SAINT JOHN, NB- After six days on the witness stand the direct and cross examination of the Chief Forensics Officer of the Saint John Police Force came to an end today at the second degree murder trial of Dennis Oland. Sergeant Mark Smith has testified he was responsible for more than 560 police exhibits alone.
It was another abbreviated day at the trial with the jury not taking their seats for more than ninety minutes after the scheduled start time. Lawyers on both sides were hashing out some issues.
But when court did resume the defense was aggressive in pointing what was not found in relation to their client.
Once again defense lawyer Gary Miller led the cross examination of Sgt. Smith. Under his questioning Smith agreed he never received information of any blood or DNA belonging to Richard Oland on several items seized from Dennis Oland’s Rothesay residence a week after the body was found. They included shoes, pants and shirts belonging to Dennis Oland along with anything in or on Dennis’s Volkswagen Golf, a grocery bag and it’s contents and a log book.
Richard Oland’s bloodied body was found in his Canterbury Street office July 7, 2011. Testimony has revealed he had received some forty blows to his head and neck.
Smith has testified it was one of the bloodiest crime scenes he had ever attended.
Miller then asked Smith if it was correct he never received any information that any blood or DNA identified as Dennis Oland was found on Richard Oland’s body or at the crime scene.
Smith responded “yes, none was located.”
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After parts of six days. Sergeant Smith’s time on the stand came to an end this afternoon with a continued focus on the crime scene, in particular the back door outside Richard Oland’s second floor office.
Gary Miller brought up how that matter was handled by both Smith and other officers on the scene. Miller asked Smith point blank if he simply forgot about the door.
Smith replied “no, sir.”
Miller questioned this, “but you didn’t photograph the door until four years later?”
“Thats correct,” said Smith
Pathologist Ather Naseemuddin began his testimony today. He performed the autopsy on Richard Oland’s body and told the court he has performed about 150 autopsies over five years in Saint John.
Mister Justice Jack Walsh again warned the gallery about the graphic nature of the autopsy photos.
Testimony continues Friday.
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