Paul is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology, module leader, and Outreach Lead Tutor in the Social & Political Sciences division at the University of Chester. He has taught in higher education since 2019 and is actively involved in curriculum development, student support, widening participation, and public engagement. His teaching spans criminology, media and crime, punishment and penology, international justice, and social harm.

Alongside his teaching role, Paul completed a PhD in socio-legal studies at Liverpool John Moores University. His doctoral research examined moral panic theory, terrorism, and the growth of misinformation and conspiracy narratives, with particular attention to how short-lived but disproportionate social fears can have long-term consequences for legislation, social control, democratic values, and human rights protections in the UK. He is currently developing this work into a monograph and a series of journal articles.

Paul also leads an ongoing oral-history and criminological research project titled Strabane: The Forgotten Frontline of the Troubles. This project explores lived experiences of the Troubles and their aftermath in a border town in County Tyrone that is often overlooked in dominant narratives of the conflict. Drawing on ethically approved interviews with a wide range of participants - including residents, former activists, community figures, and professionals—the project foregrounds everyday life, memory, silence, resilience, and the long shadow of political violence in rural and border communities.

Paul holds a BSc in Psychology with Criminology from the University of Chester and an MSc in Global Crime, Justice and Security from LJMU. His master’s dissertation offered a comparative analysis of UK and US counter-terrorism surveillance practices, focusing on their implications for civil liberties and human rights.

Before joining the University of Chester, Paul contributed to widening participation initiatives as a course tutor with The Brilliant Club, where he designed and delivered academic modules for school students, including a course on early Cold War history titled Moral Panic: The Red Scare. He continues to engage in public scholarship through media commentary, podcasts, social media, and outreach work aimed at making criminological debates accessible beyond the academy.