Burglar ‘just unlucky his DNA was at scene of £1m Cowell break-in’
A SERIAL burglar accused of breaking in to music tycoon Simon Cowell’s home could simply be “incredibly unlucky” in having his DNA detected on gloves and a wall mark found at the scene, a court has heard.
X Factor judge Cowell, his partner Lauren Silverman and their son Eric were asleep at the £35million mansion in Holland Park, west London, during the December 2015 break-in.
Traces of Darren February’s DNA were found on samples taken from a mark on the side wall of the entrance steps and from gloves found nearby.
It means it is “possible” the defendant, 34, who has been convicted of 37 burglaries, wore the gloves to steal almost £1million of jewellery, before discarding them on the ground, a forensic science expert told the jury at Isleworth Crown Court.
Sara Short said traces of other people’s DNA were also found on the items tested as she explained the defendant’s DNA could have transferred on to the gloves by other means.
Giles Newell, defending, asked the expert: “Would it be possible to have the findings we have seen without Mr February ever having worn or indeed touched the gloves?” She replied: “Yes.” Ms Short agreed with prosecutor Denis Barry when he suggested it would be “incredibly unlucky” for his DNA to be transferred to and found at the scene, if he had never been there or committed the crime.
In a joint report Ms Short and fellow forensics expert Rachel Pollard found that while “one possible explanation is that he had worn the gloves and discarded them”, they could not conclusively state he had handled, worn or had direct contact with the gloves or had contact with the area on the wall.
The court also heard from a police officer who said he initially thought a man who broke in to the London home of singer Rita Ora was the same man pictured in CCTV images at Cowell’s address.
PC Steven Vella, who works with the Met’s Super Recogniser Unit, said he spent about a week looking at footage from the tycoon’s property and believed the suspect was the same in both cases.
Two other officers told the court they had been able to identify February from images captured at the scene.
Items to the value of about £950,000 were taken after a safe was left open to allow Ms Silverman to leave quietly for a flight that morning.
February, of no fixed address, denies burglary. The trial was adjourned until Monday.