The State pathologist has said she can "not comment" on the cause of death of a person whose charred skeletal remains were discovered at the home of a Donegal man accused of the murder of his wife, due to the condition of the bones, the Central Criminal Court has heard.
Dr Marie Cassidy said "all the cells" and "all the organs had been burned away". DNA analysis was unsuccessful in confirming the identity of the deceased because of the "degree of incineration or cremation" of the bones.
Dr Cassidy was giving evidence in the trial of Gary McCrea (40), Ballybulgin, Laghy, Co Donegal, who denies murdering his estranged wife, Dolores (39), Ballintra, Co Donegal, between January 20th and January 22nd, 2004.
It is alleged that he murdered his wife, the mother of his four children, and burned her body at the rear of the old family home.
Dr Cassidy told the jury yesterday she examined the charred remains of a skeleton discovered in a fire at Mr McCrea's home.
"Despite the fire being active," the remains of human bones were removed from the fire scene.
Dr Cassidy said "pieces of skull bone", fragmented parts of the lower jaw and loose teeth were recovered. The upper part of a thigh-bone and "multiple spine bones" were also identified, as were some foot bones.
She told Paul O'Higgins SC, prosecuting, that the "distribution of the remains" suggested that the body had not been dismembered before being placed in the fire. No clothing had been found on the remains.
Dr Cassidy said the remains were examined in greater detail at the city mortuary where the bones were placed in the correct anatomical order.
She said many were seriously fragmented from the heat of the fire. In her opinion the remains were that of an adult female aged between 30 and 40.
She "could not comment" on the cause of death due to the state of the remains.
Charlene Walls told the jury that on the evening of January 20th, 2004, she drove past the McCrea home and saw a "very large fire" at about 8.30pm. She saw "flames coming higher" than the sheds at the side of Mr McCrea's home. Ms Walls said she "distinctively" remembered a "white flame".
A neighbour, Joe Walsh, said that on the same evening he got a "foul smell" when he went outside. When he looked towards Mr McCrea's home he saw black smoke.
The trial continues today before Mr Justice Michael Hanna.