Interrogations-and-Confessions-Handbook

The Psychology of False Confession: Case Examples 225
Mr F was arrested early on a Saturday morning and was kept in custody
for about three and half hours before his first formal interview commenced.
The interviews lasted for nearly 14 hours with various breaks in between. The
interview was contemporaneously recorded in accordance with PACE. Five police
officers questioned him at different times, including a senior detective, who
after questioning him about his sexual habits and alleged failure with girls,
eventually elicited a confession to the murders and sexual assault. This confession
later proved to be false.
At the beginning of the first interview the police officers repeatedly challenged
Mr F’s claim that he had been nowhere near the scene of the murders
and continually accused him of being a liar. The police claimed that they had
witnesses (two of Mr F’s neighbours) who had seen Mr F near the scene of the
murders around the material time. Many of the questions asked were leading
and accusatory. After a while Mr F began to show signs of distress, including
sobbing, shaking and crying. He gradually began to give in to the interrogators,
at first admitting that he had been out at the material time and then that he
had been near the victims’ house. After being asked about his sexual habits
and alleged failure with girls Mr F was asked the following, ‘Now listen to me.
When you were in the back entry late last night, early morning, and were having
a wank, is that right?’. Answer, ‘Yes’. Mr F then went on to say how angry
and frustrated he had been at the time, which had previously been suggested
to him by the interrogators as a motive for the murders. This was followed by
detailed confession to the murders, sexual assault on the women and theft of
money from their house.
The following day Mr F was interviewed again by the police, but this time
in the presence of a solicitor. Early on in the interview Mr F attempted to
retract the admissions he had made the previous day concerning the murders
and his presence in the victims’ house, explaining that he had falsely
confessed because of persistent pressure by the interrogators. Mr F was then
again subjected to persistent pressure by the same senior detective to confess
again:
I’ve been fair with you . . .
I want you to tell me now properly with some of the remorse that you showed
last night what went on...It’snotgoing to be easy but do it...Come on ...doit.
Look at me ..., some of the things that you told me would only be known by a
person who was at the house that night.
I’ve taken the trouble and interest in discussing your problems that you obviously
have, and even listening about your pornographic magazines . . .
I know that you’ve not had much success with girls...I know how frustrated
you get. I know that you were reading that pornographic magazine on Saturday
night ...Iknow that in that magazine there were explicit sexual acts shown.
After some more questions about the explicit nature of the pornographic
magazine and Mr F’s alleged sexual frustration, he made a full and detailed
confession again. Mr F subsequently made further incriminating admissions
to prison staff and to another inmate whilst at the beginning of his remand.
A few days after his original confession Mr F was interviewed in prison by
the senior detective, in the presence of a different solicitor, concerning the