THE TRIAL of two Lithuanian men charged with murdering a woman in Wexford last year has heard that the victim died of blunt force trauma to the head.
State pathologist Marie Cassidy said she carried out a postmortem exam on mother-of-two Rebecca French on the day after the 30-year-old’s body was found in her burning car.
Ruslanas Mineikas (26) and Ricardas Dilys (28) of Goodtide Harbour and formerly of Davitt Road South, both in Wexford town, have pleaded not guilty to her murder on October 9th, 2009 in Ard Na Dara, Clonard.
Ms Cassidy said the victim’s remains were severely charred with total cremation in places, when she attended the scene of the car fire on Codd’s Lane outside Wexford town.
She found four irregular lacerations on the back of Ms French’s head, three of which were overlying separate depressed fractures in her skull. The injuries were sufficient to have caused her death, she said.
However, she could not rule out the victim being alive when she was bundled into the boot of her car with a plastic bag tied over her head. Remnants of the bag and cable ties were found around her neck.
She thought that the bag was probably put around her neck to contain the bleeding from her wounds. She could not find any evidence of suffocation but this may have been due to the fire damage, she said. Cable ties were also found at her hands and corresponding ridge patterns were found on her face and wrists.
Some five of the victim’s ribs were broken, injuries consistent with stamping and kicking. Injuries to her arms and shoulders were defensive in nature. Bruising and lacerations on her face could have been caused by punching, she said.
Prof Cassidy added that toxicology reports showed that Ms French had consumed a moderately high level of alcohol along with some recreational drugs.
Garda Oliver Daly and Garda Seán Twomey gave evidence of arresting the two accused at 5.45pm that Friday.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury of seven men and five women.