Cass Sutherland

Former Detective Sergeant Metropolitan Police London

A former Detective Sergeant in the Metropolitan Police London who retired after 30 years’ service. Former Vice President and Honorary Fellow of the UK Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences.

Started investigating murder in 1978, then with the formation of full-time murder squads in the early 1990’s, served on the Scotland Yard Homicide Investigation Unit. In the latter part of my service I became a Crime Scene Investigator for the Serious Crime Forensic Investigation Unit dealing with murder, attempted murder, serial, serious, unexplained death and mass disaster scenes in the Metropolitan Police Service area and abroad. In respect of mass disaster, I worked on both the Paddington rail crash at the scene and 7/7 Terrorist bombings in the mortuary alongside Forensic Pathologists, advising and collecting forensic samples to identify bodies and explosive remains.

Presented lectures on crime scene interpretation/investigation at forensic science conferences in the UK, Europe, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and America, as well as UK universities, colleges and Theakstones Crime Writing Festival.

I have worked with Lynda La Plant as a researcher and crime drama advisor for her TV productions and books for thirteen years. Prior to this, whilst a serving officer, I was involved as an advisor for her TV shows and books from 1998. I have also been involved in script development and assisting in the writing of plots for police, forensic and pathology scenes. I have also advised extensively on scripts, and on set, for television dramas made for ITV, BBC, Chanel 4 and film companies. Also, I was involved as an interviewer in the recent Listening to the Dead podcasts made by Bonnier Books; series two is now available to download.