Fatal blade wound 9cm deep – court
AMAN plunged a blade several centimetres deep into his friend’s chest, a court heard. The aftermath of the attack was said to have been uploaded to the internet for his social media followers to witness.
Dr Jonathan Metcalfe, a Home Office forensic pathologist, attended Mold Crown Court yesterday as the trial of Mark Harley Jones continued.
The 19-year-old, of Chester Road in Wrexham, is accused of murdering Kyle Patrick Walley.
The jury previously heard that the two teenagers had been drinking together on July 11, 2021, and planned to watch the Euro football final between Italy and England. However, the court heard that Snapchat footage posted online showed that Mr Walley suffered fatal stab wounds and did not live to see the match kick off.
Dr Metcalfe told the court that he investigated two knife wounds on the body during a post-mortem examination. He said the fatal blow would have needed “moderate” force to send the blade roughly 9cm deep into Mr Walley’s chest, piercing his heart and causing lung damage.
The pathologist confirmed to the jury that, while wounds which damage the heart are often fatal, victims are still often capable of some action, depending on how much blood they have lost. In this case, where the wound sustained by Mr Walley was, the pathologist estimated that blood loss would have been slower than other cases. He was declared dead just after 6pm, hours after being stabbed.
Dr Metcalfe also spoke to the court about a second, smaller wound, which was believed to have been inflicted prior to the fatal stabbing in the chest. He told the jury that this wound near Mr Walley’s neck measured roughly 1.7cm long and was “about 2cm deep”. He added that the knife had likely been stopped from going any deeper by reaching the collarbone.
The pathologist was shown several bladed articles recovered from the flat. He identified the most likely weapon from the line-up, which was the blade of a kitchen knife found flung behind the sofa. The court heard that the matching handle was also found in the flat.
The trial continues.