Any one of the three stab wounds suffered by 16-year-old William Lewis could have killed him, a forensic pathologist told the jury of a murder retrial in the High Court at Timaru yesterday.
On the third day of the retrial of Daniel Ethan Smith, now 20, for the April 1, 2010 alleged murder of William Peter Lewis, the Crown prosecutors Andrew and Anne-Marie McRae called the last six of their 21 witnesses.
Smith has pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder, arguing self-defence.
Pathologist Dr Martin Sage told the jury of six men and six women William could have lost about two litres of blood after being stabbed three times in the left mid-back, right mid-back and centre of his lower back on April 1, 2010.
The three stabs perforated the aorta, both lungs and his left kidney.
Dr Sage also noted abrasions on William's face and shoulders, which were most likely a result of his fall to the ground, he told the court.
He was cautious to describe the force used, but it would have been at least ''moderate'' and, without prompt medical attention, each stab wound represented ''a very significant threat to life'', he said.
It appeared Smith would have been standing behind William when he stabbed him, but there were other possibilities, Dr Sage said.
There were no traces of alcohol or drugs in blood and urine samples taken from William, he said.
Environmental Science and Research forensic scientist Gary Gillespie said two areas of a trail of blood to where William's body was found indicated he had slowed and halted before collapsing.
Items from the scene including the blood-stained shirt and jeans William wore the night of his death were shown to the court yesterday and Dr Gillespie identified four areas of damage to the T-shirt.
On the front of the T-shirt, the irregular shape and length of a fresh cut appeared to have been made by a slashing or slicing-type action from a knife to the shirt.
Social worker Jarrod Parlato, of Palmerston North, said he met Smith for the first time on April 6, two days after he arrived at the youth justice residential facility he worked at.
During a one-on-one conversation on April 7, 2010, Mr Parlato said Smith asked him if he had heard anything about the incident in Oamaru.
Mr Parlato said he had not, and Smith went on to tell him about the events of April 1, including how he slashed and stabbed William with a knife, then he said he turned to Donovan Smith, William's best friend, saying: ''Who's the bitch now?'' before he ''bolted'' from the scene.
Mr Parlato said Smith told him he later ''made a phone call to a mate'' and while on the phone noticed blood on his hands which he then washed off in a bathroom.
Then he heard a knock on the door, which he thought would be the police, so he ran to his room and jumped into bed and ''made out he was asleep'', Mr Parlato said, recalling the conversation from four years ago.
Defence counsel Christopher Stevenson questioned Mr Parlato's mention that Smith had said: ''Who's the bitch now?'', citing no reference to that in his case notes.
However, Mr Parlato said the comment was made. ''It was a strange comment to make - it stuck in my mind,'' he said.
Corey Douglas and Paul Turnbull were in the cells of the Oamaru Police Station on April 3, at the same time Smith was in custody.
Mr Douglas said he struck up a conversation with the accused, who was two cells away from him.
''I knew about the incident,'' Mr Douglas, who thought the accused might have been in the cells that night, said.
Mr Douglas said Smith told him he had been ''getting a bit of a hard time from two fellas and ended up in a stabbing'' and that ''he didn't intend to kill the dude''.
When police were in the cell area, they asked Mr Douglas and Smith not to talk, but when police were not in earshot, Mr Douglas said they spent about two hours talking, with the Exe St incident the first topic of conversation.
Mr Stevenson questioned Mr Douglas' recollection of events as he had consumed a 12-pack of bourbon before being placed in the police cells that night.
Mr Douglas said his memory of the conversation four years ago was still ''pretty clear''.
Mr Turnbull did not take part in the conversation, but recalled some details he heard while in a cell between Mr Douglas and the accused.
''[Smith] said he took off down the street and threw the knife in the bushes,'' he said, recalling some of the conversation.
The court also heard from Detective Kevin Kirkman, of Oamaru, who was officer in charge of the scene. Det Kirkman said he saw a trail of blood drops from the area of 25 Exe St towards Thames St to where William's body was found.
The retrial will resume at 10am on Monday, when the defence will present its evidence.
Closing submissions and the judge's summary will be heard on Tuesday before the jury commences its deliberations.
