Man died from 'pressure to the neck', court hears
HandoutA pathologist found "strong evidence of forceful neck compression" in his examination of a pensioner who is alleged to have been murdered by his son.
Brian Smith, 33, denies killing 73-year-old Stanley Smith, who was found dead in his bungalow on Fell Close in Silloth, Cumbria, in December, after the pair returned from the pub.
Pathologist Dr Aaron Borbora told Carlisle Crown Court he had internal bruising on the neck muscle and thyroid bone fractures, adding: "In my opinion the 73-year-old male's death was [due to] pressure to the neck."
Brian Smith, of Friars Garth, Abbeytown, denies murder and the trial continues.
Medics were called to the bungalow after the son dialled 999 at about 05:30 GMT on 22 December.
The jury heard statements from neighbours describing "intense shouting" several hours earlier, which then fell silent.
'Considerable force'
Consultant Home Office-registered forensic pathologist Borbora carried out a post mortem on 22 December at Royal Lancaster Infirmary.
He said an external examination of Stanley Smith, whom he described as a "well-built and well-nourished male", showed no marks or injuries.
An internal examination showed bruising in the middle of the left sternothyroid neck muscle and there were also fractures to the bases of both the left and right superior thyroid bones with surrounding bruising.
Borbora said the bruising and fractures were "strong evidence of forceful neck compression".
The pathologist was asked about the level of force required to inflict such injuries.
He replied this was not possible to say accurately, and to do so would be subjective.
Based on the fact Stanley Smith had good bone quality and no weaknesses, he concluded: "This would have required considerable force or at least moderate, using a scale of mild to severe."
Internal bruising was also found on the back of the body over both sides of the chest and over both shoulder blades.
The prosecution alleged those injuries were consistent with the pensioner being attacked from behind.
The pathologist said he found evidence of an abnormality of the heart, concluding: "While I think this heart disease may have made him more vulnerable to certain physiological stresses, in my opinion it is not a credible cause of his death."
The trial continues.
