Witness Walkthrough - Making a statement
Your Statement
After you have spoken to the police the investigating officer will decide whether you need to provide a statement or be spoken to further about what you have seen. In many cases, once the police have spoken to a witness, they will not need to give a statement or even be contacted again.
There are many reasons for this. Statements are normally only taken in serious cases, when the police know the identity of the suspect but have not arrested or interviewed them yet, or when the suspect has not admitted the offence and the police need to gather all the evidence for a court appearance.
If you witnessed an incident you were not involved in, you may need to make a statement to support what either the victim or the suspect has said. If you want to know whether you will need to make a statement, contact the investigating officer.
Giving a Statement
If you have been a witness to any part of a crime, the police may ask you to make a statement. A statement is a written or video-recorded account of what happened. It may be used as evidence in court. When you make a statement, a police officer will talk to you and ask you questions to try to build up a picture of what happened.
It can take quite a long time for the police to get all the information they need, but they are trained in interviewing witnesses and understand that it can be a difficult process. If the interview is distressing, or if you find that you need a rest, you can ask for a break at any time.
In most cases, the police officer will produce a written statement from what you have said. You must read it, or you can ask the police officer to read it back to you, to make sure it is correct.
You will have to sign the statement to say that it is an accurate account of what you think happened. You should take your time to make sure that the information in the statement is correct because you may have to answer questions on it in court.
If something in your statement is not right, it is important that you tell the police officer so it can be corrected. Even if you feel awkward, you should still point out anything that is not correct because once you have signed your statement, it becomes part of the evidence against the suspect and you cannot withdraw it.
Going to Court
If you have made a statement, the police will ask you if there are any dates when you will not be able to attend court. You should say if you are going on holiday or have other important commitments (for example, hospital appointments). If you need to attend court, the court will take account of the dates you are not available and avoid them if possible.