– Forensic scientist Angela Gallop
Evidence provided by Professor Angela Gallop and her teams were key to solving the murders of Stephen Lawrence and Damilola Taylor. And it was their findings that finally put behind bars the real killers responsible for the slaughter of both Lynette White and Rachel Nickell.
Her entry into the gruelling world of forensics as a fresh- faced “apprentice” in 1974 saw her probe The Dogs Don’t Bark – her authorial debut – is a review of her career, and it’s not for the faint-hearted.
The Oxfordshire- based professor, who is strategic director of forensic science at Strathclyde University and chief executive of Axiom International providing forensics, security and justice services worldwide, says she had no difficulty reliving the crimes for the book.
“If I had a p ro b l e m emotionally I don’t think I would be doing the job I’ve been doing. But when I first started doing it, I did worry about whether or not I would be able to cope.
“The first case I had was horrific; a man who was exorcising his wife and their pet dog because he thought they were possessed of evil spirits. He basically pulled her to death with his bare hands.
“I had only been in the lab a few days. I remember thinking, ‘ I don’t know if I’ll be able to cope with all this.’
“But quickly, what took ov e r w a s an interest in ‘what am I going to find?’ Very shortly after that – as soon as I got a bit of skill and knowledge Scotland, she says, is faring better with its forensic science services which have been taken out of the direct control of police forces and transferred to the Scottish Police Services Authority, a government body.
“In Scotland they have also integrated fingerprints and scenes of crime examination with other aspects of forensics – which I have been calling for for a long time for England and Wales. It’s an obvious and excellent idea.”
The avid gardener and opera lover admits: “As a girl I never would have believed I would be doing this.”
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My first case was a man exorcising his wife and pet
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I have never been afraid of my work but it affects me