R -v- Haroon Rafiq

image of audio waveform

Conspiracy to supply class A drugs

We were instructed by the police to authenticate covert recordings of conversations between a number of males suspected of drug dealing and to compare the speech of one of these males with the voice of Haroon Rafiq. The results indicated strong support for the view that Haroon Rafiq was the speaker of interest. Haroon Rafiq pleaded guilty of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and was sentenced to seven years and nine months in prison.

Forensic analysis undertaken:

  • Speaker comparison
  • Authentication

R -v- Gary Moore & others

ENF & authentication analysis in drug-trafficking trial | 

In the case of Gary Moore & others, our authentication expert used Electrical Frequency Analysis (ENF) to determine whether a series of surveillance recordings had been edited.  Alongside a range of other authentication techniques, the ENF system was able to determine that there was a very high probability that the police recordings had not been edited.

January 2013; Southwark Crown Court, UK
Instructed by the defence, provided reports and gave evidence in the witness box

The Bloody Sunday Inquiry

Public inquiry into the Bloody Sunday massacre |

J P French Associates were instructed to transcribe and authenticate a number of key recordings in this inquiry.  The analysis revealed that a number of the items for analysis had been edited or redacted and that transcripts may have been produced from different exhibits.

Public Inquiry into events in Londonderry on Sunday, 1998-2010.
Instructed by the Saville Commission.  Produced reports.

The State of Ghana -v- Kwabena Amaning & Alhaji Issah Abbass

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Authentication of recordings in Ghanaian narcotics case |

We authenticated a number of recordings and analysed the speech in Ghanaian and English.  To do this, J P French Associates recruited and trained a native speaker and Professor in linguistics from Accra to assist in the analysis.  the evidence was produced in reports and also in person to the High Court in Accra.

High Court, Accra, November 2006 – November 2007.

Instructed by the State of Ghana.  Produced reports, transcript and gave expert witness testimony.

United Nations -v- Slobodan Milošević

The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia at The Hague |

J P French Associates authenticated a number of recordings in the trial of Slobodan Milošević for Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity and Violations of the Laws or Customs of War.  We were instructed independently of the prosecution or defence in this case, and provided reports for the Tribunal Judges.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, The Hague, 2003-2006.
Instructed on behalf of Tribunal Judges (ie, independent of prosecution and defence).  Produced report.

R -v- John Humble

‘The Yorkshire Ripper Hoaxer’ trial |

J P French Associates analysed the voice and speech patterns in a police interview recording made 26 years after the original hoax tapes received by the police.  The recordings were authenticated and speaker comparison provided evidence that lead to John Samuel Humble admitting that he was in fact the hoaxer.  The analysis was so extraordinary, given the length of delay, that the findings were published in a scientific journal article.

Leeds Crown Court, March 2006.

Instructed by the Crown.  Produced report.

Hashwani -v- Hashwani

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Expert speech evidence for the Sindh High Court |

J P French Associates provided authentication and voice comparison evidence in a civil case from Pakistan.  The evidence was delivered in York to the removed Sindh High Court.

Sindh High court (removed to England to hear expert evidence), 2005?
Produced report and gave evidence in person.

The Prince Harry A-level Art Tape

In the matter of Sarah Forsyth -v- Eton College |

We produced a report verifying that the recordings made by Prince Harry’s Art teacher were authentic.

Employment Tribunal Hearing, Reading, Berks.
Judgment July 2005.  Produced report.

Melnychenko recordings

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Analysis of the ‘Cassette Scandal’ tapes in the Ukraine |

J P French Associates were appointed to an international group of experts investigating the authenticity of audio recordings allegedly implicating President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine in the murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze and in sale of high technology radar systems to Iraq in violation of UN sanctions.

Instructed by Ministry of Justice, Kyiv, Ukraine. May 2004.
Produced report.

State of Mauritius -v- Sir Bhinod Bacha

image of telephone handset

Murder trial of the former Head of Civil Service of Mauritius |

J P French Associates were engaged to authenticate telephone intercept recordings provided on an audio cassette tape to a Judge.

Supreme Court of Mauritius, Port Luis, 1996.
Instructed by the Defence.  Produced report and gave evidence in the witness box.