Helen joined the University of South Wales as a Research Fellow in January 2015. Prior to this, she worked for Leicestershire Police for more than 12 years, in different police staff roles (February 2002 – January 2015). While working full-time, she completed her PhD in Criminology at the University of Hull (2002 – 2008).  

In terms of her academic career, Helen has over 10 years’ experience of conducting research in the fields of homicide investigation, policing, missing people, and vulnerability, involving police forces, multi-agency partners, and forensic science providers. She has conducted in-depth interviews, focus groups, ethnographic observations, case file analysis, and analysis of quantitative data from the Home Office Homicide Index.

Drawing primarily on qualitative research methods, Helen has studied the role of forensic science and digital technologies within homicide investigations, the impact of forensic science within homicide investigation, and the challenges of using image-based evidence in criminal investigations and prosecutions. She has conducted studies that have analysed homicides amongst missing people and explored police understanding and application of vulnerability in responding to the needs of sex work populations in Wales. Helen also has experience of designing and undertaking process evaluations, having completed evaluations of new processes introduced as part of the Missing from Care Framework, and Offensive Weapons Homicide Reviews. She is currently undertaking a process evaluation of the implementation of the Right Care Right Person model in South Wales. Across these projects, Helen has secured funding from the Home Office, the Police STAR fund, and South Wales Police. Findings from her research have contributed to police training and have shaped policy and practice, including multi-agency processes.

Prior to joining USW in January 2015, Helen worked for Leicestershire Police for over twelve years.

Most recently (November 2010 - January 2015), Helen was a Review Officer - she worked as part of a team reviewing undetected homicides, domestic homicides, stranger rapes, cold cases, and long-term missing persons. Helen outlined recommendations for further work, identified good practice, and ensured the investigation conformed to nationally approved standards, had not overlooked any investigative opportunities and had been conducted with integrity and objectivity. As part of this role, Helen gained experience of using police databases such as HOLMES (used for major crimes) and COMPACT (used for missing person investigations). She also attended post-mortems and completed placements with forensic services, the dog section and firearms unit.

Between June 2007 - November 2010, Helen worked as the Protecting Vulnerable People Intelligence analyst, with analytical responsibility for the Public Protection Investigation Unit, which included the child abuse investigation unit, sexual and dangerous offenders, serious sexual offences, and child sexual exploitation. Helen utilised analytical techniques and specialised IT software (i2 Analyst Notebook) to create analytical products, which assisted detectives in the investigation of crime and the presentation of material at court.

From February 2002 - November 2010, Helen worked as a Crime Recorder/Receiver, and then a Research Officer. 

Helen currently supervises four PhD students on topics that include: the provision of forensic science to serious crime investigations; the role of crime scene investigators at sudden, and suspicious deaths; the declining charge rate in homicide offences, and the trajectories of missing young people. 

Helen is interested in supervising students who would like to undertake (qualitative) research around homicide investigation, major crime investigation, missing persons, cold case reviews, policing, forensic science, digital evidence, vulnerability, and miscarriages of justice. 

• Homicide
• Violence
• Missing people 
• Vulnerability 
• Major crime investigation
• Cold case reviews 
• Policing
• Ethnography
• Qualitative research
• NVivo