Submitted by Ian Harrison
on Sunday, April 16, 2000 5:08:52 PM (posted 16 April 2000):
Regarding the SCRO 'identifications'
I have examined quality photographs of the crime print and the print of the accused. I have also viewed photos of the court comparison chart.
The points of comparison marked on both charts bear absolutely no relation to what is actually present. That the SCRO could find three 'experts' with such vivid imaginations is a credit to them, but a disaster for the science of fingerprint identification.
In my 9 years as an expert, and in the 140 years of collective experience of the 7 members of the office in which I work, there is absolutely no doubt that these prints are NOT identical. The attempts made to demonstrate the believed identification is nothing short of perjury. The SCRO has to be fully investigated to find out why this happened, if it has happened with other cases, and ensure that it does not happen again.
Ian Harrison
PO Box 2109
CHRISTCHURCH
NEW ZEALAND