'Violent third party assault' killed Shrewsbury woman, jury told
A finance officer found dead at the offices of a charity had been the victim of a "violent third party assault", a pathologist told a jury.
Julie Mercer was found dead in the kitchen of Dial-a-Ride on Sundorne Trade Park in Shrewsbury on Christmas Eve, 2014, by manageress Linda Cox.
Her partner Nigel Woolley, 45, of Buttington Road, Monkmoor, has admitted her manslaughter but is standing trial at Worcester Crown Court after denying murder.
Giving evidence, forensic pathologist Dr Nicholas Hunt said Ms Mercer, also of Buttington Road, died as a result of blood loss caused by a ruptured pancreas. He told the court it had been split completely in two.
Prosecuting counsel Mr Richard Atkins QC asked him: "Was there any signs of underlying natural disease?"
"No," Dr Hunt replied.
The prosecutor added: "So what was it caused by?"
"The concentrated application of significant force to the upper abdomen or belly," Dr Hunt told the jury. "I see it most often in the context of a road traffic collision, or sometimes a fall from height. You are talking about a fall from significant height though – a couple of storeys, maybe higher."
Mr Atkins asked him: "Is this the sort of thing that can be caused by assaults?"
"Yes," Dr Hunt said. "It could be punches, kicks, use of a knee or stamping to the upper part of the belly. It would have to result from a hard punch – a gentle punch certainly would not cause this injury. A hard blow from the front could split the pancreas against the spine."
Dr Hunt said it would have been "very painful" and incapacitating for Ms Mercer and that she would have died within "tens of minutes" of suffering the injury.
He had earlier told the court of discovering a catalogue of fresh and old injuries on Ms Mercer after being asked to examine her body.
The court had heard earlier in the trial the couple had a "toxic" relationship that often spilled over into booze-fuelled violence.
The jury heard the pathologist found 60 different bruises on Ms Mercer's body and "26 or 27" fractures to her ribs. Mr Atkins asked him what the most likely explanation for her injuries was and he replied: "The most recent injuries are consistent with violent third party assault."
CCTV played in court showed Woolley and Ms Mercer, 47, went shopping to Aldi and then went over to Dial-a-Ride at around 5pm on December 23, 2014, while they waited for a taxi. When it came at 6.15pm, CCTV showed Woolley getting into it alone.
He went home and later returned to Dial-a-Ride on foot with his dog to bring her home – but again left in a taxi alone at around 11.45pm.
She was found dead at her place of work the next morning.
The trial continues.
