From the moment it was inflicted, the stab wound 23-year-old Steven Wilkinson sustained in a Buckley alleyway would have been "un-survivable," an expert pathologist confirmed.

Jamie Mitchell, age 25 and of Lexham Green Close in Buckley, denies the murder of Mr Wilkinson in an incident which happened in October last year at Jubilee Court in the town.

On Monday morning, the court heard from Home Office Pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers, who carried out a post-mortem examination of Mr Wilkinson.

Dr Rodgers said he observed an entry and exit "stab defect" to the upper lobe of the left lung and a stab defect to the heart - concluding that Mr Wilkinson "died purely of the effect of the fatal stab wound."

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The wound itself resulted in "massive internal hemorrhaging," the doctor explained, adding: "That would cause your circulation to collapse very quickly and you would enter cardiac arrest, as in this case, and require immediate emergency treatment.

"Generally, stab wounds like this are non-survivable."

Michael Jones KC, prosecuting, asked: "So from the moment of infliction, this was effectively an un-survivable injury?"

"Yes," Dr Rodgers confirmed.

In his account, Mitchell claimed the victim ran at him and the knife entered him as they collided - stating he hadn't intended to stab him.

Asked for his professional views on the likelihood of those events, Dr Rodgers told the court: "The vast majority of stabbings are dynamic situations; people are moving, recollections can be lost.

"I'd say in my experience, the majority of stabbings are the result of the deliberate thrust of a weapon.

"If someone runs at you and you're holding a knife, the most likely place to get stabbed is in the centre of the chest.

"In this case, the knife wound is in a fairly protected area - under the arm.

The Leader:

"You might expect to have to track where the blade cut across the arm but there were no injuries to Mr Wilkinson's arm.

"It seems to me stretching the realms of possibility that knife injury was inflicted almost accidentally from its position alone."

Gordon Cole KC, defending, said: "Pathologically, you can't rule out an accident."

He answered: "With any single stab wound, you can't tell if it's deliberate, accidental or self inflicted; you have to go on other circumstances."

Dr Rodgers agreed it would be almost impossible pathologically to recreate the "dynamic event" that took place leading up to the incident.

His evidence marked the end of the prosecution case.

Mitchell was due to take to the stand to give evidence on Monday afternoon, but when the court reconvened after the lunch break, Judge Rhys Rowlands told the Jury the defendant had reported feeling "unwell" in the cells.

As such, the hearing was stopped for the day and will resume on Tuesday morning.

The trial continues.