Another thing I've read about a silencer,the gun shown didn't have one in the episode.
The conviction is largely based on the silencer.
First respondents found the rifle across SC's body sans silencer. Soc officers wrapped up the farmhouse within a couple of days and handed keys to JB's extended family who subsequently found the silencer when cleaning/tidying the farmhouse. They inspected the silencer and found debris on the outside which they attributed in part to blood. They took the silencer to their own farmhouse and contacted the police about their find. A couple of days later a police officer, who was a lone wolf in suspecting JB from the off, collected the silencer from the relatives. It was then taken to a HO lab for analysis. The stains were shown to be blood and human in origin. It was then largely dismissed.
The DCI responsible for the case was convinced SC was responsible. JB's relatives were able to exert pressure on top brass to carry out a review. Meanwhile the DCI was replaced by another DCI.
The silencer was then returned to the lab (a month later) and opened up where a flake of blood was found. When analysed the flake was found to match SC's blood groups by way of blood serology as it was before the advent of DNA.
The prosecution argued JB used the silencer throughout the shootings and then when staging the rifle across SC's body found it too awkward with the silencer attached so removed it and placed it in a cupboard under the stairs where it was normally kept (and where the relatives found it). The flake representing back spatter (blood exiting a contact/close contact gunshot wound and traveling against the line of fire depositing in the silencer). How could SC shoot herself and then return the silencer to the gun cupboard?
The crux of the case:
- is the prosecution right?
- given the questionable chain of custody re the silencer was it a reliable piece of forensic evidence or was it fabricated on the basis some thought JB responsible but lacked the evidence without it?
