Durban — The two stab wounds to the neck of Philisiwe Mvubu, alleged to have been killed by her husband, caused her death as these were through the blood vessel.
Dr Lindani Nyawose, a pathologist, testified in the Durban High Court on Tuesday that as a result of these stab wounds, Philisiwe began bleeding into her chest cavity, collapsing her lungs.
Nyawose took the stand in the murder trial of Sibusiso Bongekhaya Mvubu, testifying that Philisiwe would have been unable to call out for help with the collapsed lung and a cut voice box and trachea.
Before the alleged murder on July 1 last year, police had accompanied Philisiwe to her home to hand over a protection order to her husband as he had allegedly threatened to pour hot water on her. This was 10 days before she was found by neighbours in her house, face down in a pool of blood, covered in a blanket.
Mvubu has pleaded not guilty. In his version of events he claimed self-defence, saying he stabbed her once in the neck and accidentally stabbed her as she fell over on the knife he was carrying.
Nyawose in his testimony, based on the post-mortem results and his 16 years of experience, detailed that Philisiwe had more than two stab wounds.
She had sustained stab two stab wounds to her face, three to her chest, and three to the abdomen that resulted in intestinal perforation. Her injuries were consistent with an Okapi knife, he said.
Sergeant Qhamukile Khumalo, earlier testified that on arrival at the woman’s house, there was an Okapi knife on the bed “at the (crime) scene”.
Nyawose said when a person was attacked with a weapon such as a knife, instinct dictated to protect the face, neck, and chest. He was detailing the wound on Philisiwe’s arm, describing it as “tail-fished”. Nyawose said if a knife was pulled out in a counter direction than its thrust, a secondary wound was inflicted on the primary wound, as appeared on the deceased’s arm.
“Looking at the injuries in totality, after the neck injuries were inflicted, the patient would not have survived long, just a couple of minutes. When it comes to pain … when the trauma is huge it overwhelms the threshold, people go into fight or flight mode, with most feeling a burning sensation.”
Asked by Senior State advocate Krishen Shah how long it would have taken for Philisiwe to die and how much pain she was in, Nyawose said with a collapsed lung it would have been difficult to breathe.
“With the larynx damaged, the pain would have been agonising.”
The trial was adjourned to November 15.
Daily News
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