September 23, 2025 • 31 mins
Detective Diaries: Etienne Middleton, a Criminology undergraduate at Reading University, spent a month in work experience with Answers Investigation learning how to be a Private Eye; Etienne tells her take on life and her new experiences
To learn more, see https://www.private-detectives.co.uk/office/etienne.htm
Story Preview
Imagine growing up in one of the safest countries in the world, then diving headfirst into the unpredictable world of private investigation. This episode follows Etienne Middleton, a criminology student, as she recounts her eye-opening month of work experience, challenging her perceptions of crime, facts, and her own career purpose.
Chapter Summary:
00:00 Welcome & Introducing Etienne Middleton 01:45 Criminology Interest & Singapore Crime 05:07 UK University & Career Path 07:45 Work Experience as a Private Detective 12:07 Applying Experience to University & Fingerprinting 14:36 Unexpected Challenges & Forensic Lab Work 17:03 Defending Generation & Information Sourcing 22:00 Questioning Facts and Perspectives 24:28 Working with an ‘Interesting’ Colleague 26:35 Future Aspirations & Embracing Uncertainty
Featured Quotes:
- “I’ve known that I wanted to do it since I was like 7, 8 years old, not really knowing what it was, but I always kind of knew that I had a passion in it.” — Etienne Middleton
- “That was the biggest crime, someone going into a rhino enclosure and just doing a back flip.” — Etienne Middleton
- “Stay with that attitude and you will make a fantastic investigator. It’s what we do. We don’t take anything at face value.” — Nigel Parsons
- “I think looking for the purpose of what you want to do career wise is more fun than actually reaching the purpose.” — Etienne Middleton
Behind the Story:
Etienne Middleton, a 21-year-old criminology student from Reading University, spent a month gaining practical experience as a Private Detective with Answers Investigation. Having grown up in Singapore, a country known for its minimal crime, her interest in investigation developed despite her surroundings. Her work placement provided a contrast to academic theory, offering hands-on experience in surveillance, fingerprinting, and the unpredictable nature of detective work. She shares how this exposure shaped her understanding of the field and her future career aspirations, particularly in youth crime.
Additional Resources:
- Private Detectives Answers Investigation: Learn more about their services and approach to investigations. www.private-detectives.co.uk
- UK Fingerprint: Explore specialist fingerprint analysis and services. www.ukfingerprint.co.uk
- Torva Copeman’s Forensic Insights: Listen to more forensic investigation discussions on Detective Diaries.
- Share This Episode: “Fascinating insights from criminology student Etienne Middleton on her private investigation work experience! From Singapore’s low crime to UK surveillance, this episode on Detective Diaries offers a unique look at the investigative world. #DetectiveDiaries #Criminology #PrivateInvestigation”
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(00:03):
Welcome to Detective Diaries, brought to you
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(00:24):
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[MUSIC PLAYING]
Hello, and welcome back to it's another edition
(00:51):
of Detective Diaries, my name's Nigel Parsons.
I'm sat today, more interesting than me,
with something who I've found absolutely fascinating
in the last few weeks.
Her name's Etienne.
Etienne, and she's probably one of the youngest
(01:12):
new investigators in the country, which is quite a claim
to fake.
Etienne's actually studying computer at Reading University,
just about the going of the third year.
But she spent the last month with us finding out
what it's like to become a private detective,
private investigator.
(01:34):
21 years of age, Etienne spent most of her life growing up
in Singapore, which gives her quite a unique experience,
and quite a unique tape on things.
But come on, enough of me, Etienne, tell us
about your background.
What was it like?
I'm a super star in Singapore, but more importantly,
(01:55):
how did your interest in crime and investigation start?
Where did it come from?
Well, my interest in crime investigation actually is not really
an interesting story to say, at least.
I mean, it was kind of more like I just always kind of knew
that I wanted to do it.
(02:15):
I've known that I wanted to do it since I was
like seven, eight years old, not really knowing what it was,
but I always kind of knew that I had a passion in it,
even though I didn't really know what it was.
I've always-- I think I started off wanting
to be a criminal lawyer, but I thought absolutely not.
I don't enjoy reading that much.
So I thought, you know what?
I'll go down the criminology route things
in the more it starts to learn about what it was,
(02:37):
the more I became fascinated in that sort of thing.
But also as well, it's interesting on why I would like crime,
even though I've grown up in a country that has the least
crime in the world.
So that's what I find funny as well, that I would want to do
this job or even know much about it growing up
(02:59):
in a country that has absolutely no crime whatsoever.
I mean, I was allowed out of the house at 11, 12 years old,
which here I'm an only child.
So I was sheltered.
My parents, if I lived in the UK, they wouldn't have let me lead
the house on my own till I was 16.
So in Singapore I could go out and do whatever I wanted
because it was so safe and run around and do absolutely anything
(03:23):
I wanted to just because it was so safe.
Do you know that?
That's such an interesting aspect.
I've just had a really thick about it because you all
have an afforting both worlds.
One foot there, one foot here.
I've worked in Singapore a few years ago for a crime,
which was my first experience of it.
(03:44):
No, the country is absolutely fascinating.
You've write about the low levels of crime.
It seems, it reads the news.
It seems like somebody commits a minor crime.
It's head-loying news.
Yeah.
I had a friend at that point in time and what he was in a friend.
He was in a friend.
A new someone on a mutual acquaintance.
(04:07):
And he's in the Singapore Zoo super open.
He jumped into one of the cages.
Because then it's not cage.
It's a tiny little fence.
He'd gone over and done a backflip in the rhino pen.
It went so viral, the whole of Singapore knew about it.
Everyone was talking about it because it was head-line news
because that was the only crime happening at that point in time.
(04:31):
And everyone knew about it.
His nickname, he had like a massive nickname.
Everyone had merchandise and everything,
because it was the biggest thing going on in Singapore at the time.
That was the biggest crime someone going into a rhino enclosure
and just doing a backflip.
Punishment is quite severe, that is it?
Yeah.
I think most of the time you get things you get camed.
(04:54):
But I think I believe it's only man that can get camed,
not women because we're deemed as not to be strong enough to get camed.
I believe, if I'm right, I'm pretty sure that's correct.
And in English translation, this is the story of Giuseppe Dorsi,
an Italian detective of the early 20th century.
(05:17):
He and me relate the adventures of Sinority of the detective d'Iris.
Do you know what?
Something sticks in my mind.
I'm going to get it down, so I'll see you in the next video.
And it runs alongside you all weekend.
(05:38):
I can remember the picture of it.
There's a sign on the face.
And it doesn't say trespasses will be prosecuted.
It's just a picture of a trespasser and somebody pointing a gun.
With this message of, you don't trespass.
No, I know.
It's crazy.
(05:59):
So why come back to the UK to go to university?
And you're at what, ready?
How do you find ready?
It's good.
The university, not yet.
Yeah.
No, the university is great.
I mean, I couldn't have asked to go to a university in terms of, like,
sense of community because Singapore's quite got a quite big sense of backpack community.
(06:21):
So going to Reading, because it's a campus union, all that's, yeah, really good.
But what inspired you to come back to the UK for education?
Well, we know, obviously, in terms of criminology, I'm not going to go in, you know, I'm not going
to do that in Singapore.
There's nothing really out there for me.
And as well, I think most Singapore expats schools tend to push you.
(06:46):
I mean, the only route we got given was university.
There was no such thing.
I didn't even know what apprenticeship was until I came here.
I didn't know anything.
So the only route that they take you down is you leave school and you go straight to university.
So obviously, as well, you can't work.
I couldn't work in Singapore.
I couldn't work part-time.
Then you know, I'm not allowed.
I'm not allowed because I'm on a dependent pass off of my dad or my mum.
(07:08):
That's how it works.
So I physically, I'm not allowed to work.
Only that other permanent resident or because I don't have my own employment pass.
So I can work.
So they just push you to go and go to university and that's that.
So I was kind of directed more towards England and all of my friends from school.
(07:28):
Everyone I knew was either Australia, America or England.
Obviously I'm from England.
So I get, you know, like, what's it called?
I get a loan, student loan and all of that and over here I've got family and friends who
just seems the most logical answer.
So work experience in a private detective's?
(07:49):
I mean, that's a virtue you've heard of.
You spent a month with us for answers and investigations.
Probably about the end of people.
It's something that we know.
We've been by that kind of opportunity.
But how did you find out about that?
Well, I'm quite a little tech savvy.
(08:10):
I actually did all the research myself.
I kind of, I went to my tutoring university and I kind of told him what I wanted to do
essentially at the end of my degree, which was kind of investigative detective kind of work.
And she kind of led me in the direction of job titles that I could do.
That's it.
Like she had, obviously she's going to leave me more towards like Thames Valley Police
(08:34):
from Reading.
But I didn't, I didn't really want to do something that would lead me to potentially just
doing coffee runs or, if I was to do work experience for metal, Thames Valley Police,
I would have literally been sat there probably getting them coffees or doing the coffee runs
or not really getting much experience.
(08:54):
Whereas I kind of did lots of research, found hair and I looked at it and signed up, did
the application then did the interview and I thought I won't just be taking coffee runs
there.
Okay, in a number of one to ten, how many coffee runs have you done in the last month?
Zero.
Unless I get my own coffee on the way to work.
(09:16):
So what have you done?
What's your experiences?
My amounts are short amount of time but what's some of the practical things that you've
seen and learnt about experience?
Well, I've learnt a lot more than what I thought I worked.
I thought, you know, you'd just be chasing after people running round, which essentially,
(09:36):
you know, I've done, I've done, but it's a small amount of, I didn't realise all of
the background work that kind of goes into it, which I think will benefit me especially
in my last year of university and just to have that experience behind me, if I'm, you
know, just to put on the CV or anything like that.
I didn't expect that I'd be doing that kind of, I didn't expect I'd be learning as much
(10:01):
as I have.
You spent some time doing some surveillance and reading, I mean, got me distracted.
It was, it was interesting.
It was, it's a lot more time consuming than I thought.
Like it's very, it's more like you're sat there, I mean, observing, really.
(10:25):
I don't, I don't want to say too much about it just in case, but I think the one in the
new forest was more interesting, whipping around in the car, going on a little day out, really.
But the, no, the one in Reading, it was, it was good, it was, it was, it's a lot more, I'm
(10:46):
quite structured person, I like routine and what I noticed is you can't rely on that
when it comes to observations and you kind of, you, it's a lot of sitting around not knowing
what you're going to do next, which I struggled with at the beginning, but I kind of came
to turn to that, as it went on.
I guess you can't really plan it.
(11:06):
Exactly.
So, you're in the active situation, you are there and you are reacting to not somebody else
that's, and what it happens, does it have a clicker?
But I have to plan, that's a problem.
I normally have to plan, so this for me was a completely brand new thing that I've ever
had to do and the self-discipline I had to have was incredible, because I learned, I learned
(11:31):
that actually most of the time in this kind of blind of work, you don't, it's, you, you
don't know what you're going to do next, you don't know, you can't plan everything, you
can't have anything, everything structured, which, I've always thrived off of, whereas
now I realise I can't thrive off of and I wouldn't have had that experience if I hadn't
(11:53):
have done it before I left university, for example.
You're told it, but you don't expect it.
Think on your feet, you'll be at quickly, is that fair?
Yeah, I'd say so.
Definitely.
So, you're going back for what, Sergio?
No, it's coming all the way to the degree.
How is this experience going to bring you through?
(12:16):
Well my last year of university.
Well I mean, I get the pleasure of being able to write about this experience with my
dissertation, so I mean, it's going to benefit me massively, personally, but if I wasn't
going to, I mean, everything overall in terms of just having that bit of more background
and more experience really, because I think it's quite a niche subject to get experience
(12:40):
in, for example, if you're doing business, you can get experience just by working in a
shop or working in a cafe or anything like that, really.
Whereas criminology is a bit more, it's quite hard to get sort of any experience in,
because a lot of the time, the fields are quite confidential, you're not really allowed
to be thrown straight in, so I've had that experience here and I think I could benefit from
(13:05):
it, because I mean, all the bits of the background information I've kind of learnt here, I can
use that as to my advantage in my writing or my essays which 90% of my calls won't have
if that makes sense.
(13:27):
So you need different?
Exactly.
I'm company under the name of UK finger print through a lot of finger prints, if you've learnt
the process yourself?
I've learnt the process of it, I've done more of the processing of the documents and
(13:52):
certifying which I've enjoyed, I hadn't anticipated doing all of that and learning all that, so
I think the fact that I've had that experience as well is really good, and I've obviously learnt
how to do all of the ink finger printing, I didn't know all the rolling, the rolled finger prints
or the flat impressions, I've learnt that all and I guess university is not that practical,
(14:18):
so to come here and have it be all practical is basically putting all of my work and knowledge
into basically making it practical.
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(15:02):
So what parts of the whole thing have you enjoyed, mate?
What's the price?
What pushed you out of your company?
Well I think obviously being fast on my feet and quick and I think the uncertainty of
(15:23):
the job, one minute I'm sat processing papers and then the next you get a call and you're
like you've got a rush off and get in the car and go here and observe this person, you
don't know what time they're leaving, I think it's that kind of uncertainty of not knowing
what you're going to do next is what pushed me out of my company so far.
(15:45):
Okay so take a random day, take yesterday.
What you do yesterday?
Yesterday I did the min hydrin where we did, we got em below, so we had to, we had to
put it in the solution to see if any fingerprints came up but unfortunately we got, we had,
(16:06):
it showed up with the, you know, that there had been people touching it but because it was
crumpled I wasn't really that, they didn't really have clear fingerprints so again because
there's so many students at university and never would have been able to have done something
like that, just sat in a lecture or in a practical, they don't, you know, they don't do stuff
(16:29):
like that so.
And then obviously I go away and learn more about min hydrin and the chemical process of
doing fingerprints I like to write it all down so then I can use that to my advantage at
university because I guarantee you 90% actually, I guarantee 99% of my course will have no idea
what an inhydrone is or the processing of any of the whole chemical process of that was
(16:55):
I learnt that yesterday.
So if you're in a, there's a small forensic lab, is it a comfortable environment like you
see on television if you go and watch something like that.
So one of the, you know, one of the other programs they've all got this big, sort of clinical
environment and the little relax, the little chill, what's it like in a forensic lab?
(17:16):
Is it comfortable? Is it uncomfortable? Is it cold?
Well yesterday it was uncomfortable, it was boiling, it was like I was in a sauna.
Why?
Because it has to be warm in order for it to be paper to dry out.
Okay.
That's what I learned yesterday.
So how were you dressed?
(17:39):
Oh sorry, don't tell that question of a way, I was in goggles.
I was in PPE, I was in goggles, I was in a lab coat and I was in a mask because I did not
realise how strong smelling the inhydrone that solution would be.
It was so pungent, but even I could smell it through that mask as well.
(18:04):
And gloves.
Do you defend your generation when it's causing so?
I do.
You do?
Ah.
I'll give you a challenge.
Criticism, not necessarily my criticism, I think I'm a bit older but a criticism in your
generation.
And it is that you've grown up in an entirely different environment and I think a criticism
(18:31):
for you otherwise that comes from a couple of generations and other, a generation of, is
that what are you, 21 years old?
Yeah.
But when you research, the research isn't necessarily supported by facts and I know that's something
that you learn at university, you learn about the representation, you know, putting
(18:54):
references and notes on it.
But there's perhaps a bit of a criticism that the new generation that's coming in based
on clickbait, based on little, small amounts of information off the internet, internet,
I will google it in such a phrase that what comes out isn't necessarily resource and reference
(19:19):
to be checked.
Is that fair?
Are you saying in terms of if I'm going to do information online?
Well, yeah.
I mean, if you're, I don't want to stereotype your generation, it's 21 years old but generally
I'm asking questions, oh well, the person doesn't necessarily know the answer and quickly go
(19:41):
on the internet and just spout out the first thing.
What I know the source is.
I know the sources, I know where it comes from, I'm not being able to back up the statement.
Is that a fair criticism?
I think it's a fair criticism in the sense that we don't back up the source but I feel
(20:01):
like university does teach, I mean, I'm a bit biased.
Because I did the, I be the international back to rat, not A-levels.
So I did, you know, I kind of learnt all of the references like the Harvard referencing,
MLA format, all of that kind of thing.
So I was writing copious amount of essays before I'd even come to university with all the
(20:24):
referencing.
So I think I'd been taught from sick form, how to reference and how to check my sources.
So I think I'm more biased in that sense, however, I'm not too sure what it's like in the English
curriculum or if they're really taught on how to source or check their sources or all
of that.
(20:44):
But I think, I don't know, I think with clickbaiting and things like that, I think in terms
of our generation and things believing things we see online, I'm going to do some defending
my generation in the sense of, I mean, I'm going to do some defending my generation in the
way.
I mean, I think it, the new AI definitely shows intelligence, but 90% of people that I
(21:08):
mean now, especially the older generation don't know what, can't tell the difference between
AI or not.
So also, you could then argue that the older generations or what, what's it, Gen X, millennials,
baby boomers, all of those, they can't tell the difference between whether it's an AI
(21:29):
news report or not or whether it's AI content or not like a video now, you get all those short
reels or clips on TikTok, for example, online and people, it's getting to the point now where
people basically cannot tell whether it's real or not and every single generation is being
naive through it.
So you could also say that, you know, we're all susceptible to it, not just us.
(21:56):
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How would you change that?
(22:25):
What advice would you give to anybody, to differentiate?
And I'm saying this from an investigative point of view, which is based on research and
fact.
Yeah.
Investigation is about uncovering and producing.
That's simple word of fact.
What advice would you give to anybody to tell truth and reinforce factual information from
(22:53):
the rest of the dream?
Well, I think that it's one of those things where when you, I know that it's based a lot
on facts and what you, you know, it's very factual and all of that, but as well, I think a
(23:16):
lot of the time it also comes to how you think and what kind of your perspective on things
as well.
And I think that's different.
And everyone perceives things differently, especially me, you know, sometimes I can perceive
things a bit slower than the average person or which is normal, you know, and no one perceives
things or takes things in at the exact same speed I will tend to.
(23:38):
I don't think I necessarily take things slower and then I'm more or less take things in
more intricately or outside of the box.
I don't take it factual to the point of straight.
I don't take it straight.
I kind of, I bend it my own way and then can sometimes complicate it a little bit.
So I think when it comes to facts and things like that, I never actually think anything
(24:02):
is that factual if that makes sense.
I think that you take it, how you want to take it.
So you question everything?
Yeah, so I like that in this job that whether it is facts or not, none of us take it the
same way if that makes sense.
Stay with that attitude and you move in those things, I just think that's the case.
(24:22):
That's what we're doing.
Yeah.
We're taking everything, thanks very much for the round.
Okay, something a little bit lighter.
Collegue yours, talk about it.
It's all the government.
If anybody was to summarise, I think it would say an interesting personality.
(24:43):
Yeah.
How have you got them?
Come on, tell us about her.
I couldn't have asked for a better colleague and all honestly.
I do think that the job kind of brings interesting people in.
Like no one, not that there's ever a normal but no one boring is going to enter the job if
that makes sense.
(25:03):
I think that what I've learnt is the job kind of brings in quite dry, cold sense of humour.
If that makes sense, quite dry, cold people in that have quite a bit of funny and she
makes me laugh.
I honestly don't think I would have learnt or got on as well as I have without her there
(25:28):
because I've got along so well with her.
And I think that she's taught me, she's been patient with me well.
She's been patient to a certain degree.
She has, but I couldn't have done that already.
I think that she's been a massive.
A helping hand and I think because she was only so recently in the exact same position as
(25:51):
me, she's been patient to that certain extent knowing that she was in my position a few months
ago.
That sounds like a very political answer.
Come on, what's a certain degree?
I think that she's, I mean, she's been wickedly patient.
She has, but sometimes she can get stressed and overwhelmed which I'm sure most people
(26:16):
are doing this job because it is so uncertain and you'll be doing one thing, one minute
and then doing another thing the next that while she's having to deal with all of that,
she's also having to deal with teaching and sorting out me which sometimes can get
a bit overwhelming.
So, patients is about you.
What's the future of you?
(26:38):
I don't know.
I really don't know.
I don't know.
Okay, what's the immediate future of you?
We're going to go back to university for the next year.
Okay, what are you going to do during the course that year that isn't university?
(27:00):
Vigaring out exactly what my purpose is for my career.
I think I don't yet know my purpose.
For example, I know I'm going to do investigative, like sort of detective type work but I'm finding
my purpose over the past like six months I've been trying to find my purpose in what it is
(27:23):
that I want to do in the field.
I think for some reason this past two years I've been massively pulled towards like youth
crime for some reason.
I've never, never in a million years away, I've ever, ever even thought of doing that for
me university but every single mark, every single essay, I'm pulled towards writing it about
(27:44):
youth crime and every single mark I get is, you know, reflects on how well I seem to
do in that thing.
So, I'm trying to figure out my purpose whether it is that I go down the field of doing youth
investigative or kind of detective work or whether I do more, I don't know.
(28:06):
I think it's just trying to figure out my purpose of what I want to do.
Would you be perspectives?
Try saying that the word perspectives again have perspectives changed when I last spoke
a few weeks?
Yeah, I definitely think it has.
I think it's changed in the sense that I know that this is the route that I 100% want
to go down and I've enjoyed, you know, being able to, I'd like to say pick things up relatively
(28:34):
quickly.
You know, I'll always, if there's a lot to learn and a lot to think about and I know it takes
a while to get into routine but I definitely think that I know that I want to do something
within this field for sure.
Do you got any message for anybody who's still to live?
(28:55):
I think that it's good to know, it's good to not know what you want to do.
I think looking for the purpose of what you want to do career-wise is more fun than actually
reaching the purpose, if that makes sense.
(29:16):
I've had so much fun trying to find my purpose that I think that once I get there, it'll all
become a bit boring.
Etienne, thank you, thank you for your time, good luck in the future.
Are you going to be going back to answers?
(29:39):
Answer's investigation?
Yeah, I reckon so.
How so?
However so you want me.
Etienne, good luck in the next year.
It's been a pleasure, thank you for your time.
Thank you, T.
I've enjoyed it.
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(30:10):
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(30:53):
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(31:14):
Until next time, stay curious and keep seeking the truth.
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[MUSIC PLAYING]
Hello, and welcome back to it's another edition
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of Detective Diaries, my name's Nigel Parsons.
I'm sat today, more interesting than me,
with something who I've found absolutely fascinating
in the last few weeks.
Her name's Etienne.
Etienne, and she's probably one of the youngest
(01:12):
new investigators in the country, which is quite a claim
to fake.
Etienne's actually studying computer at Reading University,
just about the going of the third year.
But she spent the last month with us finding out
what it's like to become a private detective,
private investigator.
(01:34):
21 years of age, Etienne spent most of her life growing up
in Singapore, which gives her quite a unique experience,
and quite a unique tape on things.
But come on, enough of me, Etienne, tell us
about your background.
What was it like?
I'm a super star in Singapore, but more importantly,
(01:55):
how did your interest in crime and investigation start?
Where did it come from?
Well, my interest in crime investigation actually is not really
an interesting story to say, at least.
I mean, it was kind of more like I just always kind of knew
that I wanted to do it.
(02:15):
I've known that I wanted to do it since I was
like seven, eight years old, not really knowing what it was,
but I always kind of knew that I had a passion in it,
even though I didn't really know what it was.
I've always-- I think I started off wanting
to be a criminal lawyer, but I thought absolutely not.
I don't enjoy reading that much.
So I thought, you know what?
I'll go down the criminology route things
in the more it starts to learn about what it was,
(02:37):
the more I became fascinated in that sort of thing.
But also as well, it's interesting on why I would like crime,
even though I've grown up in a country that has the least
crime in the world.
So that's what I find funny as well, that I would want to do
this job or even know much about it growing up
(02:59):
in a country that has absolutely no crime whatsoever.
I mean, I was allowed out of the house at 11, 12 years old,
which here I'm an only child.
So I was sheltered.
My parents, if I lived in the UK, they wouldn't have let me lead
the house on my own till I was 16.
So in Singapore I could go out and do whatever I wanted
because it was so safe and run around and do absolutely anything
(03:23):
I wanted to just because it was so safe.
Do you know that?
That's such an interesting aspect.
I've just had a really thick about it because you all
have an afforting both worlds.
One foot there, one foot here.
I've worked in Singapore a few years ago for a crime,
which was my first experience of it.
(03:44):
No, the country is absolutely fascinating.
You've write about the low levels of crime.
It seems, it reads the news.
It seems like somebody commits a minor crime.
It's head-loying news.
Yeah.
I had a friend at that point in time and what he was in a friend.
He was in a friend.
A new someone on a mutual acquaintance.
(04:07):
And he's in the Singapore Zoo super open.
He jumped into one of the cages.
Because then it's not cage.
It's a tiny little fence.
He'd gone over and done a backflip in the rhino pen.
It went so viral, the whole of Singapore knew about it.
Everyone was talking about it because it was head-line news
because that was the only crime happening at that point in time.
(04:31):
And everyone knew about it.
His nickname, he had like a massive nickname.
Everyone had merchandise and everything,
because it was the biggest thing going on in Singapore at the time.
That was the biggest crime someone going into a rhino enclosure
and just doing a backflip.
Punishment is quite severe, that is it?
Yeah.
I think most of the time you get things you get camed.
(04:54):
But I think I believe it's only man that can get camed,
not women because we're deemed as not to be strong enough to get camed.
I believe, if I'm right, I'm pretty sure that's correct.
And in English translation, this is the story of Giuseppe Dorsi,
an Italian detective of the early 20th century.
(05:17):
He and me relate the adventures of Sinority of the detective d'Iris.
Do you know what?
Something sticks in my mind.
I'm going to get it down, so I'll see you in the next video.
And it runs alongside you all weekend.
(05:38):
I can remember the picture of it.
There's a sign on the face.
And it doesn't say trespasses will be prosecuted.
It's just a picture of a trespasser and somebody pointing a gun.
With this message of, you don't trespass.
No, I know.
It's crazy.
(05:59):
So why come back to the UK to go to university?
And you're at what, ready?
How do you find ready?
It's good.
The university, not yet.
Yeah.
No, the university is great.
I mean, I couldn't have asked to go to a university in terms of, like,
sense of community because Singapore's quite got a quite big sense of backpack community.
(06:21):
So going to Reading, because it's a campus union, all that's, yeah, really good.
But what inspired you to come back to the UK for education?
Well, we know, obviously, in terms of criminology, I'm not going to go in, you know, I'm not going
to do that in Singapore.
There's nothing really out there for me.
And as well, I think most Singapore expats schools tend to push you.
(06:46):
I mean, the only route we got given was university.
There was no such thing.
I didn't even know what apprenticeship was until I came here.
I didn't know anything.
So the only route that they take you down is you leave school and you go straight to university.
So obviously, as well, you can't work.
I couldn't work in Singapore.
I couldn't work part-time.
Then you know, I'm not allowed.
I'm not allowed because I'm on a dependent pass off of my dad or my mum.
(07:08):
That's how it works.
So I physically, I'm not allowed to work.
Only that other permanent resident or because I don't have my own employment pass.
So I can work.
So they just push you to go and go to university and that's that.
So I was kind of directed more towards England and all of my friends from school.
(07:28):
Everyone I knew was either Australia, America or England.
Obviously I'm from England.
So I get, you know, like, what's it called?
I get a loan, student loan and all of that and over here I've got family and friends who
just seems the most logical answer.
So work experience in a private detective's?
(07:49):
I mean, that's a virtue you've heard of.
You spent a month with us for answers and investigations.
Probably about the end of people.
It's something that we know.
We've been by that kind of opportunity.
But how did you find out about that?
Well, I'm quite a little tech savvy.
(08:10):
I actually did all the research myself.
I kind of, I went to my tutoring university and I kind of told him what I wanted to do
essentially at the end of my degree, which was kind of investigative detective kind of work.
And she kind of led me in the direction of job titles that I could do.
That's it.
Like she had, obviously she's going to leave me more towards like Thames Valley Police
(08:34):
from Reading.
But I didn't, I didn't really want to do something that would lead me to potentially just
doing coffee runs or, if I was to do work experience for metal, Thames Valley Police,
I would have literally been sat there probably getting them coffees or doing the coffee runs
or not really getting much experience.
(08:54):
Whereas I kind of did lots of research, found hair and I looked at it and signed up, did
the application then did the interview and I thought I won't just be taking coffee runs
there.
Okay, in a number of one to ten, how many coffee runs have you done in the last month?
Zero.
Unless I get my own coffee on the way to work.
(09:16):
So what have you done?
What's your experiences?
My amounts are short amount of time but what's some of the practical things that you've
seen and learnt about experience?
Well, I've learnt a lot more than what I thought I worked.
I thought, you know, you'd just be chasing after people running round, which essentially,
(09:36):
you know, I've done, I've done, but it's a small amount of, I didn't realise all of
the background work that kind of goes into it, which I think will benefit me especially
in my last year of university and just to have that experience behind me, if I'm, you
know, just to put on the CV or anything like that.
I didn't expect that I'd be doing that kind of, I didn't expect I'd be learning as much
(10:01):
as I have.
You spent some time doing some surveillance and reading, I mean, got me distracted.
It was, it was interesting.
It was, it's a lot more time consuming than I thought.
Like it's very, it's more like you're sat there, I mean, observing, really.
(10:25):
I don't, I don't want to say too much about it just in case, but I think the one in the
new forest was more interesting, whipping around in the car, going on a little day out, really.
But the, no, the one in Reading, it was, it was good, it was, it was, it's a lot more, I'm
(10:46):
quite structured person, I like routine and what I noticed is you can't rely on that
when it comes to observations and you kind of, you, it's a lot of sitting around not knowing
what you're going to do next, which I struggled with at the beginning, but I kind of came
to turn to that, as it went on.
I guess you can't really plan it.
(11:06):
Exactly.
So, you're in the active situation, you are there and you are reacting to not somebody else
that's, and what it happens, does it have a clicker?
But I have to plan, that's a problem.
I normally have to plan, so this for me was a completely brand new thing that I've ever
had to do and the self-discipline I had to have was incredible, because I learned, I learned
(11:31):
that actually most of the time in this kind of blind of work, you don't, it's, you, you
don't know what you're going to do next, you don't know, you can't plan everything, you
can't have anything, everything structured, which, I've always thrived off of, whereas
now I realise I can't thrive off of and I wouldn't have had that experience if I hadn't
(11:53):
have done it before I left university, for example.
You're told it, but you don't expect it.
Think on your feet, you'll be at quickly, is that fair?
Yeah, I'd say so.
Definitely.
So, you're going back for what, Sergio?
No, it's coming all the way to the degree.
How is this experience going to bring you through?
(12:16):
Well my last year of university.
Well I mean, I get the pleasure of being able to write about this experience with my
dissertation, so I mean, it's going to benefit me massively, personally, but if I wasn't
going to, I mean, everything overall in terms of just having that bit of more background
and more experience really, because I think it's quite a niche subject to get experience
(12:40):
in, for example, if you're doing business, you can get experience just by working in a
shop or working in a cafe or anything like that, really.
Whereas criminology is a bit more, it's quite hard to get sort of any experience in,
because a lot of the time, the fields are quite confidential, you're not really allowed
to be thrown straight in, so I've had that experience here and I think I could benefit from
(13:05):
it, because I mean, all the bits of the background information I've kind of learnt here, I can
use that as to my advantage in my writing or my essays which 90% of my calls won't have
if that makes sense.
(13:27):
So you need different?
Exactly.
I'm company under the name of UK finger print through a lot of finger prints, if you've learnt
the process yourself?
I've learnt the process of it, I've done more of the processing of the documents and
(13:52):
certifying which I've enjoyed, I hadn't anticipated doing all of that and learning all that, so
I think the fact that I've had that experience as well is really good, and I've obviously learnt
how to do all of the ink finger printing, I didn't know all the rolling, the rolled finger prints
or the flat impressions, I've learnt that all and I guess university is not that practical,
(14:18):
so to come here and have it be all practical is basically putting all of my work and knowledge
into basically making it practical.
Get involved!
Detective Diaries is interactive which involves you, the listener.
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(15:02):
So what parts of the whole thing have you enjoyed, mate?
What's the price?
What pushed you out of your company?
Well I think obviously being fast on my feet and quick and I think the uncertainty of
(15:23):
the job, one minute I'm sat processing papers and then the next you get a call and you're
like you've got a rush off and get in the car and go here and observe this person, you
don't know what time they're leaving, I think it's that kind of uncertainty of not knowing
what you're going to do next is what pushed me out of my company so far.
(15:45):
Okay so take a random day, take yesterday.
What you do yesterday?
Yesterday I did the min hydrin where we did, we got em below, so we had to, we had to
put it in the solution to see if any fingerprints came up but unfortunately we got, we had,
(16:06):
it showed up with the, you know, that there had been people touching it but because it was
crumpled I wasn't really that, they didn't really have clear fingerprints so again because
there's so many students at university and never would have been able to have done something
like that, just sat in a lecture or in a practical, they don't, you know, they don't do stuff
(16:29):
like that so.
And then obviously I go away and learn more about min hydrin and the chemical process of
doing fingerprints I like to write it all down so then I can use that to my advantage at
university because I guarantee you 90% actually, I guarantee 99% of my course will have no idea
what an inhydrone is or the processing of any of the whole chemical process of that was
(16:55):
I learnt that yesterday.
So if you're in a, there's a small forensic lab, is it a comfortable environment like you
see on television if you go and watch something like that.
So one of the, you know, one of the other programs they've all got this big, sort of clinical
environment and the little relax, the little chill, what's it like in a forensic lab?
(17:16):
Is it comfortable? Is it uncomfortable? Is it cold?
Well yesterday it was uncomfortable, it was boiling, it was like I was in a sauna.
Why?
Because it has to be warm in order for it to be paper to dry out.
Okay.
That's what I learned yesterday.
So how were you dressed?
(17:39):
Oh sorry, don't tell that question of a way, I was in goggles.
I was in PPE, I was in goggles, I was in a lab coat and I was in a mask because I did not
realise how strong smelling the inhydrone that solution would be.
It was so pungent, but even I could smell it through that mask as well.
(18:04):
And gloves.
Do you defend your generation when it's causing so?
I do.
You do?
Ah.
I'll give you a challenge.
Criticism, not necessarily my criticism, I think I'm a bit older but a criticism in your
generation.
And it is that you've grown up in an entirely different environment and I think a criticism
(18:31):
for you otherwise that comes from a couple of generations and other, a generation of, is
that what are you, 21 years old?
Yeah.
But when you research, the research isn't necessarily supported by facts and I know that's something
that you learn at university, you learn about the representation, you know, putting
(18:54):
references and notes on it.
But there's perhaps a bit of a criticism that the new generation that's coming in based
on clickbait, based on little, small amounts of information off the internet, internet,
I will google it in such a phrase that what comes out isn't necessarily resource and reference
(19:19):
to be checked.
Is that fair?
Are you saying in terms of if I'm going to do information online?
Well, yeah.
I mean, if you're, I don't want to stereotype your generation, it's 21 years old but generally
I'm asking questions, oh well, the person doesn't necessarily know the answer and quickly go
(19:41):
on the internet and just spout out the first thing.
What I know the source is.
I know the sources, I know where it comes from, I'm not being able to back up the statement.
Is that a fair criticism?
I think it's a fair criticism in the sense that we don't back up the source but I feel
(20:01):
like university does teach, I mean, I'm a bit biased.
Because I did the, I be the international back to rat, not A-levels.
So I did, you know, I kind of learnt all of the references like the Harvard referencing,
MLA format, all of that kind of thing.
So I was writing copious amount of essays before I'd even come to university with all the
(20:24):
referencing.
So I think I'd been taught from sick form, how to reference and how to check my sources.
So I think I'm more biased in that sense, however, I'm not too sure what it's like in the English
curriculum or if they're really taught on how to source or check their sources or all
of that.
(20:44):
But I think, I don't know, I think with clickbaiting and things like that, I think in terms
of our generation and things believing things we see online, I'm going to do some defending
my generation in the sense of, I mean, I'm going to do some defending my generation in the
way.
I mean, I think it, the new AI definitely shows intelligence, but 90% of people that I
(21:08):
mean now, especially the older generation don't know what, can't tell the difference between
AI or not.
So also, you could then argue that the older generations or what, what's it, Gen X, millennials,
baby boomers, all of those, they can't tell the difference between whether it's an AI
(21:29):
news report or not or whether it's AI content or not like a video now, you get all those short
reels or clips on TikTok, for example, online and people, it's getting to the point now where
people basically cannot tell whether it's real or not and every single generation is being
naive through it.
So you could also say that, you know, we're all susceptible to it, not just us.
(21:56):
Are you enjoying today's episode?
I'm Torva Coteman and I'm a forensic investigator and you can listen to my forensic investigation
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You may even hear me talk about the decomposition of rats.
Listen in and hear the real CSI.
How would you change that?
(22:25):
What advice would you give to anybody, to differentiate?
And I'm saying this from an investigative point of view, which is based on research and
fact.
Yeah.
Investigation is about uncovering and producing.
That's simple word of fact.
What advice would you give to anybody to tell truth and reinforce factual information from
(22:53):
the rest of the dream?
Well, I think that it's one of those things where when you, I know that it's based a lot
on facts and what you, you know, it's very factual and all of that, but as well, I think a
(23:16):
lot of the time it also comes to how you think and what kind of your perspective on things
as well.
And I think that's different.
And everyone perceives things differently, especially me, you know, sometimes I can perceive
things a bit slower than the average person or which is normal, you know, and no one perceives
things or takes things in at the exact same speed I will tend to.
(23:38):
I don't think I necessarily take things slower and then I'm more or less take things in
more intricately or outside of the box.
I don't take it factual to the point of straight.
I don't take it straight.
I kind of, I bend it my own way and then can sometimes complicate it a little bit.
So I think when it comes to facts and things like that, I never actually think anything
(24:02):
is that factual if that makes sense.
I think that you take it, how you want to take it.
So you question everything?
Yeah, so I like that in this job that whether it is facts or not, none of us take it the
same way if that makes sense.
Stay with that attitude and you move in those things, I just think that's the case.
(24:22):
That's what we're doing.
Yeah.
We're taking everything, thanks very much for the round.
Okay, something a little bit lighter.
Collegue yours, talk about it.
It's all the government.
If anybody was to summarise, I think it would say an interesting personality.
(24:43):
Yeah.
How have you got them?
Come on, tell us about her.
I couldn't have asked for a better colleague and all honestly.
I do think that the job kind of brings interesting people in.
Like no one, not that there's ever a normal but no one boring is going to enter the job if
that makes sense.
(25:03):
I think that what I've learnt is the job kind of brings in quite dry, cold sense of humour.
If that makes sense, quite dry, cold people in that have quite a bit of funny and she
makes me laugh.
I honestly don't think I would have learnt or got on as well as I have without her there
(25:28):
because I've got along so well with her.
And I think that she's taught me, she's been patient with me well.
She's been patient to a certain degree.
She has, but I couldn't have done that already.
I think that she's been a massive.
A helping hand and I think because she was only so recently in the exact same position as
(25:51):
me, she's been patient to that certain extent knowing that she was in my position a few months
ago.
That sounds like a very political answer.
Come on, what's a certain degree?
I think that she's, I mean, she's been wickedly patient.
She has, but sometimes she can get stressed and overwhelmed which I'm sure most people
(26:16):
are doing this job because it is so uncertain and you'll be doing one thing, one minute
and then doing another thing the next that while she's having to deal with all of that,
she's also having to deal with teaching and sorting out me which sometimes can get
a bit overwhelming.
So, patients is about you.
What's the future of you?
(26:38):
I don't know.
I really don't know.
I don't know.
Okay, what's the immediate future of you?
We're going to go back to university for the next year.
Okay, what are you going to do during the course that year that isn't university?
(27:00):
Vigaring out exactly what my purpose is for my career.
I think I don't yet know my purpose.
For example, I know I'm going to do investigative, like sort of detective type work but I'm finding
my purpose over the past like six months I've been trying to find my purpose in what it is
(27:23):
that I want to do in the field.
I think for some reason this past two years I've been massively pulled towards like youth
crime for some reason.
I've never, never in a million years away, I've ever, ever even thought of doing that for
me university but every single mark, every single essay, I'm pulled towards writing it about
(27:44):
youth crime and every single mark I get is, you know, reflects on how well I seem to
do in that thing.
So, I'm trying to figure out my purpose whether it is that I go down the field of doing youth
investigative or kind of detective work or whether I do more, I don't know.
(28:06):
I think it's just trying to figure out my purpose of what I want to do.
Would you be perspectives?
Try saying that the word perspectives again have perspectives changed when I last spoke
a few weeks?
Yeah, I definitely think it has.
I think it's changed in the sense that I know that this is the route that I 100% want
to go down and I've enjoyed, you know, being able to, I'd like to say pick things up relatively
(28:34):
quickly.
You know, I'll always, if there's a lot to learn and a lot to think about and I know it takes
a while to get into routine but I definitely think that I know that I want to do something
within this field for sure.
Do you got any message for anybody who's still to live?
(28:55):
I think that it's good to know, it's good to not know what you want to do.
I think looking for the purpose of what you want to do career-wise is more fun than actually
reaching the purpose, if that makes sense.
(29:16):
I've had so much fun trying to find my purpose that I think that once I get there, it'll all
become a bit boring.
Etienne, thank you, thank you for your time, good luck in the future.
Are you going to be going back to answers?
(29:39):
Answer's investigation?
Yeah, I reckon so.
How so?
However so you want me.
Etienne, good luck in the next year.
It's been a pleasure, thank you for your time.
Thank you, T.
I've enjoyed it.
We hope you enjoyed today's podcast brought to you by answers investigation and UK fingerprint.
(30:10):
If you've enjoyed our conversation and want to learn more about the fascinating world
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(30:33):
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(30:53):
That's a minus sign and www.ukfingerprint.co.uk.
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Thanks once again for tuning in.
(31:14):
Until next time, stay curious and keep seeking the truth.
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