If you would like to discuss any aspect of your case, please contact any member of our vastly experienced Criminal Defence team, for assistance with any criminal law related matter. We ensure we keep up to date with any changes in legislation and case law so that we are always best placed to advise you properly. The Innocence Project has published a report on why bite mark evidence should not be used in criminal trials, and we will consider that in Part two of this article. The odontologist will also supervise the examination of the victims dentition (with or without the taking of teeth impressions) and the taking of bitemark. The manner of the bite can also cause distortion depending on the level of movement. The mark would be affected by the skin’s elasticity and the skin’s reaction in different areas of the body. One of the main issues with bite mark analysis is that distortion will occur at different bite stages. The impression is superimposed over the bite image to see if there is any match between the two. One person’s dentition may vary from another because of the arch’s shape, the number of teeth, dentures and biting pattern. The taking of these impressions is allowed by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act. One was a bite mark on a young victim that he was said to have made in a fiendish attack. His accusers, in reality just personal enemies with grudges, brought forth many pieces of alleged evidence against Burroughs. The shape of the bite mark may lead to the implication or exclusion of a suspect. Among many other innocents, Reverend George Burroughs was accused of witchcraft and cavorting with the devil. Here, however, we are concerned with the bite mark itself.Ī forensic odontologist can take dental impressions of a suspect and provide a comparison with the marks. The highest forensic significance is said to be in the middle of the scale with a mark featuring numerous areas of laceration, likely to be assessed as a definite bite mark.Ī DNA swab may be taken from a bite mark site, which would be forensic evidence of a different nature. The scale is from very mild bruising at one end through to complete avulsion (removal) of tissue at the other. A bite mark severity index was created in an attempt to standardise the terminology used. There are seven types, haemorrhage, abrasion, contusion, laceration, incision, avulsion and artefact. In 1975 bite marks were left in a murder victim’s nose leading to a conviction. One of the first convictions using this kind of evidence was a burglar in 1954 who left teeth marks in a lump of cheese. The way a bite mark looks could be affected by a missing tooth, braces, crooked teeth, chipped teeth, and the movement of the jaw as an individual bites down. It is argued that a bite mark can be thought of as a tool mark and that they are unique to the individual, like a fingerprint. [Image credit: “panoramic x-ray of my teeth” by p_x_g is licensed under CC BY 2.0.)Ī bite mark is a pattern produced by the indentations of the teeth into any substance capable of being marked.
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