Lundy trial: Murder weapon would have left paint embedded on bones

Mark Lundy in discussion with defence lawyer Julie-Anne Kincade. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Key evidence:
• Light blue and orange paint fragments found on the victims' bodies and at the crime scene matched the paint on some of Lundy's tools
• Dark blue paint fragments also found did not match any of Lundy's tools
• Fibres from underneath the victims' fingernails did not match Lundy's polo top
• There was 1 million million million chance that DNA on Lundy's shirt came from Mrs Lundy
• A second DNA sample from an unknown person could have come from contamination
• Tests on fingernail scrappings from Mrs Lundy and Amber found DNA from males unrelated to each other, but samples were not good enough to compare to anyone

The weapon or weapons used to kill Christine and Amber Lundy would have been brought down with force in order for paint to have become embedded on their bones, a court was told today.

ESR scientist Sally Coulson told the jury in the High Court in Wellington if painted properly, it would be difficult for paint to fall from an object - "paint does not fall off by itself".

Tools belonging to Mark Lundy were painted light blue and orange - fragments with the same chemical and elemental composition were found in the wounds and on the bodies of his wife and daughter.

Lundy, 56, has denied killing them in the early hours of August 30, 2000.

Mrs Lundy was found bludgeoned in her bed and Amber was discovered in the bedroom doorway.

Ms Coulson told the court there would have had to have been "some force" for the paint to have come off the weapon and embedded onto the pair's bones.

However, she agreed with defence lawyer Julie-Anne Kincade that when looking at photos of Lundy's garage, crammed with tools that some looked aged and worn and fragments appeared to have come off them and rested in the area the tools were stored.

Some of those fragments would have been too small to see with the naked eye, Ms Coulson said.

Fragments coloured pale blue, orange and dark blue were discovered at the crime scene and on the bodies.

The light blue and orange fragments matched the paint on the tools. The dark blue paint did not match any tools.

Ms Coulson also examined fibres collected from Amber and Mrs Lundy's fingernails - none of which matched Lundy's dark blue and yellow polo shirt.

The jury was also given evidence today of the high chance that DNA found on Lundy's polo top belonged to his wife.

ESR forensic scientist Susan Vintiner said tests undertaken last year found there was a 1 million million million chance the DNA belonged to Mrs Lundy than anyone else.

There was also DNA from an unknown person found that did not belong to Mrs Lundy, Amber or Lundy.

She said it could have been placed on the shirt by contamination after she tested the shirt in 2001.

ESR forensic scientist Heidi Baker also gave evidence today on results from testing in 2014 of fingernail scrappings from Mrs Lundy and Amber.

Amber's nails had DNA from at least two males unrelated to each other, but the samples was not able to be compared with anyone because it could not be replicated.

Mrs Lundy had low level DNA from at least three unrelated males under her nails, but they were also not able to be compared to anyone, Ms Baker said.

The jury trial before Justice Simon France continues.