Saying ‘no comment’ in a police interview can make you look guilty suggests research being presented at the Division of Forensic (DFP) Psychology annual conference today at Queen's University Belfast.

The research, conducted by MSc Forensic Psychology student Siobhan Finnegan and Dr. Stella Bain from Glasgow Caledonian University, focused on juror’s perceptions of a suspect’s believability and whether this was affected by the suspect’s verbal responses in a police interview.  

Siobhan explained: “Given the instruction that defendants have the right to remain silent it is important to understand jurors’ perceptions of a suspect’s believability based on whether they choose to comply with police during their interview.”

Four police statements were given to 34 participants who rated each for believability and then gave their verdict. The scenario given was based on an incident in a bar where a man was attacked by four men and suffered life threatening injuries equivalent to a charge of attempted murder.

The results showed that suspects who choose to say little or nothing were seen as more likely to be guilty and less credible. 

Siobhan continued: “Compliant suspects were generally perceived to be more believable and found not guilty whereas the opposite was the case for those who refused to cooperate. This research has not sought to question the strengths evident within current legal practice or the rights of a defendant, however it has provided insight into how a suspects’ chosen behaviours in a police interview can influence how they are perecived in court.”

The DFP conference will run from 26 to 28 June. For more information, including the full programme, click here.