DNA on a cigarette butt found outside Lloyd Rayney's home around the time of his wife's murder matched a person 'well known to police', murder trial told.

Lloyd Rayney dodges witches hats to get to court for day 31 of his murder trial. PICTURE: Kerris Berrington Source: PerthNow

Sen-Const Warren Wheatley. Source: PerthNow

LAWYERS acting for barrister Lloyd Rayney today told the Supreme Court that DNA on a cigarette butt found by police outside the family home in Como matched that of a person "well known to police" as other witnesses told of "blood curdling" screams coming from Kings Park on the night Mr Rayney's wife Corryn disappeared.

In a new twist in the long-running trial, defence lawyer David Edwardson, QC, told trial judge Justice Brian Martin that the person whose DNA was found on the cigarette butt had the same surname - Eades - as the driver of a car which was stopped by Kensington police in Manning at about 9.10pm on August 7, 2007, the night Mrs Rayney was last seen alive.

"Your honour will hear evidence shortly that a cigarette butt was retrieved and that the DNA on that cigarette matched a person well known to police by the name of Eades," he said.

The cigarette butt was among items collected by police from the footpath and verge of the Rayney home on August 22, 2007.

Mr Edwardson's comments came as a former police officer, Darrel McLeod, gave evidence at Mr Rayney's murder trial today.

It has been alleged Mr Rayney killed his wife at the family home after she arrived home from a boot scooting class in Bentley.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charge and also to an alternative charge of manslaughter.

Excerpt from:
DNA cigarette butt twist in Rayney trial