Soil found in murder accused’s van ‘corresponded’ with body location, trial told
Iain Packer, 50, denies murdering Emma Caldwell, 27, in 2005.
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Soil samples taken from the forest where Emma Caldwell’s body was found “corresponded” with those discovered in the van of the man accused of murdering her, a court has heard.
Iain Packer, 50, is on trial at the High Court in Glasgow accused of murdering the sex worker, 27, in 2005, and faces 46 charges involving a number of women including rape as well as abduction and assault.
He denies all the charges against him, and has lodged special defences of incrimination, consent, defence of another and self-defence.
Giving evidence on Wednesday, Dr Stefan Uitdehaag, from the Netherlands Forensic Institute in the Hague, said he wrote a report on palynology – the study of soil – after being commissioned by Police Scotland.
He calculated “ecological distances” between six samples from around Limefield Woods in Biggar, South Lanarkshire, where Miss Caldwell’s body was found on May 8 2005, and in a sample found in the footwell of Packer’s van, examining pollen composition.
The six samples from the site included from a molehill on a route to the body site, two from ditches where Miss Caldwell was found, from under spruce needles, from an area where footprints were found a few metres from the body, and from under moss.
The forensic scientist said the results showed the soil was “much more likely” to have come from the same location as the sample in van, and ranked as “odds 100 times to 10,000 times more likely”, or a “99.99%” chance, that they came from the same spot than another random site.
The calculated “ecological distance” considered the sensitivity of the results such as mixing and selective loss of material after transfer from location to the vehicle.
Dr Uitdehaag’s report examined “proposition one” (P1) – that the sample from the van came from the same location as other samples, and “proposition two” (P2) that it came from a random other location, defined as “within Scotland out-with 100 metres”.
The report said the results of the examination “fit proposition P1 well”, but three samples fitted P1 “very well”, it added.
Advocate depute Richard Goddard KC said: “Highest similarity between the samples from the van and the scene – from soil under the moss, from soil under the needles on the approach path, and from soil from a molehill on the approach to where the body was. These samples gave the highest reading of material taken from the van.”
Dr Uitdehaag, who has worked on “best practice guides” for Europe, said: “The results were more likely to have come from the same location than from a different location, yes.”
Mr Goddard said: “There was a slight difference which was the amount you would have expected. You found a wide variety of pollens which corresponded between the van sample and the samples taken from the woods.”
He added: “The chances of getting these results are 100 to 10,000 times more likely that P1 applies than P2.”
Dr Uitdehaag said: “The proposition of P1 is 99% to 99.99% more likely than P2. The numbers are based on my knowledge and expertise. It means the results are more likely in P1 or P2, in this case much more likely.”
Later on Wednesday, the court heard a post-mortem examination of Miss Caldwell’s body concluded she had bruising consistent with being manually strangled.
Dr Marjorie Turner, who now works for the Belfast State Pathologist Department, was previously the most experienced pathologist in Scotland, and examined the body at the site and later at a mortuary.
The court heard Miss Caldwell’s body was found naked in a stream with part of a plastic cord visible at the back of her neck. Her body was swabbed after being removed.
Areas of bruising were found on her neck and wrist, the court heard.
Prosecutor Mr Goddard asked: “The findings are more in keeping with manual strangulation, is that down to the pattern of bruising that you found rather than use of ligature alone?”
Dr Turner said: “Yes.”
Mr Goddard said: “Could it be manual with the use of the cord?”
Dr Turner again replied: “Yes.”
The jury was then shown an evidence bag containing a plastic cord which Dr Turner identified as the one removed from Miss Caldwell.
The post-mortem report said “the cord/line was removed at the scene”.
A toxicology report showed traces of heroin, cocaine, alcohol and benzodiazepines in her system.
The report added: “She has clearly been dead for some time and quite possibly from shortly after she was last seen alive, but it is not possible from the post-mortem findings to determine an exact time of death.
“The pattern of decomposition is in keeping with her having lain at this site during this period, the bottom of the ditch, being cold and wet, accounting for the relative preservation of the front of her body.”
Cross-examining, Ronnie Renucci asked: “Could death have occurred elsewhere?”
Dr Turner said: “Yes.”
The trial continues, in front of Judge Lord Beckett.