The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Jury told Neomi stabbed 32 times in brutal attack
Tragic woman had a wound so deep it almost exited other side of her body
Alleged murder victim Neomi Smith suffered 32 stab wounds including one so deep it almost exited the other side of her body, a trial has heard.
Pathologist Dr Tamara McNamee carried out a post-mortem examination on Ms Smith following her death in Brechin on June 9 last year.
Her partner at the time, farm worker Keith Rizzo, denies stabbing and choking her in her kitchen on Swan Street at around 1am.
Ms McNamee told the High Court in Glasgow Ms Smith died from a combination of 32 blunt force injuries to the head as well as 32 stab wounds, the majority to her neck but also upper back, buttocks, arms, and chest.
The 23-year-old care worker, originally from Aberdeen, also suffered compression to the neck.
One cut to her index finger was likely a defensive wound, the court heard.
One of the stab wounds to the upper back had a depth of 9.5cm and almost exited at her esophagus.
She suffered two incised wounds from one side of her neck to the other, one measuring 20cm and the other 19cm.
She also suffered four stab wounds to the right side of her neck as well as two more on the left side.
Haemorrhaging to the eyes was likely caused by asphyxiation and the force of strangulation was such that she suffered small fractures to the bones of the neck.
She also suffered a traumatic brain injury that may have caused her to lose consciousness before falling to the floor.
Forensic scientist Jacqueline Sharp, who attended the scene, said the distribution of blood on the doors of the fridge freezer and white goods as well as on cabinet doors showed she was hit at a “low level under one metre high”.
On Tuesday, the trial heard DNA samples matching Rizzo’s had been found on both alleged murder weapons and there was a one-in-a-billion chance the swabs were not from him.
Yesterday, Donald Findlay QC, defending, put it to the witness that DNA “tells us nothing of the circumstances in which it ended up on an object” or “the length of time it had been on it”. Ms Clement replied: “That is correct.” At the closure of the prosecution’s case, the Crown withdrew seven of the 10 charges facing Rizzo.
These centred on accusations he assaulted three former partners and judge Lady Rae found him not guilty of these charges.
Rizzo remains accused of murdering Ms Smith and assaulting her to the danger of her life some time between May 9 and May 30 at her Swan Street flat, and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at Hudsons Bar, Brechin, on June 9.