State closes case after pathologist details wounds found on victim’s body

GOVERNMENT Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh yesterday gave Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and a 12-member jurya detailed account of his post-mortem examination of the body of Donna Thomas, who was allegedly murdered by Anthony Morrison between May 26th and 27th, 2012 at their home at Lot 65 Cross and Durban Streets in Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown.

Dr Singh gave detailed descriptions of both external and internal injuries found on Thomas’s body, after which he gave the cause of Thomas’s death as asphyxiation due to compression to the neck, compounded by blunt force trauma to the head.

Dr Singh told the court that the deceased had 16 incised wounds to one hand, while the other had six such wounds, which he considered to be defensive wounds. The wounds were not fatal, he said, but contributed to significant bleeding, and the victim died as a result of being deprived of oxygen and the heart stopping.

He said the post-mortem was performed on the body on June 1, 2012, five days after the corpse had been found.

The state closed its case after Dr. Nehaul Singh testified. Eight of nine witnesses have testified so far.

In her opening address to the jury, State Prosecutor Stacy Goodings, in association with Siand Dhurjon, had said that the duo had shared a common-law relationship and resided at the said address where Morrison allegedly murdered Thomas, whose lifeless and bloodied body had been found in a pool of blood with multiple stab wounds to both hands. Goodings disclosed that the state’s case is circumstantial.

Anthony Morrison is being retried for the murder of his common-law spouse, Donna Thomas. Submissions will be made on Monday from both the state and defence. Morrison has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. At the end of Morrison’s first trial before Justice Navindra Singh last year, a jury was unable to arrive at a unanimous verdict.

Morrison’s Defence Counsel is Arun Gajraj.

(Michel Outridge)