subject: Destination Newry News - Murder Trial Continues - Mrs Maire Rankin [print this page] The trial of the pharmacist accused of the murder of Newry pensioner Maire Rankin continued at Belfast Crown Court on Monday 26th September 2011. The Court heard of the various DNA evidence allegedly connecting the accused, Ms Karen Walsh, 45, to the killing. The body of 81 year old Mrs Rankin was found battered and naked on the bedroom floor of her Dublin Road home by her brother-in-law on Christmas morning 2008. Mrs Rankin had suffered severe head injuries, broken ribs and it is believed that she had been sexually assaulted.
The Jury heard evidence that a DNA profile which could have come from the accused was found on Mrs Rankins breasts and a crucifix, which is alleged to be the murder weapon. Forensic Biologist Susan Woodroofe told the court that the probability that the profile found on Mrs Rankins chin, was from someone other than Ms Walsh, was one in one billion.
Ms Woodroffe advised the Court however that she could not give a statistical analysis for the samples taken from Mrs Rankins breasts or the crucifix due to the fact that there was not enough DNA obtained. She told the Court that out of a possible 11 possible components from Ms Walsh, there were 9 found on the sample taken from the left breast, 10 from the right breast and 10 from the crucifix. Ms Walshs defence barrister put it to Ms Woodroffe that as she was unable to quantify a match probability that the conclusions were meaningless however she refuted this, replying no they are not.
It was also suggested by Ms Walshs legal team that Ms Walshs DNA could have been transferred to Mrs Rankin by secondary transfer, in other words that Ms Rankin touched Ms Walsh and then touched herself. Ms Woodroffe however stated that if this was the case, that the issue of time which had elapsed between Mrs Rankin touching the accused and herself would have to be considered, as well as the fact that Mrs Rankin may have touched something else in between such as her clothes, bed clothes or a door handle, which would have resulted in less DNA transfer. She did however advise the Court that she could not rule out the possibility.
The Court also heard evidence from Senior Forensic Scientist William Armstrong who had examined the crucifix and the pattern of bruising found on Mrs Rankin. He told the Court that having measured them both, they matched exactly and he further advised the Court that he had not been shown any other item which could have accounted for the bruising pattern on Mrs Rankins chin. Under cross examination Mr Armstrong totally disagreed with the possibility that the nebuliser mask which Ms Rankin had been using for her chronic asthma could have caused the bruising.
