Crime scene investigators describe scene of fatal stabbing at Gopsort murder trial

Mark Oliver, 56, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of murdering his 53-year-old brother Andrew Oliver, a grandfather and dad-of-two.

Prosecutors say Oliver stabbed his unarmed sibling twice to the body and inflicted three knife wounds on his face during an incident allegedly in a row over a pillowcase at the pair’s home in Harwood Road, Gosport, on February 1. He has denied a charge of murder.

Jurors have today heard first-hand accounts of crime scene investigators called to document the home in the immediate aftermath of the killing.

Among those taking the stand included crime scene investigator Leslie Smith, who spent three hours mapping out ‘areas of forensic interest’ in the home - which included ‘splatters, smears and spots of blood’ on walls, floors and bedding before removing Mr Oliver’s body.

Describing the scene, the former Royal Navy chef told the court he noted small patches of blood on the bathroom sink and toilet floor.

There was also a ‘smear of blood’ on the entrance to the shower, he said, as well as small spots of on the floor of Mr Oliver’s room and on the deceased’s bed and pillow.

Defence barrister Sarah Jones QC said Mr Smith’s search was ‘cursory’ and that there wasn’t a large amount of blood around the house, with the only significant quantity being found on Mr Oliver’s polo shirt, which had been ‘cut open’ and ‘left behind him’ while paramedics worked to save his life.

‘Other than that, there were no areas at this point in time where there was a lot of blood,’ Ms Jones said. ‘There’s no instance where blood has pooled or gathered.

‘There are no areas of spray or large collections of pools of blood.

‘We’re not talking about a blood bath by any means.’

‘No, not at all,’ Mr Smith replied.

The jury was also shown taken by photo by CSI Nigel Minns, showing the Italy v Wales rugby game, which had been paused at 32min 37sec as well as another shot of defendant Oliver’s room, which Mr Minns described as ‘messy and unkempt’.

Mr Minns added the pair of investigators were only there to take ‘general scene’ pictures and to forensically wrap and remove the body of Mr Oliver.

‘The photos taken were to show a scene frozen in time, before police did any analysis, to try and get it as close to a snapshot of a moment of time before police investigations begin,’ Ms Jones told the court.

Mr Minns said: ‘Absolutely everything in the room is exactly as it was when in went in to it. I didn’t touch anything. There was no need for me to touch anything.’

(Proceeding)

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