Indigo, the Science, People & Politics inter-issue blog. Item twelve, published 30th June, 2015.
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Explanatory note added 3rd July, 2015. Items 8 to 13 of Indigo are an account, which I reported daily from the press box, of an inquest between 23rd June and 1st July, 2015 at The Law Courts in Bradford. The news reports give a human face to the tragedies which so often lie behind forensic science, in this case in the context of the Coroners' Court, and in a case where police were involved. Reporting such proceedings requires considerable journalistic professionalism. I undertook the task for the Science, People & Politics inter-issue blog, as a complement to a report we will next publish of the Royal Society's special issue on forensic science, and also in the context of an investigation I am making for Science, People & Politics into the place what is termed mental health has in the Court system generally in the UK, and in particular (typo corrected in previous word, 4th July, 2015) its interaction with the Criminal Justice System. I would like to thank the family in this case, none of whom I had ever met previously, nor known of, for their temporary acceptance of me in what is for them a personal grief. Helen Gavaghan. BSc (hons), MCIJ.

Inquest
day one

Inquest
day two

Inquest
day three

Inquest
day four

Inquest
day five

Coroner Court
Jury determinations

PROCEEDINGS IN BRADFORD CORONERS' COURT, JUNE 30th, 2015

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30th June, 2015. Bradford Coroners' Court:
expert witness on firearms.

Detailed forensic firearms' evidence was today, day five of the Inquest into the death of Mr Colin Berry, presented to the Coroner's Court. Mr Berry's fatal wound was what is known in the literature as a close contact wound. The firearms' expert, who also holds a bachelors degree in medicine, witnessed the bullet being removed during the post mortem.

On examination the bullet proved to be copper jacketed, and was consistent with being from a .359 calibre cartridge Correction: .359 should, of course, read .375 HG.. All six cartridges in the revolver which the expert understood to be the weapon used in the fatal shooting were live. Only one was copper jacketed. Three were consistent with commercial manufacture. Three were 38 special calibre cartridges, consistent with home reloads.

The Smith & Wesson revolver examined by the firearms' expert is of a type licensed only to police or the military on authority from the Home Office.

The Inquest continues tomorrow, 1st July, 2015.

Helen Gavaghan, publisher and editor, Science, People & Politics