‘IT WENT INTO HIS HEART' Coroner tells murder trial of fatal stab wound that was to claim teenager’s life
A teenager who was stabbed to death in a city centre alleyway had a knife wound through his heart, murder jurors have heard.
Connor Brown, 18, suffered five stab wounds to his chest and back and one cut to his arm during a fatal attack in Sunderland in the early hours of February 24.
Newcastle Crown Court has heard Home Office pathologist Dr Jennifer Bolton carried out a post-mortem later that day at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, where the teenager had been taken after he was fatally injured.
Dr Bolton said there was evidence Connor had undergone emergency procedures after the attack, in a bid by medics to save his life, before he reached hospital.
The pathologist said the procedures are "only done in the most severely unwell people".
Dr Bolton said Connor had suffered five stab wounds, one cut, and had 11 other injuries on his body.
The doctor said one of the stab wounds punctured Connor's heart.
She told jurors: "It went into the heart.
"It went through the front of the heart on the left side, into the left ventricle, which is part of the heart that pumps blood around the body."
Dr Bolton said another stab wound had damaged Mr Brown's bowel.
Jurors have heard the teen, who had been on a night out, had bravely stepped in when knifeman Leighton
Barrass threatened to stab members of the public in a revenge attack after he had been punched on the nose by another man.
It is claimed Barrass's pal Ally Gordon joined in the fatal attack by "encouraging and assisting" Barrass by "kicking and stamping" on Connor.
Barrass, 20, of Hartside Square and Gordon, 20, of Polmuir Road, both Sunderland, deny murder and are being tried by a jury.
Two knives, both 90mm, were produced by the prosecution and were handed to Dr Bolton to view, to the Judge, Mr Justice Lavender and to the jury to look at.
One, termed a joker knife, was found at the scene had a smooth blade, the other, an Anglo Arms lock knife found on Gordon when he was arrested,had a serrated section on it.
Dr Bolton was able to say that the injuries were consistent with the one found at the scene, but it was agreed it could have been a similar knife.
The trial continues.