Soil in van linked to where Emma Caldwell was 'murdered'

Dr Stefan Uitdehaag was asked to examine samples collected from the vehicle and compared to those taken from areas of Limefield Woods in Biggar, South Lanarkshire in 2005.

The soil expert -  a palynologist based at the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) in The Hague - was giving evidence via video link at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday.

Iain Packer, 51, is on trial and denies a total of 46 charges involving multiple women including the murder of 27-year-old Miss Caldwell at Limefield Woods on April 5, 2005.

Dr Uitdehaag was called to help in the inquiry in 2022.

He was given a number of soil samples which included “clumps” taken from the footwell of a blue van.

Jurors have previously heard Packer drove a number of vehicles including two different vans.

This soil was compared to six samples recovered from the woods where Miss Caldwell’s body was found in May 2005.

The court heard these included from the ditch area where she was discovered by a dog walker as well as a molehill on an approach path.

Prosecutor Richard Goddard KC today took the doctor through his detailed report and conclusions.

Dr Uitdehaag set what was described as two “propositions”.

Number one was that the soil in the van came from the “same location” as the forest - defined by various factors including within a 50-metre range.

Number two was that it came from another different “random” site.

The court heard the “chosen technique” to compare soil samples was to analyse the pollen in them.

Mr Goddard asked the witness: “When you examined the samples from the forest with the samples from the van, you found that they each contained the same types and quantities of pollen - that is correct?”

The expert agreed.

The court heard that Dr Uitdehaag found that three of the samples in particular “very well” fitted “proposition one” when compared to what was in the van.

These were taken from under moss, spruce needles and at the molehill.

Mr Goddard put to the doctor that was it correct to state he had concluded it was “much more likely” the soil from the van came from those areas rather than “another random location”

He replied: “Yes, that is correct.”

Jurors heard that to put it in “mathematical” terms it was 100 to 10,000 times more likely it fitted the first proposition or 99 to 99.99%.

Mr Goddard later states to the witness: “Three out of six samples were an even greater match to the samples from the van than the other three?”

The doctor again agreed.

Jurors later heard from the pathologist who examined Miss Caldwell’s naked body after it was discovered in the woods on May 8 2005.

Prosecutor Mr Goddard took Dr Marjorie Turner through her post-mortem report.

He put to her: “There was one clearly identifiable cause of death which was compression of the neck?”

Dr Turner: “Yes.”

The court heard there had been a plastic cord or line visible at the back of the neck when Miss Caldwell was found.

The witness - now based at the University of Belfast - said there had been bruising of the neck muscles mainly on the right-hand side.

Her report further stated: “The pattern of injury is more in keeping with manual strangulation, but the application of a ligature - either instead of or in addition to a hand - cannot be excluded.”

The jury was also told that Miss Caldwell had “clearly been dead for some time” and possibly from shortly after she was last seen alive on April 5, 2005.

The pathologist was not able, however, to determine an exact time of death.

Dr Turner said four bruises to the right of the neck and one to the left was a pattern “very typical of manual strangulation” with indications force had been used.

Mr Goddard: “You did not see any sign of any bleeding injury to Emma Caldwell?”

Dr Turner: “No.”

Packer’s KC Ronnie Renucci later put to the pathologist that was it possible death could have occurred “elsewhere”.

She agreed it could be.

The trial, before Judge Lord Beckett, continues.