After calling the province’s chief forensic pathologist to the stand Thursday, the Crown has wrapped its testimony in the trial of a man accused of killing his girlfriend in 2015.
Duran Redwood was charged with second-degree murder in the death of Celeste Yawney.
Dr. Shaun Ladham performed the autopsy on Yawney. He testified he found signs of blunt force trauma, especially to Yawney’s head and upper body. He also told court that Yawney had hemorrhaging in her abdomen and chest, along with broken ribs.
Ladham said that while there was a lot of blood loss, he can’t say that bleeding alone led to Yawney’s death. He added he can’t speak to damage to Yawney’s brain as a forensic pathology, since neuropathology is a different field of pathology.
The cause of Yawney’s death, Ladham testified, was a combination of shock, blood loss and blunt force trauma to her head and abdomen.
When asked by the Crown what could have caused the injuries, Ladham told the court they could be result of punching, kicking, or throwing someone against the floor or a wall. He also said the hemorrhaging in Yawney’s chest is consistent with the size of a hand or a foot.
Ladham also told court there was evidence of alcohol in the toxicology report, but not enough that alcohol poisoning may have led to Yawney’s death.
During cross-examination, Ladham told the defence that it wouldn’t be possible to know the extent of Yawney’s internal injuries based on the bruising and cuts on the outside of her body. He also testified that it’s impossible to tell how much time passed between Yawney’s injuries and her death, but he said it wouldn’t have been more than a few hours.
Ladham was the final witness called by the Crown.
CTV's Cole Davenport is at court.
