A mixed DNA profile taken from inside a pair of boots heavily stained with the blood of a widower beaten to death in his own home contained the DNA of the man accused of his murder, a forensic scientist has told a jury.
Thomas Lorigan (34), of no fixed abode, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of John O'Neill (78) at St Brendan’s Road, Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare on a date unknown between January 6th and 7th, 2022.
On Wednesday, another scientist told the Central Criminal Court that there is "strong support" for the view that those boots, recovered from a house where the accused had stayed the night before the body was found, made "impressions" on the floor of the deceased's home, rather than other unknown footwear.
It is the prosecution's case that Mr O'Neill died after a vicious attack by his nephew, who they claim repeatedly kicked Mr O'Neill to the head while wearing steel-capped boots.
A pathologist told the trial that she observed the heavily blood-smeared and "flattened" face of the pensioner lying on his kitchen floor, with injuries which were "in keeping with multiple kicks, blows and stamping".
Evidence has also been given that Mr Lorigan was known by the nickname 'Mossy' in the Clare area, and was the deceased's nephew.
The jury has heard that Mr O'Neill lived alone and previously ran a bed and breakfast at his home with his wife, who died in the summer of 2021.
Shoe evidence
Giving evidence on Wednesday, forensic scientist Amanda Lennon told Eilis Brennan SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, that she deals with trace and footwear impression evidence.
Ms Lennon said she was given a pair of boots recovered from Gleann Bhreandain in Lisdoonvarna, photographs of "marks" on a lino floor of a footwear impression, and pieces of carpet with "some marks" on them. She said she was also provided with a Dell laptop which also had marks on it.
The jury has heard gardaí seized a pair of size 46 Portwest boots from a house at Gleann Bhreandain on January 7th, 2022, where the accused stayed the night before the body was found.
Ms Lennon said the boots had an overall sole pattern of thick chevron-shaped blocks.
The witness said the lino surface had an overlay pattern of at least two impressions containing chevron, which she compared to the pattern of the boot. She said it matched the right boot "in pattern and size".
Ms Lennon said she used an enhancement treatment to develop the latent from footwear impressions in blood made on two pieces of carpet.
She said she could see an almost complete footwear impression of chevron-shaped and curved blocks following the enhancement treatment. The witness said both impressions on the carpet had matched the left boot "in pattern and size".
The witness said the Dell laptop was in a damaged condition and there were two partial footwear impressions on the outside of the machine, which matched the right boot in size, pattern and "some wear detail".
The trial has heard that the deceased was found lying on his back in the kitchen with his legs bent, and that a laptop was overturned approximately three feet from his head.
In conclusion, Ms Lennon said her findings provided "strong support" that the boots seized from Gleann Bhreandain had made those impressions "rather than other unknown footwear".
DNA profile
Forensic scientist Dr Alan McGee told Ms Brennan that he was asked to examine blood-staining from the scene, as well as boots seized from Gleann Bhreandain for the purposes of blood and DNA analysis.
Dr McGee said blood found on the street outside O'Neill's B&B and inside the archway matched the deceased.
The witness said blood-staining was significant "in places on the upper portions" of the boots and on the soles.
He said blood was on the inner aspect of the left boot and along the inner aspect and the sole of the right boot. He said the DNA profile from the blood matched Mr O'Neill's profile.
Dr McGee said he took a DNA profile from inside both of the boots and obtained a mixed profile.
"There were two main contributors and one trace contributor. All profiles of John O'Neill and Thomas Lorigan were present in the mixture," he added.
The witness also examined a pair of blood-stained jeans seized from Gleann Bhreandain.
He said the DNA profile obtained from the right knee and lower left leg matched Mr O'Neill's profile. He also took a DNA profile from inside the waistband of the jeans and it matched the accused's profile.
On Tuesday, Heather Crowe told the court she and her husband run The Ritz Hotel in Lisdoonvarna, and that a person had identified himself to her as 'Thomas O'Neill' in October 2021.
She said from the end of November 2021, several local people had referred to him as 'Mossy'. She said the man always wore blue jeans, black boots, a black snood, sometimes a green khaki jacket, a hat with earmuffs and gloves.
Asked about the black boots, Ms Crowe said they were steel-toe capped boots, which looked like work boots to her.
Under cross-examination, the witness told Michael Bowman SC, defending, that the man always wore steel-capped boots and that she was sure they were "steel tipped" as her husband had an identical pair.
The trial continues on Thursday before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of five men and seven women.
