Claremont killer trial LIVE: Court sits into night for UK witnesses to give evidence on breakthrough DNA moment

8.00pm

Scientist who extracted DNA from crucial fingernail exhibits gives evidence

The next witness called is Andrew Talbot, who is appearing via video link from Inverness, Scotland.

Mr Talbot was a forensic assistant for the Forensic Science Service in 2008, and holds a science degree in molecular biology and genetics.

On December 3, 2008, he was instructed by Ms Evans to combine Ciara's left hand fingernail samples AJM40 and AJM42 to create one sample for low copy number testing.

He carried out the same process for Ciara's right hand samples, AJM46 and AJM48.

"I would take them to the clean lab and at my work station I would open them up and then I would use a swab to swab around the inside of the pots that contained the samples to recover the DNA," he said.

"Once I'd done that, I'd have an extraction tube ready and you cut the tip off the swab and put it in the extraction tube for processing."

Mr Talbot said he would have carried out the process twice, keeping AJM40 and AJM42 separate from AJM46 and AJM48 to prevent contamination.

"The whole point of the clean lab is to prevent contaminating your sample with extraneous DNA," he said.

"There are safety cabinets for working in so the airflow is designed to prevent contamination and the labs themselves have a positive air pressure."

Mr Talbot then added a chemical solution to the tubes with the swabs inside and they underwent a heating and spinning process for the DNA to be extracted.

He noted that the first time he tried to extract the DNA, it failed, as some of the chemical solution - the phenol - he had added to the tubes appeared frozen or crystallised.

He then added more phenol to the samples from a new bottle and repeated the process, which successfully separated the DNA.

A further several stages of the extraction were then carried out, with Mr Talbot estimating it would have taken a "few hours" to get to the final extract.

Witnesses were present for the key stages of the extraction process, to peer review Mr Talbot's workings.

7.01pm

A recap of the state witnesses called so far in 2020

The prosecution is nearing the end of its DNA evidence. For a recap of the witnesses called to date this year, please see the graphic below (NB: best viewed on desktop, Chrome).

6.15pm

Court has adjourned until 4pm

The next witness will be former FSS employee Andrew Talbot, who will appear via video link.

6.13pm

Forensic scientist first of UK DNA witnesses to be called

Former FSS forensic scientist, Carole Evans. Credit:LinkedIn

The first witness called this afternoon is Carole Evans, who was a senior forensic scientist working at the Forensic Science Service (FSS) in Birmingham in 2008.

Prosecutor Carmel Barbagallo is asking her about her involvement in the testing of some of the Macro taskforce exhibits in 2008, including Ciara's fingernail samples AJM40 (left thumb), AJM42 (left middle), AJM46 (right index) and AJM48 (right ring).

The items were transported to London by former Pathwest scientist Laurie Webb, in the company of former Macro Taskforce detective, Jim Stanbury.

The items arrived at the FSS London lab on September 1, 2008.

Ms Barbagallo has begun taking Ms Evans through how the exhibits were processed once they arrived in the UK to show the chain of possession, or continuity, of the items.

Once the fingernail samples arrived at the London lab, their secure police evidence packaging was examined and photographed.

The nail samples were among 15 items in three tagged and secured bags then sent to the Birmingham lab on September 9, 2008 by a tracked FSS courier transfer.

The Birmingham lab received the items on September 10, 2008.

Ms Barbagallo has paused her examination of Ms Evans just as she was about to begin her evidence on her examinations of the exhibits.

She will resume her evidence tomorrow at 10am.

4.49pm

How Ciara's left hand fingernails were tested in the 11 years to the 'breakthrough discovery'

4.44pm

Day 48 of trial to start at 2pm

Welcome to WAtoday's coverage of day 48 of the Claremont serial killer trial in the Supreme Court of Western Australia.

Today, court will commence at 2pm to cater for two witnesses who will give evidence from the UK. A third witness, from the UK but who has travelled to Perth to give evidence in person, will also take the witness stand this afternoon.

The three witnesses are from the UK lab known as the Forensic Science Service, and will give evidence on the 2008 low copy number testing of some of Ciara's fingernail samples which led to the alleged discovery of Bradley Edwards' DNA profile 11 years after her murder.

A mixed profile of Ciara's DNA and Mr Edwards' DNA was allegedly found under a combined sample of Ciara's left thumbnail and middle fingernail (AJM40 and AJM42).

Her left thumbnail had been torn in an alleged struggle with Mr Edwards before her death.

The sample, known as AJM40, was retrieved during Ciara's post-mortem, and remained sealed in a yellow top container until its testing in 2008.

It was combined with, AJM42, which had been tested on previous occasions in 1997 and 2004, when only Ciara's DNA was detected.