Jury shown chair leg allegedly used in Bilston murder

The weapon probably caused the most serious injuries to the head and body of the 42-year-old victim who was also punched, kicked and stamped on, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

Home Office forensic pathologist Dr Olaf Biedrzycki said while giving evidence: "Severe force would be needed to do that amount of damage."

There were more than 60 'sites of injury,' the jury was told.

A rusty screw supposedly from the broken chair leg was found embedded in the wall 'giving some indication of the force used,' Mr Christopher MIllington QC told the court.

The victim was struck on the head and all over the body and legs but there were few, if any, defence injuries which implied father of two Mr Buzmakovs was caught unawares and knocked out quickly, explained Dr Biedrzycki.

The victim, who has been described as a drinking partner of Lusnikovs, was over two and a half times the drink-drive limit when he died, the jury was told.

The left side of his skull was fractured and the brain suffered severe traumatic injury, continued the pathologist.

There were 25 fractures to 17 of ribs of the deceased - some of which tore his liver in several places - with the voice box, cheek and breast bone also fractured.

The pathologist said other marks could have been made by the pair of blue Crocs being worn by the 42-year-old defendant when the attack allegedly took place at his home in Beckett Street, Bilston, on September 9.

Dr Biedrzycki concluded that the cause of death was blunt trauma to the head and torso. The chair leg was lying next to the body of Mr Buzmakovs on the living room floor at the address, the court was told.

The deceased was seen entering the house around 2pm on the day of the murder, more than six hours after the defendant had allegedly started downing spirits.

The victim's partner Olesja Jacko went looking for him when he did not return to their address in nearby Hatherton Road and spotted his car parked outside the home of Latvian-born Lusnikovs.

She had trouble getting a response to her knocks on the front door and claimed the defendant initially told her he did not know where the missing man was.

Ms Jacko told the jury that when she returned later the same day the defendant opened the front door, pointed at her and declared: "Deniss is dead."

She went inside, found the body, asked what had happened and was reportedly told by him: "I don't know. I was asleep and when I came down he was lying there dead."

Lusnikovs denies murder and the case continues.