Victim's teeth matched mother's dental records, court hears

The forensic dental surgeon for the State has told a murder trial that "heavily carbonised" teeth recovered from a smouldering fire at the accused man’s home were consistent with the dental records of a Donegal mother-of-four.

"In my conclusion there is a very high probability that the remains that I examined were the remains of Dolores McCrea", Dr Paul Keogh told the Central Criminal Court.

Mr Gary McCrea (aged 40) of Ballybulgin, Laghy, Co Donegal. Mr McCrea denies the murder of his wife Mrs Dolores McCrea (aged 39) of Ballintra, Co Donegal, on a date unknown between January 20 and January 22, 2004. It is alleged that Mr McCrea murdered his wife and the mother of his four children and then burned her body in a fire at the rear of the old family home.

Forensic dental surgeon for the State, Dr Paul Keogh told prosecuting counsel Mr Paul O’Higgins SC that he was called to the city morgue in Dublin on January 26, 2004 where he was met by the State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy.

Dr Keogh said he examined "heavily carbonised" teeth, which were recovered from a smouldering fire discovered at the accused’s home in Ballybulgin, Co Donegal.

He added that the bones were human bones with teeth attached to the dental bones. Dr Keogh told the court that he compared Dolores McCrea’s dental records obtained from her dentist in Donegal with the teeth recovered by gardaí from the fire. Dr Keogh said the teeth had been "exposed to a high degree of temperature" and were very frail.

In conclusion, Dr Keogh told the jury that he found "35 points" matching Dolores McCrea’s dental records with the x-ray’s taken of the badly damaged teeth recovered from the Donegal fire.

"In my conclusion there is a very high probability that the remains that I examined were the remains of Dolores McCrea", Dr Keogh told the jury.

"I can’t be 100 per cent conclusive", he said. "But I found nothing in her remains that I examined that were not in the anti mortem record", Dr Keogh added referring to the dead woman’s dental records.

The jury heard that the odds are "incredibly low" for two people having the same dental records.

Detective Sgt Shane Curran attached to the ballistics section of garda headquarters told the court that he recovered a wooden log at the accused’s home which "smelled strongly of an accelerant". He added that this "promotes fire" and in his opinion he believed the accelerant was either petrol or diesel. Det Sgt Curran told the court he discovered a 25 litre plastic drum at the accused’s home which contained diesel and it was "close to empty".

The trial continues on Monday before Mr Justice Michael Hanna.