Irish State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy travelled to Coleraine today to give evidence in the trial of three members of the same family who deny murdering a father of four outside his home in Derry just over two years ago.
Professor Cassidy was called as a witness by James Meehan who, along with his wife Brenda Meehan and stepson Sean Devenney, all of them from Dundrean Park in Derry, deny murdering James McFadden at Moyola Drive in Derry on May 5, 2007, followi
ng a wedding reception in Redcastle, Co. Donegal.
Mr. McFadden, (42), died from a ruptured heart following an assault outside his home.
Prof. Cassidy told the jury at Derry Crown Court that the injuries sustained by the deceased were more commonly caused by forces applied to the chest.
She said Mr. McFadden had sustained lacerations to the left ventricle, artery and atrium and the injuries were more commonly found in victims involved in either road traffic accidents on in falls from a height.
The witness said that if it was the case that Mr. McFadden had fallen forward and that the defendant James Meehan, who was almost twice the victim's weight, had fallen onto Mr. McFadden's back, it was possible that that crushing action could have caused fractures which in turn could have damaged Mr. McFadden's heart.
Professor Cassidy said she found no evidence to indicate that the injuries to Mr. McFadden had been caused by stamping. She told the jury that in at least half of the occasions when trained medical professionals applied C.P.R., one or more ribs would be fractured.
However in this case she said while C.P.R. might have been responsible for damaging Mr. McFadden's ribs it was not responsible for causing hisrapid death.
"The fatal injury had been inflicted before C.P.R. was applied", she said.
"The deceased in this case was a fit and healthy man. There is no reason to suspect his ribs were fragile and his had been, as far as I can tell, healthy and normal", she added.
The trial continues.
