GOVERNMENT Forensic Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, yesterday told the judge and jury in the North West District murder trial at the Demerara Assizes, that 48-year-old Martin Daniels died from a fractured skull.

And he agreed with Prosecutrix Miss Natasha Backer that the weapon that caused death could have been a piece of 2 x 4 wood measuring four feet in length.
But the doctor disclosed that great force had to be used to inflict the injury which was also consistent with a fall.
After the prosecutrix enquired from the doctor whether the result relating to a fall would be the same if the victim was sitting on a chair when he received the injury, Dr. Singh answered, “if he was sitting on a chair, a fall will be out of the question.”
The case for the prosecution is to the effect that the accused Morris Roberts, called ‘Moses’ and others including the victim Martin Daniels, 48, were partying under a shed, ‘sporting on High Wine’ between the 15th and 16th of August, 2009, when it is alleged that Daniels who was sitting on a chair was hit on the head with a piece of wood by Moses.
According to witnesses, he fell off the chair and was seen bleeding from a wound on the head.
He subsequently died.
Detective Constable Sylvan Jonas of Mabaruma Police Station, said that he was on duty in August 2009, when he received a report of a murder at Arupa, NWD.
The detective said he and others left for the scene of the crime.
On their way in a boat, they were met by a party in another boat who signalled them to stop.
Persons in the other boat told him that there was the dead body of Daniels in the boat and he advised them to take it to the Mabaruma Hospital.
Witness said he was also shown a piece of wood and was told something. He lodged the piece of wood with his subordinate officer at the station.
Detective Jonas said he later visited the crime scene. He said that under a shed he saw pieces of wood strewn about and on the floor he saw what appeared to him to be blood stains.
Witness said that he was at the Barrack Room at the police station when Constable Henry told him that Roberts called ‘Moses’ had reported to the station.
Witness went to the station where he saw Roberts sitting on the bench. He said he told Roberts about the allegation, telling him that it is alleged that he had hit Daniels with a piece of wood on his head which resulted in his death. He said Roberts responded “Yes sir”. The police witness said he then arrested the accused.
Through another witness, the prosecutrix Mrs. Teshana Lake was about to tender a caution statement when defence counsel Mr. Keavan Bess objected on certain grounds which resulted in Justice Navindra Singh, the presiding judge, conducting a voir dire, in the absence of the jury to determine the admissibility of the statement.
The hearing is continuing.