Murder trial is told DNA was from accused

DNA found on the dress worn by, and dressing gown belt fastened around the neck of, a woman strangled to death in 1984 is attributable to her alleged murderer, a court has heard.

Mother-of-11 Mary Mclaughlin, 58, was found dead at her home in Partick in Glasgow’s west end in October of that year after spending a night out at bars playing dominoes, the High Court in Glasgow has heard.

Graham Mcgill, 59, denies murdering her and tightly fastening a belt from her dressing gown around her throat with intent to rape on September 26 or 27 that year.

Forensic biologist Joanne Cochrane told jurors she had reexamined items of evidence in the 36-yearold cold case with modern techniques she called the “gold standard of DNA profiling”.

Reading from her report, she told the court: “DNA attributable to Graham Mcgill was found on one cigarette end recovered from the home of Mary Mclaughlin.

“Semen attributable to Graham Mcgill was found on a dress worn by Mary Mclaughlin. DNA attributable to Graham Mcgill was found on the ligature around Mary Mclaughlin’s neck.”

DNA, including semen, attributable to Mcgill was also found on a black bra found nearby her third floor flat in Crathie Court on Laurel Street, Mrs Cochrane added.

Mcgill, who was arrested by officers in December 2019, also faces a separate charge of threatening to murder Suzanne Russell and children at a house in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, between January 1, 1985, and December 31, 1988.

The trial, before judge Lord Burns, continues.