Sarah Henshaw: No clear cause for woman's death, court told

Sarah Henshaw's body was found dead six days after going missing

An expert has told a murder trial it is unclear how a woman whose body was found near a lay-by came to die.

Sarah Henshaw was found in woodland near the A617 in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, on 26 June - six days after she was reported missing.

Her former partner, Darren Hall, 36, of Rodney Way, Ilkeston, denies murdering Ms Henshaw and disposing of her body.

A doctor who examined Ms Henshaw's brain following her death said he "could not be 100% sure" how she died.

On Tuesday, Professor Safa Al-Sarraj, a consultant neuropathologist, said he found no evidence of natural diseases, bruising or bleeding, nor were there any signs of axonal injuries - injuries to the brain's connecting fibres - to suggest signs of trauma.

He told jurors at Mr Hall's trial at Derby Crown Court that in this case he "unfortunately" could not provide a cause of death.

Ms Henshaw's body was partly decomposed by the time it was found in woodland in Chesterfield

Answering questions from defence KC Andrew Vout, Prof Al-Sarraj said it was pathologically possible for the brain to show no signs of a traumatic injury after death.

He said a blow to the head could cause a person to lose consciousness and enter cardiac arrest, which would not leave any signs of injury on the brain, but it was not possible to prove or disprove this in Ms Henshaw's case.

Dr Frances Hollingbury, a forensic pathologist who conducted a post-mortem examination on Ms Henshaw, told the court the cause of Ms Henshaw's death remained unascertained due to her body having partly decomposed by the time it was found.

Ms Henshaw was last seen at her home in Norman Street, Ilkeston, on 20 June.

Prosecutors claim Mr Hall murdered the 31-year-old at her home and then "callously dumped" her body near the lay-by more than 20 miles away before disposing of her belongings.

Michelle Heeley KC admitted they could not say exactly how Ms Henshaw died, but that it was "at the hands of this defendant", with bruising on her neck "about the width of a dressing gown cord".

Mr Hall is due to give evidence on Wednesday, having previously claimed to police that Ms Henshaw fell down the stairs during an argument.

The trial continues.