Head blows ‘near fatal’ before fire

A CHEF dragged unconscious from a fire had already suffered potentially fatal head injuries, a murder trial has heard.

Stewart Taylor, 33, suffered a cardiac arrest outside a block of flats in Chalmers Crescent and efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

Pathologist Dr Ralph Bouhaidar, who carried out a postmortem, said Mr Taylor had received a number of blows to his face and head.

The postmortem revealed a 20cm split in his skull and a smashed cheek, as well as effects of lying in the smoke-filled flat with girlfriend Lynsey Methven, 30.

Ms Methven, who remembers nothing of the incident on February 7, survived to find she was blind in one eye and had also suffered a skull fracture.

Her ex-boyfriend, builder Frank Moore, 43, denies murder and attempted murder, claiming he was in his house at the time. The trial continues.