Forensic evidence continues in Cavan murder trial

The trial of a Cavan man accused of murder has heard that firearms residue was found on clothes “similar” to clothes the accused man had been wearing the morning of the alleged murder.

Trevor McCabe (aged 34), Mountpleasant, Ballyconnell, Co Cavan has pleaded not guilty to murdering Darren McGrath (aged 33) in Belturbet, Co Cavan on May 20, last year.

It is the prosecution’s case that Mr McCabe shot Mr McGrath as he slept.

They say that Mr McCabe entered the house with a shotgun at approximately 5am, shot Mr McGrath twice, and then drove off.

Dr Thomas Hannigan told the court that he examined various items of clothing for firearms residue.

The court has previously heard that clothing was found in a bag which had been left in a Spar shop in Dromore, Co Tyrone on the evening of May 20, last year.

Dr Hannigan found firearms residue on an Adidas jacket, between the legs of a pair of combat trousers, on a green tracksuit top, on the right cuff of a striped jumper and on a neck warmer.

“A shower of tiny metallic particles may be deposited on the hands, face or clothes of the person discharging the weapon,” he said.

Previously, the court has heard that Mr McCabe was wearing a jacket and a pair of combat trousers on the morning of the alleged murder “similar” to the clothes upon which the firearms residue was found.

Dr Hannigan said that his findings “conclusively establish that the items of clothing had been close to or in contact with the source of the firearm residue.”

He said, however, that residue could have been transferred from one item of clothing to another as they had been in the one bag.

Dr Michael Burrington, of the Forensic Science Laboratory, told the court that he examined a number of items to produce DNA profiles from blood or skin cells on those items.

The DNA profile for an area of blood staining on the back of the Adidas jacket upon which the firearms residue was found matched the deceased man’s DNA, the court heard.

Det. Gda John O’Connor told the court that he arrested Mr McCabe on May 27 last year in Dublin and that he interviewed him the following day in Monaghan Gda Station.

Mr McCabe told Det. Gda O’Connor that he “wasn’t fighting with Darren [McGrath].”

He said that the Saturday before the alleged murder was the last time he saw Mr McGrath.

“There were no hard feelings between us,” he said.

Mr McCabe told Det. Gda Michael Moreton that the allegations against him were “a load of s**t.”

The trial continues.