Baden-Clay trial: scratches looked like fingernail marks, doctor says
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Version 0 of 1. Scratches on Gerard Baden-Clay's face looked like they were caused by fingernails, not a razor blade, a doctor has told the Brisbane court where the former real estate agent is on trial for the murder of his wife. Forensic physician Margaret Stark, who has more than two decades of experience, has told the trial she examined photographs of the injuries on the 43-year-old's face and concluded they were not fresh but several hours or a day old. The scratches were noticed after Baden-Clay reported his wife missing. Stark said she had seen thousands of assault victims and the "yellowy orange" abrasions on Baden-Clay's right cheek were typical of fingernail scratches, not razor blade injuries. "These injuries are typical of fingernail scratches, it's not diagnostic, it's not 100%, but in my experience ... this is a very typical presentation of being scratched by fingernails," she told the supreme court via videolink. Earlier on Wednesday, the court heard that Baden-Clay had told a police officer his facial injuries were caused by a cut from an old razor blade. Senior Constable Cameron Simmons had asked about the scratches on his face, saying: "It doesn't look like a shaving cut." But Baden-Clay had said that he had old razor blades and he had hurt himself because he'd been in a hurry shaving. Stark said razor blades usually caused a finer injury because the blade is sharper than nails, whereas the injuries photographed on Baden-Clay were wider. She also said someone who nicked themselves with a razor would probably stop shaving and not cause more injuries. She said larger "yellowy orange" abrasions appeared older than some small red dots that were next to them, which appeared fresher and were more consistent with being caused by a razor. Stark said it was difficult to say when the injuries occurred, but at the time the scratches were photographed they did not appear to be fresh. Under cross-examination she said she could not be 100% sure judging from a photograph and could not exclude them being caused by a razor. Baden-Clay has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife, Allison, whose body was found on 30 April 2012, at a creek bank at Anstead, in Brisbane's west. A doctor who examined the scratches the day after Baden-Clay reported his wife missing said he seemed anxious at first, but then offered to help her find a house. Giving evidence by phone, GP Candice Beaven told the court Baden-Clay revealed part way through the 21 April 2012 consultation that police had asked him to have the injuries documented. She said the cuts looked fresh and Baden-Clay had said at least three times that he had cut himself shaving. "Because there were three separate marks I asked him whether he had noticed he was bleeding," she said. "He said he couldn't be sure and he was in a rush and so he must not have noticed." Beaven said initially Baden-Clay had told her the injuries were caused in one motion but then he said it must have been a couple of motions. "He appeared reasonably composed initially ... but I could tell he was anxious and he was a little bit on edge and I felt that he was in a rush to get through with the consultation," Beaven said. However, at the end he seemed "quite friendly" and asked the doctor how long she had been at the practice and where she lived. When she replied she was looking to move closer to the area "he handed me his business card and said he might be able to help me with that", she said. The trial continues. |