Some outstanding detective work!

Some outstanding detective work!

Author
Discussion

Every day a journey

Original Poster:

2,133 posts

50 months

Tuesday 25th March
quotequote all
As well as a bit of luck.

Great read and no dout there will be a TV or film dramatisation of it at some stage.

Quite right too as it's quite a remarkabe story!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy5nw5nez7zo

QuartzDad

2,506 posts

134 months

Tuesday 25th March
quotequote all
Hiring a car using your real ID and stopping to buy a drink where there is guaranteed to be CCTV takes a special kind of stupid.

Racing Newt

1,253 posts

217 months

Tuesday 25th March
quotequote all
Not destroying the hard drive/memory on the ipad that you have discarded is even more ludicrously stupid.
Quite a serendipitous find for the police, especially as it was a policeman that found it, imagine if it had been a plain old member of the public.
He would probably have just dumped it back in the Thames or tried to reuse it but failed and binned in the recycling section and nothing would have been determined.

Condi

18,523 posts

183 months

Tuesday 25th March
quotequote all
There are quite a few forensic/CSI type programs at the moment, Forensics: The Real CSI on BBC, and Police Suspect Number 1 on 5, to name 2, all really interesting. The amount of CCTV coverage in the UK is quite astonishing, and all it takes is one slip up by the criminal and from there the police can unravel the whole case.

tim0409

5,112 posts

171 months

Tuesday 25th March
quotequote all
Condi said:
There are quite a few forensic/CSI type programs at the moment, Forensics: The Real CSI on BBC, and Police Suspect Number 1 on 5, to name 2, all really interesting. The amount of CCTV coverage in the UK is quite astonishing, and all it takes is one slip up by the criminal and from there the police can unravel the whole case.
I enjoy watching old Crimwatch (File) episodes (esp the solved cases) on Youtube, and it is striking how much easier it was to get away with serious crime back then compared to now. Mobile telephone location data/CCTV/advanced DNA/ANPR etc all make it almost impossible to go undetected now.

Earthdweller

15,255 posts

138 months

Wednesday 26th March
quotequote all
Racing Newt said:
Not destroying the hard drive/memory on the ipad that you have discarded is even more ludicrously stupid.
Quite a serendipitous find for the police, especially as it was a policeman that found it, imagine if it had been a plain old member of the public.
He would probably have just dumped it back in the Thames or tried to reuse it but failed and binned in the recycling section and nothing would have been determined.
It was as a result of real good old fashioned thorough detective work that led to the finding of the iPad

The police worked out that the suspects car had been driven to a location on the bank of the Thames and one of the occupants had got out of the car

A decision was made to then search the river bank as they felt it was an ideal location for them to dispose of evidence, probably the gun, so a proper thorough search of the river bank was organised

It wasn't a random lucky find that just happened to be by a policeman

irc

8,552 posts

148 months

Wednesday 26th March
quotequote all
Earthdweller said:
It was as a result of real good old fashioned thorough detective work that led to the finding of the iPad

The police worked out that the suspects car had been driven to a location on the bank of the Thames and one of the occupants had got out of the car

A decision was made to then search the river bank as they felt it was an ideal location for them to dispose of evidence, probably the gun, so a proper thorough search of the river bank was organised

It wasn't a random lucky find that just happened to be by a policeman
Outstanding!

gtidriver

3,567 posts

199 months

Condi said:
There are quite a few forensic/CSI type programs at the moment, Forensics: The Real CSI on BBC, and Police Suspect Number 1 on 5, to name 2, all really interesting. The amount of CCTV coverage in the UK is quite astonishing, and all it takes is one slip up by the criminal and from there the police can unravel the whole case.
My wife and I watch lots of these types of programs, one thing that we've noticed is the crimes always wear designer clothes, so top tip, if your going to commit a crime, reclothe yourself in plain clothes first at Primark...
Northface coats and Nike trainers id say are the most worn items by crims.

jdw100

5,100 posts

176 months

gtidriver said:
Condi said:
There are quite a few forensic/CSI type programs at the moment, Forensics: The Real CSI on BBC, and Police Suspect Number 1 on 5, to name 2, all really interesting. The amount of CCTV coverage in the UK is quite astonishing, and all it takes is one slip up by the criminal and from there the police can unravel the whole case.
My wife and I watch lots of these types of programs, one thing that we've noticed is the crimes always wear designer clothes, so top tip, if your going to commit a crime, reclothe yourself in plain clothes first at Primark...
Northface coats and Nike trainers id say are the most worn items by crims.
Or wear the sort of clothes you would never own, maybe very identifiable designer gear. Bought second hand with no way of tracing back to you. Do your murder in a Versace suit and garish trainers?

The phone thing - idiots. You can set delayed messages on some apps, so it would like you are sat at home sending a message. Don’t take it with you and then post up photos with the money, friends and guns a day later….

So little thought goes into a lot of this stuff, it’s spur of the moment or with very little planning.

I always like the ones where they recover the criminal’s wallet at the scene or something else they dropped. You took your debit card and house keys with you…..to commit a crime.

Also stashing weapons or ill gotten gains at home. Unbelievable.

I’m adding a fake tattoo sleeve (yes you can buy them) to my crime kit. That’s my latest idea.




Edited by jdw100 on Monday 31st March 08:34

Sheepshanks

36,189 posts

131 months

Some similar work with the Bournemouth beach murderer - the beach area cctv had a grainy shot but enough to be able to pick him up elsewhere due to distinctive clothing. He’d used his bank card to buy shopping.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9q4e0e783po#:...

vaud

53,854 posts

167 months

It's one advantage of a more digital society - bloody hard to not leave some form of digital footprint (car, phone, money, etc)

irc

8,552 posts

148 months

I spoke to a guy once doing a sentence for robbing a post office we with an imitation firearm. I asked him how he had been caught...........

It was his local post office and they recognised him.

Condi

18,523 posts

183 months

irc said:
I spoke to a guy once doing a sentence for robbing a post office we with an imitation firearm. I asked him how he had been caught...........

It was his local post office and they recognised him.
What were you inside for?

irc

8,552 posts

148 months

Condi said:
irc said:
I spoke to a guy once doing a sentence for robbing a post office we with an imitation firearm. I asked him how he had been caught...........

It was his local post office and they recognised him.
What were you inside for?
I worked part time for G4S for a few years. Met a few interesting characters. Any thing from taking an Islamic terrorist out for plastic surgery on his hand (He injured himself while killing his victim) to absolute donkeys.
Like the guy that got an extra 6 months on his sentence after he was searched on his way out of jail going to court and had a knife in his shoe. He was carrying it as he had been threatened in the jail and just forgot it was there when he went to court.

jdw100

5,100 posts

176 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
irc said:
Condi said:
irc said:
I spoke to a guy once doing a sentence for robbing a post office we with an imitation firearm. I asked him how he had been caught...........

It was his local post office and they recognised him.
What were you inside for?
I worked part time for G4S for a few years. Met a few interesting characters. Any thing from taking an Islamic terrorist out for plastic surgery on his hand (He injured himself while killing his victim) to absolute donkeys.
Like the guy that got an extra 6 months on his sentence after he was searched on his way out of jail going to court and had a knife in his shoe. He was carrying it as he had been threatened in the jail and just forgot it was there when he went to court.
I enjoy this type of story, got any others?

jimmytheone

1,630 posts

230 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
I thought you were going to refer to this case (dropped after 5 hours)
https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/german-pol...

wiggy001

6,642 posts

283 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
The article said:
In January 2008, Allen was extradited to the UK and subsequently sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Allen was released in 2016
When I was at school, 2008 + 18 = 2026

Derek Smith

46,802 posts

260 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
wiggy001 said:
The article said:
In January 2008, Allen was extradited to the UK and subsequently sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Allen was released in 2016
When I was at school, 2008 + 18 = 2026
The sentence was 18 years, some of which would be spent under licence. Further, there would be time served to come off, which might include the time he was under arrest awaiting extradition. Then there's the time on remand. Most of the time, it's not worth them taking their coats off in prison.

jdw100

5,100 posts

176 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
irc said:
Condi said:
irc said:
I spoke to a guy once doing a sentence for robbing a post office we with an imitation firearm. I asked him how he had been caught...........

It was his local post office and they recognised him.
What were you inside for?
I worked part time for G4S for a few years. Met a few interesting characters. Any thing from taking an Islamic terrorist out for plastic surgery on his hand (He injured himself while killing his victim) to absolute donkeys.
Like the guy that got an extra 6 months on his sentence after he was searched on his way out of jail going to court and had a knife in his shoe. He was carrying it as he had been threatened in the jail and just forgot it was there when he went to court.
I enjoy this type of story, got any others?

irc

8,552 posts

148 months

Yesterday (09:20)
quotequote all
jdw100 said:
I enjoy this type of story, got any others?
One of my tasks was taking out cons that were nearing the end of life sentences. Supervised home visits. Often their relatives were a long way from the jail or we were sitting in queues waiting to get into a jail. We had plenty time to chat. As an aside anyone not working in the system would find it amazing that many jails shut their gates for an hour for lunch. So if the court bus arrives back with 14 cons on board at 13.01pm then you are sitting there until after 2pm before getting in.


Most murderers are from a ned background. A bit of petty crime before hitting the big time and getting life. his guy was different. Fairly well spoken. His murder was his first offence. He had been running a business at the time. So I asked him whether after 14 years he thought his crime had been a mistake. The reply. "Absolutely not, I had told him I was going to kill him and I always do what I say.

It seems he had stabbed a friend who had an affair with his wife. The other off the cuff commet he made was that after he drove this guy to the place he killed him he made him get out the car. The car belonged to another friend and he didn't want to get blood stains on it.

This guy will be out in the community now. Though in fairness if you don't mess with his wife you are OK. In my amateur analysis this guy was the biggest psychopath I came across.