West Park murder trial: Heavy rain 'could have washed clues away'

There were drag marks in blood within the wooden pavilion – nicknamed the ‘black house’ – in Wolverhampton’s West Park where the victim was attacked late on April 11, the city’s Crown Court heard.

But there was none on the route from the pavilion to the bench where her body was found.

Forensic scientist Phillip Field declared while giving evidence: “There was a lot of blood in the pavilion but none on the route to the bench. I cannot comment on how the body was transmitted.”

Robert Bone, another forensic scientist, pointed out the physical evidence between the two points could have been washed away in the downpour.

The tragic teenager was struck over 20 times and several of the blows were delivered with a hammer-like weapon, it has been alleged.

Mr Field maintained there was a ‘reasonable expectation’ that whoever was responsible would have been blood stained.

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He disclosed that no such stain was found during an ‘extensive’ search of the 16-year-old defendant’s clothes and home.

The prosecution claimed CCTV showed a young man carrying a bag from the area in which the defendant lives shortly after the time when the attack is thought to have taken place and did not have it with him on his return.

It has not been said what happened to the bag.

It has also been suggested a person believed to have been the suspect changed his trousers after Viktorija had been bludgeoned to death.

Mr Jonathan Rees QC, prosecuting, said the individual was carrying a back pack and wearing a hooded jacket when he arrived at West Park at about 10.44pm on April 11 just a few minutes before the victim who had arranged a late night meeting with a 16-year-old Facebook friend.

The lawyer claimed that around two hours later what appeared to be the same figure left the park still carrying the back pack but now seemed to be wearing different coloured trousers.

Mr Field said that Viktorija’s blood was splattered onto the back wall of the pavilion after she was struck while lying in a large pool of blood.

He said it was likely that, in those circumstances, the lower part of the culprit could be bloodstained.

The defendant, who cannot be named because of his age, denies murder, rape and having sex with a dead body.

The trial continues.