Gunshot wound caused Lee Slattery's death, retired state pathologist tells Limerick murder trial

The Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork heard that because of a variety of environmental conditions, such as temperature and the presence of water where the deceased was found, the exact time of death could not be established

Retired state pathologist, Prof. Marie Cassidy, said there are no findings at post-mortem to suggest Lee Slattery (pictured) was alive when put into the trench. 

The cause of death of a young Limerick man was a gunshot wound that pierced his heart and lungs, and on Thursday the pathologist said it appeared that he was dead when he was put into what was described as a trench.

Retired state pathologist, Prof. Marie Cassidy, was back in the witness box at the Central Criminal Court today for a cold case that dates back to 2010, in which she carried out the post-mortem examination.

32-year-old Kurt Ryan of Moylish Crescent, Limerick, denies murdering 25-year-old Lee Slattery on the grounds of Delmege House, known locally as the Dallies, in May 2010 and he is on trial before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of seven women and five men at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.

Prof. Cassidy testified: “There were two gunshot injuries. Only one penetrated the body to cause his death, going through the left arm, continuing into his body, injuring his lung and heart and continuing into his right arm. The bullet was recovered. The other bullet simply grazed the skin and did not cause internal injuries. 

"Once injured he could have been capable of purposeful movement for a short period but his death would have been fairly rapid. There was no evidence of defensive injuries, no evidence he tried to defend himself.” 

There was blunt force trauma to the face and head but it was not possible to say how these were inflicted, for instance whether it was with a foot or an implement, the pathologist said. Injuries resulting from this force included fractures to the deceased’s facial bones, fractures to his eye socket and his nose and there was a split in his lower lip and injuries to some teeth and his lower jaw. 

Further injuries were found on the back of his head. What were described as tramline marks to his back were consistent with possibly being inflicted with a narrow object, and during the examination of the witness evidence by prosecution senior counsel Michael O’Higgins he suggested it might have been with something long and narrow like a pole, and she did not disagree with this.

The witness found drag marks across the deceased’s back and said these could have occurred “if he was pulled across foliage, possibly when he was being put into the trench. There are no findings at post-mortem to suggest he was alive when put into the trench.” 

She said Lee Slattery was at the time of death a healthy young man who was not intoxicated by alcohol or drugs, although the toxicology report referred to the presence of heroin and methadone.

In summary, the retired pathologist said, “cause of death was gunshot injury to his trunk”.

The witness agreed with defence senior counsel, Brian McInerney, that because of a variety of environmental conditions, such as temperature and the presence of water where the deceased was found, the exact time of death could not be established.

The trial continues.