Wednesday, July 10, 2019

[NEWS] Prosecution presents last witness in trial of Dane who allegedly killed Nigerian wife, daughter




The prosecution in the trial of the Danish national, Peter Nielsen, who is accused of killing his Nigerian wife and daughter, on Thursday called its final witness, a forensic scientist.
Richard Somiari, the Centre Director for the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, testified as the prosecution’s final witness.
Mr Nielsen, 54, was arraigned in June 2018, before a Lagos Division of the Lagos State High Court on a two-count charge of murder, by Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
He allegedly murdered his singer wife, Zainab, 37, and their daughter, Petra, 3, in their Banana Island home in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.




Witness
According to Mr Somiari, not all the evidential samples taken at the crime scene were tested at the laboratory.
The witness said over 50 samples were taken at the crime scene, but not all were tested.
He agreed with the defence counsel that it was possible that some of the evidential samples taken at the crime scene might have been contaminated before they were taken.
The witness said after some of the samples taken at the crime scene were tested, it was discovered that some of the biological material found on the night wears of the murdered woman and her child matched that of Mr Nielsen.
“The Lagos State DNA & Forensic Centre was contacted on April 9, 2018, by the Nigerian Police to help process a crime scene,” Mr Somiari said.
“We responded on April 10 and visited the crime scene at Bella Vista Towers, Banana Island, Plot 4, Flat 17.”






The witness said ”himself and three members of his team”; a police team; anatomy and forensic pathologist from the University of Lagos, John Obafunwa; a representative of the Danish Embassy in Nigeria; and a legal representative were at Bella Vista Towers.
The court admitted five forensic reports produced by the witness into evidence.
During cross-examination by counsel to the defendant, Olasupo Shasore, Mr Somiari said he enrolled in a 16-hour online course to become a certified forensic scientist.
The witness further said he did not physically attend the Florida International University, USA, to study Crime Scene Processing.

At the last hearing, while being led in evidence by the prosecutor, Mr Somiari told the court that Mr Nielsen’s DNA profiles matched that of the male DNA samples found on the nightgown worn by his late wife.
He said Mr Nielsen’s DNA profiles also matched samples found on the pyjamas worn by his daughter.
The court adjourned till September 28 and October 25 for the continuation of cross-examination by the defence counsel.






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