By Dyllan O'Sullivan-
A forensic medical expert has questioned the alleged injury depicted on the vagina of the alleged rape victim.
Dr Hall, give her assessment based on the medical notes and a video recording of the woman’s vagina.
Dr Hall, a semi-retired doctor, told the court she works one day a week in conjunction with the PSNI. She qualified in 1975, over four decades ago.
Challenging a previous medical opinion given to the court, she said: “From my perspective, I didn’t see the injury.”
She alleged the alleged bruising by saying she saw “purple discoloration” but it may have been as a result of the lighting in the room.
She did not see the alleged victim in person and accepted that seeing with the “naked eye” is most important.
The court was told that Dr Hall has extensive experience in dealing with sexual assaults, and the injuries victims suffer.
She was asked by a prosecution barrister whether most victims of sexual assault resist or allow it to happen.
Dr Hall replied: “The evidence overwhelmingly is that it’s allowed to happen.”
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Dr.Hall also told the high profile rape trial of four Ulster rugby players that most rape victims do not fight back during an attack.
Dr Hall, who has extensive professional experience in the area gave evidence in response to an invitation by Paddy Jackson’s barrister Brendan Kelly QC, on the 18th day of the trial.
Asked by Toby Hedworth QC for the complainant: “Do most victims of victims of sexual assault resist it or allow it to happen?”
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Dr Hall told Belfast Crown Court: “No, I think the evidence is overwhelming that it is allowed to happen.”
FORENSICS
Hall has vast experience in the areas of forensics and sexual assault extensively, told the court that a video, recorded by Dr Lavery during an examination of the alleged victim, did not show her a laceration.
She told the court: “The video does not show me where the laceration was. It just showed me a pool of blood.”
She said she now felt concerned that the complainant had still been bleeding 14 hours after the alleged attack.
And she added: “Bleeding injuries are not common in these cases. It is known that injuries heal very quickly in this area. It’s like the mouth. If it is cut it heals within a day.
“I would have been concerned about that quantity of bleeding persisting from an injury. I think I would have been thinking along the lines of how I would have stopped the bleeding.
CONFUSION
“That is causing me some confusion. I’ve had to refer cases up to the hospital for treatment to stop bleeding.”
Dr Hall said she could not confirm the appearance of “purple bruising” at the vagina because of the poor lighting of the video recording of Dr Lavery’s examination.
This examination and recording was completed by Dr Larvery at the Rowan Centre in Co Antrim.
But the medical witness for the defense confirmed that the colour of the bruising mentioned by Dr Lavery would indicate that the injury had happened recently.
Asked by prosecutor Mr Hedworth QC to explain the purpose of such recordings, Dr Hall replied it gave a visual confirmation of any findings.
She said: “As we all know that a picture tells the whole story more than any number of words.”She went on to say that most victims also give a partial initial account of the events, describing them as “piecemeal”.
Dr.Hall admitted having no experience of taking the first account of an attack from a witness. She added that throughout her career, she had been privy to police notes before meeting any alleged sexual assault victim.
She went on to say that most victims also give a partial initial account of the events, describing them as “piecemeal”.
She later said that she had no experience of taking the first account of an attack from a witness and throughout her career had been privy to police notes before meeting any alleged sexual assault victim.
Now semi-retired, the doctor told the court she works one day a week in conjunction with the PSNI.
At the trial on Tuesday, the court heard that a doctor who examined the woman the day after the alleged attack found a 1cm-long injury and bruising to her vagina.
On Wednesday, a different doctor, Dr Hall, give an assessment based on the medical notes and a video recording of the woman’s vagina.
Dr Hall said: “From my perspective, I didn’t see the injury.”
In terms of bruising, she said she saw “purple discoloration” but it may have been as a result of the lighting in the room.
She did not see the alleged victim in person and accepted that seeing with the “naked eye” is most important.
The court was told that Dr Hall has extensive experience in dealing with sexual assaults, and the injuries victims suffer.
She was asked by a prosecution barrister whether most victims of sexual assault resist or allow it to happen.
Dr Hall replied: “The evidence overwhelmingly is that it’s allowed to happen.”
INTERVIEWS
Judge Patricia Smyth told the jury to prepare to listen to several hours of interviews which would stretch to “many, many hours” but extracts will be heard in court.
The judge also repeated a warning she has sounded to jurors all along not to discuss the case with anyone.
“It is your view that counts in this case,” she said.
“Please do not discuss evidence with anyone. And, as I have said before, be on your guard.” The case is approaching its final hours,with every remaining detail of the case absolutely crucial. Jurors have been told not to make up their minds about a verdict until they have heard all the evidence, but inevitably jurors like journalists hearing this big case will have been coming to various conclusions in the case, wavering and reviewing their position at various points.
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