During cross-examination by Grant Algie, defending, Ms Eckhoff said she did not know how his DNA came to be on the exhibit.
Did not know how his DNA came to be on the exhibit
Stretch of the
Stuart Highway
in the Northern
Territory.
The handcuffs ['allegedly'] used to tie up the girlfriend of a British backpacker who was ['allegedly'] murdered in the Australian outback in 2001 were contaminated by a forensic scientist, a court heard yesterday.
A full DNA profile of Peter Thatcher, director of the Forensic Science Laboratory, was found in May 2004 on the cable ties ['allegedly'] used to bind Joanne Lees's hands behind her back during an ['alleged'] attack, forensic biologist Carmen Eckhoff told the Northern Territory supreme court in Darwin.
Bradley Murdoch, 47, of Broome, Western Australia, denies murdering Peter Falconio after flagging the couple down on a remote highway near Barrow Creek, north of Alice Springs, on July 14 2001. He also denies depriving Ms Lees of her liberty and assaulting her.
Ms Eckhoff told the jury Dr Thatcher's DNA was found on the "significant" piece of evidence and could have got there in a number of ways, despite protocols being in place to prevent this happening.
During cross-examination by Grant Algie, defending, Ms Eckhoff said she did not know how his DNA came to be on the exhibit.
Mr Algie asked the prosecution to call Dr Thatcher as a witness later in the trial.
During the cross-examination, Ms Eckhoff said she argued against taking the cable ties to Yatala prison in Adelaide, South Australia, where Mr Murdoch was on remand in October 2002.
"I was unhappy about them leaving my possession, particularly if the forensic examination may not have been completed."
She said she made her feelings known to Dr Thatcher, who was giving the handcuffs to Senior Constable Tim Sandry so he could take them to Adelaide.
Ms Eckhoff also said one of the centre loops from the cable ties 'used' [?] to bind Ms Lees's' arms behind her back during the attack had been taken to Jonathan Whitaker, of the UK Forensic Science Services, at his laboratory in Wetherby.
She said he specialised in "low copy number" DNA and was able to use an extremely low level of DNA to try to produce an acceptable profile.
Later, Ms Eckhoff agreed with Mr Algie that on July 17 2001 five people worked "something like 14 hours straight in order to undertake sampling, extracting and analysing these items".
She said that in this time around 40 samples were taken from "a number of items", including eight from Ms Lees's T-shirt.
"Only one sample was open at any one time so it minimises any risk of contamination," she said.
Mr Algie suggested that the protocols might not have been followed, for example with the cable ties contaminated with Dr Thatcher's DNA.
He also suggested this might happen when people were tired and under pressure. Ms Eckhoff said: "That didn't happen within the laboratory."
When Mr Algie suggested the cable ties were exposed to a "significant risk of contamination" while they were officially in her possession, Ms Eckhoff said: "I don't agree with that. Our protocols were put in place to ensure there was minimal risk of contamination from both the persons doing the tests as well as the samples."
Asked by the judge whether any of the samples, other than one from Ms Lees's T-shirt, taken on that day contained either a partial or full DNA profile that matched Mr Murdoch, she said: "No, sir."
Great witness this one, already made up her mind I reckon.
Ms Eckhoff also denied that she "completely dismantled" the handcuffs ['allegedly'?] used to tie up Ms Lees on July 31 2001.
Seems she can't find the word 'allegedly' but has no trouble with the words 'used to tie up Ms Lees'.
She admitted removing a section of tape from each of the three centre links of the handcuffs and said she did this in order to make a note of their G-codes, markings on the actual cable ties, beneath the layers of tape, as requested by crime scene examiners.
She said she had not been aware until recently that the handcuffs, which were inside two sealed paper bags, had been stored in the physical examinations section at Adelaide along with Mr Murdoch's possessions for around four to five days.
But she said: "If the cable ties were in a double bag and sealed I don't have a problem with that."
During re-examination, Ms Eckhoff told the judge Chief Justice Brian Martin she was not aware of any other occasion, apart from one instance with the handcuffs on October 8 2002, when a correct entry in the log was requested to be deleted.
The court has heard Mr Falconio and Ms Lees, now 32, of Brighton, were allegedly attacked after being flagged down by another motorist at around 8pm on the Stuart Highway, around six miles north of Barrow Creek.
She told police she was threatened with a gun to her head, tied up with her hands behind her back and put into the back of her attacker's vehicle but managed to escape from under the loose canopy and hide in the bush for more than five hours before being rescued.
Mr Falconio, 28, of Huddersfield, was never seen again and no body has been found.
The trial was adjourned until tomorrow, when British DNA expert Dr Whitaker is due to give evidence.
Ed: Real Falconio killer revealed?
The answer is obvious. Falconio was killed by an unknown half brother of Peter Thatcher with a coincidentally matching profile?
Related:
Unfaithful Lees admits taking drugs, court told
NT: Key witness Joanne lees, has testified in the Northern Territory Supreme Court to smoking Marijuana on the night her boyfriend Peter Falconio went missing.
Yesterday she told the court how unfaithful she was to her boyfriend and that she'd even had an affair. But for some reason Lees wasn't a suspect in her own boyfriends killing?
More:
http://www.geocities.com/publik18/archive05/2005d55.html
No Murder Weapon, No Body, No Place or Time of Death
NT: Joanne Lees ought to be the main suspect in this show trial. There is no body and no weapon to be found and Joanne Lees had a clear and present motive. She knew him, she travelled with him, she was unfaithful to him and she said that she was the last person to see him on the night she was stoned out of her head. So where does Bradley James Murdoch fit in?
More: http://www.geocities.com/publik18/archive05/2005d52.html
Trial of B J Murdoch
The trial of Bradley John Murdoch may be sensational - but for the wrong reason. This trial has had serious flaws in it - decide for yourself
Pride and Prejudice versus facts and truth.Trial of Bradley John Murdoch
More: http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2005/10/97709.php
Stuart Highway
in the Northern
Territory.
The handcuffs ['allegedly'] used to tie up the girlfriend of a British backpacker who was ['allegedly'] murdered in the Australian outback in 2001 were contaminated by a forensic scientist, a court heard yesterday.
A full DNA profile of Peter Thatcher, director of the Forensic Science Laboratory, was found in May 2004 on the cable ties ['allegedly'] used to bind Joanne Lees's hands behind her back during an ['alleged'] attack, forensic biologist Carmen Eckhoff told the Northern Territory supreme court in Darwin.
Bradley Murdoch, 47, of Broome, Western Australia, denies murdering Peter Falconio after flagging the couple down on a remote highway near Barrow Creek, north of Alice Springs, on July 14 2001. He also denies depriving Ms Lees of her liberty and assaulting her.
Ms Eckhoff told the jury Dr Thatcher's DNA was found on the "significant" piece of evidence and could have got there in a number of ways, despite protocols being in place to prevent this happening.
During cross-examination by Grant Algie, defending, Ms Eckhoff said she did not know how his DNA came to be on the exhibit.
Mr Algie asked the prosecution to call Dr Thatcher as a witness later in the trial.
During the cross-examination, Ms Eckhoff said she argued against taking the cable ties to Yatala prison in Adelaide, South Australia, where Mr Murdoch was on remand in October 2002.
"I was unhappy about them leaving my possession, particularly if the forensic examination may not have been completed."
She said she made her feelings known to Dr Thatcher, who was giving the handcuffs to Senior Constable Tim Sandry so he could take them to Adelaide.
Ms Eckhoff also said one of the centre loops from the cable ties 'used' [?] to bind Ms Lees's' arms behind her back during the attack had been taken to Jonathan Whitaker, of the UK Forensic Science Services, at his laboratory in Wetherby.
She said he specialised in "low copy number" DNA and was able to use an extremely low level of DNA to try to produce an acceptable profile.
Later, Ms Eckhoff agreed with Mr Algie that on July 17 2001 five people worked "something like 14 hours straight in order to undertake sampling, extracting and analysing these items".
She said that in this time around 40 samples were taken from "a number of items", including eight from Ms Lees's T-shirt.
"Only one sample was open at any one time so it minimises any risk of contamination," she said.
Mr Algie suggested that the protocols might not have been followed, for example with the cable ties contaminated with Dr Thatcher's DNA.
He also suggested this might happen when people were tired and under pressure. Ms Eckhoff said: "That didn't happen within the laboratory."
When Mr Algie suggested the cable ties were exposed to a "significant risk of contamination" while they were officially in her possession, Ms Eckhoff said: "I don't agree with that. Our protocols were put in place to ensure there was minimal risk of contamination from both the persons doing the tests as well as the samples."
Asked by the judge whether any of the samples, other than one from Ms Lees's T-shirt, taken on that day contained either a partial or full DNA profile that matched Mr Murdoch, she said: "No, sir."
Great witness this one, already made up her mind I reckon.
Ms Eckhoff also denied that she "completely dismantled" the handcuffs ['allegedly'?] used to tie up Ms Lees on July 31 2001.
Seems she can't find the word 'allegedly' but has no trouble with the words 'used to tie up Ms Lees'.
She admitted removing a section of tape from each of the three centre links of the handcuffs and said she did this in order to make a note of their G-codes, markings on the actual cable ties, beneath the layers of tape, as requested by crime scene examiners.
She said she had not been aware until recently that the handcuffs, which were inside two sealed paper bags, had been stored in the physical examinations section at Adelaide along with Mr Murdoch's possessions for around four to five days.
But she said: "If the cable ties were in a double bag and sealed I don't have a problem with that."
During re-examination, Ms Eckhoff told the judge Chief Justice Brian Martin she was not aware of any other occasion, apart from one instance with the handcuffs on October 8 2002, when a correct entry in the log was requested to be deleted.
The court has heard Mr Falconio and Ms Lees, now 32, of Brighton, were allegedly attacked after being flagged down by another motorist at around 8pm on the Stuart Highway, around six miles north of Barrow Creek.
She told police she was threatened with a gun to her head, tied up with her hands behind her back and put into the back of her attacker's vehicle but managed to escape from under the loose canopy and hide in the bush for more than five hours before being rescued.
Mr Falconio, 28, of Huddersfield, was never seen again and no body has been found.
The trial was adjourned until tomorrow, when British DNA expert Dr Whitaker is due to give evidence.
Ed: Real Falconio killer revealed?
The answer is obvious. Falconio was killed by an unknown half brother of Peter Thatcher with a coincidentally matching profile?
Related:
Unfaithful Lees admits taking drugs, court told
NT: Key witness Joanne lees, has testified in the Northern Territory Supreme Court to smoking Marijuana on the night her boyfriend Peter Falconio went missing.
Yesterday she told the court how unfaithful she was to her boyfriend and that she'd even had an affair. But for some reason Lees wasn't a suspect in her own boyfriends killing?
More:
http://www.geocities.com/publik18/archive05/2005d55.html No Murder Weapon, No Body, No Place or Time of Death
NT: Joanne Lees ought to be the main suspect in this show trial. There is no body and no weapon to be found and Joanne Lees had a clear and present motive. She knew him, she travelled with him, she was unfaithful to him and she said that she was the last person to see him on the night she was stoned out of her head. So where does Bradley James Murdoch fit in?
More:
http://www.geocities.com/publik18/archive05/2005d52.html Trial of B J Murdoch
The trial of Bradley John Murdoch may be sensational - but for the wrong reason. This trial has had serious flaws in it - decide for yourself
Pride and Prejudice versus facts and truth.Trial of Bradley John Murdoch
More:
http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2005/10/97709.php 
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