Telford murder trial: Jury hears man may have died from falling onto rake
A man found dead in a Telford car park the morning after he got into a fight with a neighbour following a row with his partner, may have died after falling on to a rake, a jury has been told.
Anthony Wootton, 41, was found dead in the car park of Orient Court, off Greasley Close in Woodside, at around 6.30am on July 17 last year.
His death followed a physical altercation 12 hours earlier on the previous evening with neighbour, 32-year-old Ashley Harris.
Harris's murder trial at Stafford Crown Court had already heard how the defendant was accused of striking Mr Wootton with a rake following a fight between the pair in Armstrong Close on Sunday, July 16.
The altercation had began after Mr Wootton's partner Carlene Garrett fled to Harris's home after being attacked by Mr Wootton that afternoon.
On Tuesday, during the second week of Harris's murder trial, the court heard from forensic pathologist Dr Alexander Kolar, who examined Mr Wootton's body following his death.
Dr Kolar told the jury that he found 51 injuries on Mr Wootton during his post-mortem. He said many of the bruises, abrasions and reddening that he found were older injuries, but he described a number of wounds as being "indicative" of defensive and offensive wounds, suggesting he had been shielding himself or had "landed punches".
However, the jury heard that just one injury was likely to have caused Mr Wootton's death.
