Court told of DNA match to murder accused James Stewart Smyth in UVF killing case

DNA matching that of a north Belfast man accused of murdering two workmen in May 1994 was located on a jacket recovered alongside the murder weapon, a court heard on Monday.

James Stewart Smyth, 57, from Forthriver Link, has been charged with, and has denied, the double murder which occurred as the workmen sat in a car on their lunchbreak beside a building site on North Queen Street.

As a trial into the murders of Gary Convie and Eamonn Fox entered its second week at Belfast Crown Court, a forensic expert was called to give evidence.

He confirmed he examined 'tape lifts' from a green Barbour jacket which were taken from the inside collar of the coat.

The jacket was found in a sports bag containing a Sten submachine, a magazine and rounds of ammunition which was located in a derelict house close to the murder scene.

The tape lifts contained skin flakes from the inside collar area which the forensic scientist examined at a laboratory in England in 2014.

Questioned by a Crown barrister, the forensic scientist said that after testing, he found a partial DNA result.

He added: "This indicates it came from a male source and in my opinion there is no clear evidence it came from more than one person."

The witness said this profile matched the DNA profile of Smyth.

He was then asked in 2014 what the probability of obtaining matching DNA from someone unrelated to Smyth was.

He said that it "was estimated at that time that the probability of obtaining matching components" from someone other than Smyth "was in the order of one in 363million".

The forensic scientist was also questioned by a defence barrister - and he agreed that it was impossible to determine when Smyth's DNA was deposited on the inside collar of the jacket.

The trial continues.

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