A SHOCKING catalogue of injuries led to the death of a Huddersfield taxi driver.
Top pathologist Christopher Milroy yesterday detailed 23 injuries which 42-year-old father of three Mohammad Parvaiz suffered - allegedly at the hands and feet of a gang of six youths in Golcar.
He told a jury at Leeds Crown Court that Mr Parvaiz suffered a fatal head injury probably caused by a plank of wood. Other injuries were caused by kicks - and were so serious there were marks left by shoes imprinted on the victim's head.
Five youths deny the murder of Mr Parvaiz.
A sixth, Michael Hand, changed his not guilty plea to guilty earlier this week.
Stamped on, kicked and hit 'with a plank'
A JURY heard how a taxi driver suffered a horrifying catalogue of over 20 injuries when he was beaten to death at Golcar.
Mohammad Parvaiz, 42, was ambushed and attacked on July 22 while going to pick up what he thought was a fare at a secluded cul-de-sac Field Head.
Yesterday Leeds Crown Court heard from a pathologist about the terribel injuries that Mr Parvaiz had sustained including a skull fracture and numerous cuts.
Five teenagers are on trial for his murder – Christopher Murphy, 18, Graeme Slavin, 18, two 17-year-olds and a 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Michael Hand, 19, had originally denied murder, but changed his plea to guilty on Monday.
Forensic pathologist Prof Christopher Milroy yesterday told the court about the long list of injuries he found on Mr Parvaiz's body.
There were 23 separate external injuries. They included bruising and abrasions on his forehead, bruising and fractures on his cheeks, a cut on his right temple and bruising and puncture wounds inside his mouth.
Prof Milroy said this was probably caused by a punch.
He said there was a large area of bruising around Mr Parvaiz's eyebrow and cheek, which had a pattern of parallel lines in it.
Prof Milroy said: "This in my opinion replicated the sole of a shoe. This is a stamp mark on this person's face."
Mr Parvaiz also had a large area of bruising around his right ear, which had a pattern in it different to that of the other bruise.
Prof Milroy said: "It is another blow from a shod foot but it is a different pattern to the injury on the other side. This is a stamp."
Near those injuries the professor found a triangular cut, which he said could have been caused by a stone or piece of wood.
On the back of Mr Parvaiz's head, Prof Milroy found a large bruise which was consistent with a stamp mark.
There was an L-shaped bruise on the top of his head, which the professor said tallied with the edge of a plank.
A U-shaped cut on top of the head could have been caused by a stone or uneven object, he said.
Mr Parvaiz also had two broken ribs and there was bruising consistent with kick marks on the backs of his shoulders.
But it was Mr Parvaiz's head injuries which resulted in his death. He had bruising on his scalp and his brain, which Prof Milroy said was the result of severe force.
He said: "That really shows the force of the blows that were being struck."
He said a minimum of eight blows hit Mr Parvaiz.
There was a fracture on the left side of his skull, which had two small fractures extending from it.
The injury also extended around the base of his skull.
There was bruising at the bottom of the back of Mr Parvaiz's head, with tramline patterns in it.
Prof Milroy said it was caused by a long, thin object, like the side of a plank. He said this could have killed Mr Parvaiz, but death would have been almost instant so the blow would have had to be struck after all the other injuries were caused.
Prof Milroy said the cause of death was shockwaves passing over the brain stem - caused by either one or all of the major head injuries. He said: "That is in my opinion what has happened in this case.
"He had a fatal brain injury. This person died very rapidly.
"But he survived long enough to get some bruising and bleeding in the brain."
Statements were read from police officers who attended the scene. They said Mr Parvaiz was alive when they arrived, at around 11.20pm, but by the time paramedics were on the scene there were no signs of life.
Mr Parvaiz was declared dead at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary at 12.20am on July 23.
Prof Milroy said Mr Parvaiz had no injuries to show he had tried to fight off his attackers.
"This would indicate that Mr Parvaiz was not capable of defending himself."
The trial continues.
