We are pleased to share that Siobhan O’Connell and Steven Mairs have had their article “Pedal Cycle Investigation: Using GPS and Activity Data to Reconstruct Road Collisions,” published in the latest edition of the Expert Witness Journal.

The article examines the growing role of digital activity data in road traffic collision investigations involving cyclists. As the use of GPS cycle computers, wearable technology and fitness platforms such as Strava continues to increase, these devices are becoming an increasingly important source of information for investigators seeking to understand a rider’s movements, speed, positioning and activity before and after a collision.

A key message of the article is that not all GPS data should be treated equally. While platforms such as Strava provide accessible visualisations of cycling activities, the authors explain that the information shown online is often processed, recalculated or smoothed, meaning it may not accurately reflect the original data recorded by the device. This distinction is particularly important when investigating critical events such as sudden braking, acceleration or interruptions in recording.

The article outlines three distinct tiers of GPS-related evidence:

We are pleased to welcome Sandra Rustomji to Hawkins as our new Business Development Manager based in London.

Sandra brings a strong background in sales, lead generation, marketing, and client engagement, with experience across the insurance, legal, technology, and wider professional services sectors. In her new role, she will focus on building and maintaining long-term relationships with clients and stakeholders, developing a strong understanding of their needs, and connecting them with the right expertise within Hawkins.

Fully bilingual in English and Spanish, Sandra is well placed to support communication with a diverse range of clients and international stakeholders. Her experience spans markets including Europe, North America, and Latin America, as well as a variety of commercially driven, client-facing environments.

Join us in welcoming Sandra to the team. She will be supporting clients and key stakeholders by ensuring they are connected with the right experts to meet their needs.

Please get in touch with Sandra if you would like an introduction to Hawkins or  advice on the appointment of an expert.

Hawkins is delighted to congratulate Anna Hodkinson of Morham + Brotchie on her exceptional academic success, having achieved a First-Class Honours degree in Quantity Surveying from the University of Central Lancashire.

Anna’s achievement is particularly impressive, having attained an outstanding overall result during her degree studies. Since joining Morham + Brotchie in 2025, following her transfer from A. Lamb Associates, Anna has become a valued member of the team and has quickly established herself as a highly regarded member of the wider Hawkins Group.

Adding to this success, Anna has been awarded the prestigious CIOB Certificate of Excellence by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). The award recognises the student who achieves the highest mark on their CIOB-accredited degree programme, making this an outstanding accolade within the construction and quantity surveying profession.

In a letter from the CIOB, Rosalind Thorpe, Director of Education and Standards, said:

“On behalf of the Chartered Institute of Building, I would like to offer my sincere congratulations on being awarded the CIOB Certificate of Excellence in recognition of achieving the highest mark on your degree course. This is an outstanding achievement and the Chartered Institute of Building is delighted and honoured to be able to present you with this award.”

The letter goes on to recognise Anna’s accomplishment and wishes her continued success as she progresses in her career.

Anna’s academic success and industry recognition are a testament to her hard work and determination.  Everyone at Morham & Brotchie and across the Hawkins Group is incredibly proud of her achievements and looks forward to seeing her continue to excel throughout her career in quantity surveying.

Congratulations, Anna, on this remarkable achievement and well-deserved recognition. We wish you every success in the future.

Forensic Hydrologist Richard Keightley was invited as a guest presenter by global law firm Kennedys to share his expertise on the growing complexity of flood-related insurance claims in a changing climate in their Property Damage webinar.

Joining Kennedys’ Adam Blanchard and Tara Mukerji, Richard explored how climate change is reshaping the risk landscape, driving an increase in weather-related claims, higher costs, and mounting challenges around insurability and resilience across the insurance and property sectors.

His presentation provided an expert overview of the key causes of flood claims, from extreme weather events to drainage failures, infrastructure issues, and design or construction defects, highlighting how multiple factors often combine to cause losses. He emphasised that as severe weather events become more frequent, many incidents may no longer be attributable to third-party fault, making liability assessments more complex.

Richard also outlined the importance of detailed technical investigations in distinguishing between natural events and human or operational failures, using hydrological data, modelling, and site analysis to support or defend claims.

The session offered practical insight into the evolving challenges facing insurers and legal professionals as they respond to increasingly complex flood risks in a climate-affected world.

Richard Keightley is a Chartered Water and Environmental Manager and Chartered Environmentalist. He specialises in the investigation of flooding, water ingress and drainage issues, and has provided CPR-35 expert witness evidence in civil claims for both claimants and defendants. Richard joined Hawkins in 2017 as part of our civil engineering team, having previously worked at two major engineering consultancies, a water and sewerage company, and New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.

Register to view Kennedys’ Property Damage webinar here: Property damage webinar

Or read one of Richard’s previous Insight articles on the subject: Basement Drainage Failures: Forensic Insights

Hawkins is pleased to welcome Christopher Bowler to the London office as an Associate. Christopher brings a strong mix of architectural, regulatory, and project delivery experience, across both UK and international markets. A Chartered Architect and registered Building Regulations Principal Designer, he has worked across a wide range of roles covering design, compliance and contract administration.

Before joining Hawkins, Christopher focused on residential fire safety remediation, an area that’s become increasingly important across the industry. His role combined technical and leadership responsibilities, and he was an active member of their Building Regulations Principal Designer steering group. He is also recognised on the RIBA Higher-Risk Building Principal Designer Register.

One of his most recent projects involved leading advisory work for a housing association overseeing a £175 million Building Safety Fund portfolio. Christopher was involved throughout the entire process, from assessing and prioritising risks across the portfolio through to developing technical solutions, supporting procurement, and overseeing delivery on site. His ability to balance regulatory requirements with practical delivery played a key role in helping these complex programmes progress.

Christopher’s academic background is equally strong. He holds an MPhil in Environmental Design in Architecture from the University of Cambridge, where he was awarded an Exhibition. Since qualifying as an architect in 2013, he has delivered projects with values of up to £600 million across a variety of sectors and construction methods.

His experience spans everything from new-build concrete and steel projects to traditional brickwork, timber frame construction, and the refurbishment of historic stone buildings. This allows him to connect design, compliance, and project delivery in a way that supports robust outcomes. Alongside his architectural career, Christopher has also spent five years working in a built environment forensics team. This has strengthened his analytical approach, particularly when it comes to investigating defects, understanding risk, and assessing building performance.

Now part of the Hawkins team in London, Christopher brings valuable expertise at a time when demand for building safety and regulatory knowledge continues to grow.

We are delighted to welcome him to the team and look forward to the valuable contributions he will undoubtedly make.

Hawkins is pleased to welcome Dr Seb Altus to the team as an Associate in our Leeds office. Seb is a materials engineer with a strong background in advanced materials, battery technology, and failure analysis. His experience spans research, industry, and engineering environments, giving him a well-rounded perspective on the investigation of material performance and degradation across a range of sectors.

He began his career as a non-destructive testing (NDT) inspector of subsea oil and gas components. He then went on to gain further industrial experience in the steel sector, where he investigated product performance and helped mitigate equipment failure in high-temperature environments.

Seb holds a First-Class degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Swansea University, where his final-year research focused on sodium-ion battery technologies. He later completed a PhD at the University of Sheffield, funded by the Faraday Institution, where he investigated degradation mechanisms in next-generation solid-state lithium-metal batteries. During this time, he developed strong expertise in electrochemical analysis and advanced characterisation techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray computed tomography.

Following his doctorate, Seb held postdoctoral research roles, working on cutting-edge battery materials and hydrogen technologies, in collaboration with organisations including the Faraday Institution and the Henry Royce Institute. Through this work, he built significant expertise in battery testing, data analysis, and post-mortem cell analysis, alongside broader electrochemical systems.

Seb’s cross-sector experience, spanning energy, manufacturing, and oil and gas, allows him to bring a practical and analytical approach to understanding material behaviour, degradation, and failure. Now part of the Hawkins team in Leeds, Seb brings valuable specialist knowledge at a time of growing interest in energy technologies and material performance.

We are pleased to welcome Materials Engineer Steve Scott to Hawkins as a Principal Associate, having joined us back in February 2026. Based in our Cambridge office, Steve will also work closely with the London team, bringing his experience and insight to a wide range of investigations.

Steve has a strong technical background, having completed a Master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering before starting his career in composite materials. He began his career in the motorsports industry as a Project Engineer, where he was involved in building chassis, bodywork, and other composite components for both racing and luxury sports cars.

He later moved into aerospace, helping to develop new primary structural composite materials and supporting manufacturers with automated production processes for aircraft components. This experience gave him a deep understanding of advanced materials and how they perform in demanding real-world applications.

Since moving into forensic investigation in 2009, Steve has built up extensive experience across a wide variety of cases. These range from smaller domestic claims to complex, multi-million-pound disputes involving multiple parties. He regularly works with solicitors and barristers, providing clear and reliable expert advice.

Steve specialises in investigating mechanical and materials failures, covering both metallic and non-metallic components. His work includes investigating structural collapses, such as racking, ceilings, and buildings, as well as failures caused by corrosion, fatigue, wear, and overloading. He is also experienced in cases involving personal injury.

Steve is particularly interested in the investigation of escapes of water in plumbing systems. He has investigated a wide range of causes, from installation issues and defective fittings to corrosion, freezing damage, and even accidental or deliberate tampering.

We are delighted to have Steve on board and look forward to the knowledge and experience he brings to the team.