Vincent Tabak weeps as court shown photos of Joanna Yeates’s body

The man accused of Yeates’s murder covers his face as jurors see pictures of her body and injuries The man accused of murdering the landscape architect Joanna Yeates broke down in tears as photographs of her bruised and bloodied body were shown at his trial on Friday. Vincent Tabak put his face in his hands and appeared to peer through his fingers when the graphic images were displayed on screens around the court, including one close to him in the dock. Tabak, 33, who has admitted manslaughter but denies murder, then took his glasses off and dabbed away tears. The court heard details of some of the 43 injuries Yeates is alleged to have suffered as Tabak attacked and strangled her at her flat in Bristol. A pathologist said she must have been alive when some of the injuries were caused. The prosecution alleges Tabak abducted his 25-year-old neighbour after she returned home after an evening in the pub, and that he bundled her body into his car and left her on the side of a country road, Longwood Lane at Failand, three miles from the scene of the murder in Clifton. Yeates’s body was found by a dog walker, Daniel Birch, on Christmas morning, eight days later. In a statement read out to court, Birch said: “I saw a lump in the snow and what appeared to be a denim jeans pocket on the left-hand verge. I didn’t think about it straightaway and continued walking. After about 10 paces, my mind was saying: ‘That’s a body.’ ” Yeates was lying with her knees pointing towards a quarry wall. Birch remembered the top of Yeates’ white knickers and part of her bare back being exposed through the snow. Mr Justice Field told the jurors they would have to see images of the body “in the interests of justice” . Among the photographs shown were ones of Yeates lying in a foetal position on Longwood Lane, her body covered in snow and leaves. The prosecution alleges Tabak tried to throw the body over the quarry wall but then concealed it beneath a pile of leaves. Images also showed her body being lifted on to a stretcher so that it could be removed from the scene. More pictures of the body were taken at a nearby mortuary. Yeates was still in a foetal position, her pink top pulled up to just under her shoulders. Her grey bra was visible as was part of her left breast. At this point Tabak broke down in the dock, turning towards a female Dutch interpreter helping him with medical terms. Yeates’s nose was bloodstained and a red-tinged icicle hung from it. Her eyes were puffy and red and there was bruising on her forehead, behind her ear and under her eyelids. Her cheeks and neck were also bruised. She had an abrasion on her lip and red bruises on her chin. Her blond hair was bloodstained. Home Office pathologist Russell Delaney said some of the injuries must have been suffered while Yeates was alive. Delaney said: “Bruising only occurs when the heart is beating – so the injuries occurred during life.” Her jeans were in place and Delaney told the court there was no indication they had been tampered with. A picture of Yeates’ right foot with the sock missing was also shown to the jury. The prosecution has alleged that Tabak took the sock. The trial at Bristol crown court continues. Joanna Yeates Crime Bristol guardian.co.uk

Posted by on October 14, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.