The tragic final moments of Neil Jolly’s life have been outlined to a jury, showing he was struck multiple times to the head and body with an implement before he died.
Analysis of blood-spatter cast-off patterns found on the walls of Mr Jolly’s living room suggests he was “low to the ground” as he was repeatedly struck with an item – the force of which caused splashes of blood to “almost reach the ceiling”.
Elizabeth Sweeney, 36, is accused of murdering Mr Jolly, her former partner, by assaulting him and repeatedly striking him to the head and body with a kettle.
Sweeney is also facing an allegation that she attempted to conceal the murder by cleaning the body of Mr Jolly, 49, in the bathroom at his flat in Marischal Court, Aberdeen before covering his body with a duvet.
She is additionally accused of attempting to destroy evidence by cleaning the kettle.
Sweeney, also known as Lizzy, denies all the charges against her and has lodged a special defence of self-defence.
She claims she woke up in the early hours of June 25 2023 to find Mr Jolly raping her.
Kettle likely murder weapon, examination finds
On the seventh day of the trial, senior forensic scientist Pamela Bower gave evidence about her examination of Marischal Court flat where large amounts of Mr Jolly’s blood were found in the hallway and living room of the property.
Mr Jolly was found dead in his bathroom.
Ms Bower’s findings were that one explanation for Mr Jolly’s injuries was that he had been repeatedly struck with a kettle that was found splintered and broken within a basin.
She said that the significant amount of blood found on the inside and outside of the kettle suggested it was the potential murder weapon and had been used to repeatedly strike Mr Jolly “to the head and face”.
Another finding was that the DNA evidence on the handle gave rise to the possibility that “Elizabeth Sweeney had held the kettle at that time”.
She stated that, in her opinion, due to the bloodstaining on the carpet, Mr Jolly was attacked within three separate areas of his living room.
The cast-off pattern also suggests he was struck multiple times.
The forensic scientist said that the “diluted” nature of blood found on the kettle meant that it was likely someone tried to wash it afterwards.
The jury has already been shown a series of images from the blood-splattered flat where Mr Jolly was killed.
Ms Bower went on to say a pair of bloodstained Puma trainers recovered from the hallway of Mr Jolly’s flat found that Sweeney was most likely wearing them and that she had made attempts to wash them following his death.
A pair of grey bloodstained leggings found in a cupboard at Sweeney’s flat on Kidd Street were also likely worn by her.
Ms Bowers said that one explanation for Mr Jolly’s blood being present was that he was likely “in contact with or struck while he was injured and bleeding” before Sweeney “made attempts to clean up, for example washing her hands, the Puma trainers and/or the kettle”.
The trial, before Judge Andrew Miller, continues.
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