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Conducting Tough Interviews 285

Rehearsing the interview

You should carry out a practice run with a colleague acting as the suspect. In a second trial, you
should take the role of the suspect. Often the rehearsal in which you play the role of the suspect
is the most important. You will understand where the evidence is the strongest; you will be
able to anticipate, and then defeat, false excuses. Rehearsal will make you more confident.
When an interpreter is to be used, he must be involved in the rehearsals.

Conducting the interview

If your planning and rehearsal have been completed properly, conducting the interview
should be a cinch but:

• Have a good night’s sleep before the interview is due to take place: keep off alcohol and
vindaloos and, ideally, remain celibate.7

• Make sure you dress professionally and settle in the interview room before the suspect ar-
rives. Check everything.

Stick to your plan and don’t panic. You can overcome any nervousness (which is entirely
justified in important cases) by taking a few deep breaths before the interview starts and by
really concentrating on the suspect throughout. He has far more to lose than you have and
the cards are stacked in your favour.

When you are feeling nervous concentrate on someone else

Follow-up – Phase G

As soon as possible after each interview, complete your notes and secure all of the other evi-
dence. Update the resolution plan, diary of events and deception theory and carry out further
investigations and interviews as quickly as you can. In the days and weeks following the inter-
view you should keep in regular contact with the suspect until asked to do otherwise.

Before the case goes to court, it is possible that the suspect’s attitude towards you will be-
come hostile: this should not affect your position. You should continue to deal properly with
him and be abundantly fair in the way you act and give your evidence. Always remember that
what goes round, comes round.

Checking your performance

Tiger Woods says he only hits one good shot a round, but he analyses every one and learns
from his mistakes. We can do the same with interviews: think what you did well and what
went badly and learn your lessons.

7 This is why elderly investigators are to be preferred because they no longer bother with such trivia