Garda gives Kilkenny crime scene evidence

The Central Criminal Court has heard that the Kilkenny house in which a 36-year-old mother-of-two died was "the scene of a sustained and violent assault and two deliberate fires".

Detective Garda Shane Henry has been continuing his evidence in the trial of Mark Costigan (aged 18), with an address in Aylesbury, Kilkenny.

Mr Costigan has denied murdering his friend’s mother, Christine Quinn, at her home on Greenfields Road in Kilkenny on December 5, 2002.

Yesterday, Det Gda Henry told the court that the attack "began upstairs in the double bedroom, moved through the landing, down the stairs, into the hall and kitchen".

"Two fires were then set and the assailant made his escape through the rear patio door."

The ballistic evidence expert drew his conclusions from types and directions of blood staining on various walls and objects throughout the house.

He also pointed out that the bloodstains were "coated with soot, indicating they were created before the fire".

In his examination of the crime scene, he noticed that the double bed upstairs, although made up, was disturbed.

"Between the disturbed area and the edge of bed was a clump of hair," he said.

The detective took a number of samples for forensic tests, including this hair, two bloody knives, the outside door handle, a blood-stained soccer jersey and duvet cover, a bloody tea-towel and swabs of blood from walls and surfaces.

The court has already heard from State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy, who testified that the victim received 69 wounds during the fatal attack.

The trial continues before a jury of six men and six women and Mr Justice Michael Peart.