3D Printed Skull Advances Forensic Evidence in Court

In an eight-week trial culminating in the murder conviction of five men, a 3D printed skull became a pivotal piece of evidence. This skull, representing the injuries of victim Frazer Brabant, aided the pathologist’s demonstration and offered the jury a tangible representation of the trauma sustained.

The University of Portsmouth’s School of Mechanical and Design Engineering produced the 3D printed skull in collaboration with Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Imaging Unit. This team transformed CT scan data into a digital model, which Dr. Morgan Lowther (from the university’s mechanical engineering department) 3D printed using PLA. An internal scaffold ensured its stability during court presentations.

You can see the skull taking shape on a Prusa machine in the image below.

Brabant, discovered with severe head injuries in 2019, succumbed after a three-month hospital stay. Subsequent investigations revealed that he suffered multiple strikes from a sharp-edged weapon. Winchester Crown Court’s recent verdict sentenced four men to life for murder, while a fifth received six years for conspiracy to cause GBH (grievous bodily harm).

According to Dr. Lowther, the 3D model greatly assisted the jury in comprehending the attack’s gravity. The collaboration between the police force and the University marked the first successful introduction of 3D-printed evidence in court.

In the wake of this trial, the synergy between academic institutions and police departments may increasingly influence the criminal justice system. The shift towards using 3D artifacts in courtrooms suggests an evolving landscape where tangible evidence plays a central role in elucidating complex scenarios for juries.

Source: port.ac.uk

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