WOUNDS consistent with biting were found on the limbs of a member of staff who says he was assaulted by a teenager detained at Greenfields secure unit, a doctor told the Royal Court yesterday.
Forensic Medical Examiner Dr Deryn Evans was giving evidence in the Royal Court at the trial of a teenager accused of three counts of grave and criminal assault against a staff member at the centre and one of common assault against another staff member. The teenager denies all the charges.
On the first day of the teenager’s trial on Monday the staff member had said he had been punched, head-butted and bitten in the attacks. Yesterday,(TUES) Dr Evans said she had examined him afterwards and the wounds she observed could confirm his account.
Questioned by Advocate Rebecca-Morley Kirk, prosecuting, the doctor said that there were wounds to the staff member’s lower left leg, right elbow and left arm.
The leg wound, she said, was deep and ‘looked like a puncture wound’ and it and the other injuries could have been caused by teeth.
The court also heard from another staff member who had been present the second time the teenager allegedly became violent and also believed the victim had been bitten by the teenager.
She admitted she did not see any biting but said: ‘I heard both of them saying: “Don’t bite me.”
The staff member said she had seen also seen the teenager punching, head-butting and spitting.
The teenager was also accused of breaking a panel in a glass door at the centre at the time. Advocate Julia-Anne Dix, defending, said: ‘You didn’t see them break any glass. There was no glass in that panel and you didn’t see any shards of glass. You are not aware that they broke that glass panel.’
She said: ‘Not to my recollection, no.’
The advocate also asked: ‘Is it correct that Greenfields was short-staffed quite a lot?’
The witness replied: ‘There were times when we were struggling with staff. It was a regular issue that we had there.’
The trial was expected to conclude today.
