Became a member of the Royal College of psychiatrists in 1997. He is a consultant forensic psychiatrist. He has a particular interest in neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. He interviewed the defendant for four hours on the 6th of march 2023, and has had access to the other psychiatric reports and records. Professor blackwood concluded that, while the defendant demonstrated some evidence of difficulty in developing relationships, and a degree of fixation in his interests and attraction to routines, he does not meet the required criteria for an autism disorder. He said that in his 18 months after leaving six from couege 18 months after leaving six from college the defendant struggled to establish settled employment and medium term plans for his life. He played socially isolated, lonely, angry and frustrated. His twin sister left to go to university in autumn 2020, and his grandmother died. Professor blackwood does not think that the observations of the defendants family, the