Court told of ‘devastating’ injuries in murder trial
Awoman allegedly beaten to death by her partner suffered 28 fractures to her ribs – some of which were completely shattered, a court heard.
Michelle Rosser was found dead at her home in Bedlinog on May 29 and her long-term partner Simon Winstone is on trial at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court charged with her murder.
Giving evidence on day three of the trial, pathologist Dr Deryk James described the injuries to her chest as “devastating”.
The court heard he carried out a post-mortem examination on the day 38-year-old Ms Rosser’s body was found covered in a sleeping bag on a sofa.
Dr James said some of her ribs were “shattered” and fragments of bone punctured the lung, causing it to collapse.
The court heard he found 200ml of blood in the belly cavity, which came from a torn artery and the left kidney was in two pieces.
When he was arrested, Winstone gave a prepared statement to the police, saying he had found his partner at the bottom of the stairs.
Dr James said: “Rib fractures can be seen after falls, but this pattern and extent of injury indicates massive compression of the chest.
“It is hard to see how this could happen in a fall, even down stairs.”
He told the court the injury to the kidney must have been the result of a “severe impact”.
The pathologist added he found injuries to the front, back and sides of Ms Rosser’s head, which he would not expect to find as a result of falling down stairs.
He listed 16 separate external injuries to the head and neck, including a split to the right eyebrow, a graze and bruising to the middle of the forehead.
The witness suggested grazes by the mouth, nose and cheek could have been caused if Ms Rosser was facedown on the carpet.
He said he also found 12 grazes at the base of the neck, likely to have been caused by fingernails, as well as probable fingernail scrapes to the collar bone and left armpit.
Dr James told the court he found bruises and abrasions by her breasts, adding the area would not usually get injured in a fall, but more likely by squeezing, punching or pinching.
He found bruises on the arms and scratches on the backs of the hands were likely to be defensive injuries.
The pathologist found Ms Rosser’s cause of death was haemorrhage and pneumothorax – collapsed lung – due to a blunt force injuries to her chest, belly and head.
He suggested “blunt force assault” as the explanation for many of the injuries, adding they were likely to have been inflicted with a fist, foot or knee.
Winstone, 50, of Brecon Road, Merthyr Tydfil, denies murder. The trial continues.