Chloe Mitchell murder trial hears police officer discovered suspected human remains

A court has heard how the remains of 21-year-old Chloe Mitchell were discovered in two household bins by police in Ballymena.

Giving evidence at Belfast Crown Court on Monday, a then police constable said he discovered the human remains while conducting door-to-door inquiries in the James Street area of the town on 11 June, 2023.

Brandon Rainey (30), formerly of James Street, Ballymena, denies murdering Chloe on June 3, 2023 and preventing the lawful burial of her remains.

The police officer told the court that as he was leaving a property at James Street a householder apologised about the smell coming from her bin. Describing it as an "extremely hot day" he said he noticed a "putrid" smell.

He said that when he opened the bin there was an "overwhelming stench" and "a lot of maggots fell out". He told the court, he "struggled not to throw up".

The police officer said that given his suspicions surrounding the case, and CCTV he had previously seen which had shown a figure walking back and forth in the area, he said he was concerned the bin contained human remains. By retracing those steps, the officer said he was able to identify another bin he suspected had further remains. It contained flies and was also found to contain human remains.

A witness statement from a person who attended a barbecue with Brandon Rainey in the days before Chloe Mitchell went missing was also read in court on Monday.

The court was told the witness said they had overheard Brandon Rainey ask his mother: "Would you still love me if I dismembered 50 people and hid their parts?"

The jury was also shown interior pictures of Brandon Rainey's flat on James Street which were taken after Chloe Mitchell went missing.

A number of knives were found, blood was identified in multiple places around the home including the living room, bedroom and hallway, and an area of burnt debris outside.