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| DNA leads to woman's 1996 killer | DNA leads to woman's 1996 killer |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Advances in forensic techniques have led to a man being convicted of murdering a woman as she walked her dogs along a riverbank 13 years ago. | Advances in forensic techniques have led to a man being convicted of murdering a woman as she walked her dogs along a riverbank 13 years ago. |
| John Pope was questioned shortly after Karen Skipper was attacked, and thrown into the River Ely in Cardiff in 1996. | John Pope was questioned shortly after Karen Skipper was attacked, and thrown into the River Ely in Cardiff in 1996. |
| But Pope, 60, was arrested only in December 2007 over the death when his DNA was found to be a match for two spots of blood on her clothing. | But Pope, 60, was arrested only in December 2007 over the death when his DNA was found to be a match for two spots of blood on her clothing. |
| A jury at Cardiff Crown Court reached a unanimous verdict in the murder trial. | A jury at Cardiff Crown Court reached a unanimous verdict in the murder trial. |
| His defence counsel had argued he was "not clever enough" to have made a story that a blood spot on Mrs Skipper's jeans matched his DNA because he had previously taken a thorn from from the paws of Mrs Skipper's dogs. | His defence counsel had argued he was "not clever enough" to have made a story that a blood spot on Mrs Skipper's jeans matched his DNA because he had previously taken a thorn from from the paws of Mrs Skipper's dogs. |
| Mrs Skipper's ex-husband, Phillip, died in November 2004, aged 48. | Mrs Skipper's ex-husband, Phillip, died in November 2004, aged 48. |
| Pope did not react as the verdict was announced.Karen Skipper was attacked as she walked her dogs along the riverbank | Pope did not react as the verdict was announced.Karen Skipper was attacked as she walked her dogs along the riverbank |
| Mrs Skipper's family applauded, with many of them shouting "Yes" and bursting into tears. | Mrs Skipper's family applauded, with many of them shouting "Yes" and bursting into tears. |
| The court heard Mrs Skipper's murderer pushed her into the icy waters of the River Ely in Fairwater, Cardiff, and her killing remained a mystery for more than a decade. | The court heard Mrs Skipper's murderer pushed her into the icy waters of the River Ely in Fairwater, Cardiff, and her killing remained a mystery for more than a decade. |
| Pope, a labourer, was interviewed at the time of the killing but denied ever knowing Mrs Skipper. | Pope, a labourer, was interviewed at the time of the killing but denied ever knowing Mrs Skipper. |
| He claimed he was at home on the night of Mrs Skipper's murder. | He claimed he was at home on the night of Mrs Skipper's murder. |
| His explanation his blood on Mrs Skipper's clothing was that he had been bitten by one of her dogs weeks earlier while removing a thorn from its paw. | His explanation his blood on Mrs Skipper's clothing was that he had been bitten by one of her dogs weeks earlier while removing a thorn from its paw. |
| He told the jury: "Karen looked at my hand, there was blood running down both sides of my hand - she put her hand in my pocket and got a tissue out for me to wipe it." | He told the jury: "Karen looked at my hand, there was blood running down both sides of my hand - she put her hand in my pocket and got a tissue out for me to wipe it." |
| His defence was that a blood smear from the tissue must have left its mark on Mrs Skipper's jeans. | His defence was that a blood smear from the tissue must have left its mark on Mrs Skipper's jeans. |
| Pope will be sentenced by Mr Justice Davis at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday. | |
| Speaking after the verdict, Crown Prosecution Service spokesman Grenville Barker said: "The decision of the jury today brings to an end the mystery surrounding Karen's murder and will provide an element of comfort to the Cardiff communities of Ely and Fairwater, and especially the families of Karen and Phillip Skipper, in the knowledge that her murderer is now imprisoned." |