DNA contamination query raised in Nash case

A forensic scientist in the trial of Mark Nash for the murder of two women in 1997 told the court that he has discounted the fact that DNA profiles from the women were found on the sleeve of a jacket belonging to the murder accused.

Mr Nash, 42, who has last addresses at Prussia Street and Clonliffe Road in Dublin,pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the murder of 60-year-old Sylvia Shields and Mary Callanan, 61, between 6 and 7 March 1997.

The two women were living in sheltered accommodation in a house attached to St Brendan's Psychiatric Hospital in Grangegorman at the time of their murders.

Dr Philip Avenell told the court he had compared two hypotheses, one considering whether the DNA results were obtained when the jacket was present at the murders and another whether the DNA results were obtained when the jacket was seized.

He said that reading from his report he was "unable to determine which proposition was more likely."

The court previously heard that a profile taken from the buttonthreads of the right sleeve of the black velvet jacket matched Ms Shields'DNA profile and a DNA profile obtained from a "particle" found inside the seam of the right sleeve of the black velvet jacket, also matched Ms Callanan.

Counsel for the State Brendan Grehan put it to Dr Avenell was he aware of the fact that Mr Nash had said he was wearing the "jacket on the night of the murders?"

"I was aware that scientists had reviewed photos and I saw a photo during the course of the trial" replied Dr Avenell.

Mr Grehan said there was evidence from others like former partner Lucy Porter who said the accused was wearing a "velvet jacket" on the night in question.

Putting forward his reasons for believing how the jacket belonging to Mr Nash was contaminated after it was seized, Dr Avenell said the packaging of the jacket must be considered.

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DNA contamination query raised in Nash case