Murder trial hears at least two of the 30 injuries inflicted on Walsall stab victim Mohammed Khan would have killed him
Medical experts who tried to save Walsall stab victim Mohammed Khan and examined his body have detailed the catastrophic injuries he sustained during the attack which killed him.
A murder trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court had already seen footage of Mr Khan being stabbed, stomped and left for dead on the pavement on March 17 on Bloxwich Road.
Zain Raja, 22 and of Harden Road, Walsall; Asad Iftakhar, 33 and of Bloxwich Road, Walsall; Hassan Iftakhar, 33 and of Bloxwich Road; Amaan Khan, 21 and of Harden Road; and Iftakhar Ahmed, 52 and of Bloxwich Road, are charged with murder.
The trial, expected to last five weeks in total, has passed its midway point and this week heard medical evidence from the surgeons who tried to save Mr Khan's life.
Surgeon Richard Evans, who led the team trying to save Mr Khan's life at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, said: "Due to the severe injuries the patient had suffered he needed to be taken to the trauma unit. He had sustained a cardiac arrest and was placed on a breathing machine.
"He had significant injuries, which were severe and complex - wounds consistent with stabbing, to his neck, his back and left flank. Due to the neck injury he was taken direct to surgery. He had serious blood loss from his neck. A blood transfusion failed to increase his blood pressure."
The surgeon listed a multitude of internal injuries. Major surgery was undertaken on Mr Khan's neck and chest but to no avail. Four consultant surgeons agreed his life could not be saved.
On Tuesday (December 16) pathologist Dr Alexander Kolar, who performed the autopsy of 5ft 6in Mr Khan, described in detail about nearly 30 individual wounds inflicted on the victim.
He said: "He had sharp force injuries and blunt force impacts. There was major damage to his jugular blood vessel in his neck. When there is damage to the neck jugular several problems occur: there is a hole to the outside world.
"Major blood loss would have happened and air could have got into the blood stream and also damaged the brain. This wound alone, if not treated, would have caused death."
He added: "There were also 11 cutting injuries to his upper torso including to his thumb, hands and arms. These were all defensive injuries, this is the victim trying to defend themselves. This involves injuries sustained shielding themselves or trying to grasp the blade. This is a textbook example of defensive injuries by the deceased.
"You can correlate my evidence with what is seen in the CCTV footage."
Dr Kolar explained a stab wound to the chest would also have proved fatal on its own due to damage inflicted on Mr Khan's internal organs.
He said: "Wound 13 is a stab to the chest, which caused internal damage.
"He had damage to his stomach wall, ribs, left lung, fatty tissue and his spleen and pancreas were missing due to surgery. Just as the neck wound would have proved fatal on its own without treatment so would have this internal injuries would have caused death in a multitude of ways."
Examination of Mr Khan's brain also confirmed damage consistent with being kicked in the head. Mr Khan lay prone on the floor as his attackers stomped on his head as it lay on the pavement.
The five defendants deny all charges and the trial continues.