'Doubts' cast on DNA murder evidence

Victim was found in her home

Stephen Shepherd was sentenced to life last month for the murder 22 years ago of Vera Waring at her cottage in Bushmills, County Antrim.

His conviction was based on DNA evidence but he maintains he is innocent and his family and friends believe him.

BBC Northern Ireland's Spotlight programme has spoken to the top forensic scientist who carried out the original tests in 1982, linking Stephen Shepherd to the pensioner's death.

The case against Stephen Shepherd hinged on two vital pieces of evidence - a single hair found on Vera Waring's undervest and a bloodstain on a piece of lino beneath the window used by the intruder who broke into her home.

DNA testing matched both the hair and blood to Stephen Shepherd.

In court, what was described as a pubic hair was crucial to the prosecution case.

Prosecution lawyers told the jury it was an overwhelming piece of evidence, so damning that it proved Stephen Shepherd's guilt.

However, Dr Richard Adams told Spotlight: "The hair has all the characteristics of pubic hair although we cannot be 100% certain that it was."

You can't tell how long that blood spot had been there, it could have been there for a period of years

Professor Jack Crane State Pathologist

In court, Crown lawyers used the bloodstain found on the lino to reinforce their case.

The jury heard that the chances of the blood belonging to anyone other than Stephen Shepherd was a billion to one.

However, the Spotlight programme also reports that the tiny spot of blood found at the scene could have been left there years before the killing.

State Pathologist Professor Jack Crane, who examined the forensic reports in the case, told Spotlight: "You can't tell how long that blood spot had been there. It could have been there for a period of years."

Vera Waring, 82, lived alone at Rose Cottage. Those who knew her said she was a kind, quiet woman who was devoted to her church and weekly choir practices.

'Difficult to explain'

She had been looking forward to playing the organ at the midnight watch service at Dunluce Parish Church on new year's eve.

When she failed to turn up the local rector raised the alarm and her body was found in the hallway of her home.

Detective Inspector Alan Cole and his team had retrieved the original hair and blood samples and submitted them for DNA testing.

They then set about locating the suspects from 1982. Stephen Shepherd was one of a number of men who had been drinking in Bushmills on the night of the murder.

His DNA swab was one of 28 sent for testing. Weeks later scientists confirmed that his DNA had matched the DNA extracted from both the hair and blood samples.

Vera Waring was found dead at her home in Bushmills

On 8 March, officers returned to the Shepherd home just before 0700 GMT.

Shirley Shepherd said she would never forget that morning.

She said the police came in and asked for her husband.

"Stephen was coming down the stairs and he got into the living room and they told him why they were there.

"They arrested and charged him - I will never forget Stephen's face."

Stephen Shepherd says he cannot explain how his hair got onto the victim's undervest.

State Pathologist Professor Crane told Spotlight reporter Mandy McAuley it was very easy to transfer material from one person to another.

"If I gave you my jacket for instance, my hairs might be on it. If you lift my jacket up, perhaps to hang it up, that hair on my jacket could be transferred to your clothing.

"So extraneous transfer does occur. It is perhaps somewhat more difficult to explain the transfer of pubic hair but that does not exclude the possibility that that could have occurred."