PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Yesterday, Mr Jones was questioned by Neill-Fraser's lawyer Tom Percy QC and said he believed the DNA was transferred there directly. But he told the court today he could not rule out the possibility the DNA got onto the boat indirectly. Coates: You said yesterday that if you'd known nothing of the case that it's likely that it would be a direct transfer. However, you know Ms Vass claims she's never been on the boat. But you don't rule out the possibility of a direct transfer? Jones: I can't entirely rule that possibility out but there would need to be specific circumstances for that to occur. There is a possibility of someone transferring it onto the deck. You can't rule it out."
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STORY: "Sue Neill-Fraser: Freshness of forensic DNA evidence questioned by prosecutor," by reporter Aneeta Bhole, published by ABC News on October 31, 2017.
GIST: "An expert witness in convicted killer Susan
Neill-Fraser's bid to win an appeal has said he would not disagree with
the findings of forensic expert Deb McHoul, who gave evidence in the
2010 trial. Neill-Fraser,
62, was jailed in 2010 after a jury unanimously found her guilty of
murdering her partner, radiation physicist Bob Chappell, on board their yacht the Four Winds on Australia Day 2009 but she has always maintained her innocence. Her last-ditch attempt for freedom resumed today with her supporters packing into Hobart Supreme Court. She
had exhausted all avenues of appeal until new legislation gave her
another chance provided her lawyers could provide fresh and compelling
evidence. Today the issue returned to whether or not DNA evidence
indicated Meaghan Vass, a homeless teenager at the time, had boarded
Four Winds. Ms Vass denied ever being aboard the boat in her testimony yesterday. Today,
Tasmania's Director of Public Prosecutions Daryl Coates questioned the
freshness of evidence being presented by defence witness Maxwell Jones, a
forensic specialist from Victoria Police. He queried Mr Jones on how Ms McHoul's reading of the DNA evidence in 2010 differed from his own. Coates: You're not critical of what Ms McHoul said in those answers? Jones:
Nothing clear sticks out that I would disagree with. I'm not critical I
would have said a similar thing. There's nothing there that I can
disagree with. Mr Jones also said because the DNA
sampling was done four days after Mr Chappell's disappearance it was
possible Ms Vass's DNA was actually deposited after the night in
question. Yesterday, Mr Jones was questioned by Neill-Fraser's
lawyer Tom Percy QC and said he believed the DNA was transferred there
directly. But he told the court today he could not rule out the possibility the DNA got onto the boat indirectly. Coates:
You said yesterday that if you'd known nothing of the case that it's
likely that it would be a direct transfer. However, you know Ms Vass
claims she's never been on the boat. But you don't rule out the
possibility of a direct transfer? Jones: I can't
entirely rule that possibility out but there would need to be specific
circumstances for that to occur. There is a possibility of someone
transferring it onto the deck. You can't rule it out. Neill-Fraser's
hope of winning an appeal will rest on the decision of Justice Michael
Brett with hearings continuing until Thursday."
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. 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/c
