Attacker probably stood on victim's head, pathologist tells court
The skull fracture sustained by a retired Cork barman was most likely to have been caused by someone standing on his head, a pathologist told a murder trial today.
Pathologist Dr Declan Gilsenan gave evidence at the trial of Paul Murphy (aged 25) of Kilmore Road, Knocknaheeny, Cork, at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.
Murphy has denied murdering 62-year-old Donal Manley at his home on High Street, Cork, between October 10 and October 12 2008 and other charges.
Dr Gilsenan described the injuries for Mr Justice Paul Carney and the jury of nine women and three men.
He said bruising around the head and face of the late Mr Manley was consistent with having been punched.
“The injuries to the side of the head and jaw (indicate) side to side compression, the mostly likely cause of these would be some kind of standing on the head probably on the right side when the left side was in contact with the floor,” Dr Gilsenan testified.
Findings of fractures to the thyroid cartilage were explained in terms of being consistent with manual strangulation of a person being held in a neck-lock or standing on the head, the pathologist said.
The jury was told that the deceased had his jaw broken in two places, two fractures to the left cheekbone, one to the right cheekbone, extensive fracture at base of skull and fractures at thyroid cartilage, bruising around the face especially around the eyes.
“The cause of death was bruising of the brain and intracranial haemorrhage secondary to, or associated with, fracture of the skull,” Dr Gilsenan said.
Under cross-examination by Blaise O’Carroll senior counsel for the defence, the pathologist said: “The injuries are typical of a bad fight outside a pub, that type of thing with some kicking of the head.”
The trial continues tomorrow.