'Just how did Teoh fall?'

The Teoh Beng Hock inquest resumed today with the cross-examination of British forensics pathologist Peter Vanezis.

Gobind Singh Deo, representing Teoh's family, and Malik Imtiaz - who appeared for the Selangor government - focused on whether Teoh was conscious when he fell from a 14th floor window of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, and the manner in which he fell.

Government-appointed lawyer Tan Hock Chuan followed a similar line of questioning.   

The pathologist had given his evidence-in-chief yesterday, saying that he was of the view that Teoh was "fully conscious" when he fell.

Asked by Gobind if his testimony in previous inquests in the UK had been challenged or found inadmissable, Vanezis agreed.

The coroner was told that a UK court had found Vanezis’ opinion to be "unsubstantiated" in an inquest into a case where a woman had been smothered with a pillow.

Gobind (left) asked Vanezis about the possibility that Teoh's neck injury could have occurred pre-fall.

“I am not comfortable to say it is pre-fall. But I could not rule out the possibility,” replied the pathologist.

Gobind: If other pathologists hold the view that the injury was during pre-fall, how would you feel?

Vanezis: I would respect the opinion of the expert.

Gobind then asked several questions in relation to on a bruise on the left side of Teoh's neck.

Local pathologists Dr Khirul Azman Ibrahim and Dr Prashant Samberkar had missed this in conducting the first post-mortem, but it was spotted during the second post-mortem last November.

‘Bruising of the eye’

Gobind: In your experience as a pathologist, would you look for signs of petechial ( small blood spots in the white of the eye) to indicate strangulation?

V anezis (right) : Yes.

Gobind: Did you notice that in the first post-mortem, there is no mention at all of the petechial of the eye?

Vanezis: Yes.

Gobind: Do you agree that this should not have been ruled out in the first post-mortem, to discount the possibility of a strangulation or choke-hold?

Vanezis: It is a routine that you would look into.

Gobind: Did you check the eyes? Are there signs of petechial?

Vanezis : Yes I did. Initially I did not notice, but I do notice there were some red spots in the eyes.

  Malik, who is representing the Selangor government, questioned Vanezis on the neck bruise. He agreed that a choke-hold if applied, may not necessarily result in Teoh going unconscious, but could result in the political aide being dizzy or lightheaded.

"This is because oxygen is prevented from getting to the brain. Any attempt to compress the neck would result in that," he said.

He also asked the British pathologist on whether he was aware that Dr Shahidan Md Noor, the Sungai Buloh Hospital chief pathologist, had stated in court that there was a pre-fall injury, to which Vanezis replied that personally, he did not think so.

Malik : Are you aware he was held overnight? There was a possibility he was deprived of his sleep. The first pathologist did not do any test to check whether he was hypoglycemic. Do you know that?

Vanezis : I was not aware of this.

Malik : Are you aware that Dr Shahidan, who performed the second post mortem had said petechial could not be recorded due to the fact that a post-mortem had been performed previously.

Vanezis : Yes the 'pinpoint haemorrhages' could indicate a mild degree of asphyxia or suffocation.

Malik : Are you aware that at times, during manual strangulation, the hyoid bones sometimes do not have a fracture.

Vanezis :Yes.

Malik : Hence as Pornthip suggested, there could also be no petechial signs when this manual strangulation is made

Vanezis : Yes.

Despite the possibility put to him, the British pathologist maintained his earlier testimony during examination in chief that Teoh was conscious while falling.

Teoh, a DAP political aide, was found dead outside the building on the afternoon of July 16 last year.

He had been questioned overnight as a witness by the Selangor office of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.