Pitchfork vs State

FACTS:
On 21 November 1983, a 15-year-old girl named Lynda Mann left her home to
visit a friend's house. She did not return. The next morning, she was found raped
and strangled on a deserted footpath known locally as the Black Pad.
Using forensic science techniques available at the time, police linked
a semen sample taken from her body to a person with type A blood and
an enzyme profile that matched only 10 percent of males. With no other leads
or evidence, the case was left open.
On 31 July 1986, another 15-year-old girl, Dawn Ashworth, took a shortcut instead
of taking her normal route home. Two days later, her body was found in a wooded
area near a footpath called Ten Pound Lane. She had been beaten, savagely raped
and strangled to death. The modus operandi matched that of the first attack, and
semen samples revealed the same blood type.

ISSUE:

Whether DNA on semen sample can be admitted as evidence in this case.

RULING:

On 1 August 1987, one of Pitchfork's colleagues at the bakery, Ian Kelly, revealed
to fellow workers in a Leicester pub that he had obtained £200for giving a sample
while masquerading as Pitchfork. Pitchfork told Kelly that he could not give blood
under his own name because he had already given blood while pretending to be a
friend of his who had wanted to avoid being harassed by police because of a
youthful conviction for burglary. A woman who overheard the conversation
reported it to police.On 19 September 1987 Pitchfork was arrested at his home in
Haybarn Close, in the neighbouring village of Littlethorpe and a sample was found
to match that of the killer. During subsequent questioning, Pitchfork admitted
toflashing females over 1,000 times, a compulsion that he had started in his early
teens. Flashing led to sexual assault and then to strangling his victims in order to
protect his identity.

He pleaded guilty to the two rape/murders in addition to another incident of sexual

assault that he had committed. Pitchfork was preparing to move to Littlethorpe at
the time of the murder of Lynda Mann, and lived at Haybarn Close, Littlethorpe at
the time of the murder of Dawn Ashworth. He was sentenced to life
imprisonment and concurrent terms for rape and murder. The Secretary of State set
the tariff or minimum term before consideration could be given to his possible
release at 30 years, which was reduced on appeal by 2 years, to 28 years.