Facial mapping & comparisons
 Height calculations
 CCTV/Video enhancement
 Preparation of expert reports
 Court attendance & testimony
 Firearms Law
 Firearms classification
 Gunshot residues
 Comparison microscopy
 Crime scene reconstruction
 Blood stain pattern analysis
 Facial mapping & comparisons
 Imagery analysis
 CCTV/Video enhancement
 Cell site surveys

Fast turn round | High quality

According to your needs, we can prepare detailed reports or streamlined witness statements, often to tight deadlines. Look at the testimonials page to see what our customers say. Our experts have testified to all levels of Court up to the Court of Appeal in the United Kingdom and the Special Criminal Court in Ireland.

We accept instructions from law enforcement agencies, defence solicitors, commercial companies, trade unions, and private individuals. We accept Legal Aid work.

Free initial consultation

Call us now for a free consultation to discuss your case 01642 677174

Or fill in the form on this page.

" ... Mr Spencer whom we found a most careful and impressive witness."

Court of Appeal, R v Paul Cleeland [2002] EWCA Crim 293

Firearms


car jacking

Firearms cases can involve a wide range of material including pistols, revolvers, shotguns, rifles, military weapons; ammunition including 'home loaded'; grenades, flares and other pyrotechnics; tools and equipment for making guns/ammunition; ballistics; gunshot wounds; and the reconstruction of complex multi-gun shooting incidents.

How can we help?

Firearms services include the examination of firearms and ammunition to determine their mechanical condition (including any modifications), and to establish their classification under the law which is the much amended Firearms Act 1968; the interpretation of gunshot residue findings; tool marks comparisons (did this gun fire that bullet?); interpretation of post-mortem evidence and gunshot wounds; ballistics; examination of crime scenes and shooting reconstructions.

Gunshot residue analysis

When a gun is fired it discharges a cloud of microscopic particles called gunshot residues (GSR). GSR can be deposited on the gun, the firer, and any nearby surface. The finding of GSR on a suspect or items connected to him (his clothing, his car) can be used as supporting evidence of a connection with the shooting incident. But only if it is the same Type of GSR. Therefore GSR findings need to be interpreted within the context of the case. We can prepare detailed reports to help you understand the significance (or perhaps insignificance c.f. Barry George) of GSR findings.

Toolmarks

Fired bullets and cartridge cases bear microscopic 'tool marks' from the guns that fired them. A comparison microscope is used to compare a fired evidence bullet (or cartridge) to one deliberately test fired in a suspect gun. Through this, we can determine whether or not the suspect gun fired the evidence bullet (cartridge) and, in cases where where there have been multiple shooting incidents, to determine whether the same gun was used in any or all of those incidents. In some shootings, only a single shot is fired: in others (typically military engagements) there could be 100 or more fired. With over twenty years experience, we can undertake comparison microscopy of recovered bullets/cartridge cases to test-fired samples to determine whether the suspect gun was involved and if so to what extent.

Ballistics

External ballistics is concerned with the flight of the missile whereas terminal ballistics is concerned with events when the missile strikes the 'target'. The target could be part of a building or road surface, a car or a person or some other object. In many cases, we use terminal ballistics to determine the distance, angle of shot and trajectory in order to establish the position of the shooter or, sometimes more importantly, where he was not. Often, this is as part of a broader shooting incident reconstruction. At short distances, across a room for example, the trajectory can be considered to be a straight line. Over a greater distance the trajectory is curved and it may be necessary to calculate it from first principles. When a shotgun is involved, determining the distance is sometimes crucial (because the shot spreads out as distance increases) and determining the distance between the two parties is often an issue. Sometimes, the damage to an object or person can help determine direction and distance. For example, a bullet track through a house interior door or a car door records the direction of the bullet on impact.

Post-mortem evidence and gunshot wounds

Post-mortem evidence can include the examination and assessment of gunshot wounds/tracks through the body, and bullets recovered at autopsy or gunshot damage to clothing. Sometimes it is possible to determine the position of the gun at the time of the shot and this can be tested against a defendant's or injured party's account. However, due to their mobility, a gunshot wound to the head or limbs often cannot tell us the origin of the shot.

In many cases, even a single gunshot wound is fatal and the injured party cannot provide an account - except the silent account provided by his wounds. Gunshot wounds on the living also tell a story. In an extraordinary case, a man had been shot (i.e. hit) ten times by bullets fired from several pistols as he ran away, and he had survived. He was examined by our expert a decade later, when a 9mm bullet was palpable at the back of his neck and the 50cm wound track from the entry wound on his back to the bullet in the neck was visible as a dark line. In that case, it was sufficient to simply confirm the presence of multiple healed gunshot wounds (it was an appeal against deportation). In another case, a 17-year old girl had been struck (in the buttocks and thighs) by 170+ shotgun pellets and survived. In that case, distance from gun to impact was the issue (i.e. determine the position of the shooter). The pattern of pellet impacts demonstrated the approximate distance: the gun was fired from within a car on the road, not from a position on the pavement. In a peculiar case involved a combination of wound analysis and toolmark comparison, an elderly woman was struck on the head with a decorative China cart-horse from her own house. The impact killed the elderly lady and left 'hoof prints' on her scalp. Our expert examined and photographed the hoof marks (bruises) on the scalp and compared them to the shape of each 'hoof' on the China horse. Our expert was able to demonstrate that two of the hooves on the China cart-horse each matched one of the wounds on the scalp.

Examination of crime scenes

A crime scene can be anywhere humans interact. Shootings have occurred inside vehicles; at vehicles; inside houses; at houses, inside nightclubs, on city streets, and in remote rural fields and so on. A crime scene may contain spent bullets or lead shot, spent cartridge cases, bullet impact damage, ricochet marks, blood stains and other trace evidence. Any of these items could help reconstruct events and thus assist the Court determine what happened and what did not happen. 'Bullet wipe' will confirm the passage of a bullet and the direction of travel may position the origin of shot and hence the gun. Photographs provide a record, as decided by the photographer, but there is no substitute for putting your feet on the ground and getting a feel for the scene for yourself. Sometimes, a room will feel larger or smaller than a photograph suggests or the road may have a camber or an uphill or downhill gradient not apparent in the official photographs.

Furthermore, it is never too late to examine even the 'coldest' of scenes. In one case, the fatal shooting of a driver he alighted from his car at 2am, our expert examined the scene some 28 years later and recovered lead shot that had been fired from the shotgun. This discovery helped the Court of Appeal re-consider (and uphold) a murder conviction.

In some cases it is possible to determine precisely what occurred, in others it is only possible to demonstrate why a particular version of events is impossible and in some cases that is sufficient for the Court to reach its decision.

Areas we can help you with include:

 Firearm examination/identification
 Function testing
 Firearm classification
 Toolmarks/Comparison Microscopy
 Gunshot residues
 Crime scene examination
 Shooting reconstructions
 Report preparation
 Case conferences
 Court attendance & testimony
 Firearm classification
 Function testing
 Gunshot residues
 Toolmarks/Comparison Microscopy
 Shooting incident reconstruction
 Court attendance & testimony

To discuss how we can help, call us now 01642 677174.

Or fill in the form on this page.

"We are particularly impressed by the clarity of Mr Spencer’s statement and for the extremely helpful closing comments."

Cartmell Shepherd

Videos


pub scene

'Imagery' includes footage from terrestrial/airborne CCTV video cameras including infra-red and thermal systems; camcorder/mobile phone video footage; photographs including those from passports, immigration applications, driving licences etc or even family ‘snaps’. The majority of video today is digital but we can also handle VHS and other forms.

How can we help?

Facial mapping

Frequently the issue to be addressed that of identification requiring facial comparisons (‘facial mapping’), comparisons of non-facial features such as those found on clothing, vehicles, and other objects (e.g. weapons); we can also undertake height calculations; headlamp spread pattern analysis and so on. Facial comparisons typically involve the size and shape (morphology) of the landmark features, their proportions and spatial positioning. Other distinguishing features can be tattoos, creases in the skin, moles, acne and other scars, and so on. Any of these features can be discriminatory, as can height. A single significant difference between a suspect in an image and an accused can prove they are different people.

Incident analysis

Incident analysis is a broad term: for some cases it can be summarised as what happened; who did what; in what order? This may be a single or multi-handed fight in a nightclub or street and the question may be who struck the first blow; did A strike B or the other way round? Some cases are more complex. In one street fight, we had to analyse the movements of eleven brawlers; in a fatal stabbing in a nightclub, there were seven belligerents including the soon-to-be-deceased and a score of others, all of whom were moving under constantly changing lighting. The same analytical approach was applied to video footage of a four-vehicle collision on a dual carriageway and the issue was whether the car which struck a stationary motorcycle failed to stop in time or had stopped and was itself struck from behind. It is sometimes possible to calculate vehicle speeds from video footage. Sometimes we need to track the movements of one or more individuals. In a recent case, a woman alleged that a man emerged from a telephone box as she passed, followed her, and attempted to rob her. Analysis (after enhancement) of the footage showed that the man emerged from the telephone box and walked in the opposite direction: the woman's allegation was entirely false.

Image processing/enhancement

We are often asked to enhance images (improve the resolution) or adjust the speed or stabilise shaky footage. We can convert video data that is encoded in some proprietary form to a more usable form such as a QuickTime movie or AVI file or even to domestic DVD format.

Most of the CCTV footage today originates from digital sources (e.g. town centre CCTV systems, smart phones) but we can also handle VHS and S-VHS cassettes and some other types and convert them to a user-friendly digital form and/or produce printed or digital video stills.

Areas we can help you with include:

 Image examination/assessment
 Questioned identification
 Image enhancement
 Height calculation
 Format conversion
 Crime scene examination
 Incident reconstruction
 Report preparation
 Case conferences
 Court attendance & testimony
 Image examination/assessment/dt>
 Questioned identification
 Image enhancement
 Height calculation
 Incident reconstruction
 Court attendance & testimony

Call us now for a free consultation to discuss your case 01642 677174

Or fill in the form on this page.

"Your report was very helpful and I am delighted to say that the clear pictures you sent us contributed in no small part to our client’s acquittal"

Andrew Jay & Co

Cell Site


phone

Mobile phone coverage is provided by a network of ‘cells’. Each cell provides a limited area of coverage and any given area is overlapped by multiple cells.

As we move about, our mobile phone (handset) logs on to one cell after another to provide a seamless continuous service. If we make or receive a phone call, we will be served by one of the cells and sometimes handed from that cell to another cell even during the call.

Each time we make or receive a call, a Call Data Record (CDR) is generated and retained by the telephone company. A CDR records various parameters including the phone numbers of the calling and receiving handsets, the cells involved, time and date, call duration and so on.

Plainly, if a handset made a call using a given cell then that handset was within the area served by that cell at that time. Sometimes, there is an issue of where exactly could that handset have been, and where was the person using it, and this is determined by what is the area covered by that cell. Using state-of-the-art equipment, Cell Site Field Surveys can determine the actual coverage of all cells in the relevant area. It is important to capture this data as soon as possible after an incident because the phone companies frequently reconfigure the networks which can include the removal or relocation of cells.

What can we do for you?

Analysis of Call Data Records can:

 Reveal movements and locations and usage of mobile phones
Highlight which cells serve what locations
 Show relationships between various phone numbers (and by inference, people)
 Identify areas frequented and the most frequently used cells
 Provide corroboration of other evidence (e.g. CCTV, ANPR)

Call us now for a free consultation to discuss your case 01642 677174

Or fill in the form on this page.

"Thank you for you assistance in this matter which was most helpful in guiding us through a very complex area which would have meant little to our legal team without your assistance."

Michael E Hanahoe (Dublin)

Why choose us?


Experience

  Independent objective impartial
  Over 20 years experience with a proven track record
  100% customer satisfaction (see testimonials)
  Continuous Professional Development program
  Court experience throughout the UK and Ireland
  Undertake criminal, civil and personal injury cases
  Accept Legal Aid and privately funded cases
  Free initial telephone discussion

Registered with

  National Police Improvement Agency
  National Injuries Database (part of National Crime Agency)
  UK Register of Expert Witnesses

Compliant with

  ACPO National Working Practices in Facial Imaging
  Police Standard for Still Digital Image Capture etc
  Forensic Regulator’s Codes of Practice
  Police Scientific & Development Branch Guidelines on Video Evidence

Member of

  Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences
  Forensic Imagery Analysis Group
  Association for Crime Scene Reconstruction
  International Association of Blood Stain Pattern Analysts
"The Crown opted not to proceed with the charge … your report was a very significant factor in enabling them to reach this decision."

Louis Berkson & Globe

Testimonials


"We found Mr Spencer to be a most careful and impressive witness."
Court of Appeal, R v Paul Cleeland [2002] EWCA Crim 293

"This is the fourth successive case this year in which the Crown has dropped proceedings upon receipt of your report."
Howells

"We are particularly impressed by the clarity of Mr Spencer’s statement and for the extremely helpful closing comments."
Cartmell Shepherd

"Thank you for your help and assistance in this matter and your extremely informative report and telephone comments."
Clifford, Johnston & Co

"Your report was very helpful and I am delighted to say that the clear pictures you sent us contributed in no small part to our client’s acquittal"
Andrew Jay & Co

"The Crown opted not to proceed with the charge … your report was a very significant factor in enabling them to reach this decision."
Louis Berkson & Globe

"Thank you for your expert opinion in this particular case which has greatly assisted [our client X]".
Burton Copeland

"Thank you for your prompt assistance with regard to all matters and for your carefully prepared report."
Lichfield Reynolds

"Both I and counsel really appreciate the speed of the turnaround in your report."
Ewings & Co

"Thank you for you assistance in this matter which was most helpful in guiding us through a very complex area which would have meant little to our legal team without your assistance."
Michael E Hanahoe (Dublin)

Contact us


If you wish to find out more about any of the services we offer, please get in touch using the contact details below. Alternatively, please fill in the form on this page.

Jonathan Spencer Consultants Ltd is registered in England, No 4632167.

 32 Grays Rd, Stockton-on-Tees TS18 4LX

 jonathan_spencer@ntlworld.com (general)

 jonathan.spencer@jscl.cjsm.net (secure)

 01642 677174

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 We do not use fax

VAT: GB 806 345 048
EORI: GB 806 345 048 000
RFD: Cleveland 03 11/16/8

"This is the fourth successive case this year in which the Crown has dropped proceedings upon receipt of your report."

Howells