The defence in the Ira Mitchell murder trial yesterday opened its case with pathologist contradicting the evidence of the State’s expert witness forensic pathologist Dr Hughvon Des Vignes.
Pathologist Dr Hubert Daisley testified in the San Fernando Second Assize that all the injuries Balo Seurattan, including his broken neck, could have been caused by a low-level fall.
Earlier this week, however, Des Vignes dismissed any scenario or suggestion that Seurattan’s broken neck could have been the result of a fall.
Des Vignes, who had performed Seurattan’s autopsy at the Forensic Science Centre, testified that the injury would have been caused by an arm lock around the neck and twisting.
Mitchell, 39, who is before Justice Hayden St Clair-Douglas, claimed her uncle in law was sick and weak and fell in his bedroom twice on the day he died in January 2000.
Daisley, who has performed some 60,000 autopsies, said if Seurattan’s broken neck was caused by a chokehold there would have been certain injuries to the thorax and the thyroid gland which were not mentioned in the post-mortem report.
He said Seurattan also suffered from severe coronary artery narrowing, which could have also caused him to fall or drop dead, and would have contributed to his death.
Daisley was expected to be cross-examined by State attorneys Sabrina Doudgeen-Jaglal and Selwyn Richardson. Mitchell is being defended by attorneys Rekha Ramjit and Jared Ali.
The trial continues today.