DNA test on Ayr scarf

Oct 9 2009

ALISTAIR Thomson was identified by Gareth Steven in a line-up at Ayr police office.

After being arrested in June last year, Thomson took part in the line-up.

Gareth pointed him out to officers after requesting that he say: “I don’t want to use this right, now give me the jewellery.”

He also requested that Thomson turn around and expose his hips. Gareth pulled his attacker off a wall by the legs before he was stabbed.

At the High Court in Kilmarnock this week, prosecutor Steven Borthwick QC asked Gareth if he could see his attacker in court.

He pointed to Thomson – who denies robbing and attempting to murder Mr Steven – in the dock.

The court later heard that the man who stabbed Gareth left an Ayr United scarf at the scene.

It had fallen from the assailant’s face allowing Gareth to get a good look at his attacker.

During his police interview, played to the jury, Thomson told police he is an Ayr United fan and that he used to own a black and white scarf but that he doesn’t know whathappened to it.

Carol Weston, 35, a forensic scientist examined the black and white scarf for DNA.

She explained that large amounts of Alistair Thomson’s DNA were found all over the scarf.

Ms Weston went on to explain that the chances of that DNA matching anyone else other than Thomson were more than one billion to one.

Dr John Bowie, a facial verification expert, compared images of Alistair Thomson with CCTV footage of the stabbing.

He explained that there were similarities between Thomson and the assailant who appears in the CCTV.

Dr Bowie also pointed out that the two men are approximately the same height.

Images of Jason Skilling, a former suspect in the case, were also provided to Dr Bowie.

But he concluded that Jason Skilling is much taller than the man in the CCTV footage and his face is completely different.