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Lawrence evidence 'separated' to avoid contamination Stephen Lawrence probe scientist 'made errors'
(about 3 hours later)
Clothes from Stephen Lawrence and his alleged killers were stored separately in the same room, a forensic scientist who investigated the killing has said. A forensic scientist made errors in notes about clothes seized from a man suspected of murdering Stephen Lawrence, the Old Bailey has heard.
Yvonne Turner told the Old Bailey she was aware of evidence contamination risks and that non-contamination procedures were intrinsic to her work. Yvonne Turner mislabelled forms related to a jacket and cardigan seized from the home of Gary Dobson, 36, leaving some case records hard to find.
Prosecutors say substances recovered from Gary Dobson and David Norris's clothes link them to the 1993 killing. Prosecutors say evidence on his clothes and those of David Norris, 35, link them to the 1993 south London killing.
Mr Dobson and Mr Norris deny murder and say the police contaminated evidence. Mr Dobson and Mr Norris deny murder and say police contaminated the evidence.
The prosecution says the two men can be linked to the murder through blood, hair and fibres recovered from their clothes, which could only have come from Mr Lawrence and the scene of the 1993 stabbing. Mr Lawrence, 18, a black A-level student, was forced to the ground by a group of white youths at a bus stop in Eltham and then stabbed twice, the prosecution says.
The microscopic evidence was uncovered during a cold case review - but counsel for the men say the evidence was transferred from Mr Lawrence's belongings onto the men's clothing because of police handling errors. The court has heard the two defendants, from south London, can be linked to the murder through blood, hair and fibres recovered from their clothes.
Ms Turner told the jury precautions had been taken to separate the items of clothing that were sent for analysis so as to avoid cross-contamination. Prosecutors say they could only have come from Mr Lawrence and the scene of the 1993 stabbing. The microscopic evidence was uncovered during a cold case review.
Robert Crane, a detective constable looking after exhibits in the investigation, said items seized from the two men on trial and three other suspects - Neil and Jamie Acourt and another unnamed man - had been stored in the same disused police cell used to hold Mr Lawrence's clothing. However, the defendants say the evidence was transferred from Mr Lawrence's belongings onto the men's clothing because of police handling errors.
In her evidence, Ms Turner said she inadvertently labelled the clothing with the case number of an unrelated robbery, meaning some case records had been difficult to find for up to two years.
"I wasn't concentrating and I wasn't focused at the stage when I wrote the case number in," she said.
Another scientist later spotted the error and the label had been corrected by August 1995, the court heard.
'Hard to remember'
In cross-examination by Timothy Roberts QC, for Mr Dobson, Ms Turner admitted the errors in her notes were "very irregular".
She also wrote in block capitals that no tapings - when sticky tape is used to collect fibres - were made. However the jury was shown that the testing had been done, although Ms Turner could not be sure when.
She said that she could not remember if she and boss Adrian Wain had initially decided against testing for fibres on the suspect's clothes.
"A strategy was not written down like it is nowadays, so it's hard to remember what was said," Ms Turner told the court.
Robert Crane, a detective constable looking after exhibits in the investigation, said items seized from the two men on trial, and three other suspects, had been stored in the same disused police cell used to hold Mr Lawrence's clothing.
But the exhibits from the suspects were placed in the cell after Mr Lawrence's belongings had been sent to the laboratory - and they were also put in different locations in the room. All the evidence bags had been sealed, he said.But the exhibits from the suspects were placed in the cell after Mr Lawrence's belongings had been sent to the laboratory - and they were also put in different locations in the room. All the evidence bags had been sealed, he said.
In her evidence, Ms Turner said she made a logging mistake that meant some case records had been difficult to find for up to two years. Ms Turner agreed with Mr Norris's lawyer, Stephen Batten QC, that in 1993 forensic staff were not concerned with possible contaminants on the outside of evidence bags.
She said that when was examining some of Mr Lawrence's clothing, she inadvertently labelled it with the case number of an unrelated robbery. Instead, it was "common practice" to put bags containing the victim's clothing in a larger bag with suspects' items, she said.
Another scientist later spotted the error as the label had been corrected by August 1995. The prosecution's case is that blood soaked into Mr Dobson's jacket that could only have got there when it was wet and that its DNA profile matches that of Stephen Lawrence.
But the court heard that over the two years there had been "difficulties" finding records that included collections of tape that had been pressed against exhibits in efforts to find microscopic evidence. Fibres from Mr Lawrence's clothing were allegedly recovered in tapings of the jacket and top taken from Mr Norris. Investigators also say they recovered hair from Mr Norris's jeans that came from Mr Lawrence.
The prosecution's case is focused on a jacket and cardigan seized from Mr Dobson's home and a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt taken from Mr Norris's home.
Scientists say they found blood soaked into Mr Dobson's jacket that could only have got there when it was wet. They say the DNA profile obtained from the blood matches Stephen Lawrence.
Fibres from Mr Lawrence's clothing were also allegedly recovered in tapings of the jacket and top taken from Mr Norris. Investigators also say they recovered hair from Mr Norris's jeans that came from Mr Lawrence.
The trial continues.The trial continues.