The killer of a young Wicklow woman in her Dublin flat two years ago appears to have had medical or anatomical knowledge, a London jury was told yesterday.
State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy said the person who stabbed Georgina Eager to death seemed to have targeted an area of the upper spine in a way that was unprecedented in her experience.
She said it was apparent that Ms Eager, from Newtownmountkennedy, had put up a struggle and had tried to seize the knife being used by her attacker.
Prof Cassidy was giving evidence at the Inner London Crown Court on the fourth day of the trial of Christopher Newman (63), who denies murdering Ms Eager (28), on May 22nd, 2003.
Mr Newman ran an alternative therapies clinic on St Peter's Road in Walkinstown, under the name "Prof Saph Dean", next door to the flat where Ms Eager's body was found with multiple stab wounds. She worked at the clinic and the two had also developed a personal relationship.
He is being tried in Britain under UK legislation that allows a British national to be tried there for a crime allegedly committed in another jurisdiction. The jury has been told it is "common ground" that Mr Newman killed Ms Eager, but he will be claiming he acted in self-defence.
Prof Cassidy said Ms Eager suffered 21 stab wounds, three puncture wounds and five "incise wounds" to the face, neck, chest and back, as well as multiple defensive injuries to her limbs.
Incise wounds, she explained, occurred when a blade was drawn along the skin, while puncture wounds comprised a small hole in the skin. Stab wounds were caused by a deep thrust of the blade. The kitchen knife used to kill Ms Eager was embedded in her neck when she was found by gardaí and family members.
Under cross-examination by Mr Newman's barrister Andrew Smiler, Prof Cassidy agreed that the wounds to the front of Ms Eager's body had been administered first and those to her back afterwards, by which time she had become immobilised. It was possible the victim was already dead or was close to death when stabbed in the back of the neck.
Mr Smiler asked Prof Cassidy about a wound to the left side of Ms Eager's neck. Would that wound be consistent with two people holding a knife and then Ms Eager turning away?
Prof Cassidy said she had no idea what position Ms Eager was in when the wound was administered, but the scenario suggested by Mr Smiler was "possible".
The jury also heard evidence yesterday from a man who was employed at Mr Newman's clinic at the time of Ms Eager's death.
Kakha Gabisonia, a native of Georgia, made beds used for massages, which were sold by the clinic, in a garage at the back of the premises in Walkinstown.
He recalled he turned up for work as usual at 8am on May 22nd, 2003, the morning Ms Eager was killed, probably between 5am and 9.30am. He said Mr Newman answered the door. He normally wore a suit or shirt and trousers but on this occasion he had only a towel around his waist, said Mr Gabisonia.
Speaking through an interpreter, he said Mr Newman told him to "go and work", which he did. At 10.23am, Mr Newman rang him and said that Georgina and himself had gone away.
"He said if someone comes I am to tell them the clinic is closed today and they should come back tomorrow."