Module Handbook

Faculty Social and Life Sciences

Department Criminology and Policing
Module title Notorious Crimes and Criminals
Module code SOC476
Level 4
Credit value 20
Pre-requisite modules
Year of study 22/23
Module Leader Jo Prescott
Contact details j.prescott@glyndwr.ac.uk
Cohort 6

This document is intended for online publication and therefore when printed
becomes an uncontrolled document.

Students should refer to their module page on the VLE for the most up to date
version.
Initial approval: Version number:
Date and details of revision: Version number:
Module introduction

This Module Handbook is designed to provide you with specific information about the module
and you should refer to the Student Guide, and the Academic Regulations appropriate to your
award for additional supporting information.

Welcome to module SOC476 Notorious Crimes and Criminals. By the end of the module
students will have explored a variety of key issues at the heart of contemporary debates
about the operation of criminal justice in England and Wales.

On successful completion of all the assessment and all elements within the module, you will
be awarded 20 credits at Level 4.

I will be your module leader and my contact details are listed on the
front page of this handbook. If you wish to arrange a tutorial outside
of the timetabled sessions, please contact me to arrange an
appointment (j.prescott@glyndwr.ac.uk). On behalf of all the staff
within the School of Social and Life Sciences at Wrexham Glyndŵr
University, I would like to offer you a warm welcome, I hope that you
enjoy this module and wish you every success.

Dr Jo Prescott
Module Leader – Notorious Crimes and Criminals

 
Module aims
By the end of this online module students will have explored some key issues at the heart of
contemporary debates surrounding the operation of criminal justice in England and Wales.

Module learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the nature and meaning of justice and how notorious
cases have framed debates about these issues.

2. Explore the possible aims of sentencing, deterrence, punishment and rehabilitation.

3. Identify the groups who may be vulnerable to crime and victimisation and who have
historically been less well served by the criminal justice system.

4. Demonstrate an understanding of how crimes might be investigated and the extent and
limitations placed on police powers.

How you will learn on this module

This module is delivered 100% online and uses an online blended approach to teaching and
learning. Within that approach, the online lectures consist of pre-recorded lecture material,
online educational materials, activities and additional reading. All lectures will be made
available via your Moodle Virtual Learning Environment (which can be accessed by clicking on
this link: https://myuni.glyndwr.ac.uk/?_ga=2.223147416.2036411563.1603268287-
1640385362.1599046321 ). In order to login, you must have enrolled with the university and
should have received email instructions on how to go about this. If you have not received this
information, please email: srs@glyndwr.ac.uk

When will lectures be made available?

All online lectures and learning material will be uploaded on Moodle no later than midday on
the Monday of each week (beginning Monday 3rd October 2022). You are then required to
access the weekly lecture and work your way through the recordings and reading
material/activities. The online lectures are varied and often interactive and include links to
written and online resources. You are also, as part of assessment commitment required to
engage with the weekly discussion board and provide a short

 
 Weekly schedule:

Date/ Topic / content Tutor

lectures go
online
03/10/2022 Introduction and assessment guidance.

 Case N#1: John Worboys (Punishment, Dr. Jo Prescott

Rehabilitation and Redemption)

10/10//2022
 Case N#2: Lukasz Respondek (Op Benedict: Andrew Crawford
Contemporary police powers and investigations)

 Case N#3: Myra Hindley (Women and crime) Tegan Brierley-Sollis

17/10/2022  Case N#4: Timothy Evans (Justice and Dr. Caroline Gorden
Miscarriages of Justice)

 Case N#5: Contemporary Crime and Panics –

UK Knife Crime Dr. Sarah Dubberley
24/10//2022  Case N#6: Peter Allen and Gwynne Owen Darren Jacks
Evans (Capital Crimes & the Death Sentence)

 Case N#7: Graham Young (Risk and the Prof. Iolo Madoc-Jones
Criminal Justice System)
31/10/2022  Case N#8: Salman Abedi (Home grown Dr. Karen Washington-
terrorism Dyer

 Case N#9: Colin Pitchfork (Technology, Science Andy Jones

and Crime Detection)

07/11/2022 Next steps to study*

On-campus (For anyone interested in studying at Glyndŵr Dr. Jo Prescott

session at university in the future)
Wrexham
Glyndwr *Note: This is not a compulsory part of this course, but
University rather, will be offered to any students that feel that they
would like to explore additional learning opportunities at
(Date to be Glyndwr university. If you would like to attend, please
confirmed) email j.prescott@glyndwr.ac.uk

Important Assessment deadline

Note:
Please can students ensure that they have Grade/ feedback will be
completed the online contributions for each provided to students no
longer than 3 weeks
week before Sunday 27th November 2022.
after submission.
 
Students must complete at least 4 out of 9
contributions to pass the course

 
How you will be assessed on this module
For the assessment, students will complete weekly coursework which consists of completing
written online contributions each week. These contributions will relate to the cases covered
and students will answer a set question. Students must complete at least 4 out of 9 possible
contributions to pass the course. More details will be made available in the week one
assessment guidance session.

Assessment title Coursework

Students must complete at least 4 out of 9

Assessment Brief
contributions to pass the course

Word Count Each contribution – 200 words

Weighting 100%

Learning outcomes assessed: 1-4

Assessment feedback

You can expect to receive your grade/formal feedback on your assessed work no later than
three working weeks after it has been submitted. If unexpected events result in that
deadline not being met, you will be informed of the likely date that feedback will be received.
Any marks received will be provisional until formally approved by an Assessment Board.

How can I give my views on this course?

You are welcome to discuss your views on the course at any time with the programme leader.

 
Essential reading

Each student will be provided with lecture notes related to the following cases and links to the following
texts :

 Justice and Miscarriages of Justice: The Case of Timothy Evans

 Capital crimes and the death sentence: The case of Peter Allen and Gwynne Owen Evans
 Punishment, Rehabilitation and Redemption: The case of John Worboys
 Victims and the criminal justice process: The Case of the Suffolk Stranger
 Women and Crime: The Case of Myra Hindley
 Contemporary crimes and panics: Knife crime in the UK
 Local terrorism and hate crime: The Case of Zack Davies
 Technology, Science and crime detection: The Case of Colin Pitchfork
 Contemporary Police Powers and Investigations: The Case of Lucas Respondek

Please note that the reading below involves a short article/book chapter – the module is intended to be
bespoke in the sense that the knowledge and understanding and all the reading is provided.

Other indicative reading

Bryant, R. and Bryant, S. (eds.) (2019), Blackstone’s Handbook for Policing Students. Oxford: OUP
(Especially– Chapter 24 – Criminal Investigation)

Joyce, P (2017), Criminal Justice: An Introduction (3rd Edition). London, Routledge. (Especially
Chapter 10. Victims of crime and Chapter 11. Diversity and the criminal justice system)

Newburn, T (2017), Criminology. Willan Publishing.

Bradford, B. and Myhill, A., (2015), Triggers of change to public confidence in the police and criminal
justice system: Findings from the Crime Survey for England and Wales panel experiment. Criminology

& Criminal Justice, 15(1), pp.23-43. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1748895814521825

DeLeeuw, J.G. and Pridemore, W.A., (2018), The Threat from Within: A Conjunctive Analysis of
Domestic Terrorism Incidents in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland. Perspectives on
Terrorism, 12(4), pp.26-54.
https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/binaries/content/assets/customsites/perspectives-on-terrorism/2018/
issue-4/03-de-leeuw-e.a_.pdf

Hong, M. and Kleck, G., (2018), The short-term deterrent effect of executions: an analysis of daily
homicide counts. Crime & Delinquency, 64(7), pp.939-970.

 
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0011128717719514

Klambauer, E., (2018), Policing roulette: Sex workers’ perception of encounters with police officers in
the indoor and outdoor sector in England. Criminology & Criminal Justice, 18(3), pp.255-272.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1748895817709865

Kleck, G. and Jackson, D.B., (2017), Does crime cause punitiveness?. Crime & Delinquency, 63(12),
pp.1572-1599. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0011128716638503

O’Neill, M. and Loftus, B., (2013), Policing and the surveillance of the marginal: Everyday contexts of
social control. Theoretical criminology, 17(4), pp.437-454.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1362480613495084

Poyser, S. and Milne, R., (2015), No grounds for complacency and plenty for continued vigilance:
Miscarriages of justice as drivers for research on reforming the investigative interviewing process. The

Police Journal, 88(4), pp.265-280. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0032258X15598951

Tyler, T.R., (2004), Enhancing police legitimacy. The annals of the American academy of political and

social science, 593(1), pp.84-99. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0002716203262627

Viki, G.T., Massey, K. and Masser, B., (2005), When chivalry backfires: Benevolent sexism and
attitudes toward Myra Hindley. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 10(1), pp.109-120.(available free
through reserachgate)

Vinkers, D.J., De Beurs, E., Barendregt, M., Rinne, T. and Hoek, H.W., (2011), The relationship
between mental disorders and different types of crime. Criminal behaviour and mental health, 21(5),

pp.307-320. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cbm.819