Attempted rape trial hears of DNA matching that of accused on woman's skirt

The trial of a man accused of attempting to rape a woman as she made her way home late at night has heard that the DNA of the accused was a match for semen found on the woman's skirt.

The 34-year-old Dublin resident denies attempted rape of the woman at a Dublin city centre location on December 18, 2010. The accused and the complainant cannot be identified during the trial.

The man has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to attempted rape, sexual assault and assault causing harm at a place in Dublin on December 18, 2010.

On day nine of the trial, Dr Yvonne O'Dowd told Anne Rowland SC, prosecuting, that she is employed as a forensic scientist working in DNA section of Forensic Science Ireland.

Dr O'Dowd said that her understanding of the complaint was that the accused had ejaculated during the alleged incident. She said that as a result of this factor she was looking for semen during her examinations.

She said that she examined the clothes worn by the complainant on the night of the alleged incident. She said she discovered semen stains on the skirt worn by the complainant and she used these semen stains to generate a DNA profile.

Dr O'Dowd said she compared this DNA profile to the DNA profile of the accused and found that they matched. She said the chances of finding a match if the DNA had come from someone other than the accused “is considerably less than one in a thousand million”.

She agreed with Orla Crowe SC, defending, that while she could say there were semen stains on the skirt, she could not say when the semen had got there. She said she could only say it was after the last time the skirt was washed.

Garda Eoin Colbert earlier gave evidence of taking photographs of the defendant while he was in custody. He said he took a photo of the man's left eyebrow for the purpose of highlighting marks which he believed to be eyebrow piercings.

Another garda witness told the jury that after he was arrested the accused replied: “it's all lies”.

The trial continues next week before Mr Justice Michael White and a jury.