- Joined
- Aug 19, 2012
- Messages
- 14,031
- Reaction score
- 61,268
10:54
'Naked female wrapped in two transparent plastic bags'
Alison Baldry, a Crime Scene Investigator with specialist experience in the excavation of human remains, was requested by the Crime Scene Manager to go to the Accrington Cemetery on August 25 to carry out a forensic archaeological investigation of a potential clandestine burial.
Mr McLachlan told the jury: “The purpose of the examination was to record, excavate and recover any human remains present along with other pertinent evidence which might assist with the identification of the deceased and the understanding of the circumstances surrounding the death.
“Alison Baldry concluded that the burial was located in a woodland area. The burial was excavated using standard archaeological techniques to expose a naked female wrapped in two transparent plastic bags. There was one large bag and one smaller. bag.
“The plastic wrapping also contained straw / grass like vegetation which was visibly different to the vegetation in the burial’s immediate environment.”
Details of the burial site
Alison Baldry said the burial site had not been recently dug and may have been a tree hole based on its irregular shape. Due to on-going works in the cemetery the feature may have been man made.
However, it is possible to say that it is “highly unlikely that this feature was dug as a premeditated clandestine burial”, the jury heard.
Mr McLachlan said: “According to Alison Baldry the lack of ground level disturbance or spoil heaps in the vicinity implies that this soil was brought to the scene from elsewhere.
“Furthermore, the presence of cemetery related objects, such as plastic leaves and fabric petals in the fill, suggested that it may likely have been sourced from the cemetery grounds.
“The body would later be identified as Lindsay Birbeck’s by reference to dental records.”
DNA from blue wheelie bin
On August 25, PC Birchall went to Dill Hall Cemetery and identified the blue wheelie bin as the same bin that he had seen at Accrington Cemetery on Burnley Road on August 20.
A Crime Scene Investigator took photographs of the bin and it was later examined by a forensic scientist.
Mr McLachlan told the jury: “To the naked eye it all looked clean and crisp.
“However she identified some areas of blood staining inside the wheelie bin and took swabs. She also found some dark hairs inside the bin.
“These were passed onto another forensic scientist who obtained low level DNA profiles which matched Lindsay Birbeck.
“In addition the forensic scientist also obtained a low level trace of DNA from one of the hairs and all of the DNA components matched Lindsay Birbeck.
'Severe compressive force directed at the neck'
Home Office pathologist Dr Naomi Carter carried out a post-mortem examination on August 26.
Mr McLachlan said:
Her opinion was that the cause of death was due to neck injuries. There was a marked decomposition of the body.
The state of the post-mortem degeneration was in keeping with Lindsay Birbeck having died shortly after the time she went missing i.e a post-mortem interval of 12 days.
Despite the degeneration of the body the neck skin was intact and although bruising on the skin surface could not be assessed, internally in the neck the findings were of potentially great significance.
The gross disruption of the neck cartilage is in Dr Carter’s opinion unusually severe for compression of the neck.
She will say the neck cartilages appear to have be crushed and there has been some form of severe compressive force directed at the neck.
This could have been achieved through stamping or kicking or, for example, kneeling on the front of the neck.
There was in Dr Carter’s opinion good evidence of significant ante-mortem injury - that means injury before death - to the neck.
No natural disease contributed towards her death who was otherwise a fit and healthy 47-year-old woman.”
Lindsay Birbeck murder retrial at Preston Crown Court - updates
'Naked female wrapped in two transparent plastic bags'
Alison Baldry, a Crime Scene Investigator with specialist experience in the excavation of human remains, was requested by the Crime Scene Manager to go to the Accrington Cemetery on August 25 to carry out a forensic archaeological investigation of a potential clandestine burial.
Mr McLachlan told the jury: “The purpose of the examination was to record, excavate and recover any human remains present along with other pertinent evidence which might assist with the identification of the deceased and the understanding of the circumstances surrounding the death.
“Alison Baldry concluded that the burial was located in a woodland area. The burial was excavated using standard archaeological techniques to expose a naked female wrapped in two transparent plastic bags. There was one large bag and one smaller. bag.
“The plastic wrapping also contained straw / grass like vegetation which was visibly different to the vegetation in the burial’s immediate environment.”
Details of the burial site
Alison Baldry said the burial site had not been recently dug and may have been a tree hole based on its irregular shape. Due to on-going works in the cemetery the feature may have been man made.
However, it is possible to say that it is “highly unlikely that this feature was dug as a premeditated clandestine burial”, the jury heard.
Mr McLachlan said: “According to Alison Baldry the lack of ground level disturbance or spoil heaps in the vicinity implies that this soil was brought to the scene from elsewhere.
“Furthermore, the presence of cemetery related objects, such as plastic leaves and fabric petals in the fill, suggested that it may likely have been sourced from the cemetery grounds.
“The body would later be identified as Lindsay Birbeck’s by reference to dental records.”
DNA from blue wheelie bin
On August 25, PC Birchall went to Dill Hall Cemetery and identified the blue wheelie bin as the same bin that he had seen at Accrington Cemetery on Burnley Road on August 20.
A Crime Scene Investigator took photographs of the bin and it was later examined by a forensic scientist.
Mr McLachlan told the jury: “To the naked eye it all looked clean and crisp.
“However she identified some areas of blood staining inside the wheelie bin and took swabs. She also found some dark hairs inside the bin.
“These were passed onto another forensic scientist who obtained low level DNA profiles which matched Lindsay Birbeck.
“In addition the forensic scientist also obtained a low level trace of DNA from one of the hairs and all of the DNA components matched Lindsay Birbeck.
'Severe compressive force directed at the neck'
Home Office pathologist Dr Naomi Carter carried out a post-mortem examination on August 26.
Mr McLachlan said:
Her opinion was that the cause of death was due to neck injuries. There was a marked decomposition of the body.
The state of the post-mortem degeneration was in keeping with Lindsay Birbeck having died shortly after the time she went missing i.e a post-mortem interval of 12 days.
Despite the degeneration of the body the neck skin was intact and although bruising on the skin surface could not be assessed, internally in the neck the findings were of potentially great significance.
The gross disruption of the neck cartilage is in Dr Carter’s opinion unusually severe for compression of the neck.
She will say the neck cartilages appear to have be crushed and there has been some form of severe compressive force directed at the neck.
This could have been achieved through stamping or kicking or, for example, kneeling on the front of the neck.
There was in Dr Carter’s opinion good evidence of significant ante-mortem injury - that means injury before death - to the neck.
No natural disease contributed towards her death who was otherwise a fit and healthy 47-year-old woman.”
Lindsay Birbeck murder retrial at Preston Crown Court - updates
