Palm prints of murder accused found at scene
The palm prints of a Dublin man accused of murder were found at the scene of a fatal stabbing, the Central Criminal Court heard today.
Brian Rattigan (aged 28), Cooley Rd, Drimnagh, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Declan Gavin (aged 21) Mourne Rd, Drimnagh, at Crumlin Rd, Crumlin on August 25, 2001.
It is the prosecution’s case that Mr Rattigan got out of a Nissan Micra that pulled up outside Abrakebabra fast food outlet at the Crumlin shopping centre before he "made for Declan Gavin" with a knife.
Det Gda Christopher O’Connor, a fingerprints expert attached to the Garda Technical Bureau, told Ms Pauline Walley SC, prosecuting, he attended the scene at Abrakebabra on August 25, 2001.
Det Gda O’Connor told the court his main focus was to examine the scene for both visible and invisible hand and fingerprint marks.
He said: ‘I noticed a mark in what appeared to be blood on the front window to the left of the door of Abrakebabra.’
Det Gda O’Connor told Ms Walley SC, that having analysed the mark with a microscope he formed the opinion it was a palm mark and then proceeded to treat the mark with grey aluminium powder in order to develop it.
The developed mark was photographed by Det Gda Caroline Hughes, a photographer attached to the Garda Technical Bureau.
Det Gda O’Connor told the court he compared the palm print taken from the exterior window of Abrakebabra with a set of prints taken from the accused, Brian Rattigan, on November 22, 2001.
Det Gda O’Connor said: "As a result of my comparison I have no doubt that the mark on the window was made by Mr Rattigan’s left palm."
When asked by prosecuting counsel what was the basis of forming this opinion Det Gda O’Connor said he found 12 features of comparison between both sets of prints.
Det Gda O’Connor told the court he also took a number of fingerprint lifts from the exterior area around the door and windows of Abrakebabra and one of those lifts matched the prints of the accused.
He said: "Mr Rattigan’s prints matched those of a lift taken from the exterior of the front door frame above the handle."
Det Gda O’Connor told Mr Brendan Grehan SC, defending, that in addition the palm print on the exterior window in "what appeared to be blood" he also lifted a total of 20 marks from the area around the door and windows of Abrakebabra.
He agreed with Mr Grehan SC that with the exception of the two prints which matched the accused, all of the other prints taken from the scene remain unidentified.
Earlier in the day Mr Justice George Birmingham addressed the jury informing them that one of their fellow jurors had been discharged from further participation in the trial.
Mr Justice Birmingham told the jury: "One of your members received bad news that a very close relative has only 24 hours to live. In those circumstances I have discharged the juror involved and we will be proceeding as a jury of 11."
The trial continues before Mr Justice George Birmingham and a jury of seven men and four women.
