Bulletin: Ben Butler: UK: Ongoing murder trial: The Mirror reports that six-year-old Ellie may have died after falling off of a chair and hitting her head - and that forensic pathologist Dr Janice Ophoven told the Old Bailey she believed Ellie could have suffered fatal injuries in a fall from a small chair, found upturned next to her lifeless body...The forensic pathologist told jurors evidence of healing to Ellie's skull and a review of the and a review of the CT scans showed evidence of three 'abnormalities'. She said: "My conclusion was that there was evidence of a recent injury to the skull of one to two, or perhaps more, weeks of age; a fresh skull fracture concurrent with her fatality and aging damage that was consistent with an abnormality dating back to 2007." Dr Ophoven added the more recent injury was consistent with an incident described by Butler and his partner Jennie Gray, 36, when Ellie fell down the stairs on October 10 or 11 while chasing the family Jack Russell puppy, Minnie. She has conducted hundreds of autopsies on children and young adults in her 30-year career and reviewed hundreds of cases of brain injury in the context of child abuse, the court was told. "My conclusion was the child died from blunt force impact to the head but the injuries were compounded by recent injury of fracture to the skull and also compounded by injuries that occurred in infancy," she said......... Dr Ophoven also told jurors the finger marks found on the little girl's jaw - previously referred to as grip marks - were most consistent with someone fixing a bag over her mouth to perform CPR."

"Tragic Ellie Butler could have died from falling off a low chair and hitting her head weeks after suffering a skull fracture in another accident, a court heard today. She suffered 'car crash-type' injuries just months after being returned to her parents Ben Butler and Jennie Gray following the quashing of her dad's conviction for violently shaking her when she was a baby in 2007. Her 36-year-old (father)  is currently on trial accused of murdering his six-year-old daughter after allegedly losing his temper and beating the youngster to death. Dr Janice Ophoven told the Old Bailey today that Ellie died from 'blunt force impact to the head' but insisted prior head injuries meant the little girl was always at 'increased risk'. The forensic pathologist told jurors evidence of healing to Ellie's skull and a review of the and a review of the CT scans showed evidence of three 'abnormalities'.  She said: "My conclusion was that there was evidence of a recent injury to the skull of one to two, or perhaps more, weeks of age; a fresh skull fracture concurrent with her fatality and aging damage that was consistent with an abnormality dating back to 2007." Dr Ophoven added the more recent injury was consistent with an incident described by Butler and his partner Jennie Gray, 36, when Ellie fell down the stairs on October 10 or 11 while chasing the family Jack Russell puppy, Minnie. She has conducted hundreds of autopsies on children and young adults in her 30-year career and reviewed hundreds of cases of brain injury in the context of child abuse, the court was told. "My conclusion was the child died from blunt force impact to the head but the injuries were compounded by recent injury of fracture to the skull and also compounded by injuries that occurred in infancy," she said......... Dr Ophoven also told jurors the finger marks found on the little girl's jaw - previously referred to as grip marks - were most consistent with someone fixing a bag over her mouth to perform CPR.  Prosecutors say Butler was constantly on the verge of a violent loss of temper and that he beat his daughter to death in a moment of rage. He and Gray are accused of then setting the scene to cover up the alleged murder. The pair have admitted waiting two hours before phoning for help, then lying to the authorities to make it appear they had found her just before making the lying 999 call. But they insist the deception was a result of events in 2007, when Butler was accused of attacking Ellie as a baby, and not to cover up a murder.........The trial continues tomorrow."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ben-butler-murder-trial-six-8135460