Writing Wrongs

Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics

Every sentence tells a story, every word leaves a trace. Writing Wrongs, from the Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics, explores historic and contemporary forensic linguistic cases. Hosts Professor Tim Grant and Dr Nicci MacLeod, who've provided expert evidence in hundreds of cases, examine a specific case and its linguistic analysis each episode. Some episodes feature guest forensic linguists sharing their experiences as expert witnesses. The series highlights different case types, showcasing the strengths and limitations of forensic linguistics in criminal and civil investigations.

  1. 'Slang' on Trial Part 1: Duppying Yoots

    FEB 6

    'Slang' on Trial Part 1: Duppying Yoots

    Series 2 - Episode 7 - Part 1 * Warning: Today’s episode contains descriptions of murder, gang violence, knife crime, and a violent attack on a young pregnant girl. * This month, Dr Nicci MacLeod and Professor Tim Grant explore the analysis of Urban British English (UBE) in court. In the first of this two-part episode, Tim discusses a case from 2009 in which he analysed chat logs between two Grime music producers, Maniac and Snoopy Montana, who were accused of conspiracy to murder Maniac’s pregnant girlfriend. Tim drew on corpus linguistics to explore the non-standard variety of English the two used in correspondence with one another to better guide the court on the meaning of the language present in the data. For a list of our sources and more information about this case, please visit https://www.aston.ac.uk/writing-wrongs Have a question for Nicci or Tim? Email us at writingwrongs@aston.ac.uk and we may answer it during an upcoming episode! Check out the official AIFL blog for more forensiclinguistic goodies here: https://medium.com/@AIFLblog If you have been affected by any of the themes in thisweek’s episode, please contact one of these free sources: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ https://www.helpguide.org/find-help Production Team: Mark Round, Jordan Robertson, Neus Alberich Buera, Karolina Placzynta Sound: Mark Round, Sam Cook Visual design: George Grant Additional Voices: Frankie Vu, Aston students

    57 min
  2. 'Slang' on Trial Part 2: My Killy and Other Friends

    FEB 6

    'Slang' on Trial Part 2: My Killy and Other Friends

    * Warning: Today’s episode contains descriptions of murder, gang violence, and knife crime. *     STOP! This episode is the final part of a special two-part episode. Make sure to listen to part one before enjoying this episode.    In part two of this special on Urban British English (UBE), Dr Nicci MacLeod and Professor Tim Grant discuss Nicci’s role in a 2021 murder case involving the suspect’s use of the term ‘killy’. Despite the prosecution’s expert defining the term as “the feeling of wanting to kill,” Nicci’s deep dive revealed a more common meaning of the term: ‘close friend’.         For a list of our sources and more information about this case, please visit https://www.aston.ac.uk/writing-wrongs       Have a question for Nicci or Tim? Email us at writingwrongs@aston.ac.uk and we may answer it during an upcoming episode!      Check out the official AIFL blog for more forensic linguistic goodies here: https://medium.com/@AIFLblog       If you have been affected by any of the themes in this week’s episode, please contact one of these free sources:      https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/    https://www.helpguide.org/find-help       Production Team: Mark Round, Jordan Robertson, Neus Alberich Buera, Karolina Placzynta   Sound: Mark Round, Sam Cook   Visual design: George Grant   Additional Voices: Frankie Vu, Aston Students        Resources      Professor Tim Grant’s home page: Tim Grant - Aston Research Explorer      Dr Nicci MacLeod’s home page: Nicci MacLeod - Aston Research Explorer      Johnathon Green’s Dictionary of Slang: https://greensdictofslang.com/       Linguistic experts as semantic tour guides by Dr Larry Solan: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250014956_Linguistic_experts_as_semantic_tour_guides

    44 min
  3. Toxic Texts from the Tees Valley

    JAN 2

    Toxic Texts from the Tees Valley

    Series 2 - Episode 6 * Warning: Today’s episode contains descriptions ofharassment and stalking. We’ll explore themes related to verbal and emotional abuse, intimate partner abuse, highly offensive communications, and fraud. Listener discretion is strongly advised, as some content may be distressing. *   August 2020, Darlington, North East England. A woman begins to receive vast numbers of abusive messages, which she believes are coming from her ex-partner Stuart Bell. It was not a straightforward matter for the police to establish whether it was Bell who was behind the messages. Investigating officer Kerris Dawson approached Dr Nicci MacLeod for help.  Join hosts Professor Tim Grant and Dr Nicci MacLeod in unravelling the linguistic features that contributed to determining the authorship of the abusive messages.  For a list of our sources and more information about this case, please visit https://www.aston.ac.uk/writing-wrongs   Have a question for Nicci or Tim? Email us at writingwrongs@aston.ac.uk and we may answer it duringan upcoming episode!   Check out the official AIFL blog for more forensic linguistic goodies here: https://medium.com/@AIFLblog   If you have been affected by any of the themes in this week’s episode, please contact one of these free sources:   https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ https://www.helpguide.org/find-help   Production Team: Mark Round, Jordan Robertson, Neus Alberich Buera, Karolina Placzynta Sound: Mark Round Visual design: George Grant Additional Voices: Mark Round, Sam Guerin   With special thanks to Robbie Love.    Professor Tim Grant’s home page: Tim Grant - Aston Research Explorer   Dr Nicci MacLeod’s home page: Nicci MacLeod - Aston Research Explorer

    1h 12m
  4. Terror in the State of Denmark - Conversations from a List of Resolutes

    12/05/2025

    Terror in the State of Denmark - Conversations from a List of Resolutes

    Series 2 - Episode 5 Terror in the State of Denmark - Conversations from a List of Resolutes * Warning: Today’s episode contains descriptions of religious extremism, radicalization and plots of violence or terrorism. *   Joined by Dr Tanya Karoli Christensen, hosts Nicci and Tim discuss a counterterrorism investigation from Denmark. In this case, linguistic analysis proved vital in unraveling implied meanings in text messages between a young man of Kurdish background, suspected of planning to travel to Syria to join ISIS, and another man, suspected of trying to recruit him.   Through an analysis of 192 written chat messages from March 2015 between the two individuals, Tanya shares how themes of money, battle and war, and urgency in planning played a role in advancing a Danish police investigation. Listen to discover more.   For a list of our sources and more information about this case, please visit https://www.aston.ac.uk/writing-wrongs   Have a question for Nicci or Tim? Email us at writingwrongs@aston.ac.uk and we may answer it during an upcoming episode!   Check out the official AIFL blog for more forensic linguistic goodies here: https://medium.com/@AIFLblog   If you have been affected by any of the themes in this week’s episode, please contact one of these free sources: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/https://www.helpguide.org/find-help  Production Team: Angela Walker, Jordan Robertson, Neus Alberich Buera Sound: Angela Walker Visual design: George Grant Additional Voices: Mark Round, Peter Kiddle With our thanks to Dr Tanya Karoli Christensen   Resources Professor Tim Grant’s home page: Tim Grant - Aston Research Explorer  Dr Nicci MacLeod’s home page: Nicci MacLeod - Aston Research Explorer Dr Tanya Karoli Christensen’s home page: Dr Tanya Karoli Christensen - Research Profile

    1h 7m
  5. Writing Wrongs Live!

    11/07/2025

    Writing Wrongs Live!

    * Warning: Today’s episode contains descriptions of violent murder, grooming and child sexual abuse, and online extremism. *   This month, Writing Wrongs comes to you live as a part of the ESRC 2025 Festival of Social Science, from the West Midlands Police Museum at the Old Steelhouse Lane Lock-up. Our hosts are joined by colleagues Dr Emily Chiang and Dr Ralph Morton to discuss the past, present, and future of forensic linguistics. This is a preview of their (along with Prof Malcolm Coulthard) forthcoming book titled Forensic Linguistics in the United Kingdom: Origins, Progress and Prospects, which will be available in 2026 from Cambridge Elements. In the episode (about 40 minutes in) we discuss the Jenny Nicholl case and how their language differs - this is a transcription of the slide that the live audience could see: ·      I am    |    Nicholl’s preference = im    |    Hodgson’s preference  = i am  ·      I have    |    Nicholl’s preference = ive    |    Hodgson’s preference  = ave  ·      my/myself    |    Nicholl’s preference = my/myself        |    Hodgson’s preference  = me/meself   ·      off  |    Nicholl’s preference = off        |    Hodgson’s preference  = of ·      to    |    Nicholl’s preference = [word]2[word]        |    Hodgson’s preference  = [word]2+space[word] ·      see you    |    Nicholl’s preference = cu    |    Hodgson’s preference  = cya ·      phone    |    Nicholl’s preference = fone    |    Hodgson’s preference  = phone ·      shit    |    Nicholl’s preference = shit   |    Hodgson’s preference  = shite ·      am not    |    Nicholl’s preference = ‘m not   |    Hodgson’s preference  = ain’t   We were also thrilled to be joined by many of our Wrong’uns (our loving nickname for our fans) for this recording session! It was so lovely to get to meet you and hear your stories. Thank you for your support!   For a list of our sources and more information about this case, please visit https://www.aston.ac.uk/writing-wrongs   Have a question for Nicci or Tim? Email us at writingwrongs@aston.ac.uk and we may answer it during an upcoming episode!   Check out the official AIFL blog for more forensic linguistic goodies here: https://medium.com/@AIFLblog   If you have been affected by any of the themes in this week’s episode, please contact one of these free sources:   https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ https://www.helpguide.org/find-help   Production Team: Angela Walker, Loretta Milan, Jordan Robertson, Neus Alberich Buera Sound: Angela Walker Visual design: George Grant Additional Voices: Lesley McCarthy, Paul McCarthy, Dana Roemling, Marie Kreft, and Alexander Oldknow With our thanks to the ESRC and the West Midlands Police Museum, Dr Zoe Adams, Dr Daniela Schneevogt, and Karolina Placzynta Resources Professor Tim Grant’s home page: Tim Grant - Aston Research Explorer   Dr Nicci MacLeod’s home page: Nicci MacLeod - Aston Research Explorer   Dr Emily Chiang’s home page: Emily Chiang - Aston Research Explorer   Dr Ralph Morton’s homepage: Ralph Morton - Aston Research Explorer

    1h 14m
  6. Fake News at the New York Times The Case of Jayson Blair

    10/02/2025

    Fake News at the New York Times The Case of Jayson Blair

    * This episode contains no particular contentwarnings, there is however a very brief mention of another case involving sexual abuse *   This episode is about the New York Times, a high reputation paper of record in the Untied States, and how in theearly 2000s they came to publish a series of articles, which turned out to be plagiarised or untrue. Together with Professor Jack Grieve, from the University of Birmingham, our hosts Nicci and Tim take a look at how a linguistic approach to detecting fake news can make a difference.   For a list of our sources and more information about this case, please visit https://www.aston.ac.uk/writing-wrongs   Have a question for Nicci or Tim? Email us at writingwrongs@aston.ac.uk and we may answer it duringan upcoming episode!   Check out the official AIFL blog for more forensic linguistic goodies here: https://medium.com/@AIFLblog   Production Team: Angela Walker, Jordan Robertson, Neus Alberich Buera Sound:Angela Walker Visual design: George Grant Additional Voices: Angela Walker With our thanks to Professor Jack Grieve   Professor Tim Grant’s home page:  Tim Grant - Aston Research Explorer   Dr Nicci MacLeod’s home page: Nicci MacLeod - Aston Research Explorer   Professor Jack Grieve’s home page: Professor Jack Grieve - Department ofLinguistics and Communication - University of Birmingham   Link to the book: The Language of Fake News

    53 min
  7. Derek Bentley: Let Him Say It (Part 2)

    09/04/2025

    Derek Bentley: Let Him Say It (Part 2)

    * Warning: This episode contains descriptions of the killing of a police officer and the death penalty. *    STOP! If you haven’t listened to part one of this case, go back and listen before starting this episode.     Last time, Nicci and Tim explored the language around the custodial status of Derek Bentley, who was one of the last people to be hanged as criminal punishment in the UK in 1953.    In part 2, we welcome Prof Malcolm Coulthard, Professor Emeritus here at Aston University, one of the founders of AIFL (Center for Forensic Linguistics at the time), and granddaddy of forensic linguistics. Prof Coulthard joins Nicci and Tim to further unpack the case, this time focusing on the alleged confession Bentley gave the morning following the crime in question. Like Timothy Evans in series 1, it was unclear whether Derek Bentley had truly penned the written confession later given as evidence in court.    For a list of our sources and more information about this case, please visit https://www.aston.ac.uk/writing-wrongs     Have a question for Nicci or Tim? Email us at writingwrongs@aston.ac.uk and we may answer it during an upcoming episode!    Check out the official AIFL blog for more forensic linguistic goodies here: https://medium.com/@AIFLblog     If you have been affected by any of the themes in this week’s episode, please contact one of these free sources:    https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/   https://www.helpguide.org/find-help     Production Team: Sam Cook, Jordan Robertson, Neus Alberich Buera  Additional Editing: Angela Walker Sound: Sam Cook  Visual design: George Grant  Additional Voices: Sam Cook  With our thanks to Professor Malcolm Couthard    Resources    Professor Tim Grant’s home page: Tim Grant - Aston Research Explorer    Dr Nicci MacLeod’s home page: Nicci MacLeod - Aston Research Explorer    Professor Malcolm Coulthard’s research gate profile: Malcolm Coulthard – Research Gate

    1h 2m
  8. Derek Bentley: Death by Ambiguity (Part 1)

    09/04/2025

    Derek Bentley: Death by Ambiguity (Part 1)

    * Warning: This episode contains descriptions of gun violence, murder and capital punishment. *    In this first episode of a two-part case, Nicci and Tim discuss Derek Bentley’s story and the miscarriages of justice that occurred when he was found guilty of murder and received the death penalty. Focusing on two different meaning ambiguities, our hosts explore 1) the alleged statement Derek made (‘Let him have it, Chris’) after which a police officer was shot, and 2) the legal vs. ordinary meaning of ‘to be held’, as it played a role in Derek’s failed appeal.    For a list of our sources and more information about this case, please visit https://www.aston.ac.uk/writing-wrongs     Have a question for Nicci or Tim? Email us at writingwrongs@aston.ac.uk and we may answer it during an upcoming episode!    Check out the official AIFL blog for more forensic linguistic goodies here: https://medium.com/@AIFLblog     If you have been affected by any of the themes in this week’s episode, please contact one of these free sources:   https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/   https://www.helpguide.org/find-help     Production Team: Sam Cook, Jordan Robertson, Neus Alberich Buera  Sound: Sam Cook  Visual design: George Grant  Additional Voices: Sam Cook    Resources    Professor Tim Grant’s home page: Tim Grant - Aston Research Explorer    Dr Nicci MacLeod’s home page: Nicci MacLeod - Aston Research Explorer    ‘Let him have it’ movie on Amazon Prime UK: Watch Let Him Have It | Prime Video

    56 min
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About

Every sentence tells a story, every word leaves a trace. Writing Wrongs, from the Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics, explores historic and contemporary forensic linguistic cases. Hosts Professor Tim Grant and Dr Nicci MacLeod, who've provided expert evidence in hundreds of cases, examine a specific case and its linguistic analysis each episode. Some episodes feature guest forensic linguists sharing their experiences as expert witnesses. The series highlights different case types, showcasing the strengths and limitations of forensic linguistics in criminal and civil investigations.

Information

  • Creator
    Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics
  • Show Website
    Writing Wrongs

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