308
- 4
iii)
iv)
v)
vi)
cartridges drawn by MacLennan in total match the number
found at the scene.
No cartridge case or bullet was found in the body or at
the scene which was incompatible with being fired from
the weapon which was found.
No wound was found upon the body which was incompatible
with being caused by the cartridges mentioned above.
All 5 wounds were at contact range as evidenced by the
appearances of the clothing and the skin at their
respective sites and this was confirmed by the ballistics
expert.
All 5 wounds were in a common suicidal site of election
i e over the heart area and the adjoining upper abdomen.
All 5 wounds were at angles which were consistent with
the deceased holding the revolver himself, either
conventionally with the right hand or possibly backwards
with both hands around the butt and one thumb upon the
trigger.
-
None of the wounds would have been instantly fatal, nor
yet instantly disabling even had the most serious of
them (referred to as wound 1 in Court) which penetrated
the heart, been fired first of all, I believe that it
might have been just possible for a determined man to
inflict the other 4 upon himself before he collapsed
though I rather doubt it, For this reason I rather tend
to reject the theory that wound 1 was the first to be
inflicted - but see paragraph 6. In the case of the
other three penetrating wounds I believe that any one
of them might have been inflicted first and the resulting
degree of disablement might well have still permitted