Contact & FAQ

For cases in England/Wales and Northern Ireland and UK /British Overseas Territories SRC accepts Legal Aid Agency (LAA)/Legal Services Agency (LSA) funded cases.   Sam will provide you with a fully costed and detailed estimate at the allowable Legally Aided hourly rates.  Apologies, however, SRC does not accept Legal Aid funded cases within Ireland or Scotland.   Such cases are only undertaken with private funding.

SRC for all cases accepts private paying clients and other direct funding (e.g. via insurance/Police federation/CPS) via an instructing solicitor (instructing via a legal practice).   Due to strict expert rules and other legal requirements relating to fees, SRC does not accept direct payments from the public or other intermediaries.   SRC does not sub-contract and does not accept payment of fee or otherwise via an agency.

SRC does not provide any fixed fee work since all cases are different and Sam generally works on the more complex cases (often requiring 30+ hours of work).  Although, SRC does not place restrictions on the size of cases, there are practicalities involved which mean that minimum fees are going to apply, this is since it is necessary to reserve time for Court/hearings and otherwise, consider papers, communications required in cases, and preparing reports/statements to an expert witness standard etc.   This may mean that small cases have more time than is anticipate and/or an increased hourly rate charged.  It is acknowledge that this may make SRC unsuitable for such smaller cases, however, an upfront discussion of the costs will be supplied to instructing lawyers, in order to allow clients to make an informed choice.

Where SRC is able to assist in a case, a free no obligation estimate will be supplied for the amount of time that will be required, based on the circumstances of the case and complexity of the evaluation.  

No.

Thank you for finding SRC.   However, digital forensics cases are complex, requiring appropriate legal advice and disclosure.    As an expert witness, Sam can only deal with the technical aspect of the case.   It is important that the appropriate case advice is provided by a legal team and that your solicitor provides the instruction to SRC.    This also ensures the instruction is subject to Legal Privilege and that it adheres to strict Expert Witness rules.   

Communications via a lawyer also allows Sam to be able to provide appropriate recommendations and initial reviews in cases for legal teams, to allow them to determine the benefits or otherwise of an instruction, and prevent wasting client's monies.  Such discussions are only permitted via a lawyer.  

Sam can discuss your case directly with legal professionals, including providing free initial recommendations/requirements.    Please provide SRC's contact details to your legal team:

Contact:  Sam Raincock

Telephone:  01434600635

Email: sam@raincock.co.uk

CJSM: sam.raincock@src.cjsm.net

Website: https://www.raincock.co.uk

In the event you are an Litigant in Person (LIP) or self representing,  apologies, however, SRC is unable to assist you.    Sam is aware there are other companies that may provide such investigation and direct based services, however, SRC does not.  Although Sam appreciates this may be disappointing, there are no exceptions it is SRC's policy.   Hence, Sam would ask you kindly not to contact SRC if you are an LIP or self representing.

SRC will aim to respond to enquiries within 1 working day, and where provided with the required information, estimates are supplied within 1-2 working days.  When initially contacting SRC please provide your current case deadlines and trial date.   

Timescales for completing the work are dependent on a number of key factors:

1) Funding.   Where the funding is via the LAA, this may take days to several weeks or more to obtain.   Hence, it is essential to factor this into the time required for the case.

2) Access to the correct data/disclosure.   For device forensic cases, obtaining the required permissions and data from the Digital Forensic Units can take 4-6 weeks, sometimes longer.   It is recommend that you do not assume that the data you have is the same as that which will be required by SRC for your case.   In Sam's experience, it is often required that requests need to be made for further disclosure, or for the disclosure to be provided in specific/original formats.   For device forensic cases, Sam will require specialist technical extractions and these are not supplied to legal teams.  

3) The complexity of the work - some cases are only a few day's work, and others require large levels of computer processing and require substantial expert time.   

Although timescales are always a factor in legal cases, the correctness of the work is always SRC's priority.   In complex cases this may require bespoke research, experimentations and complex considerations.   It is necessary that enough time is available to ensure work can be completed to an expert witness standard.

4) Scheduling.   Sam works on cases as soon as possible and has a strong work ethic.  At times this means she can commence working on a case as soon as the funding and data is available, or is anticipated based on known case factors.   However, on other occasions Sam may have other cases she is working on, and as such the case will be assigned based on its requirements and when the funding and data is available.

This means it is vital in digital evidence cases to start progressing an expert witness instruction as soon as possible, and also for legal teams and the Court to have realistic expectations of the time required for cases.

Sam is always open and honest about timescales, and works on the basis of never overpromising.   She sets realistic expectations to allow Courts to be fully informed, and where she can, she will exceed them.   However, there are occasions where the time that is available in a case will not be adequate to allow Sam to prepare the required work.   In such a situation to ensure priority is always given to the correctness of work, it is Sam's view that she is ethically obliged to refuse the case or provide realistic deadlines.     

No.

First and foremost as an Expert Witness, Sam's duty is to provide expertise in an objective and independent way to the Court.   She takes instructions from a legal team, however, her answers to the instructed questions reflect what she finds in the data regardless of if this assists/is detrimental to the instructing party.    It is a strict obligation of the Expert Witness rules, that this duty overrides any obligations to the party by whom she is engaged/paid by.   Sam cannot accept any payment terms nor otherwise, that depends on the outcome of her work.

Sam accepts instructions from defence legal teams, as well as accepting instructions from the police/CPS.

Yes.  Due to the detailed nature of the work that Sam specialises in, she is primarily a criminal practitioner working on complex technical cases.  However, Sam does accept detailed and technical instructions in some civil/family cases.  Usually these are cases involving the investigation of a death/serious injury and/or involve children or involve insurance related matters.   However, note that for any case, it will be essential that you have permission for access to the devices and the data contained on them in full (for handsets/computers this will be everything stored including possibly deleted data) since without this SRC will be unable to progress the case.   

Please note that SRC does not accept instructions in simple speeding cases where a tracker or otherwise is also available.   In general the evaluation costs in these types of cases far exceed the costs of fines involved or otherwise, and it is unlikely the fees would be recoverable even in the event of a successful case.   

Please provide case details when contacting and Sam can advise you accordingly.

Yes.  SRC accepts instructions in cases involving alleged indecent images of children, extreme images and prohibited images.    Instructions are also accepted in terrorism cases including assessment of alleged mindset material and possession of articles.

SRC also accepts instructions in cases involving alleged sexual offences against persons including involving minors.    Sam is aware of the sensitivities of such cases and prepared an article in the Independent discussing this area (link opens in new window).

To obtain data in these cases, SRC will liaise directly with the police, since they will require Sam to sign an appropriate Memorandum of Undertaking (MOUs) and for SRC to adhere to specified security procedures (which SRC already has in place).

Yes.   Memorandum of Undertakings (MOUs) are usually agreements put in place with the police/CPS and a defence expert which denote expected ways in which data will be securely transported, stored, examined and then destroyed (at the conclusion of the case).   Specific MOUs are always in placed for illegal imagery cases and generally also for full extractions of devices.   However, they may also apply to other cases too.

It is important that such agreements are correct and allow the legal process to occur unhindered, however, still with safeguards to prevent exposure of illegal files or sensitive data.   Sam can ensure MOUs are appropriate and clarify any issues or otherwise.

SRC has been working in cases with various MOUs (including for indecent images of children and terrorism cases) with for over 15 years.   Sam is able to examine computers and devices on dedicated stand-alone computers and with the required level of security as required by UK police force Digital Forensic Units (DFUs).  

SRC can also organise collections of data from police forces throughout the UK.

Please see SRC's Privacy Policy in terms of use of this website. For legal instructions, handling of case data is often complex, sensitive and subject to various legal and other conditions including Memorandum of Undertakings (MOUs). Also as an expert witness, instructions are generally subject to Legal Privilege (if via a legal professional) and the Expert Witness rules.  Sam can discuss with legal professionals directly, the potential requirements and usual process with respect to obtaining and use of case data.

SRC is able to comply with MOU requirements of the digital forensics units of UK Police forces.

In the majority of criminal cases which involve expert level assessment, the data has already been obtained by the police.   Sam can advise you what is required and liaise directly with the police to obtain the correct data and sign appropriate agreements/MOUs.

Any data obtained by Sam will be fully checked to ensure it complies with the correct standards including reviewing seizure and other details.

Sam is a forensic specialist and works on cases requiring detailed analysis to determine why?, when? how?, where, who? with respect to data.    She can find data on devices (since she needs to be able to do this to address such analysis), however, she no longer performs extractions/data recovery.   She can work with other personally known analysts/experts (where necessary) to achieve the requirements of your case.

No.

Since 2nd October 2023, computer and device forensics including at an expert witness level, as well as cell site analysis (from 2nd October 2025), requires Compliance with The Code of Practice from the Forensic Regulator (version 2 - 388 page PDF Document opened from an external site).       

SRC follows strict procedures in terms of securely reviewing cases and data storage.   Sam also fully reviews the underlying raw data and otherwise to ensure all reports are prepared accurately.   She does not provide forensic software report "push-button" based forensics.   However, SRC is currently non-compliant with The Code of Practice, and does not have ISO17025 accreditation.   A full discussion of this will be provided prior/at the point of estimating, and where the instruction is accepted, the required non-compliance declarations made.   SRC can work within the ACPO Guidelines as is appropriate (although these guidelines are outdated).

The westie on the Sam Raincock page is due to Sam loving the wee dogs.  She has a little (but big personality) westie called Oscar.  He sometimes features in experiments in her reports.

SRC will require specific information depending on your case in order to be able to recommend the best approach and also provide accurate cost/time estimates.

Details of what is required depends on the area, and as a guide, click on one of the following:

• Computer cases
• Telecoms cases
• Location forensics
• Cell site analysis

Alternatively, contact SRC and Sam will provide you with free bespoke guidance of what she will require.

SRC accepts instructions from throughout the UK including Northern Ireland and UK territories and also in Ireland and can organise data collections and otherwise as required.    SRC is based in Hexham, Northumberland, England.  

The advent of CVP within Courts and the use of other online meeting/conf technology, now means that the distance of an expert is of less significance than in the past.   SRC can provide telephone/online case conferences as is required.

SRC will also accept instructions from Ireland, however, regrets that Legal Aid is not accepted for these cases.   Sam has worked on several large cases in the ROI in the past and has provided testimony in the Four Courts and in the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin.   

Sam Raincock Consultancy (SRC) is based in Hexham, Northumberland, with the company being in business for over 15 years.    Specifically it was formed by Sam Raincock in 2009 and incorporated  in 2011.

The company details are: Sam Raincock Consultancy Limited

Registered Company in England and Wales No.: 7550353

Registered office (not for correspondence): Applause Accountancy Services, 60 Beamish View, Birtley, County Durham, DH3 1RS

VAT Reg No.  GB 983 9495 47

Contact:  Sam Raincock

Telephone:  01434600635

Email: sam@raincock.co.uk

CJSM: sam.raincock@src.cjsm.net

Website: https://www.raincock.co.uk

If you require correspondance address details, contact Sam.