Apple Watch data ‘used as evidence in Australian murder trial’

Data from an Apple Watch has reportedly been used as evidence in an Australian murder trial.

Myrna Nilsson, 57, was wearing the device when she was killed at her Adelaide home in September 2016.

Police were called after her daughter-in-law, Caroline Nilsson, emerged from the home “gagged and distressed” at around 10pm, ABC News has reported.

Ms Nilsson claimed her mother-in-law had been followed home by a group of men though she said she did not hear the fatal attack because she was in the kitchen with the door closed, and was allegedly tied up by the attackers shortly after.

However, she has now been accused of staging an ambush, after the prosecution claimed data from the victim’s smartwatch supported their allegations that Ms Nilsson was covering up her involvement in her mother-in-law’s murder.

Prosecutor Carmen Matteo said the data suggested the victim was ambushed as she walked into her home just after 6:30pm, which they claimed did not fit Ms Nilsson’s version of events.

“[Ms Nilsson’s] emergence from the house was well after 10:00pm and if the Apple iWatch evidence is accepted, that is over three hours after the attack on the deceased,” she said.

“That represents time within which to stage the scene … and represents time to clean up and discard bloodied clothing.

The case continues.

It is not the first time data from an Apple Watch has been used in a murder trial.

In January, Digital Health News reported how health data from an Apple device was used as evidence in a murder trial in Germany.

German police believe activity data recorded by the Apple Health app, which suggested the suspect was climbing stairs at the time of the murder, could in fact have been him dragging his victim down a riverbank and climbing back up.