Toxicology and Medicine
MFL offers all aspects of toxicological analysis and medical examination/review but please bear with us as we endeavour to put some information on these pages to give you a greater understanding of the breadth of our expertise. Please call us to find out more about this evidence type.
Blood and urine analysis
Under Construction
Back calculations
With the expansion of our staff we can now give expert advice with calculation of BAC (blood/breath alcohol concentration) in cases of alleged laced drink and hip flask defences.
BAC calculations are made to determine a subject's likely alcohol concentration from a given consumption of alcohol. Concentration can be calculated at the time of a substantive test, or the time of an incident.
Technical defences commonly involve a 'laced' drink or 'hip flask' defence. In the former, a calculation will determine the effect on a substantive test result of alcohol unknowingly consumed. Hip flask cases involve calculating the effect of alcohol consumed after an incident, e.g. a road traffic accident. Such calculations may show that a subject would have been below the prescribed limit if the additional alcohol had not been consumed.
Calculations can also be made in cases of drunk in charge i.e. where an individual did not intend to drive until their alcohol level dropped below the prescribed limit. If the individual provides a time when he/she intended to drive again, a calculation can be made to determine their likely BAC.
Affects of toxins on behaviour
We provide a comprehensive review and extensive analytical capability for a wide range of forensic casework in which toxicology expertise is required. Our experts review cases comprising a major toxicological element such as poisonings (deliberate or inadvertent) in murders, manslaughters, suspicious deaths, drug-assisted sexual-assaults (DASA) and factitious administration of substances (formerly known as Münchausen-by-proxy cases). We can also thoroughly review and provide an extensive analytical service for cases of adulterated foodstuffs and drinks.
In other types of forensic cases where the involvement of alcohol, drugs, medicines and poisons is indirect, we can also assess whether or not the analyses carried out were adequate and, if necessary, suggest and carry out additional or confirmatory tests.
For example, budgetary pressures may mean that insufficient analyses have been performed by the Crown to determine the involvement or otherwise of prescription or over-the-counter medicines that may have influences on behaviour. We can provide analytical services to remedy this and a thorough review of the work and opinions of the Crown toxicology experts can be carried out. In criminal cases any alcohol back-calculations can be checked and if not done we can carry out such calculations and estimate alcohol levels at the time of the incident to assist in the assessment of impairment of behaviour or degree of intoxication.
In general and even if you have any unusual or specialist toxicological enquiries we can advise on the best approach to deal with the case and maximise the information obtainable.
Injury causation
Our experts in forensic body mapping and wound overlay have many years of experience both in the medical and forensic science sectors. The injuries are represented graphically using cutting edge film industry software so that the original image is never used, maintaining Court guidelines and avoiding unnecessary distress.
Our expert demonstrates both internal and external injuries, showing the direction and pathway weapons have travelled. They also demonstrate bullet trajectories and can produce three-dimensional views of the internal body structure to clearly illustrate injury.
When there is no photographic evidence of injuries, our body mapping and wound overlay expert can replicate the appearance of an injury using their specialist knowledge and expertise.
The cases that our expert has in his portfolio include those involving footwear marks where there are allegations of stamping, burns, marks and tracks left by a wide variety of weapons and tools, jewellery imprints and clothing marks.
Reports can include a digital composite where the item causing the mark can be faded in and out over the injury to graphically represent the match.
Our expert has reported cases involving forensic body mapping for many years and is at the head of his field.
Sexual abuse
At Manlove Forensics we can provide you with expert medical opinions in relation to criminal matters. For example, when a rape allegation has been made, if there are internal or external injuries, it needs to be ascertained whether or not they were caused as a result of an assault or by some other means. Our experts are on hand to conduct a thorough assessment of the cause of the injury, both by physical examination of the patient or by a review of photographic and documented evidence. We are also called on to assess injuries to children where there is an allegation of abuse.
Pathology
Under Construction
Post Mortems
Under Construction
Odontology
Under Constrution
Bruising
Under Construction
Child abuse
Under Construction
