Charred debris found in murder accused's home, court hears

The jury in a Tipperary murder and arson trial has heard that charred debris was found at the home of the accused in the days after the killing.

Forensic scientist Claire Greaney, who examined the debris, was giving evidence at the Central Criminal Court on the fourth day of the trial of John Paul Buck (aged 29) of Heywood Close, Clonmel.

Mr Buck has pleaded not guilty to stabbing to death his 30-year-old neighbour, Fergus Roche, at a house in the same estate on October 1, 2005. He also denies setting fire to the vacant house, in which Mr Roche‘s body was later found.

Ms Greaney said she examined two bottles, two charred zip buckles, partially melted plastic and charred fabric found inside a pot-belly stove in the Buck family’s shed. She said she could not rule out that the zip buckles might have come from a pair of shoes.

Ms Greaney also examined debris taken from the crime scene.

She said she found a substance similar to partially evaporated petrol on pieces of charred wood taken from the seat of the fire in the bedroom of the vacant house.

She said she found traces of partially evaporated petrol on red plastic scraped from the driveway. Further tests proved that this plastic was originally a petrol container.

A lock smith told the court he tested a fire-damaged key he received from gardaí on a lock he removed from Mr Buck’s home. Michael Darcy said the key functioned perfectly in the lock.

Earlier, a ballistics expert said he found a knife, fire rockets and a petrol can at the scene of the fire.

Detective Sergeant John Higgins of the Garda Technical Unit said he went to the local authority semi-detached bungalow on the day of the fire and saw a melted five-litre plastic petrol can in the drive. He said he smelled petrol as he scraped some of it off the drive for the subsequent examination.

Inside the house, he said he found two garden fire rockets, a short length of launch stick and a lighter in the bedroom where the fire started. He said the fireworks might have started the fire, which had its seat on the laminated wooden floor beside the bed.

The detective sergeant said he also found an all-stainless steel, “throwing-style” knife on the floor of the bedroom. It had a serrated double edge.

He also found a brass, heat-damaged key hanging from the skirting of that room.

Det. Sgt Higgins took a number of samples for forensic testing, including swabs of blood found on the floor, wall and sofa bed in the living room. He also took samples of broken glass from throughout the house along with a concrete block, suspected to have been used to break a window.

The trial continues before Mr Justice George Bermingham and a jury of six men and six women.