Man who died after punch had torn-artery brain bleed – court
AMAN who died after receiving a single punch died as a result of a torn artery which caused a bleed on the brain, a court has heard.
Carl Chinnock, 50, was allegedly assaulted by Christopher George, 27, in a Porthcawl car park on June 23.
He immediately lost consciousness after being punched, fell into a coma and died at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend two days later.
It is claimed George had been drinking and taking drugs before launching an unprovoked attack on the deceased and punching him in the side of the head.
The defendant, of Heol y Berllan, Pyle, denies manslaughter and
claims he was acting in self-defence.
A trial at Cardiff Crown Court heard yesterday from pathologist Dr Stephen Leadbeatter, who conducted a post-mortem examination on Mr Chinnock on June 28.
He described the deceased having bruises to the lower part of the left eye, a scab to a small split in the skin and bleeding to the white of the left eye. The doctor said: “That combination are marks of a blunt impact such as a punch landing to that area.”
Further findings included a bruise in a muscle underlying the skin in the left temple.
When Dr Leadbeatter looked inside Mr Chinnock’s skull, he discovered a lot of blood towards the base of the brain, a condition known as basal subarachnoid haemorrhage.
He added: “The source of that bleeding in this case, there was a tear in an artery that sits on the front of the brain stem, a part of the base of the brain. The tear was in the vertebral artery to the right side to the front of the brain stem.”
The court heard the bleeding caused by the tear in this artery led to Mr Chinnock suffering brain damage and subsequent cardiac arrest.
The pathologist said the explanation for the tear was movement of the head on the neck either backwards or to the side which subjected the artery to “shearing forces”.
It was also revealed that amphetamine was in Mr Chinnock’s blood at the time of his death.
An official cause of death was given as basal subarachnoid haemorrhage caused by a traumatic rupture to the right vertebral artery in a man who had taken amphetamine.
In cross-examination, defence barrister John Caudle referred to Mr Chinnock’s lifestyle and put it to Dr Leadbeatter the deceased had used a “substantial amount of drugs and alcohol”. He claimed this would mean Mr Chinnock’s arteries were “more susceptible” to tearing than those of a “fit and healthy person”.
The witness agreed use of a stimulant drug such as amphetamine could cause a rise in blood pressure and make arteries more susceptible to damage.
The trial continues.