Gunshot residue cannot finger shooter, court told

A gun residue expert says he could not be sure whether a man accused of shooting an Auckland police officer fired the weapon, a jury was told today.

Neshanderan Rajgopaul, 29, is on trial in the High Court at Auckland for attempting to murder Constable Jeremy Snow in Papatoetoe in December, 2009.

Mr Snow was shot four times when he and his partner stopped to check a car parked in the driveway of house.

He was rescued by armed police as he came close to dying from blood loss.

Defence witness Sean Doyle, a consultant forensic scientist, examined three gunshot residue particles found on Rajgopaul's hand after the shooting, he told the jury today.

He said he could not be sure if Rajgopaul fired the weapon, or if he was just in close proximity when it was discharged.

He said both probabilities were equal, so he could not be sure whether or not Rajgopaul was the shooter.

Mr Doyle said thousands of gunshot residue particles would typically be left on the hand after firing a weapon, but these would rapidly be lost after shooting.

As well as the attempted murder charge, Rajgopaul faces one charge of firing a weapon with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, four of unlawfully possessing a firearm, and one charge each of possessing a class A drug for supply and receiving stolen property.

He also faces two charges of assault using a firearm as a weapon relating to incidents between September and December 2009. He has pleaded not guilty to all 10 charges before the jury of six men and six women.

The trial is into its fourth week.

- NZPA