Most of the procedings today were taken up with the reading out of prosecution witness statements, mainly PSNI personel who were involved in the arrests and the seisure of items from both mens homes.

Colin was arrested at his home in Lurgan seven days after the attack at Massereene.

The court was told that when charges were put to Colin he replied "definitely not guilty".

Brian was arrested at his Magherafelt home on 21 July 2009, four months after the attack.

The court was also told the trial could continue into January because a forensic witness who examined and linked soil samples from boots seized from Colin's house is ill.

Late in the afternoon, forensic scientist Aideen Coleman, who examined the mobile phone which was retrieved from the alledged getaway car told the court how she had conducted her examination of the item. 

When questioned by Brian's barrister Patrick O'Connor, she admitted that she had not changed her gloves between handling the exterior of the phone and then proceeding to handle the interior of the phone.  She was asked by Mr O'Connor if it was possible that she may have transferred DNA from the exterior to the inside of the phone. 

“There has to be a real risk that some tiny quantities of DNA may have been transferred completely unwittingly from the exterior of this mobile phone and then appeared on the swabs which were taken from the back of the Sim card or the cavity inside the mobile phone.

“Unless the gloves were changed every time between the handling of the body of the phone and the external parts of the phone and battery and the Sim. Or there has to be a risk that that could happen.”

Forensic scientist Aideen Coleman said it was “possible”.