Anne Shortall died from nine blows to head, court hears

Anne Shortall died from nine blows to her head and blockage to her airways caused by duct tape her attacker wrapped around her head, the State Pathologist has said.

Roy Webster (40), of Ashbree, Ashford, Co Wicklow, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Ms Shortall (47) on Good Friday, April 3rd, 2015, at The Murrough, Co Wicklow. His plea was not accepted by the State.

At the Central Criminal Court, Prof Marie Cassidy told prosecuting counsel Paul Greene SC that she examined Ms Shortall's body shortly after it was discovered in a workshop on the grounds of Mr Webster's home on April 7th, 2015.

She identified nine lacerations to her head, each one caused by a separate blow with a blunt object.

Ms Shortall’s nose and mouth were obstructed by duct tape that had been wrapped around her head when she was either unconscious or dead.

Prof Cassidy said it would be “very difficult” to wrap the tape around her head and face in that manner if she were still conscious.

Fatal blows

She said that if Ms Shortall was still alive before her mouth and nose were covered, the blockage to her airways would have excluded all possibility of survival.

Further injuries to Ms Shortall’s hands suggest she may have tried to defend herself from her attacker.

Five of the fatal blows landed on the top of her head but Prof Cassidy said none of them caused fractures to the skull and her brain was intact, although slightly swollen.

She said the injuries were consistent with hammer blows and suggest that her attacker used “moderate force”.

Ms Shortall’s jaw was fractured in two places and minor injuries to her neck suggested she may have been “gripped or grabbed” by the neck but there was no evidence of an attempt at strangulation.

When asked to give the cause of death, she said: “Blunt force trauma to the head and obstruction of the airways.”

The court also heard Ms Shortall knew she was not pregnant when she is alleged to have demanded money for an abortion from Mr Webster.

The jury has already heard the accused said he beat Ms Shortall to death after she threatened to tell his wife about a sexual relationship they had if he did not give her £6,500 for an abortion.

Sexual encounter

Dr Geraldine O’Kelly told defending counsel Brendan Grehan SC that she was Anne Shortall’s GP. On January 12th, 2015, less than one month after Ms Shortall’s sexual encounter with Mr Webster, she went to her GP complaining of having very heavy periods.

Dr O’Kelly said this would not be compatible with being pregnant and added: “I’m satisfied she was not pregnant and she knew she was not.”

She said Ms Shortall was referred to a gynaecologist who saw her on March 16th and carried out a test on her womb that would also be incompatible with a person being pregnant.

She said the specialist would have checked to find out if she was pregnant beforehand.

The trial continues in front of Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of seven men and four women.