OCCURRENCE OF MARKS EVIDENCE
Marks evidence is commonly encountered in civil case
s involving
product liability, authentication,tampering, counterfeit products and traffic accident insurance claims, and criminal investigations of vandalism, housebreaking, robbery, suicides, homicides and drug trafficking.
The evidence types encountered are extremely diverse and include the following:
- Mass-manufactured products such as plastic bags, moulded or machined items (e.g. gold ingots, medicinal bottles)
- Toolmarks on broken safes, locks, cabinets
- Skid marks, yaw marks, scrape marks on roadways, and fabric impressions in traffic collisions
- Bullets and cartridge cases in firearms examination
- Shoeprints, footprints, tyreprints at crime scenes
Examples of cases and research studies by our Experts:
- Counterfeit contact lenses
- Manufacturing marks on moulded plastic medicine bottles
- PP v Kamal Bin Kupli and others (Murder)
To find out more, read about selected cases involving marks evidence.
VALUE OF MARKS EVIDENCE
Examination of marks evidence provides insights into the possible type of tool used, the manner in which the mark was made, and potential associations between the mark and a suspect tool, especially in break-ins and vandalism cases.
Comparison of manufacturing marks on mass-produced items establishes possible association between two similar items and provide information as to whether they originated from the same batch or was made sequentially by the same machine in the manufacturing plant.
For example, the authenticity of drug blister packs can assist pharmaceutical companies in “recognising” counterfeit products and alert the public or even recall products if counterfeits or out-of-specs products are suspected. Comparison of marks on printed documents enable the association or differentiation of printed documents among themselves and with a suspect printer for authentication purposes.
To find out more, read our article “Damage and Marks – A Primer for Lawyers” featured in the October 2015 issue of the Singapore Law Gazette.
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU
If you are seeking a solution to a marks problem, do not hesitate to approach our experts with your queries.
Please call us at 6459 0494 or email us at enquiries@forensicexperts.com.sg.
WHY THE FORENSIC EXPERTS GROUP
While heading the Forensic Chemistry & Physics Laboratory at the Health Sciences Authority from the mid-1990s till 2013, TFEG’s senior consultants developed forensic examinations of damage on clothing, and new sub-disciplines such as manufacturing marks, newspapers and plastic bags. This forensic discipline gained the acceptance of the Singapore courts, and was successfully applied to many local cases.