Pieces of a blood-stained concrete block and a ring found in a pool of blood were in the spotlight yesterday in the Aaron Glen Easton murder trial.

It is alleged that Stanford Glenfield Archibald, 38, formerly of Somerset, murdered Mr. Easton on May 4, 1985.

Mr. Easton's lifeless body was found in a driveway on Laffan Street.

Director of Public Prosecutions Kulandra Ratneser told the six woman, six man jury earlier this week that the case was based on circumstantial and DNA evidence since there were no eyewitnesses.

It emerged yesterday that pieces of a concrete block - which had been smashed over Mr. Easton's head - had been placed in the wrong evidence bags and a piece found in the flower garden had been moved in later photos.

In cross examination, Archibald's lawyer, Mark Pettingill, asked the Scenes of Crime Office's (SOCO) ex-Police photographer Ernest McCreight how was it that in pictures one through four the piece of concrete block appeared to be standing on edge, but in picture five the piece of block seemed to be lying down.

Mr. McCreight said he saw that, but did not know how the piece came to be in that position.

Former Det. Sgt. Keith John Cassidy, who also worked in SOCO as a fingerprint expert, did not know how the piece of block was moved either.

While giving evidence, he later removed the pieces of the block from the evidence bags and then indicated on the projector screen where they were located in the pictures of the murder scene.

However, when he opened evidence bag KJC4, the label read that there were two pieces inside, but when he opened it he found only one piece inside.

“With respect, it makes a difference and the way they come in those bags makes a difference and it is crucial to the case - and a lot will come out of that,” Mr. Pettingill said.

Mr. Pettingill questioned Mr. McCreight about Mr. Easton's neighbour Albert (Poochy) Smith, now deceased, who was a suspect at the start of the investigation.

In one photograph, Mr. Smith's gold ring was found in the pool of blood next to the body and there was a pen pointing to its location.

When asked by Mr. Pettingill if he picked up the ring, Mr. McCreight said he didn't and he didn't know why the pen was there.

Mr. Pettingill suggested Mr. Smith had been questioned during the course of the investigation and that he was a murder suspect.

Mr. Pettingill told the jury that when Mr. Smith's apartment was searched, Police found a white blood-stained t-shirt soaking in Clorox and blue jeans with blood or red stains. Blood was also found on a rubber bath mat and a towel.

Mr. Pettingill asked: “So at this stage of the game, had Albert (Poochy) Smith been arrested?”

Mr. Creighton said that he did not know, but that he may have been arrested.

Mr. Cassidy said that he had found and photographed the ring and put the pen there to indicate its position.

Lawyers Mr. Pettingill and Larry Mussenden are representing Archibald.

Representing the Crown is the DPP Mr. Ratneser, who is being assisted by Crown counsel Juan Wolffe and Cindy Clarke.

The trial continues today before Acting Chief Justice Norma Wade-Miller.