Background

Mike was employed as a forensic scientist initially at the Metropolitan Police Forensic Science Laboratory from 1978 and continued when the laboratory merged with the UK Forensic Science Service in 1996 until its closure in 2012. During this time he was Principal Scientist in FSS toxicology from 2006 until closure.

Mike’s experience includes more than 25 years as a Forensic Toxicologist and 10 years in Forensic Drugs casework.

Whilst at the MPFSL and FSS he was a Home Office Authorised Analyst for Road Traffic Act casework.

He has dealt with a wide array of casework which included exposing a bogus Defence “expert”, investigating a series of sexual assaults by a male nurse who had used sedative drugs to incapacitate patients in hospital and a number of child poisonings, amongst many others.

Mike was formerly a committee member of the United Kingdom and Ireland Association of Forensic Toxicologists http://www.ukiaft.co.uk/about/committee and a member of :

    • The International Association of Forensic Toxicologists
    • The Society of Forensic Toxicologists
    • LTG (formerly London Toxicology Group)

He is also a Senior Associate Member of the Royal Society of Medicine and a member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences.

Mike has lectured widely during his career to:

    • Police
    • CPS
    • Medical personnel (including on Diploma in Medical Jurisprudence training days)
    • Fellow forensic professionals
    • Internationally

He has provided advice to the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs and from 2013 to 2017 was advising the Home Office on matters relating to drugs and driving as a member of an Expert Panel.

His court experience includes attending many 100s of courts including the Old Bailey on numerous occasions, other crown courts, Coroners and Magistrates Courts and Court Martials.

Mike is internationally known for his expertise within the field of Drug-facilitated Sexual Assault (DFSA aka ‘Date-rape’) and is co-author of the only 2 papers investigating in detail the incidence of DFSA in the UK.

Mike is a reviewer for Forensic Science International, Science and Justice and the Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine and peer-reviewed ‘Guidelines for the Forensic analysis of drugs facilitating sexual assault and other criminal acts’ for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

As Principal Scientist in the Forensic Science Service he was responsible for:-

    • Managing quality in a UKAS 17025 accredited laboratory
    • Ensuring consistency
    • Improving and developing analytical methods
    • Troubleshooting problems
    • Advising on tenders
    • Undertaking a wide variety of casework including drugs supply and possession, simple and complex criminal toxicology, coroners toxicology, high-profile casework, drink driving, drugs driving, alcohol technical defence and also performed casework and training for overseas customers