Brenda Page: DNA on dead woman's duvet matched murder accused

Brenda Page was found dead in 1978

Sperm found on the duvet of a woman found dead on her bed in 1978 matched the DNA profile of the man accused of her murder, a court has heard.

Brenda Page's former husband Christopher Harrisson, 82, denies murdering her in Aberdeen.

The 32-year-old had suffered multiple head injuries.

Forensic scientist Andrew Gibb said it was 590 million times more likely that the duvet sperm sample came from Mr Harrisson than another male.

The Scottish Police Authority expert told the sixth day of the trial at the High Court in Aberdeen that a duvet from Ms Page's Allan Street flat had previously been analysed.

The 46-year-old said it had been established that the duvet stain contained traces of sperm.

He said it was analysed and a partial profile matched the profile of Mr Harrisson.

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Mr Gibb told the court that contact did not always leave an interpretable result.

He agreed with advocate depute Alex Prentice, prosecuting, that no DNA attributable to anyone other than Mr Harrisson or Ms Page was detected in interpretable results.

He also agreed with defence counsel Brian McConnachie, under cross examination, that there was other detectable DNA, but it was not known who it came from.

'Forcibly struck'

The trial has heard Brenda Page was found dead on her bed with at least 20 head and face injuries.

Fellow forensic scientist Christopher Gannicliffe said photos of the scene had been analysed as part of a reinvestigation into Brenda Page's death.

He said the opinion reached was she had been "forcibly" struck multiple times on the head when on the bed.

The trial is taking place at the High Court in Aberdeen

Ms Page was principal of the genetics department at the University of Aberdeen Medical School.

The court has been told she also started doing escort work to earn more money.

Mr Harrisson has lodged a special defence of alibi to the murder charge, and also denies other charges including assault.

The trial, before judge Lord Richardson, continues on Wednesday.