An alleged Highland murder victim was “very, very thin” and had sustained fractured ribs and internal injuries before his death, a court heard today.
Consultant forensic pathologist Dr Kerryanne Shearer performed a second post-mortem on the body of Michael White with a colleague after an initial autopsy examination by a single pathologist was stopped because of concerns over what was seen.
The pathologist was giving evidence at the trial of Antonia Gunn, 28, and Michael Joyce, 33, who are alleged to have murdered Mr White on April 22 or 23 last year at a house in Plock Road, in the Highland village of Kyle of Lochalsh.
They are accused of repeatedly striking him and inflicting blunt-force trauma injuries to his head and body.
Pair deny charges
The pair are also accused of holding Mr White “in servitude” between May 2021 and April 2023. It is alleged that they instructed him to transfer his money to their bank accounts, pay for food shopping and drive them to personal appointments.
It is further alleged that they instructed him to request money from family and friends for their benefit and to enter into legal proceedings to sell his property at Old Bank guest house in Kyle of Lochalsh.
They are also accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice. Gunn and Joyce deny the charges.
Dr Shearer told the High Court in Edinburgh that when the pathologist had opened the abdominal cavity during the first post mortem “a significant amount of blood” was found.
The pathologist told advocate depute Alex Prentice KC that when they carried out the double doctor examination they found that Mr White had sustained fractured ribs and injuries to his bowel and liver.
‘He was very, very thin’
The court heard that as well as fresh fractures to three ribs of Mr White they also found that he had sustained a number of older fractures to his ribs.
The cause of death of the 61-year-old was listed as complications of blunt force trauma of the trunk and heart disease.
Donald Findlay KC, defence counsel for Joyce, said to Dr Shearer that the deceased was in very poor physical condition.
The pathologist told the court: “He was very, very thin.”
The trial continues.