The writing on the wall...
A woman was appearing at the Old Bailey charged with murder. In a fit of jealousy, triggered by an anonymous letter warning that her boyfriend was sleeping around, she'd lashed out with a kitchen knife and killed him. It didn't look hopeful. Fortunately, her defence team had passed the letter to forensic handwriting expert Maureen Ward-Gandy, along with a pile of other writing examples, and asked her to see if any of them matched. The result was as astonishing as it was tragic - the man had written the note himself to try to make her jealous, but it had worked a little too well. "It was something of an own goal" says Maureen ruefully. "I was able to prove scientifically that the writing matched his. Faced with this mitigating provocation, the charge was reduced to manslaughter and she got four years rather than life".
Handwriting identification first fascinated Maureen while she was a teacher in America. No forged sick notes ever escaped her eagle eye. She began studying handwriting and word of her recognition skills spread. While still continuing to teach, she was asked to do some work for the Denver police department. After returning to England, she found that what had started as a sideline was now taking over. Eventually she quit teaching in 1981 to become a self-employed forensic document examiner. Since then she has gained every qualification possible and now averages 550 enquiries a year. She is often called as an expert witness by lawyers to determine authorship or forgeries. She scientifically analyses telltale loops and swirl, pen pressure and ink content of signature, scribbled notes, envelopes, wills and diaries, using hi-tech computer, video equipment, microscope and lightbox, which she keeps in her lab at home in Sussex. Work is plentiful, but whichever side calls her in, her opinion is determined by the facts not the feepayer.
This can lead to one of the most stressful aspects of her kind of self-employment. "When someone hires and pays you and you find against their client, it is a very difficult situation. But I work for the court, I am totally impartial, as required under the rules of the Expert Witness Institute". She has given evidence in every level of law court, and after a course in handling cross-questioning, no Rumpole can rattle her. "I love the atmosphere in court although at first I found it frightening."
Maureen gained ISO 9000 Certification in May 1999 and believes "when you're self employed, it will give you the edge on your competitors".
You can contact Maureen Ward-Gandy on 01293 536189. Article courtesy of Rebecca Gosh, Alodis Magazine.
Handwriting identification first fascinated Maureen while she was a teacher in America. No forged sick notes ever escaped her eagle eye. She began studying handwriting and word of her recognition skills spread. While still continuing to teach, she was asked to do some work for the Denver police department. After returning to England, she found that what had started as a sideline was now taking over. Eventually she quit teaching in 1981 to become a self-employed forensic document examiner. Since then she has gained every qualification possible and now averages 550 enquiries a year. She is often called as an expert witness by lawyers to determine authorship or forgeries. She scientifically analyses telltale loops and swirl, pen pressure and ink content of signature, scribbled notes, envelopes, wills and diaries, using hi-tech computer, video equipment, microscope and lightbox, which she keeps in her lab at home in Sussex. Work is plentiful, but whichever side calls her in, her opinion is determined by the facts not the feepayer.
This can lead to one of the most stressful aspects of her kind of self-employment. "When someone hires and pays you and you find against their client, it is a very difficult situation. But I work for the court, I am totally impartial, as required under the rules of the Expert Witness Institute". She has given evidence in every level of law court, and after a course in handling cross-questioning, no Rumpole can rattle her. "I love the atmosphere in court although at first I found it frightening."
Maureen gained ISO 9000 Certification in May 1999 and believes "when you're self employed, it will give you the edge on your competitors".
You can contact Maureen Ward-Gandy on 01293 536189. Article courtesy of Rebecca Gosh, Alodis Magazine.
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