A single stab wound went straight through a dad-of-two’s heart and caused him to bleed so quickly it was impossible for his loved ones to save him, a court heard.
The pathologist who performed a post mortem on Paul Stenson, who was killed last year, said the 18cm deep wound also punctured his lung, furthering the catastrophic damage.
Adam Fletcher allegedly murdered Paul Stenson outside a home on Princess Drive in West Derby on December 18 last year - only hours after the two met at a party there. After an argument between the two turned into a scuffle and they were asked to go outside, Fletcher is said to have grabbed a kitchen knife from inside the home before hiding it behind his back, pulling Mr Stenson towards him and plunging it into his side.
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Prosecutors say knife wound inflicted “catastrophic” damage, causing Mr Stenson to bleed to death quickly. They also say Fletcher, 28, tried to dodge justice for days after the killing with the help of his then girlfriend, Susie Lee, and friends, Demi Walsh and Nathan Finnegan.
Fletcher stands accused of murder and of possessing a bladed article. Lee, Walsh and Finnegan are all accused of assisting an offender, while Lee also faces an additional charge of witness intimidation. The four deny all the charges and are currently on trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
Today, the court heard from pathologist Bryan Rodgers, who performed a post mortem on Mr Stenson on December 20 last year, a couple of days after his death.
The court has previously heard that Mr Stenson and Fletcher had scuffled inside the house and that punches were thrown at each other. Dr Rodgers said a number of smaller wounds on Mr Stenson’s face and head were likely linked to that fight but were not a contributor to his death.
Instead, it was a deep stab wound towards the rear of the left side of his chest that caused him to die. The knife that was used to stab Mr Stenson has never been found but Dr Rodgers produced a copy, believed to be similar, to the court.
He said it would have required moderate force to go through the cartilage in Mr Stenson’s ribs before going entirely through his heart and puncturing his lung. Dr Rodgers said this injury not only caused damage to the heart but also caused heavy internal bleeding.
He said this rapid bleeding resulted in a litre of blood being found in each of his chest cavities and this would have caused Mr Stenson to fall to the floor quickly and die soon after.
Mr Pratt said: “In reality, was there nothing that could have been to save him?" Dr Rodgers replied: “No.” Mr Stenson's cause of death was recorded as haemorrhage and shock.
Fletcher, 28, of Palace Road, denies murder and possession of a bladed article. Finnegan, 30, of Rosalind Way, and Walsh, 28, of Redbourn Street, both deny assisting an offender. Lee, 21, denies assisting an offender and intimidating a witness.
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