ABSTRACT
A few years ago I received an unexpected telephone call. A London solicitor wanted to know whether I would be prepared to testify in court that a face seen once could not possibly be recognised 11 months later. Because I knew of no evidence on the durability of memory for faces I declined, but asked for more information on the case. It turned out to be an inquiry in connection with what was to become a famous case, that of George Davis, a professional criminal from the East End of London, who was being prosecuted for a shooting incident. The evidence rested crucially on the report of a police eyewitness who claimed to have seen Davis briefly and under far from ideal conditions 11 months previously, and who subsequently identified him in a police line-up. There were in fact many dubious features to the eyewitness testimony, including the fact that a photograph of Davis had been shown to the eyewitness before the line-up. However, the solicitor seemed less interested in these aspects of the case and, as I was not prepared to testify on the question of delay, all I could do was refer him to a colleague. The case went to court and Davis was convicted.
