Last film shows Libby skipping with a friend

Liberty Templeman. Photo / Supplied

WHANGAREI - Some of the last images filmed of former Kerikeri teenager Liberty "Libby" Templeman are of her holding hands with another teenage girl, smiling as they skipped along the footpath on their way into the local supermarket.

The video of Liberty and one of her best friends, recorded on surveillance camera at New World Kerikeri, were shown to the jury in the trial of her alleged killer yesterday, drawing smiles and quiet laughs from her parents, Andrew and Rebecca Templeman.

The accused boy, 16, is on trial for the indecent assault and murder of Liberty, 15, on November 1, 2008.

The boy, then 14, is also shown on the security camera, cycling up to the store.

In one of nine short security camera videos shown to the jury yesterday, Liberty can be clearly seen, laughing and flashing her trademark smile as she skips into the store's entrance.

Moments later, on another camera, the two girls can be seen - still skipping and holding hands - down an aisle of the supermarket at 5.45pm - 45 minutes before the last text message was sent from Liberty's cellphone.

Earlier, the jury was read written evidence handed up to the court from Environmental Science and Research forensic scientist Kitty Lai, who said blood samples taken from the boy's shoe and schoolbag were 2000 million million times more likely to have come from Liberty than from any other person.

Blood on a green shirt - allegedly found hidden in a plastic bag in bushes outside the boy's bedroom window - and a shoe was 1000 million times more likely to be Liberty's than anyone else's, the scientist said.

Continuing his evidence from Thursday, ESR scientist Rian Morgan-Smith told the court that several items from the boy's home, including clothing and computers, had been tested for blood and semen, but none had been found.

However, a spot of blood was allegedly found in a car at the boy's home and on other clothing including shoes and a shirt.

The DNA testing from blood found on the shirt hidden in the bushes "provided extremely strong scientific support" that the sample had come from Liberty, Mr Morgan-Smith said.

Areas of possible blood staining had also been found in the boy's home, including on the front door area, on carpet and doormats and window latches as well as on the boy's bedroom floor and five handles of a set of drawers, but DNA tests had been inconclusive.

Police allege the boy hit Liberty, strangled her and dragged her while she was unconscious, leaving her face down in a creek to drown. It is also alleged that he removed her clothes to make it appear as if someone else had attacked her.

The trial before Justice Raynor Asher is expected to continue until at least the end of next week.

More than 40 witnesses are giving evidence.