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dentition of a dingo is capable of making a mark which can be possibly confused with the mark made by a pair of steel scissors.
    This was a conclusion that fitted with the evidence of Dr Andrew Scott, a forensic biologist, who said that the volume and pattern of blood on Azaria’s jumpsuit was consistent with an injury to the major blood vessels of the neck. Another witness for the Crown, Dr Jones, a pathologist, told the court that the most likely injury to have left those patterns was a lacerated or incised wound to the front of the neck, although he agreed that the pattern was also consistent with very serious head injuries, which can cause massive bleeding as the skull and brain have an excellent blood supply.
    Dr Scott also analysed the pattern of blood found on the bracket supporting the dash of the Chamberlains’ car, saying the pattern was consistent with arterial bleeding, leading the prosecution to announce to the jury that the spray pattern came from Azaria when she was murdered in the front seat of the car with the scissors. The defence counteracted this assertion, presenting evidence of a spray pattern from a bracket removed from another Holden Torana (the same model as the Chamberlains’). Dr Jones examined the bracket and noted that the spray pattern was similar. An examination of around forty Holden Toranas later showed that approximately 10 per cent had a similar spray pattern on the bracket in question, corresponding to the pattern found on the Chamberlains’ car, and rather than consisting of ‘foetal blood’ as alleged, it was in fact a sand and bituminous sound deadening compound sprayed underneath the car during manufacture.
    Regardless, on 29 October the case went before the jury, with both Lindy and Michael being found guilty as charged. Lindy was sentenced to life without parole with hard labour, and Michael was given a three-year suspended sentence. Lindy was separated from her sons, Aidan and Reagan, as well as from her husband. On 17 November, Lindy gave birth to their second daughter, Kahlia, who was born in custody and taken away from her. The Chamberlains weren’t giving up – and two days later Lindy was released on bail pending an appeal. The appeal was heard by the full bench of the Federal Court in February 1983, but in a unanimous vote of 3 to 0, the court rejected the Chamberlains’ appeal and Lindy was returned to prison. In November 1983, after several other appeals, the Chamberlains sought leave to appealtheir convictions in Australia’s High Court. They were successful in securing their appeal, but voting 3 to 2 the High Court upheld the Chamberlains’ convictions. The High Court is the highest court in the Australian judicial system. This was, in essence, the end of the legal trail for the Chamberlains; there was no one left to appeal to.
    In 1986, the Honourable Mr Justice Morling was commissioned to inquire into the reliability of the Chamberlain convictions, a process that was to result in the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the convictions, as well as the Morling Report. 10 In support of this inquiry the Chamberlain Evidence Committee put together a very thorough analysis of the forensic evidence. Experts preparing the report looked at the sprayed material on the bracket from the car’s dash, as well as the damage found on Azaria’s clothing. The additional evidence put to the Northern Territory’s Attorney-General stated that the marks on Azaria’s jumpsuit were consistent with canine teeth and that it was not possible to cause the full range of damage found with scissors. As important, an experiment showed that a canine tooth could penetrate a fabric (terry towelling) covered rabbit carcass up to the dog’s gumline, without permanently deforming or otherwise damaging the cloth. The evidence in the report presented to the inquiry was clear – a dingo’s teeth could absolutely have caused the damage found on Azaria’s jumpsuit. The report did not forget the