Database of cat DNA helps to convict man

The UK’s first cat DNA database has been created and has already been used in court to help convict a killer.

University of Leicester forensic scientists compiled data from 152 cats around the country which they now hope to publish so it can be used in future investigations.

The database was used to demonstrate the likelihood that cat hairs found on the dismembered torso of Hampshire man David Guy belonged to Tinker, a cat owned by main suspect David Hilder.

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The evidence was used as part of the prosecution case, leading to the successful conviction of Hilder for manslaughter.

Dr Jon Wetton, who led the project, said: “This is the first time cat DNA has been used in a criminal trial in the UK. We now hope to publish the database so it can be used in future crime investigations.

“This could be a real boon for forensic science, as the 10 million cats in the UK are unwittingly tagging the clothes and furnishings in more than a quarter of households.”

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