Famous pathologist and novelist visits University of Glamorgan

Today, Tuesday 16th March, Professor Sir Bernard Knight - renowned pathologist and crime novelist - visited the University of Glamorgan. The reason for his visit is that a building which is to be used by forensic science students has been named after him.

During his visit, Professor Knight toured the ‘Scenes of Crime House’, which from now on is to be known as the Bernard Knight Building. He also took part in a question and answer session with students.

The Bernard Knight Building is part of the university's Faculty of Health, Sport and Science. The building will be furnished as a residential property, and the aim is that is will be made up to imitate crime scene scenarios which the students can then investigate.

Speaking before his vist to The University of Glamorgan, Professor Knight said, “It is both an honour and something of a novelty to have a building named after me – if it was a ship, I could smash bottle of champagne against it, but that seems hardly appropriate for bricks and mortar! What is appropriate is the function of the building, for the abiding memories of my forty years in forensic pathology seems to be mainly of standing over corpses in muddy ditches or on freezing hillsides at three in morning, anywhere from Devon to Dyfed. Attending a crime scene, however unattractive, is a vital part of the investigation and I am pleased to see a custom-built unit devoted to this important function.”

Professor Knight, CBE, became a Home Office pathologist in 1965 and has written around 30 books, mainly in the crime fiction genre. He was born and lives in Cardiff and as well as being a forensic scientist, and a doctor, he qualified as a barrister and was awarded the CBE in 1993 for services to forensic medicine. During his 40-year career with the Home Office, he performed over 25,000 autopsies, and was involved in many high profile cases, including that of Fred and Rose West, and the child killer, Mary Bell.

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Content added on 16th March 2010.

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