A CENTRAL Criminal Court jury has heard that DNA matching a taxi driver who was fatally stabbed in Blanchardstown, Dublin, last year was found on the clothes of a man and a woman accused of murdering him.
Mark Smyth (31) was stabbed over 40 times at Fortlawn Avenue on March 18th, 2008. Carlos Byrne (23) and Lindsey Fahy (26), both of Linnetsfield Square, Clonee, Co Meath, deny murdering him. Dr Yvonne O’Dowd from the Forensic Science Laboratory told Garnet Orange, prosecuting, that she found DNA which matched Mr Smyth on Mr Byrne’s shoe and jumper and on Ms Fahy’s top and jacket.
On Wednesday, the jury saw a video of gardaí, including Det Garda Patrick Traynor, interviewing Mr Byrne.
Under cross-examination by Patrick Marrinan SC, defending Mr Byrne, he agreed that the accused voluntarily stated that he was sorry for what had happened on three occasions during the interview. Det Garda Traynor also agreed with Mr Marrinan that gardaí put it to the accused man that he was known to gardaí as a drug addict and a thief but not as someone of a violent disposition.
The jury earlier heard that Mr Byrne and Ms Fahy were in the back of the deceased man’s car after he picked them up from their home. Mr Byrne told gardaí he owed Mr Smyth money for drugs. A row developed and Mr Smyth died after being stabbed 43 times. The trial continues.