Areas of expertise
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Blood pattern analysis
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Body fluid analysis
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DNA profiling
Summary
With 17 years’ in forensic science, Nigel Hodge is a highly accomplished forensic scientist and forensic biologist. Before joining Forensic Equity in 2013, Nigel worked for the Forensic Science Service (FSS) as a Senior Forensic Biologist.
Having investigated and examined more than two thousand cases to date, including more than three hundred cases of murder or suspicious death Nigel is a respected and very highly experienced forensic scientist.
Nigel’s primary areas of expertise include bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA), DNA profile evidence and body fluid analysis.
Experience
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Highly experienced forensic biologist with over 17 years’ in forensic science.
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Vastly experienced senior court reporting scientist having reported on cases including charges of assault, burglary, robbery, sexual assault, rape, suspicious death, manslaughter and murder.
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Leading expert witness having given evidence in court for both prosecution and defence on countless occasions.
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Leading authority on bloodstain pattern analysis, including the interpretation of blood stain patterns.
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Leading expert in DNA profile evidence, including low template DNA analysis and paternity assessment.
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Leading authority on transfer evidence and body fluid analysis relating to offences against the person including in complex cases such as murder or suspicious death.
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Highly experienced scenes of crime examiner and forensic investigator having assisted the police at numerous serious crime scenes.
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Highly experienced in the determination of scene examination strategies and evidence recovery procedures including DNA recovery, continuity and contamination issues.
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Leading cold case file reviewer and critical findings checker.
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Experienced and qualified forensic awareness trainer having developed and delivered a wide range of forensic science training courses for participants including scientists, solicitors, barristers, magistrates, police officers, scenes of crimes officers, crime scene managers and medical personnel.
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Senior lecturer in Forensic Biology at the University of South Wales (University of Glamorgan).
Committee Memberships
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Member of the document review group for the International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts.
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Member of the Forensic Science Society and member of the Council from 2010 – 2012.
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Member of the Society of Biology.
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Member of the Academy of Experts.
Notable Work
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Developed and delivered a training course for South Wales Police probationer officers.
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Assisted in the development of a liaison project involving the Forensic Science Service (FSS) and South Wales Police.
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A regular contributor to BBC radio, including having undertaken his own series on crime scene investigation.
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Nigel is fully media trained and has given numerous interviews for television, newspapers and magazines regarding forensic, evidential and criminal matters.
Notable Cases
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R v Thadaparambath
A rape case in which the prosecution relied upon partial, non-statistical, DNA evidence. The jury had been misdirected with regard to the evidential value of the DNA evidence resulting in a retrial. In voir dire Mr Hodge assisted the defence team in getting aspects of the DNA evidence declared inadmissible.
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R v Richards
An alleged possession of firearm which relied on a DNA link with the defendant. Nigel was able to explain in court that the defendant’s account of events could have explained the presence of DNA matching him on the firearm.
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R v Ibitoye
A rape case where Mr Hodge showed that the alleged sperm cell that the prosecution were relying on as evidence was not in fact a sperm cell.