Packaging of evidence in march 2000 088/2022

FOI Reference: 088/2022

Request:

165+ items of evidence (Box 40) from multiple serious crime scenes were re-packaged between March 8th and March 10th 2000 by SOCO Greenish and a person on work experience at Dyfed-Powys Police HQ.

1. What situation led to items from unrelated crime scenes being mixed together in the same box prior to re-packaging?

2. What reasons were there for the re-packaging of these items of evidence?

3. What precautions were taken to prevent the contamination of these items of evidence?

Clarification: The date of the statement is the 24/11/2009 and the statement is made by John Greenish. It contains a list of items stored together and repackaged. Two of the crime scenes with evidence involved are the Dixon murders and the Scoveston murders but our query revolves around the repackaging, not the items themselves.

Response 1 – 2:

I can confirm that there is no information held by Dyfed-Powys Police due to the time that has lapsed. This course of action took place before the cold case review that was subsequently conducted and resulted in a conviction

Response 3:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

All Dyfed-Powys Police Crime Scene Investigators have attended both the initial and refresher CSI training courses at the National Crime Scene Investigators facilities at Harpley Hall, Durham. Exhibit packaging, contamination and cross-contamination training would have formed part of this. The training delivered was to the National Occupational Standards Crime Scene Investigators were working to at that time.

                                                                                                           

(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 22/03/2022)