'HER BLOOD WAS NOT IN HER ORGANS'

“At the time of her autopsy, the majority of her blood was not there; her organs were pale.”

This was the chilling explanation given by Forensic State Pathologist, Dr Varushka Bachan, who is seasoned and qualified in the field of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and is a medical practitioner.

Bachan took the witness stand at the Mitchells Plain Magistrate's Court yesterday for the continuation of the trial against Corrine Jackson.

The State is set to prove that Jackson had tried to behead her victim, Nadine Esterhuizen, 18, in September 2017, by leaving seven gaping wounds in her head, and that her sternocleidomastoid muscle in the neck, and the jugular vein had been penetrated.

Jackson’s attorney, Asghar Mia, who had informed the court on Tuesday that he did not receive financial instructions from his client due to financial difficulties, had now received them.

The magistrate instructed that he would not allow any further delays in the matter.

Jackson carried out cross-examination of Bachan's evidence, which she had provided to the court in August, where she detailed the horrific injuries that Esterhuizen had sustained, including providing her expert opinion of the crime scene via photographs relating to how wounds may have been inflicted, to blood splatter and droplets.

While requesting Bachan to view the same photographs of the scene, Mia put it to Bachan that blood splatter, smears, and droplets—whether she could indicate whom it belonged to.

She said she could not and added this due to not having scientific or DNA evidence of the blood.

She indicated that areas in the kitchen where blood loss was significant, belonged to the deceased.

“The amount of blood found is that of the deceased considering the nature of her injuries.”

When asked whether blood smears found on the floor, if she could say whom it belonged to, Bachan added due to the amount of blood in that area, it was not consistent with someone who would be alive, and that there was only one deceased.

Mia also put it to Bachan that clumps and strands of hair were found at the crime scene; who did it belong to? This was after she had earlier testified that Esterhuizen’s hair had been pulled out.

Bachan said there were loose strands of hair on the deceased body, such as in her hands and neck, and that during an examination of her scalp and head area, it appeared to be matted, but that she saw areas where it was pulled away.

Mia added that the hair found inside the hands, was it not possible for the person to have pulled out their own hair, to which Bachan said: “Pulling out your own hair is very painful, but it is not unlikely.”

In August, the court heard that Jackson told medical staff after her arrest that she had sustained injuries, which were confirmed to be possibly self-inflicted, and she claimed she was harmed because she was fighting with knives with another person who was now deceased.

Jackson was arrested after she was found inside a locked bathroom and had two daggers in her possession and is currently out on R5 000 bail.

In a medical report which had been read by Bachan in August, it revealed Jackson’s wounds were described as superficial lacerations, which was coded yellow, and was not life-threatening.”