Mother was smothered and strangled, pathologist tells murder trial

Eoin Reynolds

A 58-year-old woman whose son denies her murder had been smothered, strangled and had bruises to her face, torso and limbs, along with stab wounds to both her legs and a laceration to her head, a pathologist has told the Central Criminal Court.

State pathologist Dr SallyAnne Collis told the trial of Nigel Canavan (39) that the deceased, Angela Canavan (58), also had bruises on her left forearm that are consistent with defensive injuries where a person tries to protect their head or push someone away.

There were further injuries to the deceased's upper arms consistent with "grabbing or holding injuries", which the pathologist said can happen when a person is "handled around the place".

Mr Canavan's Central Criminal Court trial has heard that the accused told gardaí that he was upstairs in his mother's home when he heard three "thuds" from the sitting room.

When he went downstairs to investigate, he said he found her dead on her back on the floor, surrounded by broken glass and with a broken chair nearby.

Mr Canavan, with an address at Erris Gardens, Crossmolina, Co Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to his mother's murder at her home in St John's Terrace, Co Sligo on May 1st 2023.

Dr Collis on Thursday told Conor Devally SC for the prosecution that in her initial examination, she noticed pinpoint haemorrhaging around the deceased's eyes, which are commonly associated with asphyxia.

There was a partial laceration 4cm in length on her forehead caused by blunt force trauma, and bruises to Ms Canavan's face, chest, abdomen, back, and both arms and legs.

A 1.4cm thick stab wound to the front of the right thigh tracked to a depth of 13cm and was surrounded by bruising. She said this was consistent with the knife going in until the hilt met the skin, causing bruising around the wound.

A stab wound to the left thigh tracked to a depth of 8cm.

Neither stab wound damaged major blood vessels, and they did not cause extensive bleeding.

A toxicology report showed that Ms Canavan was seven times over the legal alcohol limit for driving and would have been intoxicated, Dr Collis said.

In her conclusion, Dr Collis said the blunt force injuries and stab wounds were not significant enough to cause death. Haemorrhages around the eyes, caused by pressure building up in the head, indicated smothering or strangulation.

Injuries to the inside of Ms Canavan's mouth that matched the shape of her teeth are consistent with something being applied to her mouth, preventing her from breathing. The pathologist could not say what was used to cover the mouth.

Bruising and haemorrhaging to the bones in the neck are evidence of strangulation, she said, whereby something applied pressure to her neck. She said the pattern of bruising would favour a hand rather than a ligature.

The cause of death, she concluded, was external asphyxiation due to obstruction of the airways by suffocation or smothering and manual strangulation.

Under cross-examination, Dr Collis told defence counsel Desmond Dockery SC that the "grabbing type" injuries could have been caused when Mr Canavan helped his mother to the toilet the night before her death.

Mr Canavan told gardaí during interviews that his mother had been so intoxicated that she couldn't make it on her own. Dr Collis accepted that this could offer an "innocent explanation for some of the bruising".

She also agreed that some of the bruises to Ms Canavan's torso could have been caused by a tight "bear hug".

Injuries to her wrists could have occurred if someone gripped her arms during a struggle, the pathologist said. Given Ms Canavan's history of heart disease and use of blood thinners, she would have bruised easily, Dr Collis said.

Heart disease combined with Ms Canavan's frequent use of alcohol and a brain injury from a fall down the stairs in 2019, would have combined to make her more vulnerable to trauma than a person without those issues, Dr Collis said.

The trial continues on Friday before Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo and a jury of ten women and two men.