Published Tuesday, 26 January 2010
The Belfast Crown Court jury of eight men and four women heard that when senior forensic scientist Andrew Davidson examined the rucksack Jonathan McKee had on his back, he found a stabbed cut on the bag which had also pierced a tin of pink spary paint inside.
The jury has already heard that on the night he was killed, 15-year-old Thomas had asked his friend to carry the bag because he had a sore back.
In the dock charged with murdering the schoolboy on August 10th 2005, attempting to murder 22-year-old Mr McKee and attempting to cause him grievous bodily harm are north Belfast men Nigel James Brown, 26, from the Whitewell Road and Gary Taylor, 23, from Mountcollyer Avenue.
Brown has already pleaded guilty to a single count of trying to cause GBH to Mr McKee and it is the Crown case that Brown was armed with a wooden bat while Taylor is alleged to have had a knife.
Thomas, Mr McKee and another friend Fintan Maguire were attacked by two men walking a dog just before midnight as they walked along the Somerton Road in north Belfast.
Reading Mr Davidson's statement to the jury, prosecuting QC Toby Hedworth described how the black Quicksilver rucksack had been examined for DNA amid reports that Taylor had grabbed it when he allegedly stabbed Mr McKee but that none was found.
The senior scientist also examined clothing from Thomas and Mr McKee and commented that both were heavily blood-stained in the areas where there were cuts in the fabric but only DNA from the victim's were found on their respective garments.
On Tuesday the jury also heard testimony from Dr Ciara McGoldrick who was working as a senior house officer at the Mater Hospital when Thomas and Mr McKee were brought in.
She told the court she had been part of the team trying to resuscitate Thomas before she was called away to treat Mr McKee.
Dr McGoldrick said she found a single stab wound to Mr McKee's abdomen which was stitched and a "boggy lump" on the back of his head but that chest and head X-rays did not show any further damage.