A WOMAN’S friend murdered and her boyfriend turning out to be the guilty party.
It looked as if it should have been headline news.
In fact it was a workshop at Warrington’s Priestley College – designed to give Criminology students an insight into police investigations.
Yasmin Karkin, who also studies drama and public services, said: “I want to become a detective constable so for me this was a great opportunity.
“You really had to pay attention and take notes on all the important details.”
During the scenario Yasmin, who played the part of a detective, interviewed a suspect, completed some DNA analysis and was a judge in the final case brought against the suspect.
Former Merseyside police officer Andrea Richards led the workshop during which students were assigned different roles. Everything from the murderer to the detective investigating the crime.
First they heard a 999 call alerting investigators that a body had been found.
Then shoe prints found at the model crime scene showed two people had been in the apartment where the murder took place.
Further investigation eventually allowed the students to rule out an officer that had left prints and instead close in on the real culprit.
Interest in studying Criminology at Priestley has quadrupled since its introduction three years ago with many students combining it with Public Services or social sciences such as Psychology and Sociology. Many are choosing to go on to study the subject at university.
Tutor Claire Colwell said: “Most of us are unlikely to commit a crime, but we are intrigued to discover what motivates others to do so.
“We are drawn into the criminal underworld so being offered the opportunity to further our understanding of what makes a criminal tick, how different theories approach this and why crimes remain under-reported are things that are really enticing for students.”
