A landscape gardener accused of deliberately breaking his partner's neck claimed she was injured during a 'playfight' or by falling from a bed, but medical experts told Preston Crown Court that neither scenario could have caused the catastrophic injuries that left the 57-year-old teacher paralysed from the chest down.
Medical Evidence Contradicts Defendant's Account
Robert Easom, 56, maintains he didn't intend to seriously harm Trudi Burgess when he allegedly attacked her after she threatened to end their relationship. He initially told police the couple had been 'playfighting' and was so 'traumatised' when he realised Ms Burgess was badly hurt that he claimed she had fallen off their bed.
However, expert orthopaedic surgeon Richard Coombes informed the jury that 'substantial force' would have been needed to break Ms Burgess's neck. Scans conducted at Royal Preston Hospital revealed she had suffered fractures and dislocation of vertebrae in her spine, along with 'total disruption' of the spinal ligaments.
'In my opinion a severe cervical spinal injury could not have arisen with playfighting...(or) from a fall off the bed,' Mr Coombes stated. 'This type of spinal injury can only have arisen from the application of excessive force...(and) as a result of serious assault.'
Pattern of Abuse Preceded Catastrophic Injury
The court heard that Easom and Ms Burgess began their relationship around 2017 while she was 'emotionally vulnerable' and grieving the loss of her husband, Craig, who had died of a brain tumour a year earlier. Easom had worked for Ms Burgess's sister for 23 years, and the pair knew each other from social events.
While the relationship started as 'loving and passionate,' it turned violent by 2021. The jury learned about two previous assaults for which Easom has pleaded guilty:
- On one occasion, Easom wrapped Ms Burgess's head in a bed sheet until she couldn't breathe
- In January, he headbutted her in the car after she complained they couldn't host friends because he lacked sufficient crockery
Prosecutor Sarah Magill described how Easom 'lost his temper and drove at excessive speeds, frightening Ms Burgess' during the January incident, causing her to flee the car in fear.
The Final Attack and Harrowing Aftermath
The court heard that Ms Burgess had become 'alienated' from her family during her relationship with Easom and on February 17 this year she 'finally plucked up the courage to leave.' After telling Easom their relationship was over, he allegedly flew into an 'uncontrollable' rage and attacked her.
In a harrowing video filmed while Ms Burgess was on a ventilator in intensive care, she described to the jury thinking she was 'going to die' during the attack.
'He got hold of my head, and pushed it with both his hands down, it felt like it just folded in(to) my chest,' Ms Burgess recounted. 'I've never felt anything like it, I felt my neck break, and I started to feel that I was going numb.'
She described how Easom continued the assault while shouting, 'Shut the f*** up, f***ing shut up, I'll shut you up, stop talking, stop talking.' Ms Burgess attempted to say 'You're killing me' but couldn't speak.
Initially, Easom told Ms Burgess she was 'fine' but she begged him to call an ambulance. He eventually dialled 999, telling the operator: 'She's fallen out of bed and just landed in a bad way really.' Ms Burgess also told the call handler they had been 'play fighting' to 'protect' him.
Defendant's Claims and Ongoing Trial
When she realised how seriously she was injured, Ms Burgess spoke to police and stated Easom had hurt her deliberately. He was arrested two days later and in a prepared statement denied intentionally causing grievous bodily harm.
'I love Trudi more than life itself and would never do anything to intentionally hurt her,' Easom claimed. He later added: 'I have loved her (Trudi) from the moment I saw her and still do today, we click and get on so well.'
Asked why he told the police operator that the couple had been playfighting and Ms Burgess had fallen off the bed, Easom said: 'I was so traumatised and wasn't thinking straight at all. It's just a playfight that's gone wrong and just an absolute accident.'
While Easom has pleaded guilty to the previous assaults and admits breaking Ms Burgess's neck, he denies doing so deliberately. Judge Robert Altham told the jury the 'ultimate issue' for them to decide was whether Easom 'intended to cause really serious bodily harm.'
The judge emphasised that the prosecution doesn't need to prove the injury was 'premeditated or planned' and stressed: 'An intention can arise in the spur of the moment. Just because an act is immediately regretted does not mean it was not intended.'
Ms Burgess, who has two grown-up children, has been told she will never walk again. She has been left tetraplegic, meaning she is paralysed from the chest down and requires round-the-clock care. The trial continues at Preston Crown Court.
