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Court hears Templeton DNA claim | Court hears Templeton DNA claim |
(41 minutes later) | |
Samples from a jumper found by a woman's body 27 years ago are likely to have come from the man accused of her murder, a trial has heard. | Samples from a jumper found by a woman's body 27 years ago are likely to have come from the man accused of her murder, a trial has heard. |
Elizabeth McCabe's naked body was found in Templeton Woods on the outskirts of Dundee in February 1980. | Elizabeth McCabe's naked body was found in Templeton Woods on the outskirts of Dundee in February 1980. |
A forensic expert said tests showed there was very strong support for the assertion that DNA from the jumper came from accused Vincent Simpson. | A forensic expert said tests showed there was very strong support for the assertion that DNA from the jumper came from accused Vincent Simpson. |
Mr Simpson, 61, of Camberley, Surrey, denies Ms McCabe's murder. | Mr Simpson, 61, of Camberley, Surrey, denies Ms McCabe's murder. |
In special defences, Mr Simpson has pleaded alibi and incrimination. | In special defences, Mr Simpson has pleaded alibi and incrimination. |
His lawyers have drawn up a list of 13 names, saying one or more of the men on the list could be the real killer. | His lawyers have drawn up a list of 13 names, saying one or more of the men on the list could be the real killer. |
Further tests | |
Dr Jonathan Whittaker said forensic tests on the blue jumper and a hair root found separately linked the 20-year-old nursery nurse from Lochee, Dundee, to Mr Simpson. | |
Taken together, the combined odds of the DNA coming from someone else, unrelated to the accused, was one in 40 million, the court heard. | |
The jury was shown photos of the naked body with a blue jumper draped over Ms McCabe's head and shoulders. | |
The jumper, after years of storage, was sent to a specialist forensic lab in Wetherby, Yorkshire, for further tests after the murder hunt was re-opened. | |
Dr Whitaker explained how swabs were taken from three different parts of the blue jumper. | |
All matched the DNA profile of Simpson. | |
These DNA profile results provide extremely strong support for the assertion that the DNA recovered from the hair and the blue jumper has originated from Vincent Simpson Dr Jonathan WhittakerForensic expert | |
Dr Whitaker said that "a fair and reasonable estimate" of the DNA from the right hand side of the jumper's neck coming from someone else was one in 320,000. | |
A swab from the right arm produced a result which could have come from one in 38 of the population. | |
The chances of DNA from the back of the jumper coming from someone other than Simpson was one in 105,000. | |
Dr Whitaker said: "In my opinion, these DNA profile results provide extremely strong support for the assertion that the DNA recovered from the hair and the blue jumper has originated from Vincent Simpson." | |
Questioned by advocate depute Alex Prentice QC, prosecuting, about the DNA result from the jumper's neck, the forensic scientist added: "This result is of particular significance since the DNA profile result is what I would expect to find if Vincent Simpson had grabbed the jumper in the area of the neck, thus transferring his DNA to this area." | |
Earlier the trial heard that DNA extracted from the root of a hair found on a black plastic sheet had also been sent to Dr Whitaker's lab for testing. | |
The sheet is said to have been used to take Elizabeth's body to Dundee Royal Infirmary's mortuary, although Simpson's defence team claim there is no proof it was the same sheet. | |
The trial before Lord Kinchlaven continues. | The trial before Lord Kinchlaven continues. |
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