Lawyer Murrio Ducille yesterday invited the jury in the Donna Vasyli murder trial to disregard DNA evidence that her husband's blood was on her clothing. She is on trial for the murder of her husband, noted Australian podiatrist Phillip Vasyli, at the guest cottage of their estate in the exclusive Old Fort Bay gated community. Mrs. Vasyli has denied the prosecution's assertion that she killed her husband between March 23 and 24. She exercised her right to remain silent in the face of those allegations, with Ducille saying they would rely on her denials made in the interview with police.

The Crown has presented DNA evidence that showed that the deceased's blood was on a dress that the defendant was wearing on the day her husband was discovered murdered. During his opening, Ducille said "the DNA evidence means nothing". He noted that there was blood spatter all over the scene. He suggested that the blood could have been transferred to Mrs. Vasyli's dress when she embraced the gardener, Alejandro Quintano, who had touched the murder weapon and the deceased before informing his wife and daughter about the murder.

Ducille said that the trial started on September 7, but there were four DNA reports, the most recent being submitted on September 11. He said, "During the course of the trial, they are still trying to find a case." Ducille asserted that the property was "wide open" and he pointed to the "fortuitous" appearance of a person on a jet ski when the court visited the home.

The defense called Mrs. Vasyli's dermatologist Dr. Richelle Knowles, who testified that she performed laser treatment on March 17 to remove dark spots from the back of Mrs. Vasyli's hands. Shown police photographs of injuries to the defendant's hands on March 24, Knowles said that the marks were the result of the treatment she performed.

Questioned by Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Garvin Gaskin, Knowles said the injuries were not as a result of Mrs. Vasyli defending herself against an attack by the deceased. Knowles also agreed that she was unable to say what the defendant had done at her residence on March 23.

The jury will hear closing addresses today and the judge will sum up on Thursday.

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