Handprints from two Perthshire men accused of murdering Dundee dad-of-five John Donachy were found in blood stains close to his body, the High Court was told on Monday.
Murray Fotheringham and Lee Winters are accused of murdering Mr Donachy, who was from the Hilltown, at Winter’s house in Alyth in March this year.
A number of forensics experts were called to give witness at the High Court in Edinburgh, before Lord Beckett.
Forensic biologist Lee Cowie said blood stains found on the living room door, close to where Mr Donachy’s body was discovered, had palm prints from both Fotheringham and Winters.
DNA from Winters and Mr Donachy was recovered from the bathroom sink.
Mr Donachy’s DNA was also detected beneath Winters’ finger nails.
Winters told police he touched Mr Donachy’s body after discovering him on the afternoon of Saturday March 3, before he dialled 999 for help.
The court also heard a red knife, submitted as evidence by the crown, could not be conclusively proven to have been used to stab Mr Donachy.
Mr Cowie said: “It was our opinion the blood pattern on the knife could not be explained if it had been used to stab Mr Donachy.
“We would expect to find smear stains of blood on the blade side of the knife.
“There were sparsely found stains on the blade, but no contact stains on the knife.
“It is possible it was subsequently cleaned.
“Another explanation is the knife was not used for either the cut to Winters’ hand or to stab John Donachy.”
An earlier hearing was told Winters cut his hand on a knife while trying to separate Mr Donachy and Fotheringham during an altercation the night before the death was discovered.
Fotheringham was the only one of the trio whose DNA was not recovered from the knife.
Police said clothes identified on CCTV as those worn by Winters on the night of March 2, had not been found.
Fotheringham, 36, a prisoner at Perth and Winters, 37, a prisoner at Edinburgh both deny killing Mr Donachy.
It is alleged they attacked him on March 3, by punching him and repeatedly striking him on the head and body with a baseball bat or rod, a knife or similar weapon.
Fotheringham is further accused of assaulting another man, Callum Duncan, on Airlie Street, Alyth, the day before. It is alleged Mr Duncan was punched and knocked to the ground, to his severe injury.
The same day, it is alleged that both Fotheringham and Winters assaulted Richard Long, seized him by his clothing, held him against a door, struck him on the head with a bottle, punched him on the head, brandished a shovel at him and repeatedly threatened to strike him with a knife.
It also is alleged that after Mr Donachy’s death, the two men disposed of clothing and a weapon or weapons, namely a knife, in an attempt to defeat the ends of justice.
Fotheringham faces a further charge of possession of controlled drug Diazepam.
The case continues.
