Blood-stained clothes of accused linked to Marsden stab victim, murder trial jury hears

BLOOD-stained clothing owned by two men accused of murder has been forensically linked to victim Craig Hepburn.

Scottish piper Mr Hepburn, 19, was fatally stabbed 11 times during a frenzied attack in Marsden on July 6 last year.

Paramedics told yesterday during the trial at Leeds Crown Court how they saw blood running down the hill in Old Mount Road at the junction with Manchester Road as they battled to save him.

They also treated survivor Conor Paton, 19, who ran to raise the alarm after he himself was stabbed three times.

The jury later heard evidence from senior forensic scientist, Valerie Tomlinson, who told how Mr Hepburn’s DNA had been recovered on clothing owned by Anthony Driver and Luke Elliott, who are standing trial accused of murder and attempted murder.

Both have denied the charges.

Miss Tomlinson said Mr Hepburn’s DNA was found on Driver’s jeans which he was wearing when he was arrested.

She said there was also blood on his left sleeve of a Superdry hooded top and blood staining on the pocket area which also matched with the victim’s when tested. A pair of black trainers also showed the same result.

She said the blood could have come into contact with the clothing while a person was trying to stop the bleeding, as Driver, of Grange Cottages, Marsden, maintains, but she said it could also not be ruled out that it had occurred at the time the injuries were caused.

Elliott, 36, of Main Avenue, Cowlersley, told police he was not at the scene when the attack happened but his clothing – jogging bottoms and jacket – were also forensically linked by DNA to the victim.

She said Elliott’s black trainers were covered in blood which was consistent with bleeding occurring directly onto the training shoes.

The expert was also asked whether multiple knives were used in the attack but she said she was unable to say from the cuts to the victim’s clothing. She said if more than one knife was used they would have been ‘similar’ to each other.

The court heard witness statements read earlier in the case from paramedics who rushed to aid Mr Hepburn.

Paramedic Kathryn Barraclough said in a statement: “There was a lot of blood running down the street.”

She said it was clear it was a serious situation as they struggled to get a pulse saying “he was clearly dying.”

The trial continues.