Cartridge cases found at a Central Highlands property frequented by a Swansea couple accused of murder matched one found at the Campbell Town home of Shane Barker, a ballistics expert told a Supreme Court jury.
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The evidence was heard in the trial of Cedric Harper Jordan, 71, and Noelene June Jordan, 68, who have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Shane Geoffrey Barker, 36, at Campbell Town on August 2, 2009.
Tasmania Police Sergeant Gerard Dutton said that he had no doubt that the .22 rimfire cartridge cases found at Campbell Town and at a Jordan family property at Little Pine in the Central Highlands were fired by the same weapon.
A .22 cartridge case was found by police in Mr Barker's yard in the days after Mr Barker was found dead after being shot four times.
In November and December 2016, police searched the Little Pine property and found cartridge cases near a toilet and under a shipping container. Family members fired a .22 rifle at a tree from the toilet.
Thirty eight spent bullets were also recovered all but two were too badly damaged to compare with ones recovered from Mr Barker's body.
Mr Dutton compared the markings on the cartridge cases using a microscope.
He said that the cases exhibited a "very distinctive" firing pin impression which was rectangular in shape.
"It was something on the face of the firing pin which you could probably see with the naked eye it was so definitive," he said.
Mr Dutton said he found other features that showed the cartridge cases were discharged from the same firearm with a suppressor attached.
Director of Public Prosecutions Daryl Coates SC asked if the three cartridge cases recovered from Little Pine were the same as the Campbell Town cartridge case.
"There is no doubt in my mind," Mr Dutton said.
He said that of eight cases found at Little Pine, three matched the Campbell Town case, three had a strong likelihood, and two did not match.
Cross-examined by defence counsel Fran McCracken Mr Dutton agreed that .22 subsonic ammunition was very common and that Winchester was a common brand.
The jury has heard evidence that Mr and Mrs Jordan removed a .22 pump action rifle from Mrs Jordan's father, Noel Jetson, in the months before Mr Barker's death.
A witness, Justin Titley, the then partner of Rachel Barker (nee Jordan), said that Mr Jordan said a pump action rifle would be a good one to get rid of somebody with a test fired in his presence.
Senior Constable Marisa Milazzo said that 95 persons of interest other than Mr and Mrs Jordan were looked at when the investigation went into the hands of the Serious Crime Unit in 2016.
She said 11 people were interviewed, including Rachel Jordan and Mr Titley.
She said that police investigated rumours and speculation from the public.
One person from southern Tasmania was checked who had no association with the Barker family, no association with Campbell Town and was in Queensland at the time of the murder.
The trial continues into its ninth week on Tuesday.
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Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for The Examiner. My journalism career has clicked over 34 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for The Examiner. My journalism career has clicked over 34 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
