Project Law and Evidence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Project Law and Evidence - Essay Example Goodwin was tried and found guilty of both offences on 31 May 2006. Whilst the defense case is that Goodwin may have been guilty of burglary, the prosecutions case was that Goodwin also shot victim, in an execution style, and then stole from him.Much of the case against Goodwin relied upon scientific evidence. This consisted of three main items found at the scene of the crime. Firstly the prosecution produced evidence of a cigar stub; found a few feet from the basement window, within which the victim was discovered. Secondly, the police had discovered the defendants palm print on the inside of a window through which the intruder entered the property. Both of these items of evidence were connected directly to Kevin Godwin through the scientific method of DNA testing. As he had a previous conviction, a DNA sample from the defendant, they were able to directly link the DNA to Goodwin. The third item of evidence from the crime scene was a boot print, which the prosecution claimed matched a pair that Goodwin owned and was wearing on the day of the murder, however they could not confirm the exact size, only that the design was consistent with Godwin’s boots. At the defendant’s home the police found a gun and a humidifier that belonged to the victim. They also found other physical evidence of stolen property at a later date, being two other guns from the victim’s collection. Thus we find there are two types of evidence submitted in this case, scientific, being the DNA and physical.