"This cannot be a result of falling over, landing on the flat floor," Dr Sage said. Dr Sage told the jury yesterday there was no evidence on Mr Fahey's neck of ligature marks or finger marks consistent with strangulation. If the hold remained in place for a couple of minutes, the victim could die without any internal or external evidence left, he told the court. The question that should be asked, Dr Sage said, was not "Why did he die?" Despite a bank teller claiming Blackler told her he had beaten someone to death, he told the officer minutes later he could not recall anything after arguing with Mr Fahey the night before.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 01, 2018 16:06 UTC