Gun victim's blood 'found on his girlfriend's pyjamas'

BLOOD stains were found on a pair of pyjamas belonging to the girlfriend of Martyn Barclay, a murder trial has heard.

A forensic scientist said that among items passed for examination following the shooting of Martyn Barclay was clothing from his girlfriend, Caroline Igoe.

Giving evidence at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, Kirsty McTurk said blood was found on a pair of grey pyjama bottoms which provided a DNA match with Mr Barclay.

Miss McTurk said that one possible explanation for the pattern of the blood staining found was that the wearer of the pyjama bottoms was close to Mr Barclay when he was shot.

She was asked by advocate depute Alex Prenctice QC if her finding was supportive of the wearer of the trousers being present when he was shot. She replied: "Yes."

But Miss McTurk, 31, said that was not the only possible explanation for the blood. She agreed with Igoe's defence solicitor, advocate Jim Keegan QC, that there were several explanations that could account for the pattern of blood.

Igoe, 32, and her brother Paul Igoe or Hunter, 37, have denied murdering her boyfriend Mr Barclay, 26, in her home street of Hazelwood Grove, in the Inch area of Edinburgh, on 17 January, last year.

It is alleged that they discharged a handgun at him and shot him in the head.

He was so severely injured that he died later the same day in the city's Western General Hospital.

The pair have also denied firearms charges, involving possession of a gun, and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

Miss McTurk also said there was evidence that a gun found at Craigmillar Castle park had been handled by a former co-accused Kenneth Carruthers, 37, and another man, Zac Robinson. She agreed with Paul Igoe's counsel, Ronnie Renucci, that a variety of tapings and swabs were taken from the handgun and five showed positive for the presence of Robinson's DNA.

The trial previously heard that the mother of the two accused, Margaret Igoe, 61, had been woken up in the early hours of 17 January last year by her daughter Caroline, who told her Mr Barclay was lying drunk in the street.

Ms Igoe told the court when she got to the scene Paul had already left and she later found out he had removed a gun from the scene and admitted she did not tell police this.

The trial before Lord Bracadale continues.