A ‘GAPING’ wound to the neck of a Wrexham man would have been ‘unsurvivable’ a forensics pathologist has said.

The inquest into the death of Paul Williams, 39, was resumed yesterday at Ruthin County Hall where members of the jury heard from Dr Brian Rodgers who carried out the post-mortem examination.

The Doctor said he covers ‘suspicious deaths and homicides’ and the information given to him prior to the examination by North Wales Police was that Mr Williams was ‘known to be a heavy drinker and abuser’ and had a ‘history of depression’.

The hearing heard how ‘family members indicated he was getting more paranoid lately’ and North Wales Police believed the night before he had been taking drugs.

Dr Rodgers said that the incised wound, usually caused by ‘sharp objects’, was ‘gaping’ which severed the jugular vein and carotid artery, adding that the ‘cause of death is obvious’.

He said: “Severing of the jugular vein is an unsurvivable injury. No-one is going to get you to the hospital in time to repair that. If you sever that, there’s no going back.”

Dr Rodgers added that there was evidence of Taser marks but the ‘tasering didn’t stop him’ as in this case ‘he carried on as normal’.

The inquest heard how there was evidence of drugs in his system and it ‘appears Mr Williams had some sort of acute psychotic episode’.

Dr Rodgers referred to this as ‘excited delirium’ and the care given by paramedics at the scene ‘definitely would not’ have made a difference.

The doctor said in his opinion the cause of death was not caused by the Taser and there was in evidence of steroids in his system.

During the incident, a ‘scuffle’ occurred between Mr Williams and the attending police officer, the inquest heard.

PC Adam Griffiths described seeing Mr Williams with his hands to his throat and he ‘saw blood’, adding: “I knew he had something in his hand.”

PC Griffiths said as his colleague PC Andrew Griffiths was talking to Mr Williams, he ‘lashed out’.

PC Andrew Griffiths sustained an injury to his hand and PC Adam Griffiths told the hearing that he removed his Taser when he saw the blood as Mr Williams was injuring himself.

However, the Taser, which was deployed twice, had ‘little or no effect’ on Mr Williams.

The hearing also heard that the Taser is used to ‘cause pain and incapacitation’ but on this occasion ‘it hadn’t worked’ and if Mr Williams was experiencing pain, it would have been ‘possible to carry on what he was doing’.

Coroner David Lewis heard how North Wales Police provides a 24-hour course on Taser use, which can be failed at any time, and it is up to the individual involved, what would be the appropriate way to deal with it.

The inquest continued today.