A forensic scientist has told the trial of two sisters accused of murdering an African man and dismembering his body, that blood spattering found at a Dublin flat was consistent with a serious assault on the victim there.
Dr Bríd McBride was giving evidence at the Central Criminal Court in the trial of mother of one Charlotte Mulhall (23) and mother of four Linda Mulhall (31), both of Kilcare Gardens, Tallaght.
They have pleaded not guilty to the murder of a man known as Farah Swaleh Noor (also known as Sheilila Salim) at Richmond Cottages, Ballybough, on March 20th 2005. His decapitated and dismembered body was found in the Royal Canal in Ballybough, 10 days after the alleged attack.
Dr McBride told Una Ní Raifeartaigh, prosecuting, that she had visited a flat at Richmond Cottages twice in July 2005, where she had looked for blood-staining and any evidence that there had been an assault on Mr Noor there.
She said she found the presence of spattered blood-staining on the base of a bunk bed in a bedroom, which matched a blood sample taken from Mr Noor. There was also blood-staining on other surfaces in the room, which she said was consistent with the allegation that Mr Noor had been seriously assaulted in the bedroom, and the low-down location suggested he may have been on the floor during the assault.
Dr McBride also said there was evidence of blood-staining in the grooves of the pine planks of a wardrobe in the bedroom, but not on the surface of the planks. She said this was consistent with a clean-up taking place to remove blood-staining.
The trial continues today before Mr Justice Paul Carney.