The SLS Forensics eXPERTSSara Short | Charlotte Spires | Helen Culham
Sara Short
BSc (Hons) PhD MCSFS
Sara has a first class honours degree in biology from Durham University and a PhD researching blood groups in body fluids, from the Forensic Science Unit at Strathclyde University.
She joined the Forensic Science Service in 1986 and has continued her expert witness work in private practice since 1997, firstly with Dr P R Ashurst & Associates and since 2008 with her own business: SLS Forensics. Sara’s expertise includes the examination of body fluids, Blood Pattern Analysis, DNA analysis, hairs and damage to clothing. Her expertise in DNA includes the older techniques of MLP and SLP as well as amplification methods from HLA DQa, STR Quad, SGM, SGM Plus (including low template methods such as LCN and HSP SenCE) and the newer DNA 17 methods (all the different kits), Globalfiler and Y STR analysis. Her expertise includes the statistical evaluation of complex DNA results and consideration of transfer issues.
Sara has dealt with criminal cases including murder, rape, scene visits, cold case reviews, assaults, car crime, burglaries. She has provided written and oral evidence at Crown Courts and Magistrates courts within England and Wales and has provided evidence for other jurisdictions such as Armed Forces Tribunals, Scotland and the State of Jersey. She has had regular involvement in Appeal cases. Sara has provided peer review services to Eurofins Forensic Services (formerly LGC Ltd) since 2008. Sara has a specialty interest in analysis of stomach contents as an aid to time of death estimates.
Sara regularly gives training talks for lawyers and has in the past been involved in training for Police officers and Scenes of Crimes officers. She was a visiting lecturer to Masters and undergraduate students on a variety of forensic related courses at the University of Wolverhampton until 2019 and has also lectured to undergraduates at Derby University. She has provided training on Bayes Theorem for staff at Nottingham Trent University.
Sara has published on a number of different topics including crime scenes, DNA, search techniques for blood and stomach contents: The Encyclopaedia of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Elsevier, Oxford, 2015. Current Practice in Forensic Medicine, Volume 2, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester, 2016. Crime Scene Management, Scene Specific Methods, 2nd edition, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester, 2017.
Charlotte Spires
BSc (Hons) MSc MCSFS
Charlotte has a 2:1 honours degree in Applied Biology and a Masters, with Distinction, in Forensic Science from Kings College London. She has worked for SLS Forensics since 2012. Charlotte’s career in forensic science began with helping to set up, and run, a DNA forensic casework unit at LGC Ltd, working both as a senior analyst and in research and development. Following this she spent over ten years at the Forensic Science Service as a senior forensic scientist.
She specializes in the examination of body fluid evidence including Blood Pattern Analysis, DNA evidence (including complex DNA mixture interpretation and statistics) and damage to clothing, from a whole range of cases, including, assaults, burglaries, car crimes, murders and rapes.
Charlotte has given oral evidence as an expert witness in many different Crown Courts throughout England. As a consultant for SLS Forensics she routinely provides expert advice to defence teams.
Charlotte has carried out DNA awareness training for police officers, contributed towards delivering the Criminalistics module at Anglia Ruskin University and run forensic workshops at primary schools.
A full CV can be provided on request.
Helen Culham
BSc (Hons)
Helen has an honours degree in biology from De Montfort University. She has worked for SLS Forensics providing peer review services to Eurofins Forensic Services (formerly LGC Ltd) since 2011. Helen started her career with the Forensic Science Service in 1998 as a Trainee Forensic Scientist in Body fluids and DNA. In April 2000, Helen became the Lead Trainer in Body fluids and DNA at the Birmingham site. In 2004, Helen left the FSS to join LGC Forensics (formerly Forensic Alliance) as a Senior Forensic Scientist. During this time, she was instrumental in the setting up and development of the Tamworth laboratory and case working team.
Helen’s expertise includes the examination of body fluids, DNA analysis, Blood Pattern Analysis, and damage to clothing. Her DNA expertise includes interpretation of complex DNA results, statistical evaluation in the SGM and SGM plus methods, low template DNA methods such as LCN and HSP DNA SenCe and the recently introduced DNA 17 analysis.
Helen has dealt with many criminal cases including murder, rape, cold case reviews, assaults, car crime, drugs crime and burglaries. She has provided written and oral evidence at Crown Courts and Magistrates courts within England and overseas.
In the past, Helen has given talks to lawyers, training to GPs and run annual Forensic Workshops at school Science Fairs for post 16 year olds.
A full CV can be provided on request.