Murder trial is told toddler suffered ‘blunt force’ trauma
Court hears injuries similar to a car crash victim’s
A TWO-YEAR-OLD boy died as a result of “blunt force” trauma to his upper body, a murder trial been told.
The blow could have caused Liam Fee internal injuries similar to those suffered by a person in a car crash, the High Court at Livingston heard.
Dr Paul French, 38, a specialist paediatric pathologist, carried out a post-mortem examination on the child following his death in March 2014.
He was giving evidence at the trial of Liam’s mother, Nyomi Fee, 28, and her civil partner Rachel Fee, 31, who are accused of murdering him.
Initially, he said the cause of little Liam’s death was recorded as “unascertained” but, after further investigations, it was amended to “blunt force injury of the torso”.
Dr French said the child had a low body weight for his age, in the bottom four per cent of the population, according to medical charts.
He also had purplish marks on his skin which were signs of post mortem staining or lividity, the jury heard.
Dr French said it was part of a process that occurs after death.
He added it was when “very small blood vessels within the skin relax and we get staining to the skin which is purplish red, usually in part of the body nearest to the floor due to gravity”.
Asked how long lividity would take to form in a child, Dr French said that in an adult it occurred in about half an hour.
He added: “That can’t be the same in a two-and-a-half-year-old child. Liam also had significant haemorrhaging, so there would be less blood circulating around the body, so I can’t say it would occur within half an hour.”
He said direct force could damage the heart causing a rupture of the muscle in the heart: “If a body can’t move, a degree of force would allow that type of injury to occur.”
Advocate despite Alex Prentice asked him: “If a hard surface is behind a person, such as a wall or chair and force is applied, can that cause rupture?” He replied: “Yes.”
The Crown alleges that Liam suffered an appalling catalogue of torture for two years before being murdered by the women in their home near Glenrothes, Fife. Two other young boys in their care were subjected to cruel abuse and torment at their hands, which included being locked in a cage and forced to eat dog excrement, the court was told.
The boys were allegedly tied up and beaten, given cold showers, and forced to wet the bed because they were banned from leaving their rooms at night.
One of the youngsters was threatened with having his genitals cut off and had a cage filled with rats put on his head, a jury heard.
The other boy was told that his father was dead and the youngster had killed him, according to the charges, the court was also told.
The prosecution alleges he was tied up in a room where rats, snakes and a boa constrictor were kept, and told the snake ate “naughty boys” while being forced to sleep there.
The court was told he had his face rubbed in soiled underwear and was made to eat his own vomit. The trial, before Lord Burns, continues.
The couple have denied killing Liam in a house near Glenrothes on 22 March 2014. They also deny harming two other children.
The trial before Lord Burns continues today, when Dr French is expected to continue giving evidence.