A garda scenes of crime officer has told a jury at the Central Criminal Court that bone fragments, buttons and a hair clip were among items found in an underground tank where the body of DJ Bobby Ryan was found.
A garda scenes of crime officer has told a jury at the Central Criminal Court that bone fragments, buttons and a hair clip were among items found in an underground tank where the body of DJ Bobby Ryan was found.
Gardaí who recovered items from the scene were giving evidence in the trial of Patrick Quirke of Breanshamore, Co Tipperary, who is accused of murdering Mr Ryan, a part time DJ known as Mr Moonlight.
Mr Quirke has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Ryan at an unknown location on a date between 3 June 2011 and 30 April 2013.
Mr Ryan's body was discovered by Mr Quirke on a farm at Fawnagowan, Tipperary.
Garda Gerard Canty told the court he helped to gather evidence from the scene of the body recovery, including liquid taken from the tank.
He took photographs of items recovered from the tank, including bone fragments and a hair clip.
During cross-examination, he said he was not surprised nor did any other garda express surprise to him that a woman's hair clip was recovered from the tank.
Garda Canty agreed that the photographs of the items were not given to the exhibits officer until five-and-a-half years after they had been taken. He had not made a statement until November last year.
He also agreed there was nothing in his notes or statement about a hair clip.
However, Garda Canty said the evidence bag containing the items was given to the exhibits officer and its contents would have been visible when the bag was new.
He agreed that the contents of the bag had not been written on the bag.
Defence counsel Lorcan Staines asked if he could explain why the exhibits chart for that bag, which was disclosed to the defence, made no mention of a hair clip, but mentioned other items including cable ties, tubing and a pipe cover.
Garda John Kavanagh, who took photographs at the scene, said he could not remember the concrete slab breaking and material falling into the tank onto Mr Ryan's remains.
It was put to him by defence counsel that this was "the most remarkable event of the whole day" as efforts were made to preserve a crime scene. Garda Kavanagh said he did not remember.
Some of Mr Ryan's family who were in court left in a distressed state after a photograph showing his remains in the tank briefly appeared on a screen in court.
It occurred as Garda Kavanagh was being taken through the photographs he had taken on the day.
Garda Sharon Langan was part of a team from the garda national crime scene unit who attended the farm on the day Mr Ryan's body was found.
She told the court the body was removed from the tank and wrapped before being placed in a body bag.
She also attended the post mortem the following day and received samples from the pathologist which had been taken from Mr Ryan's body.
These included a watch, tissue samples, bone marrow, hair and a maggot.
Garda Langan agreed with defence counsel Lorcan Staines that it was best practice to leave a body in situ until all experts are on site.
She said this was an "ideal scenario" when all experts would be available, which was not always the case.
Garda Langan said she did not hear any discussion on the day about waiting for the arrival of the pathologist or staff from the forensic science laboratory.
She did not discuss with the pathologist when she attended the post mortem why he had not been at the scene the day before.
Asked by prosecuting counsel Michael Bowman if there was any reason it would not be appropriate for personnel to engage with a body in situ, Garda Langan said if there were health and safety concern it would not be appropriate.
The jury has already heard that Mr Ryan's body was recovered from an underground tank by members of the fire service.
Garda Langan did not remember the concrete slab shattering or breaking as it was removed from the tank with a mini digger.
Asked by defence counsel why she would not remember such a significant event she replied: "I'm sorry, but I really don't."
She said she and her team had wrapped the body before it was placed in a body bag, but she had no recollection of one of the deceased's arms coming off.
Garda Langan also said she had examined Mr Ryan's van and had taken samples from it in 2013. She agreed this was more than 22 months after he had gone missing.
Defence Counsel Lorcan Staines said in the meantime the van had been used for a television reconstruction and had also been returned to Mr Ryan's son.
