A forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy on a man who died at a Wagga pub has told Wagga District Court of the significant injuries to the man’s face and head.
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Terry Wickey fell to the ground and died in the car park of the Ashmont Inn following an alleged incident involving brothers Malcolm and Warren Mathers, both of whom are currently facing trial.
Forensic pathologist Professor Tim Lyons, whose role was to paint a picture of the sequence of events leading to the death of Mr Wickey, gave his testimony to the court via an audio link on Thursday morning.
Professor Lyons said the direct cause of Mr Wickey’s death was blunt force head trauma in a person with alcohol intoxication.
The forensic expert also highlighted that Mr Wickey had an abrasion on the back of his head as well as bruising on his cheek and an abrasion on his lip.
“These findings are consistent with blunt force trauma such as a fist to the left-hand side of the face,” Professor Lyons read from his report.
When asked why Mr Wickey’s autopsy report showed no signs of a brain injury despite the injuries to his head, Professor Lyons said he would have died too quickly to develop a brain injury.
“In these types of instances where someone has what I would describe as an accelerated fall to the ground and hits the back of their head, it’s very typical that death occurs instantaneously,” he said.
“Therefore, the body doesn’t have enough time to develop a serious brain injury.”
Professor Lyons went on to explain that blood and urine samples taken from Mr Wickey revealed two blood-alcohol content readings – 0.310 and 0.380 respectively – both of which the expert witness called “significantly high”.
Defence lawyer Gary Corr asked Professor Lyons if a high blood-alcohol content could lead to death in a person who had become “alcohol naive”, explaining that Mr Wickey had stopped drinking some months before the incident on the advice of his physician.
However, Professor Lyons maintained that Mr Wickey’s death was a direct result of both blunt-force trauma to his head and intoxication.
“I strongly believe this was a death due to the combined effects of the two mechanisms,” Professor Lyons told the court.
“I don’t believe he simply died as a result of alcohol poisoning.”
The trial continues.
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