Private autopsy reveals blow to Andrea’s head

Trinidad and Tobago Guardian – A private forensic autopsy done on the body of Andrea Bharatt has revealed that she died from massive internal haemorrhaging after she was struck on the head with a blunt object that caused her to fall back and crack her skull.

The autopsy was done at the Boodoo’s Funeral Home in Central Trinidad on Tuesday by forensic pathologist Professor Hubert Daisley after businessman and political activist Inshan Ishmael along with two others came together to pay for an independent autopsy.

It followed an inconclusive post-mortem done on Monday by a pathologist at the Forensic Science Centre in St James.

Ishmael, during a live broadcast on Facebook, said he was not pleased with the inconclusive report given on Monday.

He said he was moved to have one done privately for the family’s sake as he strongly believed that Bharatt’s father, Randolph Bharatt, needed closure as to how his only daughter died following her kidnapping on January 29.

The report from the initial post-mortem noted that the body was in an advanced state of decomposition which made it difficult for the pathologist to find a cause of death.

Ishmael disclosed the results of the private autopsy in a Facebook broadcast yesterday, saying that he was in a state of shock and very emotional following Daisley’s findings.

“I was not satisfied with the inconclusive report that we got from the pathologist in relation to something like this. It stated that for me, who has no training in this field, it is improbable that after just a few days, that the report could be inconclusive,” Ishmael said.

“I could tell you that Professor Daisley’s report and his findings are not inconclusive and they found the reason for her death. Andrea was struck in the forehead with something blunt and what that caused, she fell back and her skull fractured and there was haemorrhaging inside. In fact, the whole area inside the skull you could see where it was pinkish red which meant that entire area there was haemorrhaging. So basically she died from internal haemorrhaging,” Ishmael said.

Ismael continued, “Also, what is interesting, and of course, Professor Daisley has to verify this, there was an area in her arm where they found punctures, needle marks…but has to verify by the previous pathologist or if that was an area where Andrea was injected because on the picture that I saw there was two puncture wounds which is very visible. It has to be verified if that occurred during the autopsy done by the first pathologist.”

Ishmael also disclosed that samples were taken to determine if Bharatt was sexually assaulted and added that the results should return in a week.

He added, “Also, there was an area where the stomach, it was a particular colour, which showed she was not being fed or was not eating. There we have the results and all I can tell you is that I am pissed. How could we have an autopsy result such as big as this so wrong before but now we have clarity,” he added.

Bharatt’s decomposing body was found down a precipice at the Heights of Aripo last Thursday by a man who told police he was looking for old scrap iron. The man said he saw the body clad in pink underwear and a bright multi-coloured top. Bharatt’s father identified the body at the scene, confirming it was his kidnapped daughter.