THE BLOODSTAINED clothing of a stab victim has been shown to the jury in the trial of a Dublin man charged with murdering him.
It was day three of a Central Criminal Court trial of a 36-year-old man who stabbed two friends in the heart.
Martin Toland, of Walkinstown Park, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Alan Nolan (28) and seriously injuring James Carroll (30) at Cedar Brook Walk, Ballyfermot.
Mr Toland claims he was acting in self-defence against both men at Mr Nolan’s home on the morning of September 8th, 2007.
Forensic scientist Marce Lee Gorman yesterday gave evidence of examining the clothing of all three men for the presence of blood and damage.
She held up the T-shirt Mr Nolan was wearing when he was stabbed. Its sleeves and upper back were the only parts not completely blood-soaked.
“It’s a very heavily bloodstained T-shirt,” she said. “It’s actually stiff to touch.”
She also identified eight “stab cuts” on the garment. While the T-shirt had been cut down the side by paramedics, she said these eight cuts were not attributable to medical intervention. She next identified a navy tracksuit bottoms of the deceased, pointing out a stab cut close to the waist band. “I observed heavy bloodstaining on the front of the tracksuit bottoms. One can see the heavy red-brown staining along the front.”
She said there was also some bloodstaining on the back.
She then held up Mr Nolan’s underwear, which had blood staining corresponding to that on the tracksuit bottoms.
She pointed out damage to his underwear, which she said was not attributable to normal wear and tear. Ms Lee Gorman then moved on to Mr Carroll’s clothing. “There’s heavy blood staining, mainly on the left side of the polo shirt.”
She said she found three stab cuts on this top associated with blood.
She demonstrated that Mr Carroll’s black tracksuit bottoms also had heavy blood staining.
The trial has already heard that the three men had been playing a PlayStation and cards when a row broke out that morning. All three had been drinking and taking ecstasy, while Mr Nolan and Mr Carroll had smoked cannabis.
The trial continues.