‘Man died from blood loss after knife punctured lungs and heart’
A 39-YEAR-OLD man died of blood loss after a kitchen knife was plunged 14cm into his chest puncturing his lung and heart, a court heard.
Damian Hill was pronounced dead at the University Hospital of Wales in the early hours of May 27. Kalib Facey and Philomena McDonagh are now on trial charged with his murder.
Giving evidence at Cardiff Crown Court, pathologist Dr Richard Jones said: “My conclusion was that he died of stab wounds to the chest, including the heart.”
Dr Jones, who carried out the post-mortem examination, found six stab wounds – two to the chest and four to the back.
The jury were given “body maps” representing the injuries.
The pathologist said one of the wounds was on the left side of the chest, just below the nipple.
He said the injury was 3.5cm long on the surface of the skin and went 14cm deep into the body, through the pectoral muscle, then between the fourth and fifth ribs.
The court heard the wound track continued through the upper lobe of the left lung into the blood vessel connecting the heart and lung.
Prosecutor Mark Cotter QC asked: “What are the consequences of an injury like this?”
Dr Jones said blood loss would continue until the vein could be surgically repaired.
Asked what the consequences would be if the injury was left untreated he replied: “Death.”
The pathologist said the speed at which that happened would depend on how quickly the blood pressure dropped.
He explained someone could continue to move around after suffering such an injury but their blood pressure would drop and they would lose consciousness.
The court heard a second stab wound lower down on the left side of the chest was 3cm long on the skin surface and went into the heart.
Dr Jones said if there was no rapid surgical intervention the blood would continue to pump and seep into the chest cavity, possibly compressing the heart and stopping it from beating.
He found the injuries were inflicted by a knife with a single cutting edge.
The prosecutor handed him a kitchen knife in a plastic evidence tube and asked: “That type of knife?” The witness replied: “Yes.”
Dr Jones confirmed the injuries were “recent” at the time of death. He said the stab wounds caused internal and external blood loss.
Facey, 19, and McDonagh, 35, who do not have fixed addresses, both deny murder and robbery.
The trial continues.