TRIAL OF COATS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 64, 6 November 1931, Page 3

TRIAL OF COATS

(Press Assn.—

MEDICAL EVIDENCE GIRL WAS PROBABLY BURIpD ALIVE, DOCTORS SAY FALL DOWN BANK DISCOUNTED

rBy Telegraph — Copyright.)

WELLINGTON, Thurs. The trial of George Coats for the alleged murder of Phillis Alva Symons was continued this morning. Dr. P. Lynch, pathologist at Wellington Hospital, descrlbed the position of the body__i>f Phixiis Syihoqs. , when. he was to the spot where it was found. In company with Dr. Hector he made a post-mortem examination. The girl had been pregnant. Deseribing the head injuries wit- ■ ness said that although they were deep-seated there was no fracture of the underlying bone. There were no marks of throttling on the neck. He summarised his findings as follows: Deceased was struck a violent blow on the right temple, also a blow or series of blows on the back of the head and neck. The injuries were caused at about the same time. Either would have caused unconseiousness and either could have caused death. The immediate cause of death was asphyxia, due to the stomaeh contents being vomited into the windpipe. He thought a scarf found round the girl's head had been placed in position to lessen the sound of stertorous breathing or other noise- He was of opinion that the scarf was deliberately placed, and he did not think that a conscious person would have permitted it to be placed there. Buried Alive His findings, continued witness, suggested that the girl had been buried alive. The injuries, in his opinion could not have been self-inflicted, nor could they have been caused by falling down an embankment. If there had been a fall he would expect to see some abrasions on the face or knees. Cross-examined, Dr. Lynch said he could not imagine that the multiple injury on the back of the head could be caused in any other way than by a blow or blows. In his experiencd suicide by falling from a height was very uneommon. Witness was questioned at length rogarding the possibility of the injuries being caused by the girl throwing herself over the bank, but he was of opinion that, taken in conjunction the injuries were not consistent with suicide. Re-examined by the Crown Prosecutor, Dr. Lynch said that if the girl had fallen down the bank he would have expected her to come to rest in a sprawling position, and not with her knees drawn up to her abdomen. He could not conceive of the girl's injuries having been the. result of such a fall, for if a person were pitching downwards, the right shoulder would have afforded considerable protection to the right temple. Charles Monro Hector, formerly pathologist to the eoroner at Wellington for five years, said he had conducted a post-mortem examination with Dr. Lynch and the conclusions he | had come to were largely the same as i those reached by Dr. Lynch. He had i no opinion to offer as far as the scarf , j was concerned. He had not seen the . j scarf in position. Crown Prosecutor: Is it your opinion that the body was alive while in the ground? — Yes. Crown Prosecutor: Will you tell us your reasons? — She was alive when vomiting oecurred. Vomiting occurred in the attitude in which she was ; : found and she probably died a min- ; ute or two after vomiting. j Dr. Hector said he did not think the i bank was steep enough for anyone • | to throw themselses down it. He himself had rolled large stones down and . they did not reach the bottom- He . did not think such injuries could have . been caused by a fall down the bank. Dr. Hector was questioned closely, with regard to his reasons for supposing that the girl had been buried alive. • Witness did not agree that the injuries at the back of the head and neck . were such as would result from a wrench. Two pieces of iron piping were re*ferred to Dr. Hector. Witness said i he considered the narrower one would have left a mark, even perhaps , through the searf if it had been used , to strike a blow on the temple. The . larger one could have struck the blow without doing so, If powerful blows were struck on the right side at the back of the head up toward the ear, . laceration of the skin would -probably occur, but this was not necessarily the case at the back of the muscles of the neck. After further evidenee had been given the court adjourned until tomorrow.