The victim of an alleged attack in downtown Prince George two years ago died from slow swelling of the brain most likely caused by a blow to the side of the head, a forensic pathologist testified Tuesday during a manslaughter trial at the Prince George courthouse.
Robert Oliver Nelson faces the charge in relation to the July 14, 2009 death of Darren Lee Paterson.
Prior to dying in Prince George Regional Hospital, Paterson told ambulance personnel he was assaulted earlier in the day but would not provide any further details.
Dr. Gilles Molgat told the court that Paterson, who was 29 at the time he died, suffered contusions to his right eye, face and side of head, all on the right, and that punches or kicks were possible causes.
Molgat said the blow to the side of the head would have been enough to cause unconsciousness, noting the brain had bruising on the same side and on the opposite side.
"It was enough to cause bleeding inside the head, therefore it was enough to cause unconsciousness," he said.
When asked if there were signs Paterson fell, Molgat said there were contusions to the hip and waist indicating he fell forward and landed on his right side but no signs he tried to break a fall.
"Breaking a fall, to me, implies putting one's arms out or at least putting one's legs out or knees out to try and control your fall," he said.
When asked if the fall was enough to cause the injuries to the right side of the head, Molgat said he could not give an opinion, because it would depend on the extent to which Paterson held out his arm to break his fall.
"Did their arm collapse beneath them, in which case it doesn't produce much of a break to their fall? Or did they hold their arm as a straight arm which really breaks their fall significantly? And everything in between," he said.
Paterson's eyelids and eye were bruised but not the nose, eyebrow and upper cheekbone, Molgat noted, indicating the blow was from a rounded object as opposed to a flat one.
Asked to elaborate, Molgat said a fist was a possible cause but so was the rounded corner of a chair or table.
The trial began June 13 and is expected to last until the end of this month.
Ambulance personnel transported Paterson from a home in the 1300 block of Diefenbaker Drive but lived in Pioneer Tower at the corner of Fourth and Winnipeg. Police who investigated his apartment found drug paraphernalia including spoons with a white substance on them.
They also found droplets and a smear of blood in his home and a Ziploc bag with water inside, indicating Paterson has applied an ice pack at one point.
