October 23, 2008

Murder trial considers detail of DNA analysis

Emma Agnew murder trial, Day 12 update. By Anne Clarkson

An ESR scientist has told the High Court she used the low copy number DNA analysis technique for some tests in the trial of Liam James Reid because some of the samples were so small.

Forensic scientist Pauline Simon said she was ?confident in my results and interpretations? after telling the murder and attempted murder trial of samples linking 36-year-old Reid to the crimes.

She was challenged by defence counsel David Bunce about the use of the low copy number analysis.

She said she had heard today, that the technique was now being accepted by United States courts, and it had been used in Australia with the samples being sent to New Zealand for testing.

She said tests linked blood found on Reid?s shoe to the victim of a sex attack in Dunedin, and there was also ?very strong? scientific support for his DNA being in a sample taken from the victim?s fingernail and from the rope tied around her neck.

The low copy number technique was used for the fingernail and rope samples.

She was asked if these two ?partial profiles? could have come from different people, and if they could be from women.

?I can?t exclude that possibility,? she told Mr Bunce.

But during re-examination by crown prosecutor Marie Grills, she said, ?It is unlikely.?

She said: ?I am confident in my results and interpretations I have made.?

Dr Simon was in the witness box almost all day on the 12^th day of the trial, in which Reid denies charges of raping and murdering Christchurch woman Emma Agnew, and raping, sexually violating, robbing, and attempting to murder a 21-year-old Dunedin student.

One police witness remains before crown closes its case tomorrow.