No DNA link in Mellory murder

Forensic scientists were unable to find a DNA link between Mauha Fawcett and the woman he is alleged to have killed, a court has heard.

Police have accused the 26-year-old of joining in with the violent murder of Christchurch prostitute Mellory Manning at a Mongrel Mob gang house on December 18, 2008.

Ms Manning's badly beaten body was found floating in the Avon River early the next morning and was subject to intense forensic examination.

Giving evidence at Fawcett's trial in the Christchurch High Court this morning, forensic scientist Jayshree Patel said four DNA profiles were found on or about Ms Manning's body.

Three profiles were found in a swab of Ms Manning's genitals; the first linked to Ms Manning, the second an unidentified man dubbed 'Male B', while the third was too weak to determine a gender.

DNA samples taken from underneath her fingernails revealed a fourth DNA profile, matching a client who had used Ms Manning's services the night before.

However, Ms Patel went on to confirm that none of the DNA profiles matched Fawcett, who was categorised as 'Male Z'. His DNA was also not found at alleged scene of the murder on Galbraith Ave. Scientists have been unable to determine who the 'Male B' profile belongs to, whilepolice have not ruled out the possibility that Ms Manning had sex with an unregistered client on the night of her murder.

Further testing found Ms Manning's DNA on a knife off Dallington Tce, which had been located upstream from where her body was discovered.

Ms Patel said the DNA profile, taken from the inside handle of the weapon, was 110 times more likely to have come from Ms Manning than anyone else.

While she could not confirm how the DNA was transferred, she said she could not rule out the possibility the knife came into contact with Ms Manning's bloodstained body.

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No DNA link in Mellory murder