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Cerium and CCTV

Episode 9 of 15

A wrongful conviction is overturned by re-examining microscopic particles on a van seat and an attempted murder outside a nightclub is solved by a facial comparison expert.

We reveal how the power of forensic science not only found a killer, but also freed an innocent man. Forensic evidence is a powerful tool. So powerful, that if it鈥檚 misinterpreted it can lead to a serious miscarriage of justice. That happened in the first story in this programme, where there was a chance the wrong person had been convicted of murder. Getting to the truth needed clear thinking and a remarkable scientific experiment.

And the programme uncovers how an expert in facial comparison helped identify the suspects in a shooting at a Leeds nightclub.

Experts reckon there are over five million CCTV cameras in the UK, all around our streets, businesses and homes. That鈥檚 one camera for every 13 citizens or so, recording footage twenty-four seven. But spotting someone on CCTV who you think is your suspect is one thing. Proving it鈥檚 them is a very different matter. And that鈥檚 where detectives call for an expert witness.

28 minutes

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Ashley John-Baptiste
Series Producer Richard Weller
Editor Janice Dobbin
Executive Producer Emma Barker
Executive Producer Edward Hart

Broadcasts