Warning: Contains graphic details
A Dunedin man died as a result of the repeated "slashing or sawing" of his neck, a pathologist says.
Gurjit Singh, 27, was found dead on the lawn of his Liberton home on January 29 last year, allegedly attacked late the previous night by his former boss, Rajinder, 35.
Forensic pathologist Dr Andrew Gilkison told the High Court at Dunedin yesterday that the injuries to the victim’s throat had the appearance of "an incomplete decapitation".
The defendant pleaded not guilty at the trial’s outset on Monday and his counsel argued he had no reason to commit such a frenzied killing.
Dr Gilkison conducted his autopsy of Mr Singh on January 31 and discovered such an array of injuries — 46 stab wounds in all — he had to devise a numbering system to identify each one.
The most significant was a 22cm-long "gaping" wound to the victim’s neck which severed the carotid artery and the central airway.
On closer inspection, Dr Gilkison found there were multiple injuries to the area caused by a "slashing or sawing" motion.
The wound was so deep, there was evidence on the underlying spinal bone, he told the jury.
The pathologist described the majority of injuries as being to Mr Singh’s head and face including one stab wound which penetrated the jugular vein.
The "sharp-force injuries" to the area came from multiple different directions and many left an imprint on the bone, he said.
Alongside those were two stab wounds, up to 9cm deep, to the torso, which perforated the liver, spleen and kidney.
The lack of glass fragments present meant it was unlikely to have been caused by smashing through a window.
Dr Gilkison also remarked on the lack of internal bleeding found from the torso injuries.
He said that suggested there was little remaining blood pressure when those wounds occurred.
The court heard the autopsy also involved the pathologist taking samples of blood, urine, stomach contents and fingernails.
Dr Gilkison told jurors he had discovered several long black hairs stuck to the hand of Mr Singh.
Those were placed in a sealed bag and handed over to police for scientific testing.
Crown prosecutor Robin Bates told the court in his opening that one of those hairs matched the DNA of Rajinder.
He also foreshadowed further scientific evidence that identified the defendant’s blood at the scene.
When interviewed by police, Rajinder said that was "impossible".
A cut officers saw on his hand in the days after the incident was caused by removing a bike from his vehicle, while giving his wife a late-night driving lesson on the evening of Mr Singh’s death, he said.
Counsel Katy Barker told the jury in her opening that the allegation of murder against her client made little sense.
The court heard Rajinder was in a strong financial position and had been happily married since January 2023.
The trial, before Justice Rachel Dunningham, is expected to run for three weeks.
