5.1 Suspect interview by DI Bullet: Part 1
In the video, DI Bullet interviews the suspect Neale Anderson.
Remember as you watch to focus on the psychological aspects of the interaction. In the activity that follows you will be asked some questions that draw on the observations you have made.
Download this video clip.Video player: fpsy_2_wk2_vid004_compressed.mp4
Transcript
DI BULLET:
My name is Detective Inspector Jake Bullet.
And the time is 10:00 AM on the morning of Friday the 14th of February, 2020. Can you state your name, please, for the tape?
NEALE ANDERSON:
Yes. It’s Neale Anderson.
DI BULLET:
Neale, you are here today because you’ve been arrested on suspicion of murdering your father Leonard Anderson. I’m now going to give you the caution. And that is that you do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. To explain that more in layman’s terms, you do not have to speak to us today. But if you do speak to us, we can use what you say as evidence in court.
Also, if you chose to use your right to remain silent and fail to mention something that you later rely on in court, then they might draw an adverse inference. Do you know what an adverse inference is?
NEALE ANDERSON:
A what?
DI BULLET:
An adverse inference?
NEALE ANDERSON:
No, I don’t.
DI BULLET:
It means if you don’t– can you look at me, please?
NEALE ANDERSON:
What?
DI BULLET:
Well, you keep looking down. Can you look me in the eye?
That’s better. So as I was saying, it means if you don’t talk to us now, and then you mentioned something you could have mentioned now later on in court, people might think, why is he only telling us that now? He could have told the police that, right? Did you get that?
NEALE ANDERSON:
I think so.
DI BULLET:
I need to know you understand it, Neale. So can you explain it back to me?
NEALE ANDERSON:
Sorry, you want me to explain the caution to you?
DI BULLET:
No, not the caution, no. The adverse inference bit.
NEALE ANDERSON:
Oh, the– if I speak later, but not now, then people might wonder why I didn’t speak now.
DI BULLET:
That’s right. And you’re entitled to a legal representative. Do you want one?
NEALE ANDERSON:
Do you mean a lawyer?
DI BULLET:
Yes.
NEALE ANDERSON:
Well, no, I don’t think I need one. I didn’t do anything wrong. So I don’t need one.
DI BULLET:
This interview will be recorded. At the end of the interview, I will explain to you what will happen to the tapes, OK?
I said OK.
NEALE ANDERSON:
Yes.
DI BULLET:
Are you OK? You look a bit flat.
NEALE ANDERSON:
Well, I don’t really understand why I’m here.
DI BULLET:
Well, as I’ve said once already, Neale, we think that you killed your father. So–
NEALE ANDERSON:
What?
DI BULLET:
Sorry, I mean you’ve been arrested on suspicion that you might have killed him.
NEALE ANDERSON:
But– look, I don’t understand. What is making you think that?
DI BULLET:
Well, there are a few reasons. But I’ll ask the questions here. This is my interview, not yours. I’m the police officer. You are the suspect. So I get to ask the questions and not you.
NEALE ANDERSON:
But you must have some evidence to have arrested me.
DI BULLET:
We do.
NEALE ANDERSON:
Well, what is it?
DI BULLET:
What is what?
NEALE ANDERSON:
What is the evidence? Why am I sat here being treated like a suspect when earlier on in the week, you were interviewing me as a witness? Or at least, I thought you were.
DI BULLET:
Yes, we were. We were then. But then other stuff has come up.
NEALE ANDERSON:
What is that supposed to mean?
DI BULLET:
Don’t you worry about that.
NEALE ANDERSON:
Well, I think I’ve got a right to be worried. You are telling me I’m accused of killing my father. For fuck sake.
DI BULLET:
If you keep swearing, this interview will be terminated. And we’ll have to hold you for longer for the next interview.
NEALE ANDERSON:
Jesus.
DI BULLET:
Right. So did you kill your father?
NEALE ANDERSON:
No.
DI BULLET:
Well, do you know who did then?
NEALE ANDERSON:
No.
DI BULLET:
I’m going to have to ask you to moderate your tone, Mr Anderson. There is no need to get het up.
NEALE ANDERSON:
I am not het up. Just try putting yourself in my shoes. I’m just bereaved. And now I find myself accused of killing my father. Imagine how that must make me feel.
DI BULLET:
Well, it’s not a position I’d ever find myself in, frankly.
Let’s move on. I want to talk to you about the French doors. What’s your knowledge of the French doors?
NEALE ANDERSON:
What are you talking about?
DI BULLET:
The French doors at your dad’s place.
You told us that they were locked.
NEALE ANDERSON:
They were. I tried them.
DI BULLET:
It turns out that was a lie.
NEALE ANDERSON:
What are you talking about? Are you accusing me of lying? Is that what this is all about? Is that why I’ve been arrested?
DI BULLET:
We have had scenes of crimes officers out at your dad’s house doing a search. And they say–
NEALE ANDERSON:
Yeah, I should hope you have had.
DI BULLET:
Yeah, they told us the doors were open.
NEALE ANDERSON:
Open?
DI BULLET:
Well, no, not open, but not locked.
NEALE ANDERSON:
Well, when did they go around and check?
DI BULLET:
I’m not sure. Well, I am. But I don’t have the exact time with me at the moment. Anyway, that isn’t the point. The point is, your neighbour– sorry, your dad’s neighbour, Coral, says you didn’t check them either.
NEALE ANDERSON:
Coral? Why are you speaking to her?
DI BULLET:
We talk to everyone. She says she never saw you try the doors.
NEALE ANDERSON:
This is ridiculous. Maybe she was looking away at that point. Maybe she was looking at her phone or something. Is that what this is all about, my word versus hers?
DI BULLET:
No. I have to say, Mr Anderson, I’m finding your attitude very unhelpful.
NEALE ANDERSON:
Well, you aren’t giving me proper information. I just want to know why I am here, so I can try and explain whatever it is that is leading you to think I might be a killer. Look, I just want to help so that you can move on and find the person that stabbed my dad.
DI BULLET:
Stabbed?
NEALE ANDERSON:
Yes.
DI BULLET:
That’s interesting.
NEALE ANDERSON:
What is that supposed to mean?
DI BULLET:
How do you know he was stabbed? Who told you that?
NEALE ANDERSON:
Well, no one specifically. But the constable at the scene said that there was blood from a neck wound on his collar. So I just assumed that–
DI BULLET:
Well, don’t assume.
NEALE ANDERSON:
Yeah, well, that’s what you seem to be doing.
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