Samantha is Chair and Founder of the Animal Related Crime Working Group, a multi-agency group supported by the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences and the University of Bedfordshire. Samantha is an advocate of collaborative working and is committed to raising awareness of ‘the links’ between animal and human abuse. This includes seeking changes to educational and professional training programmes, and offering guidance to those encountering (or likely to encounter) such matters.

Samantha has been a forensic scientist since 2002, having been employed with Forensic Alliance (latterly LGC/Eurofins Forensics), MFL Forensics and Forensic Access. During this time, she was cross-trained within several departments (Biology, Ecology and Drugs), whilst specialising as a Scene Scientist and Expert Witness in the discipline of Forensic Entomology. In her previous role as Head of Animal Forensics, she applied forensic strategies and methodologies in animal welfare and cruelty cases, alongside identifying opportunities to examine ‘the links’ in human-centric investigations.