Cell Site Analysis in Criminal Trials
The cell site analysis experts at Footprint Investigations work on a variety of cases. Some of the cases we are currently instructed on include murder, drugs conspiracies, robbery, rape, people trafficking, arson, child protection and a number of appeals cases.
We conduct cell site work for criminal defence solicitors nationwide as well as a significant number of police forces. We have also undertaken work for insurance companies and social services.
Cases vary greatly and some of the cases will include analysis of just one phone and at least two of the cases we are currently working on have over 50 mobile phones in each case. These are usually large drugs conspiracy cases with a large number of defendants. They can be extremely complex and attribution usually plays a large part in these cases.
In the majority of cases we are instructed to check the accuracy of the prosecution cell site experts work. This work may have been done by a police analyst and radio frequency surveys may have been conducted by a police officer who has attended a training course and can give evidence of fact relating to his findings. In a number of these case we will produce a cell site analysis report which is then served on the prosecution and usually at that point they will instruct their own expert. They will effectively replicate the work. This then means in many cases we have to review a second prosecution report, usually served on the defence team at the last minute. This is why the majority of the cases we work on are deemed urgent.
The urgent nature of many defence cases is not helped by the fact that many quotes for prior authority are rejected by the LAA and the solicitor is told to get a second quote. This can delay matters greatly. I had a case recently where the solicitor went to get a second quote and approached 3 different companies, who in turn called us to see if we could do the work for them as they don’t have their own experts! By the time they finally got the work approved we were two weeks into the trial.
When our cell site analysis experts are not undertaking urgent work then they can often be found delivering training courses in the evening to barristers chambers and have trained thousands of lawyers over the years. They have delivered training to CPS, Circuits, Law Societies, and Universities to name a few.
Our experts have each conducted over 500 cell site analysis reports and have given evidence in hundreds of cases in courts all over the country in both prosecution and defence cases.
If you would like to speak to us in confidence about one of your case, or find out more about our CPD training please call us on 01527 467467 or email denise@footprintinvestigations.com