Extent of injuries means unlikely Angela Wrightson could move after attack, court told

The defence barrister for one of the girl defendants charged with her murder suggested Miss Wrightson could have tried to clean herself up and gone upstairs to the bathroom after she was assaulted.

But Dr Gemma Escott, who spent two days examining the scene in Stephen Street, Hartlepool, said the pattern of blood stains found in the property made that unlikely.

Referring to the presence of blood stained baby wipes Mr Hill put it to Dr Escott: “She (Ms Wrightson) could well have wiped away runs of blood from her own body if she was capable of movement.”

But Dr Escott said: “I find it difficult to envisage. We’re not talking about minor injuries to the head.

“There is nothing to suggest once she sustained that injury she has left the living room.”

Dr Escott said there was evidence that Ms Wrightson had been attacked with a number of objects in the house used as weapons including a kettle, ceramic pot, a printer, metal pan strainer and a wicker table.

Mr Hill said its the 15-year-old’s case that Ms Wrightson was still conscious when she and the younger girl, now 14, left the house at 11.04pm on December 8, 2014.

He said: “She doesn’t know what happened for the next three hours.

“It’s her case she went back at two o’clock and Angela Wrightson was still conscious, but she wasn’t attacked again.”

Mr Hill added it was his client’s case that Angela Wrightson was on a red sofa when both girls left two hours later.

The girls, who cannot be named because of their age, both deny murder.

The trial at Leeds crown court continues.