'Murdered' robbery victim suffered brain haemorrhage from punch to face, court told

Glynis Bensley sustained injuries all around her head, neck and back, during the Smethwick attack including a severe bruise to her cheek caused by a stamp which left a foot imprint on her face, a jury was told.

Dr Nicholas Hunt carried out a post mortem on the 47-year-old after the September 3 incident and gave evidence at a murder trial yesterday with two people, one a 13-year-old boy, accused of killing Ms Bensley.

The pathologist said it was a blow to her eye, which would have been nothing more than moderate in force, that caused a fracture to her socket and her head to twist to an extent which would have brought on the internal bleeding.

Dr Hunt told the jury that in most cases the victims would have lost consciousness in seconds and would have stopped breathing by the time they hit the floor.

It was there as Ms Bensley, of Rosefield Road, Smethwick, lay in the street on Cheshire Road that she was stamped on in the face. But Dr Hunt said it was unlikely this led to the haemorrhage because there would have been little room for her head to move against the kerb.

The woman, who had been out drinking at the The Seven Stars pub in Cape Hill also had another severe bruise on the side of her neck but Dr Hunt said he could not be certain if this came as a result from a separate blow or the punch to the face.

He also said the fact that she had been drinking heavily on the night, and would have been three times over the standard drink drive limit if she was in a car, also made her susceptible to the injuries because the muscles would have been more relaxed making it easier for head to twist.

Family and friends sat in Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday as the injuries were described.

The 13-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has admitted robbery and manslaughter but denied murder.

Zoheb Majid, 20 and from Cheshire Road, has denied all three charges.

The trial continues.