State Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh yesterday testified that an autopsy on the body of two-year old Kimani Philips had found that she had been sodomised.
Dr. Singh was testifying in the High Court at the continuation of the trial of Kevin Rankin, also called ‘Lil Man,’ who is accused of murdering Phillips, his niece, in October, 2013.
Dr. Singh told Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and a 12-member jury that he performed a post-mortem examination on the child and gave her cause of death as haemorrhage and shock due to multiple abdominal injuries.
He told the court that the findings of the examination revealed that apart from the haemorrhage and shock, Phillips’ body indicated that she had been subjected to anal penetration, which left behind fresh samples of blood. He went on to explain that Phillips also suffered abdominal trauma as a result of anal penetration as well as massive internal injuries to her spleen, liver and anus. It was also his contention that the injuries to the anus and abdomen were caused at the same time.
Additionally, Dr. Singh said that the child suffered injuries on her head and neck and blunt trauma consistent with having been hit, compression or a fall. He further stated that Phillips could have been pressed down, thus restricting the flow of blood and preventing her from breathing.
Under cross-examination by defence attorney Sandil Kissoon, the pathologist admitted that he could not determine whether the anal penetration was done by a penis or another object. He also admitted that although samples were taken from Phillips’ body, he did not receive any results from tests that would have been conducted.
Additionally, Dr. Singh agreed with Kissoon’s suggestion that the abdominal injuries could have been caused if Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation was administered to the child by an untrained person.
Also called to testify during yesterday’s proceedings was Nadine Saunders, the nurse who had initially examined Phillips after she was rushed to the Nabaclis Health Centre by her cousin, Kiana Primo, and aunt Joy De Paul.
Saunders told the court that on October 21, 2013, she was listed as a nurse at the CC Nicholson Hospital, at Nabaclis and had conducted a basic examination on Phillips, which included checking for a pulse and heart rate. However, Saunders explained that not only did the child fail to respond, but that she also observed that her pupils were dilated.
Saunders further said that after consulting with a doctor, she referred Phillips to the Georgetown Public Hospital because she was not a medical practitioner who was licensed to certify death.
Following the conclusion of Saunders’s evidence-in-chief, a request was made by Kissoon to examine the casualty book from the Nabaclis hospital. In light of this, the matter was adjourned until today to facilitate the procurement of the book.
So far, a total of five witnesses have given evidence since the commencement of the trial last Friday, including mother of the deceased, Venice Phillips, and cousin to both Rankin and Kimani Phillips, Kiana Primo.
Venice Phillips had told the court that on the day of the incident she had left Kimani and her eight-month old sister at home in the care of their grandmother, Diane Graham. She explained that the next time she saw her daughter was at the Georgetown Hospital, where she lay motionless on a hospital bed.
Meanwhile, Primo admitted that she had told investigators two different versions of what transpired that day in hopes of keeping Rankin from being locked up. She noted that she has since decided to tell the truth because she suffered from a guilty conscience.
The state’s case is being led by prosecutors Narissa Leander and Tuanna Hardy.