Leicester sex attack trial: Woman 'left for dead' in park

The victim was found injured in a play park off Cedar Road in Leicester

A police sergeant has told a rape and attempted murder trial how she found a woman lying in a park covered in blood and naked from the waist down.

The woman, in her 50s, was discovered in the park off Cedar Road, Evington, Leicester, on 3 August.

An ambulance technician also told the court that he believed she had been "left for dead".

Zakarya Etarghi, 24, of no fixed address, denies rape and attempted murder.

Sgt Victoria Lucas, who was the first officer at the scene, told Leicester Crown Court the woman had a large, deep wound on her forehead and was lying on the grass when she found her at the park, at about 05:00 BST, on 3 August.

The woman was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre, in Nottingham, where the registrar described her wounds as "shocking".

She said the woman's skull was recreated with metal but some plates had to be removed later, leaving her with holes in her head.

The woman was found in Cedar Road play park in Leicester

Michael Wheelhouse, a forensic scientist, told the court how he had found DNA traces matching both the victim and Mr Etarghi, on clothing, beer cans, and a discarded condom wrapper.

The jury was told on Tuesday that Mr Etarghi admitted he was present in the park with the alleged victim, but he left before she was attacked.

However, Mr Wheelhouse told the judge that traces of the victim's blood were found on pieces of paper and a cigarette packet at his home address, which would be inconsistent with this account.

The trial continues.