In stating this, Kuala Lumpur Hospital forensics medical consultant Dr Nurliza Abdullah rejected a suggestion by legal counsel yesterday that Morais had committed suicide by self-induced plastic bag asphyxia.
During re-examination by Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin on the seventh day of the murder trial, she stressed that under those circumstances, the plastic bag should have still been around Morais’ head as he would have fainted and died quickly.
Dr Nurliza, 51, said normally, plastic bag asphyxia was a homicide which needed another person to cover the entire head of the deceased (with the plastic bag) and tighten it around the neck to prevent air from entering for the individual to breathe.
Wan Shaharuddin: If it (the plastic bag) was not tightened, can a person experience asphyxia?
Dr Nurliza: Depending on the type of plastic bag. There are plastic bags which stick to the mouth area and cover parts of the face and nostrils, as well as mouth, preventing air from entering.
In reply to a question whether the absence of the deceased’s fingernails and toe nails influenced the outcome of the post-mortem report, the medical consultant said it would not as the signs of congestion focused on the face and head were those relating to asphyxia.
“It also took into consideration the signs of trauma injury on the chest and mouth were those of contusion or hematoma which supported the cause of death to be due to probable asphyxiation (suffocation),” she said.
Earlier, during cross-examination by counsel Geethan Ram Vincent, who suggested the probability that the decomposition of the body occurred elsewhere before it was placed into a drum, Dr Nurliza rejected the suggestion as maggots would be present if the decomposition process took place in an exposed area.
“In this case, no maggot was found on the body. It is not possible for maggot eggs to be present during the decomposition process as the body had been placed in a gunny sack and drum.
“The maggots could not enter as the drum was tightly sealed,” she said.
Six men – G. Gunasekaran, 48, R. Dinishwaran, 24, A. K. Thinesh Kumar, 23, M. Vishwanath, 26, S. Nimalan, 23, and S. Ravi Chandaran, 45, claimed trial to the charge of murdering Morais between 7am and 8pm on Sept 4, 2015, between Jalan Dutamas Raya Sentul and No: 1, Jalan USJ1/6D, Subang Jaya.
The first accused, Kol Dr R. Kunaseegaran, 53, pleaded not guilty to abetting the six men in Morais’ murder at the same place, date and time.
The trial before Justice Datuk Azman Abdullah continues on May 3.
– BERNAMA