The State's forensic dental surgeon has told a murder trial that "heavily carbonised" teeth recovered from a smouldering fire were consistent with the dental records of a Donegal woman.
"In my conclusion there is a very high probability that the remains that I examined were the remains of Dolores McCrea", Dr Paul Keogh told the Central Criminal Court yesterday.
Gary McCrea (40), Laghy, Co Donegal, denies murdering his wife, Dolores McCrea (39), Ballintra, Co Donegal, between January 20th and January 22nd, 2004. It is alleged that Mr McCrea murdered his wife and the mother of his four children and then burned her body in a fire at the rear of the old family home.
Dr Keogh told Paul O'Higgins SC, prosecuting, that he was called to the city morgue in Dublin on January 26th, 2004.
He examined heavily carbonised teeth which were recovered from a smouldering fire discovered at Mr McCrea's home.
He compared Ms McCrea's dental records with the teeth recovered by gardaí from the fire. He found "35 points" matching Ms McCrea's dental records.
"I can't be 100 per cent conclusive," he said, "but I found nothing in her remains that I examined that were not in the antemortem record."
The jury heard the odds were "incredibly low" for two people to have the same dental records.
Det Sgt Shane Curran said he recovered a wooden log at Mr McCrea's home which smelled strongly of an accelerant which he believed was either petrol or diesel. He also discovered a 25- litre plastic drum which contained diesel and was "close to empty".
The trial continues on Monday before Mr Justice Michael Hanna.