Police Interviewing of Serious Crime Suspects

The research in this thesis is the first of its kind to describe in a significant level of detail the actual police interviewing of serious crime suspects, with a specific focus on who is being interviewed. The principal information source was 407 real-life audio-tape recordings of interviews with 56 different suspects. Suspects were interviewed for offences that included murder (and attempted murder), sexual assault and serious assault. Tape recordings were obtained from 11 Police Services across England and Wales and were analysed using a specially designed coding frame that captured a range of interviewer and suspect behaviour. The research described how suspects respond during police interviews and examined the interactions between suspect response, interviewer behaviour and case characteristics. Finally, the research assessed the presence and contribution of legal advisors, Appropriate Adults and interpreters. Based on this novel research, the thesis brings out some key findings, highlights where the work is limited and where further exploration is needed, and suggests where interviewing practice might be strengthened. This research is intended to be of interest and practical value to both the research community and the police service.