Lecturers' 'Criminal Act' Onscreen Challenges Student Detectives
9 November 2012
A still (featuring Law Lecturer Angie Neville) from the University of Derby film A Murdered Woman.
This two-day exercise gives our students an idea, from their first term, of the challenges they might one day face as real investigators
”Law Lecturer, Mick King
Crime dramas such as The Killing are rarely off our TV screens and now University Law lecturers have staged their own criminal acts to create a gritty 'murder mystery' film for students.
Film-makers at the University of Derby shot their short crime film about a woman's fictional murder - complete with multiple angles to represent different witness and suspect viewpoints - as a novel way of introducing more than 80 Applied Criminology degree first-year students to the craft of detection.
Over two days teams of students were shown the film featuring scenes acted out by School of Law and Criminology lecturers Mick King, Angie Neville, Sam King and Dr David Walsh. The investigators were then sent to gather evidence at the 'crime scene', in reality the 58-acre site of the University's new Oaklands Manor Outdoor Leadership Centre in Buxton.
Working from the basic knowledge of an unknown woman taken to hospital suffering from knife wounds students had to identify her, gather evidence at the scene, identify potential suspects and interview them, and then present a case for prosecution.
Mick King, a Law Lecturer with 30 years' experience as a serving police officer, said: "This two-day exercise gives our students an idea, from their first term, of the challenges they might one day face as real investigators. For example, our outdoor crime scene was hit by torrential rain on the first afternoon, which is the kind of thing that can really destroy vital evidence such as blood spatter.
"I was very pleased with the way the students dealt with this, going on during the second day to work in teams and come up with up what real investigators call a hypothesis, of what has happened and who may have committed a serious crime.
"We used the approach of having a video film with multiple viewpoints, shot very realistically by University cameraman Matt Howcroft, to better engage the students and enable them to picture the scene. I don't think myself or any of the other lecturers will be auditioning for TV roles anytime soon but the finished product looks terrific."
Mick and his lecturer colleagues are keeping tight-lipped about 'whodunit', as the completed film will also be used for future students.
Kym Chapman, a first-year student on the BSc (Hons) Applied Criminology degree course, took part in the investigation exercise.
She added: "The experience gave me a real insight into the depth of work required to solve this type of crime and has helped me gain more insight into my chosen career path."
The winning investigative team received a prize.
Have a look at the one minute 'trailer' for the University of Derby film A Murdered Woman.
For further information about the University of Derby's School of Law and Criminology, and its courses, see website www.derby.ac.uk/law.
For further press information please contact Sean Kirby, Press and PR Officer, on 01332 591891 or email: s.kirby@derby.ac.uk
