| Forensic mobile phone analysis was influential in | | | | his theory on forensic text message analysis. He |
| February 2008 in providing linguistic evidence | | | | stated that identifying the author of an |
| which contributed to the conviction of David | | | | anonymous text message might seem like an |
| Hodgson in the tragic murder of Jenny Nicholl. | | | | impossible challenge as they are typically very |
| The Jenny Nicholl case highlighted how people | | | | short and fragmented. Traditionally, forensic |
| choose their own text language "rules" - which | | | | linguists use a descriptive approach but modern |
| they tend to use throughout all their messages. | | | | technological developments and a systematic |
| Each persons "text speak" differs from one and | | | | approach to text message analysis has helped |
| other. | | | | solve several criminal investigations. |
| Forensic linguists showed that text messages | | | | Mr Grant demonstrated that there are several |
| sent from Jenny's phone after she went missing | | | | stylistic features that are consistently used in |
| had a style that was more similar to that of | | | | messages where they know the author. For |
| David Hodgson. | | | | example, Jenny Nicholl used "my" and "myself" |
| Jenny Nicholls' body was never found, but the | | | | while David Hodgson often adopted Yorkshire |
| jury accepted the prosecution's view that | | | | dialect, using "me" and "meself." |
| Hodgson had been sending texts on her mobile | | | | Forensic linguists looks to see whose style is most |
| after her presumed death and found him guilty of | | | | similar to that used in any disputed texts and is |
| murder. The case is illustrative of what can be | | | | becoming a common forensic tool. Mobile phone |
| achieved by analysing mobile phone messages | | | | forensic analysis is now being used to identify |
| Speaking at the British Association Science | | | | witness during assaults and also to identify |
| Festival in Liverpool, Dr Tim Grant, Centre for | | | | suspects in workplace bullying. |
| Forensic Linguistics at Aston University, explained | | | | |