A pathologist has told the High Court in Napier how a Hawke’s Bay man had only minutes to live after receiving a stab wound to a crucial artery in his neck.
Haami Hanara, 14, on trial in the Napier High Court, is accused of stabbing 40-year-old Kelly Donner, who was found dead outside a Flaxmere tavern in March, during an attack involving four other youths.
The Crown alleges Mr Hanara was the one who used a knife to inflict four stab wounds, one of which cut the carotid artery in Mr Donner’s neck, which supplies blood from the heart to the brain.
This wound caused him to bleed to death.
Dr Thambirajah Balachandra conducted the autopsy on Mr Donner and gave evidence via audio visual link from Canada this morning.
He told the court that one of the stab wounds to the neck completely severed the carotid artery that supplies blood from the heart to the brain.
He said due to the nature of the 10-and-a-half centre metre wound, it was likely a serrated knife was used in the attack.
When asked by Crown Prosecutor Steve Manning how long someone would be expected to survive if that artery was cut, Dr Balachandra told the court that without medical intervention it would be around three to five minutes.
He noted in his autopsy report that Mr Donner’s organs were pale, which would indicate a substantial amount of blood lost.
During cross examination, defence lawyer Eric Forster indicated that Mr Balachandra’s report found that THC, a chemical present in cannabis, was detected in the victim’s blood samples.
Dr Balachandra confirmed it would indicate Mr Donner could have smoked a single cannabis cigarette in the hours before his death.
A large contingent of Mr Donner’s family is present in the public gallery today as well as members of Mr Hanara’s.
The trial continues.
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