Keroche heiress Tecra Muigai was hit on the head, doctors say

 

Three doctors have testified the injuries that caused the death of Keroche Breweries heiress Tecra Muigai were not consistent with a fall, but had been inflicted with a blunt object.

A top pathologist, Prof Emily Adhiambo Rogena, said Tecra died of severe head injuries caused by a blunt object.

“I formed the opinion that the cause of death was due to head injury caused by blunt force trauma,” Prof Rogena told magistrate Zainab Abdul Tuesday.

Dr Bakar Mohamed Bakar of the Coast General Hospital and Dr Esther Matu also backed the finding.

Not consistent with fall

Dr Bakar, who first attended to Tecra at the King Fahad Hospital in Lamu, said Tecra’s fiancé, Mr Omar Lali, told him she had fallen down a flight of stairs while drunk. The doctor said although the patient’s breath smelled of alcohol, further examination established the brain injury was not consistent with a fall.

As the three doctors were giving evidence, police brought Mr Lali and two other men into the courtroom. The court had issued a warrant of arrest against them for failing to honour summonses to appear in court.

“Mr Lali and two others who have been brought to court on a warrant of arrest will not leave this court until they testify,” Ms Abdul told Mr Lali’s lawyer, Mr Abubakar Yussuf.

Five pathologists are listed to give evidence in the inquest to establish the cause of Tecra’s death in May last year. She was in a hotel in Lamu with Mr Lali at the time.

Prof Rogena, Dr Bakar and Dr Magu took the court through the medical procedure she was taken through.

Prof Rogena, who represented Mr Lali during the post-mortem conducted by five doctors, said Tecra’s body was identified by her parents — Tabitha and Joseph Muigai.

Blood oozing

The pathologist said upon examination of the body, she noticed the left ear was stuffed with cotton as blood was oozing from it. Upon opening the skull, she noticed there was “a vacuum in the left of the skull. There was no bone. It was covered with some tissue.”

The pathologist explained that the brain had shifted from the left to the right side, and the front of the brain had begun to rot due to the injury.

The family’s lawyer, Mr James Orengo, said the injury was caused by a high energy force.

Dr Bakar recalled Tecra was screaming from the pain and blood was oozing from her left ear. Her clothes had blood stains, he added.

 “Even the bed sheets Tecra lay on when she was taken to hospital were bloodstained,” he added.

Dr Matu of the Nairobi Hospital flew to Lamu to evacuate Tecra in an Air Ambulance. She said: “She was confused and only muttered words which could not be understood.”

She said she was incoherent although Mr Lali had claimed she was taking herself to the toilet with little assistance.

Hearing continues today (Wednesday).   BY DAILY NATION