Page 94 of Dissection of a Murder
“A collection of blood. There’s a very small gap between the brain and the skull, and if the layer around the brain is torn as a result of trauma or impact, it can bleed into that subdural space.”
“And what happens if this occurs?”
“It exerts pressure on the brain stem, which controls breathing. Death is quick if medical assistance isn’t sought rapidly.”
Julian pauses for a second, allowing the jury to process what they’ve just heard.
“Dr. Parker, if I could ask about the impact itself,” he goes on. “Where exactly was the victim struck?”
“On the right temple, just above his right eye. An incredibly vulnerable area.”
“What about the direction of impact?”
“It’s unlikely it came from the front. I suspect it came from the side or behind the victim.”
“I really want the jury to be clear on this. You’re saying it’s very unlikely this blow was delivered from a place where the victim could see it coming?”
Smart. He’s shutting off any opportunity to raise self-defense before we get started.
Setting up intent to kill.
“I would say so, yes.”
“How did the impact site present?” Julian goes on.
“Very slightly raised. The skin was not broken, which suggests he was struck with a heavy but smooth object.”
“If I could ask you to clarify for the jury,” he asks, in his patronizing voice, “is it normal to be struck with such a heavy object and for there to be no swelling or bruising?”
“With trauma to the head, yes,” Dr. Parker confirms. “The impact is directed inward, so the blood vessels that connect the brain to the skull are severed. All of the damage is internal.”
He is an extraordinarily calm witness who speaks clinically but clearly. He’s eloquent and takes care that the jury understand what he’s saying. Dr. Parker stands upright in the witness box, hands in front of him. He is an excellent professional witness, and that terrifies me.
“If I could take you to tab number five in your jury bundle, you’ll see a photo of a ten-kilogram kettlebell. This was found at the scene. Could this have inflicted the injury you detail?”
“Kettlebells are designed to be swung. With enough momentum, someone could deliver a fatal impact with it, yes.”
“With an injury such as the one you’ve outlined, how much time would have elapsed between impact and death?”
“As I said, death is rapid with this kind of injury once the blow has been delivered. It entirely depends on each individual’s circumstances and the medical situation of the person involved, whether they have any underlying conditions. But survival is possible if they get help quickly. A longer delay diminishes that chance.”
“To clarify for the jury, survival is possible if medical attention is sought quickly?”
Oh no. I know where he’s going with this.
“Certainly.”
“It’s impossible for you to comment upon how quickly the defendant called 999 after the fatal blow was delivered, of course. But isit possible to say, in this case, how much time elapsed between Mr. Smythe receiving the injury and receiving medical help?”
Dr. Parker glances at the jury, and I watch as he delivers the subtlest smile. It’s then that I realize he is very much hoping that Jack is convicted, despite his evidence supposedly being unbiased.
“Well, no. But Mr. Smythe is dead, isn’t he?”
Sometimes a witness delivers such a devastating blow, there’s no need for them to elaborate on what they’ve just said. The impact of it sits quietly between the words. That’s the true indicator of a professional witness—someone who understands how a jury works. He doesn’t need to say anything else, and Julian, being as skilled as he is, doesn’t push further. In a courtroom, silence is golden; a well-timed pause holds more power than a hundred careless words.
“Thank you, Dr. Parker,” Julian says, after a few moments, once he’s allowed the jury to swallow his last line. “I don’t have any further questions.”
Standing up, I’m reminded that going against a solid expert witness when defending is always difficult.
