Thompson DNA found in spotter car used in murder, court hears

The Freddie Thompson murder trial has heard that his DNA was found on a hand sanitiser and air freshener found in one of the "spotter" cars used in the shooting of a Dublin shoe shop manager.

David Douglas was shot six times as he took a meal break at the shop counter, and died after suffering concussion, haemorrhage on the brain and obstructed breathing due to facial injuries and inhaled blood.

A forensic scientist and the State Pathologist gave the evidence in the trial at the Special Criminal Court on Tuesday.

The 37 year old, with an address at Loreto Road, Maryland, in Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Douglas on July 1st, 2016, on Bridgefoot Street in the city.

The 55 year old was shot dead shortly after 4pm, as he ate a curry in his partner’s shoe shop, Shoestown. A semi-automatic pistol with its serial number removed was found next to his head.

The prosecution does not argue that Mr Thompson carried out the physical act of killing, but that he was in one of a number of spotter cars used in the shooting.

Prof Marie Cassidy testified that the 55 year old sustained six gunshot injuries to his face, chin, neck, chest, trunk and elbow. She told Sean Gillane SC, prosecuting, that five of the bullets had exited the body, while one damaged bullet was recovered from the left side of his trunk when she conducted the postmortem exam.

Head injuries

She said that the head injuries had caused haemorrhage on the surface of his brain and would have caused concussion and rapid collapse. She also explained that the injury to his face would have obstructed his breathing and that his airways were also obstructed by blood and inhaled vomit.

She noted that half of the shots had come from a different direction from the other half, and said that this confirmed movement by one or both parties.

She gave his cause of death as gunshot injuries to his head, neck and trunk.

The court also heard from forensic scientist Sarah Fleming, who testified that a DNA profile she obtained from items in two of the alleged spotter cars matched that of Mr Thompson.

She said that the profile obtained from an inhaler found in a Mitsubishi and from an air freshener and hand sanitiser found in a Ford Fiesta matched that of the accused.

"I estimate the chance of finding this profile, if the DNA had come from someone unrelated to Frederick Thompson, is considerably less than one in 1,000 million," she said.

No DNA profile could be obtained from the gun or cartridges found at the scene.

‘Fingers on the trigger’

Mr Gillane has explained that the prosecution case is that four vehicles and their occupants, including Mr Thompson, were operating in concert that day. He told the three judges in his opening speech that they would be asked to infer that one of the "many fingers on the trigger" was that of the accused.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding with Judge Flannan Brennan and Judge Gerard Griffin, has begun hearing a legal issue on the admissibility of evidence that the prosecution plans to adduce.

They spent the afternoon viewing CCTV footage of the movements of the two spotter cars and two other cars.

The two other cars, a stolen Mercedes CLA and a stolen Suzuki Swift, have been described as the “ultimate murder vehicle” and the “ultimate getaway car” respectively. Both were later abandoned, having been set alight. However, the Mitsubishi had been seen ramming the Suzuki before its attempted burning.

The trial continues.