Claire Inglis found dead in Stirling flat in alleged murder by partner had 76 different injuries

A woman found dead in her flat had more than 76 injuries to her body, a trial has heard.

Claire Inglis, 28, was found not breathing, badly bruised, with bleeding inside her skull when emergency crews arrived at the scene.

Her partner, Christopher McGowan, now also 28, denies murdering her.

Forensic pathologist Dr Kerryanne Shearer told the fourth day of McGowan’s trial that she had examined Claire’s body at her flat in St Ninians, Stirling and later at Edinburgh City Mortuary.

She said she found she found “at least” 76 separate external injuries on the body of the 5ft 5in mother-of-one.

These included “a number” of blunt force injuries to her head and face, including tiny “dot areas” on her cheek which could have been caused, among other explanations, by “something pointed”.

Dr Shearer, 47, described the “dot” injuries as “unusual” and said she had not seen this type of injury before in her career.

She found bruising to both Claire’s cheeks, two black eyes, and petechial haemorrhaging to both eyes, which could have been caused by pressure to her neck.

There was “extensive” bruising over almost the entire scalp.

“Which tells me there have been significant and a number of blunt force traumas caused by more than one impact,” she said.

Dr Shearer said: “All of these injuries were indicative of a number of blunt force impacts to the head and face.”

She said death appeared to have been due to “a combination of head and neck injuries”.

A post mortem revealed 50 grammes of blood trapped inside Claire’s skull.

She said this “subdural haemorrhage” accounted for Claire’s death.

McGowan, of Stirling, is accused of murdering Claire in the incident on November 28, 2021.

The charge alleges that he had previously evinced malice and ill-will towards Claire, and was at liberty at the time on five separate bail orders.

He is also accused of being concerned in the supply of the Class C controlled drug Etizolam at the flat on the day of the alleged murder, behaving in a threatening and abusive manner to police and breaching a bail curfew.

He has pled not guilty to all the charges against him.