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“E” LEARNING
INTRODUCTION TO INVESTIGATIONS
EVIDENCE & WITNESS
STATEMENTS
Copyright © Royal Mail Group 2006
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CONTENTS
Introduction
How To Use This Module
Objectives
Section 1 - Evidence
Section 2 - Witness Statements
Section 3 - Summary
Progress Check
Sample forms
Page
13
21
22
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INTRODUCTION
This module focuses on the question “what is evidence?”
The word Evidence is used to describe the means by which a
point of issue may be proved, or disproved, in a manner
complying with the legal rules governing the subject.
Normally it will consist of the testimony of a witness and the
production of documents and/or other exhibits.
The success of investigations and prosecutions is directly
linked to the quality of the evidence presented. All
Investigation Managers require a sound understanding of the
different types of evidence and the rules that apply to
obtaining it.
The area of witness statements is an important one for
Investigation Managers. The success of a prosecution may
depend on your skills in taking concise, evidentially correct
and professional statements.
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HOW TO USE THIS MODULE
This module has been designed to enable you to work at your
own pace. Give yourself time to think about the topics
covered in each section before going onto the next one. At
various points in the module you will be asked to take part by
completing an Activity.
Activities will be identified by the following symbols in the
margin:
You will be asked to carry out a variety of activities
throughout this workbook. These will help you to explore
issues and check your understanding.
This will give the answer to, or information about, the
activity you have just completed. Feedback is given for you
to check your own ideas and responses.
You will be asked to read sections of certain documents
before continuing.
Progress A set of self-check questions will appear at the end of the
workbook. These will help you to assess your understanding
Check of the complete workbook.
Progress
These will help you to check your answers to the Progress
Check Check questions. If your response does not match the answer
given, you should go back over the relevant part of the
Answers workbook to re-check your understanding of it.
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SUPPORT
Tf you have any difficulty understanding the material in this
session you should first contact your Line Manager for
advice.
Tf you need additional advice or guidance contact the Group
Security Development Support Manager.
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OBJECTIVES
After completing this workbook you will be able to:
identify and explain what the different types of evidence
are
understand the rules concerning the different types of
evidence
state the rules governing the taking of and presentation of
Witness Statements
understand how to take a professional Witness Statement
including the production of evidence
SECTION 1 - EVIDENCE
MOST COMMON
TYPES OF
EVIDENCE
DIRECT EVIDENCE
You have already seen the definition of evidence in the
introduction to this Module. This section looks at the
different types of evidence that exist.
There are 7 most common types of evidence:
¢ direct
© indirect
© circumstantial
© corroborative
© opinion
e exhibits
e hearsay
This is the evidence of seeing, doing, hearing, feeling and
touching - something that a witness has personally
experienced.
For example - a witness saw the accused throw a brick
through a jewellers’ window. Clearly, production of the
brick would add extra credibility to this evidence but the
testimony is still admissible and valuable to the
prosecution without the exhibit.
With direct evidence the witness is giving details about a
fact which he has had personal or first hand knowledge of
and can therefore be challenged on the truth of that fact in
cross examination. This is a valid ‘rule of thumb’ that can
be applied to this type of evidence.
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INDIRECT
EVIDENCE
CIRCUMSTANTIAL
EVIDENCE
Tndirect evidence is something which may place a certain
person in a particular place at a specific time, even though
the witness concerned may not have seen this person.
For example - signing on sheets being produced by a
Delivery Office Manager.
Circumstantial evidence is evidence, not of the matter in
question, but of other issues from which the fact in
question can be presumed with more or less certainty.
For example - a witness walks past a man who is
standing outside a jewellers holding a brick. The witness
keeps on walking and hears the sound of breaking glass
behind them. They then see the person who they had
previously seen with the brick running past them holding
items of jewellery. I
The witness cannot state that they saw the person smash
the window but their evidence can support a prosecution,
ideally with other evidence.
IA further example is with access and absence analyses
prepared during inquiries by Investigation Managers.
Such analyses may show that only one person had access
to every stolen item in a theft case. However, this is only
circumstantial evidence and, in itself; does not prove
someone's guilt as there are always possible explanations
for someone's 100% access other than they are
responsible for the thefis.
In the case R v Exall (1866) Judge Pollock described
circumstantial evidence as, “....a combination of
circumstances, no one of which would raise a reasonable
conviction, or more than a mere suspicion, but the whole,
taken together, may create a strong conclusion of guilt...”
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CORROBORATIVE
EVIDENCE
OPINION
In January 2000 a high profile case concerning the
poisoning of patients by a Doctor was decided on
circumstantial evidence. The Doctor concerned was not
seen to have personally carried out any act of murder, but
the weight of circumstantial evidence was considered by
the Jury as sufficient to convict him.
Corroborative evidence is that which tends to support the
truth and accuracy of evidence already given. It is a
general rule that a courts’ decision can be made on the
evidence of one person. There are exceptions to this such
as treason and perjury which all require corroboration to
secure a conviction but no such offences which are
relevant to Royal Mail Group Investigation Managers.
Corroboration should be sought and obtained, if possible,
during and after any investigation as it will add extra
weight to the existing evidence.
Tt isa generally held principle that opinion is allowed in
evidence from expert witnesses, e.g. a Doctor can detail
someone’s injuries; a handwriting expert can state that, in
their considered opinion, similarities exist that would
strongly suggest two documents were written by the same
person.
A non-expert can give opinion as evidence, but only in
certain circumstances regarding specific details, such as:
identification of a person or object
speed of a moving vehicle
temperature
time
value of an item
whether a person is drunk (the witness is required to
describe the facts upon which this opinion is based)
It is important that opinion given by non-experts does not
cover prejudicial evidence e.g. suggesting that a suspect
has been spending a lot of money without having
supporting evidence.
Police Officers are also allowed to give their opinion
when identifying prohibited drugs.
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EXHIBITS
HEARSAY
Th simple terms exhibits are objects produced in court
tending towards proving the guilt or innocence of the
accused.
Exhibits used as evidence have to be formally produced
by a witness in a witness statement. Barristers and
Solicitors can not simply show an exhibit to a Court
without the accompanying testimony of a witness who
produces and identifies it.
In many circumstances hearsay evidence is not
admissible in court. However, Section 114 of the
Criminal Justice Act 2003 provides a statutory definition
of hearsay and since then it is easier to admit such
evidence. This has to be done via a hearsay notice sent to
the Court and Defence identifying the hearsay evidence
which the prosecution seeks to introduce.
It is still an area, however, where the vast majority, if not
all, of the evidence used in Royal Mail Group cases would
not be hearsay and Legal Services advice must be sought
if any such evidence was being considered for inclusion in
a case.
Hearsay evidence is evidence of something a person does
not know for themselves, but has been told by another.
For example - A told B that he saw C steal.
B’s evidence is Hearsay and therefore inadmissible as to
the content of the conversation i.e, that C was seen to
steal. You would, of course, attempt to obtain a statement
from A which would be Direct evidence,
B’s conversation with A can still be included in B's
statement to complete the overall picture, but only as
evidence that a conversation took place and that both
parties were present in a particular place and at a
particular time. It cannot be used as evidence to prove
that the act of theft actually took place.
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OTHER TYPES OF
EVIDENCE
SIMILAR FACT
EVIDENCE
The basic test of whether evidence is hearsay or not is to
ask yourself whether the witness giving the statement can
be cross examined as to the truth of its’ content.
Notwithstanding the fact that it is now easier to introduce
such evidence, even if hearsay is included in a statement
and no notice has been served as described above, this
does not automatically render the entire statement
inadmissible. A line will be drawn through that particular
part of the statement. The reason this can be done is that
only Judges, Barristers and Solicitors see copies of
witness statements, not members of the Jury. The Jury
could therefore not be influenced by reading hearsay
evidence even if they were told it is inadmissible and was
not to form part of their considerations — they simply
remain unaware of the hearsay evidence.
Needless to say it is more professional and gives a better
impression of your credibility as an Investigation Manager
if hearsay does not have to be deleted from a witness
statement.
There are exceptions to the Hearsay rule. The most
common exception is that something that is said in the
presence and hearing of the defendant is generally
admissible. This actually embodies the main principle
behind the hearsay rule - the fact that when a statement is
made in the accused’s absence he has no opportunity to
deny or question its’ truth. It follows then that what may
be hearsay in a statement can actually be said verbally in a
court - the accused, of course, being present.
The above are the most common types of evidence and
the rules that apply to them. The following two types of
evidence are less common.
This deals with the admissibility of evidence relating to
previous similar acts by the accused. In order for evidence
to be admissible under this rule, the previous offences
have to be similar to the point of being virtually identical
to the events in the current case.
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CHARACTER
EVIDENCE
WHO DECIDES ON
EVIDENCE?
It is extremely unusual for this type of evidence to be used
in Royal Mail Group cases but there have been occasions
in the past when that has happened. The brief
circumstances of one example are that the offender, who
was an outsider not an employee, had previously been
convicted twice for deliberately removing cancellation
marks from postage stamps and selling them to be used
again. When prosecuted for a third time and denying the
charge, the earlier cases were successfully quoted against
him as his actions had been identical.
This deals with the reputation of an individual, their
disposition to behave in a certain way and previous
convictions.
Section 1 of the Criminal Evidence Act 1898, provides a
‘shield’ for the accused against the use by the prosecution
of that accused’s previous bad character. This shield,
however, is lost if the accused gives evidence of their own
good character or by attacking the character of
prosecution witnesses.
When evidence is presented in a Court any issues about
the admissibility of evidence is a matter for the Judge to
decide. It is then for the Jury in a Crown Court trial or a
District Judge/Magistrates in a Magistrates’ Court hearing
to consider the weight of the evidence and whether they
believe it.
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Progress
Check
Please complete the following questions to check your
understanding of what we have covered so far.
Ql. Describe what the term “evidence” means.
Q2. Describe a simple ‘test’ that you can apply to
evidence that would indicate it is of the Direct
kind.
Q3. What is Hearsay, and why is it, in general, not
admissible as evidence in court?
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Progress
Check
Answers
Check your answers with the following:
Ql. Describe what the term “evidence” means.
Evidence is the means by which a point of issue may be
Iproved or disproved in a manner complying with the
legal rules governing the subject.
Q2. Describe a simple ‘test’ that you can apply to
evidence that would indicate that it is of the Direct
kind.
IA test you can apply is to check that a witness can be
cross-examined as to the truth of the facts in a court.
Q3. What is Hearsay, and why is it, in general, not
admissible as evidence in court?
Hearsay is evidence of something that a person has been
told by another - they do not know it for themselves.
It is generally inadmissible as the subject of the Hearsay
evidence has not had the opportunity to comment, react,
admit or deny what has been said as it has been said out
of their hearing.
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SECTION 2 - WITNESS STATEMENTS
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
ACTS 1967 & 1988
THE NEED FOR A
WITNESS TO
APPEAR AT COURT
GENERAL RULES
RELATING TO
TAKING
STATEMENTS.
A witness is someone who can give relevant and reliable
information about something which has happened. This
section focuses on the rules relating to the taking of
witness statements.
Section 9 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 deals with a
number of points of law concerning witness statements.
This Act, and the subsequent Criminal Justice Act 1988
(Section 23), altered the requirements of the courts for
witnesses to always attend in person. It is no longer
necessary for witnesses to attend court on all occasions.
Due to these Acts a statement can be read out in court and
carry as much weight as a witness giving their evidence in
person.
This can take place with the agreement of the Defence
and, if a statement is allowed to be read, the Jury will be
directed to accept the evidence as correct as no challenges
were made to it.
However, the Defence always have the option of calling
witnesses in person so they can be cross-examined.
As examples of the above — if a Delivery Office Manager
simply produced some signing on sheets it may be that the
evidence would be accepted and the witness would not
have to attend court. His statement would then be read to
the Court and the evidence agreed.
However, if a member of the public saw a Postman
opening mail and throwing it away, they might be
instructed to attend court so they can be cross-examined
about exactly what they saw.
The following table explains some of the more general
tules relating to the taking of witness statements.
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GENERAL RULES TO FOLLOW WHEN TAKING WITNESS STATEMENTS
e Statements should be written using black inked ballpoint pen.
e Typewritten statements or copies of statements should be 1 % or double-spaced.
e Abbreviations, particularly of Royal Mail Group terminology, should be avoided. If
abbreviations are used (for example a statement containing the line “I am employed as a
DOM at Battersea DO”) then the first time the abbreviations are used they should be in
brackets after the full name is given, for example Delivery Office Manager (DOM). The
abbreviation can then be used throughout the statement.
© Specific Royal Mail terms should also be fully explained as a jury will need to understand
what has been written. A statement “I received from the accounts branch one remittance”
should be followed by the description of what a remittance is - for example, “a remittance
is a Special Delivery item used to transfer cash or stock from one office to another”.
« The witness must only give evidence about something which they have had personal
experience or knowledge.
e Any alterations or mistakes made during the preparation of the statement must be carefully
crossed out with a single line, so what was originally written can still be read. All such
alterations must be initialled by the witness.
e When the statement does not occupy a whole page the witness should be asked to sign
their name immediately after the final word. The blank space below should be crossed
through with a diagonal line initialled by the witness.
e The witness should sign their name at the lower left hand side of all pages and each of
these signatures should be witnessed where indicated at the bottom right hand corner by
someone else - this can be the Investigation Manager who has taken the statement.
e A witness can be provided with a copy of their statement should they wish.
FORMS USED FOR There are four main forms used in the taking of witness
TAKING statements:
STATEMENTS
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GS011 WITNESS
STATEMENT FORM
RULES RELATING
TO THE
COMPLETION OF
¢ GSO11 - Witness Statement form
e GSOI1A - Witness Statement Continuation form
e GS041A - Witness Information Form A
e GS003 - Friends at Interviews form
The GSO11 is the form used to record a witness
statement. Use the link to look at a blank GSO11 (For
TATA this is now at the end of this document ready to be
scanned in). Spend a few minutes familiarising yourself
with the content and layout of the form. This form comes
in both lined and unlined formats. The lined version is
ideal for when you are writing the statement in manuscript
and the unlined version is more likely to be used when
you are typing up the hand-written statement. Templates
for all forms are on the Group Security Database.
There are two sides to the GSO1 1, sides A and B. The
tules relating to the completion of Side A are explained
below:
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THE WITNESS STATEMENT FORM GSO11 (SIDE A)
e Alongside the heading “statement of...
Mt/Mrs/Miss/Ms and their full forenames, including the maiden name of a married female
witness.
.....” enter whether the witness is a
e Ifthe witness is under 18 years of age you must enter their age and date of birth in the
space provided. If the person is over 18 you should write “over 18”.
e The margin on the witness statement form must be left blank.
e The meaning of the initial declaration at the top of the form should be explained to the
witness.
e After completion of the statement the number of pages should be entered in the
declaration, which should then be dated and signed. The statement should then be signed
and witnessed.
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The rules relating to the completion of Side B of this
form are explained in the following table:
THE WITNESS STATEMENT FORM GSO11 (SIDE B)
e The address and telephone number of the witness should be recorded at the top of Side B
of the GS011, together with any other contact details that may apply.
e Alongside the heading “occupation” enter the appropriate details which, in the case of
employee witnesses, should be the full grade rather than abbreviations (for example, DOM
should be entered Delivery Office Manager).
© The date and place of birth section should always be completed to enable checks to be
carried out to establish whether the witness has any previous convictions, which is a legal
requirement.
e Dates to be avoided in respect of the witness’s availability to attend court should always be
completed.
e The details of the Investigation Manager taking the statement should be entered at the
bottom of the form.
e Ensure the correct identification code is put on the back. This should be one of the
following:
-IC1 White skinned European -1C4 Indian and Pakistani
-IC2_ Dark skinned European -IC5_ Chinese/Japanese
-1C3 Afro/Caribbean -IC6 Arab/Egyptian
-IC7_ Unknown
GS011A WITNESS There is only so much information which can be fitted
STATEMENT onto the GS011A form and more space may be required
CONTINUATION to complete a full statement. If this is the case the
statement should be continued on a GSO11A form. The
additional rules relating to the completion of this form are
explained below. Use the link to look at a blank GSO11A
(for TATA this is now at the end of this document ready
to be scanned in). Refer to this form as you read through
the guidelines on completion.
FORM
THE WITNESS STATEMENT CONTINUATION FORM GSOLLA
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« There should be no writing on the back of the continuation form.
¢ Details of whose statement it is should be copied from the GS011 to the top of the
continuation form.
e When the statement is complete any continuation forms should be signed and witnessed in
the same way as the leading page.
« When the statement does not occupy a whole continuation page the witness should be
asked to sign their name immediately after the final word. The blank space below should
be crossed through with a diagonal line initialled by the witness.
RULES RELATING On occasions the statement made will contain references
TO STATEMENTS to exhibits. The additional rules relating to statements
REFERRING TO like these are explained below.
EXHIBITS
STATEMENT REFERRING TO EXHIBITS
¢ Details of the exhibit must be entered onto an identification label or exhibit bag which
must be signed by the witness and any other witness that refers to it subsequently in further
statements.
e Anexhibit must be produced formally in the statement, for example, “I now produce the
signing-on sheet previously described by me in this statement, as item number AB/1”. The
letters are ideally the initials of the person producing the item and the number indicates
that it is the first item they are producing. If you have two witnesses with the same initials
in a case you can add the middle initial of one of them, such as ALB/1, or just create a
random selection such as XYZ/1. The only significance of the item number is to be able to
identify it as a unique exhibit — there is no legal requirement for it to bear the initials of the
witness who produces it.
e Ensure only original documents are produced or referred to by witnesses. Only in special
circumstances are photocopies accepted for evidence purposes, and these must be certified.
ROUGH NOTES
MADE DURING
INTERVIEWS 17
GS041A WITNESS
INFORMATION
FORM A
All rough notes/diagrams etc made during an interview
with a witness must be retained. They will be unused
material which will not be part of the prosecution case,
but which must be declared to Legal Services for
consideration whether it should be disclosed to the
Defence.
For further information on this subject please refer to
Royal Mail Codes of Practice for the Criminal Procedure
and Investigation Act 1996.
The next form is the GS041A Witness Information Form
A. The additional rules relating to its completion are
explained in the table below:
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THE WITNESS INFORMATION FORM A
e The reference number of the case should be entered in the appropriate section of the form.
e The Royal Mail Investigation Manager’s details should be entered in the box provided.
This form should always be completed by the interviewer
and handed to the witness after a statement has been
taken. The form provides the witness with:
* some basic information regarding the process they
have just taken part in
© some possible next steps
© contact details for you in case they have any concerns
or request further information at a later point
Use the link to look at a blank GS041A (for TATA now at
the end of this document ready to be scanned in).
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FRIENDS AT
INTERVIEWS
FORM
CONCERNS OF
WITNESSES
Royal Mail Group policy allows any employee (and Sub
Postmasters and their own employees) being interviewed
by Investigation Managers to have a friend present. This
policy applies to people being interviewed as witnesses in
addition to when people are being interviewed as a
suspect.
Full details of the friend rule are explained in the
“Friends, Juveniles and Royal Mail Young Persons”
module. Please revisit that module if you require any
clarification on this subject.
Some witnesses will be concerned about a number of
things when asked to give a statement, for example:
e “I don’t think I can help you much”. In reality the
witness may have little idea of the value of their
evidence. It is also the case, particularly in respect of
witnesses who have observed something happen, that
they actually know a lot more than they believe they
do. This is where the cognitive interview technique is
used when interviewing witnesses, to obtain all the
available information. That technique is not covered in
this module and is normally part of a Training Course.
e “{ don’t want you to put my home address on the
back of that form. The bloke looked a bit mad and I
reckon he’ll try to scare me off”. Assure witnesses
that when their statement is copied and supplied to the
Defence, the rear of the form is not included thereby
ensuring confidentiality.
e “Z’'ll give you a statement but I don’t want to go to
court”. This stance is very common and you must
never state that the witness will not be required at court
as a means of persuading them to give you a statement.
You will with experience, however, be able to exercise
judgement and in many cases inform the witness that
their attendance is unlikely to be necessary. Many
defendants in Royal Mail Group cases plead guilty and
in those circumstances no witnesses need to attend. At
the time of taking a witness statement, however, you
will not be aware of the defendant’s plea and you must
therefore always stress that it is possible for them to be
called to court to give their evidence in person.
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HEALTH &
SAFETY
VISITING OTHER
PREMISES
Use your inter-personal skills to reassure the witness.
Explain that either you or a colleague will be at court and
that they will not be left on their own. Tell them that they
will be able to read their statement before they enter court
to refresh their memory, although they will not be able to
take the statement into court. You will have a copy
waiting for them on arrival. It can also be helpful to
explain the situation regarding witness expenses.
The Health and Safety of all the people concerned in
taking a witness statement - you, the witness and anyone
else present - is of paramount importance.
Group Security Procedure and Standards Document P&S
Doc 3X deals with Health and Safety issues and the entire
document must be fully understood by all Investigation
Managers. In respect of this module Investigation
Managers need to be specifically aware of Section 7
which deals with witness interviews.
You should always make checks regarding any persons,
premises or areas you are visiting. These checks can be
made via Royal Mail Criminal Intelligence Office and
with the Local Information Officer at whichever Police
Station is appropriate.
Here are some general points to consider when visiting
other premises:
e let someone know of your visit
e make sure that you have a mobile phone with you and
that the phone number for the local Police is
programmed into it
e be aware of the area and time of day - this may dictate
to you your style of dress
e whilst in a private dwelling maintain your own
personal space and refuse hospitality if possible
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SECTION 3 - SUMMARY
As we have already seen, the success of investigations
and prosecutions is directly linked to the quality of the
evidence presented.
Section 1 of this module introduced you to the different
types of evidence that exist. It looked briefly at what is
and is not admissible as evidence in court and provided
some examples of the various types of evidence.
Section 2 looked at the forms and rules relating to the
taking of witness statements. It looked at the forms you
need to have on you when taking a statement. It finished
by looking at some of the other issues you will come into
contact with when taking statements, such as the concerns
witnesses may have and Health and Safety issues.
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Progress
Check
To check your understanding of the complete module
please complete the following questions:
Ql. Briefly describe the term Hearsay?
Q2. When can Character Evidence of the accused be
used in a court?
Q3. You are in possession of a torn birthday card
envelope that contained a card and cash you believe
have been stolen whilst the item was in the post.
What type of evidence is this?
Q4. What forms would you have with you when taking
a witness statement? Please explain their use.
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Q5. Which of the following statements is correct (tick
the one that applies)?
Qo
Qo
im
oO
Not everyone should be offered a ‘Friend’
Mistakes on the statement must be
repeatedly crossed through in black ink.
The witness should sign to say that they
understand and agree with the declaration at
the top of a statement.
You can only use one continuation sheet per
statement.
Q6. State two Health and Safety considerations when
taking a statement.
Q7. What should you do with rough notes taken during
statement taking?
Q8. What should you be seeking to do when describing a
piece of evidence in a statement?
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Q9. If this piece of evidence was the second item
produced by a witness called Simon Hopkins, what
item identification number would you allocate to it?
Q10. A witness is concerned that the defendant will learn
of their address via their statement. What would you
tell them?
Q11. List the seven most common types of evidence.
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Progress
Check
Answers QI. Briefly describe the term Hearsay?
Check your answers with the following:
Hearsay is third hand evidence - something which the witness could not
personally confirm in court. i.e. A told B that he saw C steal. B’s
account of the conversation would amount to Hearsay.
Q2. When can Character Evidence of the accused be used in a court?
It can be used if the accused refers to their own good character or
attacks the character of a prosecution witness.
Q3. You are in possession of a torn birthday card envelope that
contained
a card and cash you believe have been stolen whilst the item was in
the post. What type of evidence is this?
An exhibit.
Q4. What forms would you have with you when taking a witness
statement? Please explain their use.
© GSO11 - Witness Statement form
© GSOLIA - Witness Statement continuation form
© GS003 - Friends at Interview form
© GS041A - Witness Information form A
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Q5. Which of the following statements is correct (tick the one that
applies)?
Oo Not everyone should be offered a ‘Friend’
im Mistakes on the statement must be
repeatedly crossed through in black ink.
wy The witness should sign to say that they understand and agree
with the declaration at the top of a statement
im You can only use one continuation sheet per statement.
Q6. State two Health and Safety considerations when taking a statement.
Your answer should have included two from the following list:
© consider taking another Investigation Manager
© checks with Royal Mail criminal Intelligence Office and the Police
LIO
have Police number programmed into mobile phone
consider area/clothing
maintain personal space
if possible, refuse hospitality
Q7. What should you do with rough notes taken during statement
taking?
IAll rough notes/diagrams etc should be retained. They will form part of I
a file referred to as unused material should a prosecution ensue.
Q8. What should you be seeking to do when describing a piece of
evidence in a statement?
You should describe an item as comprehensively as possible. The
minimum requirement is that a description is given that clearly
identifies it and could refer only to that item.
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Q9. If this piece of evidence was the second item produced by a
witness
called Simon Hopkins, what item identification number would you
allocate to it?
The identification number is the initials of the person presenting the
evidence, followed by the item number. In this case it would be SH/2
(SH for Samuel Hopkins and 2 because it is the second piece of
evidence he produced).
Q10. A witness is concerned that the Defendant will learn of their address
via their statement. What would you tell them?
That only the front of the statement is copied to the Defence and that
their address, which is on the rear, remains held in confidence by Royal
Mail.
Q11. List the seven most common types of evidence.
© direct evidence
e indirect evidence
© circumstantial evidence
© corroborative evidence
© opinion
© exhibits
e hearsay
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( ity
When you have finished working through this module please ask your
Line Manager to show you some examples of completed witness
statements from previous cases.
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Witness Statement
(CJ Act 1967, s9; MC Act 1980, ss SA(3)(a) and 5B, MC Rules 1981, r 70)
ine Heal Network
Statement of
Age if under 18 (If over 18 insert ‘over 18")
This statement (consisting of pages each signed by me) is true to the best of my knowledge and belief and I make
it knowing that, if it is tendered in evidence, I shall be liable to prosecution if I have wilfully stated in it anything
which I know to be false or do not believe true.
Dated the day of 20
Signature
Signature Signature witnessed by
CSO11 (Side A) Version 3.0 11/02
Royal Mail is a trading name of Royal Mail Group ple. Registered number 4138203. Registered in England and Wakes. Registered office: 148 Old Street, LONDON, ECIV 9HQ
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NOTE: This side B to be completed only when the original statement is overleaf. When this form is used
to make a copy of a statement side B is to be left blank.
Address
Home telephone No: Business telephone
No:
Occupation:. Date and place of
birth:
Maiden name.: Identity
code:
Dates to be avoided. Delete dates of non availability of witness
Month of: Month of: Month of:
1 21,3 )/4;);5;};6;};771;2I)/3]}4/);5};6;)771;2])/3I4),5/)}6)7
8 9 I 10) 11) 12)13 I 14] 8 I 9 I 10) 11} 12) 13 I 14] 8 I 9 I 10] 11 I 12} 13 I 14
15 16 I 17 I 18 I 19 I 20 I 217 15 I 16 I 17 I 18} 19 I 20 I 21] 15 I 16 I 17 I 18} 19 I 20 I 21
22 23 I 24 I 25 I 26 I 27 I 28 I 22 I 23 I 24 I 25 I 26 I 27 I 28 I 22 I 23 I 24 I 25 I 26 I 27 I 28
29 30 I 31 29 I 30 I 31 29 I 30 I 31
Month of: Month of: Month of:
1 21,3 /4/5;};6;};7]71;2I/3)]4/);5/};6;}]771;2]3I4{]5/]6)]7
8 9 I 10/11 /)12)}13 I} 14] 8 I 9 I 10) 11} 12} 13 I 14] 8 I 9 I 10] 11] 12] 13 I 14
15 16 I 17 I 18 I 19 I 20 I 21 I 15 I 16 I 17 I 18 I 19 I 20 I 21 I 15 I 16 I 17} 18 I 19 I 20 I 21
22 23 I 24 I 25 I 26 I 27 I 28 I 22 I 23 I 24 I 25 I 26 I 27 I 28 I 22 I 23 I 24 I 25 I 26 I 27 I 28
29 30 I 31 29 I 30 I 31 29 I 30 I 31
Contact point, if different from above:
Address:
Telephone No:
STATEMENT TAKEN BY (print name)
Office
S11 (Side B) Version 3.0 11/02
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Witness Statement
(CJ Act 1967, s9; MC Act 1980, ss 5A(3)(a) and 5B, MC Rules 1981, r 70)
continuation of statement of
Signature. Signature witnessed by
CSIIA Version 3.0 11/02
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Royal Mail
Witness Information - A K
You have provided a written statement to a Royal Mail Investigator and as a consequence at some later date it may be necessary
for you to attend court to give evidence. This will of course depend upon a number of factors such as whether a person has
been apprehended for the offence and whether there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to proceed to a court
hearing,
If court proceedings are considered to be appropriate it does not necessarily mean you will be asked to attend court to give
evidence. The defendant may plead guilty or the contents of your written statement may be accepted without the need for you
to attend court.
If your attendance at court becomes necessary you will be told where and when you are required. When you receive these
details you will also receive a detailed information leaflet explaining what will happen at court and how to claim expenses.
If you have any queries concerning the giving of a witness statement please contact the investigator, who is shown below
quoting the following reference number.
Investigator
Office Address:
Tel no:
Ext:
CSO41A Version 3.0 11/02
Royal Mali a trading name of Royal Mail Group ple, Registered number 4138203, Registered in England and Wales. Registered office: 148 OW Street, LONDON, ECLV 9HQ
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