The Head of Forensic Pathology at the Fiji Police Force, Dr. James Kalougivaki revealed in the murder trial of Timoci Lolohea that Lolohea’s defacto partner had 12 stab wounds.
Kalougivaki is the third prosecution witness and he conducted the post mortem of Lolohea's 22-year-old defacto partner.
56-year-old Lolohea is charged with a count of murder and it is alleged that he killed his defacto partner by stabbing her with two knives.
The alleged incident took place on the 20th of March last year at Nasilivata Street in Nadera.
While answering to state lawyer, Siteri Navia, Kalougivaki highlighted that the stab wound on the woman's chest was the most fatal as it caused extreme or widespread bleeding in the chest.
When questioned by High Court Judge, Justice Salesi Temo on whether the stab wounds were directed at the vital organs, Kalougivaki responded by saying that it can be said as out of the 12 stab wounds, eight were at the upper back area of the deceased.
He also stated that a lot of force would be required for a knife to break.
Meanwhile, the second state witness has identified in court the knife that Lolohea used to stab his defacto partner.
Litiana Ratavoka who takes the same route to school everyday to drop her children, has told the court that she clearly remembers seeing Lolohea stab his partner several times during the incident.
She says that the quarrelling, punching and stabbing took about 20 minutes.
When asked by State lawyer Siteri Navia on what she had seen first, Ratavota said she saw Lolohea walk out of the vehicle with a computer bag.
Ratavoka says that she saw Lolohea punching and stabbing the woman.
She says that she then called out to the neighbors to alert police.
The trial continues.
