Derek is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer with 35 years experience in the profession. He undertook a
five year apprenticeship where he gained his ONC and HND by night school and day release. This was followed by five
years in engineering desing, during which time he gained his College Diploma in Mechanical Engineering. He then joined
the British Non Ferrous Metals Research Association where he researched into materials processing, and during which time he
studied for his MSc in Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics. Thereafter he undertook his PhD in Heat Transfer.
For the past 20 years Derek has been employed at Cranfield University, at what had been the Royal Military
College of Science and is now the Defence College of Management and Technology. For the first eight years he was Deputy
Director of Weapons Assessment and Technical Support, undertaking research and consultancy on weapons testing and design.
He then moved to the ballistics group as Senior Lecturer, where he lectured on engineering design at undergraduate level and
weapons and ballistics at post-graduate level. He also undertook research and assessment of weapons, ammuniton and ballistics,
and has supervised PhD students researching in these areas.
In 1998/1999 Derek was one of those instrumental in setting up the Forensic Engineering and Science MsC at
Cranfield University. He is responsible for teaching firearms investigations and forensic ballistics on this course,
and on the Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology MSc.
Derek has extensive experience as an expert witness, both in the preparation of expert reports and in the
presentation of oral evidence. He is also involved in the teaching of court room skills at Cranfield University.
