Elisabeth Briggs
Hannah Pocock
HANNAH POCOCK
Forensic Document Examiner and Handwriting Expert
BSc (Hons) MSc MCSFS
Tel: 07368 571874
Qualifications
I completed my Bachelor of Science degree in Police and Criminal Investigation at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), which included a semester at the Police Academy of Czech Republic, in 2010, followed by my Master of Science degree in Document Analysis at UCLan in 2011.
In 2013 I completed training courses in 'Courtroom Skills: Witness Familiarisation' and 'Cross Examination' organised by Bond Solon.
I completed a course in Printing Process Identification course at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, USA in 2013.
I obtained the HABC Level 3 Award in Education and Training (QCF) in 2015.
I am a Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences.
I take part in regular proficiency tests supplied by Collaborative Testing Services, in common with many Forensic laboratories throughout the world.
Experience
I have over 10 years' experience as a Forensic Document Examiner, working initially at Key Forensic Services Ltd before becoming a self-employed expert consultant. During the course of my career I have worked with several of the most experienced Forensic Document Examiners in the UK.
I started working at Key Forensic Services Ltd (KFS) in 2011 where I successfully completed their Forensic Document Examiner training programme in 2013. I was employed by KFS between 2011 and 2018 as a Forensic Document Examiner and also assisted within the Quality Management Team.
I then left KFS to become a self-employed Forensic Document Examiner providing higher education lecturing alongside peer reviewing of casework undertaken by fellow expert witness, Elisabeth Briggs of Questioned Document Examiner (QDE). Between 2018 and 2023 I also worked for Cumbria Constabulary within their Crime Management Support Unit and latterly in their Anti-Corruption Unit.
I have examined and peer reviewed hundreds of questioned documents cases to establish their authorship and/or authenticity. Examinations have included disputed handwriting and signatures, ink analysis and indented impressions. Furthermore, I have undertaken examinations of printed documents and printing equipment, damaged documents, reconstruction of documents as well as security documents.
I have examined both criminal and civil cases for a range of clients including numerous English and Welsh police forces, governmental organisations, solicitors and private individuals. I have also acted as a Single Joint Expert (SJE). Furthermore, I have attended various courts to provide expert witness testimony.
In addition, I have taught forensic science students at a number of universities, trained fellow Forensic Document Examiners and delivered bespoke training packages to organisations, international delegates and members of the public.
I have also appeared on two television programmes, Crime Files and Y Ditectif (2017), to highlight the pivotal questioned document examinations undertaken by myself which led to the conviction of David Ellis for the murder of Alec Warburton.
I was a pre-publication advisor for the book 'Foundations of Forensic Analysis Theory and Practice' by Michael Allen, published in 2015.