The pathologist who performed a post-mortem on Blessie Gotingco's body has stood by his findings that she was hit by a car, strangled and stabbed in Auckland last year.
The accused, who has name suppression, in the High Court in Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
Listen to Radio New Zealand reporter Edward Gay, who was at the trial
A 28 year-old man who denies raping and murdering the 56-year-old Auckland woman is on trial in the High Court at Auckland.
Giving evidence today, Dr Carl Wigren said Mrs Gotingco's broken left leg and other inuries were most likely caused by her being hit by a car.
He also told the court he found a bruise and a broken cartilage in Mrs Gotingco's neck during her autopsy.
That evidence, considered together with burst blood vessels in her eyes, suggested she was strangled, he said.
Dr Wigren said Mrs Gotingco had her throat cut with a 14.5 cm knife cut, and also had deep wounds to her head and chest.
He said Mrs Gotingco was still alive when her throat was cut because he found blood in her lungs.
"There are actually injuries that are associated with that that are very severe - the trachea, which is your wind pipe that runs through [that] area - it actually transacts or partially cuts through the trachea."
Yesterday a police crash expert said he believed Mr Gotingco was walking on the footpath when she was hit by a car.
The Crown's case is that the accused deliberately ran down Mrs Gotingco in his car, bundled her into the back seat and took her to his home, where she was raped and killed.
But he told the jury in his opening address that he accidentally ran over Mrs Gotingco but then took her home because he was on a curfew.
Photo: RNZ / Mani Dunlop