Forensics links murder-accused duo to shotgun, court hears

The DNA of two men on trial for murdering a French musician in Wicklow in 2009, matched DNA found on a shotgun cartridge and clothes recovered by Gardaí in the aftermath of the fatal shooting.

A forensic witness in the case, Dr Linda Williams, told the Central Criminal Court today that DNA matching that of 25-year-old Declan Sheridan, was present on a shotgun cartridge she examined in the days after the killing.

DNA she found on a Puma top also matched that of Sheridan's. Dr Williams also examined Nike runners and a Jack+ Jones top given to her by Gardaí, and found traces of DNA matching that of the second man before the court, James O'Connor (aged 27).

Another forensic expert, Michael Burrington, told the jury that blood he found on one of the Nike runners also matched O'Connor's.

The shoes, tops and shotgun cartridge were discovered by Gardaí at a cemetery close to the scene of the shooting. Two sawn-off shotguns that had been partially buried in graves were also uncovered during the search.

It is the prosecution's case that Sheridan and O'Connor went to Mr Sinapayen's apartment in the early hours of May 29, 2009, and fired two shots through the window.

Mr Sinapayen, a 33-year-old street entertainer, was shot in the side of the face as he slept in bed next to his girlfriend. The prosecution argues that Sheridan and O'Connor then went to the cemetery where they disposed of the shotgun, cartridges, clothes and shoes.

John McCullough, a forensic witness who also examined the Puma top and Jack+ Jones jacket, found particles of broken glass along with particles characteristic of firearm residue.

This indicated the clothing was from a person who had discharged a firearm, or was close to a firearm when it was discharged, he told the jury.

The jury has also heard evidence from the key prosecution witness, Keith Lowe (aged 29), who said he drove O'Connor and a second man to Richmond Hill on the evening in question. He had agreed to give O'Connor a lift as a favour, because he knew him through buying heroin. He thought the men were going there to collect €15,000 that was owed to them, he said.

As Mr Lowe waited in the car, he heard the sound of breaking glass and two gun shots, before the men returned in a panicked and agitated state. He noticed a gun on O'Connor's lap before he was told to drive the men to a cemetery, where he said they left the car for a time and returned without the gun or the tops they had been wearing.

Mr Lowe said he agreed to drive them to the graveyard and then dropped them home because he was in a state of shock. He denied under cross-examination that he had been involved in the shooting and was "directing events".

Sheridan, of Sugarloaf View, Sea Road in Kilcoole, and O'Connor, of Kilbridge Grove in Bray, have both pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Sinapayen.

The case resumes tomorrow before Mr Justice Paul Carney.