Marice McGregor trial: Extent of injuries revealed

Marice McGregor was killed by blunt-force injuries to the head, a forensic pathologist told the jury in the High Court at Wanganui yesterday.
Dean Richard Mulligan, 43, is on trial, charged with the murder of Ms McGregor, whose body was recovered on May 13 last year from a ravine at what is known as "Whiskey Corner" off State Highway 4, 50km north of Wanganui.
The Crown alleges Ms McGregor was killed by three blows to the head with an iron bar.
Mulligan initially told police he had killed Ms McGregor, but at the start of the trial he pleaded not guilty to murder.
The court has since been told his confession was a lie, and that he would give evidence and tell the court who did kill Ms McGregor.
Forensic pathologist Katherine White yesterday detailed Ms McGregor's injuries, which included two lacerations and underlying fractures to the left of her face on the forehead and eye socket, and two lacerations and underlying fractures to the back of her head, to the right and at the midline of her skull.
Ms McGregor also had bruises and abrasions to both legs.
Taking into account the number and nature of Ms McGregor's injuries, the absence of any defensive wounds or restraint wounds, and the area her body was found in, Dr White concluded the wounds were inflicted, and not incidental. A toxicology report revealed no amphetamines, morphine or other drugs were in Ms McGregor's system, but a test was unable to be made for alcohol.
Under cross-examination, Dr White said the injuries would have resulted in a "reasonable" amount of blood.
She was unable to determine what position Ms McGregor was in when she was struck, or how many blows had been inflicted.
Evidence given by New Plymouth Detective Patricia Clarke, officer in charge of the immediate scene where the body was found, revealed Ms McGregor's body was discovered lying in a natural water course, next to the entrance of a cave or culvert that ran under a road.
The gully Ms McGregor was found in was surrounded by steep terrain and dense bush, about 30m down from the road.
There was one easier entry into the gully, accessible from the roadside.
She was found lying with one foot pointing towards the entrance of the cave, her head pointing up to the roadside, and her other leg tucked up underneath her.
Luminol testing, which detected primarily blood but also other body tissue, came back with a positive result for blood where Ms McGregor's body had been lying.
Forensic accountant Reginald Murphy gave evidence that withdrawals from one of Ms McGregor's bank accounts correlated with deposits into Mulligan's account.
Mr Murphy said he had analysed the account transactions for Ms McGregor's three accounts, and Mulligan's four accounts.
In May 2008, Ms McGregor's select wealth management account was worth an estimated $70,623. Over the next 19 months, Ms McGregor had withdrawn about $51,000 of that money.
In the year before Ms McGregor and Mulligan met - June 1, 2007 until May 31, 2008 - cash deposits into Mulligan's account had totalled $2370.
From June 1 2008 to the end of December 2009 cash deposits into his accounts had totalled $25,585, most into his business account Legless Computers.
Mr Murphy showed five of the 33 deposits made over the 19 months were signed by Ms McGregor and deposited in Wanganui, 20 had no deposit slip that he was able to get hold of, and one was signed by Mulligan. Many of the transactions showed deposits were made the same day, or the day after Ms McGregor had withdrawn money from her account.
Under cross-examination, the defence argued Mr Murphy should have asked for a receipt or cash book for Legless Computers, because without it, he was unable to prove which transactions were legitimate business transactions.
The trial was to continue today.
Key points, Day 3
- Marice McGregor died as a result of blows to the head with a blunt object, a pathologist revealed.
- No sign of defensive wounds.
- Toxicology report revealed no drugs, amphetamines or morphine in Ms McGregor's body.
- Pathologist unable to say what position Ms McGregor was in when she was struck, or how many blows had been inflicted.
- Withdrawals from Ms McGregor's bank account matched deposits into Mulligan's account, the court was told. The defence argued there was no way to differentiate between legitimate business transactions.