ABSTRACT
The woman was quite right. Such reports are potential goldmines for a writer. They usually provide an account of the offender’s personal history, including any psychological conditions, and mention is often made about the psychological state of the offender before, during, and after the offence. In writing her book, the barrister had used her contacts in the justice system to gain access to the offender’s files. She was encouraging us to do the same. After all, psychological reports are regularly tendered as evidence in (open) court. They are, or can be, at once dramatic plot and evidence artefact; they are sensational narrative and a document of the courts.
