Fall into gin glass ‘was possible’, Shrewsbury attempted murder trial told
An expert forensic scientist has said she cannot rule out the possibility that a woman fell on to a gin glass, causing life-threatening injuries.
John Reeves is on trial at Stafford Crown Court after denying the alleged attempted murder of his wife Beverley at their home in Ellesmere Road, Shrewsbury, on March 31 this year.
The 36-year-old, a soldier in the Royal Dragoons, denies attacking his wife with a gin glass and says the pair had been drinking alcohol when she fell on to her glass in the dining room.
After examining the scene on April 13, blood pattern expert and forensic scientist Gillian Leak concluded it was possible Mrs Reeves fell on to the glass, which sliced open her carotid artery and jugular vein.
The trial so far:
She was asked by defence lawyer Simon Philips to consider two hypotheses – that Mrs Reeves was sat on a chair or stood at the dining room table when she was attacked by her husband with a glass, or that she fell on to it from an upright position.
She told the jury: “If Mrs Reeves was upright at the table or seated when she sustained the injuries, I would expect there to be spurts of blood around the room but there’s nothing I can see to support that.
“In relation to the alternative that she fell with a glass between her and the floor – I don’t know if the glass broke as a result of her falling or if it broke before she hit it – but there’s substantial amounts of blood to suggest that.”
Mrs Leak added: “I can’t rule it out that her injuries were caused when she hit the glass from a fall.”
Reeves claims he dragged his wife through the house and got her in the bath before calling 999.
The court also heard from Mrs Leak that the blood patterns suggest Mrs Reeves was dragged to the bathroom as opposed to her walking there herself.
Mrs Leak added: “There’s been discussions over what took place because of the limited amount of blood on Mr Reeves’ clothing.
“He has described dragging his wife from behind and that she originally fell on to her front so he turned her over.
“She would be spurting blood but if he was behind her as he says he was, he would not be in the catchment area of where the blood is projected.”
The prosecution claims Mrs Reeves staggered to the bathroom to escape her husband.
The trial continues.