Victim died of blood loss and organ damage, court told

Stab victim Tomas Lukosevicious died from blood loss and damage to internal organs from nine stab wounds, state pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy told the Central Criminal Court today.

She was giving evidence in the trial of Valerij Makarov, aged 25, also known as "Andris Simonis", Earlsfort Drive, Lucan, Co Dublin, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Tomas Lukosevicious, aged 30, on May 11, 2003 in Lucan.

The accused has also pleaded not guilty to causing intentional or reckless harm to Mr Aldevinias Gudavicious, aged 34, and to threatening to harm Jonas Bernotas, aged 21, on the same date in Lucan.

"Although there were nine stab wounds in total, five had caused severe damage to the internal organs," Dr Cassidy said.

She said the victim had received four stab wounds to the chest, three to his arms and two to his legs.

The court heard that the most severe stab wound had gone "in through the ribcage, across the lung and in and out of the heart", and that this wound measured 9.5cm in depth.

Outlining the victim's main internal injuries, Dr Cassidy told how three ribs had been cut across, the liver and heart had been stabbed, both lungs had collapsed and that the chest cavities had two litres, or five pints, of blood in blood clots, which was a "substantial loss of blood".

"The cause of death was due to blood loss and damage to internal organs as a result of these stab wounds," Dr Cassidy told the court.

The severity of the injuries indicated that Mr Lukosevicious had collapsed "fairly quickly". "Given that there were several stab wounds to the lungs and one to the heart, I would expect that within minutes there would be no chance of him surviving," she said.

Judging from the depth of the wounds in the arms, Dr Cassidy said these "were not typical defense injuries, they just seem to be stab wounds caused to that part of the body in a struggle".

Under cross-examination from defence counsel Mr Hugh Hartnett SC, Dr Cassidy told the court that the only trauma to the victim was caused by knife wounds.

The court had heard previous evidence that the deceased had been kicked in his upper body.

The court also heard that the post-mortem examination had revealed that the victim had been "two and a bit" over the drink driving limit and had traces of ecstasy in his blood.

The trial before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury of five men and seven women continues tomorrow.