'Unique wound' on dead man

Dr Kenneth Shorrock told Leeds Crown Court the wound entered just below the front of Mohammed Shabir Choudary's chin. "It was unusual in that it passed into the body almost directly downwards and slightly backwards, passing through the tissue at the front of the neck doing some damage to the muscles and some of the smaller blood vessels."

In 17 years as a consultant pathologist he had never come across a similar wound taking that direction.

He said none of the major blood vessels, such as the jugular vein was damaged, but the wound then continued down entering into the top of the chest cavity on the right side and causing a superficial puncture to the victim's right lung.

There was considerable internal bleeding with a litre of blood found in the chest cavity.

On trial is Zaheer Aziz, 44, who denies murdering Mr Choudary, his uncle, at his home in Gill Syke Grove, Wakefield, on January 18. The jury has been told he may claim it was Mr Choudary who had the knife and that the injury was caused accidentally as he struggled to defend himself from him.

Dr Shorrock said: "I find it almost implausible that it could have been caused accidentally".

The trial continues.