Kaitaia mum killed by blunt force: Expert

A Kaitaia mother run over twice by a car driven by her partner died from multiple blunt force injuries, a pathologist has told a High Court jury.

Dr Joanne Glengarry, a forensic pathologist at the Auckland City Hospital, conducted an autopsy on Georgina Manuel on August 22, 2013 - a day after she died at Whangarei Hospital from injuries sustained the previous night.

Ms Manuel's partner, Viliami Fungavaka, 47, is on trial in the High Court at Whangarei charged with murdering her using his car during a roadside argument on Pukepoto Rd in Kaitaia on the night of August 20, 2013. Fungavaka has denied the charge, saying what happened to Ms Manuel was an accident.

Dr Glengarry was called before the jury as a Crown witness yesterday.

Before she took the stand, Justice John Faire advised the jury they would receive photos from the post-mortem examination which would show various external injuries suffered by Ms Manuel.

He said the photos were provided so the jury could understand the injuries and cautioned them not to be influenced by prejudice when looking at the pictures.

As part of the photo booklet, Dr Glengarry also provided the diagram of a full adult body and marked areas where Ms Manuel suffered fractures to her body.

She said the cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident.

Blunt force injuries, she explained, were those that resulted from an impact with something solid such as a punch or a baseball bat. She could not say which particular injury may have resulted in her death.

Injuries to the brain, abdomen, or liver alone could cause death regardless of the presence of other injuries, she said.

Dr Glengarry said injuries to lungs and ribs could also cause death - although not immediate, but after complications or infections.

Purple discolouration on top of an eyelid, she said, indicated damage to bones around that area.

She said Ms Manuel suffered extensive bruising to her skull. Her brain suffered non-survival injuries that were at the severe end of the spectrum.

Her brain was so swollen it could not take any blood or oxygen.

Such serious injuries, Dr Glengarry said, would cause spontaneous unconsciousness.

The trial continues on Monday.