Teen’s blood found in car of accused
DNA recovered from blood on shoes belonging to murder accused Venod Skantha almost certainly came from slain Dunedin teen Amber-Rose Rush, a forensic scientist says.
The 32-year-old doctor denies killing the 16-year-old, who was found dead in her Corstorphine home on February 3 last year.
The High Court at Dunedin heard from ESR forensic scientist Timothy Power yesterday, who said blood found on Skantha’s grey suede shoes was 800,000 million times more likely to have originated from Amber-Rose than anyone else.
Power told Crown prosecutor Robin Bates the DNA evidence was ‘‘extremely strong’’.
The shoes were recovered from a Balclutha garage, where a key witness in the trial and Skantha went to stay on the morning of February 3, 2018, the day Amber-Rose was found dead in her bedroom.
Skantha’s DNA was recovered from inside the shoe.
Further testing of small droplets of blood found on the passenger side window of Skantha’s silver BMW also contained Amber-Rose’s DNA.
A mixed DNA profile – likely to have come from Skantha and Amber-Rose Rush – was also recovered from the inside passenger door of the vehicle.
Power, under cross-examination from Jonathan Eaton, QC, said it would not be unusual for Skantha’s DNA to be found in his own vehicle, given that he often sat in the passenger seat.
Power also confirmed none of AmberRose’s
DNA was detected on Skantha’s watch.
Earlier this week, the key witness told the court he drove Skantha’s vehicle to Amber-Rose’s house on the night of the murder, and waited in the vehicle for
Skantha to return.
Power said DNA analysis was carried out on items sourced from several scenes, including Amber-Rose’s Clermiston Ave home, Skantha’s Duxford Cres home, and the Balclutha property where he went in the days after the alleged murder.
No DNA profiles connected to the accused were recovered from the teen’s home.
Swabs from a spare key, found in the door by her brother after her murder, showed most of the DNA was from AmberRose Rush. The minor DNA was too complex for testing, Power said.
DNA connected to the key witness was recovered from a spray bottle found in the kitchen of Skantha’s home.
Police allege Skantha murdered Amber-Rose on February 2, 2018, because he feared she would end his medical career by going to police and his work about his behaviour.
It has emerged during the trial that Skantha allegedly indecently assaulted Amber-Rose and offered her money for sex.
Skantha’s defence argues the doctor was not in Amber-Rose’s bedroom on the night of the assault.
Skantha also denies four charges of threatening to kill.
The trial continues.