Patrick O'Connor QC, who represents Shivers, told Antrim Crown Court: "He is partisan and lacks all impartiality in relation to the merits and the limits of his system and that is a violation of his duty. He has demonstrated disdain and contempt for even the most eminent of those who do not follow his methods and that is why we suggest he is a man on a mission who has lost his objectivity.""
UKPA;
---------------------------------------------------------
"Controversial forensic evidence against two men accused of shooting dead two soldiers should be rejected because the testing method is unproven, a barrister for one of the accused has said," the UKPA story published earlier today under the heading, "DNA testing method 'unreliable," begins.
"The method of testing DNA has not been assessed in the UK or United States and is unreliable and selective, defence lawyers said," the story continues.
'The prosecution claims the samples allegedly connect Colin Duffy and Brian Shivers to the gun attack on Sappers Mark Quinsey and Patrick Azimkar outside their army base in Antrim. The court is hearing legal submissions before judge Mr Justice Anthony Hart rules on the admissibility of the forensic evidence of US expert Dr Mark Perlin.
Patrick O'Connor QC, who represents Shivers, told Antrim Crown Court: "He is partisan and lacks all impartiality in relation to the merits and the limits of his system and that is a violation of his duty. He has demonstrated disdain and contempt for even the most eminent of those who do not follow his methods and that is why we suggest he is a man on a mission who has lost his objectivity."
Sappers Quinsey, 23, and Azimkar, 21, were shot dead by the Real IRA as they collected pizzas with comrades outside Massereene Army base in Antrim town in March 2009.
Duffy, 44, from Forest Glade in Lurgan, Co Armagh, and Shivers, 46, from Sperrin Mews, in Magherafelt, Co Londonderry, deny two charges of murder and the attempted murder of six others - three soldiers, two pizza delivery drivers and a security guard.
Dr Perlin's forensic computer-based system strongly linked the two men to the getaway car used in the attack. But the academic's "true allele" method of analysing mixed genetic samples and deriving a likelihood ratio is relatively new and has never once been admitted as evidence in a UK or Irish court, and only on a few occasions in the United States.
Barry MacDonald QC, who represents Duffy, told the court: "The validation of new scientific methods and processes should only be regarded as having been achieved if they are accepted by the wider scientific community. That has not happened in the present case."
Mr O'Connor QC added: "This is a man who will (turn down) no opportunity to support what he sees as a major contribution to the world of science and he is on a mission to promote it."
The National Institute for Science and Technology in the US is assessing his methods."
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith
Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog; hlevy15@gmail.com;
