No way to tell timeline of blood

An expert witness in a murder trial says there is no way to tell when the accused man’s blood got on a cutlery drawer in the motel unit where the victim’s body was found.

Samuel Moses Samson, 32, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Azalia Wilson, 22, who was found dead at the Bavarian Motel, Invercargill, on November 17, 2019.

The Crown alleges Samson had killed Wilson in a ‘‘jealous rage’’ early that morning, while defence lawyer Judith Ablett-Kerr, QC, in her opening address last week, told the jury that it must keep an open mind and not make any assumptions, and that the burden of proof rested on the Crown.

The jury trial started in the High Court at Invercargill on March 8, before Justice Gerald Nation.

ESR forensic scientist and crown witness, Gary Gillespie, told the jury on Wednesday a DNA profile that corresponded to Samson’s DNA was obtained from a blood stain on a cutlery drawer in the kitchen.

Under cross-examination yesterday, defence lawyer Hugo Young asked Gillespie if he could tell what day the blood stain got there.

‘‘No I could not,’’ Gillespie said.

The court had earlier heard Samson and Wilson had been staying at the motel with their baby.

Gillespie agreed Samson’s blood could have got there as early as November 15.

Gillespie earlier told the jury a black handled knife found near the Oreti River, and a piece of plastic found in the motel room, were a conclusive fit.

Young: Did you do any testing to determine it’s the same type of plastic?

Gillespie: Only visual.

In her opening address last week, Crown Prosecutor MaryJane Thomas said Samson went to the river area to ditch the knife because it linked him to the unit.

In evidence during the trial, Gillespie said blood staining that could have come from Wilson was found on a Converse shoe he analysed as part of the investigation.

Police found Wilson’s body in the motel unit with multiple injuries, including a possible shoe impression on her torso.

In his opinion, there was moderate support for the proposition that the right Converse shoe made the impression on Wilson’s torso, Gillespie said.

Under cross-examination, Gillespie said the soles of the shoes were quite clean.

In earlier evidence, the jury heard there was a possible bloody shoe print near the bed where Wilson’s body was found.

Young questioned the amount of blood on the shoes.

Young: If this possible shoe print is a shoe print, it’s not actually consistent with the [amount of] blood on the shoes?

Gillespie: It is possible if there were small amounts of blood on the shoes, walking could remove blood.

The trial is expected to continue today.