Wounds to heart, major arteries killed Sophie Elliott, court told

Sophie Elliott (left), her murder accused Clayton Weatherston (top right) and a pair of sissors found at the crime scene. Photos / APN / Supplied

Sophie Elliott died of blood loss from lethal stab wounds to the heart and major arteries in her neck in the knife attack by Clayton Robert Weatherston, the High Court at Christchurch was told today.

A police witnesses, a scientist, and pathologist Martin Sage have now described the scene in the bedroom where her body was found after the attack in Dunedin on January 9, 2008.

They have described extensive blood-staining around the room, and the recovery of body parts which had been severed from Miss Elliott in the attack.

Detective Hamish Barrons went to the scene as the officer in charge of Miss Elliott's body, accompanied by Dr Sage.

He said there was heavy blood staining on her clothing. Her face and neck appeared to have received multiple stab and cut wounds.

Her eyes were closed but they appeared to have received multiple cut injuries.

Clumps of Miss Elliott's long wavy hair had been cut off.

Parts of her nose and right ear had been removed.

At the post mortem, Mr Barrons was told by Dr Sage that the cause of death had been blood loss from lethal stab wounds to the heart and major arteries in the neck.

When he gave evidence, Dr Sage said the body showed signs of a "persistent, focused, and determined attack" with 216 stabbing or cutting wounds.

Defensive wounds on the arms and hands showed Miss Elliott had been capable of purposeful and organised movement during the early part of the attack.

She may have taken several minutes to die.

The wounds were mainly in 11 clusters at the eye sockets, left cheek, left temple, left ear, 14 cuts to left side of the neck, and 45 to the front to the throat, some penetrating the larynx and trachea.

Some of the stab wounds in the throat appeared, from their shape, to have been carried out with scissors with the blades closed.

There were 11 wounds to the left breast and one had cut off the nipple.

Chest wounds penetrated the lung and heart.

"There were substantial clusters at sites posing an imminent threat to life," Dr Sage said.