Blood spatter focus in trial
Blood spatter on the windscreen of a car that crashed killing Te Puke teenager Halayna Wagstaff likely came from a force on the passenger side, a forensic expert says.
A DNA analysis of what was discovered inside the crashed Honda was outlined during the trial of Maketu man Jason Anaru-Emery, 19, in the Hamilton High Court yesterday.
Anaru-Emery, 19, is currently on trial accused of the manslaughter of Halayna Wagstaff, 17. He also faces charges of kidnapping and male assaults female.
The Crown alleges Anaru-Emery took Wagstaff against her will and was driving the car that crashed into Waiari Bridge, and down a bank, on the outskirts of Te Puke, in the western Bay of Plenty, on July 21, 2018.
Yesterday, ESR scientist Diane Crenfeldt told the court there were a series of small blood spots inside the passenger side of the windscreen, the dash and front pocket of the crashed Honda.
‘‘In my opinion the small spots of blood were from impact spatter pattern, but I can’t exclude they were expirated blood,’’ she told the court.
‘‘If you have blood in (the) mouth or air and cough or sneeze the same small spots of blood can land on surfaces – sometimes there is saliva but none was present in this instance.’’
The blood spatter was less than a millimetre. To get that size there needs to be force, she said. Crenfeldt noted soaked blood stains on the edge of the front passenger, seat indicating a stationary person bleeding, and drip stains on the mat in front.
There were blood marks elsewhere in the front portion of the car.
‘‘It’s not going to tell you the positions at the time of the accident. Accidents are dynamic.’’
Crown Prosecutor Anna Pollett asked if the samples could assist in who was driving, but the answer was no as some could have happened after the crash as people moved about.
‘‘The most critical is that impact spatter puts someone directly out from the passenger side when the force was applied to the blood.’’
Pollett said the car hit the left and right side of the bridge before connecting with a powerpole, causing it to rotate.
‘‘My interpretation is the blood on the windscreen must have come from directly in front from where a passenger must be sitting.
‘‘If you had a seatbelt on it was unlikely a head is going to end up across the car. If you’re not wearing a seatbelt it might be possible.’’
The blood spatter on the windscreen came directly from the passenger side, defence counsel Andrew Dawson said. That blood belonged to Anaru-Emery.
Blood on seatbelt
DNA results showed blood on the seatbelt receiver of the driver’s seat were from Anaru-Emery, DNA specialist Nicholas Curnow later confirmed.
The blood had come from above the driver’s seat in a downward direction. There were also transfer blood stains matching Anaru-Emery on the upper seat and head area of the driver’s seat.
‘‘Something with blood on it has contacted the driver’s seat and head rest in those areas,’’ Crenfeldt said.
Blood stains on the centre console pocket and transfer staining on the handbrake and armrest centre console area also showed results for Anaru-Emery.