Blood of Cork chef found on shoe of accused

Two types of bloodstains were found on the right shoe and clothes of accused

Timmy Hourihane was homeless at the time of his death.

Bloodstains were found on the right shoe and clothes of a man accused of the murder of Cork chef Timmy Hourihane.

DNA samples taken from those stains match the DNA profile of Mr Hourihane, the Central Criminal Court heard.

Forensic scientist John Hoade of Forensic Science Ireland said that two types of bloodstains were found on the right shoe and clothes of James Brady who is on trial for murder.

Transfer stains, in which the item of clothing must have had direct contact with wet blood, were found on Mr Brady’s right shoe, the bottom of the right leg of his camouflage jogging pants, and on the cuffs of his jacket.

Transfer blood staining was found on the front of the upper right runner, including on and around the laces and on the tongue.

Transfer bloodstains were also found on both sleeves of his grey Nike jacket.

On his jogging pants, transfer blood staining was found along with blood spatter staining on the lower right leg.

Mr Hoade explained that transfer stains are caused by contact between a blood-bearing surface and another surface — the runner and a body with wet blood on it.

But blood spatter staining was airborne and was not caused by direct contact with the blood source, he said.

A blood spatter stain pattern was formed when blood drops were sent through the air by an external force applied to a source of liquid blood, Mr Hoade said.

The initial blow would not form a blood spatter stain, blood has already been spilled when this occurs, he said.

The blood spatter indicates that his right foot was in close contact with Mr Hourihane when he was assaulted, Mr Hoade said.

The transfer stains indicate Mr Brady’s right foot and arms came into contact with Mr Hourihane’s wet blood, he said.

No blood traces were found on swabs taken from Mr Brady’s hands.

A blood sample had been taken from Mr Hourihane during his autopsy which was submitted to the forensic science laboratory.

Rich DNA source

Mr Hoade said this gave them a rich DNA source to compare the dead man’s DNA to that found on items retrieved from the crime scene.

Clothes and shoes were also sent for analysis from a man who cannot be named for legal reasons, and a woman, Kathleen O’Brien, who has been a key witness in the trial.

Pieces of blood-stained fabric cut from a sleeping bag and a duvet were also submitted, along with items of clothing found at the scene.

Blood staining on Ms O’Brien’s leggings also matched Mr Hourihane’s DNA profile.

DNA which matched Mr Hourihane’s profile was also found on an unnamed man’s blood-stained clothing.

The evidence was taken after Mr Brady contacted gardaí on the day of the killing and asked to submit a statement.

Inspector Niall O’Connor was on duty at Anglesea Street Garda Station in Cork on the day that Mr Hourihane was killed.

He said that Mr Brady and his father presented themselves at Mayfield Garda Station to talk about the incident on Mardyke Walk.

His clothes and swabs were taken at this point as Insp O’Connor believed that they may be of evidential value and they were later admitted for forensic analysis. 

He said that Mr Brady did not object to any of this.

Mr Brady, aged 28, of Shannon Lawn, Mayfield, has pleaded not guilty to murder.

Mr Hourihane, a father of one and a former chef from West Cork, was homeless at the time of his death. He suffered extensive bleeding in his lungs due to severe blunt-force head and facial trauma and died from blood inhalation with a traumatic cardiac arrest complicated by brain swelling and a lack of blood supply to the brain.

The trial in front of Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy and a jury of seven women and five men continues.