‘Okay – stressed forensic scientist made a mistake. Does that make her a criminal?’

A forensic scientist accused of jeopardizing investigations into five rape cases is a ‘fundamentally decent woman who made a mistake’, a court heard. Ursula Collins, 43, allegedly mishandled crucial DNA ‘exhibits’, that were submitted by the police for DNA analysis, by failing to compare profiles with the national databases. Collins failed to store DNA samples correctly that led to the integrity’ of evidence being lost, it is claimed. Defending Collins, Leon Kazakos said: ‘At the time Collins was working she…